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The purpose of the study was to evaluate Chamerion angustifolium (L.) Holub genotypes for preliminary selection and further breeding programs aimed at obtaining a suitable industrial form for the pharmaceutical applications. Clonally propagated plants representing 10 genotypes of Ch. angustifolium were regenerated under in vitro conditions, hardened and planted in the field. Studies included an evaluation of shoot proliferation, phytochemical assessment of in vitro and ex vitro plants as well as investigations of intraspecies variability regarding four phenological stages: vegetative, beginning of blooming, full blooming, and green fruit phases. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of bioactive compounds were performed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector and tandem mass spectrometer (HPLC–DAD–MS/MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods. The efficiency of shoot multiplication varied between genotypes from 8.12 to 21.48 shoots per explant. A high reproduction rate (> 20 shoots per explant) was recorded for four lines (PL_45, PL_44, PL_58, DE_2). Plants grown in vitro synthesized oenothein B (11.2–22.3 mg g−1 DW) and caffeic acid derivatives. Plants harvested from field contained the full spectrum of polyphenols characteristic for this species, and oenothein B and quercetin 3-O-glucuronide were the most abundant. The maximal content of oenothein B was determined in the vegetative phase of fireweed, while some flavonoids were found in the highest amount in full blooming phase. The results of analysis of variance indicated significant differences among genotypes in oenothein B, 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid and flavonoids accumulation in four phenological phases. PL_44 plants were characterized by high content of oenothein B and quercetin 3-O-glucuronide as well as a relatively high level of other flavonoids. Based on our phytochemical and micropropagation studies, PL_44 genotype was the best candidate for early selection and further breeding programs. Epilobium angustifolium genotypes differ in the shoot multiplication efficiency. Significant genotypic variation among tested genotypes was found in flavonoids, oenothein B and chlorogenic acid level in four developmental phases.

Summary Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium L.) is a well-known medicinal plant traditionally used in the treatment of urogenital diseases, stomach and liver disorders, skin problems, etc. E. angustifolium extracts show anti-androgenic, antiproliferative, cytotoxic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antimicrobial activities. The unique combination of biological properties demonstrated by the results of some studies indicates that fireweed has a positive effect in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and potentially in the prostate cancer chemoprevention. However, the efficacy of E. angustifolium phytotherapy is still poorly tested in clinical trials, while numerous beneficial effects of extracts have been documented in the in vitro and in vivo tests. Fireweed is rich in polyphenolic compounds, particularly ellagitannins. Currently, polyphenols are considered to be modulators of beneficial gut microbiota. The literature data support the use of ellagitannins in the prostate cancer chemoprevention, but caution is advised due to the highly variable production of urolithins by the individual microbiota. A better understanding of the microbiota’s role and the mechanisms of its action are crucial for an optimal therapeutic effect. This paper aims to summarize and discuss experimental data concerning pharmacological properties of E. angustifolium and bioavailability of ellagitannins – important bioactive compounds of this plant.

Summary Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium L., Onagraceae) is one of important medicinal plants used especially in the treatment of urogenital disorders, including benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatitis. The therapeutic effects of E. angustifolium extracts comprise antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and also antimicrobial activities. The aim of the present review was to provide the information on the botany, phytochemistry and traditional uses of E. angustifolium. This plant is a widespread circumboreal species of North America and Eurasia, tolerant in terms of habitat conditions, and often occupying man-made open habitats. Phytochemical studies on E. angustifolium resulted in the identification of about 250 different metabolites, including about 170 substances found for the first time in this plant in the last six years (2014–2019). Fireweed has an abundance of polyphenolic compounds, particularly ellagitannins. Oenothein B and quercetin-3-O-glucuronide are proposed as markers for the identification and standardization of the plant raw material. E. angustifolium exhibits significant phytochemical variability in relation to the geographical origin, plant part and time of harvest/vegetation phase. Survey of the ethnobotanical literature showed that the above-mentioned species has been widely used not only as a medicinal, but also as an edible, honey and decorative plant.

Background: Edible and medicinal plants are still an interesting source of promising biologically active substances to drug discovery and development. At a time of increasing cancer incidence in the world, alleviating the bothersome side effects of radiotherapy in debilitated cancer patients is becoming an important challenge. Objective: The aim of the study was to overview the literature data concerning the radioprotective activity of extracts, essential oils, and some chemical compounds obtained from 12 species belonging to the Lamiaceae family, gathering of numerous spice and medicinal plants rich in valuable phytochemicals. Results and Conclusion: The analysis of available publications showed radioprotective effectiveness of essential oils and complex extracts containing phenolic acids and flavonoids in various in vitro and in vivo models. Relatively welldocumented preventive properties exhibited the following species: Mentha × piperita, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Origanum vulgare, and Rosmarinus officinalis. However, few plants such as Lavandula angustifolia, Mentha arvensis, M. spicata, Plectranthus amboinicus, Salvia miltiorrhiza, S. officinalis, Scutellaria baicalensis, and Zataria multiflora should be more investigated in the future. Among the mechanisms of radioprotective effects of well-studied extracts and phytochemicals, it can be mentioned mainly the protection against chromosomal damage, scavenging free radicals, decreasing of lipid peroxidation and elevating of glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and alkaline phosphatase enzyme levels as well as the reduction the cell death. The plant substances protected the gastrointestinal tract, bone marrow and lung fibroblasts. In conclusion, studied species of Lamiaceae family and their active chemical compounds are potent in alleviating the side effects of radiotherapy and should be considered as a complementary therapy.

Fucoxanthin is an orange-coloured pigment present in brown algae (Phaeophyceae) and diatoms (Bacillariophyceae). This non-provitamin A carotenoid shows various biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, and anticancer properties. Its antimicrobial effect is not sufficiently confirmed. Therefore, the purpose of the present work was to determine the activity of fucoxanthin against clinical strains of 20 species of bacteria.In the study, there were tested six Gram-positive bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Streptococcus agalactiae, S. pneumoniae, S. pyogenes), and seven Gram-negative ones (Acinetobacter lwoffii, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, K. pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens). Additionally, we investigated seven strict anaerobic pathogens (Actinomyces israelii, Atopobium parvulum, Mitsuokella multacida, Peptococcus niger, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Propionibacterium acnes, Veilonella parvula). The microbial growth inhibitory potential of fucoxanthin was determined according to recommendations of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and as described in our previous publication [1,2] using the agar disc-diffusion and the micro-dilution methods.The obtained results indicated the biological activity of fucoxanthin against all tested strains of aerobic bacteria. The mean diameter of zone of inhibition (ZOI) ranged from 7.2 (P. mirabilis) to 12.2 mm (S. agalactiae), while the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) varied between 62.5 (S. agalactiae) and 500 μg/mL (P. mirabilis, P. aeruginosa, S. marcescens). Statistically significant stronger effect was observed in the case of Gram-positive (mean of ZOIs = 10.5 mm) than Gram-negative bacteria (8.3 mm). On the other hand, fucoxanthin was not active against strict anaerobic bacteria with the ZOIs of 6.0 mm and the MICs above 1000 μg/mL [3].In conclusion, our study confirmed the antimicrobial activity of fucoxanthin. It seems that this substance can be a good antibacterial agent on some Gram-positive pathogens such as S. agalactiae, S. epidermidis, S. aureus, and weaker against Gram-negative bacteria. [1] Karpinski T.M., Adamczak A. Antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts of some moss species. Herba Pol. 2017; 63: 11-17.[2] Karpinski T.M. Efficacy of octenidine against Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains. Eur J Biol Res. 2019; 9: 135-140.[3] Karpinski T.M., Adamczak A. Fucoxanthin - an antibacterial carotenoid. Antioxidants 2019; 8(8): 239.

Apigenin (4′,5,7-trihydroxyflavone) and luteolin (3′,4′,5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone) are among the most widely distributed flavone aglycones in flowering plants. These metabolites often occur in the form of O- and C-glycosides. In this group, four C-glucosides pay special attention: vitexin (apigenin 8-C-glucoside) and isovitexin (apigenin 6-C-glucoside) as well as orientin (luteolin 8-C-glucoside) and isoorientin (luteolin 6-C-glucoside). The above-mentioned compounds show various biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anticancer as well as neuro-, cardio-, and hepatoprotective effects. The aim of the present work was to determine the antibacterial activity of these flavones. In the in vitro tests, there were investigated clinical strains of two Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The antimicrobial activity of chosen substances was determined by the micro-dilution method according to recommendations of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Curcumin was used as a positive control. Our results exhibited a relatively low sensitivity of the tested strains to the plant metabolites. In the case of curcumin – natural compound with known strong antibacterial effect, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for all species of bacteria was 500 μg/mL. The same level of biological activity was observed for apigenin, luteolin, and their glucosides against E. coli and P. aeruginosa. Among Gram-positive bacteria, the obtained results showed significant variability. Strains of S. aureus demonstrated a weak sensitivity to apigenin (MIC = 500-1000 μg/mL), and were resistant to its derivatives: vitexin and isovitexin (>1000 μg/mL). Additionally, these compounds poorly inhibited the growth of E. faecalis (1000 μg/mL). In turn, luteolin and its C-glucosides (orientin, isoorientin) reached the same values of the MICs: moderate against S. aureus (500 μg/mL) and weak for E. faecalis (1000 μg/mL). Our research points to the problem of varied sensitivity and even resistance of some clinical strains of common pathogens to the widespread natural plant compounds, such as flavonoids and other phenolics (e.g., curcumin). It is interesting that apigenin, luteolin, and their C-glucosides were generally more potent against Gram-negative bacteria than Gram-positive ones. A pair of analysed flavone aglycones has a very similar chemical structure, and they did not differ significantly in the antibacterial activity. Similarly, the presence and location of the sugar group in the flavone glucosides usually did not affect the values of the MICs.

Summary Introduction: For centuries, mosses have been used in traditional medicine due to their antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities. Objective: The present study was designed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts obtained from 12 moss species: Brachythecium albicans, Bryum argenteum, Ceratodon purpureus, Dicranum scoparium, Dryptodon pulvinatus, Orthotrichum anomalum, Oxyrrhynchium hians, Plagiomnium undulatum, Polytrichum juniperinum, P. piliferum, Schistidium crassipilum, and Syntrichia ruralis. Methods: The antimicrobial activity of extracts was investigated against three Gram(+) bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes) and two Gram(-) bacteria (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae), using the agar disc-diffusion method. Results: The high activity against all investigated bacteria was determined for extracts of D. pulvinatus, P. undulatum, B. argenteum, S. crassipilum, O. anomalum (mean inhibition zone: 11.3-13.1 mm) and to a lesser extent in the case of D. scoparium (8.3 mm). Extracts from P. juniperinum and P. piliferum showed activity only against Gram-positive bacteria, with an inhibition zone from 7.3 to 9.7 mm. Four species: B. albicans, C. purpureus, O. hians, and S. ruralis had not antibacterial properties. Conclusions: The obtained results indicate that mosses could be a significant source of antibacterial agents. For the first time, we presented antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts from S. crassipilum and O. anomalum.

Summary Introduction: The inflorescence of Helichrysum arenarium (L.) Moench shows anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, detoxifying properties and is traditionally used in liver and biliary tract diseases. Because of its difficult and expensive cultivation, the plant raw material is mainly harvested from natural sites. Objective: The research aimed to determine the local variation in yield and content of flavonoids and phenolic acids in the yellow everlasting inflorescence against the background of the layer structure of vegetation as the rate of plant succession. Methods: The plant raw material was collected from 30 plots of 1 m2, established for three separate populations developing on sandy fallows near Zielona Góra (western Poland). For each study area, percentage cover of the moss-lichen and herb layers, the height, cover and yield of H. arenarium as well as the height and cover of other herbaceous plants were determined. Total contents of flavonoids (expressed as quercetin) and phenolic acids (calculated as caffeic acid) were measured spectrophotometrically, according to Polish Pharmacopoeia. Results: Everlastings reached a cover of up to 70% and the maximum air-dry matter yield of 46.42 g/m2. The height, coverage and yield of H. arenarium were correlated with the parameters describing the herb layer. The content of flavonoids ranged from 0.56 to 0.99%, while that of phenolic acids from 0.82 to 1.80% DM. Conclusions: Yellow everlasting is an important species of early fallows on poor sandy soils and these habitats constitute a rich natural source of herbal raw material. Inflorescences harvested from natural sites are distinguished by a high and similar content of polyphenols and usually meet the requirements of Polish Pharmacopoeia.

Summary Roseroot (Rhodiola rosea L.) is an adaptogenic plant, widely used in the traditional medicine of Scandinavia, Russia, China and Mongolia. The aim of the study was to determine the biometric and phytochemical co-variability of this species under field cultivation in western Poland (Plewiska near Poznań). The plant material originated from four-year-old cultivation established twice by rhizome division in autumn 2007 and 2008. In the study, 46 individuals (23 plants in 2011 and in 2012) were used. The biometric analysis included measurements of the basic characteristics of plants related to the size (luxuriance) of clumps, shoots, leaves and rhizomes with roots (raw material). The amounts of total polyphenols (expressed as gallic acid), tannins (expressed as pyrogallol) and flavonoids (expressed as quercetin) were determined spectrophotometrically. The obtained results showed high variation of Rh. rosea, especially in the level of flavonoids (0.01-0.20% DM) and in the weight of raw material (113-1156 g FM/plant). There were observed correlations between the phytochemical (flavonoid and total phenolic content) and biometric (water content, leaf number, shoot and clump size) features.

Preparations from rhizomes of Petasites hybridus (L.) Gaertn., B. Mey. & Scherb. (common butterbur) have a long history of use in folk medicine in treatment of several diseases as anti-inflammatory and spasmolytic drugs. Extracts from this species are of interest to researchers in the field of phytopharmacology due to their biologically active compounds, particularly two eremophilane sesquiterpenes (petasin and isopetasin), which are contained not only in rhizomes and roots, but also in leaves. Moreover, P. hybridusa contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which showed hepatotoxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. Hence, special extracts devoid of alkaloids obtained by sub- and super-critic carbon dioxide extraction were used in the preclinical, clinical studies and phytotherapy. Our review aims to provide a literature survey of pharmacological as well as clinical trials of P. hybridus, carried out in 2000-2013. Also several studies of other species used in non-European countries have been included. Besides, the botanical description of Petasites genus and phytochemical characteristic of P. hybridus and toxicological studies of pyrrolizidine alkaloids as well as chemical profile of patented commercial extracts from rhizomes, roots and leaves of this species used in European phytotherapy have been performed. In this review, attention has also been paid to the promising and potential application of special extracts of P. hybridus not only in the prevention of migraine, treatment of allergic rhinitis symptoms, asthma and hypertension, but also in prevention and slowing the progression of neurodegenerative diseases developing with the inflammatory process in the CNS as a new therapeutic strategy. In fact, there is already an evidence of promising properties of P. hybridus extracts and sesquiterpens - decrease in the prostaglandins and leukotrienes release, inhibition of COX-1 and COX-2 activity, as well as antagonism of L-type voltage-gated calcium channels. In order to explain the new mechanisms of action of P. hybridus extracts in the CNS and their future application in phytotherapy of diseases with neuroinflammatory process, further studies should be performed.

Roseroot (Rhodiola rosea L.) belongs to important herbs in folk medicine of Scandinavia, Russia, Mongolia, and China. Its therapeutic usage is mainly associated with the adaptogenic properties of this species. Roseroot is characterized by high morphological, phytochemical, and genetic differentiation. The aim of the present work was to determine the biometric and phytochemical co-variability of this taxon. Samples of Rh. rosea were collected from 4-year-old experimental field cultivation established by rhizome division in western Poland. For each plant, the biometric measurements of the clumps, shoots, leaves, and rhizomes with roots were carried out. In the underground plant parts (raw material), the contents of the main active compounds (phenylpropanoids, phenylethanoids, phenolic acids, and catechins) were determined by the HPLC-DAD method. K-means clustering analysis showed three well-separated plant groups of Rh. rosea that differed significantly in the level of most of the investigated components. It was interesting that in the raw material with a high content of phenylethanoids, a low level of phenyl­propanoids was found, and vice versa. These chemical groups clearly differed in luxuriance of plants, too. The important diagnostic feature was also the degree of leaf serration. The morphological and phytochemical co-variability of roseroot was confirmed by the correlations detected between some active compounds (especially catechins and rosavin) and biometric traits describing the size and serration of leaves, the size of clumps and shoots as well as the weight of the raw material.

The aim of this study was to determine fruit yield of Oxycoccus palustris under the climatic and habitat conditions of northern Wielkopolska (the Greater Poland region), depending on the type of occupied plant community. Total fruit number and fruit weight as well as average cranberry leaf size were determined on 33 plots with an area of 1 m2, located on 7 peatlands. On the study areas, European cranberry produced crops from 9.2 up to 242.0 g 􀂉􀀃 m-2, which gives 92-2420 kg 􀂉􀀃ha-1. It has been demonstrated that on the peatlands of northern Wielkopolska O. palustris reaches its generative and vegetative optimum in the communities of the class Scheuchzerio- Caricetea fuscae, in particular in the community Sphagno recurvi-Eriophoretum angustifolii.

We determined the level of flavonoids, citric acid and ascorbic acid in hips of rose species from the Caninae section occurring in Poland. We performed phytochemical analyses of 75 samples representing 11 species: Rosa agrestis Savi, R. canina L., R. dumalis Bechst., R. glauca Pourret, R. inodora Fries, R. jundzillii Besser, R. rubiginosa L., R. sherardii Davies, R. tomentosa Sm., R. villosa L. and R. zalana Wiesb. Flavonoid content was determined spectrophotometrically, and organic acid concentrations by HPLC. The content of the studied compounds varied greatly. Interspecific differences in the amount of flavonoids and ascorbic acid were highly significant. The most common species, Rosa canina, showed low average content of vitamin C (0.51 g/100 g of dry matter) and flavonoids (41 mg/100 g DM) and high content of citric acid (3.48 g/100 g DM). Ascorbic acid was highest in R. villosa hips (avg. 2.25 g/100 g DM), flavonoids were highest in R. rubiginosa (72 mg/100 g DM), and citric acid was highest in R. tomentosa (4.34 g/100 g DM). Flavonoid level correlated negatively with the amount of citric acid (r=-0.47, p