Temperature regulation in the Balkan spadefoot (Pelobates balcanicus Karaman, 1928) at the beginning of nocturnal activity.

On land, the amphibians interact with the environment in a complex way-even small changes in the physiological conditions may significantly impact the behaviour and vice versa. In ectothermic tetrapods, the transition from inactive to active phase may be related to important changes in their thermal status. We studied the thermal ecology of adult Balkan spadefoots (Pelobates balcanicus Karaman, 1928) in northeastern Bulgaria. These toads spend the daytime buried between 10 and 15 cm in sandy substrates, and emerge after sunset. On the substrate, their thermal energy exchange is defined by the absence of heat flow from the sun. Secondary heat sources, like stored heat and infrared radiation from the soil play an important role for the thermal balance of the active spadefoot toads. At the beginning of their daily activity, we measured substrate temperature (at a depth of 11-12 cm), toad's surface body temperature, and also provided thermal profiles of the animals and the substrate surface in their microhabitats. In animals which recently emerged from the substrate, the temperature was comparatively higher and was closer to that of the subsoil on the spot. After that, body temperature decreased rapidly and continued to change slowly, in correlation with air temperature. We detected a temperature gradient on the dorsal surface of the toads. On the basis of our measurements and additional data, we discuss the eventual role of air humidity and the effects of surface and skin water evaporation on the water balance and activity of the investigated toads.

A study on current status of herbal utilization in Bulgaria. Part 2: Safety concerns.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Herbs play an important role for Bulgarian people since centuries. Nowadays an increasing number of people are using over-the-counter natural health products. It is widely accepted that herbs are harmless and herbal remedies are often used without safety precaution. There is strong evidence that herbal chemical constituents could exert toxic effects, similarly to conventional drugs. Moreover, adverse reactions due to incorrect herbal utilization are often reported. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this survey was to establish the knowledge of a representative random sample of Bulgarian people about herbal safety in order to find out: 1) the attitudes towards side effects of medicinal plants; 2) the knowledge on safety of the doses recommended in folk medicine; 3) the statement whether the herbs can replace conventional drugs; 4) the opinion about the necessity of control of herbal preparations; 5) the source of information of herbal utilization; 6) how specific demographic features of the participants related to their attitude towards safe herbal utilization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is focused on safety of herbal utilization as a second part of a larger survey (Dragoeva et al., 2015). In order to determine the correlation between items questioned and demographic variables standardized Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated. RESULTS: The larger proportion of the respondents are not informed about the possible side effects of the herbs: 18.11% have given answer "I don't know" and 39.16% declare that herbs cannot cause side effects. About 86% of the informants declared that they trust in traditional knowledge of herbal application or that they have no information. A greatest proportion of the informants (about 67%) were of the opinion that herbs can replace conventional drugs. The positive answer was given mainly by young respondents - pupils and students. Informants belonging to age groups 41-50 and 51-60 years declared necessity of equal regulation of herbal products and conventional drugs. Some impact of the employment status on the answers was also established. This correlation is due partly to negative answer given by pupils. Another group of informants giving negative answer or answer "I can't decide" was unemployed. A large proportion obtains information from friends (41.11%) and 36.91% of respondents acquire information from specialized books. Interestingly, only 21.98% have used mass media as a source of information. CONCLUSIONS: This survey presents for the first time information regarding people knowledge about the safety of herbs in Bulgaria. The results reveal a necessary to ensure clear and comprehensible information about herbal safety for Bulgarian population. The public health role of mass media should be improved. The information should be especially adapted to pupils and unemployed.