Pub Date : 2024-02-20DOI: 10.37427/botcro-2024-010
R. Tzonev, A. Mastrogianni, Ioannis Tsiripidis, Marius Dimitrov, Chavdar Gussev, D. Mandžukovski, K. Pachedjieva
Aesculus hippocastanum L. (European Horse-chestnut) constitutes a biogeographical relict species of the Balkan Peninsula, occurring in isolated and topographically distinct localities in Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and North Macedonia. Despite its great botanical, ornamental and pharmaceutical value, a thorough investigation of Ae. hippocastanum habitat diversity in its native distribution range has not been conducted yet. The present study aims at the syntaxonomic classification and ecological features of plant communities dominated by this species across its overall native distribution range. On the basis of 55 phytosociological relevés, five ecologically, floristically, and spatially well differentiated clusters were identified, with the main revealed gradients of differentiation being geographic location (longitude, latitude), altitude, annual precipitation and precipitation seasonality. The distinct microhabitats with a special refugial character where these plant communities occur meet the species’ requirement for relatively high air and soil humidity. They have allowed the preservation of Ae. hippocastanum through time highlighting their great conservational value. The last one could be useful for the implementation of some appropriate measures for effective conservation of these communities.
{"title":"Forest communities of the relict Balkan endemic Aesculus hippocastanum","authors":"R. Tzonev, A. Mastrogianni, Ioannis Tsiripidis, Marius Dimitrov, Chavdar Gussev, D. Mandžukovski, K. Pachedjieva","doi":"10.37427/botcro-2024-010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37427/botcro-2024-010","url":null,"abstract":"Aesculus hippocastanum L. (European Horse-chestnut) constitutes a biogeographical relict species of the Balkan Peninsula, occurring in isolated and topographically distinct localities in Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and North Macedonia. Despite its great botanical, ornamental and pharmaceutical value, a thorough investigation of Ae. hippocastanum habitat diversity in its native distribution range has not been conducted yet. The present study aims at the syntaxonomic classification and ecological features of plant communities dominated by this species across its overall native distribution range. On the basis of 55 phytosociological relevés, five ecologically, floristically, and spatially well differentiated clusters were identified, with the main revealed gradients of differentiation being geographic location (longitude, latitude), altitude, annual precipitation and precipitation seasonality. The distinct microhabitats with a special refugial character where these plant communities occur meet the species’ requirement for relatively high air and soil humidity. They have allowed the preservation of Ae. hippocastanum through time highlighting their great conservational value. The last one could be useful for the implementation of some appropriate measures for effective conservation of these communities.","PeriodicalId":6967,"journal":{"name":"Acta Botanica Croatica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140449319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-19DOI: 10.37427/botcro-2024-015
Aslihan Temel, Taylan Kosesakal
Acetic acid (AA) is an organic acid and has been widely used as food preservative and a dietary spice in vinegar form. In addition to its therapeutic uses in its vinegar form, AA attenuates inhibitory effects of stress in plants. However, in some plant species toxic effects of AA have been found. Therefore, in this study, 0, 2.5 and 5 mM concentrations of AA were applied to 2-day-old barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Bornova-92) seedlings for 2 days in order to investigate the possible toxic effects of AA. After treatments, seedlings were grown in AA-free conditions for 2 days to recover. AA inhibited root and shoot growth; decreased water content, fresh weight, chlorophyll, pheophytin, and carotenoid contents. However, anthocyanin and flavonoid contents, as well as the levels of UV-absorbing compounds and UV-B marker increased in the leaves of AA-treated plants. AA increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content in shoots and induced cell death in roots. Soluble carbohydrate content decreased in roots of AA-treated plants while insoluble carbohydrate content increased. Our results demonstrate that AA in young barley seedlings can exhibit its toxic effects through oxidative stress, which induced antioxidative response in the form of molecules with antioxidative activities. These effects persisted for 2 days after the removal of AA.
醋酸(AA)是一种有机酸,以醋的形式被广泛用作食品防腐剂和膳食香料。除了以醋的形式用于治疗外,AA 还能减弱植物对压力的抑制作用。然而,在某些植物物种中发现了 AA 的毒性作用。因此,本研究将 0、2.5 和 5 mM 浓度的 AA 施加到 2 天大麦苗(Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Bornova-92)上 2 天,以研究 AA 可能的毒性作用。处理后,幼苗在无 AA 的条件下生长 2 天以恢复。AA 抑制了根和芽的生长;降低了含水量、鲜重、叶绿素、叶绿素和类胡萝卜素的含量。然而,经 AA 处理的植株叶片中花青素和类黄酮含量以及紫外线吸收化合物和紫外线-B 标记水平均有所增加。AA 增加了芽中过氧化氢(H2O2)的含量,并诱导根中细胞死亡。AA 处理过的植物根中可溶性碳水化合物含量降低,而不可溶性碳水化合物含量增加。我们的研究结果表明,大麦幼苗中的 AA 可通过氧化应激产生毒性效应,从而诱导以具有抗氧化活性的分子形式出现的抗氧化反应。这些效应在去除 AA 后持续了 2 天。
{"title":"Effects of acetic acid treatment on growth and pigment contents in barley","authors":"Aslihan Temel, Taylan Kosesakal","doi":"10.37427/botcro-2024-015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37427/botcro-2024-015","url":null,"abstract":"Acetic acid (AA) is an organic acid and has been widely used as food preservative and a dietary spice in vinegar form. In addition to its therapeutic uses in its vinegar form, AA attenuates inhibitory effects of stress in plants. However, in some plant species toxic effects of AA have been found. Therefore, in this study, 0, 2.5 and 5 mM concentrations of AA were applied to 2-day-old barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Bornova-92) seedlings for 2 days in order to investigate the possible toxic effects of AA. After treatments, seedlings were grown in AA-free conditions for 2 days to recover. AA inhibited root and shoot growth; decreased water content, fresh weight, chlorophyll, pheophytin, and carotenoid contents. However, anthocyanin and flavonoid contents, as well as the levels of UV-absorbing compounds and UV-B marker increased in the leaves of AA-treated plants. AA increased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content in shoots and induced cell death in roots. Soluble carbohydrate content decreased in roots of AA-treated plants while insoluble carbohydrate content increased. Our results demonstrate that AA in young barley seedlings can exhibit its toxic effects through oxidative stress, which induced antioxidative response in the form of molecules with antioxidative activities. These effects persisted for 2 days after the removal of AA.","PeriodicalId":6967,"journal":{"name":"Acta Botanica Croatica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139958782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-19DOI: 10.37427/botcro-2024-008
N. Esi̇m, Aykut Karaman, Okkes Atici
Like all life forms, plants suffer from high levels of mercury (Hg), known as one of the most harmful heavy metals in soil. The present study was performed to explore the effects of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) on Hg toxicity in maize (Zea mays L., cv. Arifiye-2) seedlings. Plants were grown in a hydroponic system containing 1/2 diluted Hoagland at 16 h day length, 25/20 °C (day/night) and 60% relative humidity. Eight day-old maize seedlings were first treated with NO (as 0.1 µM sodium nitroprusside) and then they were exposed to Hg toxicity (as 100 µM HgCl2) after 24 h. The toxic Hg decreased seedling growth, chlorophyll content, proline content, calcium and manganese contents, non-enzymatic antioxidant contents, cell membrane viscosity, and antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidases, and glutathione reductase) while it increased the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and super oxide anion (O2.-), and lipid peroxidation (as malondialdehyde, MDA) content and the amount of sodium ion (Na+) in the seedlings. However, NO treatment markedly enhanced the growth parameters (dry and fresh weight, and plant height) and manganese and potassium contents as well as contents of antioxidants and chlorophyll thus alleviating the negative effects caused by the Hg stress. Also, it decreased the generation of ROS and lipid peroxidation level by activating the antioxidant enzymes. These results show that NO in maize seedlings under Hg toxicity may improve stress response and mitigate oxidative stress by stimulating the antioxidant system and modulating ion homeostasis.
{"title":"Nitric oxide alleviates mercury toxicity by changing physiological and biochemical pathways in maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings","authors":"N. Esi̇m, Aykut Karaman, Okkes Atici","doi":"10.37427/botcro-2024-008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37427/botcro-2024-008","url":null,"abstract":"Like all life forms, plants suffer from high levels of mercury (Hg), known as one of the most harmful heavy metals in soil. The present study was performed to explore the effects of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) on Hg toxicity in maize (Zea mays L., cv. Arifiye-2) seedlings. Plants were grown in a hydroponic system containing 1/2 diluted Hoagland at 16 h day length, 25/20 °C (day/night) and 60% relative humidity. Eight day-old maize seedlings were first treated with NO (as 0.1 µM sodium nitroprusside) and then they were exposed to Hg toxicity (as 100 µM HgCl2) after 24 h. The toxic Hg decreased seedling growth, chlorophyll content, proline content, calcium and manganese contents, non-enzymatic antioxidant contents, cell membrane viscosity, and antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidases, and glutathione reductase) while it increased the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and super oxide anion (O2.-), and lipid peroxidation (as malondialdehyde, MDA) content and the amount of sodium ion (Na+) in the seedlings. However, NO treatment markedly enhanced the growth parameters (dry and fresh weight, and plant height) and manganese and potassium contents as well as contents of antioxidants and chlorophyll thus alleviating the negative effects caused by the Hg stress. Also, it decreased the generation of ROS and lipid peroxidation level by activating the antioxidant enzymes. These results show that NO in maize seedlings under Hg toxicity may improve stress response and mitigate oxidative stress by stimulating the antioxidant system and modulating ion homeostasis.","PeriodicalId":6967,"journal":{"name":"Acta Botanica Croatica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140450421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-15DOI: 10.37427/botcro-2024-011
Roman E. Romanov, S. Dragićević, Angelo Troia
One lycophyte genus and species (Isoëtes gymnocarpa), and one aquatic magnoliophyte species (Utricularia × neglecta) new for the flora of Montenegro are reported. It is suggested that the new population of Isoëtes gymnocarpa and its habitat should be protected.
{"title":"Isoëtes gymnocarpa and Utricularia × neglecta –\u0000new taxa for Montenegro","authors":"Roman E. Romanov, S. Dragićević, Angelo Troia","doi":"10.37427/botcro-2024-011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.37427/botcro-2024-011","url":null,"abstract":"One lycophyte genus and species (Isoëtes gymnocarpa), and one aquatic magnoliophyte species (Utricularia × neglecta) new for the flora of Montenegro are reported. It is suggested that the new population of Isoëtes gymnocarpa and its habitat should be protected.","PeriodicalId":6967,"journal":{"name":"Acta Botanica Croatica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2024-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139834957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}