Occurrence of Viscum album subsp. album L. on Laburnum anagyroides Medik. in Toruń, Poland

This short note presents two localities of the common mistletoe growing on the common laburnum found in central Poland in the city of Toruń in 2020. The common laburnum is one of the rare hosts of this recently rapidly spreading semi-parasite. The presented relationship between the two species has so far been reported in only several publications, mostly from the late 19th and early 20th century.

Transformation of historical landscapes as a result of biological invasions

Immovable objects of cultural heritage are inextricably linked to the place where they are located. The preservation of the object itself and its perception in the historical context guarantees the immutability of the protected area. Pyatigorsk historical and cultural heritage sites were used to assess the stability of their associated landscapes. The transformation of historical landscapes over time was established as a result of field research and analysis of the photo bank of data over a 125-year period. Landscape changes are associated with changes in vegetation during biological invasions, that is, they are the result of a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors. Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco, Laburnum anagyroides Medik., Syringa vulgaris L. participate in the transformation of the landscape of the Lermontov grotto, and Robinia pseudoacacia L., Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle, and Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch. participate in the transformation of the landscape of the Diana’s Grotto. All of them in previous years were introduced to the culture for use in landscaping Pyatigorsk. Their distribution and introduction to local cenoses began at the end of the XX century, after they entered the stage of naturalization. The listed invasive species have different geographical origins (Europe, Eas t Asia, North America) and belong to different life forms (coniferous tree, deciduous tree, deciduous shrub, deciduous liana). Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco, Syringa vulgaris L., Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle are phytocenozotransformers, that is, they are dangerous not only for the landscapes of cultural heritage sites, but also for native plant communities. Robinia pseudoacacia L., Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch. And Laburnum anagyroides Medik. are currently epectophytes, which does not exclude the possibility of their transition to agriophytes. The restoration of historical landscapes requires human intervention.

Nematicidal activity of aqueous tinctures of medicinal plants against larvae of the nematodes Strongyloides papillosus and Haemonchus contortus

The study focuses on in vitro effect of aqueous tinctures of 48 species of herbaceous, shrub and tree plants on the first-third stage larvae of Strongyloides papillosus (Wedl, 1856) and third-stage larvae of Haemonchus contortus (Rudolphi, 1803) Cobb, 1898. The highest level of the effect was exerted by 3% aqueous tinctures of Wisteria sinensis (Sims) DC., Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle, Laburnum anagyroides Medik., Quercus petraea subsp. iberica (Steven ex M. Bieb.) Krassiln., Ginkgo biloba L., Colchicum autumnale L., Aristolochia manshuriensis Kom., Celastrus scandens L., Securigera varia (L.) Lassen, Magnolia kobus DC. Over 90% of the first and second non-invasive stage larvae of S. papillosus died at contact with these tinctures. The lowest parameters of LD50 were seen for L. anagyroides, Juniperus sabina L., C. scandens, M. kobus, A. manshuriensis, Wisteria sinensis (Sims) DC. and Securigera varia (L.) Lassen. Invasive larvae of S. papillosus and H. contortus were resistant to the effect of all the 48 surveyed species of plants. Third-stage larvae of H. contortus remained vital when exposed for 24 h to all the studied concentrations up to 3% aqueous tincture of plants. The results of the experiments and also the analysis of the literature indicate the necessity to continue the survey on nematocidial activity of aqueous tinctures and alcveshol extracts of plants.

Different cationic forms of (–)-cytisine in the crystal structures of its simple inorganic salts

The crystal structures of 13 simple salts of cytisine, an alkaloid isolated from the seeds of Laburnum anagyroides, have been determined, namely cytisinium (6-oxo-7,11-diazatricyclo[7.3.1.02,7]trideca-2,4-dien-11-ium) bromide, C11H15N2O+·Br−, cytisinium iodide, C11H15N2O+·I−, cytisinium perchlorate, C11H15N2O+·ClO4 −, cytisinium iodide triiodide, C11H15N2O+·I−·I3 −, cytisinium chloride monohydrate, C11H15N2O+·Cl−·H2O, cytisinium iodide monohydrate, C11H15N2O+·I−·H2O, cytisinium nitrate monohydrate, C11H15N2O+·NO3 −·H2O, hydrogen dicytisinium tribromide, C22H31N4O2 3+·3Br−, hydrogen dicytisinium triiodide, C22H31N4O2 3+·3I−, hydrogen dicytisinium triiodide diiodide, C22H31N4O2 3+·I3 −·2I−, hydrogen dicytisinium bis(triiodide) iodide, C22H31N4O2 3+·2I3 −·I−, cytisinediium (6-oxidaniumylidene-7,11-diazatricyclo[7.3.1.02,7]trideca-2,4-dien-11-ium) bis(perchlorate), C11H16N2O2+·2ClO4 −, and cytisinediium dichloride trihydrate, C11H16N2O2+·2Cl−·3H2O. Cytisine has two potential protonation sites, i.e. the N atom of the piperidine ring and the carbonyl O atom of the pyridone ring. Three forms of the cytisinium cation were identified, namely the monocation, which is always protonated at the N atom, the dication, which utilizes both protonation sites, and the third form, which contains two cytisine moieties connected by very short and linear O...H...O hydrogen bonds, with an O...O distance of approximately 2.4 Å. This third form may therefore be regarded as a 3+ species, or sesqui-cation, and is observed solely in the salts with bromide, iodide or triiodide (heavier halogen) anions. The cation is quite rigid and all 19 cytisinium fragments in the studied series have very similar conformations. The crystal structures are determined mainly by Coulombic interactions and hydrogen bonds, and the latter form is determined by different networks. Additionally, some anion–π and lone-pair...π secondary interactions are identified in almost all of the crystal structures. Hirshfeld surface analysis generally confirms the role of different interactions in the determination of the crystal architecture.

LECTIN-HISTOCHEMICAL REGULARITIES OF DIFFERENTIATION OF THE HUMAN PAROTID GLAND EPITHELIAL GERMS

Glycopolymer compounds make up structural and functional basis of cells and tissues of a living organism. The necessity of anatomical-lectinohistochemical examination of the parotid gland in early prenatal period of ontogenesis is substantiated, as the evidences concerning its topography are fragmentary and not systematized, and certain aspects of its ontogenesis are disputable. 35 human embryos and pre-fetuses aged from 21 days to 12 weeks of intrauterine development were examined. Glycopolymers were found by means of treatment of serial sections with lectins conjugated with horseradish peroxidase. The dynamics of prenatal morphogenesis of the embryos and pre-fetuses of the 4th-12th week of embryogenesis expression of glycopolymers – lectinreceptors on the surface of cells, in the cytoplasm and on the basal membrane of the parotid gland epithelial germs and the human oral cavity with its derivatives by re-distribution of glycopolymers are similar, which can be the evidence of ectodermal source of the parotid gland epithelial germ. Immersion of the epithelial cells of the buccal-alveolar pockets into the lower adjacent mesenchyme with the formation of primary parotid gland germs in embryos with 11,0-12,5 mm of PCL and their transformation into the epithelial taeniae is associated with accumulation of sialic glycopolymers (N-acetyl neuraminic acid), N-acetyl-D-glucosamine – specific to Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA); N-acetyl-2-desoxy-2-amino-D-glucopyranose, screened by sialic acid of ß-D-galactose and α-L-fucose – specific to Helix pomatia (edible snail) agglutinin (HPA), Rhizoctonia solani agglutinin (RCA) and Laburnum anagyroides (Golden Rain shrub) agglutinin (LABA) respectively. These glycopolymers are present during the first 12 weeks both on the cytolemma of the cells of the parotid gland epithelial germ and in their cytoplasm. The results of lectin-histochemical examination of the early prenatal ontogenesis of the parotid gland can form the basis for the work of laboratories dealing with screening of morphological material in order to assess the degree of maturation and prognosis of fetus viability and diagnostics of deviations from normal development.