Mediterranean plant Helichrysum italicum represents a rich source of versatile bioactive compounds with potential benefits for human health. Despite extensive research on the plant’s active constituents, little attention has yet been paid to characterizing the relationship between its intra-specific genetic diversity and metabolite profile. The study aimed to determine metabolic profile of H. italicum ssp. italicum (HII) and ssp. tyrrhenicum (HIT) cultivated on the experimental plantation in Slovenia and to compare the chemical composition of extracts regarding the solvent extraction process. Extracts were prepared upon conventional extract preparation procedures: maceration with 50% methanol or ethanol and cold or hot water infusion and analyzed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Diode Array Detection-Electrospray Ionization-Quadrupole Time-of-Flight-Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI-QTOF-MS). One hundred compounds were identified in the samples, among them several isomers and derivatives were reported for the first time, while caffeoylquinic acids and pyrones were the most abundant. Semi-quantitative comparison revealed that the extraction procedure had a greater impact on the chemical profile than genetic variability. All HIT extracts showed a higher total phenolic content compared to HII, while the antioxidant potential evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil test was not proportionally higher. In addition, hot water extracts proved to be comparably active as alcoholic ones, confirming high commercial potential of Helichrysum italicum as herbal functional beverages.

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Finding efficient ways to decrease wood decay caused by fungi is an important issue in the timber construction. A possible way to avoid wood decay by fungi is by reducing the water content of wood, since water is a primary condition for fungal growth. Bulking of the wood cell wall by chemical reagents occupies the space where water normally occurs. This also improves the dimensional stability of the modified wood. The aim of the work was to react non-toxic reagents using a Maillard type of reaction in the wood cell wall. Wood was soaked in different aqueous solutions with a primary amine and a sugar as the main constituents. The wood was thereafter cured in an oven at 120°C. The preliminary results showed that the use of the Maillard reaction for wood modification is a promising method and is worth further research. ARTICLE HISTORY

The lytic function of CTL relies on the polarized release of cytotoxic granules (CG) at the immune synapse (IS) with target cells. CTL also contain CCL5 in cytoplasmic storage vesicles (CCL5V) distinct from CG, the role of which, in regulating T cell effector functions, is not understood. Using human CD8+ T cells specific to a lung tumor–associated Ag, we show in this article that CTL release both secretory compartments into the immune synapse with autologous tumor cells. Moreover, we demonstrate that disorganization of the T cell microtubule cytoskeleton and defects in hMunc13-4 or Rab27a abrogate CG exocytosis and synaptic secretion of the chemokine. Mechanistically, synaptic release of CCL5 cytoplasmic storage vesicles likely occurs upon their coalescence with the Rab27a-hMunc13-4 compartment and results in autocrine, CCR5-dependent induction of CXCR4 cell surface expression, thereby promoting T cell migration in response to CXCL12. We propose that CCL5 polarized delivery represents a mechanism by which CTL control immune synapse duration.