The main morphological and genetic characterization of seven introduced almond cultivars in Bosnia & Herzegovina was conducted. The almond cultivars included three from Italy (Tuono, Genco, Supernova), two from France (Ferragnes and Ferraduel), and two from the USA (Texas and Nonpareil). Genetic characterization was utilized by using 10 microsatellite markers, with nine markers from Prunus persicae and one from Prunus armeniaca. The results of genetic characterization revealed an average of 5.40 alleles per primer per locus. The average number of effective alleles for the 10 SSR loci of introduced cultivars was 3.92. The Shannon Information Index averaged 1.41. The observed heterozygosity (Ho) and expected heterozygosity (He) averaged 0.53 and 0.69, respectively. Morphological analyses of the fruit of introduced almond cultivars in Bosnia & Herzegovina indicated favorable agroecological conditions for their cultivation and spread. The results suggest that these introduced almond cultivars could be utilized in breeding programs to enhance the genetic diversity of the local almond population in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Urban horticulture as a segment of urban agriculture can take various forms: home gardens, allotment farming, community gardens, community-supported agriculture, vertical farming, etc. After the COVID-19 pandemic in Croatia and neighboring countries, growing horticultural plants in urban and suburban areas became increasingly popular. The aim of the study was to investigate citizens’ attitudes towards the benefits and support of urban horticulture, its relationship to the environment, and needs and relevance in studies in the cities of Šibenik, Split, Mostar and Skopje. The research methods used for the purpose of this study were theoretical analysis method, survey and analytical descriptive and statistical method. The research was conducted online during the first half of 2024 on a sample of 506 respondents. The main goal of the paper was to examine the views of citizens on urban horticulture. With specific objectives, the views of citizens were examined on the benefits of urban horticulture, the relationship between urban horticulture and the environment, urban horticulture and plant protection, support for urban horticulture, and the needs and trends of urban horticulture. and plant protection, support for urban horticulture, needs and trends of urban horticulture. The results showed that citizens are mostly positive towards growing horticultural plants in urban and suburban areas without pollution. In urban horticulture, respondents prefer using ecological principles and products. Female respondents expressed more positive attitudes towards the fashionability and need for urban horticulture. Respondents from Skopje showed the most positive attitudes towards the benefits of urban horticulture and its relationship to the environment. Also, there is no statistically significant difference in attitudes towards urban horticulture with regard to the location of residence. The research contributes to the trend of development and promotion of urban horticulture with a special emphasis on the importance of environmental preservation. It also contributes to the development of an interdisciplinary method that connects natural and social sciences, and develops an empirical approach that can improve urban culture with the aim of preserving the environment.

Obična lavanda (Lavandula angustifolia Miller) je niska, višegodišnja grmasta biljka koja raste u zemljama oko zapadnog Mediterana. Potekla je iz sunčanih stjenovitih područja i prvenstveno se uzgaja zbog svojih esencijalnih ulja. Različite studije pokazale su da određene vrste ljekovitih biljaka, kao što je L. angustifolia Miller, koje sadrže linalol i linalil acetat ester, imaju blagi sedativni učinak i koriste se u aromaterapiji i fitoterapiji za ublažavanje stresa. Svrha ove studije je utvrditi antioksidacijsku aktivnost uzoraka obične lavande. Uzorci biljnog materijala prikupljeni su sa sljedećih područja: Gubavica (općina Mostar) i Šehovina (grad Mostar). Pri tome su analizirana četiri uzorka: esencijalno ulje dobiveno hidrodestilacijom biljnog materijala (Gubavica), uzorak maceriran u etil acetatu (Šehovina), prikupljeni vodeni ostatak nakon hidrodestilacije (Gubavica) te komercijalno esencijalno ulje. Određivanje antioksidacijske aktivnosti uzoraka provedeno je s pomoću sljedećih metoda: DPPH, ABTS i FRAP. Hidrodestilirano esencijalno ulje, kao i komercijalno ulje, pokazali su slabiju antioksidacijsku aktivnost, što je potvrđeno svim korištenim metodama. Slabija antioksidacijska aktivnost također je zabilježena u analizi uzorka etil acetata. Praćenjem tijeka reakcije za navedene uzorke nije bilo moguće izračunati IC50 vrijednost. Vodeni ostatak nakon hidrodestilacije pokazao je najvišu antioksidacijsku aktivnost prema svim korištenim metodama, što je potvrđeno IC50 vrijednošću prema DPPH metodi, koja je bila 0,032 ± 0,006 mg/mL, dok je za ABTS metodu IC50 vrijednost bila 0,135 ± 0,003 mg/mL. Također, prema FRAP metodi, vodeni ostatak nakon hidrodestilacije pokazao je najbolju antioksidacijsku aktivnost (1099,45 ± 25,39 mg Evit. C/g ekstrakta). Usporedbom kemijskog sastava i antioksidacijske aktivnosti ispitivanih uzoraka može se zaključiti da su za antioksidacijsko djelovanje odgovorni fenolni spojevi koji su bili sadržani u vodenom ostatku nakon hidrodestilacije esencijalnog ulja, koji je i pokazao najbolju aktivnost, a da spojevi koji čine esencijalno ulje imaju neznatnu učinkovitost kad je u pitanju određivanje antioksidacijskog kapaciteta.