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The medicinal use of mountain arnica (Arnica montana L.) has a long tradition in Europe and is currently confirmed by the documented biological activity of extracts from its flowers and helenalin isolated from them. The main groups of specialized metabolites found in Arnicae flos are: sesquiterpene lactones, flavonoids, phenolic acids. The anti-inflammatory effect that justifies most of the uses of arnica is primarily due to helenalin derivatives, which are currently being studied, among others, in terms of anticancer activity and against selected parasitic protozoa causing tropical diseases. The development of new solutions for obtaining large amounts of arnica material for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, as well as the search for an efficient source of helenalin derivatives, is therefore justified by biological activity and the expanding range of possible medicinal applications. The high demand for plant raw materials and the prohibited collection from natural sites of strictly protected mountain arnica contributed to the optimization of the cultivation of this species, the acquisition of plant material with comparable qualitative and quantitative characteristics from other species (primarily meadow arnica), as well as the use of biotechnological methods in plant in vitro cultures. In this area, the most numerous publications concern the development of effective micro-propagation of arnica for cultivation. Biotechnological procedures used to develop methods for obtaining helenalin derivatives from plant in vitro cultures have value as the natural science research as well as economic importance and this potential may also be covered by patent protection. In this study, we present the traditional uses of mountain arnica in Europe in the 20th century and summarize the current directions of research in the 21st century, with particular emphasis on the use of plant in vitro cultures. Besides historical documents, the cited works are related to obtaining valuable plant material from arnica based on selected review publications and original research works available in publication databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect). There are also mentioned plants of other species belonging to Asteraceae family, commonly called „arnica” in the regions of Brazil or Mexico (known as: Brasilian arnica, Mexican arnica, false arnica), which are the subject of research works on detailed phytochemical analysis and biological activity, including their anti-inflammatory effect.

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Background. Invasive aesthetic medicine is associated with various rehabilitation manifestations: hematomas, edema, pain after the procedure. Hematomas are an unpleasant, but often inevitable for the patient. In this case, hematomas appear when a vessel is directly injured by a needle during the procedure, which is always associated with skin trauma and an increased risk of infection. Aim. Application of an effective treatment regimen without pronounced side effects for minimizing rehabilitation phenomena after aesthetic procedures. Materials and methods. The study involved 50 patients, 25 of whom received anti hematoma therapy with external and systemic forms of Arnica montana (Boiron) before and after the procedure. 25 remaining (control group) did not receive therapy before the procedure, as well as during rehabilitation after the procedure. The analysis of the course of the rehabilitation period was assessed using a questionnaire, which contained questions on assessing the degree of intensity of such adverse events after the procedure as pain, edema, hyperemia, the size of hematomas according to a scale from 0 to 5, where 0 no manifestations, 5 significantly pronounced manifestations. Results. An analysis of many clinical cases shows the effectiveness of antihematoma therapy with Arnica montana preparations in various forms [Arnica montana C9 (Boiron) and Arnigel] before and after procedure, manifested in a faster resolution of hematomas, a decrease in edema, a decrease in pain after the procedure, as well as an overall reduction in the rehabilitation period by at least 23 days compared with the course of rehabilitation without the appointment of anti-hematoma therapy. Conclusion. Based on the above data, confirmed by numerous studies, we can conclude about the effectiveness of prescribing Arnica drugs [Arnica montana C9 (Boiron) and Arnigel] before and after invasive aesthetic procedures.

Arnica montana L. flower heads are known for their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer activity. The aim of this work was to optimize the process of supercritical CO2 extraction, to achieve high extraction yield and high content of biologically active components, and to confirm the antimicrobial and anticancer activity of the extract. The influence of pressure and temperature on the total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and proanthocyanidin content was evaluated. The pressure and temperature were found to be interdependent. A temperature of 60°C and a pressure of 30 MPa resulted in a high extraction yield, antioxidant activity and phenolic content. The content of proanthocyanidins was highest at a pressure between 18 and 24 MPa. The extracts inhibited three different microorganisms successfully; Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans, at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 5.16 mg/ml and showed anticancer activity decrease up to 85% at a concentration of 0.5 mg/ml.

Arnica montana L. is a critically endangered and highly valued medicinal plant species in Europe. We show the inter-relationships between arnica and accompanying plant species, as well as soil factors, that promote the persistence of the studied forest arnica populations in terms of active protection of this species in the northeast region of Europe. The population characteristics and plant species composition were assessed during a field study. Additionally, soil samples were taken and analyzed to assess variation in soil conditions in the habitats of arnica populations. Correlations between population characteristics and soil properties were highlighted. The forest habitats of arnica presented in this study differ from those described in other European mountain and submountain areas. The sandy and very poor soils are characterized by a very low content of macro- and microelements, and a strong acid reaction. The positive correlation between population characteristics and Ca and K indicates an important role of these macroelements in flower head production. Acidity, K, Ca, the sum of exchangeable bases, and base saturation play crucial roles in the persistence of arnica populations in pine forests. The level of acidity and its consequences result from soil-forming processes and climatic conditions rather than air pollution. When planning active protection scenarios, special attention should be paid to the frequency and cover of Vaccinium myrtillus, which can act as a competitor in forest habitats. Assessment of soil conditions that favor the persistence of the studied arnica populations and species relationships is important for improving knowledge of the ecology of the species and for the active protection of endangered plant species.

Arnica montana L. is a critically endangered and highly valued medicinal plant species in Europe. We show the inter-relationships between arnica and accompanying plant species, as well as soil factors, that promote the persistence of the studied forest arnica populations in terms of active protection of this species in the northeast region of Europe. The population characteristics and plant species composition were assessed during a field study. Additionally, soil samples were taken and analyzed to assess variation in soil conditions in the habitats of arnica populations. Correlations between population characteristics and soil properties were highlighted. The forest habitats of arnica presented in this study differ from those described in other European mountain and submountain areas. The sandy and very poor soils are characterized by a very low content of macro- and microelements, and a strong acid reaction. The positive correlation between population characteristics and Ca and K indicates an important role of these macroelements in flower head production. Acidity, K, Ca, the sum of exchangeable bases, and base saturation play crucial roles in the persistence of arnica populations in pine forests. The level of acidity and its consequences result from soil-forming processes and climatic conditions rather than air pollution. When planning active protection scenarios, special attention should be paid to the frequency and cover of Vaccinium myrtillus, which can act as a competitor in forest habitats. Assessment of soil conditions that favor the persistence of the studied arnica populations and species relationships is important for improving knowledge of the ecology of the species and for the active protection of endangered plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arnica montana L., a valuable medicinal plant, has been used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry for many years. Traditional methods of reproduction of this protected species are hardly efficient; hence, the method of in vitro culture provides the possibility of increasing the multiplication coefficient, which in turn would facilitate introduction of arnica into crop production. The aim of the study was to examine the effect of cytokinins and their concentration on multiplication of shoots and the effect of different concentrations of auxin on rooting of multiplied shoots of Arnica montana. The plants of mountain arnica were propagated from shoot tips placed on the MS agar (0.7%) medium supplemented with NAA (0.1 mg ·l-1). One of the four cytokinins, i.e. BAP, KIN, 2iP and Z, was applied at the concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mg ·l-1. After 5 weeks of the in vitro culture, the shoots obtained were transferred to the MS agar medium supplemented with 0, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2 mg ·l-1 NAA for rooting. The greatest number of the explants regenerating shoots and the shoots number were found in the MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg·l-1 BAP. KIN at the concentrations of 1.5 and 2.0 mg·l-1 exerted the most substantial impact on the shoot length. No change in shoot length and weight was found in the case of Z, and a bigger number of shoots was obtained at its concentrations ranging 1.0 to 2.0 mg·l-1. The shoots of the mountain arnica were characterised by high rhizogenic capacity. The biggest numbers of rooted shoots were found in the medium containing 0.1 mg·l-1 NAA. Plants with the greatest number and weight of shoots were obtained in the same medium, while the longest roots were found at 0.05 mg·l-1 NAA.