Carlina vulgaris

The methanol extracts from three populations of Carlina vulgaris L. were examined for the chlorogenic acid content, mineral content, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity. Two populations originated from natural nonmetallicolous habitats (NN (populations from Nasiłów) and NP (populations from Pińczów)), and one metallicolous population (MB) was collected from Bolesław waste heap localized at the place of former open-cast mining of Ag-Pb and Zn-Pb ores dating back to the 13th century and 18th century, respectively. The level of Zn, Pb, Cd, Fe, Ni, and Mn was significantly higher in the root and leaves of MB plants as a result of soil contaminations compared to those of the NN and NP ones. The highest antioxidant potency has been showed by the plants growing in a nonmetallicolous habitat. The flower head extracts obtained from the nonmetallicolous populations also contained the largest amount of chlorogenic acid, whereas the lowest was determined in the roots (ca. 2–3.5 mg/g and 0.2–0.4 mg/g of air-dry weight, resp.). These studies provide important information on the influence of a habitat on the quality of herbal materials and the content of the biologically active primary and secondary metabolites

Wpływ nawożenia NPK na zawartość mineralnych frakcji fosforu w glebie

A field experiment, conducted on loess-derived gray-brown podzolic soil, evaluated the effect of different levels of intensive fertilization with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium on the soil content of mineral phosphorus fractions which are the major but varying source of this nutrient for crop plants. Before the establishment of the experiment, the soil contained 77.2 mg P kg–1, 187 mg K kg–1, 44 mg Mg kg–1, and 1.18% of humus, whereas pHKCl was 4.9. The experiment consisted of twenty seven fertilization treatments – nine nitrogen and potassium fertilization treatment combinations, each in four replicates, were carried out in relation to three increasing levels of phosphorus fertilization. Phosphorus fraction was indicated with the modified Chang-Jackson method. Mineral nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilization after timothy grass harvest significantly affected the easily soluble phosphate fraction content in soil. Phosphorus fertilization caused the highest increase, while this increase was lower in the case of potassium and nitrogen fertilization. Mineral fertilization (with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) used in the experiment caused a significant increase of the content of aluminium phosphate fractions in soil. Evaluating iron phosphate fraction content in soil, it can be concluded that it was the most stable fraction and that mineral fertilization at increasing NPK rates essentially did not have any statistically proven effect on its occurrence. Among the three fertilizer nutrients applied (NPK), phosphorus and potassium fertilization caused a significant increase in calcium phosphate fraction content in soil. The application of nitrogen was not found to have such an effect. Mineral NPK fertilization significantly affected the total mineral phosphorus fraction content in soil. A systematic increase in the total fraction analysed was found primarily under the influence of phosphorus and potassium fertilization. Phosphorus applied as granulated triple superphosphate was primarily transformed in the soil into fractions of iron and aluminium phosphates, to lower extent into calcium phosphate fraction, and – to the lowest extent – into easily soluble phosphates fraction.W doświadczeniu polowym przeprowadzonym na glebie płowej wytworzonej z lessu oceniano wpływ intensywnego, zróżnicowanego, nawożenia azotem, fosforem i potasem na zawartość mineralnych frakcji fosforu w glebie, które stanowią podstawowe, ale różniące się, źródło tego składnika dla uprawianych roślin. Przed założeniem eksperymentu gleba zawierała 77,2 mg P∙kg–1, 187 mg K∙kg–1, 44 mg Mg∙kg–1, 1,18% próchnicy oraz pHKCl – 4,9. Doświadczenie obejmowało dwadzieścia siedem obiektów nawozowych – na tle trzech, wzrastających poziomów nawożenia fosforem, rozlosowano dziewięć kombinacji azotowo-potasowych, w czterech powtórzeniach każda. Frakcje fosforu oznaczono zmodyfikowaną metodą Changa-Jacksona. Nawożenie mineralne azotem, fosforem i potasem, po zbiorze tymotki łąkowej, w istotny sposób wpływało na zawartość frakcji fosforanów łatwo rozpuszczalnych w glebie. Największy przyrost powodowało nawożenie fosforem, mniejszy potasem oraz azotem. Zastosowane w eksperymencie nawożenie mineralne ( azotem, fosforem i potasem) istotnie wpływało na przyrost zawartości frakcji fosforanów glinowych w glebie. Oceniając zawartość frakcji fosforanów żelazowych w glebie, można stwierdzić, że była ona najbardziej stabilną frakcją i, że nawożenie mineralne wzrastającymi dawkami NPK w zasadzie nie miało wpływu udowodnionego statystycznie na jej występowanie. Spośród trzech zastosowanych składników nawozowych (NPK), nawożenie fosforem oraz potasem wpływało istotnie na przyrost zawartość frakcji fosforanów wapniowych w glebie. Takiego wpływu nie odnotowano po zastosowaniu azotu. Nawożenie mineralne NPK wpłynęło istotnie na zawartość sumy mineralnych frakcji fosforu w glebie. Systematyczny przyrost ocenianej sumy frakcji odnotowano przede wszystkim pod wpływem nawożenia fosforem oraz potasem. Fosfor zastosowany w postaci superfosfatu potrójnego granulowanego przechodził w glebie przede wszystkim we frakcję fosforanów żelazowych i glinowych, w mniejszych ilościach – frakcję fosforanów wapniowych oraz w najmniejszych – frakcję fosforanów łatwo rozpuszczalnych

NITRATE NITROGEN IN THE SOILS OF EASTERN POLAND AS INFLUENCED BY TYPE OF CROP, NITROGEN FERTILISATION AND VARIOUS ORGANIC FERTILISERS

This paper describes the influence of nitrogen and organic fertilisation and the type of crops on the contents of NO3-N in arable land. The large-scale environmental research was carried out in 2004-2006. Soil samples were taken from 411 places throughout the Lublin region in two seasons: spring and autumn. The concentration of nitrate(V) depended on fertilisation and crops. It was found that application of N-fertiliser above 121 kg N ha-1 caused a significant increase in the nitrate(V) concentration in the surface soil layer. The distribution of NO3-N in the soil profile indicated a possibility of nitrate(V) leaching during winter and early spring. On fields treated with a liquid organic fertilizer, the content of NO3-N was considerably higher than on the other fields. The lowest NO3-N was observed in straw treatments. A higher content of NO3-N was noted in sugar beet and vegetable objects, while fallow, rye or rough grazing decreased accumulation of nitrate(V) in the soil profile

ESTIMATION OF THE STATUS OF SUPPLY OF TOMATOES GROWN IN THE LUBLIN REGION IN CERTAIN MACRO- AND MICROELEMENTS

In the years 2009–2011, in the Lublin Region, an environmental study was conducted with the objective of estimation of the supply of tomato plants with macro- and microelements. The estimation was conducted after performing chemical analyses of leaves of those plants.The leaves were collected from plantations situated in seven localities. Samples of leaves were collected during the harvest of the fruits. The chemical analyses were performed at the accredited laboratory of the Regional Chemical-Agricultural Station in Lublin. Assays performed on the material analysed included the following: dry mater, content of total nitrogen according to the Kjeldahl method, content of phosphorus – with the vanadium-molybdenum method, potassium and calcium – with the method of flame photometry, magnesium, copper, zinc, manganese and iron with the ASA method, and boron – with the curcumin method. The mean contents and standard deviation of the content of macro- (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) and microelements (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, B) in tomato leaves were calculated, and correlations occurring among those elements were determined. In most cases the level of supply in macroelements of tomatoes grown in plantations in the Lublin Region indicated exceeding of the optimum range. Only the content of nitrogen in the leaves was within the optimum range, while the levels of phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium exceeded that range. The supply of tomatoes grown in the Lublin Region with microelements in most cases exceeded the optimum range, and in one case it was at the deficit level. The optimum range was exceeded for the leaf content of copper, zinc, manganese and iron; the deficit content was related to boron. It was found that among the assayed macro- (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) and microelements (Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe and B) only in a few cases (3) there appeared significant positive correlations between the elements assayed. It should be noted, however, that only in a single case the coefficient of determination was higher than 50% (77.1%)

Comparison of some secondary metabolite content in the seventeen species of the Boraginaceae family

Context: The Boraginaceae family comprises plants that have important therapeutic and cosmetic applications. Their pharmacological effect is related to the presence of naphthaquinones, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenols, or purine derivative – allantoin. Objective: In the present study, comparison of some secondary metabolite content and phytochemical relationship between 17 species of the Boraginaceae family were analyzed. Materials and methods: High performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) was used to perform a chemometric analysis in the following Boraginaceae species: Anchusa azurea Mill., Anchusa undulata L., Borago officinalis L., Buglossoides purpurocaerulea (L.) I.M. Johnst., Cerinthe minor L., Cynoglossum creticum Mill, Echium italicum L., Echium russicum J.F. Gmel., Echium vulgare L., Lindelofia macrostyla (Bunge) Popov (syn. Lindelofia anchusoides (Lindl.) Lehm.), Lithospermum officinale L., Nonea lutea (Desr.) DC., Omphalodes verna Moench (syn. Cynoglossum omphaloides L.), Pulmonaria mollis Wulfen ex Hornem., Pulmonaria obscura Dumort., Symphytum cordatum Waldst. & Kit ex Willd., and Symphytum officinale L. Results: Six active compounds in shoot extracts (allantoin, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, rutin, hydrocaffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, and chlorogenic acid) and four compounds in root extracts (allantoin, hydrocaffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, and shikonin) were identified. The presence and abundance of these compounds were used for the characterization of the species and for revealing their phytochemical similarity and differentiation. Discussion and conclusion: The present study provides the first comprehensive report of the extraction and quantification of several compounds in Boraginaceae species (some of them for the first time). Among the 17 species studied, species with potentially high pharmacological activity were recognized

Estimation of the macro- and micronutrient status of raspberries grown in the Lublin region

Environmental monitoring was conducted in the Lublin region in 2009-2012 aimed at the assessment of the supply of several macro- and micronutrients in raspberries plants. The plantations studied were located in eight main regions for the growing of raspberries (Bełżyce, Chodel, Godziszów, Kraśnik, Lublin, Międzyrzec Podlaski, Opole Lubelskie and Urzędów). The contents of nitrogen (N), potassium (K), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and boron (B) were determined in raspberry leaves. Furthermore, the impact of select soil properties on the content of essential elements in the leaves was assessed. The results obtained revealed the suitable N, P, K, Mg, B, Zn and Cu supplies in the plants. However, the mean content of Mn greatly exceeded the optimal level recommended for this species. Also, the content of Fe in some regions was above the optimal value. The calculated correlation coefficients between soil properties and the content of the elements in raspberry leaves suggest that these variables were interdependent in only a few cases

Calcium-enriched biochar modulates cadmium uptake depending on external cadmium dose

The impact of calcium-enriched biochar (BC, containing Ca, Al, Fe and P as dominant elements in the range of 6.9–1.3% with alkaline pH) obtained from sewage sludge (0.1 or 0.5% in the final soil) on cadmium-induced toxicity (final dose of 1.5 mg Cd/kg in control and 4.5 or 16.5 mg Cd/kg soil in low and high Cd treatment) was tested in medicinal plant Matricaria chamomilla. Low Cd dose had typically less negative impact than high Cd dose at the level of minerals and metabolites and the effect of BC doses often differed. Contrary to expectations, 0.5% BC with a high Cd dose increased Cd accumulation in plants about 2-fold. This was reflected in higher signals of reactive oxygen species, but especially the high dose of BC increased the amount of antioxidants (ascorbic acid and non-protein thiols), minerals and amino acids in shoots and/or roots and usually mitigated the negative effect of Cd. Surprisingly, the relationship between BC and soluble phenols was negative at high BC + high Cd dose, whereas the effect of Cd and BC on organic acids (mainly tartaric acid) differed in shoots and roots. Interestingly, BC alone applied to the control soil (1.5 mg total Cd/kg) reduced the amount of Cd in the plants by about 30%. PCA analyses confirmed that metabolic changes clearly distinguished the high Cd + high BC treatment from the corresponding Cd/BC treatments in both shoots and roots. Thus, it is clear that the effect of biochar depends not only on its dose but also on the amount of Cd in the soil, suggesting the use of Ca-rich biochar both for phytoremediation and safer food production