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Item The Effect of Newly Developed Microbial Biopreparations on the Chemical Composition of Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) Fruit Grown in an Organic Farming System(MDPI, 2025) Nakielska, Małgorzata; Feledyn-Szewczyk, Beata; Berbeć, Adam Kleofas; Ukalska-Jaruga, Aleksandra; Frąc, MagdalenaNon-chemical methods of fertilisation and protection have been gaining importance in recent years. This trend is closely linked to current European Union (EU) agricultural policy and the growing consumer awareness of the impact of nutrition on health. Newly developed biopreparations have to be tested for their agricultural efficiency alongside a quality assessment of the resulting food. The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of newly developed microbially enriched fertilisers in organic strawberry cultivation had an effect on fruit chemical composition and heavy metal accumulation. In the research, five biopreparations (K2–K6 combinations) containing selected Bacillus strains and plant extracts were tested in 2021 and 2022 on three strawberry cultivars: ‘Honeoye’, 'Rumba’, and ‘Vibrant’. After the vegetation period, the collected fruit samples were frozen, freeze-dried, and subjected to chemical analyses to determine the total carbon and nitrogen content, as well as the concentration of microelements (Mn, Fe), macroelements (Na, Mg, K, Ca, P) and heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn). The application of the tested biopreparations did not significantly impact the total carbon content of strawberry fruit. For most of the tested traits, cultivars reacted differently to the tested preparations. A higher total nitrogen content was found for treatments treated with biopreparations, especially for the ‘Vibrant’ cultivar—ranging from 15.2 g·kg−1 K2 (BacilRoots) to 16.3 g·kg−1 K3 (BacilRoots + BacilExtra) and K5 (BacilRoots + BacilExtra + BacilHumus)—being about 10–18% higher than on the control object (K1). The content of sodium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium did not change significantly under the influence of biopreparations. The use of the K3 and K5 treatment resulted in significantly lower iron contents when compared to those of the control (strawberries sprayed with water with no biopreparations added)—respectively, by 16.1% and 17.9%. ‘Vibrant’ treated with water (control treatment) showed the highest contents of iron, copper, and zinc when compared to those treated with biopreparations. No exceedances of the permissible heavy metal content were found in the samples tested.Item Polyphenolic and Immunometric Profiling of Wheat Varieties: Impact of Organic and Conventional Farming on Allergenic and Bioactive Compounds(MDPI, 2025) Bartos, Adrian; Malik, Alicja; Feledyn-Szewczyk, Beata; Jończyk, Krzysztof; Kazimierczak, Renata; Hallmann, Ewelina; Leszczyńska, JoannaThis study investigates the impact of organic and conventional farming on the allergenic and bioactive properties of wheat. The primary aim was to assess the immunometric parameters and polyphenolic composition in four varieties of winter and four varieties of spring wheat cultivated under both farming systems. Immunometric assays focused on gluten content, the allergenic QQQPP peptide, and the panallergenic profilin Tri a 12. While gluten levels (15–20 g/kg) showed no clear dependence on farming type, organic wheat exhibited a mild yet significant increase in QQQPP-dependent immunore activity in five samples (>20 µg/g). However, all organic wheat samples demonstrated a notable reduction in profilin content (<0.6 µg/g), suggesting that the type of wheat cultivation could influence allergenic risk for individuals with wheat-related allergies. Polyphenolic profiling revealed that kaempferol, p-coumaric acid, and gallic acid were the predominant compounds, with organic wheat displaying slightly higher polyphenol levels on average. Despite these differences, the variations were insufficient to determine a superior cultivation method. These findings highlight the potential allergenic and nutritional implications of organic versus conventional wheat farming.Item Comparing Effects of Soil Amendments on Plant Growth and Microbial Activity in Metal-Contaminated Soils(MDPI, 2025-03-01) Siebielec, Sylwia; Siebielec, GrzegorzPhytostabilization of metals involves the inactivation of metals in the soil through the use of various materials as soil amendments, which reduces the bioavailability of metals, and then the introduction of vegetation. There are limited data comparing the effectiveness of different phytostabilization amendments under the same soil and environmental conditions. Therefore, the aim of this research was to compare the effectiveness of a range of soil amendments on reducing the extractability of metals, metal uptake by plants, microbial activity in soil and nutrient availability to plants. Eight materials potentially limiting metal availability were used in a pot experiment: two composts (CG, CM), municipal biosolids (SB), bentonite (BEN), phosphorus fertilizer (PF), amorphous iron oxide (FE), waste rock material (WR), calcium carbonate (LM); and these materials were compared with typical fertilization (NPK) and an untreated soil as the control (CTL). The following trace metal-contaminated soils were used in the pot experiment: soil taken from the area of strong dust fall from the zinc and lead smelter (soil P); soil taken from an outcrop of ore-bearing rocks near a smelter waste heap (soil H); soil artificially polluted through smelter dust spill in the 1990s (soil S). In general, the greatest yields of plants (oat and white mustard) were recorded for compost-treated soils. Changes in the solubility of zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) after the application of various amendments largely reflected changes in soil pH. Biosolids caused a significant increase in extractable Zn and Cd, which was related to the decrease in soil pH, while a significant reduction in Cd extractability was observed across soils after the application of both composts, especially the compost characterized by alkaline pH. Interestingly, low extractability of Cd in the soil with the addition of another compost was observed, despite the pH decrease, as compared to the control pots. This fact proves the high sorption capacity of the compost towards Cd. The microbiological analyses revealed the highly beneficial effect of composts for dehydrogenases and nitrification activities, and for soil respiration, whereas soil amendment with iron oxide caused an increase in respiration activity across soils.Item Impact of Coal Waste Rock on Biological and Physicochemical Properties of Soils with Different Agricultural Uses(MDPI, 2025) Garbacz, Aleksandra; Nowak, Artur; Marzec-Grządziel, Anna; Przybyś, Marcin; Gałązka, Anna; Jaroszuk-Ściseł, Jolanta; Grzywaczewski, GrzegorzDuring the mining process in mines, a problem arises with the formation of coal post-mining waste, which is waste rock. It is often stored by mines on various types of land to manage the resulting spoil. However, this is not without its impact on the soil. In this study, we determined the biological and physicochemical properties of rhizosphere soils of the podzolic type, subjected to waste rock reclamation and without the influence of waste rock (control), differing in the type of agricultural use and type of plant cover: field-monocotyledonous (oat cultivation), field-dicotyledonous (buckwheat cultivation), and wasteland covered with very species-poor vegetation. Research has shown that long-term cultivation (buckwheat) contributed to the elimination (leveling out) of the microbial and biochemical differences. The addition of waste rock significantly reduced the number of microorganisms synthesizing siderophore, especially on wasteland (decreased by 1.5 log10/gDW). The abundant presence of the genera Acidocella and Acidphilum, absent in wasteland without waste rock, in the unused soil under the influence of waste rock was strongly associated with the effect of lowering the pH by waste rock in soil not used for agriculture. Increased levels of 77 types of bacteria were observed in samples from buckwheat cultivation compared to wasteland. The number of microorganisms resistant to heavy metals as well as microorganisms capable of producing specific Fe-binding ligands—siderophores—decreased under the influence of waste rock. Moreover, the dehydrogenase activity in long-term cultivation both under the influence of waste rock and without its influence was at a similar level. In contrast, an almost 100-fold decrease in dehydrogenase activity was observed in soils with oat cultivation and a more than 4-fold decrease in acid phosphatase (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. These parameters provide an effective system for monitoring soil health, from inexpensive and fast methods to advanced and precise techniques. The results can be applied to solve the problems associated with coal mining wastes by developing methods for their use in soils with long-term agricultural use.Item The Relationship Between Organic Carbon and Ca in the Profile of Luvisols: A Case Study of a Long-Term Experiment in Pulawy, Poland(MDPI, 2025) Pikuła, Dorota; Pauková, Žaneta; Wójcik-Gront, Elżbieta; Šimanský, VladimírThe aim of this study was to determine the impact of multi-year variations in nitrogen fertilisation (N) and farmyard manure application (FYM) in two 4-year crop rotations, A and B—which differed primarily in terms of their organic matter management systems (A: poor vs. B: enrichment)—on changes in the content of calcium and soil organic carbon at three soil horizons of Luvisols, and on the dynamics of these changes over the past 40 years. Mineral N fertilisation was found to affect the movement of Ca in the profiles of both rotations. Most Ca accumulated in the soil layer at >55 cm in the profiles of both rotations. The total Ca content was similar in both rotations; however, a correlation analysis revealed a stronger relationship between organic carbon and Ca in the enriched-cropping system (rotation B) compared to the poor-organic-matter system (rotation A). In the 0–30 cm soil layer, the correlation coefficient between organic carbon and Ca was r = 0.52 in rotation B, while in rotation A, it was lower at r = 0.23. In deeper layers, this relationship weakened or became non-significant. Under the climatic and soil conditions of Poland, where the phenomenon of nutrient leaching into the soil profile is prevalent, it is extremely important to manage these nutrients in a sustainable way in order to limit their loss. The predominantly sandy texture of the topsoil horizons (0–30 cm) of the Luvisols prevents any significant enrichment of these horizons in Corg, even over a very long period of time, i.e., more than 40 years.Item Influence of Soil Texture on the Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon From Sentinel‐2 Temporal Mosaics at 34 European Sites(Wiley, 2025) Wetterlind, Johanna; Simmler, Michael; Castaldi, Fabio; Borůvka, Luboš; Gabriel, José L.; Gomes, Lucas Carvalho; Khosravi, Vahid; Kivrak, C.; Koparan, Muhammed Halil; Lázaro-López, Alberto; Łopatka, Artur; Liebisch, Frank; Rodriguez, Jose Antonio; Savaş, A. Ö.; Stenberg, Bo; Tunçay, T.; Vinci, I.; Volungevičius, Jonas; Žyledis, Renaldas; Vaudour, EmmanuelleMultispectral imaging satellites such as Sentinel‐2 are considered a possible tool to assist in the mapping of soil organic carbon (SOC) using images of bare soil. However, the reported results are variable. The measured reflectance of the soil surface is not only related to SOC but also to several other environmental and edaphic factors. Soil texture is one such factor that strongly affects soil reflectance. Depending on the spatial correlation with SOC, the influence of soil texture may improve or hinder the estimation of SOC from spectral data. This study aimed to investigate these influences using local models at 34 sites in different pedo‐climatic zones across 10 European countries. The study sites were individual agricultural fields or a few fields in close proximity. For each site, local models to predict SOC and the clay particle size fraction were developed using the Sentinel‐2 temporal mosaics of bare soil images. Overall, predicting SOC and clay was difficult, and prediction performances with a ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) > 1.5 were observed at 8 and 12 of the 34 sites for SOC and clay, respectively. A general relationship between SOC prediction performance and the correlation of SOC and clay in soil was evident but explained only a small part of the large variability we observed in SOC prediction performance across the sites. Adding information on soil texture as additional predictors improved SOC prediction on average, but the additional benefit varied strongly between the sites. The average relative importance of the different Sentinel‐2 bands in the SOC and clay models indicated that spectral information in the red and far‐red regions of the visible spectrum was more important for SOC prediction than for clay prediction. The opposite was true for the region around 2200 nm, which was more important in the clay models.Item Integrating Expert Assessments and Spectral Methods to Evaluate Visual Attractivness and Ecosystem Services of Urban Informal Green Spaces in the Context of Climate Adaptation(MDPI, 2025) Kamiński, Jan ; Głowienka, Ewa; Soszyński, Dawid; Trzaskowska, Ewa; Stuczyński, Tomasz; Siebielec, Grzegorz; Poręba, LudwikaThis study aimed to develop criteria for the expert assessment of the visual attractiveness of informal urban green spaces and compare these results with indicators derived from spectral indices and geospatial data. The research was conducted in Lublin, Poland, a medium-sized European city. The expert assessment evaluated the overall attractiveness, naturalness, landscape contrast, and uniqueness. The results were juxtaposed with spectral indices, such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Leaf Area Index (LAI), and land surface temperature, which were calculated for the target areas and a 300 m buffer surrounding them. The analyses revealed strong correlations between the expert ratings and spectral indices. For example, overall attractiveness was linked to lower temperatures, while landscape contrast exhibited a relationship with temperature differentials. Moreover, areas with greater landscape contrast showed larger index differences between the site and the buffer. Positive correlations were also observed between attractiveness and land slope. Importantly, the spectral indices highlighted the ecological value of some sites that received lower expert assessments, such as areas dominated by shrubs and bushes. This research introduces the concept of ‘enchanted natural places’ (ENPs) as a framework for identifying and formalizing the protection of visually and ecologically valuable, informal green spaces. The integration of expert evaluations with spectral data provides a novel, robust methodology for assessing urban green spaces, bridging subjective perceptions and objective environmental indicators. This approach underscores the importance of informal green spaces not only for aesthetic and ecological benefits but also for supporting biodiversity and mitigating urban heat islands, contributing to urban resilience in the face of climate change.Item The effect of broadcast struvite fertilization on element soil content and microbial activity changes in winter wheat cultivation in southwest Poland(Nature, 2025) Ramut, Rafał; Jama-Rodzeńska, Anna; Woźniak, Małgorzata; Siebielec, Sylwia; Kamińska, Joanna; Szuba-Trznadel, Anna; Gałka, BernardThis study aimed to evaluate the potential of struvite as a phosphorus fertilizer in winter wheat cultivation in southwest Poland. The field experiment was conducted at Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences in Swojec in 2022/2023. The studied factors were two cultivars of winter wheat (Activus and Chevignon) and two phosphorus fertilization methods (traditional superphosphate and struvite). Aditionally, the study attempted to develop a reasonable phosphorus testing method to analyze phosphorus content in soil. Three phosphorus extraction methods were used to determine P, Mg and K content where Mehlich 3 and Yanai seem to be most appropriate. The following traits in the study were estimated: grain yield, content of P, Mg and K in the grain, as well as soil microbial activity expressed as enzyme activity (acid and alkaline phosphatase, dehydrogenase), metabolic activity (Biolog EcoPlates™) and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) abundance. An increase in the Mg content of wheat grain under the influence of struvite application was found. Phosphorus content in the soil depended primarily on the date of soil sampling followed by fertilization method and varieties based on the Egner–Rhiem method as well as Mehlich 3. Soil enzymatic activity depended mainly on the sampling date and then on fertilization. In the case of PSB, the dominant factor was the wheat cultivars. Biolog EcoPlate analysis showed that the most metabolically active microbial communities were recorded in samples collected at the second time of sampling (end of winter wheat vegetation) To see how the phosphorus content develops after the application of struvite under field conditions as well as its fraction, a long-term experiment should be conducted.Item A global soil spectral grid based on space sensing(Elsevier, 2025-02-20) Demattê, José A.M.; Rizzo, Rodnei; Rosin, Nícolas Augusto; Poppiel, Raul Roberto; Novais, Jean Jesus Macedo; Amorim, Merilyn Taynara Accorsi; Rodriguez-Albarracín, Heidy Soledad; Rosas, Jorge Tadeu Fim; Bartsch, Bruno dos Anjos; Vogel, Letícia Guadagnin; Minasny, Budiman; Grunwald, Sabine; Ge, Yufeng; Ben-Dor, Eyal; Gholizadeh, Asa; Gomez, Cecile; Chabrillat, Sabine; Francos, Nicolas; Fiantis, Dian; Belal, Abdelaziz; Tsakiridis, Nikolaos; Eleni, Kalopesa; Naimi, Salman; Ayoubi, Shamsollah; Tziolas, Nikolaos; Das, Bhabani Sankar; Zalidis, George; Francelino, Marcio Rocha; de Mello, Danilo Cesar; Hafshejani, Najmeh Asgari; Peng, Yi; Ma, Yuxin; Coblinski, João Augusto; Wadoux, Alexandre M.J.-C.; Savin, Igor; Malone, Brendan P.; Karyotis, Konstantinos; Milewski, Robert; Vaudour, Emmanuelle; Wang, Changkun; Salama, Elsayed Said Mohamed; Shepherd, Keith D.Soils provide a range of essential ecosystem services for sustaining life, including climate regulation. Advanced technologies support the protection and restoration of this natural resource. We developed the first fine-resolution spectral grid of bare soils by processing a spatiotemporal satellite data cube spanning the globe. Landsat imagery provided a 30 m composite soil image using the Geospatial Soil Sensing System (GEOS3), which calculates the median of pixels from the 40-year time series (1984–2022). The map of the Earth's bare soil covers nearly 90 % of the world's drylands. The modeling resulted in 10 spectral patterns of soils worldwide. Results indicate that plant residue and unknown soil patterns are the main factors that affect soil reflectance. Elevation and the shortwave infrared (SWIR2) band show the highest importance, with 78 and 80 %, respectively, suggesting that spectral and geospatial proxies provide inference on soils. We showcase that spectral groups are associated with environmental factors (climate, land use and land cover, geology, landforms, and soil). These outcomes represent an unprecedented information source capable of unveiling nuances on global soil conditions. Information derived from reflectance data supports the modeling of several soil properties with applications in soil-geological surveying, smart agriculture, soil tillage optimization, erosion monitoring, soil health, and climate change studies. Our comprehensive spectrally-based soil grid can address global needs by informing stakeholders and supporting policy, mitigation planning, soil management strategy, and soil, food, and climate security interventions.Item Improvement of salt tolerance in Vicia faba (L.) seedlings: a comprehensive investigation of the effects of exogenous calcium chloride(2025) Abo-Shanab, Walaa A. ; Elshobary, Mostafa E.; Czubacka, Anna; Diab, Rana H.Background This study investigated the effects of the different concentrations of CaCl2 (10 and 15 mol m−3) on the growth, physiology, and cytological characteristics of salt-stressed Vicia faba (L.) seedlings grown under greenhouse conditions. Results Salinity stress (150 mol m−3 NaCl) had detrimental effects on all measured growth parameters, increased the micronucleus count number (MCN) by 26.6 micronuclei/1000 cells, decreased the mitotic index (MI) by 66.6%, and caused various chromosomal aberrations, nuclear alterations, and chromatin bridges in salt-stressed seedlings compared to the untreated plant. Nevertheless, the seed priming with CaCl2 (10 and 15 mol m−3) significantly alleviated the toxic effects induced by salinity stress, improved growth parameters, total chlorophyll (TChl), proline, and total soluble sugar (TSS) contents in salt-stressed faba bean seedling compared with seedlings germinated from non-primed seeds. The antioxidative system of salt-stressed faba bean was highly stimulated by increasing the activity of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes as well as phenolics and flavonoids were increased in all salt stressed seedlings germinated from seeds primed with CaCl2 (10 and 15 mol m−3) indicating an improved tolerance of faba bean plant to salinity stress. Notably, the pretreatment with CaCl2 (10 mol m−3) reduced the micronuclei number per 1000 cells by 91.3% and decreased the abnormality index by 58.9% more effectively than CaCl2 (15 mol m−3). SDS-PAGE profiling revealed the presence of 16 proteins with different molecular weights, including two peptides, induced by CaCl2 (10 mol m−3) in response to salinity stress. Conclusions This study showed that 10 mol m−3 CaCl2 significantly improved salt tolerance in treated faba bean plants mitigating the antagonistic effects of salt stress on several physiological and cytological parameters.Item The Effect of Farming Systems and Cultivars on the Qualitative and Quantitative Composition of Bioactive Compounds in Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)(MDPI, 2025) Kowalska, Iwona; Soluch, Agata; Mołdoch, Jarosław; Jończyk, KrzysztofTriticum aestivum L. subsp. spelta (cv. Rokosz) and common winter wheat Triticum aestivum L. subsp. aestivum (cv. Arktis, Belissa, Estivus, Fidelius, Hondia, Jantarka, KWS Ozon, Linus, Markiza, Ostka Strzelecka, Pokusa) grown in an organic farming system were analyzed and compared. Furthermore, the productivity of four common wheat cultivars (cv. Fidelius, Hondia, Jantarka, KWS Ozon) grown under four different (organic, conventional, integrated, and monoculture) farming systems was compared. Using UPLC-DAD-MS, UPLC-PDA-MS/MS, and TLC-DPPH•, nine phenolic acids, nine alkylresorcinols, and their antiradical activity were identified and quantified. In the organic farming system, the highest yield was observed for T. aestivum L. subsp. aestivum cv. Fidelius (4.17 t/ha). Infections of wheat cultivars were low or at a medium level. The highest resistance to Fusarium fungi was shown by cv. Fidelius, which also exhibited the highest alkylresorcinol content and antioxidant capacity. The total phenolic acid content was highest in cv. Rokosz (1302.3 µg/g), followed by common winter wheat cultivars cv. Linus (1135.1 µg/g) and cv. Markiza (1089.6 µg/g). The potential of winter wheat cultivars for human health and their suitability for cultivation in different production systems was determined, showing significant differences in bioactive compounds depending on cultivars, systems, and years.Item Seseli foliosum (Somm. et Levier) Manden.—A Comprehensive Phytochemical and Biological Evaluation(MDPI, 2025-02-05) Nersezashvili, Mariam; Berashvili, Dali; Jokhadze, Malkhaz; Metreveli, Mariam; Świątek, Łukasz; Salwa, Kinga; Pecio, Łukasz; Wojtanowski, Krzysztof Kamil; Skiba, Adrianna; Korona-Głowniak, Izabela; Zengin, Gökhan; Skalicka-Woźniak, KrystynaThe genus Seseli L. (Apiaceae family) is widespread across Europe and Asia, with ten species identified in Georgia. Among these, Seseli foliosum (Somm. et Levier) Manden., is notable for its unique pharmacological properties. To our knowledge, comprehensive phytochemical and biological investigations have not yet been conducted. The primary aim of this research is to explore the chemical and biological properties of S. foliosum, thereby enhancing its potential applications in medicine and related fields. Different chromatographic techniques were utilized to isolate individual compounds and to identify the chemical composition of S. foliosum MeOH and Et2O extracts from seeds and roots. A battery of biological assays (antimicrobial, antioxidant, enzymatic, anxiolytic, and cytotoxic) were employed to assess the pharmacological properties of the extracts. The results from gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) revealed that both MeOH and Et2O extracts contain a diverse array of compounds, including monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, and phenolic compounds. Furanocoumarin edultin was isolated from the MeOH extract by liquid–liquid separation (LLS). The MeOH extracts exhibited important antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, and antimicrobial activities with notable efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 125 μg/mL) and Candida glabrata (MIC 62.5 μg/mL). Underground Et2O extracts showed advanced cytotoxic activity, particularly against hypopharyngeal carcinoma cells (CC50 22.33 μg/mL and 27.16 μg/mL, respectively). The study provides a wide-range analysis of the phytochemical composition and biological activities of S. foliosum, highlighting its potential as a source of bioactive compounds. These findings contribute to the understanding of the therapeutic potential of S. foliosum and lay the groundwork for further pharmacological and clinical research.Item Bufadienolide Penetration Through the Skin Membrane and Antiaging Properties of Kalanchoe spp. Juices in Dermal Applications(MDPI, 2025-02-09) Hering, Anna; Cal, Krzysztof; Kowalczyk, Mariusz; Kastsevich, Alina; Ivashchanka, Yahor; Ochocka, J. Renata; Stefanowicz-Hajduk, JustynaSkin aging is accelerated by inflammation processes generated by oxidative stress and external factors such as UV radiation. Plants belonging to the genus Kalanchoe that are rich sources of antioxidants could potentially strengthen the skin barrier if used as ingredients in cosmetic formulations. However, their use is limited due to the contents of bufadienolides, known cardiotoxins. This study aimed to establish a semi-quantitative profile of bufadienolides in the juices of K. blossfeldiana, K. daigremontiana, and K. pinnata using UHPLC combined with charged aerosol detection (CAD) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS). Additionally, the study determined the ability of bufadienolides to penetrate the skin barrier using the Bronaugh Diffusion Cell Apparatus and Strat-M membrane. The study also assessed the ferric and molybdenum-reducing powers, as well as the radical scavenging capabilities of these plants juices using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS) methods. The in vitro antihyaluronidase and antityrosinase activities and sun protection factor (SPF) were evaluated spectrophotometrically, indicating moderate capability to inhibit the skin enzymes, but low SPF protection for all analyzed juices. The semi-qualitative analysis demonstrated the presence of bufadienolides occurring in two juices from K. daigremontiana and K. pinnata, with the highest contents of 1,3,5-bersaldegenin-orthoacetate, bryophyllin-A/bryotoxin-C, bersaldegenin-acetate/bryophyllin-C, and diagremontianin. After passing through the skin model, no bufadienolide compounds were present in the subcutaneous filtrate. Antiradical and reduction assays revealed the antioxidant potential of K. blossfeldiana and K. pinnata. These results indicate that Kalanchoe juices have antiaging potential and appear safe for dermal applications.Item Assessing and mapping changes in soil ecosystem services and soil threats in agroecosystems through scenario-based approaches – A systematic review(Elsevier, 2025-02-25) Scammacca, Ottone; Montagne, David; Asins-Velis, Sabina; Bondi, Giulia; Borůvka, Luboš; Buttafuoco, Gabriele; Cadero, Alice; Calzolari, Costanza; Cousin, Isabelle; Czuba, Martina; Foldal, Cecilie; Malli, Armin; Klimkowicz-Pawlas, Agnieszka; Kukk, Liia; Lumini, Erica; Medina-Roldán, Eduardo; Michel, Kerstin; Molina, María José; O'Sullivan, Lilian; Pindral, Sylwia; Putku, Elsa; Kitzler, Barbara; Walter, ChristianScenario analysis plays a central role in estimating how global changes affect the relationships linking ecosystem conditions and functioning to human needs. This is particularly true for agroecosystems, which are pivotal to ensure sustainable land planning, ecological management and food security strategies. Soils are key providers of multiple ecosystem services (ES) in agroecosystems but they are very sensitive to global drivers such as changes in climate, land use and cover. How agroecosystems should achieve sustainability, through optimizing soil capacity to supply ES while limiting the occurrence of threats, is a priority of EU policy agendas. Nevertheless, there is currently a lack of a comprehensive framework of scenario-based approaches to assess changes in soil ES (SES) and soil threats (ST). As a part of the project SERENA funded by the European Joint Program on Agricultural Soil Management, this study aims to: i) understand how drivers of global change are commonly studied in the scientific literature; ii) identify how some SES and ST are assessed in scenario-based approaches; iii) provide a preliminary discussion on how soil properties are represented in these approaches. Through a systematic review of 230 published articles related to seven SES and ten ST, this study highlights that not all SES and ST are considered with the same frequency and geographic distribution in scenario-based approaches. Despite a great methodological variability in the assessment and mapping of SES and ST, dominant methodological trends can be identified. SES are mapped more frequently than ST and, specific SES appear more disposed to spatially explicit assessments than others. Due to its novelty and complexity, research on this topic is limited to a small subset of ST or SES and projections of the combined impacts of climate, land use and management changes on multiple ST and SES should be a scientific priority to help policy makers.Item Phytochemical analysis of the extract from berries of Schisandra chinensis Turcz. (Baill.) and its anti-platelet potential in vitro(MDPI, 2025-01-25) Sławińska, Natalia; Kontek, Bogdan; Żuchowski, Jerzy; Moniuszko - Szajwaj, Barbara; Białecki, Jacek; Zakrzewski, Kamil; Bogusz, Paulina; Stochmal, Anna; Olas, BeataSchisandra chinensis Turcz. (Baill.) is a dioecious vine belonging to the Schisandraceae family. Its berries show beneficial activities, including cardioprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. We examined the chemical content of S. chinensis berry extract and its antiplatelet potential in vitro. The antiplatelet activity assays included measurements of thrombus formation in full blood (with Total Thrombus-formation Analysis System) and platelet activation and adhesion. We also assessed the extract’s effect on coagulation times in human plasma and its cytotoxicity toward blood platelets based on extracellular lactate dehydrogenase activity. The most important constituents of the extract were dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans; schisandrin was the dominant compound. S. chinensis berry extract at the concentration of 50 μg/mL inhibited thrombus formation by approximately 15%. The adhesion of unstimulated and thrombin-activated blood platelets to collagen was inhibited by all used concentrations of the extract (0.5–50 μg/mL), while the adhesion of adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-activated platelets to fibrinogen was inhibited only by the concentrations of 10 and 50 μg/mL. The extract also inhibited the exposition of the active form of GPIIb/IIIa on the surface of platelets stimulated with 10 μM ADP (at 0.5–50 μg/mL) and 20 μM ADP (at 50 μg/mL). The exposition of P-selectin was inhibited only by the extract at the concentrations of 5–50 μg/mL in platelets stimulated with 10 μg/mL collagen. Moreover, the extract was not cytotoxic toward blood platelets. This indicates that S. chinensis berries hold promise as new antiplatelet agents, but more studies are needed to determine their mechanisms of action and in vivo efficiency.Item A Review of the Biological Activity and Structure–Property Relationships of the Main Compounds from Schisandra chinensis(Instytut Uprawy Nawożenia i Gleboznawstwa - Państwowy Instytut Badawczy w Puławach, 2025) Skalski, Bartosz; Kuźniak, Elżbieta; Kowalska, Iwona; Sikora, Monika; Olas, BeataSchisandra chinensis is a plant from the Schisandraceae family that grows in humid climates, such as forests and mountain slopes. This plant is attracting the attention of an increasing number of scientists around the world, mainly due to its medicinal properties. It contains a variety of bioactive compounds that exhibit significant biological activities, including lignans, flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenoids, organic acids and essential oils. This publication is a review of the latest knowledge and research conducted in the field of analysis of biologically active compounds isolated from Schisandra chinensis.Item Anticholinesterase Activity and Bioactive Compound Profiling of Six Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) Varieties(MDPI, 2024) Sagan, Bartłomiej; Czerny, Bogusław; Stasiłowicz-Krzemień, Anna; Szulc, Piotr; Skomra, Urszula; Karpiński, Tomasz M.; Lisiecka, Jolanta; Kamiński, Adam; Kryszak, Aleksandra; Zimak-Krótkopad, Oskar; Cielecka-Piontek, JudytaHops (Humulus lupulus L.) are widely recognized for their use in brewing, but they also possess significant pharmacological properties due to their rich bioactive compounds, with many varieties exhibiting diverse characteristics. This study investigates the chemical composition and biological activities of extracts from six hop varieties, focusing on quantifying xanthohumol and lupulone using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Total Phenolic Content (TPC) analysis. The hop varieties demonstrated significant variability in bioactive compound concentrations, with Aurora showing the highest xanthohumol (0.665 mg/g) and Zwiegniowski the highest lupulone (9.228 mg/g). TPC analysis revealed Aurora also had the highest phenolic content (22.47 mg GAE/g). Antioxidant activities were evaluated using DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, and FRAP assays, with Aurora and Oregon Fuggle displaying the most potent capacities. Aurora, in partic ular, showed the highest activity across multiple assays, including significant acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and tyrosinase inhibition, with IC50 values of 24.39 mg/mL, 20.38 mg/mL, and 9.37 mg/mL, respectively. The chelating activity was also assessed, with Apolon demonstrating the strongest metal ion binding capacity (IC50 = 1.04 mg/mL). Additionally, Aurora exhibited the most effective hyaluronidase inhibition (IC50 = 10.27 g/mL), highlighting its potential for anti-inflammatory applications. The results underscore the influence of genetic and environmental factors on the bioactive compound profiles of hop varieties and their biological activity offering promising avenues for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. However, further studies are needed to fully understand the potential interactions between hop cones components.Item Changes in Growth and Metabolic Profile of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi in Response to Sodium Chloride(MDPI, 2024-12-17) Ślusarczyk, Sylwester; Grzelka, Kajetan; Jaśpińska, Joanna; Pawlikowska-Bartosz, Anna; Pecio, Łukasz; Stafiniak, Marta; Rahimmalek, Mehdi; Słupski, Wojciech; Cieślak, Adam; Matkowski, AdamScutellaria baicalensis Georgi is a valuable medicinal plant of the Lamiaceae family. Its roots have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (under the name Huang-qin) since antiquity and are nowadays included in Chinese and European Pharmacopoeias. It is abundant in bioactive compounds which constitute up to 20% of dried root mass. These substances are lipophilic flavones with unsubstituted B-ring, baicalein, and wogonin and their respective glucuronides–baicalin and wogonoside being the most abundant. The content of these compounds is variable and the environmental factors causing this remain partially unknown. The role of these compounds in stress response is still being investigated and in our efforts to measure the effect of NaCl treatment on S. baicalensis growth and metabolic profile, we hope to contribute to this research. Short-term exposure to salt stress (50, 100, and 150 mM NaCl) resulted in a marked increase of baicalein from 1.55 mg to 2.55 mg/g DM (1.6-fold), baicalin from 8.2 mg to 14.7 mg (1.8-fold), wogonin from 4.9 to 6.8 (1.4-fold), and wogonoside from 3.3 to 6.8 mg/g DM (2-fold) in the roots. Conversely, in the aerial parts, the content of individual major flavonoids: carthamidine-7-O-glucuronide and scutellarein-7-O-glucuronide decreased the most by 10–50% from 18.6 mg to 11.3 mg/g (1.6-fold less) and from 6.5 mg to 3.4 mg/g DM (0.52-fold less), respectively. The amino acid profile was also altered with an increase in root concentrations of the following amino acids: arginine from 0.19 to 0.33 mg/g (1.7-fold), glutamate from 0.09 to 0.16 mg/g DM (1.6-fold), alanine from 0.009 to 0.06 mg/g (6.8-fold), proline from 0.011 to 0.029 (2.4-fold) and lysine from 0.016 to 0.063 mg/g (3.9-fold). Aspartate concentration decreased from 0.01 to 0.002 mg/g (4.8-fold less) at 150 mM NaCl. In the aerial parts, the concentration and variation in levels of specific amino acids differed among groups. For instance, the glutamate content exhibited a significant increase exclusively in the treatment group, rising from 0.031 to 0.034 mg/g, representing a 1.2-fold increase. Proline concentration showed a marked increase across all treated groups with the highest from 0.011 to 0.11 mg/g (10-fold). In conclusion, moderate salt stress was shown to increase S. baicalensis root biomass and flavonoid content which is rarely observed in a glycophyte species and provides a foundation for further studies on the mechanisms of osmotic stress adaptation on the specialized metabolism level.Item Growth Parameters, Yield and Grain Quality of Different Winter Wheat Cultivars Using Strip Tillage in Relation to the Intensity of Post-Harvest Soil Cultivation(MDPI, 2024-12-20) Różewicz, Marcin; Grabiński, Jerzy; Wyzińska, MartaItem Berkeleyomyces rouxiae - A Pathogen Causing the Black Root Rot of Tobacco(MDPI, 2024-12-18) Korbecka-Glinka, Grażyna; Trojak-Goluch, Anna; Czarnecka, DianaBlack root rot is a dangerous disease affecting many crops. It is caused by pathogens formerly known as Thielaviopsis basicola and then reclassified as two cryptic species, Berkeleyomyces basicola and B. rouxiae. The aim of this study was to perform species identification, morphological characterization, and pathogenicity tests for fungal isolates obtained from tobacco roots with black root rot symptoms in Poland. DNA sequences of the three regions (ITS, ACT, MCM7) were highly similar to the sequences of B. rouxiae deposited in the NCBI database. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the assignment of the obtained isolates to this species. The cultures of four representative isolates (namely OT2, OT3, WPT7, WPT8) showed a similar structure and gray/brown color of the mycelium, although their growth rate varied from 3.8 to 5.1 mm/day depending on the isolate. The sizes of the endoconidia and chlamydospores showed a considerable variation, although they fit within ranges previously described for B. rouxiae. Pathogenicity tests performed on young tobacco plants grown in the inoculated peat substrate revealed differences among the four isolates. WPT7 demonstrated the lowest level of aggressiveness for tobacco. In contrast, the remaining three isolates caused severe disease symptoms and significantly reduced shoot and root dry weights of the susceptible cultivar Virginia Joyner. A parallel pathogenicity test performed on cultivar VRG 10TL confirmed the effectiveness of black root rot resistance derived from Nicotiana debneyi.