This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.

Unclaimed
Piero Bruschi
Department of Agricultural, Environmental, Food and Forestry Science and Technology, University of Florence, 50144 Florence, Italy

Basic Info

Basic Info is private.

Honors and Awards

The user has no records in this section


Career Timeline

The user has no records in this section.


Short Biography

The user biography is not available.
Following
Followers
Co Authors
The list of users this user is following is empty.
Following: 0 users

Feed

Journal article
Published: 10 September 2020 in Molecules
Reads 0
Downloads 0

This ethnobotanical survey was carried out in Caspoggio (Valmalenco, SO, Italy) with the purpose of investigating the traditional uses of medicinal plants. Moreover, a bibliographic research meant to validate or refute the uses, focusing on the potentially responsible compounds, was performed. Fifty-nine species, attributable to 30 families (Asteraceae, Pinaceae, Malvaceae, and Lamiaceae the most cited), were mentioned. Arnica montana, anti-inflammatory for traumas and musculoskeletal pains; Pinus mugo, expectorant; Malva sylvestris, anti-inflammatory and soothing; Achillea moschata, digestive. The compounds, responsible for the therapeutic activities, are often polyphenols and terpenoids: helenanin in A. montana, α-pinene, δ-3-carene, and limonene in P. mugo, gossypin and malvin in M. sylvestris, luteolin and apigenin in A. moschata. Scientific evidence for at least one of the traditional activities described was found for 50 species but only in 26 out of 196 works consulted, it is possible to make a comparison between investigated extracts and traditional preparations. This study is thus a stimulus to new phytochemical investigations, mimicking as much as possible the traditional preparations. This work is part of the European Interreg Italy-Switzerland B-ICE project, aimed at creating a management model for the ongoing climate change and searching for new sources of territory valorization as attractions for tourists.

ACS Style

Martina Bottoni; Fabrizia Milani; Lorenzo Colombo; Kevin Nallio; Paola Sira Colombo; Claudia Giuliani; Piero Bruschi; Gelsomina Fico. Using Medicinal Plants in Valmalenco (Italian Alps): From Tradition to Scientific Approaches. Molecules 2020, 25, 4144 .

AMA Style

Martina Bottoni, Fabrizia Milani, Lorenzo Colombo, Kevin Nallio, Paola Sira Colombo, Claudia Giuliani, Piero Bruschi, Gelsomina Fico. Using Medicinal Plants in Valmalenco (Italian Alps): From Tradition to Scientific Approaches. Molecules. 2020; 25 (18):4144.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Martina Bottoni; Fabrizia Milani; Lorenzo Colombo; Kevin Nallio; Paola Sira Colombo; Claudia Giuliani; Piero Bruschi; Gelsomina Fico. 2020. "Using Medicinal Plants in Valmalenco (Italian Alps): From Tradition to Scientific Approaches." Molecules 25, no. 18: 4144.

Journal article
Published: 12 October 2019 in Foods
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Wild plants may play an important role in human nutrition and health and, among them, many are the leafy species. We hypothesized that the wild greens could be profitably grown as microgreens and baby greens, specialty products whose market is increasing. We compared three wild leafy species (Sanguisorba minor Scop., Sinapis arvensis L., and Taraxacum officinale Weber ex F. H. Wigg.) harvested at the microgreen and baby green stages. Seedlings were grown hydroponically in a half-strength Hoagland nutrient solution under controlled climatic conditions. At harvest, the yield was assessed, and chlorophylls, carotenoids, anthocyanins, phenolic index, nitrate, and mineral elements were measured in the two types of product. The potential contribution to human mineral intake was calculated, and the possible risk due to the presence of metals potentially detrimental for health was estimated. Results showed that micro/baby greens of the studied wild plants achieved competitive yields and could contribute to the dietary intake of macroelements, microelements, and non-nutrient bioactive compounds. On the other hand, the wild greens showed high amounts of nitrate and traces of some metals potentially detrimental for health, suggesting the need for caution in the use of wild species for producing microgreens and baby leaves.

ACS Style

Anna Lenzi; Alessandro Orlandini; Roberta Bulgari; Antonio Ferrante; Piero Bruschi. Antioxidant and Mineral Composition of Three Wild Leafy Species: A Comparison Between Microgreens and Baby Greens. Foods 2019, 8, 487 .

AMA Style

Anna Lenzi, Alessandro Orlandini, Roberta Bulgari, Antonio Ferrante, Piero Bruschi. Antioxidant and Mineral Composition of Three Wild Leafy Species: A Comparison Between Microgreens and Baby Greens. Foods. 2019; 8 (10):487.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Anna Lenzi; Alessandro Orlandini; Roberta Bulgari; Antonio Ferrante; Piero Bruschi. 2019. "Antioxidant and Mineral Composition of Three Wild Leafy Species: A Comparison Between Microgreens and Baby Greens." Foods 8, no. 10: 487.

Journal article
Published: 03 July 2019 in Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The study was developed in order to collect information about knowledge on medicinal plant uses by students from some primary school classes located in a small community on the western shore of Lake Como (northern Italy). This information was compared with the one collected from the students’ relatives and from other people they were in contact with, in order to evaluate differences and similarities between the children’s and the adults’ knowledge. Two workshops were led in each of the classes taking part in the project. The first one was performed to introduce our research and the topic of healing plants to the students. During the second workshop we asked the students to fill a survey focusing on which plant remedies they would use as medicines. In another phase of the project each child was given a new survey to be filled in at home while conducting the interviews with their relatives or other adults. Tremezzina children reported the use of 24 medicinal species; 78% of students listed at least one species but only 9% showed to know more than three species and uses. In total, adults reported 85 species in eighteen categories of use. Children listed eight species and eleven uses that were not reported by the adults, suggesting that some of the Tremezzina children’s knowledge of the medicinal plants are specific to them. Both children and adults learned about the use of the medicinal plants mainly from their family; however, other sources of knowledge were also reported. Differences related to age and gender in both the informants’ groups were also discussed. Our results provide valuable qualitative and quantitative data on the plants used for the medicinal purpose within the studied community.

ACS Style

Piero Bruschi; Mara Sugni; Arianna Moretti; Maria Adele Signorini; Gelsomina Fico. Children’s versus adult’s knowledge of medicinal plants: an ethnobotanical study in Tremezzina (Como, Lombardy, Italy). Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia 2019, 29, 644 -655.

AMA Style

Piero Bruschi, Mara Sugni, Arianna Moretti, Maria Adele Signorini, Gelsomina Fico. Children’s versus adult’s knowledge of medicinal plants: an ethnobotanical study in Tremezzina (Como, Lombardy, Italy). Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia. 2019; 29 (5):644-655.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Piero Bruschi; Mara Sugni; Arianna Moretti; Maria Adele Signorini; Gelsomina Fico. 2019. "Children’s versus adult’s knowledge of medicinal plants: an ethnobotanical study in Tremezzina (Como, Lombardy, Italy)." Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia 29, no. 5: 644-655.

Research article
Published: 29 December 2017 in PLOS ONE
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Oxalis pes-caprae L. is a South African geophyte that behaves as an invasive in the eurimediterranean area. According to a long-established hypothesis, O. pes-caprae may have invaded Europe and the Mediterranean area starting from a single plant introduced in the Botanical Garden of Malta at the beginning of the 19th century. The aim of this work was to test this hypothesis, to track the arrival of O. pes-caprae in different countries of the Euro-Mediterranean area and to understand the pathways of spreading and particularly its starting point(s). Historical data attesting the presence of the plant in the whole Euro-Mediterranean region were collected from different sources: herbarium specimens, Floras and other botanical papers, plant lists of gardens, catalogs of plant nurseries and plant dealers. First records of the plant (both cultivated and wild) for each Territorial Unit (3rd level of NUTS) were selected and used to draw up a diachronic map and an animated graphic. Both documents clearly show that oldest records are scattered throughout the whole area, proving that the plant arrived in Europe and in the Mediterranean region more times independently and that its spreading started in different times from several different centers of invasion. Botanical gardens and other public or private gardens, nurseries and plant dealers, and above all seaside towns and harbors seemingly played a strategic role as a source of either intentional and unintentional introduction or spread. A geographic profiling analysis was performed to analyse the data. We used also techniques (Silhouette, Kmeans and Voronoi tessellation) capable of verifying the presence of more than one independent clusters of data on the basis of their geographical distribution. Microsatellites were employed for a preliminary analysis of genetic variation in the Mediterranean. Even if the sampling was insufficient, particularly among the populations of the original area, our data supported three main groups of populations, one of them corresponding to the central group of populations identified by GP analysis, and the other two corresponding, respectively, to the western and the eastern cluster of data. The most probable areas of origin of the invasion in the three clusters of observations are characterized by the presence of localities where the invasive plant was cultivated, with the exception of the Iberian cluster of observation where the observations in the field predate the data about known cultivation localities. Alternative possible reasons are also suggested, to explain the current prevalence of pentaploid short-styled plants in the Euro-Mediterranean area.

ACS Style

Alessio Papini; Maria Adele Signorini; Bruno Foggi; Enrico Della Giovampaola; Luca Ongaro; Laura Vivona; Ugo Santosuosso; Corrado Tani; Piero Bruschi. History vs. legend: Retracing invasion and spread of Oxalis pes-caprae L. in Europe and the Mediterranean area. PLOS ONE 2017, 12, e0190237 .

AMA Style

Alessio Papini, Maria Adele Signorini, Bruno Foggi, Enrico Della Giovampaola, Luca Ongaro, Laura Vivona, Ugo Santosuosso, Corrado Tani, Piero Bruschi. History vs. legend: Retracing invasion and spread of Oxalis pes-caprae L. in Europe and the Mediterranean area. PLOS ONE. 2017; 12 (12):e0190237.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessio Papini; Maria Adele Signorini; Bruno Foggi; Enrico Della Giovampaola; Luca Ongaro; Laura Vivona; Ugo Santosuosso; Corrado Tani; Piero Bruschi. 2017. "History vs. legend: Retracing invasion and spread of Oxalis pes-caprae L. in Europe and the Mediterranean area." PLOS ONE 12, no. 12: e0190237.

Research article
Published: 08 September 2017 in PLOS ONE
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Medicinal plants are the basic source of health care in the Pearl Valley District Poonch, Azad Jammu, and Kashmir. The basic aim of present study was to record information about the use of plants in herbal preparation and quantification of recorded data. The research was conducted with the null hypothesis that there was no differential distribution of knowledge among the communities between genders and among different age groups in the study area and across cultural medicinal uses of the plants are similar. To check these hypotheses information about medicinal plants was collected from 46 laypeople and 18 herbalists by using an open ended and semistructured questionnaire. Different ethnobotanical indices were calculated in order to quantify the knowledge on the medicinal plants reported in the study. Our study recorded 136 species of medicinal plants belonging to 45 families with Asteraceae (14 species) as the dominant family of the area. Decoction (26 species), juice and powder (24 species each) were most common methods of preparation. Spearman’s correlation analysis showed that age and gender had the significant effect on both numbers of mentioned species and different uses. A number of known medicinal plants and the number of different uses (H: 38.51; p < 0.001) differ significantly as indicated by Kruskal-Wallis tests. These results showed that the knowledge about the plant varies among different age groups, which were the first hypothesis of the present study. The highest use values (UVs) were reported for Berberis lyceum and Ajuga bracteosa (1.13 each) followed by Abies pindrow (1.03). Highest informant consensus factor (ICF) values were recorded for digestive system diseases (ICF = 0.90) and muscular and skeletal system diseases (ICF = 0.89). The value of Jaccarad index ranged from 6.11 to 32.97 with an average value of 19.84, percentage of similarity was highest between study area and Pir Lasura National Park (34.62%). High similarity might be due to the fact that the communities living in these areas have same sociocultural values and have more opportunities to exchange their traditional knowledge. The present study provides practical evidence about the use of medicinal plants among the inhabitants of the Pearl Valley.

ACS Style

Humaira Shaheen; Mirza Faisal Qaseem; Muhammad Shoaib Amjad; Piero Bruschi. Exploration of ethno-medicinal knowledge among rural communities of Pearl Valley; Rawalakot, District Poonch Azad Jammu and Kashmir. PLOS ONE 2017, 12, e0183956 .

AMA Style

Humaira Shaheen, Mirza Faisal Qaseem, Muhammad Shoaib Amjad, Piero Bruschi. Exploration of ethno-medicinal knowledge among rural communities of Pearl Valley; Rawalakot, District Poonch Azad Jammu and Kashmir. PLOS ONE. 2017; 12 (9):e0183956.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Humaira Shaheen; Mirza Faisal Qaseem; Muhammad Shoaib Amjad; Piero Bruschi. 2017. "Exploration of ethno-medicinal knowledge among rural communities of Pearl Valley; Rawalakot, District Poonch Azad Jammu and Kashmir." PLOS ONE 12, no. 9: e0183956.

Journal article
Published: 01 July 2017 in Giornale di Tecniche Nefrologiche e Dialitiche
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Marco Lombardi; Matteo Zoppi; Piero Bruschi; Federico Selvi; Maria Adele Signorini; Roberto Fanelli; Stefano Michelassi. The Proof is in the… Growing? A Peculiar Case of Kidney Stones. Giornale di Tecniche Nefrologiche e Dialitiche 2017, 29, 212 -216.

AMA Style

Marco Lombardi, Matteo Zoppi, Piero Bruschi, Federico Selvi, Maria Adele Signorini, Roberto Fanelli, Stefano Michelassi. The Proof is in the… Growing? A Peculiar Case of Kidney Stones. Giornale di Tecniche Nefrologiche e Dialitiche. 2017; 29 (3):212-216.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marco Lombardi; Matteo Zoppi; Piero Bruschi; Federico Selvi; Maria Adele Signorini; Roberto Fanelli; Stefano Michelassi. 2017. "The Proof is in the… Growing? A Peculiar Case of Kidney Stones." Giornale di Tecniche Nefrologiche e Dialitiche 29, no. 3: 212-216.

Journal article
Published: 17 April 2017 in European Journal of Integrative Medicine
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The use of cultural significance index (CSI), as a tool to calculate the use value of plants, is a growing trend in quantitative ethnobotany research. Researchers have developed several indices to estimate the significance of plants for humans. The evaluation of the cultural significance (CI) of plants in ethnobotanical studies is an essential quantitative method used in various types of investigations, including research on folk uses, naming and classification of plants. Ethnobotanical data was collected from September 2014 to July 2016 through weekly and biweekly visits to the study area and interviewing people in the local communities. “Snowballing” and semi-structured interviews (socioeconomic issues and ethnobotany) methods were used for collecting ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological data, regardless of age or gender. An index of cultural significance was applied to data of 129 wild plants from the Noorpur Thal. Logit regression showed that most of the medicinal plants were used as pot herbs in the study area, logit also showed that vegetable, fruit, fuel and ethnoveterinary results are statistically significant. From 129 wild plants 63 highly useful plants were selected for the CI studies. In addition to CI, we used other quantitative methods, such as the number of use reports (UR), use value index (UV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), relative importance index (RIs), and cultural value index (CV), for ethnobotanical and statistical analysis. The results showed a strong positive correlation between RFC/CI, CI/RIs (0.95) and a weak association between NU and RI at p < 0.05 (n = 261). The CI index indicated potential practical applications of each plant ranked according to the contribution of each separate application to survival in traditional cultures, together with estimates of intensity and exclusivity of the use for each. A CI-based dendrogram clearly depicted closely related species in the same place in the cluster. The present study demonstrates that the area is rich in medicinal plant knowledge. The information reported by the traditional healers of this region is invaluable for further research in the field of cross-cultural ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology.

ACS Style

Humaira Shaheen; Rahmatuallah Qureshi; Mirza Faisal Qaseem; Muhammad Shoaib Amjad; Piero Bruschi. The cultural importance of indices: A comparative analysis based on the useful wild plants of Noorpur Thal Punjab, Pakistan. European Journal of Integrative Medicine 2017, 12, 27 -34.

AMA Style

Humaira Shaheen, Rahmatuallah Qureshi, Mirza Faisal Qaseem, Muhammad Shoaib Amjad, Piero Bruschi. The cultural importance of indices: A comparative analysis based on the useful wild plants of Noorpur Thal Punjab, Pakistan. European Journal of Integrative Medicine. 2017; 12 ():27-34.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Humaira Shaheen; Rahmatuallah Qureshi; Mirza Faisal Qaseem; Muhammad Shoaib Amjad; Piero Bruschi. 2017. "The cultural importance of indices: A comparative analysis based on the useful wild plants of Noorpur Thal Punjab, Pakistan." European Journal of Integrative Medicine 12, no. : 27-34.

Historical article
Published: 01 January 2017 in Journal of Ethnopharmacology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Regarding our question: is there something new under the sun? In some aspects, the answer is "No". The contrast between expensive drugs, highly valued medicines, and unappreciated local wild medicinal plants persists since the Salerno's school of medicine. Old medicine in Mediterranean Europe, as reflected by Albacete 1526 tariff of medicines, involved strict formulations and preferences for certain ingredients despite other ingredients locally available but underappreciated. This confirms the fact that any system of medicine does not get to use all available resources. Ethnobiological records of materia medica, in rural areas of Albacete, describe systems with a high degree of stability and resilience, where the use of local resources, largely wild but also cultivated, is predominant in contrast with the weight of imported exotic products in pharmacy.

ACS Style

Diego Rivera; Alonso Verde; Concepción Obón; Francisco Alcaraz; Candelaria Moreno; Teresa Egea; José Fajardo; José Antonio Palazón; Arturo Valdés; Maria Adele Signorini; Piero Bruschi. Is there nothing new under the sun? The influence of herbals and pharmacopoeias on ethnobotanical traditions in Albacete (Spain). Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2017, 195, 96 -117.

AMA Style

Diego Rivera, Alonso Verde, Concepción Obón, Francisco Alcaraz, Candelaria Moreno, Teresa Egea, José Fajardo, José Antonio Palazón, Arturo Valdés, Maria Adele Signorini, Piero Bruschi. Is there nothing new under the sun? The influence of herbals and pharmacopoeias on ethnobotanical traditions in Albacete (Spain). Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2017; 195 ():96-117.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Diego Rivera; Alonso Verde; Concepción Obón; Francisco Alcaraz; Candelaria Moreno; Teresa Egea; José Fajardo; José Antonio Palazón; Arturo Valdés; Maria Adele Signorini; Piero Bruschi. 2017. "Is there nothing new under the sun? The influence of herbals and pharmacopoeias on ethnobotanical traditions in Albacete (Spain)." Journal of Ethnopharmacology 195, no. : 96-117.

Journal article
Published: 22 June 2016 in Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Traditional alcoholic beverages (TABs) have only received marginal attention from researchers and ethnobotanists so far, especially in Italy. This work is focused on plant-based TABs in the Alta Valle del Reno, a mountainous area on the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna regions. The aims of our study were to document local knowledge about TABs and to analyze and discuss the distribution of related knowledge within the investigated communities. Field data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The relative importance of each plant species used to prepare TABs was assessed by calculating a general Use Value Index (UV general), a current UV (UV current) and a past UV (UV past). We also assessed personal experience of use by calculating effective and potential UV (UV effective,UV potential). A multivariate analysis was performed to compare ingredients in recipes recorded in the Alta Valle del Reno with those reported for neighboring areas. Forty-six plant species, belonging to 20 families, were recorded. Rosaceae was the most significant family (98 citations, 19 species), followed by Rutaceae (15, 3) and Lamiaceae (12, 4). The most important species was Prunus cerasus L. (UV general = 0.44), followed by Juglans regia L. (0.38), Rubus idaeus L. (0.27) and Prunus spinosa L. (0.22). Species with the highest UV current were Juglans regia (0.254), Prunus cerasus (0.238) and Citrus limon L. (0.159). The highest UV effective values were obtained by Prunus cerasus (0.413), Juglans regia (0.254), Rubus idaeus (0.222) and Citrus limon (0.206). We also discuss the results of the multivariate analysis. TABs proved to occupy an important place in the traditional culture and social life of the studied communities. Moreover, data highlight the local specificity and richness of this kind of tradition in the Alta Valle del Reno, compared to other Italian areas. Some plant ingredients used for TABs have potential nutraceutical and even therapeutic properties that are well known by local people. These properties could constitute an additional economic value for TABs' commercialization, which in turn could promote the local rural economy.

ACS Style

Teresa Egea; Maria Adele Signorini; Luca Ongaro; Diego Rivera; Concepción Obón De Castro; Piero Bruschi. Traditional alcoholic beverages and their value in the local culture of the Alta Valle del Reno, a mountain borderland between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna (Italy). Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2016, 12, 1 -20.

AMA Style

Teresa Egea, Maria Adele Signorini, Luca Ongaro, Diego Rivera, Concepción Obón De Castro, Piero Bruschi. Traditional alcoholic beverages and their value in the local culture of the Alta Valle del Reno, a mountain borderland between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna (Italy). Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 2016; 12 (1):1-20.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Teresa Egea; Maria Adele Signorini; Luca Ongaro; Diego Rivera; Concepción Obón De Castro; Piero Bruschi. 2016. "Traditional alcoholic beverages and their value in the local culture of the Alta Valle del Reno, a mountain borderland between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna (Italy)." Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 12, no. 1: 1-20.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2016 in Journal of Ethnopharmacology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Mopane woodlands play an important role in the livelihood strategies of local populations; however, they have been scarcely investigated by ethnobiologists and very little is currently known about plants traditionally used by local communities, especially about medicinal plants. Our investigation was aimed to document ethnobotanical knowledge in seven communities living in conditions of extreme poverty in a Mopane area of southern Angola (Namibe province). We focused on plants used as medicines and/or food, in order to highlight the role of wild plants in the livelihood of local communities, and possibly to find out plants with potential pharmacological interest. Ethnobotanical data were recorded through semi-structured interviews, filed in a database and quantitatively analyzed. The following synthetic indexes were used: Cultural Importance index (CI), Informant Consensus Factor (FIC), Fidelity Level (FL). Sixty-six informants (26 males, 40 females) were interviewed. A total of 1247 citations were recorded, concerning 132 ethnospecies (folk taxonomic units not necessarily corresponding to single botanical species); 104 were identified at different taxonomic levels. For medicinal purposes, 116 ethnospecies and 20 different uses (650 citations) were reported; for food purposes, 33 ethnospecies and 8 different uses (597 citations). The main used parts resulted to be fruit (471 citations; 21 ethnospecies), followed by underground organs (288, 82) and leaves (175, 41). According to CI values, Berchemia discolor, Ximenia americana var. americana and Adansonia digitata have the highest cultural value in the investigated communities. All of them are woody plants, as well as most of the identified ethnospecies (trees 34.6%, shrubs 32.7%, perennials 21.2%, annuals 8.7%, others 2.8%). Medicinal plants are especially used to treat disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (52 ethnospecies, 205 citations), obstetric/gynecological troubles (27, 40) and colds and respiratory tract diseases (25, 54). The highest values of FIC were recorded for body care (FIC=1.0), circulatory diseases (FIC=0.91), malaria (FIC=0.81) and digestive disorders (FIC=0.55). The plants showing the highest informants' consensus (FL) were Myrothamnus flabellifolia used to treat colds and respiratory diseases (FL=100%), Terminalia prunioides for digestive diseases (93%) and Euphorbia subsalsa for backache (86%). For five plants cited as medicinal by the informants, no reports were found in the consulted ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological literature; many uses of several already known medicinal plants were also unrecorded. Food products obtained from wild plants include fresh fruit (20 ethnospecies, 287 citations), alcoholic (11, 107) and non-alcoholic (10, 44) beverages, massa, i.e. a kind of mash, (4, 65), vegetables (10, 40), and others. Results show that people living in Mopane communities of southern Angola hold a valuable knowledge of the uses of plant resources and that some of the plants cited by the informants represent an important component of the local livelihood strategies. We also found some plants worthy of more in-depth investigations on their possible pharmacological activity, including: (i) those used to treat diseases which reached the highest FIC, like malaria and various disorders of the gastrointestinal tract; (ii) plants with a high FL; (iii) plants not previously reported in ethnomedical literature, especially those cited by different informants; (iv) plants with possible nutraceutical or pharma-food properties, i.e. plants with considerable contents in vitamins and/or micronutrients and plants whose food and medicinal uses are closely related. Anthropological and historical studies in ethnopharmacology, quality traditional medicines. Botany, Traditional medicine, Africa, Diarrhea, Malaria.

ACS Style

Valeria Urso; Maria Adele Signorini; Matteo Tonini; Piero Bruschi. Wild medicinal and food plants used by communities living in Mopane woodlands of southern Angola: Results of an ethnobotanical field investigation. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2016, 177, 126 -139.

AMA Style

Valeria Urso, Maria Adele Signorini, Matteo Tonini, Piero Bruschi. Wild medicinal and food plants used by communities living in Mopane woodlands of southern Angola: Results of an ethnobotanical field investigation. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2016; 177 ():126-139.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Valeria Urso; Maria Adele Signorini; Matteo Tonini; Piero Bruschi. 2016. "Wild medicinal and food plants used by communities living in Mopane woodlands of southern Angola: Results of an ethnobotanical field investigation." Journal of Ethnopharmacology 177, no. : 126-139.

Journal article
Published: 22 December 2015 in Journal of Biogeography
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Phylogeographical studies of Eastern Mediterranean species are rare. We aim to fill a gap in the current understanding of the role of Eastern Mediterranean glacial refugia, and their connections with other refugia across Europe. To this end, we studied the genetic diversity distribution and genetic structure of the modern population of Quercus cerris in relation to its Quaternary demographic history and to more ancient events. Mediterranean Basin; Italian, Balkan, Anatolian peninsulas. A total of 192 populations were genotyped with six polymorphic chloroplast microsatellites, and the genetic diversity and differentiation of the populations were evaluated. The geographical structure of genetic variation was analysed with a Bayesian clustering method using baps 5.2. The demographic history of Q. cerris was explored by an approximate Bayesian computation procedure using diyabc 2.0. To reconstruct the past distribution of Q. cerris, we also considered the chronology and geographical distribution of fossil records. Thirty-five haplotypes were found, three of which (together) were found in 71.82% of individuals. Bayesian analysis resulted in three genetically and geographically distinct clusters: a Western group, a Central group, and an Eastern group. The approximate Bayesian computation analysis, together with fossil data, showed a possible bottleneck leading to the divergence of the Eastern and Central populations in the Early Pleistocene (Gelasian). The split into two groups of populations in the Italian and Balkan Peninsulas, respectively, was probably caused by a marked population contraction during a glacial phase of the Middle Pleistocene. This study provides information on the potential role of Eastern Europe and the Near East as refugia and as a source for ancient westward range expansions in the Mediterranean region. Our study covers a remarkable gap in European oak phylogeography, showing a putative eastern origin of Q. cerris and the presence of large amounts of genetic diversity in this region.

ACS Style

F. Bagnoli; Y. Tsuda; S. Fineschi; Piero Bruschi; Donatella Magri; Peter Zhelev; Ladislav Paule; M. C. Simeone; Santiago C Gonzalez-Martinez; G. G. Vendramin. Combining molecular and fossil data to infer demographic history of Quercus cerris : insights on European eastern glacial refugia. Journal of Biogeography 2015, 43, 679 -690.

AMA Style

F. Bagnoli, Y. Tsuda, S. Fineschi, Piero Bruschi, Donatella Magri, Peter Zhelev, Ladislav Paule, M. C. Simeone, Santiago C Gonzalez-Martinez, G. G. Vendramin. Combining molecular and fossil data to infer demographic history of Quercus cerris : insights on European eastern glacial refugia. Journal of Biogeography. 2015; 43 (4):679-690.

Chicago/Turabian Style

F. Bagnoli; Y. Tsuda; S. Fineschi; Piero Bruschi; Donatella Magri; Peter Zhelev; Ladislav Paule; M. C. Simeone; Santiago C Gonzalez-Martinez; G. G. Vendramin. 2015. "Combining molecular and fossil data to infer demographic history of Quercus cerris : insights on European eastern glacial refugia." Journal of Biogeography 43, no. 4: 679-690.

Historical article
Published: 01 December 2015 in Journal of Ethnopharmacology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Fermented drinks, often alcoholic, are relevant in many nutritional, medicinal, social, ritual and religious aspects of numerous traditional societies. The use of alcoholic drinks of herbal extracts is documented in classical pharmacy since the 1st century CE and it is often recorded in ethnobotanical studies in Europe, particularly in Italy, where are used for a wide range of medicinal purposes. Formulations and uses represent a singular tradition which responds to a wide range of environmental and cultural factors.

ACS Style

Teresa Egea; Maria Adele Signorini; Piero Bruschi; Diego Rivera; Concepción Obón; Francisco Alcaraz; José Antonio Palazón. Spirits and liqueurs in European traditional medicine: Their history and ethnobotany in Tuscany and Bologna (Italy). Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2015, 175, 241 -255.

AMA Style

Teresa Egea, Maria Adele Signorini, Piero Bruschi, Diego Rivera, Concepción Obón, Francisco Alcaraz, José Antonio Palazón. Spirits and liqueurs in European traditional medicine: Their history and ethnobotany in Tuscany and Bologna (Italy). Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2015; 175 ():241-255.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Teresa Egea; Maria Adele Signorini; Piero Bruschi; Diego Rivera; Concepción Obón; Francisco Alcaraz; José Antonio Palazón. 2015. "Spirits and liqueurs in European traditional medicine: Their history and ethnobotany in Tuscany and Bologna (Italy)." Journal of Ethnopharmacology 175, no. : 241-255.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2014 in Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Maria Adele Signorini; Roberto Calamassi; Piero Bruschi; Corrado Tani. Stigma and style anatomy and ultrastructure in Italian Oxalis pes-caprae L. and their possible connection with self-incompatibility. Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants 2014, 209, 471 -483.

AMA Style

Maria Adele Signorini, Roberto Calamassi, Piero Bruschi, Corrado Tani. Stigma and style anatomy and ultrastructure in Italian Oxalis pes-caprae L. and their possible connection with self-incompatibility. Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants. 2014; 209 (9):471-483.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maria Adele Signorini; Roberto Calamassi; Piero Bruschi; Corrado Tani. 2014. "Stigma and style anatomy and ultrastructure in Italian Oxalis pes-caprae L. and their possible connection with self-incompatibility." Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants 209, no. 9: 471-483.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2014 in Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Miombo woodlands play an important role in the livelihood of people living in sub-equatorial African countries, contributing to satisfy basic human needs such as food, medicine, fuelwood and building materials. However, over-exploitation of plant resources and unsustainable harvest practices can potentially degrade forests. The aim of this study was to document the use of Miombo plant products, other than medicinal plants, in local communities, within a wider framework in which we discussed possible links between traditional uses and conservation status of the used species and of the whole Miombo environment.

ACS Style

Piero Bruschi; Matteo Mancini; Elisabetta Mattioli; Michela Morganti; Maria Adele Signorini. Traditional uses of plants in a rural community of Mozambique and possible links with Miombo degradation and harvesting sustainability. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2014, 10, 59 -59.

AMA Style

Piero Bruschi, Matteo Mancini, Elisabetta Mattioli, Michela Morganti, Maria Adele Signorini. Traditional uses of plants in a rural community of Mozambique and possible links with Miombo degradation and harvesting sustainability. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 2014; 10 (1):59-59.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Piero Bruschi; Matteo Mancini; Elisabetta Mattioli; Michela Morganti; Maria Adele Signorini. 2014. "Traditional uses of plants in a rural community of Mozambique and possible links with Miombo degradation and harvesting sustainability." Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 10, no. 1: 59-59.

Journal article
Published: 27 August 2013 in Nordic Journal of Botany
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) dominates in tidally active areas of neotropical mangrove forests. Despite the ecological and economic importance of this species, we still know little about the genetic structure and diversity of its natural populations. In particular, Nicaraguan populations have not yet been investigated although they could be important for a better understanding of the evolutionary history of R. mangle in Mesoamerica. The aim of this study was to estimate the genetic and morphological variability of 4 populations sampled along the northwestern coast of Nicaragua. Microsatellite analysis showed higher levels of allelic diversity (30 alleles and a mean number of allele per locus per population = 6.42) than reported for the same species in other sites of tropical America. This variability could be attributed to the existence of a glacial refugium in the studied area and/or to repeated introgression among closely related species. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that there was little but significant variation among the sampled sites suggesting that the studied populations cannot be considered as a single panmictic group, although they are closely related. This result was confirmed by the Bayesian analysis and UPGMA dendrogram showing three genetically distinct clusters. Bayesian analysis of migration rates showed that propagule dispersion associated with marine currents is an important factor shaping the observed genetic structure. The scatterplot from discriminant analysis indicated significant phenotypic differences between two groups, mainly related to specific leaf area variation. The morphological similarity between PR and PO was consistent with the results of molecular analysis, supporting the common origin of these two populations. Nevertheless, we did not find a significant statistical correlation between microsatellite and morphological data. In conclusion, the results reported here contribute to a better understanding of R. mangle genetic structure and would provide baseline information to guide land managers in implementing conservation initiatives in Nicaragua.

ACS Style

Piero Bruschi; Carlo Angeletti; Oscar González; Maria Adele Signorini; Francesca Bagnoli. Genetic and morphological variation ofRhizophora mangle(red mangrove) along the northern Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Nordic Journal of Botany 2013, 32, 320 -329.

AMA Style

Piero Bruschi, Carlo Angeletti, Oscar González, Maria Adele Signorini, Francesca Bagnoli. Genetic and morphological variation ofRhizophora mangle(red mangrove) along the northern Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Nordic Journal of Botany. 2013; 32 (3):320-329.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Piero Bruschi; Carlo Angeletti; Oscar González; Maria Adele Signorini; Francesca Bagnoli. 2013. "Genetic and morphological variation ofRhizophora mangle(red mangrove) along the northern Pacific coast of Nicaragua." Nordic Journal of Botany 32, no. 3: 320-329.

Article
Published: 10 May 2013 in Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Results are given and discussed of karyological investigations on wild (19) and cultivated (2) populations of the invasive South African geophyte Oxalis pes-caprae L. from 21 different localities (Italy 16, Switzerland 1, Morocco 1 and South Africa 3). Plants from naturalized populations growing wild in Italy and Morocco proved to always be pentaploid (2n = 35), with small, metacentric or slightly sub-metacentric chromosomes. In plants cultivated in the Botanical Garden in Rome, both pentaploid and tetraploid (2n = 28) numbers were found, the latter being the first record of tetraploid plants from Italy. All plants from South African wild populations included tetraploid plants; in one population (Kirstenbosch) pentaploid plants were also detected. It is suggested that pentaploid plants are possibly more widespread in the species' native area than is currently believed.

ACS Style

Maria Adele Signorini; Enrico Della Giovampaola; Piero Bruschi; Bruno Foggi; Corrado Tani. Karyological investigations on the South African invasiveOxalis pes-capraeL. (Oxalidaceae) in native and invaded areas, with special focus on Italy. Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology 2013, 147, 298 -305.

AMA Style

Maria Adele Signorini, Enrico Della Giovampaola, Piero Bruschi, Bruno Foggi, Corrado Tani. Karyological investigations on the South African invasiveOxalis pes-capraeL. (Oxalidaceae) in native and invaded areas, with special focus on Italy. Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology. 2013; 147 (2):298-305.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maria Adele Signorini; Enrico Della Giovampaola; Piero Bruschi; Bruno Foggi; Corrado Tani. 2013. "Karyological investigations on the South African invasiveOxalis pes-capraeL. (Oxalidaceae) in native and invaded areas, with special focus on Italy." Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology 147, no. 2: 298-305.

Journal article
Published: 28 April 2013 in Journal of Forestry Research
Reads 0
Downloads 0

We investigated the altitudinal variation of Carpinus betulus L. in the Hyrcanian forest using leaf macro-morphological and micro-morphological traits. We collected a total of 1600 leaves from two locations. In each location, we sampled six populations along an altitudinal gradient ranging from 100 m to 1,150 m. We found that trees in the higher elevations have smaller leaf lamina than those in the lower elevations. In contrast, leaf mass per area was high at low altitudes and increased newly at the higher ones. Stomatal dimension was negatively correlated with elevation, while stomatal density was positively correlated with elevation. We also found that two transects showed the same plasticity trend. Leaf area showed the highest plasticity, while the number of veins showed the lowest plasticity. This study shows that altitude, and related temperature and rainfall, represents an important driving force in Carpinus betulus leaf morphological variation. Moreover, our results suggest that leaf area, leaf mass per area and stomatal density could influence the species responses to different ecological conditions.

ACS Style

Iman Chapolagh Paridari; Seyed Gholamali Jalali; Ali Sonboli; Mehrdad Zarafshar; Piero Bruschi. Leaf macro- and micro-morphological altitudinal variability of Carpinus betulus in the Hyrcanian forest (Iran). Journal of Forestry Research 2013, 24, 301 -307.

AMA Style

Iman Chapolagh Paridari, Seyed Gholamali Jalali, Ali Sonboli, Mehrdad Zarafshar, Piero Bruschi. Leaf macro- and micro-morphological altitudinal variability of Carpinus betulus in the Hyrcanian forest (Iran). Journal of Forestry Research. 2013; 24 (2):301-307.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Iman Chapolagh Paridari; Seyed Gholamali Jalali; Ali Sonboli; Mehrdad Zarafshar; Piero Bruschi. 2013. "Leaf macro- and micro-morphological altitudinal variability of Carpinus betulus in the Hyrcanian forest (Iran)." Journal of Forestry Research 24, no. 2: 301-307.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2011 in Journal of Ethnopharmacology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Through this study, relevant information was gathered on the knowledge about medicinal remedies in some rural communities of Muda (central Mozambique). The use of 198 different medicinal plants has been recorded and a significant number of medicinal species and uses new for Africa and particularly for Mozambique has been detected. Our investigation appears to be the first comparing knowledge about medicinal plants between laypeople and traditional healers and also between the two kinds of healers (curandeiros and profetas). Ethnobotanical data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 67 informants: 9 curandeiros (traditional healers believed to be guided by spirits), 12 profetas (independent Pentecostal churches "prophets" healing both souls and bodies) and 46 untrained lay villagers. Data were entered in a data base and processed, also by means of suitable quantitative indexes. A total of 546 citations were recorded for 198 different ethnospecies (i.e. basic ethno-taxonomical units). The species with the highest cultural value (estimated with Cultural Importance index) resulted to be Ximenia caffra (CI=0.224), Zanha golungensis (CI=0.194) Vernonia colorata (CI=0.149) and Ozoroa reticulata and Holarrhena pubescens (both with CI=0.134). Eight out of the 162 identified plants mentioned by the informants were not previously recorded as medicinal plants in Africa: Cissus bathyrhakodes, Clematis viridiflora, Combretum goetzei, Dioscorea cochleari-apiculata, Grewia pachycalyx, Indigofera antunesiana, Ipomoea consimilis, Tricliceras longipedunculatum. More than half of the species reported by our informants and already known as medicinal in Africa resulted to be newly documented for Mozambique. Comparing the mean number of species known by each informant group, statistically significant differences were observed both between curandeiros and laypeople and between profetas and laypeople. No significant differences emerged instead between curandeiros and profetas. Yet, even laypeople proved to hold quite a good knowledge about medicinal remedies; women in particular use several different plants to heal common diseases of the whole family, mostly for children and female health problems. The high number of plants and uses recorded demonstrates that in the study area ethnobotanical knowledge is still quite rich and alive. The finding of many medicinal plants and uses new for Mozambique or even Africa shows the importance of recording this knowledge before it vanishes, also as a basis for further investigations on possible pharmacological properties of local plants. The lack of health infrastructures in Muda results in the need for lay villagers of acquiring and developing a rather high degree of knowledge about plants remedies; in a different interaction between healers and lay villagers, compared to urban areas; ultimately, in a different distribution and wider spread of traditional knowledge on medicinal plants.

ACS Style

Piero Bruschi; Michela Morganti; Matteo Mancini; Maria Adele Signorini. Traditional healers and laypeople: A qualitative and quantitative approach to local knowledge on medicinal plants in Muda (Mozambique). Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2011, 138, 543 -563.

AMA Style

Piero Bruschi, Michela Morganti, Matteo Mancini, Maria Adele Signorini. Traditional healers and laypeople: A qualitative and quantitative approach to local knowledge on medicinal plants in Muda (Mozambique). Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2011; 138 (2):543-563.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Piero Bruschi; Michela Morganti; Matteo Mancini; Maria Adele Signorini. 2011. "Traditional healers and laypeople: A qualitative and quantitative approach to local knowledge on medicinal plants in Muda (Mozambique)." Journal of Ethnopharmacology 138, no. 2: 543-563.

Original articles
Published: 22 June 2011 in Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

This study represents a preliminary step toward understanding the genetic structure of Persian oak in Iran. The genetic variability of Quercus brantii in Western forest of Iran was evaluated by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), chloroplast microsatellite and leaf morphology. Fifty-five trees from eight regions were sampled from across the range of Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province of Iran. Twenty morphological traits were analyzed through clustering and ordination method. At morphological level, the applied statistics suggest that macromorphological traits significantly differentiate between populations. The overall sample shows a proportion of AFLP polymorphic markers of 92.1%, denoting a high level of variability. Based on AFLP data, differences among populations within geographic regions account for 11.6% of the total variation and only 0.57% is attributed to variation among regions. Based on chloroplast microsatellite (cpSSR), 34% of total variation was found among populations, suggesting a high within-population haplotype diversity. The dendrogram obtained from cpSSR showed a general pattern quite different from the pattern obtained from morphological analysis and AFLP markers.

ACS Style

B. Shiran; S. Mashayekhi; H. Jahanbazi; A. Soltani; P. Bruschi. Morphological and molecular diversity among populations ofQuercus brantiiLindl. in western forest of Iran. Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology 2011, 145, 452 -460.

AMA Style

B. Shiran, S. Mashayekhi, H. Jahanbazi, A. Soltani, P. Bruschi. Morphological and molecular diversity among populations ofQuercus brantiiLindl. in western forest of Iran. Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology. 2011; 145 (2):452-460.

Chicago/Turabian Style

B. Shiran; S. Mashayekhi; H. Jahanbazi; A. Soltani; P. Bruschi. 2011. "Morphological and molecular diversity among populations ofQuercus brantiiLindl. in western forest of Iran." Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology 145, no. 2: 452-460.

Original articles
Published: 01 June 2010 in Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Differences in phenotypic plasticity among six populations of Quercus petraea exposed to drought stress were examined. The study was performed as a common garden experiment with five‐year‐old seedlings in a greenhouse and a total of 13 morphological and micromorphological characters were scored for 24 seedlings from each population, in both control and droughted environments. The populations studied showed considerable differentiation for trait means while maintaining several of the morphological differences observed in the field. Since these differences in morphology were found in populations growing under the same conditions, it is probable that these are due to genetic differences. However, a high degree of phenotypic variation was found with significant population × water treatment interactions. Overall, this study shows that the origin of sessile oaks (xeric or mesic stands) determines the variation in phenotypic plasticity when plants are compared under different water regimes.

ACS Style

P. Bruschi. Geographical variation in morphology ofQuercus petraea(Matt.) Liebl. as related to drought stress. Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology 2010, 144, 298 -307.

AMA Style

P. Bruschi. Geographical variation in morphology ofQuercus petraea(Matt.) Liebl. as related to drought stress. Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology. 2010; 144 (2):298-307.

Chicago/Turabian Style

P. Bruschi. 2010. "Geographical variation in morphology ofQuercus petraea(Matt.) Liebl. as related to drought stress." Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology 144, no. 2: 298-307.