Volume 12 (2007)
Articles
CONSERVATION OF MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS IN EUROPE - A REVIEW OF CURRENT PROGRESS
DEA BARIÈEVIÈ, ANITA KUŠAR
Studies on the uses of natural genetic resources in different cultural environments show a strong relation between dietary habits and health of local population. Many wild plants were used by indigenous peoples both as a food and medicine (Johns, 1999; Pieroni and Heinrich, 2003; Rivera et al., 2005). Besides characterization of environmental factors that affect existence and distribution of natural genetic resources, the knowledge on traditional habits, of ethnobotanical and general ethnographic characteristics of a particular area all serve as a professional ground for prospecting for those wild genetic resources that can be of use in a diet and/or medicine of local inhabitants (Heinrich, 2002; Heinrich, 2003; Bremner et al., 2004; Heinrich et al., 2005). The existence of traditional medicine basically depends on plant species diversity and the related knowledge of their use as herbal drugs. In addition, both plant species and traditional knowledge are important to the herbal medicine trade and the pharmaceutical industry, whereby plants provide raw materials and the traditional knowledge prerequisite information (Tabuti et al. 2003). Together with growth in global demand for medicinal plants and in local demand for plant based traditional medicines, the pressure on the existing populations of medicinal plants has increased tremendously during the last few decades (http://www.tifac.org.in/offer/tlbo/rep/ S061.htm). Historically, most of these plants grew in wild as a natural component of vegetation of a particular region. The necessary plant material (roots, barks, leaves) have been collected and sold by the local people to the traders and the industry and exporters purchased them from traders. Since there was no scientific system of collecting or regenerating these plants in past, several plants have either been completely lost or have become endangered.
BIODIVERSITY AND PROTECTION OF THE MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS IN BULGARIA
ELENA M. GENOVA
The Bulgarian vascular flora includes 3 900 species, belonging to 916 genera and 159 families. The current data shows that 186 species are Bulgarian and 312 species- Balkan endemic plants (Petrova et al., 2005). Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP) present a significant part of the Bulgaria,s biodiversity and they play very important role in the everyday life of men- phytomedicines, herbal teas and other natural products. Bulgaria is a traditional producer and supplier of high quality medicinal herbs, essential oils, etc. According to the Law on Medicinal plants (2000) 739 vascular plants are used for medical purposes, as spices, for cosmetic products or as food. 29 rare and valuable species are included in this list also (2004). The major part of this biodiversity presents Magnoliophyta-658 species. There were remarked some families with big species richness: Asteraceae- 76, Lamiaceae- 68, Rosaceae- 68, Fabaceae- 42, Apiaceae- 40, etc. Polypodiophyta includes 14, Equisetophyta-5 and Lycopodiophyta- 3 species. One species from Algae ( Cystoseira barbata (Good et Vood) Ag ) and one species from Lychenes (Cetraria islandica (L.)Ach.) have been included in this list also (Gussev, 2005).
AN OVERVIEW ON THE ALBANIAN MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS INDUSTRY
ELVIRA BAZINA(1), GJON FIERZA(2), MAXHUN DIDA(2), GAZMEND ZENELI(3)
Albania, part of the lush Mediterranean basin, has a very rich flora with about 3250 native vascular plant species, distributed in 165 families and about 910 genera (Paparisto et al., 1989). This number comprises about 30% of the ca. 11.600 European species. Albania offers a wide range of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants (MAPs) giving the country a competitive trade advantage. About 250 different plant species are wild harvested for medicinal and aromatic use in Albania (Vaso, 1997). The MAP biodiversity includes, to a considerable extent, indigenous species. An excellent example is Gentiana lutea which is a plant named after Illyrian King Gent; such a name was inherited over the centuries and is very popular even to date. Local use of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants has deep roots and a long tradition in Albania in treating human diseases. It appears that at least a century ago man valued herbs as medicinal agents as noticed by the British traveller Edith Durham, who was astonished by the knowledge owned by some local people on the north Albania on the use of MAP in remedies for disease (Durham, 1910; 1923). MAPs have been an important Albanian export commodity for many years. Until the early 1990s, the purchase of cultivated or wild harvested MAPs and trade in these materials were exclusively state controlled. State organisations and authorities sold the purchased plant material to the central, state-owned “Agroexport”, which exported either the dried MAP raw material or distillations thereof (Qendro et al., 2004). Albanian MAP industry experienced significant changes during the transition towards the free market economy; originally functioning under the centralized system as an auxiliary economic sector, this industry has now become one of the weightiest components of the agricultural overall exports. Many exports are shipped to Western European countries, and a large number of private companies have taken over the formerly state-controlled trade.
ALLIUM URSINUM L.: A POTENTIAL SOURCE FOR COMPLETING THE RECOMMENDED DAILY INTAKE OF ESSENTIAL MINERAL ELEMENTS
DIANA SIMONA ANTAL(1), CRISTINA ADRIANA DEHELEAN(1), CAMELIA IOANA PEEV(1), MANFRED ANKE(2)
Wood garlic (Allium ursinum) enjoys a large popularity in Romania, its leaves being consumed fresh, as salad (in spring) or dried, as a spice. Known from traditional folk medicine for its stomachic, anthelmintic, antibacterial, depurative, expectorant activities [1], several recent pharmacological investigations have documented the impressive therapeutic potential of this plant in cardio-vascular disorders. Its content in gamma-glutamyl peptides and sulfur-containing compounds is believed to be responsible for the inhibition of the angiotensin I - converting enzyme (ACE) and the interference with the nitric oxide system [2,3]. On the other hand, high levels of adenosine [4] relax smooth vascular muscles by acting upon the ATP-dependent K-channels [5], thus enhancing the blood pressure lowering effects of this plant. Additionally, cardioprotective effects were pointed out, based on the significant reduction of the incidence of ventricular fibrillation [6]. Allium ursinum (AU) also inhibits 5- lipoxygenase, cyclooxygenase, thrombocyte aggregation, lowers the levels of total cholesterol and increases circulating insulin [7,8]. Several authors suggest that AU has a greater therapeutic benefit compared to Allium sativum [3,4,8]. Although the content in organic active principles of AU has thoroughly been investigated [9], the inorganic part received less attention. However, plants are known to contain a large variety of mineral elements, according to their specific biochemical features and site of development [10]. Following the ingestion of vegetal products, human organisms are exposed to these inorganic constituents, some of them essential, some toxic to man. As AU represents a very popular vegetable and spice, it is consumed in relatively large daily amounts. Thus, the intake of inorganic compounds through AU preparations could be significant. In this concept, the objective of the present research was to perform an extensive investigation of the inorganic constituents of AU leaves, evaluating their content in 47 elements. All samples were gathered from non-polluted sites of the wild flora, in order to assess the natural level of inorganics in the leaves.
MORPHOLOGICAL RESEARCHES REGARDING THE INFLUENCE OF TOPSIN M TREATMENTS ON MENTHA LONGIFOLIA (L.) HUDS. SPECIES. NOTE 2.
CLARA A. APROTOSOAIE, SIMONA E. DRĂGĂNOIU, VIOLETA TĂNĂSESCU, MONICA HĂNCIANU, ANCA MIRON, RODICA RUGINĂ, OANA GACEA, URSULA STĂNESCU
Topsin M is a common systemic fungicide used as protective/curative substance for alimentary and medicinal plants. That’s why it’s relevant to evaluate the influence of Topsin M upon the morphological features of Mentha longifolia, a volatile oil producing medicinal plant and parental species for the hybrid Mentha × piperita. We noticed statistical significant variations (Oneway Anova) of the dimensional features of the leaves from Topsin M treated plants comparing to the control.
NUMERICAL AND MORPHOSTRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TRIGONELLA FOENUM-GRAECUM (2N=16) MITOTIC CHROMOSOMES
GABRIELA V. CĂPRARU, CSILLA IULIANA I. BĂRA, ION I. BĂRA, MIHAELA MIRELA CÎMPEANU, ELENA V. MAXIM
Trigonella foenum-graecum L. is an important medicinal species. The karyological study have showed that 2n=16. We identified following types of chromosomes: m, sm and, sometimes, st (only in early metaphase). So, we can appreciate that the karyotype of this species is enough symmetric and less evolved.
MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR GENETIC APPROACH OF ELYMUS REPENS AND ITS RELATED POACEAE SPECIES
NATALIA CUCU, GABRIELA TENEA, PAULINA ANASTASIU, GAVRIL NEGREAN, TATIANA ONISEI
Certain representatives of Poaceae (Gramineae) family, which includes a plant with known medicinal characteristics, Elymus (Agropyron) repens, have been chosen for a study case of molecular taxonomic approach in the biodiversity domain. The resulted molecular variance has proven a relative good informational potential of the simple RAPD method: only one of the suggested arrangement of the Elymus taxa representatives was in accordance of the known morphological based classification.
SOME CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE IN VITRO BEHAVIOUR OF LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA L. SPECIES
GOGU GHIORGHIŢĂ, DIANA-ELENA MAFTEI, DANIELA NICUŢĂ, IRINA TOMA
The main reaction of explants (shoot tips, nodes, leaves) of Lavandula angustifolia L. on varied harmonic formuli of MS medium was callogenesis. Nodes and shoot tips provided neoplantlets only on hormone-free MS and sporadically on MS with B02 (0.2 mg/l), A2 (2 mg/l IAA), KN1 (1 mg/l kinetine and 0.5 mg/l NAA) and N2 (2 mg/ NAA). A friable cream callus, high proliferative in light and also in darkness was obtained on A2. Its capacity of fresh biomass accumulation was tested on varied hormonic formuli.
ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF CALLUS OF STEVIA REBAUDIANA UNDER ASEPTIC ENVIRONMENT
RAMAN DANG, KUNTAL DAS
The callus culture of leaves of Stevia rebaudiana was initiated and maintained on different strengths of Murashiage and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with various phytohormones. Kinetin in combination with Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) and 2,4-D showed better results in callus initiation whereas combined application of Benzyl adenine or 6-benzyl amino purine (BAP) and NAA showed most satisfactory results of callus maintenance in half strength of MS medium.
COMPARATIVE STUDY TO INDUCTION OF HAPLOID PLANTS BY “IN VITRO” ANTHER AND OVARIES CULTURE OF TOMATO (LYCOPERSICON ESCULENTUM MILL.)
MARIA PRISECARU, TINA OANA CRISTEA
In order to induce experimental androgenesis and gynogenesis to tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) there were used anthers with pollen in the uninucleated stage and unfertilised ovaries belonging to 15 genotypes. Out of the 15 genotypes of tomatoes tested for their ability of forming haploids plants “in vitro”, two of them (L6 and L7) presented both androgenetic and gynogenetic aptitude, the L3 genotype produced plants from anthers, but L2, L5 and W1from ovaries. An equal proportion of auxine and cytokinine (1:1) favors the induction of callus, but also it’s evolution to embryos and plants from anthers. The association of cytokinine with GA3 or only in the presence of cytokinine allows the callus evolution gynogenetically in embryos and plants. The rapport 2 to 1 between cytokinine and auxine determined a rizogenetic evolution of the formed meristematic centres. In order to develop the radicular system is not necessary to introduce phytohormones in the culture medium. The preliminary cytogenetic study done on 15 gametoclones showed a high frequency of haploids (67%) compared with the regenerated diploid plants (33%) and the absence of other ploidy degrees.
IN VITRO MICROPROPAGATION OF HYPERICUM PERFORATUM L. II. SAINT JOHN’S WORT CLONE SELECTION AND REGENERATION
ECATERINA TÓTH TÜNDE
Micropropagation of H. perforatum, selected in experimental field in Piatra-Neamt with a view to optimising the regeneration processes (i.e caulogenesis, risogenesis), adjustment and transfer of fully adjusted plants in the experimental field. An average of 330.70 shoots were obtained at 35 flasks 14-18 days after the inoculation of callus on RM agar culture medium, supplemented with 1.0mg/l BAP and 0.5mg/l IAA or NAA, whereas on 0.5mg/l BAP, 1.0mg/l Kin and 0.5mg/l IAA supplemented medium only 136.10 shoots were obtained. In vitro risogenesis rate is of 87 - 98%, the best values (i.e., 98%) were obtained with MRI culture medium though the most vigorous shoots were obtained on MS hormone-free medium. Plant adjustment was observed in parallel, in sterile soil pots and under hydroponic system. In both cases they are covered. Under hydroponic system, restoring plant water equilibrium took 10 to 14 days whereas the adjustment rate obtained was of 89.4%. Some 57 adjusted plants were transplanted in the experimental field.
STRUCTURE VERSUS BIOLOGICAL ROLE OF SUBSTITUTED THIADIAZOLE- AND THIADIAZOLINE- DISULFONAMIDES
SORANA DANIELA BOLBOACĂ, LORENTZ JÄNTSCHI
The relationship between structure and inhibition activity on carbonic anhydrase I of a set of forty substituted 1,3,4-thiadiazole- and 1,3,4-thiadiazoline-disulfonamides has been investigated by using the Molecular Descriptors Family method. The molecular descriptors family has been generated starting with the information obtained from the compounds structure and the descriptors were calculated. The MDF SAR equations were obtained using the molecular descriptors set. Significant models with best performances in estimation were identified using squared correlation coefficient, F-parameter and its significance. The prediction abilities of two multivariate models were analyzed, and the correlation coefficients were compared with the correlation coefficients obtained by previous reported models. The results revealed that the MDF SAR is a useful approach in characterization of inhibition activity on carbonic anhydrase I of studied substituted 1, 3, 4-thiadiazole- and 1, 3, 4-thiadiazoline-disulfonamides.
TRIAZINES HERBICIDAL ASSESSED ACTIVITY
LORENTZ JÄNTSCHI, SORANA DANIELA BOLBOACĂ
Correlation coefficients and associated squared values are used as assessment parameters in validation of structure-activity relationships. Seven correlation coefficients were calculated for models that characterized the relationship between chemical structure the herbicidal activity of a triazine analogues series. Three previously reported models were compared by using Pearson (rPrs), Spearman (ρSpm), Kendall's (τa, τb, τc), Gamma correlation coefficients (Γ), and a new proposed Semi-Quantitative (rsQ). The results of investigation, expressed as correlation coefficients and associated 95% confidence intervals, squared correlation coefficient, Student’s t parameters, respectively the Z parameter were calculated for each model, and the values are discussed. This approach proved to be a good tool for chemical structure versus biological activity relationships assessment.
REVIEW OF SOME USEFUL METHODS IN TAXONOMICAL INTERPRETATION OF DIFFICULT TAXA OF MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS. CASE: THYMUS L.
ZORA STEVANOVIÆ DAJIÆ, IVAN ŠOŠTARIÆ
To evaluate the significance of some well accepted methods in taxonomic evidence of botanically complicated taxa of medicinal plants, a number of populations of thyme species was studied in their morphological and anatomical traits, as well as in analyses in histo-chemistry, the main components of essential oils and molecular markers. Results confirmed a high variability in all tested characters, suggesting existence of morpho- and chemotypes.
RESEARCH REGARDING THE CORRELATION BETWEEN TOTAL LIPIDS CONTENT AND BIOSYNTHETIC CAPACITY AT DIFFERENT ALKALOID TYPES STRAINS OF CLAVICEPS PURPUREA SCLEROTIA
ZENOVIA OLTEANU, ŞTEFANIA SURDU, ZAMFIRACHE MARIA MAGDALENA, ELENA TRUŢĂ, SABINA COJOCARU, CECILIA BÂLBĂ
In this paper we present the results concerning the correlation between total lipids content and biosynthetic capacity expressed by total alkaloid content. We have analysed ten dried Claviceps purpurea sclerotia of ergotamine and ergocristine types, harvested from rye artificial infected. At ergotamine strains the total lipids amount is higher than the ergocristine strains, behaviour that is not present at the biosynthetic capacity. We find also that the ergotamine strains studied present a higher weight than the ergocristine type.
CONSIDERATIONS ON THE HISTO-ANATOMICAL STUDY OF THE LEAVES OF CYNARA SCOLYMUS L. TREATED WITH METHYLTHIOPHANATE (TOPSIN M)
LUMINIŢA I. HUŢANU-BASHTAWI, CONSTANTIN TOMA
The purpose of this study was to investigate the histo-anatomical modifications of the leaves of Cynara scolymus L treated with thiophanate-methyl, compared with the untreated sample. There were three applications and two variants of treatment: 0.1 %, Topsin M70, a concentration used in agriculture and 0.4 % Topsin M70, for observing whether the limits of concentration between the modifications induced by thiophanate-methyl remain acceptable for the plant. Cross sections through the petiole and limb (the officinal product Cynarae folium), made at different levels were used, together with superficial sections for the upper and lower epidermis. The modifications observed were rather quantitative than qualitative, the general picture showing that the development of leaves was obviously stimulated. For the treated plants, the comparative study revealed the following aspects: the thickness of petiole increased, the hypodermic walls of collenchymas are more developed, more specialized conducting bundles appear, with a larger diameter of the xylem vessels, cambium layer’s activity is more intensive; the form and dimensions of the median nervure are modified, the mesophyll tends to thicken, the pallisade parenchyma being much more developed; the glandular and nonglandular trichomes are more numerous per unit area of leaf surface, the epidemic cells are many but more smaller and stomata more numerous per unit area, with guarding cells of smaller dimensions.