Elemental composition of Vaccinium myrtillus L. and Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. has not been determined yet in detail. In our study, a scanning electron microscope coupled with an energy dispersive X-ray analyser (SEM–EDX) ensured the determination of 15 elements in the leaves of Vaccinium sp. growing in the control and the mine polluted locality. The soil elemental analyses showed a higher content of 11 elements from all determined in the mine-influenced samples. Elemental analyses of the control leaves showed the highest contents of all determined elements for V. vitis-idaea, except for carbon. The impact of pollution on V. myrtillus leaves caused significant increase in oxygen, natrium, magnesium, sulphur, chlorine, potassium and calcium content. The contents of carbon, nitrogen and silicon decreased substantially. In the case of the V. vitis-idaea leaves, the content of most of elements reduced, and in the case of six elements, even significantly. A significant increase was recorded for carbon, iron and copper. The effect of the environment has influenced the production of phytochemicals, assessed by HPLC–DAD. The production of flavonoids (hyperoside, isoquercetin) increased significantly in V. myrtillus and decreased to a detectable minimum in V. vitis-idaea. In the case of chlorogenic acid, arbutin and hydroquinone, their levels changed minimally in V. myrtillus, but significantly more in the V. vitis-idaea leaves. The importance of elemental analyses lies in detecting the presence of toxic elements or their harmful concentrations in plants that are the source of food or dietary supplements.

The chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model is an embryonic blood capillary system considered a suitable “in vivo” model for studying the irritation effect of plant extracts on the vascular system, including impacts on hemostasis, hyperemia, hemorrhage, and coagulation. The main aim of the present work was to investigate the irritation effects of different concentrated alcohol extracts of Ginkgo biloba L. (GBE) leaves on the blood vessels of the CAM model during early embryogenesis, evaluated using the Luepke scoring system. The antioxidant properties of GBE were assessed using DPPH radical scavenging and the FRAP method, alongside HPLC-DAD analysis to confirm the presence of major therapeutically relevant metabolites, revealing a strong therapeutic potential of the extract. On embryonic day 9, different concentrations of GBE as well as the controls (saline solution and 30% ethanol) were applied to the CAM surface. Vascular changes were observed immediately after application, with vasoconstriction leading to the temporary “disappearance” of blood vessels. At 30 s post-application, all GBE concentrations and ethanol induced hyperemia and mild hemorrhage, which gradually diminished over time. No changes were observed with saline application. The extent of morphometric changes in the vessels was also influenced by the concentration of GBE used. Concentrations of 20% and 30% GBE induced vasoconstriction. Lower concentrations of GBE induced vasodilation, with maximum values recorded after 240 s for 1% and 15% GBE. The results of this study may help to better characterize the vascular effects of natural Ginkgo biloba under in vivo conditions and promote greater interest in the use of alternative animal models in pharmacological and biomedical research.