The geographical and ecological features of Transylvania enable the wide ethnobotanical use of pine species. The aim of this study was to survey the current ethnomedicinal and other traditional use of pine species of Hungarian-speaking ethnic groups in Transylvania and to compare them with earlier reports performed in Transylvania and from other countries related to the Carpathian Basin. Information on pine species was obtained using semi-structured interviews with 515 Transylvanian informants from 18 villages in the period 2007–2019. The young shoots of Abies alba Mill., Picea abies (L.) H. Karst., Pinus nigra J. F. Arnold, and Pinus sylvestris L. were applied to treat respiratory diseases, while the resin was used for dental problems. Syrup and decoction were made from the cones of all species, except Abies alba. Picea abies was the most frequently documented with seven preparations from different parts (even needles), and this species was mentioned in the treatment of 21 diseases. The least recorded was Abies alba, which was applied for coughs and decayed teeth. We recorded the use of the cones and needles of Picea abies for dyspnoea, thyroid glands, and kidney disorders, previously unknown in ethnomedicinal literature. Our data on the pine species confirm their current use and significance in Transylvania.

Phylogenetic relationships among some \ud Randia\ud (Rubiaceae, Gardenieae) taxa were estimated based on sequence variation in the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacers (ITS) and \ud rps\ud 16 intron (cpDNA). During the investigation of \ud rps\ud 16 intron of 9 studied Central American \ud Randia\ud species, two well supported subclades were separated. Analysis of ITS data of 16 \ud Randia\ud species shows 3 major clades. A group of mainly lowland, South American \ud Randia\ud species is moderate supported (75%). Species from Mexico form a strongly supported (97%) clade, but the Central American and Mexican \ud Randia\ud species are low supported (58%). However the last two groups are well supported together (95%). The molecular delimination is well in line with the size of leaves combined with the texture of exocarp

Increasing drought and soil salinity pose significant threats to crop production around the world. One potential strategy to mitigate the impacts of these environmental changes is grafting, a horticultural technique that joins tissues from different plants. This study aimed to investigate and model changes in the expression of NAC and WRKY genes in grafted watermelon under varying salt and drought stress conditions (mild to extrem). The control groups were not restricted by any limitations. Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (watermelon) was used as the scion, and Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl (bottle gourd) served as the rootstock in our experiments. During the 14-day treatment period, individuals from the grafted watermelon and bottle gourd plants were more successful to maintained water balance and growth rates, while ungrafted plants exhibited growth retardation and tissue damage, especially under salt stress. The analysis of gene expression revealed that grafted plants showed significantly increased expression of salt- and drought-sensitive genes, including ClNAC2b, ClNAC69, ClNAC72, ClWRKY13, ClWRKY14, and ClWRKY23, compared to ungrafted plants under low-stress conditions. These adaptations, such as stomatal closure and regulation of evaporation, enabled the improved grafted plants to respond more effectively to abiotic stress, supporting their survival and normal development. Our findings underscore that grafting is an environmentally friendly, rapid, and effective technique to enhance plant resilience against abiotic stresses, offering promising avenues to improve stable food crop production amidst increasing environmental challenges.

Grafting alters the genetic and anatomical features of plants. Although grafting has been widely applied in plant propagation, the underlying processes that govern the effects of the procedure are not fully understood. Samples were collected to study the long-term influence of grafting on the leaf-shoot morphology, leaf-shoot anatomy, and genetic signature of the grafted plants. Citrulus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai (cv. Lady) was used as the scion, and Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl (cv. Argentario) as a rootstock. In grafted plants, leaf blades and petioles were 20.92% and 12.82% longer, respectively, while the midrib collenchyma was 35.68% thicker, and the diameter of the vessel member was 11.17% larger than in ungrafted plants. In the stem, grafting affected the arrangement and number of vascular bundles (from 1 to 2 rings). The thickness of the epidermis decreased by 69.79%, and the size of the external fascicular phloem decreased by 23.56%. The diameter of the vessel member of the grafted plants increased by 28.94%. Eight out of ten evaluated primers met the requirements (stability in both watermelons and bottle gourd, tissue-specific). In the genetic tests, we examined whether this change in the gene expression pattern is due to the grafting and, if so, to what extent. Seven out of eight tested Small Auxin Up-Regulated RNA (SAUR) genes were expressed in the ungrafted and grafted C. lanatus lines in four cases; the expression increased by more than 10% after grafting. The morpho-anatomical changes and genetic variation reported in this study for grafted lines of C. lanatus contribute to the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of plant growth observations resulting from grafting.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections have become a serious therapeutic problem recently, that can be solved by using of herbal drugs with antibacterial effects. The stem, leaf, tepal, anther, and ovary of Lilium candidum L. (white lily) were selected for histological and microbiological studies. For the microbial study, the stem, leaf, and tepal were extracted with methanol, n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, and water, and minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined against standard and clinical strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella Typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii) by microdilution method after evaporation of the solvents. Unicellular non-glandular hairs were observed on the stem surface, and mesomorphic stomata were present in the stem and the leaf. The mesophyll of the leaf and the tepal is homogenous. Uneven secondary cell wall thickening was found in the endothecium of the anther. Placentation of the 3-locular ovary was axile. The butanol and water extracts of the stem showed an inhibitory activity on P. aeruginosa, while the butanol extract of the leaf inhibited the growth of S. aureus and E. coli, and its aqueous fraction inhibited S. aureus. The tepal extracts made with butanol and water showed an inhibitory effect on each tested strain. The observed antimicrobial activity of white lily yielded promising results, suggesting that further microbiological and phytochemical analyses are needed to explore the potential therapeutic use of the species.