Search Results (19)

Aphids are major agricultural pests, feeding on plant sap and transmitting viruses to economically important crops. The use of synthetic pesticides is increasingly restricted due to stricter regulations aimed at protecting both human and environmental health. To address this challenge, we investigated the potential of essential oils (EOs) extracted from rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus Spenn.), laurel (Laurus nobilis L.), and cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L.) as alternatives to synthetic insecticides, while ensuring compatibility with biological control strategies. The EOs were extracted via hydrodistillation, diluted in acetone, and tested against the aphid Myzus persicae and its natural predator, the hoverfly (Sphaerophoria rueppellii). Aphid mortality was dose-dependent, reaching 85% with rosemary EO, 83% with laurel, and 81% with cypress. In contrast, hoverfly larvae mortality remained low, with a maximum of 20%, which could largely be attributed to the solvent used in the assays. These promising results support further research to develop effective EO-based tools for integrated pest management. Full article

This study evaluates the performance of the ZEB Horizon RT portable mobile laser scanner (MLS) in simulating silvicultural thinning operations across three different Tuscan forests dominated by Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L.), and Stone pine (Pinus pinea L.). The aim is to compare the efficiency and accuracy of the MLS with traditional dendrometric methods. The study established three marteloscopes, each covering a 50 m × 50 m plot area (0.25 ha). Traditional dendrometric methods involved a team georeferencing trees using a total station and measuring the diameter at breast height (DBH) and selected tree heights (H) to calculate the growing stock volume (GSV). The MLS survey was carried out by a two-person team, who processed the point cloud data with LiDAR 360 software to automatically identify the tree positions, DBH, and H. The methods were compared based on the time, cost, and simulated felling volume. The MLS method was more time-efficient, saving nearly one and a half hours per marteloscope, equivalent to EUR 170. This advantage was most significant in denser stands, especially the Italian cypress forest. Both methods were comparable in terms of accuracy for Douglas-fir and Stone pine stands, with no significant differences in felling number or volume, although greater differences were noted for the Italian cypress forest. Full article

Cities play a critical role in anthropogenic CO₂ emissions, which exacerbate climate change and impact urban populations. Urban green infrastructure, such as urban trees, provides essential ecosystem services, including reducing atmospheric CO₂ levels. However, there is a significant knowledge gap regarding the impact of urban trees on climate change in semiarid, polluted cities like Tehran, the capital and largest metropolis of the Middle East. This study assesses the carbon sequestration and storage potential of Tehran’s urban infrastructure using the i-Tree Eco model. A randomized cluster sampling method was employed, collecting data on species composition, diameter at breast height (DBH), and total tree height. The results indicate that Tehran’s urban trees sequester approximately 60,102 tons of carbon per year, equivalent to 220,393 tons of CO₂. The net carbon storage in urban trees is about 254,579 tons, equivalent to 933,455 tons of CO₂. Parks and urban green spaces demonstrate the highest rate of carbon sequestration per hectare, followed by urban services land use. Prioritizing the planting of species with high sequestration rates like Cupressus arizonica (Arizona cypress) and Cupressus sempervirens L. var. horizontalis (Mediterranean cypress) could enhance carbon sequestration efforts in Tehran. These data provide valuable insights into the carbon sequestration potential and environmental impact of different land use types, and may aid in the development of effective environmental policies and land management strategies in semiarid urban areas and other cities in similar settings. Full article

Currently, researchers are looking for ways to replace synthetic pesticides with substances of natural origin. Essential oils are produced by plants, among other things, to protect against pathogens, which is why there is interest in their use as fungicides. This experiment assessed the composition of essential oils from a commercial source, their impact on the development of mycelium of pathogens of the Fusarium genus, and the possibility of using them as a pre-sowing treatment. Grains of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and corn (Zea mays L.) were inoculated with a suspension of mycelium and spores of fungi of the Fusarium genus and then soaked in solutions containing oils of sage (Salvia officinalis L.), cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L.), cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.). The obtained results indicate that thyme essential oil had the strongest effect on limiting the development of Fusarium pathogens and seedling infection, but at the same time it had an adverse effect on the level of germination and seedling development of the tested plants. The remaining essential oils influenced the mentioned parameters to varying degrees. Selected essential oils can be an alternative to synthetic fungicides, but they must be selected appropriately. Full article

Essential oils (EOs) extracted from aromatic or medicinal plants are biodegradable, safe, and regarded as alternatives to chemical pesticides to reduce fungal species attacking different crops. In this study, thirty EOs at 0.5 mg/mL were evaluated for in vitro growth inhibition of the main postharvest fungi, which are Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, and Penicillium italicum. Cinnamomum verrum EO completely inhibited the mycelial growth of A. alternata and B. cinerea, and Syzygium aromaticum EO completely inhibited the mycelia of A. alternata. B. cinerea mycelial growth was completely inhibited by Gautheria fragrantissima, Cymbopogon nardus, Pelargonium asperum, and Cupressus sempervirens EOs. G. fragrantissima EO inhibited the mycelia growth of P. italicum by 98%. Overall, B. cinerea displayed the highest sensitivity to EOs than P. italicum and A. alternata. G. fragrantissima, C. sempervirens, C. nardus, P. asperum, Mentha piperita, Foeniculum vulgare, C. verrum, and S. aromaticum EOs showed the highest inhibition for these three pathogens. Minimum inhibitory concentrations were lower for C. verrum and S. aromaticum EOs, ranging between 0.31 and 0.45 mg/mL and 0.37 to 0.57 mg/mL, respectively, against the three pathogens. The tested EOs inhibited the in vitro growth of three of the main postharvest fungal pathogens. Further studies are needed to confirm these activities in vivo. Full article

In the last decade, the urgent need to explore medicinal plants or drug development has increased enormously around the world to overcome numerous health problems. In the present investigation, HPLC indicated the existence of 18 phenolic and flavonoid compounds in the Cupressus sempervirens extract. Hesperetin represents the greatest concentration (25,579.57 µg/mL), while other compounds, such as pyro catechol, rutin, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, naringenin, and quercetin, were recognized in concentrations of 2922.53 µg/mL, 1313.26 µg/mL, 1107.26 µg/mL, 389.09 µg/mL, 156.53 µg/mL, and 97.56 µg/mL, respectively. The well diffusion method documented the antibacterial/antifungal activity of C. sempervirens extract against E. faecalis, E. coli, C. albicans, S. typhi, S.aureus, and M. circinelloid with 35, 33, 32, 25, 23, and 21 mm inhibition zones, respectively, more than the standard antibiotic/antifungal agent. Low values ranging from 7.80 to 15.62 µg/mL of MIC and MBC were recorded for E. faecalis, E. coli, and C. albicans. From the 1- diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) assay, promising antioxidant activity was recorded for C. sempervirens extract with IC₅₀ of an 8.97 µg/mL. Moreover, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and total antioxidant capacity assays (TAC) confirmed the antioxidant activity of the extract, which was expressed as the ascorbic acid equivalent (AAE) of 366.9 ± 0.2 µg/mg and 102 ± 0.2 µg/mg of extracts, respectively. α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition % were determined to express the antidiabetic activity of the extract in vitro, with promising IC₅₀ value (27.01 µg/mL) for α-amylase compared to that of acarbose (50.93 µg/mL), while IC₅₀ value of the extract for α-glucosidase was 19.21µg/mL compared to that of acarbose 4.13 µg/mL. Prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) revealed the role of C. sempervirens extract as an anticoagulant agent if compared with the activity of heparin. Binding interactions of hesperetin and gallic acid were examined via the Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) Dock software against E. faecalis (PDB ID: 3CLQ), C. albicans (PDB ID: 7RJC), α-amylase (PDB ID: 4W93), and α-glucosidase (PDB ID: 3TOP). The obtained results shed light on how molecular modeling methods might inhibit the tested compounds, which have the potential to be useful in the treatment of target proteins. Full article

In order to find effective, biorational, and eco-friendly pest control tools, Cupressus sempervirens var. horizontalis essential oil (EO) was produced using hydrodistillation, before being analyzed with gas chromatography, specifically, using flame ionization detection. The monoterpene components α-pinene (46.3%), δ-3-carene (22.7%), and α-cedrol, a sesquiterpene hydrocarbon, (5.8%), were the main fractions. An oil-in-water nanoemulsion was obtained following a green protocol. The EO, its nanoemulsion, and its terpenes each exhibited both insecticidal and insect repellent activities against the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae. In a contact bioassay, the nanoemulsion induced a 100% adult mortality rate in a concentration of 10.0 µL/cm² after 4 days of treatment, whereas 40 µL/cm² of EO and α-cedrol was required to kill 100% of weevils. Using fumigation, nanoemulsion and EO at 10 µL/L air caused a 100% adult mortality rate after 4 days of treatment. The LC₅₀ values of botanicals ranged between 5.8 and 53.4 µL/cm² for contact, and between 4.1 and 19.6 µL/L for fumigation. The phytochemicals strongly repelled the weevil at concentrations between 0.11 and 0.88 µL/cm², as well as considerably inhibiting AChE bioactivity. They were found to be safe for earthworms (Eisenia fetida) at 200 mg/kg, which also caused no significant alteration in wheat grain viability. This study provides evidence for the potential of using the EO of C. sempervirens and its nanoemulsion as natural, eco-friendly grain protectants against S. oryzae. Full article

Textiles and clothing were and still are an important source of culture as well as an indicator of a robust economy and social status. Textile household goods and clothing are important heirlooms, providing valuable information about the standard of living, socio-political events, and cultural influences of the regions from which they originate. This paper presents the preliminary results of a research project dealing with the traditional natural dyes used in Greece for the decoration of garments from the 19th century onwards (from the 19th until the mid-20th century). The research aims to identify and record all the different plants and dyeing techniques used in Greece during this period and also to propose a non-destructive methodology for the study of dyed textiles in order to facilitate their preservation. In this paper, the focus is on the presentation of the classification and identification data of the plants used as the dyeing sources, according to recipes collected in various areas in Greece, as well as the description of their botanical characteristics. The research was based on the study of more than 2000 manuscripts and many interviews with older people who have used these materials. Thus, more than 140 plants have been documented, together with their recipes. The data produced include the phytological characteristics of the plants, as well as the parts of the plant used, the period collected and the areas they were used, together with images of the plants and various details regarding the recipes used in many places around Greece, along with the related documentation. The study also refers to ethics and traditions related to the dyes, the color, or the dyeing procedures used. Woolen samples were prepared based on the data collected in order to investigate how the differences recorded from place to place are reflected in the final result. Through this research, it was possible to identify and replicate some of the non-common recipes which use the Mediterranean strawflower, Helichrysum stoechas (L.) Moench, red algae, Rytiphloea tinctoria (Clemente) C.Agardh, and the common poppy Papaver rhoeas L as dyestuffs. Full article

Reforestation with native and non-native tree species is one of the most effective strategies to cope with climate change, and is also the most effective management method for solving soil erosion problems in degraded forests around the world. The current research investigates three skid trails, which were planted with three species in the clearcutting areas, in comparison with a natural forest of hornbeam (CB; Carpinus betulus L.) and velvet maple (AV; Acer velutinum Boiss.) and degraded land without trees (DL), as well as evaluates the recovery of soil characteristics in the skid trails in response to the planting of native species, including black alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.), and non-native species, including eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides L.) and Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L. var. horizontalis (Mill.) Gord.) in a mid-term period of 25 years, in the Hyrcanian forests in northern Iran. Significantly higher litter nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) were detected in the plantation of black alder (AG), whereas the lowest values were measured under the DL treatment. Soil physio-chemical properties significantly differed among treatments, except silt content. Among the soil chemical properties, N storage and available nutrients of P and K under the black alder plantation were fully restored as compared to the value observed at the hornbeam and velvet maple (CB-AV) stand over a 25-year period after soil disturbance and planting. Over a 25-year period after logging operations, soil biological and microbial properties of carbon and nitrogen, and enzyme activity in the black alder plantation were partially recovered, but these values have not returned to pre-harvest level at the CB-AV treatment as control. Overall, these results suggested that black alder had greater positive effects on the recovery of soil properties than other trees due to the faster litter decomposition as a N-fixing species, and its labile substrate with low organic C and high N concentration. Therefore, black alder reforestation should be increase in future ecosystem restoration in the area influenced by logging operations. Full article

Wastes and by-products of plant origin are of particular interest to develop a circular economy approach, which attempts to turn them into resources. In this work, thirty-seven neglected plant matrices, including agricultural residues, pest plants, and by-products from the herbal and food industry were extracted and tested for their in vitro anti-tyrosinase, antioxidant, and antibacterial activity against the phytopathogens Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae ATCC 19310 and Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. nebraskense ATCC 27822. Antioxidant activity ranged from 0.3 to 5 mg of Tr. eq/mL of plant extract, and extract of Castanea sativa pericarp (Csp), Rosa damascena buds (post-distillation) (Rod), and Prunus amygdalus exocarp and mesocarp (Pam) were the most powerful ones. Csp was also capable of inhibiting tyrosinase (IC₅₀ = 16.5 µg/mL), as well as three distillation by-products, namely: Cupressus sempervirens (Css) (IC₅₀ = 95.5 µg/mL), Salvia officinalis (Sco) (IC₅₀ = 87.6 µg/mL), and Helichrysum italicum (Hei) (IC₅₀ = 90.1 µg/mL). Five residues from distillation showed antibacterial activity against C. michiganensis (MICs ranging from 0.125 to 1 mg/mL), namely: Salvia sclarea L. (Sas), Salvia rosmarinus Schleid (Sar), Sco, Hei, and Css. The ¹H NMR fingerprinting of the bioactive matrices was acquired, detecting primary and secondary metabolites (rosmarinic acid, shikimic acid, sclareol, and hydroxycinnamic acids). Full article

Fungal infections by Candida spp. are opportunistic and most often occur in individuals with some predisposing factor. Essential oils (EO) have anti-Candida potential, being a therapeutic alternative to be explored, especially for superficial and mucosal candidiasis. The objective was to analyze the synergistic potential between the EO of Citrus limon, Cupressus sempervirens, Litsea cubeba and Melaleuca alternifolia, and each of them with clotrimazole, to inhibit in vitro the formation and eradication of Candida spp. biofilms. Added to this, the survival of Caenorhabditis elegans was evaluated after exposure to EO, clotrimazole and their synergistic combinations. Anti-Candida activity was determined by microdilution for the substances alone and in EO–EO and EO–clotrimazole combinations. The combinations were performed by the checkerboard method, and the reduction in the metabolic activity of biofilms was determined by the viability of MTT/menadione. C. elegans larvae survival was evaluated after 24 h of exposure to EO, clotrimazole and synergistic combinations. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of EO ranged from 500 to >4000 µg/mL. The lowest MIC (500 µg/mL) was for C. sempervirens and L. cubeba on a C. krusei isolate; for clotrimazole, the MIC ranged from 0.015 to 0.5 µg/mL. Biofilm inhibition and eradication both ranged from 1000 to >4000 µg/mL. The lethal concentration (LC₅₀) of C. limon, L. cubeba and M. alternifolia was 2000 µg/mL for C. elegans, while for C. sempervirens and clotrimazole, it was not determined within the concentration limits tested. In combination, more than 85% of the larvae survived M. alternifolia–clotrimazole, M. alternifolia–L. cubeba, C. sempervirens–clotrimazole and C. sempervirens–C. limon combinations. This study is the first, to our knowledge, to present a synergistic relationship of EO–EO and EO–clotrimazole combinations on Candida spp. biofilms. Full article

This review article reports for the first time phytochemistry, ethnobotanical uses and pharmacological activities of all Cupressus L. species other than Cupressus sempervirens L. Indeed, the literature survey showed how many other Cupressus species are rich of important phytochemical compounds, widely used in the ethnobotanical field for several purposes and endowed with interesting biological activities, even if they are somehow neglected by the scientific community. This review aims to continue the study of these other Cupressus species and promote more research on them. Full article

Nowadays, increasing interest has recently been given to the exploration of new food preservatives to avoid foodborne outbreaks or food spoilage. Likewise, new compounds that substitute the commonly used synthetic food preservatives are required to restrain the rising problem of microbial resistance. Accordingly, the present study was conducted to examine the chemical composition and the mechanism(s) of action of the Cupressus sempervirens essential oil (CSEO) against Salmonella enterica Typhimuriumand Staphyloccocus aureus. The gas chromatography analysis revealed α-pinene (38.47%) and δ-3-carene (25.14%) are the major components of the CSEO. By using computational methods, such as quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR), we revealed that many CSEO components had no toxic effects. Moreover, findings indicated that α-pinene, δ-3-carene and borneol, a minor compound of CSEO, could inhibit the AcrB-TolC and MepR efflux pump activity of S. enterica Typhimurium and S. aureus, respectively. In addition, our molecular docking predictions indicated the high affinity of these three compounds with active sites of bacterial DNA and RNA polymerases, pointing to plausible impairments of the pathogenic bacteria cell replication processes. As well, the safety profile was developed through the zebrafish model. The in vivo toxicological evaluation of (CSEO) exhibited a concentration-dependent manner, with a lethal concentration (LC₅₀) equal to 6.6 µg/mL. Full article

The present work evaluates the aromatic waters of rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus Spenn. syn. Rosmarinus officinalis L.), sage (Salvia officinalis L.), and cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L.) obtained as innovative commercial products of a hydrodistillation process. All extracts were exhaustively analysed by GC-MS, ¹H-NMR, and LC-MS in order to evaluate potential metabolite fingerprint differences. GC-MS appears to be the most exhaustive technique for the qualitative identification of the single constituents, although in this case, the use of ¹H-NMR and LC-MS techniques allowed some useful considerations in semi-quantitative terms. Antimycotic effects were studied against Tricophyton, Candida, and Arthroderma species, resulting in weak activity. The toxicological impact was partly evaluated in vitro by means of allelopathy and brine shrimp lethality. Cytotoxicity was investigated in human colon cancer cells (HCT116) and in hypothalamic cells (Hypo-E22) challenged with hydrogen peroxide. Sage and rosemary hydrosols were the most effective antimycotics, whereas all hydrosols displayed antiradical effects. Cytotoxic effects against HCT116 cells (at 500 µL/mL) were related in silico to the endovanilloid TRPM8 and TRPV1 receptors. At lower concentrations (5–50 µL/mL), the hydrosols protected hypothalamic neurons Hypo-E22 cells from hydrogen peroxide-induced toxicity. The overall experience indicates that hydrolates are an important source of relevant phytochemicals with significant pharmacological potential. Full article

Cupressus sempervirens L., Juniperus communis L. and Cistus ladanifer L. are Mediterranean arboreal and shrub species that possess essential oils (EO) in their leaves and branches. This study aimed at characterizing the EOs obtained by steam distillation from the three species collected in different locations from Spain (Almazán, Andévalo, Barriomartín, Cerezal, Ermitas and Huéscar). For this purpose, volatiles composition was determined by GC-MS, and different bioactivities were evaluated. The highest content in terpenes was observed in C. sempervirens (Huéscar origin) followed by J. communis (Almazán origin), corresponding to 92% and 91.9% of total compounds, respectively. With exception of C. ladanifer from Cerezal that presented viridiflorol as the most abundant compound, all the three species presented in common the α-pinene as the major compound. The EOs from C. ladanifer showed high antibacterial potential, presenting MIC values from 0.3 to 1.25 mg/mL. Concerning other bioactivities, C. ladanifer EO revealed an oxidation inhibition of 83%, while J. communis showed cytotoxicity in the MCF-7 cell line, and C. sempervirens and C. ladanifer EOs exhibited the highest potential on NCI-H460 cell lines. Nevertheless, some EOs revealed toxicity against non-tumoral cells but generally presented a GI₅₀ value higher than that of the tumor cell lines. Full article