Ecologia Balkanica

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https://doi.uni-plovdiv.bg/handle/store/4
p-ISSN: 1314-0213 / e-ISSN: 1313-9940

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Browsing Ecologia Balkanica by Author "Apostolova, Elena"

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    Applying DNA barcoding and ecological DNA approaches for biodiversity monitoring in aquatic ecosystems
    (Plovdiv University Press "Paisii Hilendarski", 2025-06-29) Apostolova, Elena; Iliev, Iliya
    Molecular ecology is reshaping traditional perspectives on natural systems by integrating advanced molecular techniques into ecological research. This integration offers novel insights into long-standing ecological questions and supports the development of more effective conservation strategies and sustainable resource management. The advent of DNA barcoding, which enables precise species identification using short, standardised genomic regions, has significantly improved taxonomic resolution, particularly for taxa with ambiguous or unresolved classifications. In parallel, environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is revolutioni-sing biodiversity monitoring by facilitating the detection of organisms directly from environmental samples, without the need for physical specimen collection. Together, DNA barcoding and eDNA represent a powerful, non-invasive, and efficient toolkit for studying biodiversity, especially in aquatic ecosystems, where traditional survey methods are often constrained. This review synthesises recent advances in the application of these molecular approaches to aquatic biodiversity monitoring, with a focus on their underlying principles, practical applications, methodological challenges, and prospects.
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    Comparative leaf epidermis and molecular analyses of Micromeria dalmatica Bentham and Clinopodium vulgare L. from Bulgaria
    (Plovdiv University Press "Paisii Hilendarski", 2025-05-08) Mladenova, Tsvetelina; Naimov, Samir; Apostolova, Elena; Stoyanov, Plamen; Mladenov, Rumen; Bivolarska, Anelia; Raycheva, Tsvetanka; Gyuzeleva, Donika; Pechanska, Adriana; Balabanova, Rada; Kuzdova, Demetra; Todorov, Krasimir
    The volume and number of taxa within the genus Micromeria have changed over the past decades based on several molecular genetic studies. In the Bulgarian flora, no revision has been conducted, and the boundaries of the genus remain unclear. Molecular studies have shown that members of the section Pseudomelissa within the genus Micromeria are more closely related to the genus Clinopodium than to the typical section Micromeria. In the present study, anatomical investigations of the leaf epidermis were carried out, and the molecular genetic structure of Micromeria dalmatica was determined. Its phylogenetic relationship with Clinopodium vulgare was established based on sequences in the ITS1 and tRNA-Leu regions
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    Seasonal dynamic of main classes phenolics and radical scavenging activity of invasive tree Ailanthus altissima extracts
    (Plovdiv University Press "Paisii Hilendarski", 2024-04-29) Andonova, Tsvetelina; Rusinova-Videva, Snezhana; Bojilov, Dimitar; Apostolova, Elena; Mladenova, Tsvetelina; Slavov, Iliya; Dimitrova-Dyulgerova, Ivanka
    Aerial herbal substances from Ailanthus altissima were the subject of the present study, which aimed to follow the dynamics in the accumulation of bioactive compounds with antioxidant potential during vegetation, namely polyphenols, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and tannins quantified by pharmacopoeial methods. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts from dry plant material (under reflux and heating at 200°C) and ethanolic extracts from fresh plant material (under vacuum) were prepared to determine the optimal conditions for the extraction process of the antioxidant active components. Radical scavenging activities (according to ABTS and DPPH in vitro assays) were found for all tested extracts. Flower buds and flower extracts demonstrated the best results, followed by leaves and stem bark, which correlated with the total polyphenols and flavonoid content found. Vacuum extracts of flowers collected at the beginning of flowering were distinguished by the strongest antioxidant potential (3272.28 ABTS mmol TE/g dw and 2125.67 DPPH mmol TE/g dw). The same type of extract is also suitable for stem bark (411.61 ABTS mmol TE/g dw) for which the collection period is the beginning and the end of the growing season. Ethanolic leaf extracts (collected at the beginning flowering stage) with the application of temperature treatment exhibited the best antioxidant potency (504.75 ABTS mmol TE/g dw and 404.72 DPPH mmol TE/g dw) for this plant substance. The results of the present study provide a good basis for future research on Ailanthus altissima intending to incorporate it into phyto-preparations with strong antioxidant activity.