Гербарии как хранители биоразнообразия и их использование (обзор)

Abstract

The review presents data on the history of herbariums and fungariums, their diversity and use. It is shown that in addition to the traditional value of these objects for studying the systematics, morphology, distribution of plants and fungi, new scientific directions have emerged due to the achievements of modern science such as molecular genetic approach, genotyping, next generation sequencing. This allows identifying the molecular basis of phenotypic variability, resistance to stress, create DNA banks integrated with herbarium collections. The surviving microbial pool of herbarium samples makes it possible to isolate into a pure culture representatives of the microbiota, promising in the biotechnological aspect: for biomonitoring purposes, to create biological products of directed action against plant pathogens. Antique herbarium specimens make it possible to study the ways of migration and dispersal of plants across continents as well as expansion of epiphytoties. Analysis of the chemical composition of herbarium samples shows that the content of substances and their biological activity in many plants practically does not change over a long storage period in a dried state. At the same time, both useful biologically active substances and toxins are preserved in the studied herbarium specimens.