An increasingly high interest is given to the sensory, nutritional, and sanogenic qualities of meat. Considering that poultry meat is nowadays the main quantitatively demanded meat for human consumption, its quality is largely verified and monitored. Toxic compounds are trace markers to be monitored, as their health impacts often cause a high health risk for humans. We have evaluated how a traditional method of meat preservation—hot smoking with natural wood smoke—adds certain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to chicken, duck, and turkey meat. One- vs two-day smoking period and three wood types for smoking (plum, cherry, and beech) have shown that the highest concentrations of PAHs were present in duck meat, irrespective of smoking time or wood type. A higher concentration overall of PAHs was quantified when beech wood was used, followed by cherry and plum woods. Fluorene associated with beech wood gave the highest values for day 1 and day 2, followed by duck and turkey meat, respectively. Very significant differences (p < 0.001) were usually observed for duck meat when compared with chicken and turkey meat, but it was also easy to notice absolute values for Anthracene, Phenanthrene, or Fluoranthene. As expected, two-day smoking contributed to higher concentrations of PAHs in meat.

Consumption of plant-based milk replacers has increased in recent years due to health benefits, benefits attributed mainly to the content of phenolic compounds, fatty acids, or bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity. In this context, we proposed to obtain two types of less studied plant-based beverages, namely lupine and chickpea beverages, as well as the possibility of getting these beverages using germinated seeds and even obtaining probiotic drinks through fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum 299v. To evaluate the quality of the obtained products, we determined their content of proteins, fatty acids, organic acids, volatile compounds, and phenolic compounds. We evaluated the antioxidant activity of the obtained herbal drinks, and a load of probiotic microorganisms present after the fermentation process. Both lupine and chickpeas are legumes with high protein content and a range of health benefits. Fermentation with L. plantarum introduces probiotic properties and enhances the nutritional profile of these beverages. Plant-based beverages inoculated with L. plantarum can offer a convenient way to incorporate probiotics into plant-based diets, providing consumers with the benefits of both plant-based nutrition and probiotic supplementation.

: Consumption of plant-based milk replacers has increased in recent years due to health benefits, benefits attributed mainly to the content of phenolic compounds, fatty acids, or bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity. In this context, we proposed to obtain two types of less studied plant-based beverages, namely lupine and chickpea beverages, as well as the possibility of getting these beverages using germinated seeds and even obtaining probiotic drinks through fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum 299v. To evaluate the quality of the obtained products, we determined their content of proteins, fatty acids, organic acids, volatile compounds, and phenolic compounds. We evaluated the antioxidant activity of the obtained herbal drinks, and a load of probiotic microorganisms present after the fermentation process. Both lupine and chickpea drinks have the desired properties, high content of fatty acids and phenolic compounds, that bring probiotic benefits.

One of the major difficulties of frog farming is providing adequate food in the first few weeks after the metamorphosis. This is a critical time frame, with rapid growth and high mortality. The established feeder insect species used throughout this delicate stage (cricket and mealworm larvae, adult fruit flies) are suitable from a trophic perspective, but present challenges and difficulties that influence the production costs. The aim of this study is to assess the performance of an alternative feeder species – Alphitobius piceus – with a simpler production technology and a lower production cost. Two species of feeder insect were used: the conventionally used Acheta domestica larvae as control species, and Alphitobius piceus larvae as experimental species. As model anuran we used the European common frog, Rana temporaria. The experimental insect species was easily accepted and produced a strong feeding response in the post-metamophic frogs. There were no significant differences between the control and experimental groups in terms of body condition index and mortality, however survival was better in the experimental group. This similarity indicates a high potential of Alphitobius piceus as feeder species for the newly metamorphosed frogs and also a good economic opportunity for frog farms. Craioveanu et al (PDF) Article history: Received 2 June 2021; Revised 21 October 2021; Accepted 29 October 2021; Available online 30 December 2021.

Tourism is an activity that contributes positively to economic growth. Although tourism should be supported because of its benefits for a region’s development, it can place a strain on the environment. Integrating the principles of sustainable development into tourism is essential to ensuring its long-term viability while protecting natural and cultural resources. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent of tourism pressure, its trends, and its impact on sustainable development in three major rural tourist regions of Romania, namely Humor, Câmpulung Moldovenesc, and Dorna, located in the historical province of Bucovina, Suceava County. An analysis of the trends in the three evaluation indicators (density, duration, and pressure level) at the rural region level (Humor Region, Câmpulung Moldovenesc Region, and Dorna Region) is warranted, as these regions are the main centers of attraction and development for rural tourism in Suceava County. Between 2001 and 2023, the density indicator (arrivals/km²) showed significant increases in all three rural regions analyzed—over 6000% in Humor, 2200% in Dorna, and 2000% in Câmpulung Moldovenesc, significantly amplifying the pressure on these three areas; the duration indicator (overnight stays/km²) recorded considerable increases of over 7400% in Humor, 2400% in Dorna, and 2250% in Câmpulung Moldovenesc, proving to be a much more severe pressure indicator than the density indicator; and the pressure level indicator (arrivals/resident population) increased substantially, by over 8000% in Humor, 2100% in Dorna, and 2000% in Câmpulung Moldovenesc, indicating profound sociocultural pressure on the rural communities analyzed. The importance of this research and the originality of this study are closely linked to an understanding of the evolution and intensity of tourism pressure in the three regions analyzed, with a view to informing future strategies for sustainable rural development. An analysis of the environmental pressure caused by tourism in the three regions of Bucovina for the period 2001–2023 reflects a shift from a localized and negligible impact to an increasingly significant pressure. Currently, the regions face the challenge of balancing rapid economic development with the critical need to preserve their unique heritage. Identifying increases in tourist pressure can facilitate the implementation of effective mitigation measures, which are essential for ensuring the sustainability of tourism-related activities in the most popular tourist regions of Bucovina.