Dyes and biological sources in nineteenth to twentieth century ethnographic textiles from Transylvania, Romania

Abstract Liquid chromatography with UV–Vis and mass spectrometric detection (LC–DAD–MS) was applied to the identification of dyes and biological sources in samples from nineteenth to twentieth century ethnographic textiles from ASTRA National Museum Complex, Sibiu, Transylvania. The objects are part of the Romanian traditional costume and are among the first to be acquired for the museum collections, around 1905. Oral and written information mention such objects as homemade, with nearby materials, while literature mentions a significant number of local vegetal sources as being used for textile dyeing. The analytical protocol developed, based on the combined use of the UV–Vis and mass spectrometric detectors to associate the information and distinguish between major and minor dyes, facilitates a clear attribution of the dyes and biological source/sources used. Other techniques, such as X-ray spectroscopy and FTIR-ATR were successfully used to identify inorganic dyes, which may not be detected by LC–DAD–MS, as was the case of Prussian blue. A large number of biological sources was identified in the studied objects, both local and imported. The local sources identified include dyer’s broom (Genista tinctoria L.), sawwort (Serratula tinctoria L.), young fustic (Cotinus coggygria Scop.), Rhamnus berries, emodin based dyes (Rhamnus, Rheum, Rumex sp.) and woad (Isatis tinctoria L.), in perfect correlation with literature which states that local dyes were still in use in the period under discussion. Carminic acid containing insects (Dactylopius coccus Costa and Porphyrophora sp.) and redwood type Caesalpinia species should be considered a result of trade. Almost all the natural and synthetic dyes detected are frequently mentioned in a collection of recipes published by the Romanian Academy, in 1914. The richness in colours in belts, the use of insect dyes in shirts decoration and the large amount of cotton in shirts are illustrative for the owners’ status. The study provides a better valorisation of the Romanian traditional costume as witness of the rural society at the end of the nineteenth to beginning of the twentieth century and emphasizes the usefulness of chemistry in cultural heritage dedicated applications

Chemical and Biological Studies of <i>Achillea setacea Herba</i> Essential Oil—First Report on Some Antimicrobial and Antipathogenic Features

The essential oil of Achillea setacea was isolated by hydrodistillation and characterized by GC-MS. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of Achillea setacea essential oil was evaluated, as well as its biocompatibility (LDH and MTT methods). DPPH, FRAP, and CUPRAC methods were applied for antioxidant activity evaluation, while qualitative and quantitative assays (inhibition zone diameter, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum fungicidal concentration), NO release (by nitrite concentration determination), and microbial adhesion capacity to the inert substrate (the biofilm microtiter method) were used to investigate the antimicrobial potential. A total of 52 compounds were identified by GC-MS in A. setacea essential oil, representing 97.43% of the total area. The major constituents were borneol (32.97%), 1,8-cineole (14.94%), camphor (10.13%), artemisia ketone (4.70%), α-terpineol (3.23%), and γ-eudesmol (3.23%). With MICs ranging from 0.78 to 30 μg/mL, the A. setacea essential oil proved to inhibit the microbial adhesion and induce the NO release. To the best of our knowledge, the present study reports for the first time the antimicrobial activity of A. setacea EO against clinically and biotechnologically important microbial strains, such as Shigella flexneri, Listeria ivanovii, L. innocua, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida glabrata, Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus nigricans, Cladosporium cladosporioides, and Alternaria alternata, demonstrating its antimicrobial applications beyond the clinical field

Distribution and pathways of introduction of invasive alien plant species in Romania

Biological invasions are one of the main drivers of modern human-induced species losses. Research on the distribution of alien species and their pathways of introduction is essential for understanding and tackling the invasion process. A comprehensive overview on invasive alien plant (IAP) species in Romania is lacking. With this paper, we aim to contribute to filling this gap and to provide a visualization of national patterns regarding plant species invasions, geographical origins and pathways of introductions. Based on plant species occurrence records in the published literature and herbaria we compiled a national database of 102 invasive and potentially invasive alien plant species. We georeferenced 42776 IAP species occurrences and performed an analysis of their spatial patterns. The spatial analyses revealed a biased sampling, with clear hotspots of increased sampling efforts around urban areas. We used chord diagrams to visualize the pathway of introduction and geographical origins of the IAP species, which revealed that species in Romania originate mainly in North and Central America, while the dominant pathway of plant introduction was horticulture. Our results provide an important baseline in drafting management and action plans, as invasive alien plant species represent a priority for the European Union through the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and a good starting point for various analyses as the database is further developed and regularly updated

Corrigenda: Sirbu C, Miu IV, Gavrilidis AA, Gradinaru SR, Niculae IM, Preda C, Oprea A, Urziceanu M, Camen-Comanescu P, Nagoda E, Sirbu IM, Memedemin D, Anastasiu P (2022) Distribution and pathways of introduction of invasive alien plant species in Romania. NeoBiota 75: 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.75.84684

Corrigenda: Sirbu C, Miu IV, Gavrilidis AA, Gradinaru SR, Niculae IM, Preda C, Oprea A, Urziceanu M, Camen-Comanescu P, Nagoda E, Sirbu IM, Memedemin D, Anastasiu P (2022) Distribution and pathways of introduction of invasive alien plant species in Romania. NeoBiota 75: 1–21. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.75.8468

Wound Healing and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of a Newly Developed Ointment Containing Jujube Leaves Extract

Ziziphus jujuba Mill. (jujube) is a well-known medicinal plant with pronounced wound healing properties. The present study aimed to establish the chemical composition of the lyophilized ethanolic extract from Romanian Ziziphus jujuba leaves and to evaluate the healing and anti-inflammatory properties of a newly developed lipophilic ointment containing 10% dried jujube leaves extract. The ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometry method was used, and 47 compounds were detected, among them the novel epicatechin and caffeic acid. The extract contains significant amounts of rutin (29.836 mg/g), quercetin (15.180 mg/g) and chlorogenic acid (350.96 µg/g). The lipophilic ointment has a slightly tolerable pH, between 5.41–5.42, and proved to be non-toxic in acute dermal irritation tests on New Zealand albino rabbits and after repeated administration on Wistar rats. The ointment also has a healing activity comparable to Cicatrizin (a pharmaceutical marketed product) on Wistar rats and a moderate anti-inflammatory action compared to the control group, but statistically insignificant compared to indomethacin in the rat-induced inflammation test by intraplantar administration of kaolin. The healing and anti-inflammatory properties of the tested ointment are due to phenolic acids and flavonoids content, less because of minor components as apocynin, scopoletin, and isofraxidin

Alien plant species distribution in Romania: a nationwide survey following the implementation of the EU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species

Biological invasions pose an increasing risk to nature, social security and the economy, being ranked amongst the top five threats to biodiversity. Managing alien and invasive species is a priority for the European Union, as outlined in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Alien plant species are acknowledged to impact the economy and biodiversity; thus, analysing the distribution of such species provides valuable inputs for the management and decision-making processes. The database presented in the current study is the first consolidated checklist of alien plant species that are present in Romania, both of European Union concern and of national interest. This database complements a prior published distribution, based only on records from literature, bringing new information regarding the occurrence of alien plants in Romania, as revealed by a nationwide field survey. We consider this database a valuable instrument for managing biological invasions at both national and regional levels, as it can be utilised in further research studies and in drafting management and action plans, assisting stakeholders in making informed decisions and implementing management actions.We present the results of the first nationwide survey of alien plant species in Romania, conducted between 2019 and 2022, in the framework of a national project coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests and the University of Bucharest. The present database complements and updates the database published by Sirbu et. al (2022), which included occurrence records published until 2019. The new database includes 98323 occurrence records for 396 alien plant species in 77 families, with most species belonging to the Asteraceae family. One alien plant species in our database, the black locust Robinia pseudoacacia L., had more than 10,000 occurrence records. The distribution database also includes information on newly-reported invasive alien plant species of European Union concern in Romania (i.e. the floating primrose-willow Ludwigia peploides (Kunth) P.H.Raven) and documents the presence of plants in 44 additional families compared to Sirbu et al. (2022). Each entry includes information on species taxonomy, location, year, person who recorded and identified the alien plant, geographical coordinates and taxon rank