Ina Yosifova Aneva

Bulgarian Academy of Sciences | BAS · Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research

Rhodopes Mountain is ethnobotanically poorly studied, but our preliminary observation in a number of settlements revealed that even nowadays, the local population relies solely on previously collected medicinal plants. We aimed to assess the contemporary use of medicinal plants in the Central and East Rhodopes and the health conditions that local c...

Wound care will always be among the main tasks in all surgical specialties. Several medicinal plants have proven efficacy to cure wounds. Ethnobotanical research and ethnopharmacological research have virtually endless potential to find new lead compounds. The aim of this research review is to assess the potential of some Gentiana species as source...

Alkanna tinctoria (L.) Tausch Boraginaceae is a medicinal plant whose root is used for its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. A. tinctoria roots have been subject to numerous studies. However, the aerial parts have been explored less. The objective of the present study was to compare the chemical profile of aerial parts and roots as we...

Sideritis elica, from the Rhodope Mountains, is described as a species new to science. Results of a detailed morphological analysis were combined with the data of molecular analyses using DNA barcoding as an efficient tool for the genetic, taxonomic identification of plants. The combination of morphological features distinguishes the new species we...

Shoot cultures of hypericin non-producing H. calycinum L. (primitive Ascyreia section), hypericin-producing H. perforatum L., H. tetrapterum Fries (section Hypericum) and H. richeri Vill. (the evolutionarily most advanced section Drosocarpium in our study) were developed and investigated for their growth, development, hypericin content and endogeno...

Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants and their uses has been well documented in Bulgaria in the past. However, we know little about the contemporary traditional application of medicinal plants. Rhodopes Mountain is an ethnobotanically poorly studied region. This region is suitable for conducting field research in ethnobotany for several reason...

Comparative study GC-FID/MS of essential oils of fruits, leaves and roots of the endemic plant Angelica panciciiVandas ex Velen. revealed a significant difference in their chemical composition. The enantiomeric purity of the main component in the fruit oil (+)-β-phellandrene was also confirmed. In addition, imperatorin, isoimperatorin, oxypeucedani...

High mountain populations of the plant species possess particular interest from both evolutionary and conservation points of view. The mode of distribution, limited gene flow and severe environmental conditions act as evolutionary forces shaping the level and distribution of genetic diversity within and among populations. The paper reports results...

Modifications of land use and vegetation cover are proceeding faster than ever before in human history, with a considerable reduction in forest cover in biodiversity hotspots. We investigated the land use and vegetation cover changes, their impact on biodiversity in the Kurram District, Pakistan, for 27 years (1989 to 2015). Temporal satellite imag...

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors are widely used in Alzheimer’s treatment, but they are also crucial for their action on organophosphorus insecticides. The latter exert their toxicity by inhibiting the AChE enzyme in insects, leading to their death. Amaryllidaceae alkaloids have been proven to be potent AChE inhibitors. In the present study m...

Punica granatum (Family Lythraceae) comprises considerable content of phenolic components and it proves the antioxidant activity of pomegranate. Some clinical trial investigations display that consumption of pomegranate is able to boost the antioxidant status. This systematic review assessed the efficacy of pomegranate extract to reduce oxidative s...

Macrocyclic lactones, particularly the avermectins, have completely revolutionized the approaches aimed at control of parasites. These avermectins are the most widely used anti-parasitic drugs in veterinary field with sales exceeding one billion US dollars annually. However, before clinical usage, their safety evaluation in the animals is a major c...

Different gentian preparations are used as traditional remedies for internal pain control in: Persian traditional medicine (PTM), Chinese traditional medicine (CTM) and Ancient Greek medicine (AGM) from the time of the Roman Empire. Objective: To present a survey of the ethnopharmacological applications of gentians recorded as being used in Eastern...

Satureja montana L. is used as a traditional culinary spice in the Balkan Peninsula cuisine, as well as in the folk and traditional medicine for treatment of different diseases. The supply of secondary metabolites from naturally growing plants has many restrictions, such as biomass availability and variations in the chemical composition, which is m...

Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pALL), a malignancy of the lymphoid line of blood cells, accounts for a large percentage of all childhood leukemia cases. Although the 5-year survival rate for children with ALL has greatly improved over years, using chemotherapeutics as its first-line treatment still causes short- and long-term side effects....

We present a study on the taxonomy of eleven Thymus species, belonging to two sections and occurring naturally in Bulgaria. Four DNA barcoding markers—matK, rbcL, trnH-psbA and ITS—were applied to discriminate the species and to reveal their phylogenetic relationships. The results showed that rbcL has the lowest discriminating power regarding the s...

Essential oils from Monarda fistulosa L., Satureja pilosa Vel., Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum Ietswaart. (Greek oregano), Micromeria dalmatica Benth., Thymus longedentatus (Degen & Urum.) Ronniger, and Artemisa campestris L. were evaluated as inhibitors of seed germination in target plants Lolium perenne L. and Trifolium pratense L. using in vitro...

Micromeria dalmatica Benth. is a Balkan endemic medicinal and aromatic plant widely used as herb or spice. Methanolic and aqueous extracts of three populations of M. dalmatica were evaluated for free radical scavenging activity against DPPH radicals. All studied extracts showed significant activity. No difference was found in the antiradical proper...

Infection by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) provokes acute inflammation due to extensive replication of the virus in the epithelial cells of the upper and lower respiratory system. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a l signalling protein with critical functions in cell growth, metabolism, and proliferatio...

Toxic effect of Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum (Link) Ietsw. essential oil was assayed on weeds (Lolium perenne L. Trifolium pratense L. and Trifolium repens L.), potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L.) and Myzus persicae Sulz. The GC-MS analysis of the essential oil revealed carvacrol as the main component. The essential oil solutions completely inhi...

Primula veris (Primulaceae) is a valuable medicinal plant. The main characteristics for assessing the reproductive potential (embryological features; mode of reproduction; pollen and seed viability) and the genetic diversity of populations of the species from Bulgaria were studied. The anthers are tetrasporangiate. Their wall development follows th...

Биоцидните свойства на етеричното масло от бял риган (Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum) са проучени в няколко направления – антигъбна, антибактериална и афицидна активност, хербициден, генотоксичен, мутагенен и ДНК увреждащ потенциал. Представените данни за инхибиращия ефект на етеричното масло върху покълването на семена от целеви растителни индивид...

Resveratrol is a phenolic phytoconstituent found in many plants. This molecule has always caught the attention of scientists because of biological potentials such as inhibition of inflammation, oxidative stress and platelet aggregation as well as to prevent/protect against cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disease/disorders. Literature search ha...

Background Medicinal plants occupy an important place in the lives of people around the world. This study covers an area where medicinal plants are widely used for various health-related problems due to easily available sources. Objective: The current study aimed to document the quantities of data about the most commonly used medicinal plants in th...

The World Health Organization (WHO) now sees the COVID-19 pandemic as a global emergency event. Since there is no particular treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection at present and also since it takes a long time to find a new medicine, there is an immediate need for an urgent solution to this pandemic infection.1,2 Efficient care is encouraged, but caut...

Medicinal plants are widely used as a complementary therapy to treat complex diseases, such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Therefore, this study was done to investigate the effect of co‐administration of artichoke leaf extract supplement (ALES) with conventional medicines on patients with NAFLD. The clinical trial was based on patient...

In this study, the essential oil composition of five Thymus species, belonging to Sect. Hyphodromi (A. Kerner) Halácsy - Thymus atticus Čelak., T. leucotrichus Halácsy, T. striatus Vahl, T. zygioides Griseb. and T. perinicus (Velen.) Jalas. was studied by GC-MS/FID. T. atticus, T. leucotrichus, and T. striatus were characterized by high amounts of...

Degradation and loss of natural habitats as a consequence of anthropogenic activities have resulted in the loss of almost half of the biodiversity on our planet. Habitat specialists are among the species that vanish first and thus they are useful bioindicators for habitat change. One of the biomes subjected to strongest anthropogenic impact is the...

Soot particles emitted from the burning of solid fuel sources in the households carry important environmental and public health implications. In this study, the indoor soot particles released from firewood, cow dung, and bagasse burning at households of selected rural areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan were investigated by characteriz...

The SARS-CoV-2 virus was reported for the first time in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and causes respiratory infection. This pandemic pneumonia killed about 1,437,835 people out of 61,308,161cases up to November 27, 2020. The disease’s main clinical complications include fever, recurrent coughing, shortness of breath, acute respiratory syndrome, an...

В монографията се обобщават основните резултати от изпълнението на научно-образователния проект „Академия „Моят зелен град“ на Националния институт по геофизика, геодезия и география при Българска академия на науките, финансиран по програма „Образование с наука“ на Министерство на образованието и науката. Целта на книгата е да подпомогне образовате...

Background: Tribulus terrestris L. (T. terrestris) positive performance on the male sexual system has been confirmed, but little is known about its effects on the female reproductive system. Purpose: This review discussed in detail the beneficial impact of T. terrestris and its secondary metabolites on the female reproductive system. Study desi...

Background Studies on the efficacy of artichoke administration on anthropometric indices gave different outcomes. Hence, a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis were accomplished to understand the effects of artichoke administration on anthropometric indices. Methods Related clinical trials were found by searching in PubMed, Embase, th...

Phytochemical study of the chloroform extract of the aerial parts of Inula germanica L., I. ensifolia L., I. conyza (Griess.) DC. and I. salicina L. led to the identification of 33 terpenoids. ?- and ?-Amyrin, lupeol, taraxasterol, ?-taraxasterol and their 3-O-acetates and 3-O-palmitates were identified by GC/MS. In addition, the structures of 3-O-...

The Balkan Vegetation Database (BVD; GIVD ID: EU-00-019) is a regional database, which was established in 2014. It comprises phytosociological relevés covering various vegetation types from nine countries of the Balkan Peninsula (Albania – 153 relevés, Bosnia and Herzegovina – 1715, Bulgaria – 12,282, Greece – 465, Croatia – 69, Kosovo – 493, Monte...

The phytochemical study of the chloroform extract of the aerial parts of Inula bifrons (L.) L. led to the isolation of one new ent-kaurane diterpenes acid along with twelve known compounds (two ent-kaurane diterpenoids, an eudesmane acid, five sesquiterpene lactones, three triterpenoids and β-sitosterol). All known compounds are found for the first...

Species of genus Tilia still did not gain the attention they deserve by researchers and forest managers. Their importance as a significant part of forest biodiversity is expected to increase, especially in the light of changing environment, due to climate change and other factors. We present a mini-review about the genetic resources of Tilia specie...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the total phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacity of the methanol extracts of 11 samples of I. britannica from different habitats and to identify the potent antioxidant compounds. The values of phenolics ranged from 85.35±7.64 to 141.01±4.97 mg GAE/g DE, while those of flavonoids-from 19.66±0.7...

The aim of this study was GC-MS analysis of alkaloid profiles of different aerial parts (leaves, stems and flowers) of three Corydalis species, naturally grown in Bulgaria (Corydalis solida (L.) Clairv., Corydalis marschalliana (Willd.) Pers. and Corydalis bulbosa (L.) DC.), as well as analysis of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of obt...

Introduction: The main concern regarding the authenticity and quality of Rhodiola rosea L. (Sedum rosea (L.) Scop.) products is their adulteration with other Rhodiola species. Objective: The aim of the study was the development of reliable and practical analytical platform for quality and quantity assessment of the characteristic molecules in diff...

Genus Thymus in Bulgaria is characterized by high diversity, with 21 native species, seven of them with endemic distribution only on the Balkan Peninsula. Eighteen species were included in a pilot study on the genetic relationships among the species belonging to different sections and belonging to the same section. Six of the studied species belong...

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic defect with many complications for the patients. Deaths due to diabetes and its complications are increasing, and one of the most serious consequences are the neurological disorders. Chemical treatments have irreversible side effect and therefore the aim of this study is to evaluate the medicinal plants used for tre...

The genetic and flower volatile diversity of 59 plants from two natural populations of Hyssopus officinalis L. situated 73 km away from each other in typical growing regions for this species in Bulgaria were analysed. Analysis with 10 sequence related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) primer combinations scored a total of 1045 peaks of which 88.7% were...

Most people are aware that pollinators are in trouble, and with them agricultural products worth more than $200 billion annually (FAO. Pollinators vital to our food supply under threat. http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/384726/icode/, 2017). Pollinators are fundamental to maintaining both biodiversity and agricultural productivity, but habitat...

The pharmacological properties of Asphodelus species have been advocated previously. In this respect, the present study attempts to unravel the antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory activity of root extracts of two Asphodelus species, namely, A. albus and A. aestivus. Data gathered demonstrated that the dichloromethane (25.49, 51.30, 104.31, and 81.58...

Nectaroscordum siculum ssp. bulgaricum (Janka) Stearn ( Allium siculum subsp. dioscoridis (Sm.) K. Richt.) is a traditional culinary spice from South-East Europe. Studies of N. siculum have focused mainly on the botanical and taxonomic characteristics of this species and there is no data available in the scientific literature about its metabolite p...

In this study the volatile components of four Inula species (Inula germanica L., I. bifrons (L.) L., I. ensifolia L., and I. salicina L.) were analysed by GC-FID/MS. A total of 141 chemical compounds were identified. A distinct volatile chemical profiles with high variation in the type of compounds was observed. Inula germanica was rich in oxygenat...

Studies on the impact of agricultural practices on plant diversity provide an important information for policy makers and conservation of the environment. The aim of the present work was to evaluate wild plant diversity across the agroecosystems in two contrasting regions of Bulgaria; Pazardzhik-Plovdiv (representing agroecosystems in the lowlands)...

A new locality of the rare and endangered species Inula spiraeifolia L. (Asteraceae) is reported, which confirms the species occurrence in Bulgaria. The locality is situated in the Valley of River Struma, about 6 km northwards from Kresna, at 210-230 m a.s.l. The species occurs in a shrubland habitat and is represented by 30-40 individuals disperse...

Chlorogenic (5‐CQA), 1,5‐, 3,5‐, 4,5‐ and 3,4‐dicaffeoylquinic (DCQA) acids were identified and quantified in the methanol extracts of Inula oculus‐christi L., I. bifrons L., I. aschersoniana Janka var. aschersoniana, I. ensifolia L., I. conyza (Griess.) DC. and I. germanica L. by HPLC analysis. The amount of 5‐CQA varied from 5.48 to 28.44 mg/g DE...

Background Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive disease that is associated with pulmonary arteries remodeling, right ventricle hypertrophy, right ventricular failure and finally death. The present study aims to review the medicinal plants and phytochemicals used for PH treatment in the period of 1994 – 2019.Methods PubMed, Cochrane and Scop...

Background: Herbal medications are becoming increasingly popular with the impression that they cause fewer side effects in comparison with synthetic drugs; however, they may considerably contribute to acute or chronic poisoning incidents. Poison centers receive more than 100000 patients exposed to toxic plants. Most of these cases are inconsiderab...

Agricultural intensification continues being a major threat for biodiversity worldwide. Despite the incorporation of diverse conservation tools in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) since the 1990s, European agriculture continues intensifying. The last CAP reform introduced compulsory greening, including measures to support semi-natural habitats...

Genus Adonis comprises 32 species distributed in Europe and Asia. Adonis vernalis commonly called Pheasant's eye is a valuable medicinal plant characterized by high content of cardiac glycosides. Due to its toxicity, nowadays it is not among the most popular medicinal plants but is used frequently as homoeopathic remedy. A. vernalis grows on open l...

Exploring the historical development of distribution range and related migrations of plant species can reveal important facts and trends concerning their adaptation and evolution. Many tree species are particularly suitable for such studies because of their life history characteristics and their importance from environmental and economic point of v...

Worldwide, studies of Nectaroscordum siculum ssp. bulgaricum (Janka) Stearn have been focused mainly on the botanical and taxonomic characteristics of the species resulting in scanty data about its polyphenol profile and biological activity. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to analyse and compare the polyphenol substances and antioxidant...

A comparative study of the alkaloid composition of some Hypecoum species ( H. procumbens L., H. ponticum Velen, and H. imberbe Sm.) was carried out. Ten isoquinoline alkaloids were determined. The alkaloid profile of the species was compared at two levels, between species and within the same species from different natural localities. The results su...

Genera Tilia and Ulmus contain tree species called noble hardwoods. Even though they possess some remarkable characteristics, they are of relatively lesser importance, compared to the stand-forming tree species, due to their lower proportion in forests. However, the noble hardwoods could be of particular scientific interest because they demonstrate...

Програма за подпомагане на млади учени в БАН - 2017.

As the leading causes of human disability and mortality, neurological diseases affect millions of people worldwide and are on the rise. Although the general roles of several signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders have so far been identified, the exact pathophysiology of neuronal disorders and their effective treatment...

In the flora of Bulgaria, the genus Artemisia L. is represented by 13 species. This study is devoted to the study of two morphologically similar species - Artemisia lerchiana Stechm and Artemisia santonicum L. Materials and methods. The objects of study were methanol and acetone extracts from the dried aerial part and the fractions obtained from th...