Volume 66 (2020): Issue 4 (December 2020)

Introduction:Angelica archangelica L. (Apiaceae) has a long history of use as a vegetable and medicinal plant. According to the European Pharmacopoeia, the angelica root (Angelica radix) of only one of the sub-species – Angelica archangelica subsp. archangelica (formerly known as Archangelica officinalis) – is used as a source of plant material with documented medicinal properties. Within this species, there are two subspecies that are difficult to classify unambiguously: subsp. archangelica and subsp. litoralis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to provide a micromorphological and anatomical description of fruits of A archangelica and identify new diagnostic characters useful in subspecies identification.

Methods: A comparative analysis of the sculpture and internal structure of fruits of the distinguished A archangelica taxa was conducted, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Results: Based on the taxonomic characters in the Apiaceae family, micromorphological and anatomical characteristics of A archangelica fruits were prepared. Some of the investigated characters, e.g. verrucose sculpture of the oil duct surface and the presence of hooked hairs, exhibited intraspecific differences. Among the anatomical characters, the variation was related to the number and size of the paraendocarpic oil ducts as well as to the thickness of dorsal and commissural mesocarp.

Conclusion: SEM examination of fruits of A archangelica provided a detailed description of their sculptures and several micromorphological and anatomical characters of potential diagnostic value.

Introduction: Irrigation plays an important role in the cultivation of medicinal plants. There is a lack of information on intraspecific variability of reactions to the effect of drought.

Objective: The aim of the current study was to test the effect of irrigation on four sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) cultivars (‘Genovese’, ‘Kasia’, ‘Keskenylevelű’, ‘Wala’).

Methods: In an open field experiment irrigated and non-irrigated treatments were set. Plants were harvested in full flowering stage. Before the harvest, the stomatal conductance and chlorophyll content were measured. The production-related parameters were recorded. In the plant material the glandular hair density, essential oil content and composition (GC-MS) and volatile composition (SPME-GC-MS) were identified.

Results: Stomatal conductance of the irrigated plants was 2.5–4.5 times higher than in the non-irrigated ones. The chlorophyll content showed only slight changes. The irrigation had a positive effect on the production. The leaf to stem ratio was not modified by the watering. Irrigation negatively influenced the glandular hair density and the EO content, however it increased the EO yield by 40–129%, depending on the cultivar. Significant compositional changes were registered only in the EO of cultivar ‘Kasia’ for linalool, 1,8-cineole and tau-cadinole ratios.

Conclusion: Irrigation increases the biomass and EO yield of basil while the composition of the EO is mostly unchanged. Only slight differences were observed among the cultivars.

Introduction: The leaves of Lippia dulcis contain high amounts of hernandulcin. It is one thousand fold sweeter than sucrose, however, it hardly contains any calories.

Objective: The aim of this research was to optimalisation of micropropagation and acclimatization of L dulcis

Methods: The nodal explants were inoculated on phytohormone-free MS medium. After 6 weeks the explants were inoculated onto the MS medium with different plant growth regulators. Well-developed rooted plantlets were adapted to ex vitro conditions using hydrogel.

Results: On the medium with BAP and NAA the highest number of shoots were produced. The higest average shoot length, number of the leaves and the leaf area were recorded on the medium with GA₃. Adding IBA increased the number of roots. The addition of hydrogel enhanced the acclimatization efficiency.

Conclusions: There was observed a positive, stimulating influence of growth regulators on mass propagation and increase in the number of leaves and the leaf area and influence of hydrogel on the development of plantlets during acclimatization.

Introduction: In 2020, the Institute of Natural Fibres and Medicinal Plants (INF&MP) implemented the contract No. 7/PW 1.2 – IWNiRZ Poznań/KCRZG/2020 for the performance of a research service under the long-term programme “Creating scientific foundations for biological progress and protection of plant genetic resources as a source of innovation and support for sustainable agriculture and safety food for country”.

Objective: The aim of the research was to prepare passport and valorisation data for 33 accessions of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) sown at the INF&MP Experimental Station in Pętkowo.

Methods: The field experiment was conducted on 33 samples of flax seeds, which were sown on an area of 1.6 m². Morphological features were presented by means of numerical data and their evaluation. The agricultural characteristics (numerical values and percentage of the collective pattern) and lengths of vegetation period were also presented. The evaluation of the performed characteristics of flax accessions was presented numerically and the data were given to the International Flax Database.

Results: On the basis of paper documentation, the country of origin of the accessions, the type of genotypes by origin (landrace, variety) and the date of inclusion of the accessions in the flax collection were determined. The results of the characterization of morphological trials were as follows: the total plant length of the flax plants ranged from 51.4 cm (La Estanzuella 117) to 76.5 cm (WUKR 06-417) According to the methodology of the International Flax Database, the total plant length were short (28 accessions), medium short (3) and medium (1). Technical length was usually short (28 accessions) and medium short (4 accessions). Stem thickness for all accessions was medium: 1.6–2.5 mm. The length of the panicle was long only for the Opal variety, for 25 accessions - medium and short for 6 accessions. A number of bolls from panicle was: 9.1–30.8. The 1000 seed weight was low for 25 accessions of flax and very low for 8 genotypes of flax.

Conclusions: Both studied vegetation periods were short in the following flax accessions: AC Linora, Manchwrian, Noralta and T-397. Flax genotype WUKR-846 (I2010/0031) should be deleted from the flax genetic resources collection and considered as worthless as breeding material. The WUKR 06-417 accession collected during the field expedition is distinguished by a high fibre content – 27%. The highest seed yield per plot was obtained from the cultivation of the following linseed flax cultivars: Redwood, AC Mc Duff, Norlin, Noralta and Jenny.

Introduction: In order to prevent increased bacterial resistance, it is important to use herbal medicines with less side effects.

Objective: In this study, the chemical composition, antimicrobial, antioxidant activities and SEM images of Lavandula officinalis and Origanum onites oils obtained in two different ways were determined.

Methods: The antimicrobial activity of the oils was determined against reference and multiple strains of foodborne and pathogenic bacteria. The each essential oil sample were analyzed by GC–MS. Antioxidant activities of the samples were examined through DPPH^• and ABTS•+ radical scavenging and FRAP assays.

Results: The results indicate that the oils of obtained from Origanum onites and Lavandula officinalis exhibited relatively strong antibacterial and antifungal activity. In addition, the antioxidant activities detected were remarkable. Morphological changes in bacterial cells treated with essential oil samples were demon-

strated with SEM images. In addition, the chemical components of the oil samples obtained by both water steam and cold press were revealed by GC-MS analysis and compared.

Conclusion: When all the obtained results are evaluated together; these plants could be suitable for using as antimicrobial and antioxidative agents in several industries such as food, cosmetic, etc.

Introduction: India has a rich diversity of ethnomedicinal plants where the preparations from plants are used in treatment of various infection and ailments.

Objectives: The detailed survey was done to gather the information about potential preparation of ethno-medicinal plants by the local communities of the study area.

Methods: Data on 54 ethnomedicinal plants were recorded with the help of 19 men and 18 women aged between 45 and 60. Direct observation, group discussion and semi structured interview were used to collect the ethnobotanical information of the study area.

Results: Prevalent ethnomedicinal uses of the plants were used for treating diarrhoea, asthma, dysentery, and other human ailments. The most commonly plant parts gathered were leaves (28.78 %) followed by bark (19.69 %), root (12.12 %), flower (10.60 %), fruit (9.09 %), seed and whole plant (7.57 % each), stem (4.54 %). It was observed from the investigation that the ethnomedicinal plants used most frequently in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery (29 taxa) followed by other liver problems (7 taxa), healing cut and wounds, tooth problems, blood dysentery, piles, asthma, fractured bones, scorpion/insects bite (2 taxa), skin diseases, urinary disorder and headache, menstrual disorder, infertility, stone problems, cold and cough, muscle pain and swelling, memory enhancer, killing of liver worms in children, insects repellent, bronchial catarrh (1 taxa each).

Conclusion: The folk knowledge and ethnomedicinal preparation recorded in the present study area can be implemented in future for pharmacological and biological assay which could be further lead to new drug development.

Plants have been used to prepare herbal infusions for centuries. Production of herbal tea consists of several steps, beginning with harvesting, cleaning form residues, drying, storage of herb in a suitable material, grinding, and blending. Te plants grow in different regions and climatic conditions, varying by their physical properties. They are consumed for different purposes and due to their chemical constituents. Many of them have therapeutic effects. Besides their various benefits and even antimicrobial effects, they also carry some microorganisms. Thus, the botanical characteristics and effects on the health of frequently consumed herbal teas and recommendations on their consumption with considered microbial risks are reviewed in this article.

Astragalus is a traditional herb which has been used in China for a long time. It regulates blood circulation (vital energy), invigorates body fluid circulation, protects the flow of blood to fight against the attack of pathogens, and strengthens “blood deficiencies” according to Bencao Congxin. Astragalus was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2009 as a dietary supplement for upper respiratory infections, allergic rhinitis (hay fever), asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome, and chronic kidney disease. Thirty journals published in the past ten years were reviewed by using library search engines such as SCI/SCIE, PubMed, and Scopus. In this mini-review, we focus on the anti-inflammatory of Astragalus features, discuss the background of Astragalus and its function in various diseases from water-extracted Astragalus membranaceus, Astragalus saponins, and Astragalus polysaccharides. Based on the traditional Chinese medicine theory, Astragalus is a potential candidate to treat and prevent COVID-19.