Viscum album L. subsp. album is a hemiparasitic plant that is recognized as a medicinal plant due to its beneficial effects, including anti-tumor activity, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-hepatotoxic, hypoglycemic, and antimicrobial properties as well as for lowering blood pressure. On the other hand, mistletoe is a biotic stressor for both deciduous trees and conifers. Our main aim was to evidence the influence of mistletoe on the content of chlorophylls, proline, total phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity of leaves from tree host trees (Malus domestica, Prunus domestica, and Populus alba) that grow on the northwest of Romania. In addition, HPLC-DAD-MS-ESI+ was used to analyze the phenolic acid and flavonoid profiles of V. album L. subsp. album leaves according to their parasitized hosts. A significant decrease in chlorophyll a level of approximately 32% was detected in poplars infested with mistletoe, followed by infested apples and plums with pigment reductions of 29.25% and 9.65%, respectively. The content of total phenols and flavonoids in the parasitized trees was higher compared to the non-parasitized ones. In the case of poplar, which presented the highest incidence of mistletoe infestation (70.37%), the content of total phenols in the leaves was two times higher compared to non-infested leaves. Based on HPLC chromatographic analysis, leaves of mistletoe growing on apple (VAM) had the highest content of phenolic acids (7.833 mg/g dw), followed by mistletoe leaves on poplar (VAO) and plum (VAP) (7.033 mg/g dw and, respectively, 5.559 mg/g dw). Among the flavonols, the predominant component was Rhamnazin glucosides in the amount of 1.025 ± 0.08 mg/g dw in VAO, followed by VAP and VAM (0.514 ± 0.04 and 0.478 ± 0.04 mg/g dw, respectively). Although our results show that mistletoe negatively influences the host trees, it is still a valuable plant that must be exploited to bring benefits to human health.

Natural compounds are used in modern dermal treatments to avoid side effects commonly associated with conventional treatments. The aim of our study was to develop a liposomal formulation including black mulberry extract and to highlight its potential on the healing of normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) in vitro using the scratch test. Mulberry-loaded liposomes (Mn_L) were prepared using a thin-film hydration method based on cholesterol (C) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) in a 1:3 (w/w) ratio. The liposomal formulation was characterized by analyzing its size, electric surface potential, morphology, entrapment efficiency, and in vitro healing effects. Also, the black mulberry fruits (Morus nigra L.) were characterized from point of view of polyphenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity by Ferric-Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay. HPLC-DAD-MS (ESI+) (high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detection-mass spectrometry (electrospray ionization)) analysis indicated the presence of phenolic compounds namely from hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonols. Among flavonols, quercetin-glucoside represented 50.56%, and chlorogenic acid was the predominant compound among hydroxycinnamic acids (37.06%). In vitro fibroblast wound closure was more effective with mulberry-loaded liposomes (L_Mn) than extracts of mulberries. According to our study, mulberry-loaded liposomes have been shown to be effective in wound healing and can be used as a natural treatment.

This study was conducted to evaluate whether the application of proline as a potential osmoprotectant at different doses could improve the genotoxic and mutagenic effects caused by plant exposure to cadmium salts. For this purpose, the Comet assay was used, which allows the rapid detection of DNA damage shortly after its occurrence, before the DNA is repaired, as well as the discrimination of the DNA damage limited to specific cells in a heterogeneous population. After treatment of Allium cepa roots with 75µM CdSO4·H2O (Cd sample), a DNA percentage of 35.24% was recorded in the tail. In the samples treated first with proline and then with cadmium (pre-treatment group), the percentage DNA in the tail was reduced by 24.8% compared with the Cd sample. Instead, in the post-treatment group (samples treated first with cadmium and then with proline), the percentage DNA in the tail was reduced by 69.04% compared with the Cd sample. All cadmium treatments induced chromosomal aberrations (CAs). Compared with the CAs values obtained after Cd treatment, the reduction was 75.6% in the pre-treatment group and 55.39% in the post-treatment group. The results of this study highlighted that exogenous application of proline alleviated the genotoxic effect of cadmium.

Salt stress, an abiotic stress, determines modifications of some biochemical indicators, like, antioxidant enzymes, proline (amino acidaccumulate in higher plants under salinity stress) content, and some physiological processes including: plant growth and development. Inthis paper we studied the influence of exogenous treatment of wheat seeds, with 0.1 mM salicylic acid (SA) solution, in the plant response tosalt stress. The treatment was applied by presoaking the seeds in the treatment solution for 12 hours before germination. The results showedthat exogenous 0.1 mM SA solution, administrated to the wheat cariopses significantly ameliorated the negative effect of salt stress in firstweek of germination in laboratory conditions.

The aim of the study was to compare the heavy metal contamination and study the mineral content of Polish and Romanian honeys. We used Polish varietal honeys (n=18) produced in the year 2013-2014 in ecologically clean Podkarpackie region, and Romanian honeys (n=36) from Bihor district produced in 2013. The heavy metals concentration as well as mineral composition of honey was assayed by ICP-OES method with prior microwave mineralization. The cadmium and lead level in tested Polish honeys ranged from 0.007 to 0.021mg/kg and 0.02 to 0.098 mg/kg, respectively. Cadmium was not detected in Romanian honeys, and the lead contamination was lower than in Polish honey (0.018-0.05 mg/kg). Mercury was not detected in any tested honey samples. The aluminum content in Polish honeydew honeys was 34.6-times higher than in Romanian honeys. Honey samples from Poland were richest in potassium (2.5-fold for honeydew, lime and acacia, excluding heather), but they included less calcium. Generally, dark honeys include the highest mineral concentration and are more contaminated by heavy metals. However, all tested samples met the legal requirements for heavy metals residues. The geographical origin and soil composition strongly influenced honey chemical composition and the crucial factor for heavy metal transfer seems to be soil pH.