Sorina Popescu

By Oana-Maria Boldura and Sorina Popescu

In this chapter, application of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique in food safety, considering all the branches of this concept, is presented. The area of interest contains important analysis for both human health and the identification of food adulteration. PCR techniques used for detection of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in different matrices, identification of different animal species in meat and dairy products, as well as the detection of food infection with food-borne pathogens and toxicogenic fungi are described. The working methods and result analysis are exemplified, starting with DNA isolation adjusted to different matrices, detection of target genes, and validation for all of these methods. Techniques of simplex PCR, primer multiplexing, primer design, validation of the laboratory methods, optimization of the PCR results, and result interpretation through the analysis of the electrophoresis gels and sequencing data are studied. At the same time, the obtained results, the obstacles encountered, and how they were overcome could be an example for specific analysis developed with less resources and also for adapting the existent validated methods to the new laboratory conditions. The practical applicability and the consumer’s demands are of great importance and always must be considered in developing and validating those methods.

Part of the book: Polymerase Chain Reaction for Biomedical Applications

By Radu-Liviu Sumalan, Sorin-Ion Ciulca, Renata-Maria Sumalan and Sorina Popescu

Crop diversity of vegetable species is threatened by the current homogenization of agricultural production systems due to specialization of plant breeders and increasing globalization in the seed sector. With the onset of modern agriculture, most traditional vegetable cultivars were replaced by highly productive and often genetically uniform commercial breeds and hybrids. This led to the loss of landraces, especially in countries with a super-intensive agriculture. The agricultural biodiversity erosion represents a huge risk for food safety and security. Vegetable landraces are associated with the cultural heritage of their place of origin being adapted to local agro-ecological areas and are more resilient to environmental stress than commercial cultivars. The chapter aim to highlight the importance of keeping and using vegetable landraces as valuable sources of genes for traditional farmers, but also for future breeding processes. We analyze the historical role of landraces, genetic diversity, high physiological adaptability to specific local conditions in association with traditional farming systems, as well as the breeding perspectives and evaluation of genetic diversity based on molecular markers.

Part of the book: Landraces