Bulgarian Plants Research Articles

Study of Bulgarian Plant Extracts Effect on Three Bacterial Sialidases

Study of Bulgarian Plant Extracts Effect on Three Bacterial Sialidases

Overview of the population state of Savin Juniper (Juniperus sabina) in the Rila Mt.

Juniperus sabina L. is a rare plant species protected by the Biological Diversity Law in Bulgaria. It is included in the Red List of Bulgarian Vascular plants (Petrova and Vladimirov 2009) and the Red Data Book of Republic of Bulgaria under the “Critically Endangered” category (Peev et al. 2015). The shrub communities with the participation of the Savin juniper are considered as priority habitats in the Alpine and Boreal heaths on the territory of the European community. They are included in the national lists of protected habitats in the Bulgarian Biodiversity Law and in the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC). In the Rila Mt. to date there is only one known habitat of the shrub communities of J. sabina, in the area between Beli Iskar Village and along Cherni Iskar River, at 1000–1200 m elevation. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the population state of J. sabina, to evaluate the presence of serious threats contributing to long-term habitat degradation, and to design actions for the protection and long-term restoration of the shrub communities of Savin juniper. Material and methods: The route and stationary methods were used for selected objects. The monitoring and assessment of the population status has been carried out in accordance with the approved methodologies of the National Biodiversity Monitoring System of the Executive Environment Agency (EEA 2019). Results: According to the classic syntaxonomic classification, the J. sabina communities in the Rila Mt. belong to the class Vaccinium-Piceetea excelsae. They represent very rare, relict communities including several interesting plants and high fungal diversity and a number of rare, and sensitive species recorded by this study. In the Rila Mt. communities with Savin juniper are very small and of limited distribution. The potential of the species to spread to other localities or to conquer new territories is extremely low. One of the most threatening factors is overgrazing. In addition, traces of illegal camping and pollution with construction and municipal waste were found. Conclusion: The results of this study could provide support for better management and the conservation of biodiversity in the Rila Mt.

Dactylorhiza kalopissii (Liliopsida: Orchidacea) in Bulgaria: Distribution and conservation status

The Balkan sub-endemic species Dactylorhiza kalopissii E. Nelson is distributed in Bulgaria, Greece and North Macedonia. It has a local distribution and inhabits alkaline fens, wet meadows, and mountain rivulet banks. This orchid is a globally endangered species, included in Annex IIb of the Council Directive 92/43 EEC. It was first reported for Bulgaria in 1991 and until 2008 it was known only from this single locality in the country. Here we summarize the recent data on the distribution of the species in Bulgaria, the population numbers and their fluctuation in time. During the period 2008 - 2019 the species was found in more than ten localities of six floristic regions. Populations usually number less than 250 individuals. For some of the populations, data from recurrent observations are provided. We discuss the habitats and their management. The negative changes of the habitat quality during the last years for some of the localities are described as well. The species was evaluated as CR B1ab (iii) + 2ab (iii) according to the Red List of Bulgarian vascular plants. We reevaluate the status based on the improved knowledge. The species is still Critically Endangered in Bulgaria, but В2ab (iii, v) status better corresponds with recent data. Five of the known localities fall within the boundaries of Natura 2000 SCIs.

Analysis and Identification of Flavanoids and Phenolcarbonic Acid in Extract Plant of <i>Clinopodium vulgare</i>

Among the plants used by Bulgarian plants traditional medicine is Clinopodium vulgare L. (Lamiaceae). The aim of this study is to identify natural substances like some flavanoids and phenolcarbonic acids discovered in the plant with another technic because of Phenol carbonic acids. Instrumentation: The chromatographic studies were performed on a liquid chromatography. The identification of the components was carried out according to the spectral modifications after addition of the reagents of standard shifts. The results presented in this report seemed appropriate for the identification of flavonoids and phenol carbonic acids in extracts of Clinopodium vulgare.

Antibacterial activity of ethanol extracts of fifteen Bulgarian plants

Abstract. Analyses were performed of the antimicrobial activity of 15 herbs and spices (lemongrass, sour cherry, horseradish, ginger, St. John's wort, common centaury, fig, clove, rose geranium, dill, rosemary, oregano, savory, smoketree and wild thyme) widely spread and used in Bulgaria and of some combinations thereof by the agar disk diffusion method. Total phenol content was the highest in the smoketree extract (43.80±1.50 GAE/ml), followed by rosemary (27.80±1.20 GAE/ml), clove (25.17±0.26 GAE/ml), wild thyme (24.83±1.20 GAE/ml), and oregano (23.50±2.00 GAE/ml) extracts. It was established that ethanol extracts of many tested plants showed inhibitory action against S. aureus and E. coli. The most potent effect was observed with extracts of St. John’s wort, smoketree and clove. With combination of plant extracts, very good results were demonstrated in mixtures of St. John’s wort with wild thyme, with savory and with clove. The said extracts may be used as active constituents in biopolymer matrices for development of functional antimicrobial films needed for food and pharmaceutical industries.

PHENOLIC COMPOUDNS IN TRADITIONAL BULGARIAN MEDICAL PLANTS

A number of plants and plant products have medicinal properties that have been validated by recent scientific developments throughout the world, owing to their potent pharmacological activity, low toxicity and economic viability. In recent years, the use of natural antioxidants present in traditional medicinal plants has become of special interest in the scientific world due to their presumed safety and nutritional and therapeutic value. In this present study, comparative phenolic compounds in traditional Bulgarian medical plants. The medical plants were analyzed for their tannins content by titrimetric method; rutin was determined spectrophotometrically by using ammonium molybdate; the total phenolics content was determined by using Folin-Ciocalteu assay and the total flavonoids were used the colorimetric reaction with aluminum (III) chloride. The present paper shown by the results of total phenolic and total flavonoid contents, and rutin and tannins in medical plants that they must be relatively safe for the patient.

Typical defects in plate and long steel products

Purpose During steel plate and long-product production, numerous imperfections and defects appear that deteriorate product quality and consequently reduce revenue. The purpose of this paper is to provide a practical overview of typical defects (surface and internal) that occur and their root causes. Design/methodology/approach The data presented here derive from the quality department and from more than 50 technical reports of ELKEME S.A. on the last decade’s production of steel making companies STOMANA S.A. and SIDENOR S.A., with emphasis on the defects occurred in some of the products of the Bulgarian plant. Stereoscopic observations of surface defects, light optical metallography, and scanning electron microscopy with EDS represent the most used techniques to characterize defected macro-/micro-areas and microstructures. Findings In general, the most commonly encountered defects from semi-finished (billets, blooms, and slabs) and final (round bar and plate) steel products are as follows: network cracks, porosity, gas holes, shrinkage, shell, slivers, casting powder entrapment, ladle slag entrapment, other non-metallic inclusions, low hot ductility, centerline segregation cracking, macro- and micro-segregation, and mechanical defects (scratches, transverse cracks, and seams). Practical implications External and internal quality improvement can reduce the production cost (Euro/ton). Social implications Improvement of the quality of industrial plates and long products increases the safety of the further-produced constructions and systems such as bridges, cranes, heavy equipment, automobile parts, etc. Originality/value Root cause analysis and categorization of the most commonly encountered defects can pave the way to production process improvements that directly affect final product quality and the overall per ton production cost. The benefits of this work obviously affect all steel producers/processers, and also society through the safety increase achieved by the quality improvement in the steel products used in constructions and automobile parts.

COMPARATIVE CHARACTERIZATION OF POSSIBILITIES OF USING LOW-ESTERIFIED AND AMIDATED PECTIN IN FERMENTED DAIRY PRODUCTS

The possibilities of using low-esterified amidated pectin isolated from Bulgarian plant cultures have been studied. The comparison between pectin extracted from celery and commercial low-esterified amidated pectin showed that celery pectin can be used successfully for preparation of functional fermented dairy products enriched with soluble dietary fibers. It was found that the addition of amidated pectin extracted from celery in an amount exceeding 1 g.kg-1 deteriorates the organoleptic characteristics of the product, but viscosity of the produced experimental dairy product remained unchanged in comparison with that of the control sample. Therefore, it is recommended that the concentration of low-esterified amidated pectin used in preparation of dairy products do not exceed the limits established in this study.

Flavonols and Flavones in Some Bulgarian Plant Foods

1. Protective effect of apigenin on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice by increments of lung antioxidant ability and PPARγ expression Xiang Zhou, Tian Gao, Xiao-Gang Jiang, Mei-Lin Xie Journal of Functional Foods CrossRef

Screening of radical scavenging activity and polyphenol content of Bulgarian plant species

Background:Discovery of new plant species with antioxidant properties is a priority of many research teams. Most of the species included in this study are unstudied for antioxidant properties, but they are taxonomically related to reference plants with well-documented antioxidant activity.Materials and Methods:Free radical scavenging activity of plant extracts was evaluated using a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. An aluminum chloride colorimetric method was used for flavonoid determination. The amount of phenolic compounds in the extracts was estimated by using the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent.Results:As a result of screening, it was found that the significant antioxidant properties possess several unstudied until now plant species (Veronica bellidioides L., V. kellereri Deg. et Urm, V. vindobonensis (M. Fisher) M. Fisher, V. beccabunga L., V. rhodopaea L., V. austriaca (Velen.) Degen., Clinopodium vulgare L., Stachysrecta L., Clematis vitalba L., and Xeranthemum annum L.). The antioxidant potential of the new species is comparable to that of reference medicinal plants.Conclusions:The existing data presented here provide new information for antioxidant potential of plant species that have not been traditionally used as medicinal plants.

Mercury capture by selected Bulgarian fly ashes: Influence of coal rank and fly ash carbon pore structure on capture efficiency

Mercury capture by fly ash C was investigated at five lignite- and subbituminous-coal-burning Bulgarian power plants (Republika, Bobov Dol, Maritza East 2, Maritza East 3, and Sliven). Although the C content of the ashes is low, never exceeding 1.6%, the Hg capture on a unit C basis demonstrates that the low-rank-coal-derived fly ash carbons are more efficient in capturing Hg than fly ash carbons from bituminous-fired power plants. While some low-C and low-Hg fly ashes do not reveal any trends of Hg versus C, the 2nd and, in particular, the 3rd electrostatic precipitator (ESP) rows at the Republika power plant do have sufficient fly ash C range and experience flue gas sufficiently cool to capture measurable amounts of Hg. The Republika 3rd ESP row exhibits an increase in Hg with increasing C, as observed in other power plants, for example, in Kentucky power plants burning Appalachian-sourced bituminous coals. Mercury/C decreases with an increase in fly ash C, suggesting that some of the C is isolated from the flue gas stream and does not contribute to Hg capture. Mercury capture increases with an increase in Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area and micropore surface area. The differences in Hg capture between the Bulgarian plants burning low-rank coal and high volatile bituminous-fed Kentucky power plants suggests that the variations in C forms resulting from the combustion of the different ranks also influence the efficiency of Hg capture.

Cultivation of Wild Species from Goniolimon genera: a Case Study

During the period 1996-2001 three wild perennial Bulgarian plants belong to Plumbaginaceae family (Goniolimon tataricum Boiss., Goniolimon besserianum (Shut ex Reichenb.) and Goniolimon collinum (Griseb.)) were studied at the Floriculture Institute - Negovan (now RCNPO-Sofia). The Goniolimon tataricum Boiss. and Goniolimon besserianum species are spread along the North and South Black Sea coast. Goniolimon collinum (Griseb.) Boiss is spread in the Sofia region and South Black Sea (Kiten village). The flowers were cultivated under optimal agricultural conditions. Three parameters were studied: leaf rosette diameter, height, and number of flower stems per plant. Coefficients of variance under cultivation conditions compared with the natural habitats conditions showed approximately 2-2.5 times higher values. Variation values of the parameters at the Goniolimon species, showed its natural specificity even during species cultivation.

Exploitation of the Bulgarian Flora's Biodiversity as a Source of Immunomodulatory and/or Antineoplastic Agents: Current Challenges and Perspectives

ABSTRACTThe Balkan Region represents one of the Europe's major centres of plant diversity, with an substantial number of endemic genera and species having a wide distribution throughout the diverse ecosystems of the region. Plants remain an unequalled source of biochemical diversity and in the last several decades there is an unprecedented interest towards identifying perspective leads of plant origin. The phytochemical and pharmacological investigation of medicinal plants has long history as corroborated by the large number of facilities located in the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy at Medical University, Sofia or within the Bulgarian pharmaceutical industry. Several examples from our search for new immunomodulatory and/or antineoplastic compounds obtained from Bulgarian plants will be presented to demonstrate the potential and problems of the pharmacological screening of natural products. These include: i) isolation, purification, identification and biological evaluation of saponines with immunomodulatory and anti-cancer effects; ii) phytochemical, biotechnological and pharmacological evaluation of indigenous Linum sp. as sources for cytotoxic podophyllotoxin-like lignans; iii) phytochemical evaluation of the phenolic compounds (acylphloroglucinols, benzophenones, xanthones) from Hypericum sp. and investigation of their antineoplastic, antiangiogenic and myeloprotective effects; iv) investigation of the alkaloid thaliblastin from Thalictrum spp. as modulator of multidrug-resistance in cancer cells.

Distribution of Surface Flavonoids in Bulgarian Plants

The review describes the distribution of surface flavonoids in Bulgarian plants. More than 100 species of Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Geraniaceae and other families have been checked for external flavonoid aglycones. The flavonoid profiles of Asteraceae species are composed of a wide array of flavones and flavonols, mainly based upon 6-substituted derivatives. Flavone aglycones are predominant in the exudates of Lamiaceae species. Apigenin, luteolin and their derivatives were most commonly found in the studied species of Scropulariaceae and Lamiaceae. It has been shown that species of Geraniaceae, Ranunculaceae, and Solanaceae contain flavonoids of the flavonol class as surface constituents. Surface distributed flavonoids appear to have been well studied and useful for chemotaxonomy. If there is not too much infraspecific variation, flavonoid profiles can be used as taxonomic characters to distinguish species. Correlations between external flavonoid formation and local environment are apparent.

Correlation between the In Vitro antioxidant activity and polyphenol content of aqueous extracts from bulgarian herbs

The water phase antioxidant activity of extracts from 23 Bulgarian medicinal plants was studied in relation to their polyphenol content in comparison with mate, black tea, honeybush and rooibos foreign species. Antioxidant activity was measured by the ABTS (2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) cation radical decolorization assay, and the total polyphenol content was assayed according to the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Five Bulgarian plant extracts exhibited higher antioxidant activity than that of mate, which is 21.7% of all Bulgarian herbs included in this study. These were Alchemilla vulgaris L. (4.79 +/- 0.14 mm), Sambucus ebulus L. (4.03 +/- 0.07 mm), Mentha spicata L. (3.90 +/- 0.03 mm), Fragaria vesca L. (3.74 +/- 0.06 mm), Crataegus monogyna Jacq. (3.63 +/- 0.05 mm). Another eight Bulgarian medicinal plant extracts exhibited an intermediate antioxidant activity - lower than that of mate and higher than that of honeybush, which makes 34.8% of all Bulgarian herbs included in the study. More than half of the herbal extracts included in the present study exhibited antioxidant activity higher than or comparable to the reference foreign plants. A positive correlation (r = 0.92) between antioxidant activity and polyphenol content was found, suggesting that the antioxidant capacity of the aqueous plant extracts is due to a great extent to their polyphenols.

Challenges in Front of the Bulgarian Plant Biotechnology

Challenges in Front of the Bulgarian Plant Biotechnology

Bulgarian Plant Biotechnology

Bulgarian Plant Biotechnology

"BULGARIAN TREATMENT" OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE

The treatment of postencephalitic parkinsonism was originated in 1926 by the Bulgarian plant collector Ivan Raeff. In a previous publication1it was pointed out that the only effective component of this medication is the Bulgarian belladonna root. PHARMACOLOGIC ASPECTS Belladonna roots have rarely been used for therapy. Atropine, hyoscyamine, scopolamine and other alkaloids of this group are usually extracted from the leaves of Atropa belladonna, Hyoscyamus niger, Datura stramonium, Scopolia atropoides or Duboisia myoporoides. In general, these alkaloids are found in roots and leaves, but in different concentrations and in different proportions of the individual alkaloids. Belladonna roots themselves show considerable variation in the concentration and distribution of the alkaloids, the variations depending on the age of the plant, the time of harvest, the geographic location, the climatic condition, the degree of cultivation and storage. For example, Raeff's original Bulgarian root contains 0.86 per cent of total alkaloids