The composition of 18 essential oils was determined using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and their antilisterial activity was evaluated by the disk diffusion method, followed by the determination of the minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations. The most active essential oils were oregano, thyme, cinnamon, winter savory, and clove, with MIC values ranging from 0.09 to 1.78 µL/mL. We investigated the biofilm-forming potential of Listeria monocytogenes on polystyrene at 5 °C, 15 °C, and 37 °C in three different media. The formation of biofilm was found to be dependent on the temperature and the availability of nutrients. After treatment with selected essential oils, the reduction in biofilm biomass was in the range of 32.61% and 78.62%. Micromorphological changes in the L. monocytogenes treated by oregano and thyme essential oils were observed in the form of impaired cell integrity and cell lyses by using scanning electron microscope. Oregano and thyme essential oils (MIC and 2MIC) significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the population of L. monocytogenes in minced pork meat during storage at 4 °C. In conclusion, the obtained results indicated the good activity of some selected essential oils on L. monocytogenes, with bacteriostatic, bactericidal, and antibiofilm effects at very low concentrations.

Oilseed crops are widely cultivated and are related to nutrition and human health as valuable nutraceutical sources with valuable biological properties. The growing demand for oil plants used in human and animal nutrition or for the processing industry has contributed to the diversification and development of a new variety of oil crops. Increased oil crop diversity, besides ensuring reduced sensitivity to pests and climate conditions, has also led to improved nutritional values. In order to enable oil crop cultivation to become commercially sustainable, a comprehensive characterization of newly created varieties of oilseeds, including their nutritional and chemical composition, is required. In this study, two varieties of safflower and white and black mustard were investigated as alternative oil species for nutritional parameters, mainly protein, fat, carbohydrate, moisture, ash, polyphenols, flavonoids, chlorophylls contents, acids and mineral composition, and compared with those of two different genotypes of rapeseeds as a traditional oil crop plant. The proximate analysis found that the highest oil content was found in the oil rape NS Svetlana genotype (33.23%), while the lowest was in black mustard (25.37%). The protein content varies from around 26% in safflower samples to 34.63%, determined in white mustard. High content of unsaturated fatty acids and low content of saturated fatty acid was observed in the analyzed samples. In mineral analysis, the dominant elements were phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium, in descending order. The observed oil crops are also good sources of microelements, including iron, copper, manganese and zinc, accompanied by high antioxidant activity due to the presence of significant amounts of polyphenolic and flavonoid compounds.

Nowadays, various industrial and urban activities result in discharging enormous quantities of various pollutants and their accumulation in the environment. Considering that heavy metals in wastewater are a serious threat to the environment and human health and that conventional methods for their removal are not highly efficient, the current study mainly focuses on estimating cyanobacterial capability to accumulate different heavy metals from water and comparing bioaccumulation and biosorption processes. Cyanobacteria Nostoc sp. was used, and five heavy metals were selected for this experiment (Cd2+, Cu2+, Pb2+, Ni2+, Zn2+). Examined concentrations of HMs were 20 mg/dm3, 80 mg/dm3, and 200 mg/dm3 for the bioaccumulation study, while 20 mg/dm3 and 80 mg/dm3 of each HMs were used for biosorption experiments. Living cells of Nostoc sp. have the highest affinity for Pb2+ (98.15%) and Cu2+ (95.14%) removal from the solution by bioaccumulation. During the biosorption process, dried biomass of Nostoc sp., besides Pb2+ (92.27%) and Cu2+ (96.00%), shows a high affinity for Cd2+ (91.00%) removal. Living cyanobacterial cells of Nostoc sp. could accumulate 82% of Zn, while dried biomass adsorbs 87% of Zn2+. Although the highest bioaccumulation of Ni2+ was only 38% while using the biosorption process, it was significantly higher (63.80%). These results could provide a preliminary study for further investigation in the direction of the development of immobilized biosorbents which could be used for industrial effluent treatment.

Sunflower seeds are key agricultural commodities due to their nutritional and industrial value. This study aimed to analyze the distribution of targeted bioactive compounds and assess the physical properties across 27 sunflower seed genotypes, including parental lines and F1 and F2 hybrids, cultivated in Serbia. Various analytical techniques were employed to determine the chemical composition and physical characteristics of the seeds. This research revealed significant genetic variability in fatty acid profiles, with differences in polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acid levels among the genotypes. Hybrid seeds displayed variations in 1000-seed weight and bulk density compared to parental lines, which exhibited higher essential fatty acid contents and mechanical properties advantageous for industrial processing. These insights highlight the potential for refining breeding strategies to improve seed quality for specific industrial purposes. Overall, this study emphasizes the critical role of genetic selection in enhancing the nutritional and processing qualities of sunflower seeds, offering valuable perspectives for advancing agricultural and breeding practices.

This study investigates the effects of hull and impurity content on the efficiency of cold-pressing high-oleic sunflower seeds using a screw press. High-oleic sunflower oil is valued for its oxidative stability and health benefits, and optimizing pressing conditions is crucial for maximizing yield and maintaining oil quality. The identification of high-oleic sunflower oil was performed by analyzing its fatty acid composition, iodine value, and refractive index. Eleven seed samples with varying hull and impurity contents were processed to assess their impact on cake composition, pressing efficiency, and pressing oil yield. Oil yield ranged from 39.24% to 76.52%, with higher hull content contributing to increased yield due to its role in facilitating oil drainage. Multiple linear regression models were developed to predict moisture and oil content in the cake, as well as pressing efficiency, based on hull and impurity content, demonstrating strong predictive accuracy. These parameters were selected as they represent economically significant indicators, given that moisture and oil content indirectly reflect the protein content in the cake, while sunflower cake is primarily used as animal feed. Additionally, pressing efficiency indicates oil yield during pressing, which is the most critical economic parameter of the cold-pressing process. Cluster analysis identified three sample groups with distinct characteristics, revealing interactions between seed composition and pressing performance. The results highlight the significance of seed preparation in optimizing cold-pressing efficiency and provide insights for improving oil extraction processes. These findings support the industrial application of high-oleic sunflower seed pressing and contribute to the development of sustainable, high-quality oil production methods.