4^th Annual Congress on Plant Biology & Agricultural Sciences May 15-16, 2023 Madrid, Spain

Biography:

Dr. Hagai Cohen obtained his Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Biology in the Faculty of Biology at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel, investigating the regulatory metabolic pathways involved in amino acid biosynthesis in plant seeds. It is then where he started to focus on metabolism in plants. During his Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, he investigated the metabolic pathways leading to the formation of lipophilic barriers in plants such as epicuticular waxes, cutin, suberin and lignin. In early 2020, he opened his independent laboratory as a Principal Investigator in the Department of Vegetable and Field Crops, the Institute of Plant science at the Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Volcani Center, Israel. His group is interested in elucidating various aspects of interactions between plant surfaces and pathogens, with a particular focus on metabolic networks operating on the course of pathogenic attack and invasion.        

Abstract:

One of the oldest cereal crops, barley is thought to have been domesticated around 8,000 years ago, in the Fertile Crescent. In this study, we explore the understudied contribution of cuticular lipid metabolism to barley domestication. We performed comparative analysis of wild and domesticated barley cultivars’ leaf cuticle morphology and chemistry combined with phenotypic characterization, multiple microscopical approaches, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) metabolite profiling, transcript expression analyses, and Li-6800 measurements of leaf gas exchange capacities. In addition, we conducted a series of inoculation assays with Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei (Bgh), the causal agent of powdery mildew in barely. The results indicate that the leaves of wild barley are more densely covered with epicuticular waxes compared to domesticated leaves with distinct compositions, but both variants contain a similar cuticle ultrastructure. This variance, along with different leaf stomata densities, leads to distinct gas exchange capacities. Our data suggest that the disparate wax content and composition between the varieties has no apparent effect on the Bgh pre-penetration processes. overall, the results provide novel insight into the compositional variances in cuticular lipids of wild and domesticated barley leaves and their impact on plant-environment interactions. 

Biography:

Elena Kurin is a scientist and a teacher with strong, evidence based believe in plant medicine. She is an expert in the study of synergy, which appears to be responsible for the biological effects of many plant substances, present in nature in complex systems. She enriched the synergy evaluation about new way of evaluation in linear data space (Novotny B, Nagy M, Kurin E, 2021). This can be used in many mainly chemically based assay, where linear correlation is present, as interaction analysis method. However, among natural substances, it can help to understand the mutual interactions of the plant extracts.

Abstract:

Camellia sinensis Kuntze and Mentha × piperita L. are plants from different taxonomic orders. However, both enjoy great worldwide popularity for the well-known drinks prepared as a water infusion from their leaves: green tea and peppermint tea. Both plants are a rich source of polyphenols, known antioxidants that are the subject of research in medicinal plants and food stabilization as well. Most of the studies focus on investigating the effects of individual plants. But in combinations a hidden synergy can occur, mainly when the chemical composition of individual plants is different. Therefore, we explored the antioxidant activity of peppermint and green tea leaves lyophilizates, respectively. In addition, using different mixing method and different extract ratios we prepared lyophilized mixtures, which antioxidant activity was subsequently evaluated. Interaction analysis revealed the hidden synergy in several mixtures to quench the DPPH radical and in the DCF cell-based antioxidant assay. We also performed an interaction analysis of the combination of polyphenols present in the green tea (epigallocatechin gallate and quercetin) and peppermint tea (rosmarinic acid), respectively. We discovered synergy among polyphenols in the DPPH assay, which can partially enlighten the interaction of the lyophilizates on molecular level. Our work supports the old practice of combining the herbal substances into herbal tea mixtures, where the achieved effects are higher, than expected.

Biography:

Silvia Bittner Fialová is an Associate Professor at the Department of Pharmacognosy and Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, Comenius University in Bratislava. Her Expertise includes phytochemical analysis of plant extracts (HPLC-DAD, LC-MS), the antioxidant activity and antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity of natural products focusing on pathogens from burns, catheter-related infections, surgery wounds, oromucosal, and dental infections.

Abstract:

Water mint (Mentha aquatica L.) and oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) are industrially important perennial medicinal plants from the family Lamiaceae. Aerial parts of both herbs are used not only in traditional medicine but also in the food industry and cosmetics. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the secondary metabolites in their rhizomes, leaves, and flowers and to determine their antioxidant effects separately and in different combinations. The usage of underground parts is not known yet. We used the LC-MS method for the identification and quantification of polar phenolic compounds in analyzed herbal parts and the DPPH method for the evaluation of antioxidant capacity. Phytochemical fingerprints of methanol extracts revealed the presence of phenolic esters (oregano A, oregano C), flavonoids (luteolin, apigenin, chrysoeriol derivatives), and phenolic acids (rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid) in oregano and flavonoids (eriodictyol derivatives, hesperidin) and phenolic acids (rosmarinic acid) in water mint. The presence and quantities of mentioned phenolic compounds differ among the herbal part. While aerial parts were rich in all phenolic compounds, rhizomes contained predominantly phenolic acids. The antioxidant activity of water mint organs varied from 21.8 μg/mL to 28.8 μg/mL and in oregano parts ranged from 8.9 μg/mL to 19.3 μg/mL.  The interaction study revealed a synergy of mixtures of oregano organs and moderate synergy when combining oregano leaves and mint leaves (Table 1). The rest of the combinations were mostly additive. The study brings new information about containing compounds in underground parts of water mint and oregano, and furthermore, it presents advantageous mixtures for the strong antioxidant properties of their organs.

Acknowledgment: This work was supported by the Grant Agency of The Ministry of Education, Science, Research, And Sport of Slovakia (grants no. VEGA 1/0284/20 and VEGA 1/0226/22), by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under contract number APVV-19-0056.

Biography:

Dr. Mucaji graduated in Pharmacy at Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia, where he also received a Ph.D. degree in Pharmacognosy. Since 2013 is an ordinary professor at the Department of Pharmacognosy and Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, CU. He has published over 90 research articles with more than 1100 citations. His field of interest is pharmacognosy, the separation, and identification of natural compounds, extracts standardization, and evaluation of natural compounds' biological activity

Abstract:

Statement of the Problem: Agrimonia eupatoria L. (Rosaceae) is an herb widely used in traditional medicine for its beneficial effects. Agrimony belongs to one of the most famous middle-European medicinal plants. The aerial part of agrimony is a rich source of tannins, organic acids, and flavonoids. This herbal remedy is recommended for the symptomatic relief of mild inflammation of the mouth and throat, symptomatic        treatment of mild diarrhea, and for relief of minor skin inflammation and small, superficial wounds.  [1]. Antimicrobial, anti-glucosidase, anti-glycation, and anti-hyperglycemic activities were previously described for agrimony [2,3]. Moreover, experiments on isolated aortas showed improved vasodilatation in diabetic rats. In vivo study [4] revealed wound healing-promoting effects, which led us to extend the evaluation to fibroblasts and keratinocytes and open and sutured wounds in rats [5]. The purpose of this study was to prepare different extracts of agrimony and, after HPLC characterization and identification of phenolic compounds, prepare different topical preparations (gels) for wound treatment. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: water and 50% methanol extracts of agrimony were prepared and lyophilized, followed by HPLC characterization and phenolic compounds identification. Determination of phenolic compounds and flavonoids was carried out, and topical pharmaceutical preparations for wound treatment were prepared. Findings: different phenolics were identified by HPLC. The Content of total polyphenols, tannins, and flavonoids was determined according to European Pharmacopoeia. Gels with agrimony extracts for topical application were prepared. Animal experiments with gel applications are planned. Conclusion & Significance: The reported and obtained data showed that extract could help improve the healing of acute skin wounds.