Dawid Kocot

The increasing global population and progressive soil salinization threaten future food security and sustainable agriculture. Halophytes, as salt-tolerant plants adapted to saline environments, represent promising alternative crops and valuable sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds. This review presents a structured synthesis of selected halophytes, with emphasis on wild species of ethnobotanical relevance. The nutritional value of halophytes is discussed with respect to proteins, polysaccharides, lipids, minerals, and vitamins, together with their diverse profiles regarding bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, terpenes and terpenoids (including carotenoids), alkaloids, saponins and chlorophylls. In addition, the biological activities and available clinical evidence of halophyte-derived compounds are summarized, with Lobularia maritima presented as a representative example. By organizing nutritional and phytochemical data according to compound classes, this review provides a perspective largely absent from previous studies and highlights the potential of halophytes as innovative ingredients for the food and pharmaceutical industries, as well as outlining future research challenges and prospects.

This study examined the effects of different LED light spectra on the in vitro development of plantlets of Bletilla striata (Orchidaceae), a frost-hardy ornamental orchid with increasing horticultural relevance outside its native East Asian range. The objective was to optimize growth conditions using energy-efficient lighting to support sustainable cultivation practices. Plantlets approximately 4 cm in length with 0.5 cm leaves were cultured on standard Orchimax medium in 200 mL Erlenmeyer flasks and exposed to five LED treatments: 100% blue (B), 100% red (R), red/blue at 70:30 (RB), 50% yellow + RB (7:3), and 50% green + RB (7:3). Fluorescent light served as controls. The photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) was maintained at approximately 40 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹ across all light treatments. After seven weeks, selected LED spectra improved plantlet performance compared with the control. Leaf number remained stable, while RB light promoted leaf expansion, resulting in the widest leaves. Root formation occurred under all LED treatments, supporting subsequent acclimatization. Light quality strongly affected photosynthetic pigments and secondary metabolism. The highest total chlorophyll content was recorded under RB illumination (581 µg g⁻¹ FW), whereas monochromatic red light resulted in the lowest pigment levels. Carotenoid accumulation was significantly enhanced under RB and RBG spectra. Blue-containing treatments (B and RB) markedly stimulated the accumulation of phenolic compounds, including flavonols and anthocyanins, while red light suppressed phenolic biosynthesis. Total soluble sugars showed an organ-specific response, with red light promoting sugar accumulation in shoots and blue light in roots. These findings demonstrate that targeted LED lighting not only improves plant quality but also offers an environmentally sustainable and economically viable approach for commercial micropropagation and conservation of B. striata.

Halophytes are salt-tolerant plants with ethnomedicinal value and growing potential in food and cosmetics; their adaptability to extreme conditions makes them promising candidates for sustainable agriculture and crop development in salt-affected areas. In vitro plant tissue culture further supports this by enabling resilient plant production in the face of climate and food security challenges. In this study, in vitro cultures of two medicinal halophytes from the genus Plantago (P. coronopus and P. crassifolia) were established to optimize their micropropagation protocol. Seed germination percentages, growth parameters, micropropagation rates, rooting efficiency, and physiological condition were evaluated. Growth media (modified MS medium) differed in the type of cytokinin. The seed germination efficiency was monitored at weekly intervals for 8 weeks, and other growth parameters were evaluated in 6- and 12-week cultures. Differences in both the rate and efficiency of in vitro germination between the two species were observed, with approximately 73% germination reached by P. coronopus and 47% by P. crassifolia after 4 weeks, and 80% and 53% after 8 weeks, respectively. The addition of 0.5 mg dm⁻³ kinetin plus 0.5 mg dm⁻³ IAA (indole acetic acid) proved to be effective in promoting growth in P. coronopus, resulting in longer plantlets and higher multiplication rates, while the addition of meta-topolin (mT) was a better stimulator of shoot and root growth in P. crassifolia. The highest multiplication coefficient, 6.22 for P. coronopus and 4.90 for P. crassifolia, was obtained on the P1 medium for both species. Importantly, medium with mT also had a stimulating effect on rooting in both species over the long term (12-week culture). The developed PTC enables efficient propagation and trait selection in halophytes, supporting sustainable large-scale production of the studied Plantago species, and facilitating future research on salt stress tolerance.

The growing trend of introducing wild plant species into urban environments necessitates the identification of novel species adapted to prevailing conditions. A promising reservoir of such species may be xerothermic communities where Ranunculus illyricus occurs. This study aimed to establish a micropropagation protocol for R. illyricus using indirect organogenesis. The protocol includes initiation of culture from various explants, callus proliferation, shoot regeneration, multiplication, and concurrent rooting. Callus appeared on most types of vegetative explants tested, but stolons were considered the best due to their good availability, high disinfection (85%), and robust callus production (maximum increase − 363.1%). The growth rate of the callus fresh matter (CFM) obtained from stolons was calculated. Greater CFM was obtained on the medium with the supplemented picloram 8.0 mg L^− 1 with kinetin 5.0 mg L^− 1 and in second part of experiment on medium with the addition of 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) 2.0 mg L^− 1 alone or picloram 6.0 mg L^− 1 with kinetin 8.0 mg L^− 1. Shoot organogenesis was observed on macronutrients B₅ (Gamborg medium), micronutrients MS (Murashige and Skoog) medium with the addition of 2.0 mg L^− 1 IBA (indole-3-butyric acid) and 4.0 mg L^− 1 BAP (6-benzylaminopurine). To document the process of callus differentiation, microscopic preparations were prepared. Subsequently, the regenerated plants underwent acclimatisation and their growth in an ex situ collection was monitored over three growing seasons. In particular, in vitro-origin plants exhibited developmental patterns similar to those of their seed-origin counterparts. The incorporation of R. illyricus into urban landscapes not only increases aesthetic appeal, but also ensures the preservation of valuable genetic resources for this rare species, potentially contributing to effective ex situ conservation in the future. This marks the first scientific report on in vitro cultures of R. illyricus.

Ranunculus illyricus, a component of xerothermic grasslands, is a declining species and deserves active conservation treatments in many countries preceded by studies on the biology of its reproduction. So far, our knowledge of R. illyricus, a species with two modes of reproduction, has been fragmentary. The purpose of the studies presented here was to describe the annual development cycle of R. illyricus with particular emphasis on the production of underground tuber clusters that serve as vegetative propagation. Based on three-year-long observations in an ex situ collection, the efficiency of vegetative propagation was estimated and compared with the efficiency of generative propagation. It was found that in 3 years the best clones could produce up to 57 progeny clusters followed by flowering specimens in the first season. Meanwhile, the high potential for generative reproduction was suppressed by many limitations including fruit setting, the germination capacity of seeds, seedling survival rate, and additionally, the first flowering plant was observed only in the third year. It seems that the efficiency of vegetative propagation of this species can be higher than the efficiency of generative propagation. Moreover, vegets bloomed in the first year after emergence, whereas the first plant of generative origin was observed to bloom only after 3 years. A large proportion of individuals of vegetative origin can negatively affect the genetic diversity of the population but their survival rate against competing plants is higher. To enhance the existing populations or to create new ones, it would be best to use plants derived from clonal propagation of genets carried out in ex situ conditions.

Aconitum bucovinense Zapał. is the European species of monkshood, endemic to the Eastern and Southern Carpathians. A protocol has been developed for the in vitro regeneration of adventitious shoots by indirect organogenesis from leaf explants. An initiation of cultures carried out on a medium with picloram and kinetin allowed obtaining a callus. More than a 200% FM increase of the callus and at the same time differentiation of adventitious buds were obtained on IBA and BAP supplemented media. Excised buds were used to establish shoot cultures and multiplied after a transfer to nutrient media with an addition of BAP with IBA, IAA or NAA. Almost 70% of rooted shoots were obtained on a 1.5 mg L^− 1 IBA and 1.0 mg L^− 1 BAP supplemented medium with simultaneous efficient multiplication. An analysis of peroxidase activity revealed its gradual increase in shoots until the appearance of roots. For the first time, an efficient way to regenerate, multiply and root A. bucovinense shoots has been developed and can be used for ex situ conservation of this species.

Generative processes have been evaluated in six European buttercup species in order to verify the hypothesis that the reproduction efficiency of clonal species is lower than that of nonclonal ones. The study covered common species (Ficaria verna, Ranunculus auricomus, R. bulbosus, R. cassubicus, R. lanuginosus) and the endangered R. illyricus. The following properties have been assessed: pollen viability (staining method), pollen grain germination and the pollen-tube elongation in pistil tissues (fluorescence microscopy), seed formation efficiency, seed viability (tetrazolium test) and germination ability by introducing factors interrupting dormancy (low temperature and gibberellin application). Additionally, the pistil morphology was documented for R. bulbosus, R. illyricus and R. cassubicus using SEM techniques. It was demonstrated that the reproductive efficiency, expressed as the production of viable seeds able to germinate, was significantly higher in the species reproducing sexually (especially in R. lanuginosus) compared to the clonal ones. However, the complexity observed leads to separation of an additional group (cluster) of apomictic species: R. auricomus and R. cassubicus, distinguished by the lowest pollen viability and a low ability of the seeds to germinate. In the vegetatively reproducing R. illyricus, the seed formation efficiency was just 13.2% despite the having highest number of pistils in its flowers. The developed seeds of this species observed in our experiment were viable, but in general effective methods to stimulate their germination have not been proposed yet. Here, the first comparative study concerning the biology of sexual reproduction of R. illyricus is presented in the context of its decreasing distribution in natural habitats.