The application of electromagnetic fields (EMF) to microorganism cultures has been explored as a means to enhance growth and metabolism. This study investigates the effect of EMF at frequencies of 33, 55, and 89 Hz, generated by phi-water devices, on microalgae and cyanobacteria of high biotechnological value, namely Chlorella vulgaris, Arthrospira fusiformis and Arthrospira maxima. Effects on growth, photosynthetic pigment concentrations (chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoids), and biomass production were assessed. Notably, C. vulgaris exhibited increased chlorophyll a content, while A. fusiformis showed enhanced growth at 33 Hz (101.75%), and A. maxima demonstrated markedly higher growth (105.29%) and biomass production (216%) at 55 Hz. The highest chlorophyll concentration (208.8%) was observed at 33 Hz, while the highest carotenoid concentration (114.7%) was recorded at 89 Hz, both in A. maxima cultures. These findings support the hypothesis that EM fields, under specific conditions, represent a method of enhancing microorganism growth, with potential applications in the food industry, as well as in environmental biotechnology. However, as the study was conducted without biological replications, further trials are necessary to validate these findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes acute liver inflammation in general population as well as chronic liver diseases in immunocompromised patients. Currently, there are no universally assessable vaccine or approved drugs for chronic hepatitis E. We used the 3D model of HEV helicase for high-throughput virtual screening of more than 20 million ligands (MCULE database). The physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, drug-likeness and medicinal-chemistry properties of the top hit molecules were analyzed, following molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation at 100 nsec. Of the top 50 hits, thirteen best molecules (<=-8.0 kcal mol-1) complied with the predicted physicochemical, drug-likeness and medicinal-chemistry properties. Finally, two molecules, namely, MCULE-3036744764-0-1 and MCULE-6712551813-0-39, were selected as the most suitable helicase-inhibitor candidates and subjected to ADMET analyses. Further, molecular docking and MD simulation results of helicase and its two complexes clearly indicated their structural stability and compactness.The Prime/MM-GBSA calculated free-energy of helicase and its MCULE-3036744764-0-1 and MCULE-6712551813-0-39 complexes were-31.57,- 34.90 and-37.17 kcal mol-1, respectively. In conclusion, our data support further experimental validation toward the development of future anti-HEV drugs.
The study of microplastics (MP) in the aquatic environment has revealed their widespread distribution. Strong evidence exists that seagrass meadows act as traps for MP and a possible pathway to the food chain. Existing Posidonia oceanica studies focus almost completely on MP presence in the sediment, water column or spheroids, following different analytical protocols. In the present work, MP concentration on P. oceanica leaves was studied, from two N. Aegean Sea areas, following two different analytical protocols, optical analysis and sample digestion. We found a significant high number of MP attached on leaves, making Posidonia meadows a significant hot spot, especially considering the species extensive coverage along the Mediterranean coasts. The variability of MP between different areas showed the importance of local geomorphology and background MP concentration, while digestion is proposed as the preferred protocol, since 6 times more MPs were identified, in comparison to optical analysis.
This study investigates the seasonal accumulation of microplastics on the leaves of two marine angiosperms - Cymodocea nodosa and Ruppia maritima - in the Vravrona Wetland, Greece. These plants are essential to coastal ecosystems, providing habitat, stabilizing sediments, and enhancing water quality. However, they may face growing threats from plastic pollution. Microplastic (MP) concentrations ranged from 1.14 to 2.41 MPs cm-2 on C. nodosa and from 2.82 to 5.6 MPs cm-2 on R. maritima leaves, with synthetic fibers being the predominant type. These values significantly exceed previously reported microplastic densities on the leaves of other marine angiosperms. Notably, microplastic density per leaf area showed an inverse seasonal pattern relative to leaf size, with stronger correlations to leaf area rather than epiphytic cover. This study highlights how the aboveground structures of these plants trap microplastics, potentially introducing them into the food web via herbivorous marine species and disrupting nutrient dynamics. These findings stress the urgent need to protect marine angiosperm meadows in tackling the growing issue of plastic pollution.
European hake, common sole and European eel represent economically important species in the Mediterranean basin and are commonly sold all over Europe. Reviewing of literature revealed that these species are highly prone to substitution, such as Merluccius merluccius by other hake species, Solea solea by other low-cost flatfish, and Anguilla anguilla by other eel species from China. Here we present the development of three methods for the rapid and accurate detection of possible substitutes using COI and cytb mtDNA genes. Conventional PCR through agarose screening and real-time PCR protocols are deployed, showing that all methods are able to provide accurate results and differentiate the target species. However, the results are strongly associated with DNA quantity, with High-Resolution-Melting (HRM) analysis showing the higher efficiency compared to the low-melting curve real-time PCR and conventional PCR. In our dataset we detected mislabeling of frozen M. hubbsi filet by M. capensis. Moreover, S. aegyptiaca specimens were mislabeled as S. solea in fish markets. However, the latter may be due to the extremely difficult morphological identification of the two sole species. The findings demonstrate the necessity of regulating processed fish-containing seafood and the feasibility of the suggested technology for tracing them. The findings are discussed in terms of public health hazards and conservation consequences, in addition to the financial losses brought on by mislabeling and seafood species substitution.
Although long intergenic noncoding 01433 (LINC01433) has been demonstrated as an oncogene in several cancers, its impact on glioblastoma (GBM) is unknown. This study aimed to explore LINC01433 prognostic roles and its relationship to immune infiltrates, as well as to identify its prognostic roles in GBM patients. Logistic regression was used for evaluating the correlation between LINC01433 and clinicopathological characters. Gene Ontology (GO) term analysis, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were performed to explore the enrichmental pathways and functions as well as quantify the extent of immune cells infiltration for LINC01433. LINC01433 up-regulation was significantly related to tumor WHO grade, IDH status, 1p/19q co-deletion, and primary treatment outcome (p < 0.05). According to nomogram-based calibration plots and Cindex, our constructed nomogram achieved high prediction performance for GBM. Based on GSEA, LINC01433 up-regulation might influence neutrophil degranulation, and interferon signaling, exhibiting a positive relationship to innate immunocytes (such as macrophages and eosinophils) levels. A high level of LINC01433 expression was observed in tumor tissues. LINC01433 expression was significantly correlated with poor survival and immune infiltrations in GBM, and it might be a promising prognostic biomarker in GBM.
The increasing occurrence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichiacoli, particularly those resistant to antimicrobials, in foods, including vegetables, has been considered an alarming health risk. A total of 61 E. coli isolates from different vegetables were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing, ESBL production, molecular detection of antimicrobial resistance and ESBL genes, virulence genes, serotyping, phylotyping and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Among the vegetable isolates, resistance was observed most often to cefotaxime (34.4%), followed by ampicillin (31.1%) and tetracycline (21.3%). Additional screening for antimicrobial resistant genes in the E. coli isolates demonstrated the existence of sulI (100%), floSt (85.3%), qnrS (36.1%), tetA (29.5%), qnrB (3.3%), and class I integrons associated with multidrug resistance (90.2%). However, the genes qnrA, aadB, mcr-1, blaOXA-48and blaNDMwere not detected. ESBL production was found in 75% (46/61) and 37.7% (23/61) of the E. coli isolates by the double-disk synergy test and broth microdilution method, respectively.The PCR results revealed that blaTEMwas the most common ESBL type detected in the E. coli isolates, with 36 (59%) isolates carrying that, followed by bla CTX-M , which was identified in 18 (29.5%) isolates. No isolates had the blaSHV gene. The stx1, stx2 and eae virulence genes were not detected in the isolates. Molecular serotyping showed that two isolates belonged to serotype O157. Phylogenetic groups among E. coli isolated from vegetables included E (83.6%), D (11.5%), and A (4.9%). MLST genotyping of the 23 ESBL-positive E. coli showed 14 different sequence types [STs. ST388 (21.7%) was the most frequent ST, followed by ST224(13%)]. ST10 (ST10 clonal complex), ST118, and ST1642 each accounted for 8.7% of the overall. The rest of the isolates were individually classified into nine distinct STs.This study determined the antimicrobial resistance, ESBL production, different phylogenetic groups, diverse pathogenic STs, and the presence of a high-risk E. coli clone (ST10) in the isolates obtained from vegetables, which may pose serious concern for food safety and human health.
Retinoic Acid Receptor Responder 1 (RARRES1) participates in cell adhesion, proliferation, and apoptosis during carcinogenesis beyond its putative tumor suppressor functions. The objective of this study was to perform extensive investigation of the expression level, diagnostic, prognostic and tumor immunity-related value of RARRES1 in pan-cancers. In line with these objectives, we systematically analyzed RARRES1 using public datasets (The Cancer Genome Atlas, Genotype-Tissue Expression, Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium) and various bioinformatic tools [Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), The University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer Data Analysis Portal (UALCAN), Gene Expression Profiling cell State Atlas (CancerSEA), CellMiner]. RARRES1 expression was frequently reduced in tumor tissues, and elevated levels were mainly linked to a worse prognosis, particularly in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) and ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma. High diagnostic value for lymphoid neoplasm diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, acute myeloid leukemia, brain lower grade glioma, and PAAD was obtained. Immune correlation analysis using TIMER revealed significant associations between RARRES1 expression and the abundance of various tumor-infiltrated immune cells, including B cells, CD4+T cells, CD8+ T cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells (DCs), with the strongest positive correlation observed with DCs. Additionally, RARRES1 was notably associated with immune subtypes, particularly M1 macrophages, as well as tumor microenvironment compositions and all checkpoint genes. RARRES1 involvement in essential immune and carcinogenesis signaling pathways was exhibited by Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and CancerSEA analyses. RARRES1 expression in various cancer types showed a significant correlation with the sensitivity of cancers to 11 drugs, four of which are Food and Drug Administration-approved; cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride, midostaurin, tamoxifen, and idebenone. Given the potential involvement of RARRES1 in tumorigenesis, prognosis, diagnosis, tumor immunity, and its correlation with various drug sensitivities, it emerges as a promising biomarker candidate for anticancer research.
Endometrial cancer encompasses a diverse range of tumors originating from the uterine lining, with distinct histological and genetic characteristics. Genetically, key alterations in genes like PTEN, PIK3CA, KRAS, and microsatellite instability contribute to endometrial cancer development. Analysis of the mutational landscape of endometrial cancer identified mutations in the tumor suppressor gene Cyld. Cyld codes for a deubiquitinating enzyme (CYLD) that plays an important role in regulating growth, survival and differentiation signaling pathways. This study focuses on the functional characterization of 11 missense Cyld mutations identified in endometrial tumors. Our study identified only one Cyld mutation (Q713H) that compromises significantly CYLD's ability to suppress cancer cell growth and TRAF2-dependent NF-kappa B activation. Two other mutations (F715C and A871D) compromised also CYLD's ability to suppress TRAF2-dependent NF-kappa B activation but did not differ significantly from wild type CYLD in their ability to suppress tumor cell growth. Nevertheless, all tested mutations suppressed significantly TRAF2-dependent NF-kappa B activation. Our findings indicate that, with the exception of Q713H, the tested mutations are likely passenger mutations. Furthermore, although the ability of CYLD to suppress NF-kappa B activation may be necessary, it may not be sufficient for its tumor suppressing properties and the extent of NF-kappa B suppression by CYLD does not correlate necessarily with its tumor suppressing properties. Our findings have the potential to be exploited for prognostic purposes.
The European hake, Merluccius merluccius is a high-profile commercial species, inhabiting eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea waters. Often, species at the edge of distribution are characterized by relatively low genetic diversity. This study aims to identify the genetic diversity of the M. merluccius in Greek waters and compare it with that of western Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean populations. Six populations distributed all along the Greek waters, along with one in western Mediterranean and two in the Atlantic were analysed using the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI). Median-joining network analyses revealed two distinct haplotype clusters in the Greek waters, with the north-eastern Aegean favoring a unique region-specific haplotype. FST and Bayesian inference also support the genetic differentiation of the north-eastern Aegean population, which is also considered as the edge of dispersion of the species. The present study contributes to increase current knowledge of the genetic structure of M. merluccius providing new genetic information for the eastern Mediterranean stocks, and it should be useful for future species conservation and management plans.
Dunaliella species are a unique group of microalgae known for their remarkable ability to thrive in extremely saline environments, making them a subject of significant interest in biotechnology. In this study, we evaluate six representatives belonging in five species of Dunaliella, isolated from Greek solar saltworks (D. D. asymmetrica TAU-MAC 0620, D. viridis TAU-MAC 0920, D. granulata TAU-MAC 1120, D. minutissima TAU-MAC 1220, D. granulata TAU-MAC 1420 and D. polymorpha TAU-MAC 1520) for their growth performance and their capacity to accumulate carotenoids in response to various growth parameters. We employed an L9 Taguchi fractional experimental design to assess the impact of illumination, salinity, and nitrogen supply, each tested at three different levels. Analysis of variance revealed that the growth performance of all Dunaliella strains was primarily dictated by the applied level of light intensity, while for some strains the salinity and nitrogen supply also contribute as a significant co-factor for their growth. Overall, and despite some strain-specific behaviors in response to the different levels of the applied factors, DunalliellaTAU-MAC TAU-MAC strains seem to follow a closely similar pattern for their growth. Thus, they maximize their growth performance under the influence of the moderate level of illumination (100 mu mol m(-2 )s(-2)), the moderate or even the high level of salinity (60 or 120 g L-1 NaCl, respectively), and the low level of nitrogen availability (0.2 g L-1 KNO3). Our results showed that all the examined strains were non-carotenogenic. Among the studied Dunaliella strains, D. granulata TAU-MAC 1420 showed an elevated carotenoids accumulation capacity especially under the influence of the moderate level of light intensity and the high level of salinity, achieving almost 10 mg of carotenoids production L-1 , while the highest carotenoid concentration for the other Dunaliella strains was significantly lower, typically below 5 mg L-1 . Through this research, we anticipate uncovering critical insights into the growth behavior and carotenoid accumulation patterns of several lesser-studied Dunaliella species.
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a genetic disorder of the myocardium. Mutations in the PKP2, DSP, DSG2, DSC2, JUP, TMEM43, PLN and DES genes which encode proteins of the cardiac desmosome have been linked to the disease yet, the incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity of these genes'variants have also suggested a role for body activity and myocardial inflammation. Information about cancer predisposition in patients with cardiac-associated genetic variants is scarce and data with respect to the role of cardiac desmosomal proteins in cancer development and/or progression have been limited. Considering the well-established association between various genetic diseases and cancer susceptibility as well as the importance of microRNAs (miRNAs) regulation in malignancy, in this study we aimed at exploring the potential relevance of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulators of ARVC-related genes in cancer. To evaluate this hypothesis, we used seven bioinformatic software tools, namely BioGRID, dbDEMC, FunRich, GeneCodis, GeneMANIA, RNADisease and STRING. We found that the functional interaction network of the eight genes with substantial evidence of ARVC causality comprises of 432 unique genes. Three hundred three miRNAs were predicted to regulate the expression of the network components. Enrichment analysis for Transcription Factor (TF) and Biological Pathways (BP) ontologies of the predicted miRNAs pointed to cancer-associated biomolecules and processes. TF set analysis enhanced the hypothesis that the enriched transcriptional regulators of the ARVC-related interactome have a key role in malignancy. The disorder where the input miRNAs were over-represented was esophageal cancer, followed by hepatocellular carcinoma and lung cancer. These findings are suggestive of potential significant associations between the predicted RNA molecules and cancer pathophysiology. The distinct sets of miRNAs for each enriched cancer type can be functionally validated in future research thus expanding our knowledge on the contribution of specific post-transcriptional regulators of ARVC-associated genes in carcinogenesis and tumor progression.
Antihypertensive drugs are used to keep high blood pressure within a certain range and in balance. Long-term use of antihypertensives may be required for therapeutic purposes. Amlodipine, which is the active ingredient of antihypertensive drugs, acts as a calcium channel blocker, and Ramipril acts as an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. In this study, in vitro genotoxic e ff ects of Amlodipine and Ramipril were determined in human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and micronucleus (MN) assays were examined using concentrations of 0.39, 0.78, 1.56, 3.13, 6.25 mu g mL-1 for Amlodipine and 19.53, 39.06, 78.13, 156.25, 312.50 mu g mL-1 for Ramipril. The e ff ects of these active ingredients on mitotic index (MI) and nuclear division index (NDI) were also investigated. As a result, Amlodipine did not cause a significant change in CA frequency compared to the control and solvent control at both 24 and 48-h treatment periods. Ramipril increased CAs at the three highest concentrations (78.13, 156.25 and 312.50 mu g mL-1 ) only at 48-h. Both active ingredients decreased MI at high concentrations at all treatment times. Amlodipine did not cause a significant di ff erence in MN and NDI values compared to control and solvent control. Besides, Ramipril treatment caused an increase in MN frequency again at high concentrations. In addition, it was determined that it had no e ff ect on NDI. It was concluded that Amlodipine may not cause genotoxic e ff ects in human lymphocytes in vitro , while Ramipril may be genotoxic only at high concentrations.
It is widely known that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with articular bone damage. However, there is still not enough information on whether the inflammatory process can deteriorate bone microstructure outside the joint as well. Furthermore, the impact of RA on the microscopic structure of cortical and trabecular bone, including parameters of bone microarchitecture, strength, and geometry after one remodelling cycle, has not been determined, yet. Therefore, this study investigated possible alterations in both cortical and trabecular bone compartments of the femur in a rat model of adjuvant -induced arthritis (AA) 28 days post disease induction. AA was generally evoked by a single intradermal injection of suspension of heat -inactivated Mycobacterium butyricum in incomplete Freund's adjuvant. We have found that AA resulted in inflammation as evidenced by increased hind paw swelling, decreased levels of circulating albumin, and elevated levels of nitrite/nitrate, interleukin-1 beta. Detrimental changes in examined bone parameters related to microarchitecture, strength, and geometry were revealed in AA rats. Overall, AA was associated with bone loss, decreased bone mineral density in both cortical and trabecular bone compartments, as well as reduced mechanical competence, and more intense vascularization in the cortical bone. According to our results, AA -related inflammation caused structural degradation of cortical and trabecular bone quality, as well as mechanical weakness in the femoral diaphysis leading to bone fragility after only one remodelling cycle. The findings focused on the femoral diaphysis, which is located outside the joint, are the first in this field of research.
Dimitrios Zaganiaris, a distinguished botanist who worked and published between 1932 and 1940, remains a relatively enigmatic figure within the botanical history of Greece, with scant information available about his life and work. His collections, exclusively kept in the Thessaloniki Aristotle University Herbarium (TAU Herbarium), remained neglected for several decades and have never been studied systematically as a whole. In this work his full biography, together with a list of 1695 specimens, cited in Zaganiaris "The flora of Mani" and "Herbarium Macedonicum" or hitherto unpublished, are presented for the first time. This material includes valuable data that are anticipated to shed new light to the Greek phytodiversity.
Aphanomyces astaci is a pathogen categorized among the 100 worst invasive alien species, responsible for the crayfish plague disease. In the past, many disease outbreaks devastated native European crayfish populations. The pathogen was transferred in Europe by its natural carriers, among which is the North American crayfish species Pacifastacus leniusculus, that has been introduced in Greece during 1980s. On the other hand, Pontastacus leptodactylus is considered indigenous in the Evros river (Thrace, Greece) and, apart from being keystone organism, it constitutes a valuable food source. Following freshwater crayfish mass mortality events in lakes Polifitou and Vegoritida, we investigated the pathogen's presence in P. leptodactylus from these two lakes as well as in lake Volvi. All samples from lakes Polifitou and Vegoritida were positive, verifying the pathogen presence, to the best of our knowledge for the first time in Greece. On the other hand, all examined P. leniusculus individuals were surprisingly negative, despite the expected hypothesis that they could be the reason for the spread of the pathogen in Greece. The unfavorable environmental conditions observed during spring and summer 2023 in combination with the improper management practices may led to massive reduction of crayfish populations in lakes Vegoritida and Polifitou. Thus, there is an urgent need for deeper investigations to unveil the leading cause of the disease out-break in order to design and propose proper management measurements.
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most common commercial crops and the world’s main source of fodder production. However, fields that are sown with Alfalfa often remain 1/4 empty since only 30 - 40% of sown seeds germinate, resulting in sparse crops and considerably reduced green mass yield. Alfalfa cultivation does not reach its full potential due to its hard seed coat that prevents germination. Mechanical scarification helps to break the integrity of the hard seed coat and thereby increases their germination, but this method often damages the embryo. This study aims to increase the germination of Alfalfa seeds using a new biological method: biological scarification. A strain of aerobic cellulolytic bacteria 21N2 was isolated and selected from cellulose-containing substrates. Its main characteristics of strain were studied. Identification of the strain using the molecular genetic method was carried out and it was found that the strain belongs to the genus Bacillus. The strain Bacillus sp. 21N2 has high cellulase activity, fixed atmospheric nitrogen, and synthesized B vitamins. Inoculated seeds with bacteria increased their germination by 28 - 34%. The strain has high PGP-activity (plant growth promotion activity), increasing stem length by 3.2 - 3.6 times, root length by 2.0 - 2.7 times. The bacteria changed the hard coat of seeds: the fibrillary structure was destroyed, microcracks were formed, and a pronounced layering of the coat appeared. Degradation of the integrity of the hard coat makes it more accessible to seed germination. Therefore, biological scarification contributes to the transport of water and nutrients to the seed germ, which stimulates seedling growth.
Cooperation is a pillar not only of human societies but also of evolution. The most important cooperation mechanisms, which are not based on kinship, are indirect reciprocity and spatial selection. They influence the distribution of genes among a population but could also play a role in developmental biology by distributing inductive factors within the initial cell population. The paper examines the relationship between cooperative mechanisms deployed by biological organisms and the principles and theory of distributive justice, which is the legal foundation of cooperation.
Schizophrenia is an illness with severe social and familial impact. However, biomarkers related to chromatin that could help prognosis so as to prevent or attenuate the symptoms of first episodes and relapses of this malady are either few or obscurely related. To this end, we decided to analyze the chromatin constitution of certain H1 DNA linker histone subtypes of schizophre-nia patients, since this particular epigenetic chromatin parameter has not been previously studied with respect to this disorder. We examined the abundance of three histone H1 subtypes (also called variants), i.e., H1.0, H1.3, and H1.5, as well as the total histone H1 fraction in peripheral blood lymphocytes and neutrophils of hospitalized relapsed schizophrenic patients (inpa-tients), chronic outpatients on medication, first-episode patients, and normal control subjects. Among the three H1 subtypes analyzed, H1.0 protein levels were found to be significantly lower in both lymphocytes and neutrophils of all patients that participated in the study. Total histone H1 levels were also found to be decreased in all patient cases. The fact that the changes in H1.0 levels and the total H1 fraction were observed regardless of the administered medication and the state or phase of the disorder implies that these epigenetic changes are most probably intrinsically associated with the etiology of the illness. Due to the importance of the histone epigenetic profile in chromatin remodeling and gene expression, the observed non physiological alterations of H1.0 and total H1 levels may contribute to the psychopathology of schizophrenia by affecting the normal expression of certain genes. As this is the first time that a specific histone subtype is linked to schizophrenia, our work may serve as the basis for studying this disorder from a novel perspective, encompassing chromatin epigenetic research related to the histone protein subtypes/variants and as a novel source of biomarkers for this disorder.
In the context of conservation and sustainable exploitation of neglected and underutilized plant genetic resources (NUPs), this study focused on six Cretan local endemic plants i.e., three monocots (Allium bourgeaui subsp. creticum, Allium dilatatum and Muscari spreitzenhoferi) and three dicots (Alyssum baldaccii, Campanula saxatilis subsp. saxatilis and Silene antri-jovis). We aimed at determining the ecological conditions needed for these plants to thrive based on their natural preferences which define their germination requirements and allow the development of species-specific propagation protocols. Secondly, we overviewed the potential of the targeted species for sustainable exploitation in three economic sectors (ornamental-horti-cultural, medicinal-cosmetic, agro-alimentary). The ecological profiles of each species were constructed using Geographic In-formation Systems and climate data from WorldClim. Four temperatures were examined in seed germination trials (10, 15, 20, 25 degrees C) and respective germination percentages (GP) were calculated. Seed germination of monocots showed preference in more cold temperatures (70.0%, 40.0% and 71.25% at 10 degrees C for A. bourgeaui subsp. creticum, A. dilatatum and M. spreitzen-hoferi, respectively) while in two of the dicots it exhibited a wider temperature range (83.75 -86.25% at 10, 15, 20 degrees C for A. bal-daccii and 90 -98.75% at all temperatures tested for S. antri-jovis) while in C. saxatilis subsp. saxatilis at lower temperatures (85% and 71.25% at 10 and 15 degrees C, respectively). The assessed taxa showed interesting values in terms of potential mainly for the ornamental and agro-alimentary sectors, and their prospective is discussed herein in detail (first-time for A. baldaccii). Ex-ploiting all the above results, we re-evaluated the feasibility and readiness timescale for sustainable exploitation in three eco-nomic sectors for the targeted NUPs and their upgraded assessments are first-time presented herein in detail.
