Search for alternative plant raw materials for food industry and environmentally safe animal breeding

The relevance of the search for alternative plant raw materials to enrich the diets of population throughout the world, including in the Russian Federation, is explained by global mass year-round insufficiency of biologically active nutrients in food. This work is aimed at identifying the most promising food plant species from the list, proposed on basis of long-term observations by staff of Tsytsin Main Moscow Botanical Garden of Russian Academy of Sciences (MBG RAS), by bachelors, studying in direction 06.03.01 (Biology) at Moscow State University of Food Production. The research materials (2016-2018) are fruits of hawthorns, rosehips, quince, eleutherococcuses, medlar, mahonia, spindle tree, yews, sumacs, oaks, red-fruited honeysuckles and needles of coniferous plants. Research results indicate the value of studied raw materials as a whole and its advantages in compared species within the genus of plants. Some recommendations for practical usage were made. The following things have been proposed: separation of fruit pulp and seeds before drying of fruits of Crataegus submollis and more preferable C. punctata; wide plantation cultivation of rosehips Rosa amblyotis and R. oxyodon; non-waste separate application of pericarp and seeds of Cydonia oblonga, Mespilus germanica and Mahonia aquifolium; medicinal use of fruits of Eleutherococcus sessiliflorus , and more preferable E. senticosus ; further study of cones of Taxus baccata and T. media; as a spice there is usage of fruits of Rhus typhina ; obtaining unique oils from fruit pulp of Lonicera glehnii, L . ferdinandii, L. maackii and arils of Euonymus europaeus; usage of acorns of Quercus robur, Q. rubra and needles of Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris in feed production. Thus, possibilities of intensifying plant resource usage in the food industry and agriculture were discovered, primarily due to fruits of native introduced species. It is necessary to continue search and further study of the most promising species - sources of alternative plant raw materials.

Evaluation of the Removal of Selected Phthalic Acid Esters (PAEs) in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants Supported by Constructed Wetlands

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) have a negative impact on living organisms in the environment, therefore, are among the group of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds (ECDs). Unfortunately, conventional methods used in municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTPs) are not designed to eliminate PAEs. For this reason, the development of cheap and simple but very effective techniques for the removal of such residues from wastewater is crucial. The main aim of this study was the evaluation of the removal of six selected PAEs: diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and dimethyl phthalate (DMP), in real MWWTPs supported by constructed wetlands (MWWTP–CW system). For the first time, the possibility of using three new plants for this purpose, Cyperus papyrus (papyrus), Lysimachia nemorum (yellow pimpernel) and Euonymus europaeus (European spindle), has been presented. For determining the target PAEs in wastewater samples, a method of SPE (Solid-Phase Extraction)–GC–MS(SIM) was developed and validated, and for plant materials, a method of UAE (Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction)–SPE–GC–MS(SIM) was proposed. The obtained data showed that the application of the MWWTP–CW system allows a significant increase in the removal of DEP, DBP, BBP and DEHP from the wastewater stream. Euonymus europaeus was the most effective among the tested plant species for the uptake of analytes (8938 ng × g−1 dry weight), thus, this plant was found to be optimal for supporting conventional MWWTPs.

Обґрунтування природної цінності території "Дублянського парку" для надання статусу парку-пам'ятки садово-паркового мистецтва

Проаналізовано ландшафтну, планувальну, просторову структури "Дублянського парку" Самбірського району Львівської області. Встановлено, що на дослідженій території відсутні ознаки функціонального зонування, немає проєкту організації його території. Об'ємно-просторова структура цього парку, в основному, представлена закритим простором. Напіввідкриті простори виявлені вздовж русла річки Веретено та алеї біля північної межі парку. Переважає лісовий тип ландшафту, який виник на місці порушеного паркового ландшафту. Залишились окремі елементи регулярного парку у вигляді ділянки перерослого грабового боскету, які потребують реконструкції та збереження. Визначено основні види деревних і трав'яних рослин, що присутні на території, запропонованій для охорони у смт Дубляни Самбірського району. У дендрофлорі дослідженого парку більшість рослин належить до відділу Magnoliophyta. Видовий склад деревних рослин представлений 39 видами, які належать до 16 родин. Серед життєвих форм, які формують основу цього парку, переважають дерева (30 таксонів). Кущі представлені такими лісовими видами: Euonymus europaeus L., Cornus sanguinea L., Rosa canina L. У складі паркового фітоценозу смт Дубляни присутні інтродуковані вікові види, а саме: Juglans nigra L. та J. мandshurica Maxim,, Phellodendron amurense Rupr, Acer sacharinum L. та A. negundo L. За таких умов зростання для цих видів характерна досить висока стійкість, деякі з них дають природне поновлення, мають історичну та ботанічну цінність. У складі трав'яних рослин, здебільшого, переважають лісові види, що свідчить про відсутність належного догляду і витіснення штучних угруповань. Найвища частота трапляння та проєктивного вкриття спостерігається у Carex brizoides L., Stellaria holostea L., Aegopodium podagraria L., Pulmonaria obscura Dumort., Galeobdolon luteum Huds. Узагальнено назрілі проблеми функціонування досліджуваного парку, встановлено причини деградації зелених насаджень, намічено невідкладні природоохоронні та ландшафтно-планувальні завдання, обґрунтовано доцільність надання парку статусу парку-пам'ятки садово-паркового мистецтва місцевого значення у смт Дубляни Самбірського району Львівської області.

Transcriptome analysis of Euonymus europaeus fruits at different stages of development

The transcript Euonymus europaeus was collected de novo. A comparative analysis of transcriptomes from the stage of the globular embryo and the mature fruit made it possible to identify key DGAT genes at the contrasting stages of the development of E. europaeus fruits.

The small-scale variation of herb-layer community structure in a riparian mixed forest

The ground vegetation layer is the most diverse plant community in forest ecosystems. We have shown the role of spatial variables, soil properties and overstorey structure in spatial variation of the herb-layer community in a riparian mixed forest . The research was conducted in the "Dnipro-Orils’kiy" Nature Reserve (Ukraine). The research polygon was located in the forest in the floodplain of the River Protich, which is a left tributary of the River Dnipro. Plant abundance was quantified by measuring cover within an experimental polygon. The experimental polygon consisted of 7 transects, each comprising 15 test points. The distance between the rows in the site was 3 m. At the site we established a plot of 45 × 21 m, with 105 subplots of 3 × 3 m organized in a regular grid. A list of vascular plant species was composed for each 3 × 3 m subplot along with visual estimates of species cover projection. The plant community was represented by 43 species, of which 18.6% were phanerophytes, 39.5% were hemicryptophytes, 9.3% were therophytes, 7.0% were geophytes. An overall test of random labelling revealed the total nonrandom distribution of the tree stems within the site. The species-specific test of random labelling showed the nonrandom segregated distribution of Acer tataricum, Pyrus communis, Quercus robur, and Ulmus laevis. Crataegus monogyna and Euonymus europaeus were distributed randomly. The nearest neighbour of Acer tataricum was less likely to be Ulmus laevis. There was no direct spatial connection between Acer tataricum and other trees. Crataegus monogyna, Pyrus communis, Quercus robur and Euonymus europaeus were not segregated from all other species. The nearest neighbour of Ulmus laevis was less likely to be Acer tataricum. Constrained correspondence analysis (CCA) was applied as ordination approach. The forward selection procedure allowed us to select 6 soil variables which explain 28.3% of the herb-layer community variability. The list of the important soil variables includes soil mechanical impedance (at the depth 0–5, 30–35, 75–80, and 95–10 cm), soil moisture, and soil bulk density. The variation explained by pure spatial variables accounted for 11.0 %. The majority of the tree-distance structured variation in plant community composition was broad-scaled. The spatial scalograms were left-skewed asymmetric. Significant relationship was found between the pure spatial component of the community variation and a number of phytoindicator estimations, most important of which were the variability of damping and humidity. Tree stand was obseerved to be a considerable factor structuring both the herb-layer community and spatial variation of the physical properties of soil.

Diacylglycerol Acetyltransferase Gene Isolated from Euonymus europaeus L. Altered Lipid Metabolism in Transgenic Plant towards the Production of Acetylated Triacylglycerols

Euonymus species from the Celastraceae family are considered as a source of unusual genes modifying the oil content and fatty acid composition of vegetable oils. Due to the possession of genes encoding enzyme diacylglycerol acetyltransferase (DAcT), Euonymus plants can synthesize and accumulate acetylated triacyglycerols. The gene from Euonymus europaeus (EeDAcT) encoding the DAcT was identified, isolated, characterized, and modified for cloning and genetic transformation of plants. This gene has a unique nucleotide sequence and amino acid composition, different from orthologous genes from other Euonymus species. Nucleotide sequence of original EeDAcT gene was modified, cloned into transformation vector, and introduced into tobacco plants. Overexpression of EeDAcT gene was confirmed, and transgenic host plants produced and accumulated acetylated triacylglycerols (TAGs) in immature seeds. Individual transgenic plants showed difference in amounts of synthesized acetylTAGs and also in fatty acid composition of acetylTAGs.

Gynodioecy in the common spindle tree (Euonymus europaeus L.) involves differences in the asymmetry of corolla shapes between sexually differentiated flowers

Gynodioecy is typically associated with a smaller perianth size in purely pistillate flowers than in hermaphrodite flowers. However, it is unclear whether this size differentiation is associated with any differences in flower shape between the two sexual groups. A geometric morphometric analysis of the symmetry of tetrameric corolla shapes was used in the study of Euonymus europaeus L., Darwin’s classical system of floral sexual differentiation. I investigated whether there are any shape differences between the female and bisexual flowers, with respect to both purely symmetric variation involving coordinated shape changes of the four petals and asymmetry among petals within flowers. The corolla shapes of the female and bisexual flowers and the variability among flowers within each sexual group were very similar in the purely symmetric components of shape variation. However, the female flowers were significantly more asymmetric with respect to both the lateral and transversal asymmetry of their corolla shapes. This is the first study to apply geometric morphometrics in the analysis of morphological patterns in a sexually differentiated gynodioecious plant system. The results showed that subtle shape differences in corolla asymmetry differ between the sexual groups and indicate diverging developmental or selection signals between the sexes.