Ecologically acceptable usage of derivatives of essential oil of sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum, as antifeedants against larvae of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar

Ethanol solutions of five fractions obtained from essential oil of sweet basil Ocimum basilicum L. (Lamiales: Lamiaceae) (F1-F5) were tested for their antifeedant properties against 2nd instar gypsy moth larvae, Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), in laboratory non-choice and feeding-choice experiments. Prior to bioassays, the chemical composition of each fraction was determined by gas chromatography analyses. Significant larval deterrence from feeding was achieved by application of tested solutions to fresh leaves of the host plant. The most effective were F1 (0.5%), F4 (0.05, 0.1, and 0.5%), and F5 (0.1 and 0.5%), which provided an antifeedant index > 80% after five days. A low rate of larval mortality was observed in no-choice bioassay. In situ screening of chlorophyll fluorescence as an indicator of plant stress level (assessed by the induced fluorometry) confirmed that the tested compounds did not cause alternations in the photosynthetic efficiency of treated leaves

Chemical composition of macromycetes extracts, wild oregano and coriander essential oils and their in vitro potential in the treatment of chronic tonsillitis causative agents

Za ispitivanje potencijala prirodnih proizvoda u tretmanu hroničnog tonzilitisa odabrano je 7 vrsta makromiceta (Armillaria mellea, Lactarius piperatus, L. quietus, L. vellereus, Russula integra, R. nigricans i R. rosea) i 2 komercijalna etarska ulja (Origanum minutiflorum i Coriandrum sativum). U disertaciji je analiziran hemijski sastav i biološka aktivnost ekstrakata plodonosnih tela makromiceta i etarskih ulja. Hemijska analiza ekstrakata makromiceta je pokazala da imaju povoljan nutritivni profil (visok sadržaj uljenih hidrata i proteina, nizak sadržaj masti). Najzastupljeniji šećer je manitol, dok su izoforme tokoferola različito zastupljene zavisno od testirane vrste. Analiza masnih kiselina je pokazala visoku zastupljenost linolne, oleinske i stearinske kiseline, dok je među organskim najzastupljenija jabučna, među fenolnim p-hidroksibenzoeva kiselina. Hemijska analiza etarskih ulja je pokazala da je karvakrol najzastupljenije jedinjenje divljeg origana, dok je u slučaju etarskog ulja korijandera to linalol. Antibakterijska aktivnost je testirana na 16 različitih vrsta bakterija izolovanih iz uzoraka nepčanih tonzila i adenoida pacijenata sa dijagnostifikovanim hroničnim tonzilitisom i identifikovanih. Ekstrakti makromiceta su pokazali umerenu antibakterijsku aktivnost, dok su etarska ulja pokazala znatno bolju aktivnost. Antioksidativna aktivnost određena TBARS metodom je pokazala da ekstrakti testiranih makromiceta, kao i etarsko ulje divljeg origana poseduju dobru antioksidativnu aktivnost u in vitro uslovima; aktivnost merena OxHLIA metodom je pokazala visok antioksidativni potencijal ali samo za vrste L. vellereus, R. integra i R. nigricans. Dobar citotoksični potencijal na tumorsku ćelijsku liniju NCI–H460 pokazao je etanolni ekstrakt L. vellereus kao i oba testirana etarska ulja.For the investigation of natural products potential in the treatment of chronic tonsillitis, 7 species of macromycetes (Armillaria mellea, Lactarius piperatus, L. quietus, L. vellereus, Russula integra, R. nigricans i R. rosea) and 2 commercial essential oils (Origanum minutiflorum and Coriandrum sativum) were selected. Their chemical composition and biological activity were evaluated. Chemical analysis of extracts from fruiting bodies has shown they have a favorable nutritional profile (high content of carbohydrates and proteins, with low lipids content). The most common sugar was mannitol, while content of tocopherol isoforms was varied on the tested macromycetes species. The fatty acids analysis revealed high presence of linoleic, oleic and stearic acid, among the organic acids, malic acid was the most abundant, whereas p-hydroxybenzoic acid was the most predominant among phenolic acids. Regarding chemical analysis of essential oils, analysis showed that carvacrol was the most common compound in the wild growing oregano oil, while in case of coriander that was linalool. Antibacterial activity was evaluated on 16 different strains isolated from tissue samples of palatine tonsils and adenoids from patients diagnosed with chronic tonsillitis and identified. Macromycetes extracts showed moderate antibacterial activity, while tested essential oils exerted significantly better activity. Antioxidant activity determinated by TBARS method showed that the tested extracts, as well as wild oregano essential oil possess good in vitro antioxidant activity; while activity measured by OxHLIA method showed high antioxidant potential but only for L. vellereus, R. integra and R. nigricans samples. As for the cytotoxic potential towards tumor cell line NCI – H460 L. vellereus ethanolic extract as well as both tested essential oils demonstrated promising activity

The first record of the Chinese pond mussel Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) in Montenegro

Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834), Chinese pond mussel (Bivalvia: Unionoida: Unionidae) is one of the most invasive aquatic macroinvertebrate species found in Europe. We report the Chinese pond mussel for the first time in Montenegro, in August 2012, in Lake Šasko (Adriatic part of the Central Mediterranean subarea). One specimen of the Chinese pond mussel was observed in a habitat with a predominantly silt-clay substrate. The main pathway of species introduction was evaluated to be via fish stocking. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 43002 i br. ON 173025

Analytical time-like geodesics

Time-like orbits in Schwarzschild space-time are presented and classified in a very transparent and straightforward way into four types. The analytical solutions to orbit, time, and proper time equations are given for all orbit types in the form r=r(\lambda), t=t(\chi), and \tau=\tau(\chi), where \lambda\ is the true anomaly and \chi\ is a parameter along the orbit. A very simple relation between \lambda\ and \chi\ is also shown. These solutions are very useful for modeling temporal evolution of transient phenomena near black holes since they are expressed with Jacobi elliptic functions and elliptic integrals, which can be calculated very efficiently and accurately.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures, accepted by General Relativity and Gravitatio

The first record of the Chinese pond mussel Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) in Montenegro

Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834), Chinese pond mussel (Bivalvia: Unionoida: Unionidae) is one of the most invasive aquatic macroinvertebrate species found in Europe. We report the Chinese pond mussel for the first time in Montenegro, in August 2012, in Lake Šasko (Adriatic part of the Central Mediterranean subarea). One specimen of the Chinese pond mussel was observed in a habitat with a predominantly silt-clay substrate. The main pathway of species introduction was evaluated to be via fish stocking.Projekat ministarstva br. III 43002 i br. ON 17302

Radionuclides and heavy metals in soil, vegetables, and medicinal plants in suburban areas of the cities of Belgrade and Pancevo, Serbia

The content of radionuclides (K-40 , U-238 , Ra-226 , Th-232, and Cs-137) and heavy metals (As, Cd, Cu, and Pb) was determined in samples of soil, vegetables and medicinal plants collected in the period 2007-2017, from two suburban areas of Belgrade - the municipalities of Palilula and Surcin, and Pancevo - the Dr Josif Pancic Institute for the Study of Medicinal Herbs. During the research period, activity concentration of Cs-137 in soil decreased from 16 Bqkg(-1) to 3.9 Bqkg(-1) (Palilula, Belgrade) and from 18 Bqkg(-1) to 12 Bqkg(-1) (Surcin, Belgrade). Mean activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in the soil were higher than the global average. lkend for heavy metal levels, according to the average concentrations found in the soil, were as follows: Cu >Pb >As >Cd for Palilula, Pb >Cu >As >Cd for Surcin and Dr Josif Pancic Institute, Pancevo. The obtained results indicate that the industrial pollution has no impact on food production in the study area and that the main anthropogenic source of radionuclides and heavy metals in soil are mineral phosphorous fertilizers, often used in agricultural fields

Position and size of massa intermedia in Serbian brains

Background: Massa intermedia, a midline bar-shaped structure, connects two thalami across the third ventricle in 70–80% of healthy humans. It has become clinically important since its absence was comprehended as a midline malformation of the brain and brought in connection with schizophrenia indicating that some symptoms could be a consequence of disturbed neuron chains underlying the mechanisms of attention and processing of information. The aim of the investigation was to find out the incidence, position, and size of massa intermedia in the brains of the Serbian population. Materials and methods: Our investigation was performed on 41 brains of adult Serbian cadavers using a macro dissection method. Results: Massa intermedia was present in 80.49% of cases, in 1 case it was double. In most of the cases it was located in the superior quadrants of the lateral wall of the third ventricle, the larger part being in the anterosuperior one. Some other combinations were also present. The horizontal diameter of the cross-section was larger than vertical and was not in correlation with the length of the third ventricle. The average cross-sectional area was 29.58 mm2, significantly larger in females. Conclusions: Massa intermedia is present in most of the investigated brains, usually connecting the anterior-superior quadrants of the lateral walls of the third ventricle. Different in shape and size its cross-section is a horizontal ellipse, significantly larger in females. The cross-sectional area and the size of the third ventricle are not in correlation

Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of N-{4-[2-(4-arylpiperazin-1-yl) ethyl] phenyl}arylamides

Serotonin 5HT1a receptor belongs to a class of G-protein coupled receptors. It serves as a potential target for neurological disorders such as depression, anxiety etc. It is a well-known fact that N-arylpiperazine moiety is present in compounds with pronounced 5HT1a activity. Taking into account previously published results1 novel structures of N-{4-[2-(4- arylpiperazin-1-yl)ethyl]phenyl}arylamides (Figure 1.) were designed for target synthesis. Proposed modifications include: different position of hydroxyl group in aryl amide part of molecule and addition of methoxy and chloro substituents to the phenyl ring of parent compounds, since their introduction in the molecule leads to increased receptor affinity. New compounds were synthesized by acylation of N-arylpiperazines using 4- nitrophenylacetic acid. Obtained amides were converted in 1-(4-nitrophenethyl)-4- arylpiperazines using diborane in THF. Reduction of nitro compounds by Ra/Ni provided 1- (4-aminophenethyl)-4-arylpiperazines. Target arylamides were obtained by condensation 1- (4-aminophenethyl)-4-arylpiperazines with corresponding aryl acids in presence of propylphosphoric acid anhydride (PPAA) in DMF. All newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their activity toward 5HT1a receptors by in vitro competitive displacement assay of [3H] 8-OH-DPAT. HEK cell line were used as a source of 5HT1a receptors. Introduction of 2-methoxy and 2,3-dichloro groups,as well as meta and para hydroxyl group in molecule resulted in increment of affinity toward 5HT1a receptors comparing to the parent compounds