Nowadays, climate change is not the only threat facing our planet. There are also other types of pollution such as waste that poisons soils and water and kills plants, harming humans and animals. Sustainability represents a key issue for the actual Global Citizen. For this reason, our article is dedicated to offering biofriendly solutions to decrease wastes, give them a positive meaning, such as a substrate for an edible oyster fungus with nutritive and biological properties usefully for humans. Three types of wastes such as coconut coir, pine sawdust, and paper waste—representative symbols of pollution in Ecuador—have been tested as suitable growing substrate for the edible fungi Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq. ex Fr.) P. Kumm by analyzing parameters such as Biological Efficiency, Mushroom Yield, and Productive Rate. The influence of these “waste” substrates on the nutritive (protein content), biological characteristic (antioxidant activity), and the content of human-health-sustaining compounds (phenols, flavonoids) were also evaluated using the Kjeldahal, DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and Folin–Ciocalteu methods. The results indicate that all the waste products represent desirable substrates for growing the edible fungi, with more focus on coconut coir waste (one of the principal pollution problems in Ecuador), but that also achieved the increase in the fungi’s desirable characteristics. Coconut coir waste could be an environmentally friendly solution that also offers for humans additional nutritive and healthy benefits.

Our aim was to establish an efficient and reproducible system for producing synthetic seeds from recurrent somatic embryogenesis in long-term cultures of Gentiana lutea L. This species is a vulnerable medicinal plant, protected both at the national and international levels, and is included in different Red Lists and Books. In vitro culture, as an alternative to classical methods of preservation, allows for the cyclic multiplication of plant material and short-, medium- and long-term preservation of tissue collections. Biotechnological approaches allow for maintenance of the plant material in a confined space and protection against biotic and abiotic factors. Somatic embryogenesis (SE) is the most efficient way to regenerate plants, ensuring material for preservation and fundamental research. In our experiment, recurrent somatic embryogenesis was developed in long-term cultures in the presence of sugar alcohols (mannitol, sorbitol) and in the absence of growth factors. This process proceeded at a high rate, with adventive somatic embryos being generated in a continuous process, followed by maturation, germination and development into plants. To follow the somatic embryogenesis process, histological samples were made. We used these embryogenic cultures for synthetic seed production and medium-term conservation. The viability of somatic embryos after moderate osmotic stress treatment was tested using TTC. Our methodology relied on the induction of somatic embryogenesis in the presence of auxins in the first cycle of in vitro cultures, long-term high embryogenic culture maintenance in the presence of sugar alcohols and synthetic seed production

Our aim was to elaborate an efficient and reproducible protocol for medium-term culture of the threatened taxon Dianthus nardiformis. To reduce the growth, sucrose, mannitol, polyethylene glycol, Abscisic acid and Jasmonic acid were tested. For assessing the in vitro response, the growth and regeneration were registered after different time intervals. Mannitol is the most effective for medium-term preservation viable cultures which can be maintained unlimited time through transfer at every 3 months. In its presence, somatic embryogenesis was induced and in vitro growth in the minimal cultures was reduced between 9 and 12 times comparing to the control. Antioxidant enzymes assay revealed qualitative and quantitative differences among the experimental variants, and also between different concentrations of the same compound in correlation with the growth reduction and regeneration. POX was the most suitable to detect the efficiency of different treatments to induce medium-term cultures.

A successful management and preservation of the natural populations is depending on accurate assessment of genetic diversity. Knowledge of genetic diversity within a population is important for the conservation of the species. Our aim was to assess the genetic diversity in Draba dorneri Heuff. population (Brassicaceae family)-an endemic plant species of conservative interest using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique. The plant species is strictly protected at national level as well as at international level through "Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats", Bern, 1979 European Council. In this study, a total of 52 primers were scored initially. A total of 77 reproducible bands with an average of 6.41 bands per primer were obtained from the 12 primers selected. A cluster analysis (UPGAMA) was used to generate a dendrogram based on Dice coefficient. We found 67% similarity between the samples from the two analyzed slopes. Comparing with other rare plants species, our data revealed a higher level of genetic diversity in D. dorneri population in Retezat Mountains.