Last week, November 24-25, 2023, we participated in the 2nd Croatian Microscopy Symposium in Split, where we presented the results of the NATURALLY project. In the poster presentation entitled “Exploring Plant Morphology as a Contribution to the Assessment of the Phytochemical Potential of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle”, Dr. Danijela Poljuha presented the results of the morphological analysis of extrafloral nectaries on Tree of heaven leaves. At the symposium, the latest printed issue of the Croatian scientific journal Periodicum biologorum Vol 125, No 1–2, 2023 was presented, in which our work “Morphology of extrafloral nectaries of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle (Simaroubaceae)” was published. The entire paper is available at https://hrcak.srce.hr/ojs/index.php/periodicum_biologorum/article/view/24852
Also, Mirela Uzelac Božac, mag. oecol. in the poster presentation “In vitro genotoxic activity of leaf over flower extracts of alien invasive species Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle” presented the results of genotoxicity analysis performed with the comet test for leaf and flower extracts of pajasen. The genotoxic effect (percentage of DNA damage) that these extracts have on human liver endothelial cells was tested. The results showed that leaf extract concentrations of 1 and 0.5 mg/ml have a genotoxic effect on cells. Treatment with flower extracts showed a genotoxic effect on cells only at the highest tested concentration of 1.0 mg/ml.
