Lichens are widely used to assess the atmospheric pollution by heavy metals and radionuclides. However, few studies are available in publications on using lichens to qualitatively assess the atmospheric pollution levels. The paper presents research results applying epiphytic lichens as bio-monitors of quantitative atmospheric contamination with uranium. The observations were conducted during 2....

Ethanolic extracts of 20 plant species, selected from the ethnobotanical literature, were analysed for their pharmacological potential as antineoplastic agents against the HEp-2 cell line. Psoralea corylifolia and E. grandidens were the most efficacious species eliciting IC50 values of 22 microg/ml and 57 microg/ml respectively. Psoralea corylifolia, additionally tested against lung carcinoma (...

The antimicrobial activity and the MIC values of the diethyl ether, acetone, chloroform, petroleum ether, and ethanol extracts of the lichen Hypogymnia tubulosa and its 3-hydroxyphysodic acid constituent have been investigated against some microorganisms. At least one of the extracts or 3-hydroxyphysodic acid showed antimicrobial activity against Aeromonas hydrophila, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus ...

The in vitro efficacy of the pyrethroid deltamethrin against the isopod parasite Anilocra physodes was determined under laboratory conditions. The following concentrations of the drug were tested on adult and pre-adult parasites by means of bath treatments of half an hour duration: 10mg/L, 1mg/L, 3mg/L, 0.3mg/L, 0.1mg/L, 0.01mg/L, 0.05mg/L, 10μg/L, 5μg/L, 0.15μg/L, 0.1μg/L. Results were assesse...

Stratospheric ozone depletion leads to enhanced UV-B radiation. Therefore, the capacity of reproductive cells to cope with different spectral irradiance was investigated in the laboratory. Zoospores of the upper sublittoral kelp Saccorhiza dermatodea were exposed to varying fluence of spectral irradiance consisting of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400-700 nm; =P), PAR+UV-A radiation...

In this contribution, new data concerning bryophytes, fungi and lichens of the Italian flora are presented. It includes records confirmations for algal genus Chara , bryophyte genera Bryum Grimmia Cephaloziella Hypnum Nogopterium Physcomitrium Polytrichastrum Rhynchostegiella Saelania Schistostega fungal Cortinarius Lentinellus Omphalina Xerophorus lichen Acarospora Agonimia Candelariella Clado...