Nemanja RajcevicUniversity of Belgrade · Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden "Jevremovac"
Nemanja Rajcevic
Doctor of Philosophy
About
78
Publications
10,169
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304
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Citations since 2017
Introduction
Nemanja Rajcevic currently works at the Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden "Jevremovac", Faculty of Biology - University of Belgrade. Nemanja does research in phytochemistry, plant systematics and plant molecular biology. Their current project is 'Molecular and phytochemical diversity of Juniperus in the Balkans.'
Additional affiliations
November 2015 - present
University of Belgrade - Faculty of Biology
Position
- Professor (Assistant)
November 2015 - present
Position
- Professor (Assistant)
Description
- Phylogeny and systematics of plants; Field trip in botany; Biochemical & molecular systematics of plants; Phytochemistry; Experimental botany; Forensic botany
January 2011 - November 2015
Position
- Research Assistant
Description
- Plant systematics, Phytochemistry, Applied Botany
Education
October 2008 - July 2015
University of Belgrade
Field of study
- Botany & Phytochemistry
October 2002 - September 2008
Publications
Publications (78)
Through secondary or specialised metabolites plants adapt to their environment. A myriad of different compounds plays a significant role in the plant–environment interaction. These compounds help plants in attracting pollinators or deterring herbivores, in their protection from pathogen microorganisms, or in protection from various abiotic stresses...
Population variability of n-alkanes in the cuticular waxes of Serbian spruce needles from Bosnia and Herzegovina was investigated for the first time. n-Alkanes exhibited composition variability ranging from C18 to C35.
The divergence of populations from Bosnia and Herzegovina and previously investigated Serbian populations was statistically confirm...
The composition of essential oil (EO) from different aerial parts of Artemisia absinthium L. (Asteraceae), from Serbia, was analyzed. Shoots without leaves and inflorescences (SWLI), leaves (L), and inflorescences (I) were subjected to hydrodistillation using the Clevenger-type apparatus. Analysis of EO was done by gas chromatography with MS of fla...
Plant-based natural products have been used as a source for therapeutics since the dawn of civilization. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 80% of the world’s population relies on traditional medicine for their primary healthcare. Numerous natural extracts, widely known in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Indian Ayurveda medic...
Juniperus sabina L. var. balkanensis R.P. Adams & Tashev is a recently described endemic variety from the Balkan Peninsula. Its strong sprouting ability and fast vegetative propagation, on one hand, and fragmented distribution, on the other, can lead to lower genetic diversity in local populations and to the differentiation of populations. As there...
In this study, the chemical composition, antioxidant, and hypoglycemic activity of Rosa arvensis Huds. leaves and fruits collected from Zlatibor, Stara Planina, Stolovi mountains and Pešter plateau (Serbia) were analysed. Phenolic and vitamin profiles, as well as in vitro antioxidant potential and enzyme inhibitory activity on α-amylase and α-gluco...
The composition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of fresh flowering heads (capitula) of Centaurea spinosociliata Seenus (Asteraceae, Circum-Mediterranean clade – CMC, subsect. Centaurea) from Otrić, Croatia was analyzed. Plant material was collected in August 2021, and flowering heads were frozen until extraction. The essential oil was obtained...
The genus Juniperus L. (Cupressaceae) consists of ca. 67 species that mainly grow in the northern hemisphere. The genus is divided into three sections: Caryocedrus, Juniperus and Sabina. Species belonging to all three sections grow wild in the Balkans. Junipers are evergreen shrubs that predominantly inhabit dry open areas. They are very well adapt...
Centaurea tomorosii Micevski (Asteraceae, Circum - Mediterranean Clade (CMC), subsect. Centaurea) is a perennial herbaceous plant with pale yellow flowers. It grows among calcareous rocks, on Mt. Galičica: [Tomoros, 1450 m.a.s.l.] and is endemic to the southwestern part of North Macedonia. In this study, the volatile constituents of dried aerial pa...
Clinopodium L. (Lamiaceae) is a taxonomically complex genus, comprising about 180 taxa. The traditional concept of the genus, based on morphological characteristics, has been completely transformed in recent years, primarily supported by molecular evidence. The leaf indumentum, especially trichome types present on the leaf, is a very important taxo...
Juniperus communis var. saxatilis is a short prostrate evergreen conifer that grows on dry hills in the mountain areas. In the Balkans, this taxon has a fragmented distribution. Both leaves and cones are rich in essential oils (EOs), which play an important role in plant interaction with the environment. Even though leaves and berries represent a s...
The essential oil composition of fresh flowering heads (capitula) and fresh aerial parts of Centaurea finazzeri Adamović and Centaurea rupestris L. (Asteraceae, Centaurea sect. Acrocentron) from Štip, North Macedonia were analyzed. The essential oils were obtained by simultaneous distillation and extraction using Likens–Nickerson type apparatus and...
The composition of essential oil from aerial parts of Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. from Bor (Serbia) was analyzed. The essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC-FID, GC-MS). In total, 45 compounds were detected (98.49% of the total). The essential oil was dominated by monoterpene (45%) and sesquiterpene (3...
Despite the significant advances in drug development we are witnessing the inability of health systems to combat both neurodegenerative diseases and cancers, especially glioblastoma. Hence, natural products are comprehensively studied in order to provide novel therapeutic options. This study aimed to explore anti-neurodegenerative and anti-glioblas...
Salvia nemorosa L. is a rich source of bioactive constituents. We have used different solvents to obtain 14 different extracts in order to evaluate solvents impact on S. nemorosa inflorescences bioactivities. Firstly, the extraction yield, chemical composition and cytotoxic properties towards HaCaT cell line were elaborated. Afterwards, we have stu...
In this work, we analyzed the essential oils (EOs) obtained by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of five Artemisia species: A. alba Turra, A. pontica L., A. scoparia Waldst. & Kitam., A. vulgaris L., originated from Serbia and A. umbelliformis Lam. subsp. eriantha (Ten.) Vallès-Xirau & Oliva Brañas, originated from Montenegro by gas chromatog...
Prunus spinosa leaf extracts in solvents of different polarity (water, ethanol and acetone), their phenol, flavonoid and anthocyanin contents and biological properties were the object of this study. The richest in phenols as well as in flavonoids was acetone extract with 181.19 mg GAE and 80.10 mg QE per gram of dry extract, respectively. Moreover,...
The essential oil (EO) composition of Satureja plants is highly variable. Recent studies suggest that there is an even difference in the EO composition from different plant organs within the same plant. This study aims to examine the chemical profile of EOs and the micromorphological characteristics of different organs of three Satureja species. Th...
Anthriscus cerefolium (L.) Hoffm. is a plant traditionally used around the globe since antiquity. Although widely used in many traditional medicines in different cultures, from the scientific point of view it is poorly investigated. Glioblastoma, a tumor type with poor prognosis, is the most common and lethal brain tumor in adults. Current therapeu...
Structural diversity of biologically active compounds identified in plants after many years of storage is rarely reported in literature. Herein, we studied chemical profile and biological activities of Phlomis fruticosa L. after plant material storage for 20 years. Chemical analyzes were performed by UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap/MS, and revealed presence of...
Juniperus communis
or common juniper is the only conifer with pan-arctic distribution due to its polymorphic nature and high phenotypic plasticity. This taxon also produces large amounts of essential oil, which are stored in resin ducts in leaves (needles) and seed-cones. Leaf terpenoid composition of 97 individuals of common juniper from five popu...
This study explored chemical profile of Ononis spinosa aerial parts and further investigated its biological activities. Chemical profiling of the extract revealed presence of 63 different compounds: phenolic acids, flavonoid glycosides and aglycones, isoflavonoid glycosides and aglycones, and other related compounds. Our results revealed that the e...
Juniperus deltoides R.P.Adams is a prickly, evergreen shrub that grows in the East Mediterranean on dry hills and mountains. Needle-like leaves have a thick cuticular layer on the surface, which serves as the ultimate barrier for prevention of water loss. n-Alkanes comprise the biggest part of this hydrophobic wax mixture. These compounds are studi...
We investigated the total phenolic and flavonoid contents and the anthocyanin profiles in aqueous, ethanol and acetone extracts of Prunus spinosa (Rosaceae) fruit, and their antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antidiabetic and antitumor properties. The contribution of polyphenol contents to the bioactivity of the extracts was calculated and obs...
The variability of volatiles isolated from twigs by the static headspace (HS) method in seven natural populations of Picea omorika from Serbia was investigated for the first time. In the overall chemical profile, monoterpenes strongly dominated hydrocarbons as the most volatile compounds (95.7%). The dominant compounds were ?-pinene (29.5 %), ?-pin...
In this work we analysed the essential oils (EO) obtained by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of five Artemisia species (A. arborescens L., A. campestris L., A. lobelii All., A. annua L. and A. absinthium L.) originated from Serbia, Montenegro, and Libya, by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. In total, 126 compounds were dete...
Satureja kitaibelii is an endemic aromatic herb used in ethnomedicine for treatment of bronchitis or cough, urinary and digestive disorders, but also as a stimulant, stomachic, carminative, expectorant, anti-catarrhal, astringent and aphrodisiac. Recent investigations also show potential anticancer activity. The aim of this study was to investigate...
Satureja kitaibelii Wierzb. ex Heuff. is endemic species of central Balkan that lives along the Balkan mountains range. The aim of this research was to study the variability of n-alkane profiles of four S. kitaibelii populations growing wild in Serbia in regards to biogeography and chemotaxonomy. Using GC/MS and GC/FID, seventeen n-alkane homologue...
In this paper, we analyzed the capitula essential oil composition of seven Centaurea species, six of which belong to Centaurea calocephala complex, and the related species Centaurea melanocephala Pančić (subgenus Acrocentron, tribus Cardueae, subtribus Centaureinae) which inhabit Balkans Peninsula. The volatile organic compounds were extracted by s...
Many studies show the influence of the environment on terpene composition, but not many of them deal with the terpene composition variability in correlation with environmental factors in Pinus. We chose two endemic species – P. heldreichii Christ. (Bosnian pine) and P. peuce Griseb. (Macedonian pine) – two relict and (sub)endemic species of the Bal...
In the present work leaf essential oil from 97 individuals of Juniperus phoenicea var. turbinata (GUSS.) PARL. from the Balkan Peninsula was analysed. The essential oil was dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons (45.5 – 71.8%), of which α‐pinene was the most abundant in almost all of the samples (38.2 – 55.8%). Several other monoterpenes and sesquit...
Plant materials were collected in the field from Montenegro (A. campestris), Serbia (A. lobeli var. canescens), and Romania (A. absinthium). Vouchers specimens were deposited at the Herbarium of University of Belgrade-Faculty of Biology (BEOU). The extracts were obtained using the standard procedure, with MeOH, 70% EtOH and EtOAc, stored in dark at...
We examined for the first time the leaf micromorphology, phytochemistry and biological activity of the rare and stenoendemic Amphoricarpos elegans Albov (Compositae) from Georgia. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the presence of glandular trichomes on the leaves, which appeared as glandular dots that are considered the main sites of bios...
In the vascular flora of Serbia, the genus Euphorbia is represented with 36 species belonging to the subgenera Esula, Chamaesyce, Euphorbia and Rhizanthium. Five species of E. subg. Chamaesyce have been recorded so far in Serbia: E. chamaesyce, E. maculata, E. humifusa, E. nutans and E. davidii. During our research on the flora of Belgrade in 2012,...
During the revision of moss collection of the University of Belgrade Herbarium from the Ostrozub Mountain
which was collected in period from 1950 to 1953 it has been found that numerous specimens had not been
determined. In total, 132 species were recorded: 23 liverwort, 109 moss species were found on the Mt.
Ostrozub. Out of those, 38 taxa (6, 25...
Morphological characters and the composition of epicuticular leaf n-alkanes of two Satureja subspicata Bartl. ex Vis. subspecies (subsp. liburnica Šilić and subsp. subspicata) from nine natural populations along Dinaric Alps range were studied. Morphological characters were chosen based on Šilić's subspecies separation. Seventeen n-alkane homologue...
The essential oil composition of C. atropurpurea and C. orientalis flowering heads (capitula) from Central Balkans have been determined by GC/FID and GC/MS analyses. In total 121 compounds were identified, representing on average 97.7% of the oil composition. In all samples, sesquiterepenes were most abundant group, representing 53.9-74.0% of the t...
The genus JuniperusL. (Cupressaceae) consists of ca. 67 species and
34 varieties. Juniperus communisL. grows on dry hills or mountainous tracts and is widely distributed in the northern hemisphere. A typical variety J. communisL. var. communis was collected in Deliblatska peščara (Deliblato Sands) and variety J. communisL. var. saxatilis
Pall. in...
Pinus nigraJ.F. Arnold, European black pine, is a typical component of Mediterranean and subMediterranean coniferous forests with highly fragmentary distribution. Western Mediterranean populations of this species have been studied genetically to date, while eastern populations from the central Balkans, which are larger and more abundant, are still...
Juniperus deltoides R. P. Adams is recently recognized as a cryptic species belonging to complex J. oxycedrus s.l. Its natural range is in the Mediterranean region, from Apennines in the west to Asia Minor and the Black Sea in the east. One of the markers used to identify this cryptic species was the composition of needle essential oil. The composi...
The genus Satureja L. (Lamiaceae) is distributed in Mediterranean area, tropical Africa, Asia and the Americas. The exact number of species is still uncertain, due to the considerable taxonomic confusion associated with the generic limits of the so-called "Satureja complex". Leaf n-alkanes have been extensively used as chemotaxonomic markers within...
J.F. Arnold, European black pine, is a typical component of Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean coniferous forests with highly fragmentary distribution. Western Mediterranean populations of this species have been studied genetically to date, while eastern populations from the central Balkans, which are larger and more abundant, are still geneticall...
The composition of the epicuticular leaf n-alkanes of eight populations of three Satureja montana subspecies (S. montana L. subsp. pisidica (Wettst.) Šilić, S. montana L. subsp. montana, and S. montana L. subsp. variegata (Host) P. W. Ball), from central and western areas of the Balkan Peninsula was characterized by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses. In th...
The composition of the essential oils isolated from twigs of ten Juniperus deltoides R.P. Adams populations from the east Adriatic coast was determined by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses. Altogether, 169 compounds were identified, representing 95.6-98.4% of the total oil composition. The oils were dominated by monoterpenes (average content of 61.6%), whi...
Due to the current lack of nuclear microsatellites (simple sequence repeats - SSRs) specifically developed for Pinus nigra, an important European coniferous species, we cross-species amplified 12 EST-SSRs (expressed sequence tagged SSRs) developed for other Pinus species in P. nigra in order to delineate loci which can be used for assessing levels...
The composition of essential oil isolated from the areal parts of Aster
albanicus Deg, an endemic species of the central Balkans, was analyzed. In
total, 111 compounds were identified, representing 98% of the essential oil.
The essential oil was dominated by sesquiterpene (69.3%) and monoterpene
hydrocarbons (15.9%), with germacrene D as the most a...
The composition of the epicuticular n-alkanes isolated from the leaves of ten populations of Juniperus communis L. var. saxatilis Pallas from central (continental) and western (coastal) areas of the Balkan Peninsula was characterized by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses. In the leaf waxes, 14 n-alkane homologues with chain-lengths ranging from C22 to C35 w...
The composition of the cuticular n-alkanes isolated from the leaves of nine populations of Juniperus deltoides R.P.Adams from continental and coastal areas of the Balkan Peninsula was characterized by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses. In the leaf waxes, 14 n-alkane homologues with chain-lengths ranging from C22 to C35 were identified. n-Tritriacontane (C3...
Aromatic species of the genus Satureja are rich in secondary metabolites that interfere with DNA isolation procedures. Four protocols based on the standard CTAB DNA extraction protocol of Doyle and Doyle (1987) were tested in six savory taxa. The polyphenol adsorbents activated charcoal and/or polyvinylpyrrolidone 10 were employed in three procedur...
The essential-oil compositions of one Croatian and three Serbian populations of Juniperus deltoides R.P.Adams have been determined by GC/MS analysis. In total, 147 compounds were identified, representing 97.3-98.3% of the oil composition. The oils were dominated by monoterpenes, which are characteristic components for the species of the section Jun...
Studies were undertaken to identify genetic relationships among ten different species of the family Pinaceae through randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Eighteen arbitrary RAPD primers produced 123 fragments of which 107 were polymorphic (87%). The similarity coefficient values varied from 0.34 to 0.67. The highest similarity coeffic...
Projects
Projects (3)
The Mediterranean region, as one of the centers of plant diversity, is a very important source of diverse indigenous plants for fundamental and applied research. Although plant species have been intensively studied in this region, some areas have still not been sufficiently explored. Micromorphological, anatomical, phytochemical and molecular markers will be analyzed in order to find new taxonomic characters that are important for the delimitation of individual taxons and the clarification of their related relationships. Variability within and between populations of particular species, as well as phylogenetic relationships between the types of selected genera, will be analyzed using appropriate molecular markers. Special emphasis will be on the extraction and isolation of new biologically active substances, with potential application in the food industry, pharmacy, medicine, cosmetics and other applied disciplines. Plant species from the Balkans and North Africa (Libya) will be explored, based on whether they are aromatic, endemic, relict, endangered, edible or potentially economically important, primarily from the Lamiaceae family, Asteraceae and Apiaceae. The results of the research that are expected after a comprehensive analysis of individual taxa should complete the picture of the importance of autochthonous flora of this region, not only from the fundamental - systematic, ecological, phylogenetic and evolutionary aspects, but also to provide valid data on the economic potential of the species analyzed.
Phytochemical characterization and potential applicative and taxonomical implications of the phytochemical diversity and variability of Juniperus species in the Southeast Europe and East Mediterranean. Correlation of phytochemical markers with molecular and morphological markers.