ТЕХНОЛОГІЯ ЖИВЦЮВАННЯ НАЙБІЛЬШ ПОШИРЕНИХ ВІЧНОЗЕЛЕНИХ ДЕРЕВ ТА ЧАГАРНИКІВ В УМОВАХ ВОЛИНСЬКОЇ ОБЛАСТІ

У статті описано корисні властивості вічнозелених дерев та чагарників як важливої і невід’ємної частини життя людства і нашої планети в цілому. Особлива увага приділена технології розмноження хвойних і листяних вічнозелених дерев, чагарників, а саме живцюванню, яке проводиться для збільшення їх видової різноманітності та кількісного складу, створення високодекоративних та екологічно-стійких зелених насаджень, а також з метою скорочення термінів вирощування садивного матеріалу для сучасних урбогенних умов, що набули в останні десятиліття глобального характеру. Вивчено методику живцювання дерев та чагарників, досліджено відсоток приживання та темпи росту найпоширеніших на Волині вічнозелених рослин з метою їх подальшого використання для озеленення населених пунктів. Об’єктом дослідження були вічнозелені дерева та чагарники, зокрема вивчалися вічнозелені рослини Thuja occidentalis L. «Columna», Thuja occidentalis L. «Clobosa», Thuja occidentalis L. «Ericoides», Thuja occidentalis L. «Aurea Ellvangeriana», Juniperus sabina L., Juniperus communis L. «Hibernica», Picea pungens Engelms «Glauca», Buxus sempervirens L. При проведенні досліджень були застосовані методи порівняльного аналізу та синтезу інформації, спостереження, опису, узагальнення, а також був застосований системний і польовий методи, математико-статистичний метод. Під час дослідження здійснювали вимірювання та спостереження за висадженими живцями в теплиці та їх кількістю, визначали кількість прижитих і висаджених живців у відкритий ґрунт, розраховували співвідношення живців, що прижилися, до загальної кількості висаджених, вимірювали середні розміри підземної і надземної частин рослин, визначали рослини, які найкраще приживаються і ростуть в природно-кліматичних умовах Волинської області.

ГОЛОНАСІННІ УКРАЇНСЬКИХ КАРПАТ ТА ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ ЇХ В НАРОДНІЙ МЕДИЦИНІ

В статті представлені результати досліджень відділу Голонасінні Українських Карпат. Складений флористичний список. Він налічує 10 видів Голонасінних з 6 родів, 6 родин, 2 порядків (Taxales та Pinales), 1 класу (Pinopsida). Проведений аналіз систематичної, географічної, біоморфологічної та екологічної структури. Розглянуто фітоценотичний і созологічний аспект досліджених видів. Також застосування Picea abies (L.) Karst. та Juniperus communis L. як лікарської рослинної сировини в народній медицині.

Tree Form of Juniper (Juniperus communis L.) in the Forests of the Vologda Region

Common juniper (Juniperus communis L.) is one of the most widespread undergrowth species in the forests of Russia. It has not only important silvicultural significance but is also widely used in economic activities. Numerous works of Russian and foreign authors are devoted to its study. The article shows the results of geobotanical and forest inventory studies of a unique area of pine plantation in the Kirillovskiy district of the Vologda region. In the second understorey of which tree-form common juniper grows. The stand was classified as high-density (relative fullness – 0.85) and low quality (quality class – V–IV). The total stock of trunk wood on the site is 280 m3/ha, including the stock of juniper wood – 28 m3/ha. The average diameter of juniper trunks is 14 cm, the average height is 11 m and the age is 180 yrs. This is several times higher than its usual parameters in other forests. A significant number of specimens of juniper (50 pcs/ha) are in the stage of drying out or have already died and represent dead wood of different years. The number of small and medium-sized juniper undergrowth is 1.5 ths pcs/ha or 62.5 % of the growing. Undergrowth of European spruce, downy birch and black alder is also found. The existing undergrowth is assessed as promising, but Scots pine undergrowth is missing. The ground cover is dominated by green and sphagnum mosses as well as shrubs of the Ericaceae and Vacciniaceae families. The study of such objects, extremely rare not only in the north of the European part of Russia, but also everywhere, is of great practical importance. It is also important for understanding the biology of the only representative of the Cupressaceae family that naturally grows here. The tree-form juniper in the pine plantation has survived and reached a size not typical for this species due to the inaccessibility of the site, the lack of fires and forest felling. Such forest areas should be identified, protected, and subjected to stationary research. For citation: Evdokimov I.V., Dobrynin A.P., Armeeva N.A. Tree Form of Juniper (Juniperus communis L.) in the Forests of the Vologda Region. Lesnoy Zhurnal [Russian Forestry Journal], 2021, no. 5, pp. 201–209. DOI: 10.37482/0536-1036-2021-5-201-209

Evaluation of anticancer effects of Juniperus communis extract on hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer and accounts for the fourth leading cause of all cancer deaths. Scientific evidence has found that plant extracts seem to be a reliable choice due to their multitarget effects against HCC. Juniperus communis has been used for centuries in traditional medicine and has reported its anticancer properties. As a result, the purpose of the study was to investigate the anticancer effect and mechanism of JCo extract on HCC in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we found that J. communis extract (JCo extract) inhibited the growth of human HCC cells by inducing cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase, extensive apoptosis and suppressing metastatic protein expressions in HCC cells. Moreover, the combinational treatment of JCo and VP-16 was found to enhance the anti-cancer effect, revealing that JCo extract might have the potential to be utilized as an adjuvant to promote HCC treatment. Furthermore, in vivo study, JCo extract significantly suppressed HCC tumor growth and extended the lifespan with no or low systemic and pathological toxicity. JCo extract significantly upregulated the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins and tumor suppressor p53, suppressed VEGF/VEGFR autocrine signaling, downregulated cell cycle regulatory proteins and MMP2/MMP9 proteins. Overall, our results provide a basis for exploiting JCo extract as a potential anticancer agent against hepatocellular carcinoma.

Sex-specific differences in Juniperus communis L.: essential oil yield, growth-defence conflict and population sex-ratio

In plants, biomass and nutrient allocation often generate trade-offs between the different biochemical pathways conflicting the utilization of the common source among growth, reproduction and chemical defence. However, in dioecious plant species, these trade-off patterns could appear as a more contrasted problem between males and females due to the dissimilar reproduction investment. Generally, the growth ratio is higher in males than females, while females have a stronger defence than males. To understand the possible role of the sex-specific dissimilarities within the growth-defence conflict framework, we investigated the possible causes of the high variance of the essential oil yield in a dioecious evergreen species, Juniperus communis. Specifically, we tested the correlations between the essential oil yield with other individual-specific traits (e.g., sex, age), the presence of the growth-defence trade-off, and the differential growth and survival patterns between males and females through an extensive field-survey with sample collection in three natural populations (Kiskunság National Park, Hungary). The individual-specific essential oil yield was also measured and served as a proxy to describe the degree of chemical defence. We found that the essential oil yield showed strong and consistent sex-specific patterns decreasing with age in adults. Contrary to the predictions, the males showed a consistently higher yield than the females. We also observed a growth-defence trade-off in males but not in females. Consistently with the growth-defence conflict hypothesis, the populations’ sex-ratio was male-biased, and this pattern was more evident with ageing modifying the demographic structure due to the sexually dissimilar lifespan. Our juniper study revealed a contrasting and unique essential oil accumulation driven by the complex allocation trade-off mechanisms within individuals, which could be a flexible and adaptive defence response against the increasing biotic and abiotic environmental stresses exacerbated under global climate change.

Bioprospecting and biodiversity investigations of endophytic fungi isolated from Juniperus communis

Endophytes are a group of highly diverse microorganisms that reside within plant tissues without causing obvious symptoms on the host. In our study, Juniperus communis samples were collected from Hungary and used for the isolation of endophytic fungal strains. From 240 plant samples, 76 fungal isolates were recovered and subcultured for homogeneity. The isolates were identified using molecular taxonomical tools at the genus level and their biodiversity parameters were determined. The taxonomic diversity of the isolates was remarkably high, and the most abundant genera were Fusarium, Alternaria and Trichoderma. The secondary metabolites produced by the isolated endophytic fungi were extracted both from their mycelia and their ferment broth and their antimicrobial activities were tested against bacteria, yeasts, and filamentous fungi. In the antimicrobial tests, a total of 58 strains showed antimicrobial activity against at least one test organism. Altogether, 6.67% of the isolates have antibacterial effects with wide spectrum, and 10 strains showed remarkably high inhibitory percentage against yeast, while the extracts of 11 isolates proved to be active against filamentous fungi.