SUBSTRATE GROUPS OF BRYOPHYTES IN THE TERRITORY OF THE ZNESINNYA REGIONAL LANDSCAPE PARK (LVIV, UKRAINE)

The article presents data on the diversity and substrate groups of bryoflora of the Znesinnya Regional Landscape Park (Znesinnya RLP), located in the city of Lviv (Western Ukraine). Based on field research carried out in the period 2015-2018 and analysis of herbarium collections, an inventory was made of the bryoflora of the Znesinnya RLP. A total of 113 species of bryoflora belonging to 66 genera, 35 families and 2 divisions are presented from the investigated area. Of these, 105 species are members of the division Bryophyta and 8 belong to Marchantiophyta. Six regionally rare species of bryophytes have been recorded, namely Pellia endiviifolia, P. epiphylla, Encalypta streptocarpa, Fissidens exilis, Cirriphyllum crassinervium and Sciurohypnum starkei. With regard to substrate preferences, epigeous species of bryophytes predominated and accounted for 89.0% of the total number of species. The largest proportion of bryophytes occurred on bare soil (46.0%), while 36.3% and 25.7% species were found on soil among herbaceous vegetation and on soil with gravel, respectively. Stony substrates were colonized by 42.5% of bryophyte species, with 19.5% of species occurring on artificial stony substrates. In addition, 24.8% of the species belonged to epixils inhabiting old stumps and logs of varying degrees of decay, and the same proportion was represented by epiphytic species of bryophytes. The smallest proportion (10.7%) of bryophytes was confined to water bodies and swampy ecotopes.

Assessment of the Biological Effects of Pellia endiviifolia and its Constituents in Vitro

Liverworts are characterized by a high content of bioactive compounds reported to show antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant properties. In this study, the biological effects of the methanol extract of the liverwort Pellia endiviifolia and its constituents, bis-bibenzyls perrottetin E, 10′-hydroxyperrottetin E, and 10,10′-dihydroxyperrottetin E, were investigated using human peripheral blood cells as a model system. The assessment of the investigated compounds comprised testing their genotoxicity, apoptotic potential, and redox modulating activities. The genotoxicity testing indicated that medium (25 µM) and high concentrations (100 µM) of the investigated compounds displayed genotoxic and antiproliferative effects in human lymphocytes as revealed by significant, concentration-dependent enhancement of the micronuclei incidence and decrease in the cytokinesis-block proliferation index compared to the control ( P < .001). Analysis of leukocyte apoptosis showed a substantial potential of all investigated compounds to induce apoptosis, which was not concentration-dependent. The P endiviifolia extract and perrottetin E demonstrated considerable pro-apoptotic potential, even at the lowest concentration (1 µM) applied. Evaluation of the redox modulating effects, which comprised measuring erythrocyte catalase activity and the lymphocyte malondialdehyde level, showed that the investigated compounds did not induce oxidative stress in human peripheral blood cells ( P > .05). The observed genotoxic, antiproliferative, and proapoptotic effects of the investigated compounds make them suitable for further comprehensive studies related to their possible applications as anticancer agents.

Bis-Bibenzyls from the Liverwort Pellia endiviifolia and Their Biological Activity

Based on previous investigations where bis-bibenzyls isolated from liverworts showed various biological activities (cytotoxic, antimicrobial, and antiviral), we investigated their cytotoxic activity in several human cancer cell lines. From the methylene-chloride/methanol extract of the liverwort Pellia endiviifolia, three bis-bibenzyls of the perrottetin type were isolated, namely perrottetin E, 10′-hydroxyperrottetin E, and 10,10′-dihydroxyperrottetin E. The last two were found for the first time in this species. Their structures were resolved using 1D and 2D NMR, as well as by comparison with data in the literature. Cytotoxic activity of the isolated compounds was tested on three human leukemia cell lines, HL-60 (acute promyelocytic leukemia cells), U-937 (acute monocytic leukemia cells), and K-562 (human chronic myelogenous leukemia cells), as well as on human embryonal teratocarcinoma cell line (NT2/D1) and human glioblastoma cell lines A-172 and U-251, and compared to the previously isolated bis-bibenzyls (perrottetins) of similar structure. The isolated compounds exhibited modest activity against leukemia cells and significant activity against NT2/D1 and A-172. Overall, the most active cytotoxic compounds in this investigation were perrottetin E (1), isolated in this work from Pellia endiviifolia, and perrottetin F phenanthrene derivative (7), previously isolated from Lunularia cruciata and added for a comparison of their cytotoxic activity.

Antibacterial properties of thalloid liverworts Marchantia polymorpha L., Conocephalum conicum (L.) Dum. and Pellia endiviifolia (Dicks.) Dumort

Antimicrobial activity of methanol extracts of three thalloid liverworts, Marchantia polymorpha, Conocephalum conicum and Pellia endiviifolia and bis-bibenzyl marchantin A, the most dominant compound of M. polymorpha methanol extract, have been investigated in this research. 1H NMR spectroscopy revealed that the liverwort?s extract contains terpenes, oils, sugars and bis-bibenzyls in M. polymorpha and P. endiviifolia, while these specific macrocyclic compounds are absent from the C. conicum extract. The antimicrobial potential was tested on eight bacterial strains. The antimicrobial effect of extracts and marchantin A was observed against Gram-positive, while it showed no effect against Gram-negative bacteria in both methods used - well diffusion and broth microdilution.

The liverwort flora of Karelian part of the Vodlozersky National Park (Russia)

An updated list of liverworts in the Karelian part of Vodlozersky National Park is presented, containing 52 species. Twenty-three species were recorded in the National Park for the first time. Heterogemma capitata was found in Karelia for the first time; Calypogeia fissa and Tritomaria exsecta were reported for the second time in the region. The observations of the three species form the northern limit of their global range. New localities are reported for five Karelian red-listed species (Calypogeia suecica, Geocalyx graveolens, Pellia endiviifolia, Scapania apiculata, Syzygiella autumnalis).

Liverworts of the Dzherginsky Reserve (Republic of Buryatia)

The results of detailed long-term studies of the hepatic flora of the Dzherginsky Reserve, performed in 50 collection points throughout the reserve, in the forest, sub-headland and tundra zones are presented. There are 125 species and 4 varieties, including new for Baikal Siberia Lophoziopsis excisa var. elegans, Mannia pilosa, Mesoptychia rutheana and Odontoschisma denudatum and new for Buryatia Blepharostoma trichophyllum var. brevirete, Cephaloziella uncinata, Frullania davurica, F. muscicola, Fuscocephaloziopsis loitlesbergeri, Jungermannia exsertifolia, J. cf. polaris, L. pellucida, Mesoptychia badensis, M. sahlbergii, Neoorthocaulis hyperboreus, Odontoschisma elongatum, Pellia endiviifolia, Plagiochila arctica, Plectocolea obscura, Sauteria alpina, Scapania brevicaulis, S. rufidula, Schljakovianthus quadrilobus. The analysis of the flora with emphasis on the altitudinal species distribution is provided.

Serological variability of the Pellia endiviifolia-P. megaspora complex

Analysis of antigenic proteins in populations of terrestrial and aquatic forms of <em>P. endiviifolia</em> and populations from Japan revealed the antigenic differentiation of the examined samples into two distinct groups. <em>Pellia megaspora</em> from the eastern part of the USA also exhibits a significant antigenic devergence and bears the most resemblance to the group of populations of the aquatic form of <em>P. endiviifolia</em> from Poland and samples from Japan. The observed serological distances between terrestrial and aquatic forms of <em>P. endiviifolia</em> are of the same rank as differences between remaining species of the genus <em>Pellia</em>. Clarification of the nature of the detected serological differentiation in the <em>Pellia megaspora-P, endiviifolia</em>complex will require further studies.