7 research outputs found
Glandular trichomes on the leaves of Rosmarinus officinalis: Morphology, stereology and histochemistry
Stereological and histochernical analyses of the glandular trichomes on leaves of Rosmarinus officinalis were carried out using light and fluorescence microscopy. Non-glandular and two types of glandular trichomes - peltate and capitate - are described. The stereological method was used for estimating the volume density of epidermis, mesophyll, mechanical tissue, central cylinder, intercellular spaces and volume density of different types of glandular trichomes. The results showed that the volume density of adaxial epidermis was higher than abaxial epidermis. The volume density of peltate trichomes was higher than the volume density of capitate ones. The values obtained for number of peltate and capitate trichomes showed that the capitate trichomes type I were more numerous. The histochernical tests showed positive reactions to proteins and polysaccharides for both types of trichomes, while the phenolic substances were found only in peltate trichomes
Quality parameters and antioxidant activity of three clover species in relation to the livestock diet
Products of metabolism that are directly involved in growth, development and reproduction and also secondary products of metabolism were studied in 16 natural populations of three species of the genus Trifolium (T. repens - four populations, T. alpestre - three populations, T. pannonicum - nine populations), collected from the central Balkans region, i.e. territory of Serbia. Statistical analysis showed the presence of variability in all species of the test material. The best quality of dry matter, estimated by the ratio of crude protein and crude fiber, was achieved in the populations of white clover. In this species, average protein content was 216.4 g kg-1 while the average content of crude fiber was 222.4 g kg-1. The highest average content of total phenols (77.9 mg GA g-1), flavonoids (159.7 mg Ru g-1) and antioxidant activity (70.2 μg ml-1) was measured in populations of T. pannonicum by phytochemical analysis of aerial parts of plants. The content of secondary metabolites and antioxidant activity in other species were extremely low. Populations of T. pannonicum were notable for fodder quality and antioxidant activity: CS091 with 186.2 g kg-1 of crude protein and antioxidant activity of 55 μg ml-1; RA123 with 175.6 g kg-1 of crude protein and a high level of antioxidant activity of 44.8 μg ml-1. It can be concluded that the selection of these populations may lead to creation of different varieties of fodder crops that could give safe animal feed and would be suitable for growing under adverse conditions of mountainous climate
Biodiversity, utilization and management of grasslands of salt affected soils in Serbia
Salt affected soils especially in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world exhibit a significant increasing tendency. The relationship between plant/vegetation richness and soil salinity was assessed for 21 grassland asscociations and one subassociation of Serbia. Among studied grasslands, the ass.
Halo-Crypsidetum aculeatae, Suaedetum maritimae
and
Salicornieto-Suaedetum maritimae
were found to be indicators of the extremely saline soils (solonchak), whereas the ass.
Lepidio crassifolio-Festucetum pseudovinae
,
Trifollietum subterranei
and
Peucedano-Asteretum punctati
were typical indicators of sodic soils (solonetz). Management and use of grasslands of salt affected soils and evaluation of pastoral value and salinity tolerance of the studied grasslands was performed
Dual Role of <i>Alchemilla vulgaris</i> L. Extract in Breast Cancer Regression: Reestablishment of Effective Immune Response
Ethnomedicinal records have long mentioned the historical usage of Alchemilla vulgaris L. in folk medicine, particularly for the treatment of gynecological issues. Building on this ethnomedicinal knowledge regarding female illnesses, the aim of this research was to evaluate the impact of ethanolic extract of A. vulgaris on mouse breast cancer cells (4T1) in vitro and in vivo, in addition to its effect on the immune compartment in the tumor microenvironment. Behind viability decrease of 4T1 cells induced by treatment with A. vulgaris extract was strong inhibition of cell proliferation accompanied by caspase-dependent apoptosis and autophagic cell death. Observed changes in 4T1 cell culture after treatment were well orchestrated and led to a reduction in metastatic potential through weakened adhesion, invasion, migration, and colony-forming abilities in vitro. Enhanced intracellular production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species promoted by the treatment might interfere with all the observed effects. Apart from the direct effect on tumor cells, the A. vulgaris extract significantly reduced tumor growth in the solid orthotropic mammary carcinoma model through restitution of efficient local and systemic immune response reflected in enhanced antigen-presenting potential of dendritic cells (DCs) as well as the extent and activity of effector T cells
Chemical composition and bioactivity of essential oil from Thymus species in Balkan Peninsula
sPlot:a new tool for global vegetation analyses
Abstract
Aims: Vegetation‐plot records provide information on the presence and cover or abundance of plants co‐occurring in the same community. Vegetation‐plot data are spread across research groups, environmental agencies and biodiversity research centers and, thus, are rarely accessible at continental or global scales. Here we present the sPlot database, which collates vegetation plots worldwide to allow for the exploration of global patterns in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity at the plant community level.
Results: sPlot version 2.1 contains records from 1,121,244 vegetation plots, which comprise 23,586,216 records of plant species and their relative cover or abundance in plots collected worldwide between 1885 and 2015. We complemented the information for each plot by retrieving climate and soil conditions and the biogeographic context (e.g., biomes) from external sources, and by calculating community‐weighted means and variances of traits using gap‐filled data from the global plant trait database TRY. Moreover, we created a phylogenetic tree for 50,167 out of the 54,519 species identified in the plots. We present the first maps of global patterns of community richness and community‐weighted means of key traits.
Conclusions: The availability of vegetation plot data in sPlot offers new avenues for vegetation analysis at the global scale