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In our endeavor to identify salt-tolerant plants with potential veterinary uses in ruminants’ production strategies, we focused on Cladium mariscus L. Pohl (sawgrass), due to its high total phenolic and tannin content, anti-radical properties, and ethnomedicinal uses. Aerial parts were collected along the year in Southern Portugal and evaluated for the nutritional profile and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), aiming for its use as feed. Acetone extracts were appraised for total contents in phenolics (TPC), flavonoids (TFC), and tannins (CTC), as well as the chemical composition by HPLC-DAD and in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, targeting its exploitation as phytotherapeutic products. Sawgrass biomass has a limited nutritive value, due to its high neutral detergent fiber (NDF; 596–690 g kg−1 dry matter (DM)) and acid detergent fiber (ADF; 330–418 g kg−1 DM) contents, low crude protein (51.8–87.3 g kg−1 DM) and IVOMD (172–317 g kg−1 organic matter (OM)). Despite differences among seasons, the mineral profile was adequate. The extracts were rich in TPC (88–112 mg g−1), CTC (115–169 mg g−1), and TFC (18.5–20.2 mg g−1), and displayed significant antioxidant capacity, particularly in summer and autumn, whilst no seasonal influence was detected for anti-inflammatory properties (30% reduction of nitric oxide production). Eleven phenolics were quantified: chlorogenic, ferulic, and syringic acids were the most abundant, especially in the autumn sample. Overall, despite the low nutritional interest, sawgrass extracts hold the potential as a source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phenolic compounds.

[1] The main problem encountered when applying remote sensing and geographic information systems techniques for wildfire risk assessment is the necessity to integrate different data sources. The methods applied so far are usually based on regression techniques or on coefficients relying on experts' knowledge. Hence fire managers are seeking an unbiased statistical model able to highlight the multivariate spatial relationships between the predictor variables, yielding understandable output readily accessible to end users. The present research aims to test the capability of classification and regression trees (CART) analysis to assess long-term fire risk at a local scale. The CART analysis is a nonparametric statistical technique which generates decision rules in the form of a binary tree, for a classification or a regression process. A fire-prone study area was selected in the southeast of Italy. Fire ignition points, relative to a 7 year period (1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003), were used to derive a fire occurrence map through a kernel density approach. The resulting map was then used as input response variable for the CART analysis with fire danger variables used as predictors. The rules induced by the regression process allowed the definition of different risk levels, expressed as 30 management units, which is useful for producing a fire risk map. The result of the regression process (r = 0.77), the capability of the CART analysis to highlight the hierarchical relationships among the predictor variables, and the improved interpretability of the regression rules represent a possible tool useful for better approaching the problem of assessing and representing fire risk.Citation: Amatulli, G., M. J. Rodrigues, M. Trombetti, and R. Lovreglio (2006), Assessing long-term fire risk at local scale by means of decision tree technique,

Nepeta baytopii is a poorly studied, endemic Nepeta species (Lamiaceae) of Turkey. For the first time, the biological activities (antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, and cytotoxicity properties) of the hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol, water/methanol, and water extracts and essential oil prepared from N. baytopii aerial parts were assessed. Hydro-methanol (41.25 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g) and water extracts (50.30 mg GAE/g), respectively showed the highest radical scavenging (94.40 and 129.22 mg Trolox equivalent (TE)/g, for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical and 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical scavenging assays) and reducing (229.37 and 129.55 mg TE/g, for ferric-reducing antioxidant power and cupric-reducing antioxidant capacity assays) capacities in vitro. An interestingly high inhibition was observed for ethyl acetate extract against butyrylcholinesterase (10.85 mg galantamine equivalent/g). The methanol extract showed high cytotoxicity (31.7%) against HepG2 cells. Caryophyllene oxide was identified in high concentrations in the essential oil (39.3%). Luteolin and apigenin and their derivatives were identified from the methanol and water extracts. The results obtained from this study highlighted that the abundance of highly bioactive compounds from Nepeta baytopii ensures the multiple biological activities of the tested extracts, and this suggests a potential use in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical fields, and therefore should be investigated further.