Species composition and syntaxonomic consideration of two communities of the Drabo-Cardaminion hirsutae in the southern part of the Republic of Macedonia

The paper deals with the vegetation of the association Drabo-Cardaminon hirsutae de Foucault 1988 (Geranio-Cardaminetalia hirsutae, Stellarietea mediae) in the southern part of the Republic of Macedonia. This is vernal therophytic vegetation that appears early in the spring and disappears later in the beginning of summer. Two associations were determined: Valeriano carinatae-Calepinetum irregularis de Foucault 1988 and Geranio lucidi-Cardaminetum hirsutae de Foucault et Frileux 1983. Valeriano-Calepinetum irregularis is found on sunny sites with deep soil horizons and Geranio-Cardaminetum hirsutae on sunny sites with only a shallow soil horizon mixed with small partitions of bedrock. According to the floristic and syntaxonomic analysis, it was decided to classify the communities into these associations, which have been already described in the western part of Europe, but to distinguish two geographical races Valeriano carinatae- -Calepinetum irregularis var. geogr. Sisymbrium orientale var. orientale and Geranio- Cardaminetum hirsutae var. geogr. Myosotis ramosissima

Radical scavenging and antimicrobial activity of essential oil and extracts of Echinophora sibthorpiana Guss. from Macedonia

This study was undertaken to determine the antioxidant and antimicrobial effect of essential oil and extracts of Echinophora sibthorpiana Guss. (fam. Apiaceae) collected in Macedonia. The chemical composition of E. sibthorpiana essential oil was characterized by the presence of methyl eugenol (60.40%), p-cymene (11.18%) and α-phellandrene (10.23%). The free radical scavenging activity of extracts and essential oil was evaluated by DPPH and ABTS assays. The aqueous extract of aerial parts exhibited the strongest scavenging activity (IC50=1.67 mg/ml); results of the ABTS test showed that the most effective was the ethanol extract of aerial parts (1.11 mg vit. C/g). The essential oil showed stronger antioxidant activity compared to hydroxyanisole, ascorbic acid and quercetin that were used in the DPPH and ABTS tests, respectively. The total phenolic and flavonoid concentrations in the extracts ranged between 38.65-60.72 mg GA/g, and 3.15-19.00 mg Qu/g, respectively. The antimicrobial properties of the extracts and essential oil were investigated using a micro-well dilution technique against human pathogenic strains. The results were comparable with the effects of the positive controls, streptomycin and fluconazole. These findings indicate that E. sibthorpiana extracts and oil can be used in preventive treatments and as an alternative for synthetic preservatives. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 173029 i br. 173021

Fatty acid composition of the cypselae of two endemic Centaurea species (Asteraceae)

The fatty acid composition of cypselae of two endemic species from Macedonia, Centaurea galicicae and C. tomorosii, is analysed for the first time, using GC/MS (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry). In the cypselae of C. galicicae, 11 fatty acids were identified, palmitic (hexadecanoic) acid (32.5%) being the most dominant. Other fatty acids were elaidic [(E)-octadec-9-enoic] acid (13.9%), stearic (octadecanoic) acid (12.8%) and linoleic [(9Z,12Z)-9,12-octadecadienoic] acid (10.6%). Of the 11 identified fatty acids, seven were saturated fatty acids, which represented 41.5% of total fatty acids, while unsaturated fatty acids altogether constituted 58.5%. In the cypselae of C. tomorosii, five fatty acids were identified. The major fatty acid was linolelaidic [(9E,12E)-octadeca- 9,12-dienoic] acid (48.8%). The second most dominant fatty acid was oleic [(9Z)-octadec-9-enoic] acid (34.2%). Thus, unsaturated fatty acids were present with 83%. The other three fatty acids identified were saturated fatty acids, which represented 17% of total fatty acids. As a minor fatty acid, levulinic (4-oxopentanoic) acid was determined in both C. galicicae and C. tomorosii (0.3% and 3.2%, respectively). The obtained results differ from published data on dominant fatty acids in the cypselae of other species belonging to the same section as the species investigated in the present paper (section Arenariae, subgenus Acrolophus, genus Centaurea). They also, differ from published data referable to other genera belonging to the same tribe (Cardueae). The general chemotaxonomic significance of fatty acids is discussed. © 2017 Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden Jevremovac, Belgrade

Using important plant areas and important bird areas to identify Key Biodiversity Areas in the Republic of Macedonia

An attempt is made to identify Key Biodiversity Areas in the Republic of Macedonia through the identification of internationally recognized important areas for biodiversity: Important Plant Areas (IPAs) and Important Bird Areas (IBAs). Forty two IPAs covering 6,495km2 and 24 IBAs covering 6,907km2 have been identified in Macedonia. Thirty seven IPAs (6,152km2 or 24% of the country’s territory) and 15 IBAs (4,821km2 or 18.75% of the national territory), meet KBA criteria, between them yielding 42 KBAs. The remaining five IPAs and nine IBAs do not meet KBA criteria although have international significance. Together IPAs and IBAs total 10,698km2; those meeting the KBA criteria total 9,670km2. In total, 73% and 65% of the entire national protected areas (PAs) surface overlaps with IPAs and IBAs respectively. This proportion is 81% for the 42 KBAs. However, only 25% of the total size of protected areas overlaps with IPAs, only 21% overlap with IBAs, and only 19% with the combined 42 KBAs. This means that Macedonia’s protected areas system is not yet representative and comprehensive for safeguarding its botanical and avian diversity

Antioxidant activity and total phenolic and flavonoid contents of Salvia amplexicaulis Lam. extracts

This study was designed to examine the in vitro antioxidant DPPH free radical-scavenging activity, and the total phenolic and flavonoid content of ethanol and methanol extracts of Salvia amplexicaulis Lam. in the whole plant and different parts, leaves, stems and flowers. The largest amounts of extract yield were obtained from the flowers, 14.14% and 12.00 % (w/w) in the ethanol of methanol extracts, respectively. The ethanol extract of leaves (16.07 μg/ml) and methanol extract of the whole plant (21.28 μg/ml) showed the highest activity against the DPPH radical. The ethanol extract of the leaves was the richest in phenols (222.40 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (49.81 mg QE/g), whereas the methanol extract of the whole plant contained the highest amount of phenolics (180.89 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (38.15 mg QE/g). A very strong linear correlation between antioxidant activity and the phenolic content of the extracts was established. The obtained results suggest that S. amplexicaulis could be regarded as an important source of natural antioxidants. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 173029

European habitat types of scrub and forests in the southern part of North Macedonia

European natural habitat types listed in the Habitats Directive Annex 1 inventoried and assessed in the Pelister National Park, Prespa Lake Natural Monument, and adjacent areas. Data collected during three field research in summer 2018. The main aim of this study was to collect data and to classify European habitats of scrub and forests. Summarizing the results of field investigations and literature studies, 15 types of European habitat have been identified: 4060 Alpine and Boreal heaths (incl. Bruckenthalion spiculifoliae Horvat 1949 pro parte), 5130 Juniperus communis formations on heaths or calcareous grasslands (incl. Bruckenthalion spiculifoliae Horvat 1949 pro parte, Berberidion vulgaris Br.-Bl. ex Tx. 1952 pro parte), 91AA *Eastern white oak woods (incl. Quercion petraeo-cerridis Lakusic et B. Jovanovic in B. Jovanovic et al. ex Carni et Mucina 2015), 9180 Tilio-Acerion forest of slopes, screes and ravines (incl. Ostryo carpinifoliae-Tilion platyphylli (Kosir et al. 2008) Carni in Willner et al. 2016), 91BA Moesian silver fir forest (incl. Geranio striati-Fagion Gentile 1970 pro parte), 91E0 * Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior (Alno-Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae) (incl. Alnion incanae Pawlowski et al. 1928, Salicion albae Soo 1951 pro parte), 91W0 Moesian beech forests (incl. Geranio striati-Fagion Gentile 1970 pro parte), 9250 Quercus trojana woods (incl. Carpinion orientalis Horvat 1958), 9260 Castanea sativa woods (abandoned Castanea sativa plantation above Capari village found), 9270 Hellenic beech forests with Abies borisii-regis (incl. Geranio striati-Fagion Gentile 1970.[...]Ekspozicijų ir kolekcijų skyriusVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

New and validated high-rank syntaxa from Europe

In the course of the compilation of a checklist of the high-rank syntaxa of Europe, it turned out that for several syntaxa no valid and legitimate names were available. With this contribution, we aim to solve some of the problems by publishing or validating seven syntaxon names (1 order, 5 alliances, 1 association) and by proposing a nomen novum for one illegitimate alliance name. The validations concern the Artemisio albi-Brometalia erecti (Festuco-Brometea; xerophytic basiphilous grasslands in subatlantic-submediterranean Europe), Dictamno albi-Ferulagion galbaniferae (Antherico ramosi-Geranietalia sanguinei, Trifolio-Geranietea sanguinei; xerophytic basiphilous forest-edge communities of the Balkans and the SE Alps), Euphorbio taurinensis-Geranion lucidi (Geranio-Cardaminetalia hirsutae, Stellarietea mediae; short-lived nitrophilous forest-edge communities of Macedonia), and Gentianello amarellae-Helictotrichion pratensis (Brometalia erecti, Festuco-Brometea; meso-xerophytic basiphilous grasslands of NW Europe). A new alliance, the Alkanno baeoticae-Pinion halepensis (Quercetalia ilicis, Quercetea ilicis; pine forests on ultramafic soils on the island of Euboea), is described to replace the nomen dubium Alyssion euboei. The Alkanno baeoticae-Pinetum halepensis is described as a new association to serve as the type of the Alkanno-Pinion. Finally, within the Poterietalia spinosi (Cisto-Micromerietea julianae), the Helichryso barrelieri-Phagnalion graeci (phrygana communities on non-calcareous substrates in the south Aegean region) is described as new to science, and the nomen novum Hyperico olympici-Cistion cretici (phrygana communities on non-calcareous substrates in northern Greece) is proposed to replace the illegitimate Cistion orientale