Volumen 1 (2018): Edición 1 (June 2018)

The increase of antibiotic resistant bacteria in lasts years resulted in limited options for treatment of bacterial diseases. Escherichia coli is one of the most common Gram-negative bacterial pathogen and a cause of both community and hospital acquired infections. Medicinal plants are alternative rich sources of useful antibacterial agents. The antimicrobial activities of the spruce (Picea abies L.) bark polyphenolic extracts were examined for their capacity to inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli. Spruce bark extract was obtained by conventional aqueous extraction and with ultrasounds. The minimum inhibitory concentration was determined by microdilution method. The antibacterial effect of both extracts was strong against Escherichia coli. The antimicrobial effect of polyphenolic extracts on Escherichia coli was expressed at a concentration of 15 mg/ml. Antimicrobial activity of spruce bark compounds suggest a possible use of spruce bark in pharmaceutical preparations.

In this study the medicinal plants of some representative vegetation types from a human-modified Eastern European landscapes were investigated. The studied territory is part of a Special Protection Area for bird species. The following sampling areas were included in the study: humid grasslands; mountain hay meadows; semi-natural dry grasslands; Sub-pannonic steppic grasslands; fringe communities of mesothermophilic forest edges; grey willow scrubs; thickets of willow; forests of white willow; hornbeam-beech, oak-hornbeam, and sessile oak forests; scrubs of blackthorn and hawthorn; Subcontinental peri-Pannonic scrubs. The ordering of medicinal plants on the basis of presence/absence data and the abundance data presented the grouping in the following typical communities: to the deciduous forests, to the coppices and scrubs, and to the grasslands and meadows. A total of 208 medicinal plants were found from which 37 species are included in the European Pharmacopoeia, and 13 in the Romanian Pharmacopoeia. The existing list of medicinal plants of the Niraj Valley in the scientific literature was completed with 33 taxa. The medicinal plants containing tannins (18.93%) were in higher percentage followed by those with essential oils (10.68%), flavonoids (10.68%), saponins (9.71%), alkaloids (7.77%), mucilages (6.80%), coumarins (5.34%). However rational (sustainable) exploitation of these natural resources is necessary.

Solidago graminifolia L. Salisb. is one of the latest species appeared in Romania. Due to the interest for the Solidago species as medicinal plants, we researched its phytochemical composition in comparison with the other three species present in Romania: Solidago virgaurea L., Solidago canadensis L., Solidago gigantea Aiton. Starting from the chemotaxonomic value of flavonoids, and their valuable biological properties, we wanted to analyze these substances from S. graminifolia compared to other Solidago species in Romanian flora. The studied species have a high content of flavonoids (3.44-5.21%). The flavonoid substances identified in the indigenous species of Solidago have a high chemotaxonomic value, each species having a charateristic chromatographic profile, therefore their analysis is useful in the case of adulterations. The qualitative analysis of flavonoids was performed by TLC and HPLC-MS, mean while the quantitative determination was achieved by spectrophotometric method and individual fractions separated by HPLC-MS.

The fern Nephrolepis exaltata (L.) Schott, fam. Nephrolepidaceae, has little traditional medicinal use. In order to estimate its potential safety, in the present study we have investigated the phytotoxicity (on Triticum aestivum L.) and toxicity on brine shrimp of extracts from plants grown hydroponically. The species identity was confirmed by macroscopic and microscopic examinations on rhizomes, rachises, pinnae and runners, using bright field and fluorescent microscopy. Biological assays were performed on aqueous and ethanol solutions of the fronds. The brine shrimp lethality assay was performed on Artemia franciscana Kellog and a phytobiological bioassay on Triticum aestivum L. Lethality, root elongation and karyokinetic film modifications were evaluated, and LC₅₀ and IC₅₀ values were calculated. The microscopic analysis revealed the main histo-anatomic elements: polystelic structure and hypodermis (rhizome, rachis, runners), trichomes (rachis), homogenous structure, trichomes and diacytic/anisocytic stomata (leaves). The ethanol and aqueous extracts showed low cytotoxic effects on both Triticum aestivum roots and Artemia franciscana nauplii.

This study offers the partial results of the botanical studies, botanical cartography, and the evaluation of the medicinal flora potential in the ROSCI0297 Natura 2000 area (Dealurile Târnavei Mici – Bicheș). From March 4th, 2016 to March 3th, 2017, in a 1000 ha sample area and a 34 days long fieldwork the specific location of 101 officially applied medicinal plant species was identified and mapping was achieved. Simultaneously, 26 medicinal plant analogues, 300 other valuable taxa (e. g. plants under protection, rare orchids etc.), and the cartography of invasive plants were documented. Another important result of the first year is the identification, listing and analysis of the reshaping, influential and impairing factors of the vegetation and habitats.

Essentials oils have been used over time in the food and cosmetics industry, but also in the medical and pharmaceutical industry. Environmental factors such as temperature, radiation and photoperiod play an extremely important role in the quantity and quality of volatile oils. It is also known that the vegetation stage can play an important role in the chemical composition of volatile oils. The purpose of this paper is to establish the antibacterial and antifungal activity of volatile oils of Thymus pannonicus, taking into account the ontogenetic stage in which the plants were collected, highlighting the compounds of therapeutic importance. To test the antimicrobial activity of essential oils two methods of work were used: Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method and microplate method. The essential oils studies were tested on Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Candida albicans. It was find that all essential oils tested have antimicrobial activity at all stages of development tested. The maximum antimicrobial activity has been recorded for the oils extracted from individuals collected at the anthesis stage.

The aim of this study was to identify a potential source of medicinal plant from Transylvanian Plain. Also, the paper provides information about the hayfields floral richness, a great scientific value for Romania and Europe. The study of the flora was carried out in several stages: 2005-2008, 2013, 2017-2018. In the studied area, 397 taxa were identified, distributed in 82 families with therapeutic potential, represented by 164 medical taxa, 37 of them being in the European Pharmacopoeia 8.5. The study reveals that most plants contain: volatile oils (13.41%), tannins (12.19%), flavonoids (9.75%), mucilages (8.53%) etc. This plants can be used in the treatment of various human disorders: disorders of the digestive system, respiratory system, skin disorders, muscular and skeletal systems, genitourinary system, in gynaecological disorders, cardiovascular, and central nervous sistem disorders. In the study plants protected by law at European and national level were identified: Echium maculatum, Cephalaria radiata, Crambe tataria, Narcissus poeticus ssp. radiiflorus, Salvia nutans, Iris aphylla, Orchis morio, Orchis tridentata, Adonis vernalis, Dictamnus albus, Hammarbya paludosa etc.

After the publication of the book entitled “Recollection of Gyula E. Nyárády” (2016), the interest of his inheritance increased significantly. His left behind herbarium was estimated to have 55,000 sheets (1988), while till 2016 its number increased up to 85,000. The herbarial investigations are taking place over the Romania’s borders too, such as in the plant collection of the Debrecen University. With this occasion, we have studied the part collections of Rezső Soó (40,000 specimens), the Zoltán Siroki’s (20,000 specimens), together with the kryptogame (3,000 bryophytes) ones. In the Debrecen University plant collection we found 166 plant species collected and determined by E. Gy. Nyárády, among them 154 are superior plant and 12 are moss. In the Soó collection 112 plants arose from E. Gy. Nyárády, 69% of them are from Slovakia, 29% from Romania and 1% from Poland. The Slovakian collections took place in the 1905-1916 period, the most of them (34 species) are from 1910, being collected in Késmárk and Tatra’s region, where E. Gy. Nyárády was secondary school teacher. The Romanian collections took place in the 1905-1942 period, the 33 species mainly arise from the high mountains (especially Rodna Mountains), as well as from the Transylvanian Plain. We have found three endemic species among them: Festuca carpathica Dietr., Koeleria transsilvanica Schur (syn. Koeleria macracantha ssp. transsilvanica (Schur) A. Nyár., and Thymus pulcherrimus Schur. In the Siroki collection there are 42 plant sheets, originated from Slovakia, from 1908-1913 period. The four Romanian plants came from the Rodna Mountains. The Kryptogam Herbarium contains 12 Romanian moss species, collected between 1925 and 1929, most of them being from Székelyudvarhely (Odorheiu Secuiesc). The genus Carex occurs most frequently in the Nyárády-collection, due to his increased interest to sedges, forming 39% of the studied species. In accordance with the labels, in his collecting trips he was occasionally accompanied by Béla Husz (1911, Szepes) and Ádám Boros (1929, Korond).