The tested essential oils can be used to complement protothecosis therapy in animals and human beings.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of essential oils obtained from Thymus vulgaris L., Origanum vulgare L., Origanum majerana L., Mentha × piperita L. and Allium ursinum L. against Prototheca zopfii strains that cause inflammation of the udder (mastitis) in cows. The study was conducted on ten strains derived from milk samples. The microdilution method was used to determine the sensitivity of P. zopfii strains to the studied essential oils, and the disk diffusion method was used to determine the sensitivity to antifungal chemotherapeutics. The plates were incubated for 48 h at 37 °C under aerobic conditions. All strains of algae were sensitive to the essential oils marjoram, thyme and oregano and resistant to mint and garlic oils. MIC values ranged from 0.25 to 1 μl/ml. Marjoram oil demonstrated the greatest activity, and oregano oil the weakest. Among the antifungal agents tested, 90% of strains showed sensitivity to nystatin. One of the tested strains (71/IV) was resistant to all investigated antifungal agents. The tested essential oils are known to have anti-algae activity and can be used as natural agents for prophylaxis in animals, particularly in mastitis-affected cows.

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Mastitis is a serious bovine diseases that can be caused by Prototheca zopfii, yeast-like algae belonging to the family Chlorellaceae. The substantial economic losses and health damage associated with bovine mastitis emphasize the need to develop effective strategies aimed at control of the infection. Unfortunately, P. zopfii is highly resistant to most common antibacterial and antifungal agents, as well as to heat treatment. We report here the first attempt to use cold atmospheric plasma to inactivate this pathogen. We studied 20 strains of P. zopfii isolated from milk samples taken from cows with clinical or subclinical mastitis. The studies confirmed the high level of resistance of P. zopfii to typical antifungal agents, such as voriconazole, fluconazole, amphotericin B, caspofungin, anidulafungin, and micafungin. In contrast, each of the strains revealed high susceptibility to cold atmospheric plasma, >2-fold higher compared with a reference strain of Candida albicans. The obtained results are promising and open up a new approach in the fight against P. zopfii.

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Between 2014 and 2016, research was carried out in the "Bory Tucholskie" National Park, with the aim to investigate the diversity of species of macrofungi in CladonioPinetum. The studies recorded 140 taxa of macromycetes, of which the majority was basidiomycete (136). The highest number of taxa of fungi (98) was found in 2016, while the lowest (76) was found in the first year of the study (2014). A total of 90 taxa were found in 2015. Among the identified species of macromycetes, Inonotus obliquus is on the list of protected fungi covered by partial legal protection and 23 reported species are on the "Red list of the macrofungi in Poland", which is concerned with the protection of the habitat of Cladonio-Pinetum.

Field investigations into slime moulds were conducted in the "Bory Tucholskie" National Park in 2014. These were preliminary inventory studies, as research into myxogastria had not been conducted previously in this area. A total of 34 taxa (32 species, 2 varieties) belonging to 16 genera were identified. Of them, Stemonitopsis amoena (Nann.-Bremek.) Nann.-Bremek. is a species new to the biota of Poland. The taxon Symphytocarpus flaccidus is on the red list of slime mould rare in Poland. Localities of two species -Cribraria languescens Rex and C. pertenuis Flatau & Schirmer, were recorded in Poland for the second time.