Lichens are symbiotic associations of fungi with microalgae and/or cyanobacteria, which are considered among the slowest growing organisms, with strong tolerance to adverse environmental conditions. There are about 400 genera and 1600 species of lichens and those belonging to the Usnea genus comprise about 360 of these species. Usnea lichens have been used since ancient times as dyes, cosmetics...

Medicinal plant consumption can be a source of human exposure to radioactive elements such as (238)U and (232)Th, which can lead to internal radiation doses. The uptake of (238)U and (232)Th from soils to the leaf samples of three different medicinal plant species (Eucalyptus globulus, Acacia mearnsii and Hyparrhenia filipendula) from the purlieu of the Princess gold mine dump, an abandoned con...

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Usnea antarctica and U. aurantiacoatra (Parmeliaceae) are common lichens in the maritime Antarctic. These species share the same habitats on King George Island (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica) and are distinguishable based on reproductive strategies. METHODS AND RESULTS We developed 23 fungus-specific simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers that cross-amplify between the...

In traditional medicines of Europe, thé water extract of Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim. (Rosaceae) flowers has been used as antiinflammatory, analgésie and diuretic (1) and thé compounds of this plant are known to be flavonoids tannins and salicylic acid derivatives (2). Spiraeoside (quercetin-4 glucoside) is thé major and characteristic flavonoid of Filipendula ulmaria flowers and, for this r...

There is cumulative resistance against antibiotics of many bacteria. Therefore, the development of new antiseptics and antimicrobial agents for the treatment of skin infections is of increasing interest. We have screened six plant extracts and isolated compounds for antimicrobial effects on bacteria and yeasts with dermatological relevance. The following plant extracts have been tested: Gentian...

Protein and phenolic compound content antioxidant capacity were determined from honey bee collected unifloral pollen pellets Ranunculus, Brassica, Filipendula, Rubus, Vicia, Trifolium, Epilobium, Taraxacum species of boreal coniferous zone in Finland. The aim the study was to investigate relation between chemical composition botanical origin pellets. protein ranged 18.2 29.3%. One hundred twent...

Pendulous lichens dominate canopies of boreal forests, with dark Bryoria species in the upper canopy vs. light Alectoria and Usnea species in lower canopy. These genera offer important ecosystem services such as winter forage for reindeer and caribou. The mechanism behind this niche separation is poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that species-specific sunscreening fungal pigments prot...

The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant activity of the methanolic extracts of Filipendula hexapetala Gilib. aerial parts (FHA) and roots (FHR) and their potential in different model systems, as well as antimicrobial activity. According to this, a number of assays were employed to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of F. hexapetala extracts. In addition, the a...