ZNAČILNOSTI RAZMNOŽEVANJA ZDRAVILNIH IN AROMATIČNIH RASTLIN

In selection of optimal propagation method for medicinal and aromatic plants the most relevant criteria are the propagation rate, biomass production and net production of active (useful) compounds, that determine the chemical quality of the drug plants. Essential paramethers of seed quality (vigor, viability) as well as some experiences on generative and/or vegetative propagation are reviewed. The seed material, that has not been complied to selection/breeding mostly issues non-homogenous descendants as regards biomass production, developmental homogenity and raw materials\u27 quality. This is the reason why in the introduction of cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants the vegetative propagation of plants is recommended, especially at species with slow and low germination rate.Najpomembnejši kriteriji za izbiro načina razmnoževanja predstavljajo pri zdravilnih in aromatičnih rastlinah stopnja razmnoževanja, pridelek biomase in pridelek aktivnih (uporabnih) sestavin, ki določajo kemijsko kakovost rastlinskih drog. Predstavljeni so bistveni parametri kakovostnega semena (vigor, vitalnost) in nekatere izkušnje na področju generativnega in/ali vegetativnega razmnoževanja zdravilnih in aromatidnih rastlin. Neselekcionirani/nežlahtneni semenski material v večini primerov daje neizenačene potomke v pogledu pridelane biomase, izenačenosti razvoja in kakovosti surovin. Zato je v fazi uvajanja pridelovanja pri nekaterih vrstah priporočljivo vegetativno razmnoževanje, še posebej v primeru počasne ali nizke kalivosti semen

Essential Oil of Common Thyme as a Natural Antimicrobial Food Additive

U ovom smo radu analizirali antimikrobno djelovanje eteričnog ulja timijana na odabrane mikoorganizme (Fusarium sp., Armillaria mellea, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Buttiauxella sp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli K-12, soj E.coli Z koji proizvodi AmpC, soj E. coli klonalne grupe KM ST131 što proizvodi ESBL, te E. coli 1138). Za određivanje je antimikrobnog učinka eteričnog ulja timijana korištena metoda difuzije agara. Rast je svih testiranih bakterija bio inhibiran pri koncentracijama eteričnog ulja većim od 1 %, dok je rast gljivica bio inhibiran pri koncentraciji od 10 %. U ovom je radu dokazano da eterično ulje timijana uspješno suzbija rast bakterija uzročnika kvarenja hrane te višestruko otpornih bakterijskih sojeva što proizvode AmpC i ESBL, koji su nedavno prepoznati kao problem u javnom zdravstvu. Naši rezultati upućuju na to da bi se timijan mogao upotrijebiti umjesto polusintetičkih antimikrobnih spojeva kao inhibitor rasta višestruko otpornih bakterija, bakterija uzročnika kvarenja hrane, patogenih bakterija i gljivica.Antimicrobial activities of thyme essential oil against selected microorganisms, including Fusarium sp., Armillaria mellea, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Buttiauxella sp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli K-12, AmpC-producing E. coli Z, ESBL-producing E. coli strain of KM clonal group ST131, and E. coli 1138 were evaluated. The antimicrobial efficacy of thyme essential oil was determined using agar well diffusion assays. The growth of all tested bacteria was inhibited at thyme essential oil fractions higher than 1 %, while a fraction of 10 % was needed to inhibit the growth of fungi. We demonstrate that thyme essential oil has a promising activity against food spoilage bacteria, and also against multiresistant AmpC-producing and ESBL-producing bacterial strains isolated from food, which have recently been recognised as public health concerns. On the basis of our data, the thyme essential oil has a potential for use as a growth inhibitor of multidrug-resistant bacteria, and food spoilage and pathogenic bacteria and fungi, to replace commonly used semi-synthetic antimicrobial products

Adverse effects and intoxications related to medicinal/harmful plants

Many wild plants around us have beneficial effects on our body and can be used as food. People are more and more interested in the medicinal plants. Many of them began gathering and preparing plants for the relief of symptoms of diseases or as a food dietary. Due to the lack of knowledge of plants, mistaking plants that contain toxins for medical plants may happen and cause adverse effects or even poisoning. The Poison Control Centre in Ljubljana keeps records of patients who have been admitted to the department because of adverse effects from the ingestion of certain plants. We analysed 64 cases, which were registered by the Poison Control Centre between January 2000 and December 2013. The aim of the present study was to determine which plants cause the most intoxications in Slovenia

Essential oil and hydrosol composition of immortelle (Helichrysum italicum)

The chemical composition of essential oils and hydrosols of immortelle (Helichrysum italicum) stems with leaves obtained by hydrodistillation was identified using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). One-year-old and two-year-old plants of the same immortelle population, and plants from three Croatian populations, all grown in Slovenia, were included in the study. Themain compounds of essential oils of one-year-old and two-year-old plants were [alpha]-pinene, [alpha]-eudesmol, and rosifoliol. Among essential oils of the Croatian populations, three dominant components were found: [alpha]-pinene, geranyl acetate, and 2-phenylethyl tiglate. Both the essential oils and hydrosols of one-year-old plants were more diverse in their compositions than two-year-old plants. The predominant compounds of hydrosols of one- and two-year-old plantswere pentan-3-one, 3-octanone, 2,2-dimethylnon-5-en-3-one, and [alpha]-terpineol, and in the Croatian populations [alpha]-terpineol, 2,6-octadien-1-ol, 2,2-dimethylnon-5-en-3-one, and [alpha]-terpineol