Within the scope of our project, laboratory studies on the endemic medicinal and aromatic plants Hypericum L. and Ruscus, which grow in the Artvin region, were carried out in collaboration with our international partners, and dissemination activities were conducted to raise awareness of their significance and the importance of medicinal and aromatic plants.

Field Studies and Obtaining Plant Samples;

The species Hypericum L. is represented by about 470 species in the world, 10 in Europe and 96 species (13 of which are woody), 43 of which are endemic in Turkey. Hypericum androsaemum is a shrub of which height is 30-90 cm. Leaves 4-9 cm, sessile or with the base wrapping the stem, sepals 8-12 mm, petals 6-10 mm, stamens slightly shorter than the petals. It is a deciduous species with fruits 7-10 mm, broadly cylindrical-ellipsoid to globose and red to black. These plants bloom in June-July. It Grows between 150-1300 m on forest edges and stream sides.  Hypericum androsaemum specimens, which can be seen in Northern Anatolia, were collected from 160 m. altitude in the Hopa district of Artvin between June-August 2022 and 2023. Since flowering continued throughout the sampling period, samples were collected at one-week intervals in a controlled-sustainable manner so that fruit development could be completed with the onset of flowering. First, flowers then flowers and fruits, leaves and ripening fruits, and finally primary shoots, wood and bark were sampled Samples taken from the field were frozen at -80ºC and dried by sublimation method under reduced pressure in a lyophilizer device, then powdered and stored at -40 ºC. The other plant species subject to the project is in the genus

Ruscus L., which is represented by 6 species in the world and 4 species in Türkiye. Ruscus colchicus is a slow-growing, evergreen (its dark green leaves are actually flattened, cladode, metamorphosed stems), spreading shrub-forming perennial with a simple, almost erect stem 35-50 cm tall. The leaves are 5x13 cm in size. The real leaves have 8 mm green flowers in the axils.  The red berries are up to 1 cm long. The roots are the rhizome, which helps it to spread. Ruscus colchicus is native to the Caucasus region. It is a ground cover plant that occurs in deciduous forests and groves. Ruscus colchicus is considered a rare non-endemic species in the region. Ruscus colchicus specimens distributed in Giresun, Rize and Artvin were collected in July and August during the vegetation period of 2023. The collected samples were dried by sublimation under reduced pressure in a lyophilizer and stored at -40ºC.

As a result of the scientific research activities carried out within the scope of the project, a new and advanced understanding was gained regarding green extraction methods as well as the determination of volatile and phenolic compounds in selected Medicinal and Aromatic Plants. In addition, up-to-date methods and techniques for the separation and analysis of these plants were learned, good practices related to biological activity applications were observed, and these practices were transferred to different institutions and contexts. Each partner institution shared its knowledge and expertise with the others, and thus, by the end of the project, all institutions had acquired broader knowledge in this field of research and transferred what they had learned to young people, thereby increasing their awareness in the field. Within the framework of the activities, training sessions, blended mobility activities, and workshops were organized; participants were encouraged to obtain travel insurance, and city maps as well as preliminary information were provided by the host institutions. All activities were organized by the respective project partners, while the necessary venues, tools, and documents were supplied by the host institutions. In particular, the active participation of experts involved in producing the project results was ensured in these activities, thereby enhancing the quality of the outcomes achieved.