Search Results (195)

Juniperus is one of the vital genera of the Cupressaceae family; many Juniperus species (juniper) have served as traditional folk medicines. The aims of this study are to analyze its chemical composition and to evaluate the mosquito larvicidal activity of leaf essential oil and its constituents. The constituents of leaf essential oil were analyzed by GC-MS. Leaf essential oil is mainly composed of hydrocarbon monoterpenes and, secondly, oxygenated monoterpenes. Leaf essential oil exhibited good brine shrimp lethality activity, which is highly correlated with larvicidal activity, with the LC₅₀ of 49.89 μg/mL. Leaf essential oil showed a strong mosquito larvicidal activity against two Dengue vector mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus, the LC₅₀ values for both species were lower than 50 μg/mL. Among the major constituents of leaf essential oil, compounds limonene, sabinene, and β-myrcene also exhibited a significant larvicidal effect. Through these investigations, it is expected that leaf essential oil from J. chinensis var. kaizuka and its constituents are of potential use as environmental control chemicals against Dengue vector mosquitoes. Full article

We present a stochastic method for classifying high-elevation coniferous forest coverage that includes an uncertainty estimate using Landsat images. We evaluate trends in coniferous coverage from 1986 to 2024 in a sub-basin of the Great Salt Lake basin in the western United States This work was completed before the recent release of the extended National Land Cover Database (NLCD) data, so we use the 9 years of NLCD data previously available over the period from 2001 to 2021 for training and validation. We perform 100 draws of 5130 data points each using stratified sampling from the paired NLCD and Landsat data to generate 100 Random Forest Models. Even though extended NLCD data are available, our model is unique as it is trained on high elevation dense coniferous stands and does not classify wester pinyon (Pinus edulis) or Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) shrub trees as “coniferous”. We apply these models, implemented in Google Earth Engine, to the nearly 40-year Landsat dataset to stochastically classify coniferous forest extent to support trend analysis with uncertainty. Model accuracy for most years is better than 94%, comparable to published NLCD accuracy, though several years had significantly worse results. Coniferous area standard deviations for any given year ranged from 0.379% to 1.17% for 100 realizations. A linear fit from 1985 to 2024 shows an increase of 65% in coniferous coverage over 38 years, though there is variation around the trend. The method can be adapted for other specialized land cover categories and sensors, facilitating long-term environmental monitoring and management while providing uncertainty estimates. The findings support ongoing research forest management impacts on snowpack and water infiltration, as increased coniferous coverage of dense fir and spruce increases interception and sublimation, decreasing infiltration and runoff. NLCD data cannot easily be used for this work in the west, as the pinyon (Pinus edulis) and juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) forests are classified as coniferous, but have much lower impact on interception and sublimation. Full article

Drought-induced forest mortality threatens biodiversity globally, particularly in arid, and semi-arid woodlands. The continual development of remote sensing approaches enables enhanced monitoring of forest health. Herein, we investigate the ability of a limited ground-truthed canopy dieback dataset and satellite image derived Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to make inferences about forest health as temporal and spatial extent from its collection increases. We used ground-truthed observations of relative canopy mortality from the Pinus edulis-Juniperus osteosperma woodlands of southeastern Utah, United States of America, collected after the 2017–2018 drought, and PlanetScope satellite imagery. Through assessing different modelling approaches, we found that NDVI is significantly associated with sitewide mean canopy dieback, with beta regression being the most optimal modelling framework due to the bounded nature of the variable relative canopy dieback. Model performance was further improved by incorporating the proportion of J. osteosperma as an interaction term, matching the reports of species-specific differential dieback. A time-series analysis revealed that NDVI retained its predictive power for our whole testing period; four years after the initial ground-truthing, thus enabling retrospective inference of defoliation and regreening. A spatial random forest model trained on our ground-truthed observations accurately predicted dieback across the broader landscape. These findings demonstrate that modest field campaigns combined with high-resolution satellite data can generate reliable, scalable insights into forest health, offering a cost-effective method for monitoring drought-impacted ecosystems under climate change. Full article

Needle structure was analyzed in three Juniperus communis taxa from different localities in central Slovakia. The main aim was to test the hybrid origin hypothesis of J. communis nothovar. intermedia (Schur) Nyman, defined as a cross between J. communis L. ssp. communis and J. communis ssp. nana (Hook.) Syme. While DNA-based analyses remain the most reliable tool for inferring evolutionary history, comparative needle morphology can provide complementary evidence, including diagnostic traits for taxonomic delimitation. In this study, we evaluated three morphometric and sixteen anatomical needle traits, measured via microscopy in ten shrubs per taxon. The analyses indicated that most traits in nothovar. intermedia matched one of the parents, with only two traits proving strongly diagnostic, separating all three taxa: needle length, which showed an intermediate mean phenotype in nothovar. intermedia (R² = 0.824, p = 0.011; between parents), and vascular bundle height, which displayed a transgressive pattern (R² = 0.552, p = 0.031; between parents). Although the diagnostic value of individual traits for hybrid detection was generally weak, a phylogenetic network analysis based on six diagnostic traits that separated individuals of the parental taxa provided evidence for reticulate evolution. These results support the hybrid origin of J. communis nothovar. intermedia and highlight needle traits with potential value for distinguishing ssp. communis and ssp. nana in natural populations, which may assist in taxonomic delimitation and inform future conservation assessments. Full article

Emerging research evokes selection for various plant secondary compounds as a potential driver of ruminant diet selection, through animals’ evident ability to rectify deficiencies and even self-medicate. This idea was assessed by comparing physiological responses to vaccination challenges of animals fed diets of differing phytochemical composition. In the first of three separate trials, goats were placed in individual pens and fed one of three treatments in a completely randomized design. Treatments in Trial 1 consisted of redberry juniper (50 g) and shin oak (50 g). In Trial 2, goats were fed rations containing grape and blueberry pomace at an inclusion rate of 20%. In Trial 3, black Angus heifers were fed rations containing grape and blueberry pomace at an as-fed inclusion rate of 6%. Average daily gain, intake, and blood chemistry were assessed following vaccination health challenges. In Trial 1, goats fed shin oak had higher (p < 0.05) blood globulins. Trial 2 revealed no treatment group differences in average daily gain (ADG), intake, or blood parameters evaluated. In Trial 3, no difference occurred in blood parameters; however, intake following inoculation was significantly greater (p < 0.05) for heifers with grape/blueberry pomace included in their rations. In conclusion, phytochemicals, specifically condensed tannins, may have the ability to enhance immune response in ruminants, but further research is required, and these effects likely depend upon the source, structure, and dose of tannins or parent plant materials offered. Full article

Human activities are increasing the occurrence of megafires that alter ecological dynamics in forest ecosystems. The objective of this study was to understand the impacts of a 610 km² megafire on patterns of tree regeneration and herbivory across three forest types (aspen/fir, oak/maple, and pinyon/juniper). Seventeen transect pairs in adjacent burned/unburned forest stands (6 aspen/fir, 5 oak/maple, and 6 pinyon/juniper) were measured. Sapling density, meristem removal, and height were measured across the transect network over a three-year period from 2019 to 2021. Tree species able to resprout from surviving roots (oak and aspen) generally responded positively to fire while species that typically regenerate by seeding showed little post-fire regeneration. Browse pressure was concentrated on deciduous tree species and was greater in burned areas but the effect diminished over the three-year study period. Meristem removal by herbivores was below the critical threshold, resulting in vertical growth over time. Our results indicate that forest regeneration within the megafire scar was generally positive and experienced sustainable levels of ungulate browsing that were likely to result in forest recruitment success. Full article

This study presents a comprehensive valorization of Juniperus communis L., a plant known for its culinary and therapeutic applications. Juniper berries are rich in antioxidant compounds such as polyphenols and ascorbic acid, while their kernels contain volatile terpenes with notable pharmaceutical properties. We optimized extraction parameters through stirring extraction (1:20 g/mL solid-to-solvent ratio, 55% v/v aqueous ethanol, 80 °C, 30 min) and response surface methodology via a Box–Behnken design. The optimal conditions—55% v/v aqueous ethanol at 80 °C for 30 min—yielded a high polyphenol content of 55.11 ± 1.54 mg GAE/g of defatted dry weight. Antioxidant capacity was confirmed through ferric-reducing and radical-scavenging assays, and 11 individual polyphenols (totaling 5.41 ± 0.27 mg/g) were quantified using a validated HPLC-DAD method. Additionally, this study identified several bioactive compounds in juniper berry raw kernel oil, which exhibited a high oleic acid content (58.75 ± 2.76%)—a nutritionally valuable fatty acid contributing to the oil’s strong radical-scavenging activity (399.83 ± 34.18 µmol Trolox equivalents/kg oil). GC–MS analysis revealed 58 volatile compounds, underscoring the terpene-rich profile of the oil and its influence on antioxidant potential and aroma. These findings underscore the dual valorization of juniper berry fruit and kernel for both medicinal and food industries. The aromatic kernel oil and polyphenol-rich extracts offer natural alternatives to synthetic antioxidants, with added benefits of flavor enhancement and promotion of health. Full article

Surfactants are widely utilized in agriculture as emulsifying, dispersing, anti-foaming, and wetting agents. In these adjuvant roles, the inherent biological activity of the surfactant is secondary to the active ingredients. Here, the hydrophilic non-ionic surface-active tri-block copolymer Pluronic^® F68 is investigated for direct biological activity in wheat. F68 binds to and inserts into lipid membranes, which may benefit crops under abiotic stress. F68’s interactions with Triticum aestivum (var Juniper) seedlings and a seed-borne Bacillus spp. endophyte are presented. At concentrations below 10 g/L, F68-primed wheat seeds exhibited unchanged emergence. Root-applied fluorescein-F68 (fF68) was internalized in root epidermal cells and concentrated in highly mobile endosomes. The potential benefit of F68 in droughted wheat was examined and contrasted with wheat treated with the osmolyte, glycine betaine (GB). Photosystem II activity of droughted plants dropped significantly below non-droughted controls, and no clear benefit of F68 (or GB) during drought or rehydration was observed. However, F68-treated wheat exhibited increased transpiration values (for watered plants only) and enhanced shoot dry mass (for watered and droughted plants), not observed for GB-treated or untreated plants. The release of seed-borne bacterial endophytes into the spermosphere of germinating seeds was not affected by F68 (for F68-primed seeds as well as F68 applied to roots), and the planktonic growth of a purified Bacillus spp. seed endophyte was not reduced by F68 applied below the critical micelle concentration. These studies demonstrated that F68 entered wheat root cells, concentrated in endosomes involved in transport, significantly promoted shoot growth, and showed no adverse effects to plant-associated bacteria. Full article

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen with a high tolerance to a wide range of environmental conditions, making its control in the food chain a particular challenge. Essential oils have recently been considered as potential antilisterial agents. In this study, the antilisterial effects of 57 EOs were tested on 13 different L. monocytogenes. Thirty-seven EOs were found to be effective in a strain and temperature-dependent manner. At 37 °C, all EOs were effective against at least one strain of L. monocytogenes. However, at 14 °C and 23 °C, 12 EOs, such as Minth, Nutmeg, Neroli, Pepperminth, etc., became drastically ineffective. The efficacy of the EOs increased at the lowest temperature, as only four EOs, such as Dill seed, Juniper, lemon eucalyptus, and sandalwood, were found to be ineffective at 4 °C. Ajowan and thyme were the only EOs that were antibacterial against each strain at all temperatures tested (4, 14, 23, 37 °C). Biofilm-inhibition tests with 57 EOs, performed on polystyrene plates with different surface qualities and stainless steel, using 0.1% and 0.5% final concentrations, showed the outstanding inhibitory abilities of ajowan, geranium, Lime oil, melissa, palmarosa, rose geranium, sandalwood, and thyme. Fennel, lemon eucalyptus, and chamomile had the potential to inhibit biofilm formation without affecting live bacterial cell counts. Ajowan, geranium, thyme, and palmarosa reduced the biofilm to the optical density of 0.0–0.08, OD: 0.0–0.075, 0.0–0.072, and 0.0–0.04, respectively, compared to the bacterium control 0.085–0.45. The mature antibiofilm eradication ability of the EOs revealed the outstanding features of ajowan, geranium Lime, melissa, palmarosa, rose geranium, and thyme by suppressing the established biofilm to one tenth. The different sensitivities of the isolates and the temperature-dependent antilisterial effect of the tested EOs have to be taken into account if an EO-based food preservation technology is to be implemented, as several L. monocytogenes become resistant to different EOs at medium temperature ranges such as 14 °C and 23 °C. Full article

Accurate modeling of height–diameter (h–d) relationships is critical for forest inventory and management, particularly in complex forest ecosystems such as natural and pure Crimean juniper (Juniperus excelsa Bieb.) stands. This study evaluates both traditional parametric and modern machine learning (ML) approaches to develop reliable h–d models based on 2135 sample trees measured in southern Türkiye. The modeling approaches include fixed-effects (FE), mixed-effects (ME), three quantile regression (QR) models based on three, five, and nine quantile levels, and non-parametric ML methods: shallow multilayer perceptron (S_MLP), extreme gradient boost (XGBoost), and random forest (RF). According to the assessment metrics for the fitting and test datasets, the XGBoost modeling approach achieved the most accurate performance. For the fitting dataset, it achieved root mean square error values of 1.11 m and 1.21 m. For the test dataset, the corresponding error values were 1.16 m and 1.24 m, resulting in the highest accuracy among all models, closely followed by the RF and S_MLP models. A key practical advantage of ML approaches is that they do not depend on calibration scenarios, meaning they can operate without the need for preliminary parameter configuration. In contrast, the ME model showed the highest accuracy among the parametric methods when calibration was applied. In this case, when applying ME models, the study recommends calibrating the model by measuring four randomly selected trees per plot to balance prediction accuracy and field sampling effort. Full article

Juniperus turbinata is an endemic species of the Mediterranean region, recognized for its role in ecological balance. However, concerns have been raised regarding its state of conservation. The objective of this study is twofold: firstly, to assess the rate of degradation of this species in the eastern region of Morocco; and secondly, to monitor the rate of natural regeneration to determine whether this compensates for the rate of degradation. To this end, three populations of red juniper were studied: the littoral (Saidia), the semi-continental (Oued Elhimer) in Jerrada, and the continental (Ich and Abou Lkhel) in Figuig. The first study objective is based on the use of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) based on satellite images from 1986, 2000, and 2022. The study’s second objective focuses on locating new regenerations of J. turbinata using the Global Positioning System (GPS). The results of this study are alarming, showing a significant loss in the area occupied by J. turbinata in the eastern region of three study sites between 1986 and 2022. The area of J. turbinata matorral decreased by 99.05%, 95.10%, and 89.32% in the coastal, semi-continental, and continental regions of Figuig province, respectively. Regarding the natural regeneration of J. turbinata plants, 121 regenerations were observed along the coast. In the semi-continental region, 27 regenerations were recorded. However, no regeneration was found at the Figuig site. The study reveals that, over the past four decades, the average annual decline J. turbinata in the three regions was 2.62%. Conversely, the average rate of regeneration was recorded as 0.03%. Projections indicate a precipitous decline in the distribution of J. turbinata, with probable extinction of the species in northeastern Morocco. Full article

The Pistoia Mountains exhibit a great variety of flora, particularly rich in aromatic plants, such as juniper, mint, savory, helichrysum, and thyme. Thyme is especially notable for its essential oil, typically displaying high thymol and carvacrol content. While the chemotype of thyme determined by its specific terpene composition is genetically controlled, environmental factors, plant age, and seasonality can influence terpene production. This article investigates the morpho-chemical variability of wild thyme plants collected from two different regions of the Pistoia Mountains, identifying five distinct chemotypes. The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique was used to characterize the chemical profiles and determine the seasonal variation in terpene production, identifying spring and summer as the balsamic period, the optimal time for essential oil collection. Furthermore, high-value thyme clones were preserved through in vitro micropropagation, ensuring chemotype stability. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of wild thyme biodiversity and provide a foundation for practical applications, including the development of value-added products like herb-infused cheeses, plant and animal disease treatments, and integrated pest management strategies in agricultural systems. Full article

This study reports on the design and development of novel porous biomaterials based on chitosan, water kefiran, and paramylon, enriched with various concentrations of juniper berry oil (JBO). The materials were obtained by freeze-drying and comprehensively characterized. The analyses included morphological evaluation (SEM and porosity), physicochemical tests (swelling rate, water vapor transmission rate, and roughness), mechanical tests (tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and elongation at break), and biodegradability under physiological conditions. Moreover, the functional behavior of the materials was evaluated by assessing their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, as well as interactions with selected proteins (human serum albumin and fibrinogen) relevant to biological responses. It was found that the presence of JBO affects the internal structure and improves selected properties in a concentration-dependent manner. This study is the first to investigate the combined use of chitosan, water kefiran, and paramylon in a single porous system enriched with JBO. The results confirm the importance of such biopolymer sponges as promising platforms for applications where appropriate physicochemical and bioactive properties are desired. Full article

Nanotechnology offers alternative approaches to the discovery of anticancer drugs. Hydrophobic bioactive components can be included in the cores of amphiphilic nanocarriers, which leads to the formation of a water-dispersible product with improved bioavailability, facilitated excretion, and reduced systemic toxicity in the treated organisms. This study was aimed at the formation of polymer nanocarriers, loaded with anticancer drug precursor podophylotoxin (PPT) or PPT-containing juniper leaf extracts, seeking to study their antineoplastic activity in A-431 epidermoid carcinoma cells and HaCaT normal keratinocytes. The amphiphilic, biodegradable, and biocompatible MPEG-b-PLA diblock copolymer was self-assembled in aqueous media into nanosized particles, whose physicochemical characteristics were studied by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and other methods. High encapsulation efficiency was determined for the PPT component-loaded micelles. DNA fragmentation, cell cycle arrest, nuclear condensation, membrane lipid order assessment, reactive oxygen species, and apoptosis induction by the loaded nanocarriers in A-431 or HaCaT cells were analyzed by the comet assay, FACS, Hoechst DNA staining, Laurdan generalized polarization, and other methods. As a result of various cellular processes induced by the PPT component-loaded nanoparticles, effector caspase-3 and caspase-7 activation showed selectivity towards tumor cells compared to the normal cells. The newly obtained PPT-containing nanoparticles have applications as potential drugs in the prospective nanomedicine. Full article

Juniperus communis L. can be used for essential oils and ornamental purposes, but currently the population is declining in its natural habitats as the seeds are very slow to germinate, with many seeds also empty. These findings could support both the conservation of J. communis and its adoption in sustainable agricultural systems. This study investigated the potential of vegetative propagation evaluating the effects of rooting medium, gender, and Indole 3-Butyric Acid (IBA) treatment on the rooting success of J. communis cuttings. Two types of rooting medium (RM_I vs. RM_II), gender (male vs. female) and two IBA concentrations (0 vs. 4000 ppm) were used. Rooting medium I (RM_I) consists of substrate and perlite (50% + 50%), and rooting medium II (RM II) contains unfertilized blonde peat (65%), substrate (25%), and perlite (10%). The results show the influence of rooting medium, IBA treatment, and gender on the rooting percentage and the number of the primary roots. Female cuttings are more likely to induce rooting than male cuttings (29.69% vs. 19.90%), and the RM_II produces a higher percentage of rooting than RM_I (28.89% vs. 20.70%). In relation to the number of roots per cutting, RM_II was higher than RM_I (7.46 vs. 6.04). Interaction between rooting medium and IBA treatment showed significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) in the rooting percentage. Results showed that cuttings treated with 4000 ppm IBA in RM_II achieved the highest rooting percentage (45.57%), with female cuttings outperforming male cuttings. Full article