Fruits of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) are valued mainly for their nutraceutical properties, and are among the fruits with the highest antioxidant activity due to their high content of phenolic compounds. The aim of this research was to assess the total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity of fruits in six wild bilberry populations from two regions of Romania over three years. The total polyphenol content was determined according to the Folin–Ciocalteu modified method, while the antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging assay. The Padis and Raul Lung populations registered the highest values of polyphenol content and antioxidant activity, as such the fruits of these bilberry populations could be considered potential sources of antioxidants for direct consumption or for use as ingredients for food products or food supplements. Significant variation of total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity was observed both between populations from the same region and from different regions. The low level of broad sense heritability for total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity associated with the high effects of year, and population–year interaction indicates that the accumulation of polyphenols in bilberry fruits is influenced by changes in environmental conditions.

Lettuce is a valuable leaf vegetable for a well-balanced diet, since it is rich in nutrient elements, has low calories and provides dietary antioxidants. Compared to soil-based cultivation, the hydroponic system is an alternative associated with a shortening of growing cycles and a reduction of wasted water amount. The aim of this study was to analyze the growth of lettuce plants under hydroponic and soil cultivation systems, during three phenological growth stages (45; 47 and 49) according to BBCH scale. During the study different morphological and physiological parameters were evaluated: Plant height (PH); Stem diameter (SD); Fresh mass (FM); Dry mass (DM); Leaf area (LA); Chlorophyll content (CC); Transpiration rate (TR). The research was carried out using a complete randomized design with a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of cultivation system and growth stages. Plants grown in hydroponic system presented higher values of most parameters, except for DM and TR. The cultivation system had the highest effect on PH, SD and LA. The highest variation between growth stages were observed for PH, LA and CC. Finally, we can conclude that lettuce plants cultivated under hydroponic system, presented better growth parameters associated with higher head weight and yield.