Stachys italica Mill.: synecology, functional compounds and potential use of an Italian endemic taxon.

The metabolomic of the Italian endemic species Stachys italica was investigated and potential positive metabolites for human's health were detected, quantified and discussed in relation to its synecology. Stachys italica is a species endemic to central-southern Italy, traditionally used for human consumption. The present research reports the results of a phytosociological study of this species in two southern regions of Italy (Apulia and Calabria).

Microplastics in water surface and in the gastrointestinal tract of target marine organisms in Salento coastal seas (Italy, Southern Puglia).

Microplastic pollution is a major global environmental threat that has attracted increasing interest from the scientific community over the past decade. The semi-closed and highly urbanized Mediterranean Sea has been investigated since 2012, in several specific studies that have identified it as a target hotspot for microplastic contamination. The marine coastal zone of the Salento peninsula (Apulia, Italy) has peculiar geographical and hydrodynamic features, although there are few published data detailing the level of microplastics present in this area.

Ecological and Biological Properties of Ten. and Ten.: Two Wild Officinal Species of Conservation Concern in Apulia (Italy). A Preliminary Survey.

This study evaluated the effects of ecology (plant community, topography and pedology), as well as of climate, on the composition of essential oils (EOs) from two officinal wild plant species (Lamiales) from Apulia, namely Ten. and Ten. Few scientific data on their chemical composition are available, due to the fact that the first has a limited distribution range and the second is endemic of southern Italy.

Ecological and Plant Community Implication on Essential Oils Composition in Useful Wild Officinal Species: A Pilot Case Study in Apulia (Italy).

The study focused on the effects of ecology (plant communities and topographical data) on composition of essential oils (EOs) of some officinal wild plant species (Lamiales): subsp. , subsp. and , in different environments of Apulia (Italy).

Biochar effect on crop performance and Pb and Zn uptake of tomato ( L.) plants grown on heavy metals contaminated Kosovo soils.

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of biochar on the growth and uptake of Pb and Zn by tomato plants ( L.) cultivated in two highly contaminated Kosovo soils, A and B. Plants were cultivated in the biochar amended and unamended soils.

Effect of Coffee Silver Skin and Brewers' Spent Grain in the Control of Root-knot Nematodes.

Plant parasitic nematodes (PPN) are important pests of numerous agricultural crops especially vegetables, able to cause remarkable yield losses correlated to soil nematode population densities at sowing or transplant. The concern on environmental risks, stemming from the use of chemical pesticides acting as nematicides, compels to their replacement with more sustainable pest control strategies. To verify the effect of aqueous extracts of the agro-industry waste coffee silverskin (CS) and brewers' spent grain (BSG) on the widespread root-knot nematode , and on the physiology of tomato plants, a pot experiment was carried out in a glasshouse at 25 ± 2 °C.

Chemical and spectroscopic characteristics of humic acids and dissolved organic matter along two Alfisol profiles.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the heterogeneous structural and functional composition of humic acids (HAs) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) isolated from two Alfisol profiles with different soil texture, in order to develop a better understanding of the organic matter dynamics. Soil samples were collected at different depths from three (Ap, 2AB and 2Bt) and eight (A1, A2, A3, E1, E2, 2Bt1, 2Bt2 and 2Bt3) soil horizons of two Alfisols located in the south (PR1) and north (PR2) of Italy, with a clay texture and a silt loam to loam ones, respectively. Chemical and spectroscopic methods were used to characterize the HAs and the DOM isolated from different soil horizons, including Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), and Fluorescence spectroscopies.