Search results for "Botanica"
showing 10 items of 1665 documents
The wild taxa utilized as vegetables in Sicily (Italy): a traditional component of the Mediterranean diet
2018
Background: Wild vegetables in the Mediterranean Basin are still often consumed as a part of the diet and, in particular, there is a great tradition regarding their use in Sicily.In this study, an ethnobotanical field investigation was carried out to (a) identify the wild native taxa traditionally gathered and consumed as vegetables in Sicily, comparing the collected ethnobotanical data with those of other countries that have nominated the Mediterranean diet for inclusion in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and (b) highlight new culinary uses of these plants.Methods: Interviews were carried out in 187 towns and villages in Sicily between 2005 an…
An additional record of Kyphosus vaigiensis (QuoyGaimard, 1825) (Osteichthyes, Kyphosidae) from Sicily clarifies the confused situation of the Medite…
2015
The lowfin chub, Kyphosus vaigiensis, is reported for the first time off Favignana Island, Sicily, central Mediterranean Sea. The specimen was identified on the basis of morphometric and meristic characters as well as mitochondrial DNA sequences (COI and 16S-rDNA). Two, perhaps three, Kyphosus species - K. bigibbus, K. sectatrix and K. vaigiensis - have been occasionally recorded in the Mediterranean. These species occur both in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions but it is likely they entered the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar. However, it is unclear whether they have established reproductive native populations in the Mediterranean.
Levels of trace elements in human hair samples of adolescents living near petrochemical plants
2020
The aim of the study is a comparative analysis to investigate human hair metal profiles of adolescents residing near petrochemical plants (Sicily, Italy). We selected the small town of Augusta, Gela, and Pace del Mela, and a control area made up of the towns characterized by low anthropogenic activity. Twenty trace elements were measured in samples of scalp hair from adolescents (11–14 years old) of both genders. Hair samples were cleaned using a rigorous cleaning method, mineralized, and processed for analyses by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In industrial sites, zinc was always the most abundant element, ranging from186 to 217 μg g−1. Following zinc, the elements …
Ethnobotanical investigation on wild medicinal plants in the Monti Sicani Regional Park (Sicily, Italy)
2014
Ethnopharmacological relevance The area of the "Monte Sicani Regional Park" (Central Western Sicily, southern Italy) has been quantitatively and extensively investigated in an ethnobotanical study for the first time. A total of 108 wild species are used for medicinal purposes, while, according to our study, the uses of 9 species have not previously been reported in ethnobotanical studies in Italy (e.g.; the use of Kickxia elatine (L.) Dumort. for the treatment of hyperhydrosis of the feet, the use of Lavatera agrigentina Tineo for cough and bronchitis). Aim of the study: The aim of this paper is to analyze, through quantitative indicators, the extent of the current knowledge on medicinal us…
Popular uses of wild plant species for medicinal purposes in the Nebrodi Regional Park (North-Eastern Sicily, Italy)
2014
Ethnopharmacological relevance: The area of the Nebrodi Regional Park (North-Eastern Sicily, Italy) has Q3 been quantitatively investigated in an ethnobotanical study for the first time. A total of 90 wild species are used for medicinal purposes and the uses of 5 species have not previously been reported in ethnobotanical studies in Italy (e.g., the use of Arisarum vulgare O. Targ. Tozz. for the treatment of rheumatic pains, the use of Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke for the treatment of liver diseases). Aim of the study: The aim of this paper was to understand to what extent current knowledge on the medicinal use of plants is still an element of the culture within the rural populations of …
Biodiversità nella dendroflora italiana
2013
Nella flora vascolare indigena d’Italia, costituita da circa 7000 taxa specifici e infraspecifici, quelli arborei sono rappresentati da un modesto numero di unità. Tra gimnosperme e angiosperme non si superano 200 specie. Diversificano e arricchiscono la dendroflora italiana specie legnose policormiche o arbustive che, con l’età e in particolari condizioni, possono assurgere a veri e propri alberi. Vi contribuiscono anche espressioni genetiche di classiche specie arboree variamente interpretate a livello tassonomico. La dendroflora qui esaminata si riferisce a 53 generi (7 gimonosperme e 46 angiosperme). I taxa specifici e infraspecifici sono 188 (21 gimnosperme e 167 angiosperme). Non poch…
Il litorale di Manfria (Gela) -
2010
Questo studio illustra il notevole patrimonio ambientale del Sito d'Interesse Comunitario "Torre Manfria", area tutelata ai sensi della Direttiva 92/43 CEE. Poiché l'area si trova nel comune di Gela, caratterizzato da una densità abitativa tra le più alte della Sicilia, l'occasione è buona anche per riflettere sui temi centrali del rapporto uomo-ambiente, prendendo spunto dagli innumerevoli esempi offerti dalla realtà locale. Ciò è stato fatto con la speranza di suscitare interesse verso un vivere "altro", che riconosca il valore della cultura, della conoscenza, dell'interazione virtuosa, facendosi ispirare dalla bellezza sobria ed essenziale degli ecosistemi.
Preliminary study on trace metal content in manna extracted from Fraxinus angustifolia cultivars in Madonie (Sicily, Italy)
2019
The manna is a product obtained from the elaborate sap solidification that comes out from the incisions made on the stem of some species of the genus Fraxinus L. In this study, we have analyzed 12 samples of manna to determine the chemical composition. Twenty elements (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Se, Sr, U, V, Zn) were determined using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer. The results show that the most abundant elements are Fe > Rb > Al > Cu > Ba > Zn > Sr with median concentrations in the range of 0.9 – 10mg kg-1. The remaining elements exhibit median concentrations in the range of 0.0003 -0.5 mg kg-1. The manna also can be cons…
Seasonal variation in total phenolic content of Dictyopteris polypodioides (Dictyotaceae) and Cystoseira amentacea (Sargassaceae) from the Sicilian c…
2013
Phlorotannins are polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in almost all brown algae that function as defense against grazers, pathogens and epiphytes but are also involved in photoprotection mechanisms. These compounds, produced in the Golgi apparatus, are accumulated in cytoplasm, within vesicules called physodes, or bound to the cell wall. The concentration of phlorotannins dif-fers within and between species, shows geographical variations but may be also affected by abiotic or biotic factors. Aims of this study were to evaluate: (i) the temporal variation of total phenolic content in two brown algae, Dictyopteris polypodioides and Cystoseira amentacea, living respec-tively in the upper …
CITIZEN SCIENCE: A SUCCESSFUL TOOL FOR MONITORING MARINE BIODIVERSITY
2019
The Mediterranean Sea, considered as a true hotspot of biodiversity, is currently experiencing a decline in the number of species and a deterioration of habitats, as a consequence of different anthropogenic pressures, which are predicted to increase in the future. Among these pressures, the increase of human population, habitat modification and loss, pollution, coastal urbanization, overexploitation, the intentional or indirect introduction of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS, i.e. organisms introduced outside of their natural range) and climate changes (i.e. acidification and warming) have been pointed out as the major threats to biodiversity. Therefore, biodiversity monitoring and surveillance…