https://hdl.handle.net/10481/32294 2026-04-20T07:36:30Z 2026-04-20T07:36:30Z Jiménez González, Víctor Benítez Cruz, Guillermo Pastor, Julio Enrique López Lázaro, Miguel Calderón Montaño, José Manuel https://hdl.handle.net/10481/112816 2026-04-14T11:32:09Z

Screening for Selective Anticancer Activity of Extracts from 59 Plant Species Collected in Southern Spain (Andalusia) Jiménez González, Víctor; Benítez Cruz, Guillermo; Pastor, Julio Enrique; López Lázaro, Miguel; Calderón Montaño, José Manuel Background: Despite pharmacological advances, many cancer therapies provide only limited clinical benefits while often inducing significant toxicity. Therefore, the search for more effective and safer anticancer drugs remains an urgent priority. This study aimed to identify plant extracts from the Andalusian flora (Southern Spain) with selective anticancer potential. Methodology: A total of 67 extracts from 59 plant species were screened for selective cytotoxicity using A549 lung adenocarcinoma and HaCaT non-malignant cells. The most promising candidates, extracts from Thymelaea lanuginosa and Daphne oleoides, were further evaluated through fluorescence-based co-cultures, cell cycle analysis, and redox-mechanism assay. These extracts were also tested against a panel of cancer cells derived from different tissues (MDA-MB-231, T24, KATO-III, SK-OV-3, and MeWo). Results: Several extracts exhibited selective activity against A549 cancer cells, including extracts from Chamaeiris foetidissima (L.) Medik. (=Iris foetidissima L.), Daphne oleoides Schreb, Iberodes linifolia (L.) M. Serrano, R. Carbajal & S. Ortiz, Reseda media Lag., Saxifraga hirsuta L., Seseli montanum subsp. granatense (Willk.) C. Pardo, Thymelaea lanuginosa (Lam.), and Tordylium officinale L. The extracts from D. oleoides and T. lanuginosa were over 1000 times more active against lung cancer cells than non-malignant cells. These extracts induced a specific G1-phase arrest in A549 cells. Both extracts showed also selective activity against triple-negative breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) and bladder cancer cells (T24). Conclusions: These findings highlight Daphne and Thymelaea species as valuable sources for discovering novel selective anticancer agents. Future research should focus on bio-guided fractionation and in vivo validation to fully delineate their therapeutic potential.

Dafni, Amots Kleinberger, Aharon Geva Khatib, Salekh Aqil Petanidou, Theodora Natale, Antonino De Cortis, Pierluigi Kozuharova, Ekaterina Aytaç, Bedrettin Blanché, Cèsar Benítez Cruz, Guillermo https://hdl.handle.net/10481/112795 2026-04-13T12:16:19Z

Nerium oleander L., a circum-Mediterranean study of the etymological, ecological, historical, mythological, and ethnobotanical roots of its vernacular names Dafni, Amots; Kleinberger, Aharon Geva; Khatib, Salekh Aqil; Petanidou, Theodora; Natale, Antonino De; Cortis, Pierluigi; Kozuharova, Ekaterina; Aytaç, Bedrettin; Blanché, Cèsar; Benítez Cruz, Guillermo Background: Nerium oleander is one of the most famous poisonous and horticultural plants of the Mediterranean, as well as in other regions of its distribution. In many cultures, oleander is associated with poisoning, simultaneously symbolizing beauty and evil. Due to its unique properties and large showy flowers, this plant has many names in various languages. Methods: This paper presents an attempt to reconstruct the historical, ethnobotanical, and etymological roots in 23 languages of 180 vernacular names of Nerium oleander around the Mediterranean. We used the plant ‘s morphological data, myths and legends about it, its chemical properties and uses, as well as historical evidence and ethnobotanical data, to explain the meaning, origin, migration, and history of the plant ‘s names. Results: The languages with the highest number of names are Turkish (30), followed by Italian (21), Greek (20), Catalan (16), Arabic (15), Spanish (14), and French (13). The remaining 14 languages collectively account for 51 names. These names were categorized as follows: Derivatives of ‘generic‘ names: Nerium, oleander, and difla / arodafne (25 names in 14 languages); names referring to morphological characteristics, color, and odor (11 names in 5 languages); names referring to similarity to other plants (51 in 14 languages); names related to taste, chemical constituents, and their uses and effects (53 in 16 languages); names related to religion and local saints (12 in 7 languages); names related to habitat and places (11 in 8 languages); names falling outside the above categories or unexplained (16 in 8 languages). Conclusions: The distribution of these names across languages and categories reflects Nerium oleander ‘s toxicity, similarity to other plants, historical distribution, and to a lesser extent—its specific habitat and traces of cultural migrations. Some names preserve evidence of extinct past uses.

Jiménez Uribe, Dámaris A. Acevedo Barrios, Rosa Rubiano Labrador, Carolina Cariñanos González, Paloma https://hdl.handle.net/10481/111668 2026-02-27T10:14:09Z

Relationship of airborne fungal spores to epidemiological data on respiratory disease: a systematic review Jiménez Uribe, Dámaris A.; Acevedo Barrios, Rosa; Rubiano Labrador, Carolina; Cariñanos González, Paloma Exposure to fungal spores is associated with various types of respiratory health problems, and volumetric suction particle samplers have been used to estimate their concentrations in the atmos phere. This systematic review analyzes the sampling of fungal spores in outdoor air worldwide and its relationship to epidemiological data on respiratory disease. Ninety-four studies were identified that met the following inclusion criteria: They were original studies published in English or Spanish between 2010 and 2024, used active volumetric impact samplers, and identified the type of fungal spores in air. Most of the studies were conducted in Europe, with a dura tion of 1 to 2 years. The fungal taxa with the high est records were Alternaria sp. and Cladosporium sp. Only 13% of the studies correlated fungal spore con centrations with epidemiological variables; however, 77% of these studies concluded that there is a clear relationship between airborne fungal spore concentra tion and the occurrence of respiratory symptoms in the sensitized population. Therefore, this study pro vides an elaborate review of recent airborne fungal spore surveillance issues worldwide, attempting to include different perspectives of recent research on outdoor volumetric sampling, including epidemio logical analysis.

Martínez Hernández, Fabián Medina-Cazorla, José Miguel Mendoza Fernández, Antonio Jesús Pérez García, Francisco Javier Sánchez Gómez, Pedro Garrido-Becerra, Juan Antonio Gil de Carrasco, Carlos Mota Poveda, Juan Francisco https://hdl.handle.net/10481/111136 2026-02-18T07:53:55Z

Preliminary essay on the chorology of the Iberian gypsicolous flora: rarity and richness of the gypsum outcrops Martínez Hernández, Fabián; Medina-Cazorla, José Miguel; Mendoza Fernández, Antonio Jesús; Pérez García, Francisco Javier; Sánchez Gómez, Pedro; Garrido-Becerra, Juan Antonio; Gil de Carrasco, Carlos; Mota Poveda, Juan Francisco The Iberian aljezares have been recognized as areas of high phytodiversity and endemism as they harbour an extremely peculiar flora. Mining activities can endanger this flora. It is necessary to indicate the most important areas in order to conserve the biodiversity, so the chorology of 53 gypsophytes taxa have been developed where “1” was used for presences of every taxon and “0” for absences in UTM cells of 10 x 10 km2. This chorology is a complex dataset including numerous local endemics and high territorial differences (high β-diversity). In addition, the results indicate that the richest aljezares are present in the Central Iberian Meseta (plateau), while the highest values of rarity are situated in the semiarid South East of the Iberian Peninsula.

Pérez García, Francisco Javier Cueto, Miguel Peñas De Giles, Julio Martínez Hernández, Fabián Medina-Cazorla, José Miguel Garrido-Becerra, Juan Antonio Mota Poveda, Juan Francisco https://hdl.handle.net/10481/111135 2026-02-18T07:49:17Z

Selection of an endemic flora reserve network and its biogeographical significance in the Baetic ranges (Southern Spain) Pérez García, Francisco Javier; Cueto, Miguel; Peñas De Giles, Julio; Martínez Hernández, Fabián; Medina-Cazorla, José Miguel; Garrido-Becerra, Juan Antonio; Mota Poveda, Juan Francisco The Baetic mountains are a very important centre of plant diversity and endemicity. The current environmental legislation includes many of these localities. In order to assess the current reserves network and to propose a selection of protected areas, and to examine the biogeographic distinctiveness of that selection, we applied to the orophilous endemic flora a variety of algorithms (some of which were never used for Europe before) on the Baetic ranges. In order to preserve this natural heritage, it would be necessary to protect at least twelve massifs, considering the siliceous portion of Sierra Nevada as a great priority area. The most notable gaps in the legislation are the ranges of Gádor, Revolcadores and La Pandera. The selected localities were characterized by their great biogeographical distinctiveness. The distinctiveness of the obtained selections stresses their reliability and also emphasizes the suitability of the biogeographic researches of the flora of the Baetic ranges for conservation objectives.