Facilitating Conservation and Bridging Gaps for the Sustainable Exploitation of the Tunisian Local Endemic Plant Marrubium aschersonii (Lamiaceae)

Elias Pipinis, Stefanos Hatzilazarou, Stefanos Kostas, Soumaya Bourgou, Wided Megdiche-Ksouri, Zeineb Ghrabi-Gammar, Mohamed Libiad, Abdelmajid Khabbach, Mohamed El Haissoufi, Fatima Lamchouri, Emmanouil Koundourakis, Vasileios Greveniotis, Evgenia Papaioannou, Michalia A. Sakellariou, Ioannis Anestis, Georgios Tsoktouridis and Nikos Krigas
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Elias Pipinis: Laboratory of Silviculture, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Stefanos Hatzilazarou: Laboratory of Floriculture, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Stefanos Kostas: Laboratory of Floriculture, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Soumaya Bourgou: Laboratoire des Plantes Aromatiques et Médicinales, Centre de Biotechnologie de Borj-Cédria, B.P. 901, Tunis 2050, Tunisia
Wided Megdiche-Ksouri: Laboratoire des Plantes Aromatiques et Médicinales, Centre de Biotechnologie de Borj-Cédria, B.P. 901, Tunis 2050, Tunisia
Zeineb Ghrabi-Gammar: Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie, Université de Carthage, 43 Avenue Charles Nicolle, Cité Mahrajène, Tunis 1082, Tunisia
Mohamed Libiad: Laboratory of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modelling, Health and Quality of Life (SNAMOPEQ), Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, B.P. 1223, Taza Gare, Taza 35000, Morocco
Abdelmajid Khabbach: Laboratory of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modelling, Health and Quality of Life (SNAMOPEQ), Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, B.P. 1223, Taza Gare, Taza 35000, Morocco
Mohamed El Haissoufi: Laboratory of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modelling, Health and Quality of Life (SNAMOPEQ), Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, B.P. 1223, Taza Gare, Taza 35000, Morocco
Fatima Lamchouri: Laboratory of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modelling, Health and Quality of Life (SNAMOPEQ), Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, B.P. 1223, Taza Gare, Taza 35000, Morocco
Emmanouil Koundourakis: Laboratory of Floriculture, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Vasileios Greveniotis: Institute of Industrial and Forage Crops, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, 41335 Larisa, Greece
Evgenia Papaioannou: Laboratory of Forest Soil Science, School of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Michalia A. Sakellariou: Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, P.O. Box 60458, 57001 Thermi, Greece
Ioannis Anestis: Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, P.O. Box 60458, 57001 Thermi, Greece
Georgios Tsoktouridis: Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, P.O. Box 60458, 57001 Thermi, Greece
Nikos Krigas: Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, P.O. Box 60458, 57001 Thermi, Greece

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-22

Abstract: In the frame of conservation and sustainable utilization of neglected and underutilized phytogenetic resources, this study produced for the first time a detailed ecological profiling for the local Tunisian endemic Marrubium ascheronii (Lamiaceae) using Geographical Information Systems and open-source data. This profile was used to illustrate the abiotic environmental conditions of its wild habitats; the profile facilitated the examination of the effect of temperature on its seed germination and may inform species-specific guidelines for its cultivation in man-made environments. With effective seed propagation firstly reported herein (68.75% at 20 °C), species-specific in situ conservation efforts and ex situ conservation or sustainable exploitation strategies were enabled for M. aschersonii . The first-reported molecular authentication (DNA barcoding) of M. aschersonii may facilitate its traceability, allowing for product design. This study also reports for the first time the effects of chemical and integrated nutrient management (INM) fertilizers on the growth and pilot cultivation of M. aschersonii seedlings, with the latter being advantageous. This multidisciplinary approach has bridged important research gaps that hindered the conservation efforts and/or the sustainable exploitation for this local endemic plant of Tunisia. Based on all the above, we re-evaluated and updated the feasibility and readiness timescale for sustainable exploitation of M. aschersonii in the medicinal-cosmetic, agro-alimentary and ornamental-horticultural sectors.

Keywords: African biodiversity; seed germination; GIS; DNA barcoding; integrated nutrient management; chlorophyll content; nutrient content (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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