Loretta Pace

A rapid method for the quantification of artemisinin in Artemisia annua L. plants cultivated for the first time in Burundi

We describe a simple, rapid combined method for extracting the antimalarial compound artemisinin from the leaves of Artemisia annua L. cultivated for the first time in Burundi, and quantitating the active principle by high-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray mass spectrometry.

Mapping of Alternaria and Pleospora concentrations in Central Italy using meteorological forecast and neural network estimator

Airborne particles (pollens and fungal spores) are recognized as important causes of allergies and many other pathologies whose main symptoms are usually associated with respiratory problems. In addition, these particles seem to be responsible for clinical symptoms of oculorhinitis and bronchial asthma. Many authors showed how pollen and spore concentrations are critically linked to meteorological conditions, while other studies investigated the possibility to estimate these concentrations through meteorological parameters. So, many different approaches have been proposed, and one of the most sophisticated is based on the use of a complex artificial neural network architecture. Once the neural device is calibrated using simultaneous time series of observed meteorological parameters and airborne biological particles, it is straightforward to use the Neural Network to predict spore concentrations using operational Limited Area Meteorological Model. In a previous work, it has been shown that the MM5 meteorological model developed by National Center for Atmospheric Research and Pennsylvania State University can be coupled with the above-cited neural predictor to provide a good prediction of Alternaria and Pleospora spore in the location of L’Aquila (Central Italy). Following the same approach, this work aims to provide the mapping of spore concentration over a wide area covered by high-resolution meteorological prediction in Central Italy. The complex patterns of fungal spore concentrations in selected areas will be described, and the high temporal variability of such fields will be discussed as well. The possibility to infer useful information from the predicted pattern of spore concentrations is discussed, as an example it appears that for people suffering from allergy to fungal spores is more comfortable to spend summertime close to the east coast of Italian Peninsula respect to the west coast. A further step of this work may easily lead to an operational use of the model for supporting the clinical management of allergies and for establishing a preventive strategy in agriculture to avoid unsafe and useless pollution of atmosphere, crops and fields.

In vitro plant regeneration and clonal micropropagation of Leontopodium nivale (Ten.) Heut ex Hand.‐Mazz. (Asteraceae)

Abstract An in vitro micropropagation method was developed for Leontopodium nivale (Ten.) Heut ex Hand.‐Mazz., an endemic species of the central Apennines, which is, at present, an endangered plant due to indiscriminate collecting carried out by tourists. Callus induction was obtained from cotyledons of in vitro germinated seeds on medium containing 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, and the regeneration of shoots was readily achieved using 6‐benzylaminopurine at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 mg/L. After rooting on auxin‐containing media, plantlets were transferred to hydroponics for acclimation, and then to soil. Abbreviations: 6‐BAP, 6‐benzylaminopurine; 2,4‐D, 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid; IAA, indole‐3‐acetic acid; Kin, kinetin; MS, Murashige and Skoog medium; NAA, 1‐naphthaleneacetic acid

The Main Invasive Alien Plants in the Protected Areas in Central Italy (Abruzzo)

The main invasive alien plants in the protected areas of the Abruzzo region have been recently pointed out. The areas taken into account have been the ones of the National Park of Abruzzo, National Park of Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga, National Park of Maiella, and the Regional Park of Sirente-Velino. The main plants have been found in the basal areas (400–1000 mt.), in uncultivated fields and urban surroundings (road and path margins, dumps, etc.). The most wide spread are the following: Asteraceae: Aster squamatus (Sprengel) Hieron.(Neotropical), Conyza Less. (C. bonariensis (L.) Cronq., C. canadensis (L.) Cronq.), Helianthus tuberosus L. (North America), Xanthium spinosum L. (South America), Artemisia verlotiorum Lamotte (East Asia), Senecio inaequidens DC. (South Africa); Amarantaceae (Amaranthus chlorostachys Willd., A. retroflexus L., A. deflexus L.). The most invasive plant is Senecio inaequidens DC. (Asteraceae) which can be found in different areas, from the uncultivated calcium-rich fields to dumps, in the dry pastures and degraded oak-woods. A very common plant is also Isatis tinctoria L. (Cruciferae), an invasive plant coming from the South-East of Asia. It is very widespread in the ex-cultivated fields as it was introduced as a dyeing plant in the XVI century. Robinia pseudoacacia L. (Leguminosae) (native from Carolina and Virginia) and Ailanthus altissima (Miller) Swingle, Simaroubaceae (originated of China and Molucche Isles) are the most common trees. Phytosociological studies have been carried out on Senecio inaequidens, Isatis tinctoria, Artemisia verlotiorum and Amaranthus species with the purpose of defining their quantitative and qualitative presence both in urban surroundings and in natural environments. In the protected areas taken into examination the presence of invasive alien plants is of low entity. In the last decades Senecio inaequidens has represented a potential danger since it spreads very quickly and replaces the native flora. Phenological studies of Senecio inaequidens have shown a long period of flowering and seeds production.

Detection of Lead in Zea mays by Dual-Energy X-ray Microtomography at the SYRMEP Beamline of the ELETTRA Synchrotron and by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

This study is related to the application of the X‐ray dual‐energy microradiography technique together with the atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) for the detection of lead on Zea mays stem, ear, root, and leaf samples. To highlight the places with lead intake, the planar radiographs taken with monochromatic X‐ray radiation in absorption regime with photon energy below and above the absorption edge of a given chemical element, respectively, are analyzed and processed. To recognize the biological structures involved in the intake, the dual‐energy images with the lead signal have been compared with the optical images of the same Z. mays stem. The ear, stem, root, and leaf samples have also been analyzed with the AAS technique to measure the exact amount of the hyperaccumulated lead. The AAS measurement revealed that the highest intake occurred in the roots while the lowest in the maize ears and in the leaf. It seems there is a particular mechanism that protects the seeds and the leaves in the intake process. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2010.