Menarche in Scoliotic and Non-Scoliotic Balkan Girls and the Relationship between Menarche and the Laterality of Scoliotic Curves

BACKGROUND

Menarche, as an important parameter in the assessment of scoliosis progression in girls, is proven to be dependent on geographical latitude. The aim of this study was to determine whether the age of menarche differs in scoliotic and non-scoliotic Balkan girls and the relationship between menarche and the laterality of scoliotic curves.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective study with three groups: scoliotic, non-scoliotic, and control. Patient data collection and analysis were approved by the Ethical Committee of the Institute.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

The SPSS 24 program was used, and we employed One-way ANOVA, Fisher's, and Chi-squared tests to compare different groups. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05.

RESULTS

No statistically significant difference was found in the age of menarche between the three groups (p = 0.168). In the scoliotic postmenarchal group, the primary right curve was dominant in 54.80%, while in the scoliotic premenarchal group, the primary left curve was dominant in 60.09% (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

In Balkan girls from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, there was no significant difference in the age of menarche between scoliotic and non-scoliotic girls. A significant difference was found in the laterality of the primary curve in premenarchal and postmenarchal scoliotic girls.

First Detection and Molecular Analysis of Leishmania infantum DNA in Sand Flies of Kosovo

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are the principal vectors of phleboviruses and Leishmania spp., the causative agents of leishmaniases. The Mediterranean sand fly fauna is diverse, and leishmaniasis, mainly caused by Leishmania infantum, is endemic in the Balkan countries. Despite recent entomological surveys, only some districts of Kosovo have been sampled for sand flies, with no proof/confirmation of L. infantum. This study aimed to gain further insights into the species composition of natural sand fly populations in previously unsampled districts and areas in Kosovo without reports of leishmaniasis and to detect Leishmania DNA in sand flies. A sand fly survey was conducted in 2022 in all seven districts of Kosovo. Collected females were screened for Leishmania DNA by PCR. Positive samples were sequenced and subjected to maximum likelihood analysis with reference sequences for further molecular characterization. The trapping activities at 114 different localities resulted in 3272 caught specimens, comprising seven sand fly species of two genera, namely Phlebotomus neglectus, Ph. perfiliewi, Ph. tobbi, Ph. papatasi, Ph. simici, Ph. balcanicus and Sergentomyia minuta. Leishmania infantum DNA was detected in three individual sand flies of Ph. neglectus and Ph. perfiliewi. This study provides the most extensive sand fly survey in Kosovo and reports the first record of L. infantum DNA in sand flies, indicating autochthonous circulation of L. infantum.

Viper envenomation in Central and Southeastern Europe: a multicentre study

INTRODUCTION

Snakebite incidence varies across Europe. However, there is limited research from Central and Southeastern Europe. These regions are notable for the presence of the common European adder (Vipera berus) and the more venomous nose-horned viper (Vipera ammodytes). No standard European antivenom protocol exists. The aim was to assess the epidemiology and treatment of viper bites in this region, focusing on a comparison of bites from Vipera berus and Vipera ammodytes.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective multicenter study in Central and Southeastern Europe from 2018 to 2020. This study included poison centres and toxicology-associated hospital wards in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bulgaria. The following data were collected: age, gender, Vipera species, snakebite site, clinical picture, laboratory results, Audebert's clinical severity grading score, and antivenom therapy.

RESULTS

The annual incidence of viper bites in Central and Southeast Europe was estimated at 2.55 bites per million population. Within their respective geographical distribution areas, the incidence of Vipera ammodytes bites (1.61 bites per million population) was higher than Vipera berus bites (1.00 bites per million population). Patients bitten by Vipera ammodytes more frequently reported local pain and developed thrombocytopenia. Antivenom treatment was more commonly administered in Vipera ammodytes bites (72%) compared to Vipera berus bites (39%). The incidence of Vipera ammodytes bites treated with antivenom within its geographical distribution area was three times higher than Vipera berus bites treated with antivenom (1.16 bites per million population versus 0.39 bites per million population). No deaths were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

The estimated incidence of viper bites in Central and Southeastern Europe is at least 2.55 per million population. Vipera ammodytes bites are more common and severe, characterized by higher frequencies of pain and thrombocytopenia. Antivenom is needed more often for Vipera ammodytes bites. It is vital that enough European Medicines Agency-approved Vipera ammodytes antivenom is produced and offered affordably.

First Report of the Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne luci on Tomato in Serbia

Root-knot nematode (RKN) Meloidogyne luci Carneiro, Correa, Almeida, Gomes, Deimi, Castagnone-Sereno, and Karssen, 2014 was described from Brazil, Chile and Iran, parasitizing in various crops (Carneiro et al. 2014). It was later also described from Slovenia, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Turkey and Guatemala (review in Gerič Stare et al. 2017). It is considered an extremely damaging pest as it has a wide host range and infects numerous higher plants, including monocotyledons and dicotyledons as well as herbaceous and woody plants. This species was included in the European Plant Protection Organisation Alert List of harmful organisms. In Europe, M. luci has been detected in both greenhouse and field agricultural production (review in Gerič Stare et al. 2017). Furthermore, M. luci has been shown to survive winter in the field under continental and sub-Mediterranean climatic conditions (Strajnar et al. 2011). In August 2021, an official survey for quarantine RKN in Serbia (Province Vojvodina) revealed in a greenhouse in the village of Lugovo (43043'32,562; 19008'55,168), near Sombor, yellowing, stunning and extensive root galls on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cultivar Diva F1 caused by an unknown Meloidogyne sp. (Fig. 1). As correct identification is essential for effective pest management program, the next step was to identify the nematode species. Morphological characterization performed on freshly isolated females revealed perineal patterns similar to M. incognita (Kofoid and White, 1919) Chitwood, 1949. The shape was oval to squarish with the dorsal arch rounded to moderately high and without shoulders. The dorsal striae were wavy and continuous. The ventral striae were smooth and the lateral lines were weakly demarcated. The perivulval region was without striae (Fig. 2). The female stylet was robust with well-developed knobs and the stylet cone slightly curved dorsally. Although morphological characters was very variable, the nematode was suspected as M. luci based on comparison with originally described M. luci and M. luci populations from Slovenia, Greece and Turkey. Identification was achieved with subsequent species-specific PCR and sequence analysis. The nematode was determined to belong to the tropical RKN group and the M. ethiopica group using two PCR reactions as described by Gerič Stare et al. (2019) (Figs. 3 and 4). Identification was confirmed by species-specific PCR of M. luci as described by Maleita et al. (2021), and a band of approximately 770 bp was obtained (Fig. 5). In addition, the identification was confirmed by sequence analyses. The region of mtDNA was amplified with primers C2F3 and 1108 (Powers and Harris 1993), cloned, sequenced (acc. no. OQ211107), and compared to other Meloidogyne spp. sequences from the Genbank. The determined sequence is 100% identical to an unidentified Meloidogyne sp. from Serbia, while the next highest scores are sequences of M. luci from Slovenia, Greece and Iran, all of which have 99.94% sequence identity. In phylogenetic tree, all M. luci sequences including the sequence from Serbia belong to a single clade. Egg masses isolated from infected tomato roots were used to establish a nematode culture in greenhouse and they caused typical root galls on cultivar Maraton of tomato. The galling index assessed 110 days-post-inoculation was in the range 4-5 according to the scoring scheme (1-10) for field evaluation of RKN infestations (Zeck 1971). To our knowledge, this is the first report of M. luci in Serbia. The authors hypothesize that climate change and higher temperatures could lead to much greater spread and damage to various agricultural crops in the field by M. luci in the future. National surveillance program for RKN in Serbia continued in 2022 and 2023. A management program to control the spread and damage from M. luci will be implemented in Serbia in 2023. Acknowledgments: This work was financially supported by the Serbian Plant Protection Directorate of MAFWM in the frame of Program of Measures in Plant Health in 2021, the Slovenian Research Agency in the frame of Research Programme Agrobiodiversity (P4-0072) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of the Republic of Slovenia in the frame of Expert work in the field of plant protection (C2337).

Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis on the Balkan Peninsula: Determination of Drug Resistance Mechanisms with Xpert MTB/XDR and Whole-Genome Sequencing Analysis

The new molecular assay Xpert MTB/XDR (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) was launched in 2021 to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT) complex with mutations conferring resistance to isoniazid (INH), ethionamide (ETH), fluoroquinolone (FQ), and second-line injectable drugs (SLIDs). The aim of our study was to evaluate the performance of the Xpert MTB/XDR rapid molecular assay on rifampicin-resistant, multidrug-resistant, and pre-extensively resistant tuberculosis (TB) isolates in a clinical laboratory in the Balkan Peninsula compared to a phenotypic drug susceptibility test (pDST). Xpert MTB/XDR was used to test positive Bactec MGIT 960 (Becton, Dickinson and Co., Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA) cultures or DNA isolates. In the case of discrepant results between Xpert MTB/XDR and pDST, the usefulness of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was emphasized. In our study, 80 MT isolates from different Balkan countries were selectively chosen from the National Mycobacterial Strain Collection in Golnik, Slovenia. Isolates were tested with the Xpert MTB/XDR assay, conventional pDST, and WGS. Xpert MTB/XDR showed high sensitivities of 91.9%, 100%, and 100% for detecting INH, FQ, and SLID resistance, respectively, compared to pDST. In contrast, low sensitivity (51.9%) for ETH resistance was achieved because isolates harbored widespread mutations across the ethA gene. The specificity of Xpert MTB/XDR was 100% for all drugs except for INH (66.7%). Further investigation with WGS revealed -57c→t mutations in the oxyR-ahpC region marked with uncertain significance, which caused the low specificity for detecting INH resistance with the new assay. Xpert MTB/XDR can be used in clinical laboratories for the rapid detection of INH, FQ, and SLID resistance. Moreover, it can be used to rule in resistance to ETH. Additional use of WGS is recommended in cases of discrepant results between pDST and Xpert MTB/XDR. Future improvements of Xpert MTB/XDR with the inclusion of additional genes may increase the usefulness of the assay. IMPORTANCE The Xpert MTB/XDR was tested on drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex isolates from the Balkan Peninsula. Positive Bactec MGIT 960 cultures or DNA isolates were tested as starting material. According to the results of our study with Xpert MTB/XDR, sensitivities for the detection of SLID, FQ, and INH resistance were sufficient (>90%) for the assay to be implemented into diagnostic algorithms. In our study, WGS revealed lesser-known mutations in genes conferring INH and ETH resistance, and their impact on resistance is still unknown. Mutations in the ethA gene causing resistance to ETH were scattered along structural gene without high-confidence markers for resistance. Therefore, resistance to ETH should be reported based on a combination of methods. Because the Xpert MTB/XDR assay was found to have good performance, we propose that it should be the method of choice for confirming resistance to INH, FQ, and SLID and conditionally for resistance to ETH.

Analysis and Forecast of Indicators Related to Medical Workers and Medical Technology in Selected Countries of Eastern Europe and Balkan

Health indicators measure certain health characteristics in a specific population or country and can help navigate the health systems. As the global population is rising, the demand for an increase in the number of health workers is simultaneously rising. The aim of this study was to compare and predict the indicators related to the number of medical workers and medical technologies in selected countries in Eastern Europe and Balkan in the studied period. The article analyzed the reported data of selected health indicators extracted from the European Health for All database. The indicators of interest were the number of physicians, pharmacists, general practitioners and dentists per 100,000 people. To observe the changes in these indicators through the available years, we used linear trends, regression analysis and forecasting to the year 2025. The regression analysis shows that the majority of the observed countries will experience an increase in the number of general practitioners, pharmacists, health workers/professionals and dentists, as well as in the number of computerized tomography scanners and the number of magnetic resonance units, predicted to occur by 2025. Following trends of medical indicators can help the government and health sector to focus and navigate the best investments for each country according to the level of their development.

Measles outbreak, Montenegro January-July 2018: Lessons learned

In 2017, the Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination (RVC) of the World Health Organization confirmed that measles elimination was sustained in Montenegro, and the previous endemic transmission remained interrupted. However, the RVC was extremely concerned over the continuing low vaccination coverage reported for this country. In this study, we describe the most recent measles epidemic in Montenegro using the epidemiological data collected from January 1 to July 31, 2018. The outbreak is largely attributable to a dangerous accumulation of susceptible subjects across the country and represents a high‐risk factor for re‐establishing endemic transmission in the Balkan area. This study showed how a vaccine‐preventable communicable disease outbreak can have a dramatic impact and severe consequences on regional public health system performance in terms of the sanitary spending point of view. A detailed update is provided on the epidemiological situation in this Central European area, not available until now.

On 2017, the Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination (RVC) of World Health Organization confirmed that measles elimination was sustained in Montenegro, and the previous endemic transmission remained interrupted.

The reduction in vaccination coverage was one of the main causes of the measles outbreak in Montenegro in 2018: this report provides information on the impact of the epidemic on the national health service and complements the gap in epidemiological data on measles trends available for this country of the WHO European Region.

Ethnomycological Investigation in Serbia: Astonishing Realm of Mycomedicines and Mycofood

This study aims to fill the gaps in ethnomycological knowledge in Serbia by identifying various fungal species that have been used due to their medicinal or nutritional properties. Ethnomycological information was gathered using semi-structured interviews with participants from different mycological associations in Serbia. A total of 62 participants were involved in this study. Eighty-five species belonging to 28 families were identified. All of the reported fungal species were pointed out as edible, and only 15 of them were declared as medicinal. The family Boletaceae was represented by the highest number of species, followed by Russulaceae, Agaricaceae and Polyporaceae. We also performed detailed analysis of the literature in order to provide scientific evidence for the recorded medicinal use of fungi in Serbia. The male participants reported a higher level of ethnomycological knowledge compared to women, whereas the highest number of used fungi species was mentioned by participants within the age group of 61–80 years. In addition to preserving ethnomycological knowledge in Serbia, this study can present a good starting point for further pharmacological investigations of fungi.

The importance of sociodemographic characteristics of psychotherapy patients in institutional conditions on the Balkan territory

OBJECTIVES

The effects of psychotherapy are proven, compelling and far-reaching. The aim was to evaluate sociodemographic characteristics and clinical diagnosis of psychotherapeutic patients who were treated at the Institute of Mental Health in Belgrade.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Retrospective clinical study was composed of 334 patients. Patients data related to the gender, age, education, employment, marital status and clinical diagnose were processed by descriptive statistics methods and chi-square test.

RESULTS

Psychotherapy services were mostly used by female patients (64.1%), aged 30 to 39 years, majority finished secondary school (47.6%) and were employed (54.8%). Half of the patients were single (49.7%) with unipolar depressive non-psychotic disorder (60.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

The research of this kind and with this volume of patients, coming from institutional conditions, has never been done among Balkan nationalities and thus represent encouragement for future studies.

Gross Domestic Product and Health Expenditure Growth in Balkan and East European Countries-Three-Decade Horizon

Background: Dynamics of health care has changed over time along with development of the countries themselves. The aim of the study is to compare macroeconomic and health expenditure indicators of interest, such as total health expenditure (THE) as percentage of global domestic product, global domestic product per capita in US$, and private households' out-of-pocket payments of Balkan and Eastern European countries on health, as well as to assess their progress over the observed period. Methods: This research report represents a descriptive data analysis of indicators extracted from the European Health for All database. The data were analyzed using a linear trend and regression analysis to estimate the timeline changes. Results: Greece and Slovenia have the largest median values of global domestic product per capita throughout the whole period, and the largest increment trend was in Lithuania. Median value in out-of-pocket payment of THE was the highest in Albania and Ukraine, while the largest decrease in trend was noticed in Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Greece had the largest median value of THE as percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the observed period, while regression trend analysis showed that Serbia had the largest increase. Most of the countries showed a significant correlation between observed indicators. Conclusion: Trends in the economy must be constantly monitored due to the fact that the population is aging and non-communicable diseases are multiplying, which requires innovations in medical treatment and pharmaceutical development.

Ochroleucus (Common Butterbur) from the Balkans

Petasites hybridus (Common butterbur) is extensively used in traditional medicine, and is currently gaining interest and popularity as a food supplement and for its medicinal properties. It contains a large number of active compounds of potential therapeutic activity, but also toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Science-based information is needed to support the developing modern use of this plant, and to direct continued safe practice in traditional medicine. The present study focused on the essential oils from leaves and rhizomes of the understudied P. hybridus ssp. ochroleucus from the Balkans, and evaluated its phytochemistry and potential therapeutic activities (antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-cholinesterase and anti-inflammatory), as well its toxicology potential (acute toxicity in insects and mice). We studied the essential oils, which are not commonly used in traditional practices, but have a potential for safe use since the toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are non-volatiles, are usually not present in the distilled essential oils. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids were indeed not detected in the essential oils; ingestion of the essential oils did not induce toxicity signs in mice, and topical application did not elicit skin irritation in humans. The essential oils had no antimicrobial properties against 20 pathogenic bacterial strains, but demonstrated good local anti-inflammatory activity in a Carrageenan-induced paw edema test. An insect toxicity test demonstrated that the leaf essential oil is an efficient insect repellent, and the demonstrated anti-cholinesterase activity suggests a potential for the treatment of neurological conditions. Isopetasin, a sesquiterpene found in plants of the genus Petasites, known to have anti-inflammatory effects, was present only in the rhizomes essential oil (3.9%), and sesquiterpene lactones concentrations were high, likely contributing to the antioxidant activity.

How to address the caveat of avoiding direct contact: Reducing prejudice towards gay and lesbian people in five Balkan countries

In the Balkans, contact with gays and lesbians is typically hostile or avoided. Drawing from probability samples of young people from five Balkan countries (N = 1046), we examined whether it is possible to transfer the effects of contact with other marginalized outgroups (largest ethnic minority in every country, Roma, the extremely poor and physically disabled) to acceptance of gays and lesbians (secondary outgroup), and whether this relationship could be explained by attitude generalization and increased intergroup trust. Path analyses supported the secondary transfer effect: it confirmed that, while controlling for direct contact, contact with other marginalized groups was related to more acceptance of a secondary group; this relationship was mediated by trust. This was found across all primary groups in the combined samples, while the effect varied for different groups in country samples. The results add to the value of intergroup contact as a mean of prejudice-reduction.

Trio Clinical Exome Sequencing in a Patient With Multicentric Carpotarsal Osteolysis Syndrome: First Case Report in the Balkans

Exome sequencing can interrogate thousands of genes simultaneously and it is becoming a first line diagnostic tool in genomic medicine. Herein, we applied trio clinical exome sequencing (CES) in a patient presenting with undiagnosed skeletal disorder, minor facial abnormalities, and kidney hypoplasia; her parents were asymptomatic. Testing the proband and her parents led to the identification of a de novo mutation c.188C>T (p.Pro63Leu) in the MAFB gene, which is known to cause multicentric carpotarsal osteolysis syndrome (MCTO). The c.188C>T mutation lies in a hotspot amino acid stretch within the transactivation domain of MAFB, which is a negative regulator of RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis. MCTO is an extremely rare autosomal dominant (AD) disorder that typically arises spontaneously and causes carpotarsal osteolysis, often followed by nephropathy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting genetically diagnosed MCTO in the Balkans.

High Rates of Neutralizing Antibodies to Toscana and Sandfly Fever Sicilian Viruses in Livestock, Kosovo

Toscana and sandfly fever Sicilian viruses (TOSV and SFSV, respectively), both transmitted by sand flies, are prominent human pathogens in the Old World. Of 1,086 serum samples collected from cattle and sheep during 2013 in various regions of Kosovo (Balkan Peninsula), 4.7% and 53.4% had neutralizing antibodies against TOSV and SFSV, respectively.

Glacial allopatry vs. postglacial parapatry and peripatry: the case of hedgehogs

Although hedgehogs are well-known examples of postglacial recolonisation, the specific processes that shape their population structures have not been examined by detailed sampling and fast-evolving genetic markers in combination with model based clustering methods. This study aims to analyse the impacts of isolation within glacial refugia and of postglacial expansion on the population structure of the Northern White-breasted hedgehog (Erinaceus roumanicus). It also discusses the role of the processes at edges of species distribution in its evolutionary history. The maternally inherited mitochondrial control region and the bi-parentally inherited nuclear microsatellites were used to examine samples within the Central Europe, Balkan Peninsula and adjacent islands. Bayesian coalescent inference and neutrality tests proposed a recent increase in the population size. The most pronounced pattern of population structure involved differentiation of the insular populations in the Mediterranean Sea and the population within the contact zone with E. europaeus in Central Europe. An interspecies hybrid was detected for the first time in Central Europe. A low genetic diversity was observed in Crete, while the highest genetic distances among individuals were found in Romania. The recent population in the post-refugial area related to the Balkan Peninsula shows a complex pattern with pronounced subpopulations located mainly in the Pannonian Basin and at the Adriatic and Pontic coasts. Detailed analyses indicate that parapatry and peripatry may not be the only factors that limit range expansion, but also strong microevolutionary forces that may change the genetic structure of the species. Here we present evidence showing that population differentiation may occur not only during the glacial restriction of the range into the refugia, but also during the interglacial range expansion. Population differentiation at the Balkan Peninsula and adjacent regions could be ascribed to diversification in steppe/forest biomes and complicated geomorphology, including pronounced geographic barriers as Carpathians.

Folk use of medicinal plants in Karst and Gorjanci, Slovenia

BACKGROUND

Information on the use of medicinal plants in Karst and Gorjanci is not available in the literature, but collection of plants is still an important and widespread practice in these regions. Karst and Gorjanci are two remote regions in Slovenia that are only 120 km apart but have different climates; one region is close to the Italian border, and the other is near the Croatian border. Our aim was to report and compare the use of medicinal plants in both regions.

METHODS

From October 2013 to September 2014, 25 informants each in Karst and Gorjanci were interviewed during field research. The age of the informants ranged from 33 to 89 years, with an average age of 61 years in Karst and 69 years in Gorjanci. The main question was "Which plants do or did you collect from nature and use?" Plants of medicinal, nutritive, veterinary or cosmetic use were considered.

RESULTS

A total of 78 and 82 taxa were reported in Karst and Gorjanci, respectively; 65 taxa were reported in both regions. Approximately 64% of the plants in each region were distinctive for only a few informants (fewer than 7). The remaining plants were considered important, and the majority were mutual to both regions. Few reported plants were typical for just one region. Differences in the use of some common medicinal plants were observed, e.g., Matricaria chamomilla was used mostly for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory infections and sore eyes in Gorjanci but as a calmative in Karst. Altogether, 15 different oral and 15 different topical medicinal preparations were reported. Folk knowledge was found to be influenced by the media, particularly popular books about medicinal plants that were published in the 20th century.

CONCLUSIONS

The present research documents the folk use of medicinal plants in Karst and Gorjanci, Slovenia. This rapidly changing practice needs to be documented before it disappears or changes.

Taxonomic revision of the rock-dwelling door snail genus Montenegrina Boettger, 1877 (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Clausiliidae)

The genus Montenegrina is revised on the basis of material available at the Hungarian Natural History Museum (Budapest), Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (Vienna), and the Naturmuseum Senckenberg (Frankfurt am Main), as well as newly discovered populations. The following new taxa are described: Montenegrina haringae sp. n., Montenegrina lillae sp. n., Montenegrina prokletiana sp. n., Montenegrina sturanyana sp. n., Montenegrina grammica erosszoltani ssp. n., Montenegrina grammica improvisa ssp. n., Montenegrina hiltrudae desaretica ssp. n., Montenegrina hiltrudae selcensis ssp. n., Montenegrina laxa delii ssp. n., Montenegrina nana barinai ssp. n., Montenegrina prokletiana kovacsorum ssp. n., Montenegrina rugilabris golikutensis ssp. n., Montenegrina rugilabris gregoi ssp. n., Montenegrina skipetarica danyii ssp. n., Montenegrina skipetarica gurelurensis ssp. n., Montenegrina skipetarica pifkoi ssp. n., Montenegrina skipetarica puskasi ssp. n., Montenegrina sporadica tropojana ssp. n., Montenegrina sturanyana gropana ssp. n., Montenegrina sturanyana ostrovicensis ssp. n., and Montenegrina tomorosi hunyadii ssp. n. A neotype is designated for Montenegrina helvola (Küster, 1860), and Montenegrina cattaroensis antivaricostata nom. n. was introduced to replace the junior homonym Clausilia umbilicata costata Boettger, 1907 (non Pfeiffer, 1928). Of each taxon types or specimens from the type localities are figured, and distribution maps are provided.

Chemical Composition and Interpopulation Variability of Essential Oils of Taxus baccata L. from Serbia

The composition of the essential oil of the twigs and needles of Taxus baccata L. from three natural populations in Serbia has been determined by GC/MS analysis. Of the 91 detected compounds, 87 were identified. The most abundant compound classes were aliphatic alcohols, terpenes, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and aliphatic aldehydes, which together comprised ca. 86.92% of the total oil composition. The dominant constituents were oct-1-en-3-ol (23.48%), (3Z)-hex-3-en-1-ol (11.46%; aliphatic alcohols), and myrtenol (11.38%; oxygenated monoterpene). The PCA of 22 selected compounds revealed differentiations of populations based on geographic distribution. The CA showed that Populations I and II from the Dinaric Alps were similar, and that Population III from the Balkan mountain system was distinct. This was the first investigation of interpopulation variability of T. baccata populations based on essential oil composition. The results of this study were compared with those of previous studies concerning volatile compounds produced by Taxus species. The results indicate that the essential oil content of T. baccata populations from this study is unique, mostly resembling the population from southeast Serbia.