Search Results (2)

Sideritis scardica (S. scardica) Griseb., also known as mountain tea, is an important medicinal and aromatic plant species. Due to the high cross-pollination ability of the species, diverse genotypes and phenotypes occur naturally. Considering that superior uniform genotypes are necessary for highly qualitative and sustainable production, this study aimed to conduct a pre-breeding evaluation of three clones (SID1, SID2, and SID3) originating from a selected S. scardica population growing in Greece. According to a phenotypic and agronomic evaluation, SID2 seemed to be superior among the three clones, expressing a good profile with desirable traits (i.e., desired inflorescence length and leaf surface, high length of stems, and high fresh and dry plant biomass). Furthermore, SID3 presented some remarkable measurements regarding morphological (upright growth habit) and agronomic (high number of stems and plant dry weight, desired plant surface) traits. The phytochemical profile of the three clones was assessed with regard to their volatile and polyphenolic compounds. Forty-four constituents were identified in S. scardica essential oil, including hydrocarbon monoterpenes, sesquiterpenoids, oxygenated monoterpenes, and other groups (monoterpene ketones, saturated fatty alcohols, benzoic esters). Liquid chromatographic analysis revealed SID2 as the clone most abundant in the major polyphenolic metabolites: verbascoside (2234.3 mg 100 g⁻¹), isoscutellarein-7-O [6″-O-acetyl]-allosyl(1 → 2) glucoside (1456.5 mg 100 g⁻¹), and 4-methyl hypolaetin-7-O [6″-O-acetyl]-allosyl(1 → 2) glucoside (861.8 mg 100 g⁻¹). The results indicate the ability to combine morphological, agronomic, and phytochemical traits, in order to identify superior S. scardica genotypes for further evaluation and utilization in breeding programs, aiming to create cultivars or varieties for farming purposes with desired performance and high quantitative and qualitative yields. Full article

The quantification of gases in breath has gained significant attention as a modern diagnosis method due to its non-invasive nature, and as a painless and straightforward method for the early detection of physiological disorders. Several notable clinical applications have been established for disease diagnosis by correlating exhaled breath samples and specific diseases. In addition, diverse breath molecules represent a biomarker of specific illnesses and are precisely identified by the standard analytical method. However, because of the bulky equipment size, expensive cost, and complexity in measurement when using analytical methods, many researchers are focusing on developing highly selective, sensitive, stable, robust, and economical sensors for breath analysis. It is essential to optimize approaches such as breath sampling, biomarker sensing, data analysis, etc. However, the detection of ppb-level biomarkers in exhaled breath is too challenging to solve due to the abundance of interfering gases. We present a brief and comprehensive review of a recent diagnostic technique that employs nanomaterial (NM)-based sensors to identify the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated to diseases. Because they are easily fabricated, chemically versatile, and can be integrated with existing sensing platforms, NMs are ideal for such sensors. Initially, this review provides crucial details about certain representative biomarkers found in diseased patients’ exhaled breath and the demand for breath sensors. Subsequently, the review highlights diverse sensor technologies such as electrical, optical, and mass-sensitive gas sensors and describes their sensing capability for detecting the biomarkers’ concentrations and their primary endeavor of diagnosing disease. Finally, the pitfalls and challenges of sensor characteristics are discussed. This article lays the basis for developing high-performance gas sensors based on novel NMs. Full article