The plant-derived α-linolenic acid (ALA) is an essential n-3 acid highly susceptible to oxidation, present in oils of flaxseeds, walnuts, canola, perilla, soy, and chia. After ingestion, it can be incorporated in to body lipid pools (particularly triglycerides and phospholipid membranes), and then endogenously metabolized through desaturation, elongation, and peroxisome oxidation to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), with a very limited efficiency (particularly for DHA), beta-oxidized as an energy source, or directly metabolized to C18-oxilipins. At this moment, data in the literature about the effects of ALA supplementation on metabolic syndrome (MetS) in humans are inconsistent, indicating no effects or some positive effects on all MetS components (abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, impaired insulin sensitivity and glucoregulation, blood pressure, and liver steatosis). The major effects of ALA on MetS seem to be through its conversion to more potent EPA and DHA, the impact on the n-3/n-6 ratio, and the consecutive effects on the formation of oxylipins and endocannabinoids, inflammation, insulin sensitivity, and insulin secretion, as well as adipocyte and hepatocytes function. It is important to distinguish the direct effects of ALA from the effects of EPA and DHA metabolites. This review summarizes the most recent findings on this topic and discusses the possible mechanisms.

Brassica oleracea varieties (red cabbage, broccoli, Savoy cabbage and cauliflower) were tested for their ability to regenerate shoots in vitro. Cotyledon, hypocotyl and root explants of 7 day-old seedlings were incubated on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with 1 mg l-1 6-benzyladenine (BA) or 6-furfurylaminopurine (KIN) in combination with 0, 0.1, and 0.2 mg l-1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Hypocotyls showed the best explants in almost all varieties tested with a minimum regeneration potential of 75% and producing 3.5-7.4 shoots per explant. The BA-supplemented media were optimal for both shoot regeneration and multiplication. Shoots rooted maximally (100%) on plant growth regulator-free MS medium containing 2% or 4% sucrose. Increased sucrose content improved plant acclimation in the greenhouse.

This research was conducted with the aim to among forty-one tested tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) populations distinguish those tolerant to limited water supply. Tolerance assessments were performed by using sixteen drought stress selection indices calculated on the basis of tomato shoot and root dry weight yields determined at water stress and non-stress conditions. Populations were differentiated in groups using the method of cluster analysis. The pot experiment was set in controlled greenhouse conditions and comprised optimally irrigated control and drought treatment (35.0 and 20.9% volumetric soil water content, respectively), imposed at the phase of intensive vegetative growth. The experiment was conducted at the Institute for Vegetable Crops in Smederevska Palanka, Serbia. The analyzed tomatoes exhibited significant differences in terms of response to limited irrigation, which had more pronounced effect on shoot dry weight than on the roots (average decrease of 64.4 and 35.7%, respectively). Consequently, root fraction in the total dry weight increased at drought for 68.2% on average. Shoot and root dry weights were positively correlated at optimal irrigation but not in drought, implying genotypic differences in terms of root adjustments to stress conditions. As for the calculated selection indices, substantial variation was found among the populations enabling their ranking in terms of drought tolerance. Since ranking was not the same in all cases, clustering the populations was performed taking into account all sixteen selection indices. The results of this analysis indicate that populations designated with numbers 126, 124, 131, 125, 128, 105, 101, 138, 110, 132 and 109 in Institute for Vegetable Crops germplasm collection exhibit satisfactory level of drought tolerance at vegetative phase and therefore may be used as parents in breeding programs.

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a nutritious legume with health benefits, gaining attention as a functional food. Bibliometric studies use quantitative methods to assess research trends, gaps, and future directions. The main objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of the fragmented literature on the nutritional profiles and health benefits of peas using a bibliometric approach. The analysis examined publications from 2013 to 2023, revealing trends in publication volume, author productivity, and international collaboration. Publications peaked in 2015, focusing on topics such as dietary fibers, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, and antinutrients affecting mineral bioavailability. Over the decade, the annual growth rate was 3.25%. The University of Saskatchewan produced the most influential research, with Warkentin TD as the most productive author. Canada and Poland had the highest number of publications, with the USA, China, and India following. Six major international co-authorship networks were identified, highlighting significant collaborations between countries. Key research themes included antioxidants, protein, fiber, and phytate in peas. This study provides a strong foundation for future integrated research, helping to better understand the potential of peas as a functional food and guiding more targeted studies to address current knowledge gaps across various disciplines.

In order to estimate, at the molecular level, the divergence of parental lines that were used in diallel crossbreeding for production of superior offspring (F1 generation hybrids) at the Institute for Vegetable Crops, the molecular analysis using five RAPD markers for five pairs of parents has been performed. It gives an insight into their genetic polymorphism and the possibility of their further use in breeding programs. Information from this research has pioneered the application of molecular markers of onion in Serbia. Analyses were performed using the RAPD primers, which in previous studies established a high degree of polymorphism. In all five cases there was a corresponding amplification of DNA segments. From totally 50 bands analyzed, the length of fragments ranged from 500 to 3000 bp. Number of polymorphic band per example was 8 to 13. In our research at the level of the analyzed primers, a high degree of polymorphism between analyzed genotypes has been found. Based on UPGMA dendogram, analyzed genotypes were divided into two main clusters and two subclusters.