Search Results (84)

Arable herbs rank among Europe’s most endangered species groups, calling for active conservation efforts to prevent their extinction. However, wild populations often cannot supply enough seeds for sustainable propagation, requiring seeds from botanical gardens or commercial producers instead. Yet, such ex situ plant populations can exhibit signs of significantly reduced long-term fitness, including increased germination rate and reduced dormancy. We studied eight arable herbs with respect to changes in their germination behavior under ex situ conservation and cultivation. We conducted germination experiments with seeds of different origins (wild, conservation, cultivation) in climate chambers. Germination tests were divided into two temperature regimes simulating sowing in autumn and spring. Our results show that four species (Bupleurum rotundifolium, Cota tinctoria, Legousia speculum-veneris and Petrorhagia prolifera) confirm the assumption that conservation and cultivation management reduce dormancy and increase germination rate. Two species (Agrostemma githago and Silene noctiflora) showed increased germination rate in non-wild populations, and another two (Ranunculus arvensis and Scandix pecten-veneris) behaved in the opposite way, showing increased dormancy and reduced germination rate in non-wild populations. These findings highlight the importance of preserving trait variability in ex situ populations and should be taken into account when planning restoration measures for segetal flora. Full article

This study provides a comprehensive and refined framework for the micropropagation of the critically endangered Greek endemic Silene conglomeratica. Using a limited seed stock, a reliable in vitro propagation protocol was developed, supporting both ex situ conservation and potential commercial applications in floriculture and landscape architecture. Nodal explants excised from aseptic seedlings, established on half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, were successfully used for culture initiation. Supplementation with 1.0 mg L⁻¹ meta-topolin (mT) and 0.2 mg L⁻¹ 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) promoted shoot proliferation. Subsequent subculturing on half-strength Rugini Olive Medium (OM/2) supplemented with 0.5 mg L⁻¹ 2-isopentenyladenine (2iP) resulted in high multiplication rates and a high frequency of spontaneous rooting. Rooting initiation was further optimized using OM/2 supplemented with 0.5 mg L⁻¹ indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The high acclimatization percentage (80%) confirms the feasibility of this protocol for ex situ conservation and highlights its applicability for nursery production and specialized landscape use. Overall, this study contributes an efficient and scalable propagation strategy that supports both the conservation and sustainable utilization of this valuable endemic species. Future work should focus on refining these protocols through more targeted testing of concentrations and alternative combinations of growth regulators and nutrient compositions. Full article

Seed biopriming is increasingly recognized as a strategy capable of inducing molecular memory that enhances plant performance under heavy-metal stress. Here, we investigated how biopriming Silene sendtneri seeds with Paraburkholderia phytofirmans PsJN establishes a transcriptional state that predisposes seedlings for improved cadmium (Cd) tolerance. RNA-seq profiling revealed that primed seeds exhibited differential gene expression prior to Cd exposure, with strong upregulation of detoxification enzymes, antioxidant machinery, metal transporters, photosynthetic stabilizers, and osmoprotectant biosynthetic genes. Enrichment of gene ontology categories related to metal ion detoxification, redox homeostasis, phenylpropanoid metabolism, and cell wall organization indicated that biopriming imprints a preparatory transcriptional signature resembling early stress responses. Upon Cd exposure, primed plants displayed enhanced physiological performance, including preserved integrity, elevated antioxidant activity, particularly peroxidases in roots, higher osmolyte accumulation, stabilized micronutrient levels, and substantially increased Cd uptake and sequestration. These coordinated responses demonstrate that biopriming induces a sustained molecular memory that accelerates and strengthens downstream defense activation. These findings demonstrate that PGPR-based biopriming establishes a stable transcriptomic memory in seeds that enhances cadmium tolerance, metal sequestration, and stress resilience, highlighting its potential for improving hyperaccumulator performance in phytoremediation and stress adaptation strategies. Full article

Creation of alkaline bulk layers from mining waste is economically viable way to prevent the migration of toxic metals down the soil profile and revegetate heavy polluted soils over large areas. We have conducted perennial experiments on the revegetation of industrial barren located near the operating nonferrous smelter in humid subarctic climate. A vermiculite–lizardite material from closed phlogopite mining, containing 10% layered silicates, was used to create the alkaline sorption barrier on the sites with high level of Cu/Ni pollution and wide range of topographic wetness index (TWI). We have revealed the strong effect of TWI on metal accumulation by mineral material with the highest effectiveness for the most wet sites. At the same time, the stable Ca and Mg content over seasons revealed the prolonged material effect for the maintenance of alkalinity and macronutrient supply. Further, we demonstrate the potential of Festuca rubra, Festuca ovina, Achillea millefolium, Deschampsia cespitosa, Dactylis glomerata, Rumex acetosella, Silene suecica, and for the revegetation of mineral material in dry locations. We demonstrated the effectiveness of alkaline geochemical barrier for the accumulation of toxic metals and successful plant growth in a wide range of topographic units. Full article

Plant microbiomes provide significant fitness advantages to their plant hosts, especially in the sub-nival belt. Studies to date have primarily focused on belowground communities in this region. Here, we utilized high-throughput DNA sequencing to quantify bacterial communities in the rhizosphere soil as well as in the root and leaf endosphere compartments of Silene nigrescens to uncover the differentiation and interconnections of these bacterial communities along the soil-to-plant continuum. Our findings reveal that the bacterial communities exhibit notable variation across different plant compartment niches: the rhizosphere soil, root endosphere, and leaf endosphere. There was a progressive decline in diversity, network complexity, network modularity, and niche breadth from the rhizosphere soil to the root endosphere, and further to the leaf endosphere. Conversely, both the host plant selection effect and the stability of these communities showed an increasing trend. Total nitrogen and total potassium emerged as crucial factors accounting for the observed differences in diversity and composition, respectively. Additionally, 3.6% of the total amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were shared across the rhizosphere soil, root endosphere, and leaf endosphere. Source-tracking analysis further revealed bacterial community migration among these compartments. The genera Pseudomonas, IMCC26256, Mycobacterium, Phyllobacterium, and Sphingomonas constituted the core of the bacterial microbiome. These taxa are shared across all three compartment niches and function as key connector species. Notably, Pseudomonas stands out as the predominant taxon among these bacteria, with nitrogen being the most significant factor influencing its relative abundance. These findings deepen our understanding of the assembly principles and ecological dynamics of the plant microbiome in the sub-nival belt, offering an integrated framework for its study. Full article

We present the first vascular flora of the municipality of Pisa. The floristic inventory was built on previous literature and field observations deposited in the online database Wikiplantbase #Toscana, integrated by observations from iNaturalist. The established flora of Pisa includes a total of 1404 specific and subspecific taxa (594 genera, 123 families), out of which 112 are alien species. Silene subconica is excluded from the regional flora of Tuscany, while Solanum nitidibaccatum is reported as a new regional casual alien, and the regional alien status of Salpichroa origanifolia shifts from naturalized to invasive. Native taxa exceed species-area predictions by 33.3%, attesting for a high floristic richness, and there are taxa of high biogeographical and conservation interest. However, also alien taxa exceed predictions by 34.9%, and there are many invasive species, pointing out a high anthropogenic impact in the territory of Pisa, mostly due to urbanization. The biological and chorological spectra reflect the coexistence of typical Mediterranean and central European habitats in this territory, especially within the Migliarino–San Rossore–Massaciuccoli Regional Park. The vascular flora of the municipality is quite rich, although threatened by anthropic pressures, fostering the arrival and establishment of invasive alien species. Full article

Before the Bronze age, when agricultural practices spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula, the diet of the native people was based on hunting, fishing, and gathering wild plants. In spite of modern agriculture, the popular gathering of wild species for medical use, food, craftwork, etc., for centuries has left a detailed knowledge on the use of many of these species. Of the 6176 Angiosperms native to the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, over 200 species were introduced into cultivation during the Neolithic period outside the Iberian Peninsula. The names of 30 of the progenitors still popularly used as food are listed in this paper, together with the names of their derived crops. This review focuses on five wild species collected as food from ancient times, namely Borago officinalis L. Prunus spinosa L., Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garke subsp. vulgaris, Scolymus hispanicus L., and Asparagus acutifolius L. In response to great demand, they have been recently introduced into cultivation in Spain and are now harvested and commercialized as new crops. Special attention is paid to their basic bioactive compounds and pharmacological properties. The limitation of this study is that the published information about the bioactive compounds of these five plants originates from different parts of the world where they grow wild or are cultivated. Therefore, further research is needed to trace the metabolomic dynamics of these plants regarding geographical and ecological principles, as well as wild versus cultivated origins. Full article

Household food waste accounts for a significant share of total food waste. In 2022, around 1.05 billion tons of food waste were generated—60% of which came from households. In the EU, households generate 54% of the total food waste. In Italy, according to a former diary study, avoidable household food waste accounts for 529.9 g per capita per week. Building on this data, this study assesses the monetary value of food waste at the household level in 6 provinces across the country, considering the prices of food items recorded by the Italian Observatory of market prices. Moreover, the environmental impacts of household food waste (greenhouse gas emissions, water consumed, and land used) were investigated based on existing data from well-grounded scientific literature. The results show that the monetary value of food waste ranges from EUR 357.43 to EUR 404.62 per household per year, corresponding to 5–7% of the average household expenditure for food. The environmental impacts per household per year account for 149 kgCO₂eq, which contributes to climate change. In addition, household food waste is responsible for 303,498 L of water consumed and 1426 m² of land used. The results of this study can be integrated into National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), to integrate food waste reduction into energy savings and greenhouse gas mitigation strategies. Full article

Human rabies cases today are predominantly associated with infection from rabid domestic dogs. Unlike dogs, a common global reservoir species that perpetuates rabies viruses (RABV) within their populations, domestic cats are much less frequently reported or vaccinated. Epidemiologically, cats are important vectors of lyssaviruses but are not viral reservoirs. Typically, cats are incidental hosts only, infected with the predominant lyssavirus in their geographic locale. Human cases associated with rabid cats have occurred in Africa, Asia, Europe and throughout the Americas. As adept, solitary hunters, wild and domestic felids are at risk of lyssavirus infection based upon interactions with infected prey, such as bats, or from transmission by other mesocarnivores, such as rabid dogs, foxes, jackals, raccoons, and skunks. Current veterinary vaccines provide safe and effective immunity in cats against phylogroup I lyssaviruses, such as RABV, but not against divergent lyssaviruses in phylogroups II-IV. With the focus upon the global elimination of canine rabies, the emergence of rabies in cats represents a concerning trend. Clearly, education about the occurrence of rabies in cats needs to be improved, as well as the routine vaccination of cats to reduce the associated risks to public health, agriculture, and conservation biology from a One Health perspective. Full article

A comprehensive metabolite profiling of the medicinal plant Silene viridiflora using an UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS method is described for the first time. A total of 71 compounds were identified and annotated, the most common of which were flavonoids, triterpene glycosides, and ecdysteroids. The three major compounds schaftoside, 26-hydroxyecdysone, and silviridoside can be chosen as the markers for the assessment of the quality of S. viridiflora preparations. The methanol extract and a variety of metabolites identified in S. viridiflora were screened for their cytotoxic and Wnt pathway-inhibiting activities against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the deadliest form of cancer in women. 2-Deoxy-20-hydroxyecdysone with submicromolar IC₅₀ was identified as a result. The structure–activity relationship derived from the data from the in vitro proliferation assay showed that the hydroxyl group present at position C-2 of steroid core reduces the ecdysteroids’ cytotoxicity against cancer cells. Full article

Silene viscidula Franch is mainly produced in southwest China. The region has a vast area and rich climate, which has an impact on the quality of the plants due to the differences in distribution between the origins. There is a lack of systematic research on its chemical compounds in the existing literature, and fewer studies have been reported for the active compounds of this plant. Therefore, high-resolution liquid mass spectrometry was used in this study. Sixty batches of Silene viscidula Franch samples from twenty origins in three provinces were analyzed for compounds. A database of chemical compounds of Silene viscidula Franch was established through node-to-node information in the GNPS molecular network, as well as literature records. The ion fragmentation information obtained was compared with the literature data and analyzed and identified by importing the mass spectrometry software PeakView 1.2. Then, the MarkerView t-test was applied to analyze and identify the compounds of Silene viscidula Franch from different origins. Afterwards, the antioxidant activity of Silene viscidula Franch from different origins was preliminarily evaluated using DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging assays. The results showed a total of 78 compounds, including 34 steroids, 14 triterpenoid saponins, 30 flavonoid glycosides, and other classes of compounds, such as alkaloids. The cleavage patterns of steroids, triterpenoid saponins, and flavonoids in positive-ion mode were also summarized. Based on the p-value of the t-test (p < 0.05), 29 differential compounds were screened out. The relative contents of saponins and steroidal compounds in these samples were found to be associated with antioxidant activity. This study provided a preliminary reference for the establishment of a comprehensive evaluation system for the quality of Silene viscidula Franch. Full article

In 2018, an outbreak of human rabies caused by the hematophagous bat Desmodus rotundus hit the Brazilian Amazon Basin community of Melgaço, Brazil, resulting in the death of 10 people, 9 of them children. The incidence of rabies has been on the rise among populations in conditions of vulnerability in this ecosystem due to human expansion into sylvatic environments and limited access to public health services. To address this issue, in September 2019, a collaborative effort from national, local, and international institutions promoted and executed a pilot for pre-exposure prophylaxis of a population in high-risk areas for hematophagous bat-mediated rabies. This measure is usually only implemented in response to outbreaks. The pilot was conducted in Portel, in a nearby location to the previous outbreak, with the use of fluvial transportation, and 2987 individuals in 411 dwellings were successfully vaccinated. It established a methodology for pre-exposure prophylaxis for populations in conditions of vulnerability, identifying logistics and costs, as well as characterizing the target riverine population regarding risk factors associated with bites by hematophagous bats. This approach offers a proactive measure to prevent future outbreaks and provides valuable insights into how to address the issue of rabies in remote and difficult-to-reach areas. Full article

Cellulose nanofibers (NF) were extracted from kapok fibers using TEMPO oxidation, followed by a combination of mechanical grinding and ultrasonic processing. The TEMPO-mediated oxidation significantly impacted the mechanical disintegration behavior of the kapok fibers, resulting in a high NF yield of 98%. This strategy not only improved the fibrillation efficiency but also reduced overall energy consumption during NF preparation. An ultralight and highly porous NF-based aerogel was successfully prepared using a simple ice-templating technique. It had a low density in the range of 3.5–11.2 mg cm⁻³, high compressional strength (160 kPa), and excellent thermal insulation performance (0.024 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹). After silane modification, the aerogel displayed an ultralow density of 7.9 mg cm⁻³, good hydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 128°, and excellent mechanical compressibility with a high recovery of 92% at 50% strain. Benefiting from the silene support structure, it showed a high oil absorptive capacity (up to 71.4 g/g for vacuum pump oil) and a remarkable oil recovery efficiency of 93% after being reused for 10 cycles. These results demonstrate that our strategy endows nanocellulose-based aerogels with rapid shape recovery and high liquid absorption capabilities. Full article

Recently, based on light microscopy images, the tubercle structure on the seed surface of 100 Silene species was quantitatively described, including tubercle width, height, and curvature associated with general morphometric data. Curvature measures the rate of change of the tangent vector in a curve and can be calculated by the following methods described for Arabidopsis roots. Here, we apply curvature measurements to the SEM images of 40 Silene species from Türkiye, demonstrating that a quantitative analysis of tubercles can be made based on SEM images with similar results to optical photographs. The association of morphometric tubercle data allows for classification into six groups, five of them corresponding to described shapes: rugose (two groups), echinate, mammillate, and papillose, and a sixth group of tubercles plane on top. The curvature values vary between 20 and 200 mm⁻¹ and differ among the morphological tubercle types described. The correlation of curvature values with other general measurements and morphological seed characteristics is investigated. Tubercle quantification not only is a useful tool for Silene taxonomy, but also provides the basis for the analysis of the genetic control and developmental effects on tubercle structure and shape in the seed surface. Full article

The seeds of many species in the order Caryophyllales exhibit surface protuberances called tubercles. While tubercle shape and distribution have often been proposed as taxonomic criteria, paradoxically, their description has primarily relied on adjectives, with quantitative data on tubercle width, height, and other measurements lacking in the literature. Recently, a quantitative analysis of seed surface tubercles based on tubercle width, height, and curvature values (maximum and average curvature, and maximum to average curvature ratio) was proposed and applied to individual populations of a total of 31 species, with 12 belonging to Silene subg. Behenantha and 19 to S. subg. Silene. Tubercles were classified into two categories: echinate and rugose. Echinate tubercles exhibited higher values of height and curvature, and lower width, and were more prevalent in species of S. subg. Behenantha, while the rugose type was more abundant in S. subg. Silene. This work explored infraspecific differences in tubercle size and shape. For this, measurements of tubercle width, height and curvature were applied to 31 populations of eight species of Silene. Significant differences between populations were observed for most of the species examined. A particular tubercle type, previously described as umbonate or mammillate, was identified in S. nocturna seeds, characterized by high curvature values. Full article