The use of specialized
combinatorial plantings of essential oil and medicinal plants in recent decades
for landscaping cities and other populated areas for the purposes of medical
ecology in the CIS and around the world has become increasingly relevant (Gladysheva
O. V., 2016; Zaykova E. Yu., 2017; Vishnevskaya E. V., Stepanova Zh. Yu., 2019;
Annenkova I. S., Alymova A., Trutaeva N. N., 2019; Mochalov I. V., Minenko I.
A., Benuzh A. A., 2020; Tsitsilin A. N., Fateeva T. V., 2021; Kukurichkin G. M.
et al., 2024; Santhoshini CNR, Srinivas J., Dadiga A., 2022; Wiraswati H. L. et
al., 2024; Lygum VL, Xiao J., 2025). The latest scientific developments lead us
to the use of medicinal species as fundamental elements of
environment-improving phytotechnologies for creating landscape compositions and
health zones: aerophytotherapeutic modules, aromatic corners, apothecary
gardens, flower beds, therapeutic alleys, medicinal lawns, gardens and parks.
In this case, along with the medicinal and phytoncidal properties of plants, their
properties for the urban biogeocenosis are taken into account, as well as the
possibility of the most long-term and nature-like cultivation and use in green
construction and to improve the quality of the urban habitat (Svyatkovskaya E.
A. et al., 2015; Kritskaya T. V., Levchuk L. V., 2016; Gladysheva O. V.,
Kalchenko E. Yu., 2017; Baranova T. E., 2019; Demidenko G. A., 2019; Chuvasheva
E. S., Fedotova I. E., 2020; Ivanova A. Yu., Vorobyova A. N., 2020; Tsitsilin
A. N., 2021; Shalpykov K. T. et al., 2021; Peshchanskaya E. V., 2023; Song X.,
Wu Q., 2022; Turgunboevna KN, 2022; Crișan I. et al., 2023; Putra NR et al.,
2024; Wang C. et al., 2025).
Humification of soils for
bioremediation and restoration of their maximum productivity, especially with the
help of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, as part of ecological rehabilitation in
and around populated areas, especially megalopolises, is currently becoming
increasingly important. Reclamation of anthropogenically damaged lands of urban
geocenoses is a real way to restore damaged ecosystems, preserve biological
diversity and increase the ecological capacity of populated areas. A new trend
in the use of phytotechnologies is the so-called "auxiliary natural
reclamation". Based on the agrochemical characteristics of soils in
populated areas of the CIS, it should be noted that there is an urgent need for
territories in preparations that increase soil fertility. The creation of such
products can be carried out on the basis of microorganisms that have the functions
of humus formers, nitrogen fixers, and are also capable of enriching the soil
with available phosphorus and exchangeable potassium. A narrow range of
registered preparations designed to increase the nitrogen-fixing activity of
legumes suggests the need to expand it. For natural restoration, such additives
are introduced into the soil in order to accelerate the natural processes of
rehabilitation of biocenoses with the help of combinatorial plantings and the
use of mixtures for hydroseeding, in particular (Dat T. T. et al., 2011; Tkhui
D. T., 2012; Rudenko E. Yu., 2015; Belousova N. M., 2016; Vorona V. M., 2021;
Tokhtar V. K., 2023; Osintseva M. A. et al., 2024; Ryumin M. B. et al., 2025;
Kassenova Z. et al., 2024; Gholami S. et al., 2024; Bian H. et al., 2024; Toby
F., Sujatha M. P., Mathew P., 2025; Napoletano M., Bellino A., Baldantoni D.,
2025; Rosariastuti R. et al., 2025).
Both the immunological and
other medical and ecological impact of volatile phytoorganic substances (VPS)
in cities, enhancing the activation of natural killer cells and their effector
molecules, has been proven by both roadside and park trees, and shrubs,
flowering meadows and living phytowalls, which also reduce the concentration of
various pollutants in the air due to the phytofiltration mechanism. In
addition, a number of studies have demonstrated a higher potential for certain
types of woody, herbaceous plants, climbing plants and mosses to reduce air and
soil pollution with certain toxicants. It has been revealed that the process of
neutralizing various harmful substances by vegetation is complex and dynamic,
involving the atmosphere, plants, microorganisms and soil. Bioaerosol of
populated areas covers a wide range of organic particles contained in the
atmosphere, the source of which are various living and dead organisms. The
sizes of bioaerosol particles vary from 3 nm to 100 µm depending on the source
of origin: the diameter of pollen is 17-58 µm, fungal spores 1-30 µm, bacterial
cells are usually 0.25-8 µm, and viruses are less than 0.3 µm. Moreover, the
bioaerosol microbiome is not represented as individual particles, but most
bacteria are associated with particles with a diameter of more than 2 µm.
Bacteria can also occur as cell agglomerates or be associated with plant, animal
or soil particles, as well as with pollen (Saparklycheva S. E., Chapalda T. L.,
Chulkova V. V., 2020; Kisnichan L., Baranova N., 2021; Yuldashbek D. Kh.,
Sunakbaeva D. K., 2025; Bainazarova T. B., Sagitova G. F., 2025; Rubino JR,
2016; Popek R. et al., 2023; Naz M. et al., 2024; Li H. et al., 2024; Tiwari S.
et al., 2025).
It has long been proven that
saturation of air with phytoncides and LFOV in the area of the ground
atmosphere promotes rapid rehabilitation after diseases caused by the dust
factor, increases the capacity and productivity of bronchopulmonary
respiration, and optimizes pulmonary gas exchange. Recreational landscapes
affect city dwellers not only microclimatically, but also directly
therapeutically, since LFOV released into the atmosphere by plants have an
ionizing effect on the air, which improves its therapeutic and
sanitary-hygienic functions and positively affects the effectiveness of natural
aeroionophytotherapy. It has been established that volatile metabolites of
plants activate the process of aeroionization with the prevalence of
aeroanions, which increases the bactericidal potential of the air and provides
high sanitizing properties of park and lawn landscapes. In such natural
aerophytotherapy, volatile phytoncides, which have a bactericidal effect on
many microorganisms, including pathogenic spore microflora, have an
anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and anti-stress effect, both in
recreational landscape therapy and in medical phytodesign. Volatile metabolites
secreted by essential oil-bearing herbaceous plants contain a large number of
bicyclic and monocyclic terpenes, esters, ketones, hydrocarbons, which are
responsible for the release of oxygen-containing compounds into the atmosphere,
promoting the development of various biological effects: enhanced tissue
respiration and energy metabolism, improved life-supporting reactions, external
respiration function, increased adaptive functions of the body (Oborin M.S.,
2009; Povolotskaya N.P. et al., 2014; Barkovskaya A. Yu., Popova E.D., 2016;
Bakieva E.V., Galkin A.V., 2020; Zinatullina M.I., 2024; Licata M. et al.,
2022; Lew T., Fleming KJ, 2024; Lygum VL, Xiao J., 2025; Krzeptowska-Moszkowicz
I., Moszkowicz Ł., Zieliński M., 2025).
The "Green
Revolution" in the second half of the twentieth century contributed to an
increase in crop yields and growth in manufactured products, including through
the active use of mineral fertilizers in agriculture. Unfortunately, excessive
application of mineral fertilizers has a negative impact on the environment. In
addition, their use leads to a decrease in the diversity of microorganisms
inhabiting the soil, which in turn then negatively affects fertility. It is
known that nitrogen accounts for approximately 5% of humus, and the content of
non-hydrolyzable and difficult-to-hydrolyze nitrogen is 80-96% of the gross.
The share of easily hydrolyzable forms of soil nitrogen, represented by the
simplest amino acids, amides and mineral compounds (NH 4 + and its
final form - NO 3 -) accounts for less than 10%, and the share of
minerals - only about 1-2%. But it is this nitrogen of ammonium and nitrates
that is the main source of plant nutrition. Therefore, the supply of nitrogen
to plants depends on the rate of decomposition of soil organic matter to assimilable
forms of nitrates (Vasilchenko N.I., 2014; Uzakov Z.Z. et al., 2018; He Y. et
al., 2022; Zhu YG et al., 2023; Rucker HR, Kaçar B., 2024; Dittmann G. et al.,
2025; Chang J. et al., 2025).
The objectives of ecological
rehabilitation of urban biogeocenoses are the renewal of the soil formation
process , increasing the self-purification capacity of the soil, restoring biological
balances and restoring the technogenically disturbed ecosystem. The methods of
ecological rehabilitation of urban soils established during bonitation, which
are quantitatively characterized by certain natural features and are important
for the rational use of land plots allocated in the city for landscaping,
taking into account their natural characteristics, are the materials of soil
surveys, which reflect the mechanical composition of the soil, the content of
humus and plant nutrients, acidity (pH), the most important physical
properties, etc., determined by the methods of GOST R70613-2022. At the same
time, all herbaceous and other plants cannot be considered in isolation from
the microorganisms inhabiting their surface, internal tissues, and rhizosphere.
Symbiotic relationships between plants and microorganisms developed at the
earliest stages of evolution and contributed to the widespread distribution of
plant flora on the planet. Microorganisms inhabiting various biotopes of
medicinal plants and mostly related to bacteria and micromycetes play an
important role in their life, participating in nutrition and resistance to
biotic and abiotic stress factors and, thus, affecting their growth,
productivity and survival (Lutfullin M. T., 2023; Smith, DL, 2015; Wang et al.,
2015; Berg G. et al., 2024; Grzyb T., Szulc J., 2024; Rodrigo AG, 2025).
Currently, a plant and its
microflora (microbiota) are considered as a single whole in biology, for which
the term holobiont has been proposed. The term microbiome is a characteristic
microbial community in a particular habitat that has certain physicochemical
properties and includes the entire spectrum of molecules produced by
microorganisms, including their structural elements (nucleic acids, proteins,
lipids, polysaccharides), metabolites (signaling molecules, toxins, organic and
inorganic molecules), as well as molecules produced by coexisting hosts and
structured molecules. The rhizosphere of legumes and all other plants is one of
the most complex ecosystems on Earth, since it hosts the maximum growth and
activity of trillions of different microorganisms, because plant roots secrete
a wide range of metabolites, including alcohols, sugars, ethylene, amino acids
and organic acids, vitamins, nucleotides, polysaccharides and enzymes, which
create a unique environment for soil microbiota. In this case, rhizosphere
microorganisms not only increase their numbers in the presence of root
exudates, but also change their composition and functions. The rhizosphere is
colonized by a wide range of different microorganisms: bacteria, fungi,
actinobacteria, protozoa and algae. Moreover, bacteria are the dominant group
in the rhizosphere microbiota (Fomenko T.G. et al., 2021; Lutfullin M.T., 2023;
Berg, G., 2014; Babalola OO, 2020; Bairwa J. et al., 2021; Wang B., Zhang Y.,
Minteer SD, 2023; Chen W. et al., 2025; Hao Y. et al., 2025;
Xie Y. et al., 2025; Koide RT, 2023; Sliti A. et al., 2024; Choi S., Lee H.S.,
2024; Gupta S., 2025).
The symbiotic activity of
nitrogen-fixing bacteria is greatly influenced by the growing conditions of
legumes (pH, humidity, soil temperature, etc.). It has been established that in
the absence of host plants, nodule bacteria can exist in the soil at a pH of
4.5-8.5 for up to 10-15 years, and in a neutral and close to it environment for
up to 20-30 years. It follows that their development and symbiotic
nitrogen-fixing capacity are determined, first of all, by the attitude of the
host plants to the acidity of the soil. Thus, for lupine and serradella, the
optimal reaction of the environment is pH 4-5, under the same conditions, the
most intensive fixation of atmospheric nitrogen by nodule bacteria occurs,
although outside the nodules the optimal environment for them is neutral. In
clover, peas, vetch and beans, nitrogen fixation is maximum in a slightly
acidic and neutral environment - pH 5.8-7; alfalfa, sainfoin, sweet clover,
chickpea and lentils in a neutral and slightly alkaline environment - at a pH
of 6.8-7.6. The same growing conditions are favorable for these legumes not
infected with nodule bacteria (Zavalin A.A., Sokolov O.A., Shmyreva N.Ya.,
2019; Gondal AH et al., 2021; Yang Z. et al., 2022; Hao Y. et al., 2025; Priono
T. et al., 2025).
Rhizosphere
microorganisms constantly interact with each other and enter into a variety of
relationships such as commensalism, parasitism, amensalism, mutualism,
symbiotic associations, etc. The diversity of microbiota present in the
rhizosphere has been successfully grown in the laboratory and studied, but the
rest of the microbiota remains unexplored. Metagenome analysis of rhizosphere
and bulk soil samples using pyrosequencing showed that the diversity of the
microbiome in rhizosphere samples is higher than in whole soil samples. All
these properties of the biogeocenosis promote the growth and reproduction of
rhizobacteria, which stimulate plant growth and participate in rhizoremediation
- the process of removing pollutants from the soil. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria
contain several species of free bacteria that colonize plant roots and likely
promote the growth and development of the host plant by minimizing the effects
of various toxicants present in contaminated sites. The higher the metabolic
rate of the microorganisms in the rhizosphere soil, the greater the degradation
of toxicants. Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus
mucilaginosus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Rhizobium
leguminosarum are plant growth promoting rhizobacteria that aid in
bioremediation associated with plant growth in contaminated environments. For
rhizoremediation to be successful, the pollutants must be present in a form
that can be taken up by the microbiota and the pollutant degradation pathways
must be functional. Arthrobacter, Burkholderia, Bacillus, Rhodobacter,
Rhodococcus, Pseudomonas, Mycobacterium or members of the Sphingomonadacea
family are just some of the degrader bacteria that have been identified as
promising candidates for rhizoremediation, a particular type of bioremediation
(Alzubaidy H. et al., 2016; Okwelogu SI et al., 2021; Molina NM et al., 2021; Maurya A . et al ., 2023;
Poole RK et al ., 2023; Wang Z. et al., 2024; Yu H. et al., 2025; Ngonini E., P e rez-Fern a ndez MA,
Magadlela A., 2025).
At present, suspensions and
emulsions for hydroseeding of perennial grasses are successfully used for the
reclamation of disturbed lands of urban biogeocenoses. The use of this
technology allows to significantly reduce financial costs, labor costs and time
of work. Hydroseeding differs from conventional seeding in the method of
distributing the seed material, in which the uniform distribution of seeds over
the soil surface is carried out by a special emulsion mixture. The composition
of this mixture includes, for example; bitumen, mulching material, fertilizers
and seeds of perennial grasses. In each specific case, the composition of the
working mixture is determined by the conditions of use, the effect obtained,
cost and availability of materials. Various brands of bitumen, latex have long
been used as binders, and wood sawdust, straw, turf crumbs, peat, and organic
fibrous substance have been used as mulching additives . In modern foreign
practice, crushed or chopped hay, rotted straw, and less often cotton waste,
sawdust, pine needles, fallen leaves, soybean stems, etc. are usually used as
mulch. The following suspension compositions for hydroseeding are also known:
soil acidity regulator, inorganic mulch fixer GridCross, basic wood mulch (FINN
Tru Wood, Hydro mulch 1000, Applegate wood-lok 100), anti-erosion complexes
(ProMatrix, Flexterra), soil concentrate ProGanics, mulch fixer Tackpro,
Flexpro, organic mulch fixer GumFlex, long-acting fertilizer LongSoil, starter
fertilizer SpeedSoil, fine fraction hydrogel RainDrop
(0.2 - 1 mm), marking dye Emerland, phosphorus pentoxide, microelements (B, Cu,
Fe, Mn, Mo, Zn), etc. (Nikiforov A. A. et al., 2015; Glushanovsky I. M., 2024;
Verma J. et al., 2024; Campanelli J. et al., 2024; Reddy CM, Rajeswari SV,
2025; Hirahara N., Anh NQ, Phuong BT, 2025; Gigendhiran D. et al., 2025).
In recent years, bacterial
preparations containing complexes of microorganisms involved in the
transformation of nitrogen and phosphorus and the accumulation of organic
matter have been introduced into the composition of the hydro mixture for
sowing in order to accelerate the processes of soil formation all over the
world. Grass mixtures consisting of legumes (30-40%) and cereals (60-70%) are
usually used for this purpose. The seeding rate of such seeds during
hydroseeding is 70 kg/ha. In conditions of insufficient moisture (precipitation
less than 400 mm per year, waste heaps of rocky and sandy rocks), the seeding
rate can be increased by 1.5-2.0 times. Mineral fertilizers during hydroseeding
are necessarily applied taking into account the agrochemical properties of the
soil. Long-term plant cover ensures stabilization of the hydrothermal regime of
the substrate, formation of a natural biocenosis, activation of microflora
activity, and, as a consequence, acceleration of bioremediation and
soil-forming processes during ecological rehabilitation of disturbed lands of
anthropobiogeocenosis (Kozhevnikov N.V., Efremova T.N., 2016; Osintseva M.A. et
al., 2024; Daud N. NN, Mulwarman MI, Husain MAM , 2024; Anshari MF et al.,
2024; MacDonald-MacAulay BA et al., 2024; Sahu SS et al., 2024; Campanelli J.
et al., 2024; Yüksel K. et al., 2025; Weiss B. et al., 2025).
Currently, there is a global
trend to use wild and medicinal plants to restore vegetation in populated
areas, and the method of "ecological rehabilitation", inextricably
linked with "ecotherapy" in populated areas, is known in English
literature as "urban rewilding" and "urban grassland".
Along with the outdated monoculture "grass lawn" and scientifically
based modern natural styles "natural landscaping", "herb
garden", "floral garden", "naturescaping",
"wildlife garden", "urban forestry", "vegetable
garden", "rewilding", "woodland garden", "urban
green spaces", in green building the use of essential oil plants in
landscaping is gaining popularity, called the methods: "physic
garden" and "therapeutic garden", the closest to the domestic
concept of "apothecary garden" and "aroma design". They
have been known since ancient times and the history of their use goes back
thousands of years. Essential oil plants were planted in monastery gardens due
to their high medicinal and aromatic properties, but even then their decorative
qualities were appreciated. Later, they became more widespread and took pride
of place in the gardens of the nobility, and then of ordinary people (Kirillov
N. A., Aleksandrov V. V., 2018; Tsitsilin A. N., 2023; Gudyniene V. et al.,
2021; Olszewska-Guizzo A. et al., 2022; Woody-Pumford R., 2024; Rosa CD et al.,
2025; Wood CJ, Barton J., Wicks CL, 2025; Rosa CD et al., 2025; Lan Y.,
Browning MHEM, Helbich M., 2025).
It has been proven that only
the second generation of urban (from large settlements) participants in
ecotherapy studies show significantly higher rates of this rehabilitation
method than those who previously, in their generation, lived in villages and
similar rural areas. This difference may be due to the ancient and archetypal
struggle for the harvest of cultivated food plants against the
"weeds" in the fields, the faster pace of life and greater stress
that city dwellers face compared to villagers. For city dwellers, landscapes of
herbaceous medicinal plants represent something new that can significantly
improve their psychological state. Conversely, villagers who are in
"wild" areas every day may not experience the same rehabilitation effect.
Therefore, for the entire population, on average, such medicinal gardens and
vegetable gardens are divided into three main parts: natural landscapes -
untouched or minimally disturbed landscapes, distinguished by a variety of
species of different vegetation, semi-natural landscapes - transformed
landscapes that have been significantly influenced by human activity and,
finally, artificial landscapes - created by man on
the basis of natural and semi-natural landscapes, consisting mainly of
buildings of settlements, roads and engineering structures with a minimum of
plants. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), an indicator used
worldwide to quantify the condition and density of vegetation, has even
revealed an inverse relationship between natural landscapes and mortality in a
given area of urban areas, and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends
that there should be at least 0.5 hectares of green natural (non-agricultural)
vegetation within a 300-meter line of sight from houses (Golubchikov Yu. N.,
2018; Baran V. I., Nikiforov Yu. V., 2023; Staniewska A., 2022; Oluwajuwon T.
V. et al., 2024; Syed Othman Thani S. K., Hussein H., Siew Cheok N., 2024; Jing
X. et al., 2024; Li X. et al., 2024; Oh J. et al., 2025; Li Y., Li W., Liu Y.,
2025; Xiaoying LI, Zhang Y., 2025; García-Martín M. et al., 2025).
In recent decades, it has
been found worldwide that the use of garden therapy and the Contemplative
Landscape Model (CLM), which reliably leads to higher alpha and theta EEG
activity in the frontal lobes, improves heart rate variability , blood
pressure, galvanic skin response, eye tracking, reduces depression according to
the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and many other tests and methods for
diagnosing the dynamics of treatment, is more effective when using vegetation
that appears wild, natural, self-seeded, not very well-groomed and subject to
normal natural changes during the seasonal and life cycle. The naturalness of
such phytocompositions is defined as the degree to which the landscape corresponds
to its supposed natural state in a given area, and this concept is closely
related to the supposed quality of ecotherapy. Numerous studies have shown that
gardens and parks with a high level of naturalness are more effective in
promoting psychological rehabilitation of visitors and patients, reducing the
suicide rate in patients with depression, and evoke more positive emotions,
while a more artificial environment causes increased anxiety and is considered
less recreational (Kukhareva L. V. et al., 2018; Marcus CC, 2007; Grahn P. et
al., 2010; Jiang S., 2014; Souter-Brown G., 2014; McCaffrey R. , Liehr P ., 2016; Vujcic M . et al ., 2017; Abbasian E. , Faizi M. , Mohammadmoradi A ., 2020; Meore A . et al ., 2021; Marques P . et al ., 2021; Baur J., 2022;
Souter-Brown G., 2023; Sharp - Newton E ., 2024; Wang Y . et al ., 2024; Aleixandre M., Prasetyawan D., Nakamoto T.,
2025).
The
use of medicinal essential oil and aromatic plants to remove or neutralize
pollutants from the environment is currently one of the most promising
approaches, studied and published in hundreds of thousands of studies. Aromatic
plants are not food crops, so they pose a lower risk of food chain
contamination and bioaccumulation. The most promising aromatic plants belong to
various families such as Geraniaceae, Lamiaceae and Asteraceae. Several
possible mechanisms can be involved in phytoremediation, such as
phytovolatilization, phytoextraction, phytofiltration, phytodegradation,
phytostabilization and hyperaccumulation. These plants can be grown on
contaminated sites to not only produce crops for the production and sale of
essential oils, but also to purify the air and soil in cities, since under
stress conditions the essential oil content of such plants increases without
causing severe pollution, indicating their great potential for use as
phytoremediators. (Kashkidko E. E. et al., 2018; Frunze O. V., 2022; Mineev M.
E. et al., 2023; Maslova E. M. et al., 2024; Weyens N., 2015; Sharma P. et al.,
2021; Iqbal B. et al., 2023; James A. et al., 2024; Tiwari S. et al., 2025;
Mandal RR, Bashir Z., Raj D., 2025; Viola P., Olivadese M., Minelli A., 2025).
In
modern urban conditions with a disturbed ecology and prevailing man-made
impact, the ecological principle of landscape design is a priority. The
ecological focus of landscape design, characteristic of today, has given
impetus to the expansion of the range of plants, methods of their application,
and the appeal of landscape architects and designers to perennial herbaceous
plants. Works have appeared that take into account the full life cycle of
plants, their seasonal changes and the expansion of species forms of plants,
such as perennial aromatic and medicinal wild plants. This modern style of
planting, which is an artistic stylization of the natural environment, emerged
almost simultaneously on different continents in the 70-80s of the 20th
century, which indicates the need for changes in landscape architecture and
green building (Nigmatyanova S. E., 2017; Korenkova E. A., Shakhbanova Z. M.,
2018; Vasilyeva S. E. et al., 2018; Mazaeva Yu. V., 2023; Kiseleva N. A., 2024;
Rudaya O. A., Gubin A. S., Kosman A. K., 2025; Roe J., McCay L., 2021;
Olszewska-Guizzo A., Sia A., Escoffier N., 2023; Zhang X. et al., 2024; Buxton
RT et al., 2024; Peng L. et al., 2025).
At
the same time, it is the herbaceous medicinal plants that exist all over the
world without human help that survive more effectively because they are best
suited to maintain balance with each other in the biogeocenosis: each of them
receives its share of resources, living space and opportunities for
reproduction. The so-called "matrix plantings" are based on this
natural model. They are aimed at creating similar self-sufficient communities
in plantings by combining plants that combine harmoniously with each other: all
survive and prosper, and unwanted plants are absent. Matrix planting is based
on the selection of plants and their care so that they form similar
phytocenoses. This technology for creating the image of a natural meadow and an
Oudolfian flower garden, known since the last century, includes such basic
elements as techniques for designing the placement of plants, the selection of
planting material taking into account the characteristics of its behavior and
the conditions in which it will grow, the use of sufficient planting density
and appropriate soil preparation. The placement of plants is used both random
and designed. For greater variability, 5 to 11 representatives of different
plant species and varieties are used. About 70% of structural plants and 30% of
"filler" plants are included in the composition. And first, the
qualitative composition of the planting is determined, and only then the
quantitative one, in percentage terms between the species within the planting.
Next, based on the entire planting area and the area occupied by an individual
plant, the total number of plants of each species is calculated (Tyrina E. M.,
Sidorenko M. V., 2017; Aristova T. V., 2021; Pozhidaeva E. A. et al., 2022;
Burganskaya T. M. et al., 2023; Chegge V. et al., 2022; Russo A., 2023; Kamrath
E., 2025).
Thus, the cultivation of
aromatic plants together with legumes is considered as an environmentally
friendly, viable, aesthetic and safe strategy for sustainable ecological rehabilitation. anthropobiogeocenoses, phytoremediation with numerous ecological and
social benefits, for the most effective agroecotherapy of the population. These
methods are of primary importance in aromatherapy of emotional and
psychosomatic disorders, antimicrobial effect and grow well on soils
contaminated with heavy metals, which makes them an excellent choice for
bioremediation and medical phytodesign. It turns out that
the comprehensive use of medicinal plants is important for the development of a
promising approach to solving the problem and mitigating the negative
consequences of environmental pollution and human health in a sustainable and
cost-effective way (Simonov V. E., Lekontseva T. A., 2024; Rodkin O. I., 2024;
Meshcheryakova V. Yu., Dyakova N. A., Pavlova Yu. A., 2024; Ismailov N. M.,
Alieva N., 2025; Petukhov A. S. et al., 2025; Bekturov I. O. et al., 2025;
Krinke R., 2005; Petrakis RE et al., 2024; Li Y., Li W., Liu Y., 2025).
In
the Russian Federation, the method of “ecotherapy” has been known for over 20
years, which is close to such English-language methods as “ nature” therapy ",
" ecotherapy ", " ontemplative
landscapes", " forest" bathing ",
" grounding ", " earthing
", " Shinrin - Yoku ", " Sami Lok », « nature - based therapeutic interventions »,
« garden therapy », « wellness garden », « therapeutic horticulture
" and " horticultural therapy ".
At the same time, there is no reason to believe that specially cultivated
plants may have more effective properties for ecotherapy or that they may be of
higher quality than wild ones. In addition, such widely known methods
throughout the Russian-speaking world as landscape therapy, aromatherapy,
aerotherapy, phytotherapy, ecological phytodesign, aromadesign and garden
therapy have a similar effect. All of them are connected by multisensory
stimulation of the patients' senses, including orthonasal and retronasal
stimulation of the sense of smell. Chemical substances with a mass of less than
300 daltons bind to proteins on the olfactory receptor neurons and then go
directly to the limbic system of the brain - i.e. we react emotionally and
physiologically to the smell of plants even before we think about it ( Prokopovich
N. S., 2012; Kolesova N. A., Kireeva T. V., 2018; Shipulina Yu. I., 2019;
Kopytin A. I., 2019; Davydov A. V., Razumnikova O. M., Bakaev M. A., 2021;
Kotkova M. I., 2024; Borisova N. I., 2024; Sarafanova A. G., Sarafanov A. A.,
2025 ; A . et al ., 2021; Krzeptowska
- Moszkowicz I ., Moszkowicz Ł., Porada K. , 2022; Carrubba A., Marceddu R., Sarno M., 2022; Xiong X . et al ., 2023; Mahato D. , Mahto H. , Kumari S ., 2025).
From
the point of view of evidence-based medicine and biophilic design, ecotherapy
is an effective non-drug method of improving the emotional state of people.
Neurophysiological studies have shown that passive stay in therapeutic gardens
and orchards can significantly improve the mood of all visitors: both healthy
adults and those suffering from clinically significant depressive disorders. This
effect is observed only in the therapeutic garden, and ordinary green spaces in
residential areas do not have a significant effect on mood changes. If,
according to the rules of such modern trends in landscaping and landscape
design as restorative landscapes and neurourbanism - "look and feel"
such plant compositions for 10 minutes in a sitting position, this leads to
reliable positive changes in EEG, in near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) data, in
the dynamics of the scores of the Profile of Mood State (POMS) questionnaires
and the Subjective Restoration Scale (PRS), etc. All authors emphasize that
future studies should examine the long-term effects of garden therapy and
ecotherapy, taking into account factors such as the intensity and duration of
the intervention, as well as individual characteristics of patients (Mortimer
AM, 2007; Gonzalez MT et al., 2009; Gonzalez MT et al., 2010; Detweiler MB et
al., 2012; Wahrborg P., Petersson I., Grahn P., 2014; Soga M. , Gaston K. J. , Yamaura Y ., 2017; Lim D . et al ., 2021; Kang M. , Kim S. J. , Lee J ., 2022; Olszewska - Guizzo A . et al ., 2022; Hong S. , Lee H ., 2024; Youn C . et al ., 2025; Rosa C . D . et al ., 2025).
The
mechanisms of action of gardening and ecotherapy are currently substantiated by
most scientists through five factors that have reliable evidence: 1)
multisensory stimulation of the central nervous system by plants through
various human senses, such as smell, sight, hearing, etc.; 2) aerophytotherapy
through the respiratory system with phytoncides, essential oils and other LFOV
of herbaceous plants in a biochemical way; 3) psychological associative
connection of the perception of plants with symbols of life, biophilia and
health at the level of the subconscious and archetypes; 4) visual-aesthetic
positive psychological effect of the decorativeness and beauty of plants; 5)
with a long stay, more than 5 minutes, near phytomodules, the effect of
meditation and autogenic immersion appears, a change in EEG and vegetative
indicators towards the tone of the parasympathetic nervous system. In addition,
a number of studies have shown that the impact of the natural environment on
people ranges from simply reducing stress, anxiety, depression to
concentration, increased productivity, and more, using tests such as
“moment-to-moment task performance,” “slow variability of gradual reactions,”
“errors in reactions,” and “reaction speed.” ( Lee J . et al ., 2009; Pazhouhanfar
M. , Kamal M. , 2014; Shen H. et al., 2014; Joye Y ., Van den Berg A. E. , 2018 ; Kang Y ., Kim E. J. , 2019; Lee
DG et al., 2021; Li X. , Zhang X. , Jia T ., 2023; Bornioli A ., Subiza - P é rez M. , 2023; Wang J. et al., 2024; Zhang X . et al ., 2024; Li Y ., Li W. , Liu Y ., 2025).
The
relationship between the natural environment, recreational potential and
psychological well-being has received the closest attention in modern
environmental and health sciences. Places with high recreational capacity have
many natural objects, such as grassy, shrubby, woody vegetation and water
bodies, while places with low restorative capacity are dominated by hard
surfaces and transport infrastructure. It has been found that ecotherapy has a
significant positive effect on the emotions of mental workers , while for
physical workers this effect is less. Mental workers, who are often in a state
of cognitive load for a long time, are more likely to strive for the feeling of
natural landscapes, gardens, parks, herbal gardens and medicinal beds near
them. Well-known foreign quantitative tools for assessing the restorative
potential of various environmental conditions, such as: Restoration Outcome Scale ( ROS ), Nature
Relatedness Scale, (NRS), Perceived Restorativeness Scale ( PRS ), contain
precise criteria for assessing the effectiveness of such phytotechnologies. For
example, the indicator “Detachment” implies a feeling of relief from fatigue or
stress, a feeling of rest and recovery from mental fatigue. “Entertainment”
indicates that the environment should be interesting enough to attract and hold
people's attention, causing them to want to interact more with it. “Coherence”
implies that the space should contain enough elements so that visitors feel
that they are getting rid of stress and negative emotions (Pasini M. et al.,
2009; Yu S. et al., 2016; Negrín F. et al., 2017; Wilkie S. , Davinson N. , 2021; Lee
DG et al., 2021; Zhang et al ., 2022; Zhu H . et al ., 2023; Wang S., Li A., 2024; Harries B . et al ., 2024; Johansson M . et al ., 2024;
Hung S. H., 2025; Wu F ., Wu L ., 2025; Sun Z . et al ., 2025).
In
general, the so-called "herbal mini-garden" ("apothecary
garden") for ecotherapy is a separate space in a populated area, intended
for growing certain types of medicinal herbaceous plants. Such gardens and beds
can be non-specialized, natural areas with plants, or they can be carefully
planned, to the point that the plants are arranged and trimmed, forming certain
patterns, as in a regular flower bed. Such an apothecary garden can be only
therapeutic or include a mixture of medical, ecological and decorative
approaches to growing and using herbaceous plants. However, it is the
therapeutic approach that is the most studied, functional and scientifically
substantiated. It has been proven that ecotherapy with such an apothecary
garden and flower garden can reliably help reduce the symptoms of stress,
depression, etc. all age groups, and the mechanism of the effect is associated
with both volatile phytoorganic substances, aerophytotherapy, aromatherapy, and
with psychological mechanisms, psychocorrection and psychotherapy (Silaeva Zh.
G., Bulgakova K. V., Makogonyuk A. A., 2021; Vukovich N., 2022; Tkacheva E. I.,
Gostev V. V., 2024; Lu S . et al ., 2021; He M . et al ., 2022; Kunwar R. M. et al ., 2022; Krzeptowska
- Moszkowicz I ., Moszkowicz Ł., Porada K ., 2022; Hyv ö nen K . et al ., 2023; Carrubba A. , Marceddu R. , Sarno M ., 2023; Xiong X . et al ., 2023; Ma J ., Lin P ., Williams J. , 2024; Zhang Z., Jiang M., Zhao J., 2024; Brancalion PHS et al., 2025;
Peng H. et al., 2025).
The
prototype of the invention is the "METHOD OF FORMING SANITARY-PROTECTIVE
PLANTINGS FOR IMPROVING THE AIR ENVIRONMENT", RU 2267916 (Patent
Holders: All-Russian Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, HARPAK LLC),
in which, for improving the air environment, including the creation of
aerophytotherapeutic complexes, compositions of decorative, phytoncidal and
aromatic plants, plants that accumulate dust, gases, toxins, heavy metals that
emit useful ions are selected from the specified conditions for improving the
air environment, and the said complexes are made in the form of rehabilitation
zones, parks (alleys), therapeutic lawns with phytoncidal herbaceous plants,
characterized in that the therapeutic lawns are formed in the form of
compositions of lawn grasses with a linear or checkerboard arrangement of
phytoncidal herbaceous plants in them, and the phytoncidal herbaceous plants
are mowed simultaneously with the lawn grass. In this case, plants are selected
taking into account the climate zone of their growth, while for the southern
regions of Russia they use such tree species as palms, magnolia, fig, laurel,
pittosporum, eucalyptus, oleander, such shrub species as myrtle, rosemary,
agave, aloe, and such herbaceous species as mint and thyme, lemon balm,
ophiopogon, and for the middle zone of Russia they use such tree species as
cypress of different species, common oak, thuja (western and other species),
laurel-leaved viburnum, Norway spruce, white fir, Weymouth pine, European
larch, small-leaved linden, silver birch, bird cherry, such shrubs as evergreen
boxwood, junipers of different species, lilac of different species, and such
herbaceous species as anise, oregano, dragonhead, catnip, Melissa, mint. These
plants in phytocomplexes are selected according to different flowering periods,
especially in medicinal gardens and parks, continuously flowering squares, and
according to their decorative qualities, preferably from the group that
includes red oak, blue spruce, maples with variegated leaves, golden thuja,
forsythia, hydrangea, peonies. Such aerophytotherapeutic complexes are located
in the form of medicinal gardens and parks, squares and boulevards, during the
reconstruction of old plantings, in recreation areas, as well as in the form of
phytocomplexes around buildings, vertical landscaping, and also for greening
the roofs of buildings.
The
disadvantage of this method is the lack of a developed technology for growing
and using medicinal plants together with nitrogen-fixing and similar
microorganisms of leguminous plants from specific fertilizers, the lack of
preliminary diagnostics of
pH and soil fertility for more accurate preparation for
planting, improving the anthropobiogeocenosis and the lack of a proven antibacterial and antidepressant effect of a group of
medicinal herbaceous essential oil plants.
An
analogue of the invention is also the "METHOD OF LANDSCAPING ROOFS",
RU2734589 (Patent Holders: Mochalov I.V. and Minenko I.A.), in which perennial
herbaceous essential oil plants are planted and cultivated on the roof in the
vegetation layer - peppermint, lemon balm , creeping thyme, medicinal sage and
medicinal chamomile, which have sedative properties through aerophytotherapy,
as well as, in proportionally equal combinations from the area of the roof
greening area, the following types of plants: essential oil plants - sedums -
mosses, essential oil plants - sedums - mosses - non-succulent dicotyledons,
essential oil plants - sedums - non-succulent dicotyledons - cereals, essential
oil plants - cereals - non-succulent dicotyledons, essential oil plants -
sedums - mosses - herbaceous plants, essential oil plants - sedums - herbaceous
plants, essential oil plants - perennial herbaceous plants, essential oil
plants - woody plants, essential oil plants - woody plants - perennial
herbaceous plants, using shrubs up to 4 m high, trees up to 10 m high, which
are monitored by two "Xiaomi Smart Flower Monitor" devices that
report through a substrate moisture sensor and the corresponding "Flower Care"
mobile application on the need to water the plants planted in a multi-layer
roof greening structure that includes root protection, a drainage and
water-accumulating layer, a system filter, an inorganic substrate through which
the roots grow, while the pH value for the drainage layer is identical to the
acidity value of the substrate and is 5.5-8.0.
The
disadvantage of this method is the lack of a specific method for growing and
using medicinal plants together with nitrogen-fixing and similar microorganisms
of leguminous plants and from specific fertilizers, the lack of preliminary
diagnostics of pH and soil fertility for its more accurate preparation for planting these
plants, improving anthropobiogeocenoses and the lack of antibacterial effect of
medicinal essential oil plants.
Known analogue from research by Krzeptowska-Moszkowicz I.,
Moszkowicz Ł., Porada K. “Urban Sensory Gardens with Aromatic Herbs in the
Light of Climate Change: Therapeutic Potential and Memory -Dependent Smell
Impact on Human Wellbeing” (Land. - 2022. - I. 11. - No. 5. - P. 760), where Salvia
officinalis L., Origanum vulgare Mentha piperita L., Hyssopus officinalis L. were used . The largest effect showed use of Melissa officinalis L, Rosmarinus officinalis, Lavandula sp., for which By efficiency followed by Mentha
sp., and for her , in my queue , Melissa sp., Origanum sp. and Rosmarinus sp., which chose much less frequently .
Among people aged 30 and above, the greatest number of
respondents named the scent of Mentha sp. as their most herb, followed by
Lavandula sp., Rosmarinus sp. and Levisticum sp., respectively. The results
showed that most city dwellers have a positive perception of the scents of
various herbs. Regardless of age, many residents stated that they preferred
herbal scents and reported that such scents evoked personal and very positive
associations. In our study, respondents’ favourite scents were usually
associated with home, childhood, and the holiday season, which represents a
time of rest and relaxation. Childhood memories associated with nature or
specific plants are strongly imprinted in people’s memories. Scents can also
evoke memories of summer holidays and pleasant travel memories. The use of
plants such as lavender or rosemary in the Central European climate, although
not previously recommended, may evoke these vivid memories, especially of
travels to warmer regions of Europe. According to this method of Trojanowska in
the adaptation of Ksheptowska-Moszkowicz, it was found that such gardens have a
medium therapeutic potential. In the group with young respondents, the
association of the smell of favorite herbs with home and family was of the
greatest importance (70%). In the middle-aged group, smells associated with
home, travel, and summer were equally important, and older people mainly
reported positive associations with home and family (60%).
The
disadvantage of this method is the lack of a developed technology for growing
and using medicinal plants together with nitrogen-fixing and similar
microorganisms of leguminous plants and from specific fertilizers, the lack of
preliminary diagnostics of
pH and soil fertility to improve the accuracy of its
preparation for growing plants, improving the anthropobiogeocenosis and the
lack of a proven antibacterial and specifically antidepressant effect of a
special group of essential oil plants.
Also analogue is phytotechnology from articles Krzeptowska-Moszkowicz I.,
Moszkowicz Ł., Zieliński M. "Application of aromatic medicinal plants for
creating a therapeutic environment that has a sensory impact in the built
environment" (Space & Form/Przestrzeń i FORMA. - 2025. - No. 61. - P. 133-160), where many different flower beds and combinations of up to
200 plant species are used, not only aromatic ones, as a "fragrance
garden", with a free composition, in the form of a labyrinth, high flower
beds, educational, relaxing, meditative, tourist and relaxing, as a museum and
tourist area or a recreation area, with a path among fragrant plants, as a
separate courtyard that promotes relaxation. In particular, the following types
of medicinal plants with an aroma are used: lemon balm, lavender, cornflower,
purple coneflower, common heather, mullein, lady's mantle, foxglove, greater
burnet, sweet violet, thyme, evening primrose, roses, meadowsweet, common rue,
marigold (Calendula officinalis), chamomile (Matricaria recutita), wormwood
(Artemisia abrotanum), valerian (Valeriana officinalis), common strawberry
(Fragaria vesca), tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), evening primrose (Oenothera
speciosa), peppermint (Mentha piperata), sweet violet (Viola odorata), common
fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), common garlic (Allium sativum), common sage
(Salvia officinalis), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), chamomile (Anthemis
nobilis), catnip (Nepeta cataria), calamus (Acorus gramineus), borage (Borago
officinalis), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), raspberry (Rubus idaeus), etc.
According to phytotechnology, it has been found that the smell of familiar
herbs is associated with memory and positive personal memories, having a positive
associative value, which can be used for therapeutic purposes to create a safe
environment for gardening therapy classes, both in public gardens and in those
intended for patients suffering from mental illness.
The
disadvantage of this method is the lack of a developed technology for growing
and using medicinal plants together with nitrogen-fixing and similar
microorganisms of leguminous plants from specific fertilizers, the lack of
preliminary diagnostics of
pH and soil fertility for more accurate preparation for
planting and growing, improvement of anthropobiogeocenosis and the lack of a
proven antibacterial effect of a specially selected group of medicinal
essential oil plants.
An
analogue of this technology are also the landscaping methods described in the
teaching aid by Burganskaya T.M. et al. "Design of modular flower beds of
natural landscape type". - Minsk: BSTU, 2023. - 136 p. Modular flower and
decorative compositions are used, usually including from 5 to 12 modules, both
of the same size and of different sizes, their shape can be either
geometrically correct (square, triangle, circle, etc.) or of free outlines. The
following methods are used to create a flower bed: planting plants (seedlings,
divisions, rooted cuttings and layering, grafted plants, bulbs, corms, tubers
of stem or root origin); sowing seeds of some flower crops; combined (planting
plants and sowing seeds). Creation of flower beds of natural-landscape type by
planting plants is carried out on objects of urban landscaping, by other
methods - in conditions of recreational territories of limited use, including
school areas, territories of sanatoriums, rest homes, individual plots, etc.
When creating flower and decorative compositions of natural-landscape type,
first structure-forming plants are planted, providing a stable decorative
effect until late autumn, after which filler plants are planted, mainly
ornamental-deciduous perennials and some annual and biennial plants,
complementing the plantings of plants of the above group and filling empty
spaces of the flower bed. When planting rhizomatous, racemose-root and taproot
perennial crops in a permanent place, the following planting standards are
used: giant-sized perennials should be planted at 1-2 pcs./m2 ; tall
- 3-4 pcs./m2 ; medium-sized - 6-12 pcs./m2 ; low-growing
- 15-25 pcs/m2 , dwarf - 50 or more pcs/m2 . The
following plants are also used: sandy immortelle, common oregano
("Hopley" with purple-pink flowers, "Aureum",
"Album"), blue cornflower, common yarrow ("Hannelore Pahl",
"Lachsschonheit", etc.), light-loving wormwood (common wormwood,
bitter wormwood, tarragon, medicinal), etc. In order to renew plantings, it is
possible to use self-seeding as planting material. In this case, one or two thinnings
of self-seeding are carried out, removing weak specimens in the phase of
several true leaves and maintaining the optimal feeding area for the remaining
plants. The composition of the decorative garden can be based on the principle
of modularity of the landscape planning solution, individual elements can be
designed in the form of flower beds or borders. The assortment of plants in a
decorative garden usually includes annual, biennial and perennial flower crops
in the amount of up to 5-10% of the total number of plants on the plot. In this
case, even vegetable plants are considered both from a utilitarian position and
from the point of view of decorativeness. The composition includes pumpkins
with decorative small and large fruits, varieties of salads and other leafy vegetable
crops and spicy-aromatic herbs with multi-colored leaves, various onions,
low-growing and dwarf varieties of garden crops, etc. Conditionally edible
flower plants, medicinal and fruit and berry plants, including their dwarf and
miniature decorative forms and varieties, are also used in this method.
The
disadvantage of this method is the lack of a developed method for growing,
using medicinal plants, improving the anthropobiogeocenosis together with
nitrogen-fixing and similar microorganisms of leguminous plants and specific
fertilizers, the lack of preliminary diagnostics of pH and soil fertility
for its preparation before growing and the lack of a proven antibacterial and
antidepressant effect of a specially selected group of medicinal essential oil
plants.
Another
analogue is the invention US 10066165 B 2 « Erosion control substrate and methods of use »
(Copyright: LSC Environmental Products LLC ), wherein a substrate containing mulch and a covering material
weighing from 1.5 to 2.5 kg is used for ecological rehabilitation, consisting
of: from 50 to 99 weight percent of a bentonite clay selected from the group
consisting of sodium bentonite, calcium bentonite and combinations thereof; and
(b) from 0.5 to 25 weight percent of a cellulose water-soluble polymer or
pregelatinized wheat starch. And said water-soluble polymer includes one or
more components selected from the group consisting of methylcellulose,
ethylmethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, ethylhydroxyethylcellulose and
carboxymethylcellulose, the mulch is straw or sawdust and the mixture contains
at least some amount of lipid essential oil and ethoxylated alkylphenol,
synthetic polymer, soda ash.
The
disadvantage of this analogue is the lack of a developed technology for growing
and using medicinal plants together with nitrogen-fixing and similar
microorganisms of leguminous plants and from specific fertilizers, the lack of
preliminary diagnostics of
pH and soil fertility for more accurate soil preparation
for planting, improving anthropobiogeocenosis and the lack of a proven
antimicrobial and antidepressant effect of a group of herbaceous essential oil
plants.
In
a similar study, Gudyniene V . et al . "Sowing
Mixtures of Native Plant Species: Are There Any Differences between
Hydroseeding and Regular Seeding?" ( Plants . -
2021. - I . 10. - №. 11. - P
. 2507), which showed that ecological rehabilitation sites
with high greening productivity are dominated by legumes such as O. viciifolia,
O. arvensis, L. corniculatus and T. medium, which has positive aspects: 1) they
serve as a food source for many pollinators; 2) they fix atmospheric nitrogen,
release high-quality organic matter into the soil and promote nutrient cycling
and moisture retention; 3) higher aboveground biomass suppresses weed growth;
4) they add aesthetic value to the landscape through abundant flowering. Sowing
of native medicinal plant species was used due to long-term ecological
objectives. Firstly, native species are adapted to local abiotic and biotic
conditions. Secondly, they preserve regional biodiversity and ensure successful
and sustainable restoration of the original habitat. Ecosystem functions,
creation of habitat for birds, animals and aesthetic benefits were also
important factors. When calculating the effective seed density in hydroseeding
mixtures, the number of seeds is taken into account, not their weight.
The
disadvantage of this method is the lack of a developed method for growing and
using medicinal plants together with nitrogen-fixing and similar microorganisms
from specific fertilizers, the lack of preliminary diagnostics of pH and soil
fertility to improve its preparation for planting and growing plants, and the
lack of a proven antibacterial and antidepressant effect of a specially
selected group of medicinal essential oil plants.
A
similar technology is described in patent WO 2020034655 A 1 « Method for sandland controlling by using simulate loam substrate hydroseed technique »
(Copyright holder: Jiangsu Lvyan Ecological Technology Co Ltd ), where the first mixture of simulated loamy substrate comprises the
following components in the proportions: 58% soil, 11% peat, 1.5% hardener, 7%
organic fertilizer, 14% straw fiber, 0.1% microelements, 1.3% diluted
fertilizer, 2.1% water-retaining agent and 5% simulated loamy substrate; the second
mixture of simulated loamy substrate comprises the following components in the
proportions: 62% soil, 10% peat, 7% water. mineral, 2% hardener, 10% straw
fiber, 0.1% microelements, 1.3% diluted fertilizer, 1.6% water-retaining agent,
5% artificial loam substrate and 1% plant seeds. The first simulated loamy
substrate mixture is 7-8 cm thick. The plant seeds in the second simulated
loamy substrate mixture are the seeds of a herbaceous plant, a desert shrub, or
a nitrogen-fixing plant. The water supply pipes are connected to a reservoir or
an irrigation system. Overseeding is carried out 5-15 days after the completion
of spraying, and the seeds are soaked for germination 48-72 hours before
overseeding. A, the organic fertilizer is decomposed chicken manure with a
water content of <20 wt%; the straw fiber is rice straw; the micronutrient
contains >20 wt% CaO, >5 wt% MgO, and >4 wt% P2O5; the diluted
fertilizer contains >14 wt% potassium oxide and 20% total nitrogen; the
water-retaining agent is natural polymer-modified superabsorbent resin; The
starting materials for preparing the simulated loamy substrate include soil
conditioner, maifanite and activated carbon; the mineral contains more than 2.6
wt.% SiO2, > 20 wt.% pure boron and > 2.5 wt.% willemite. The first
simulated loamy substrate mixture has a thickness of 7-8 cm. The plant seeds
for the simulated loamy substrate are the seeds of herbaceous plants, shrubs or
nitrogen-fixing plants.
The
disadvantage of this method is the lack of a developed technology for growing
and using medicinal plants together with nitrogen-fixing and similar
microorganisms of leguminous plants and specific fertilizers, the lack of
preliminary diagnostics of
pH and soil fertility for more accurate preparation of the
soil for planting plants and the lack of a proven antidepressant and
antimicrobial effect of a specially selected group of medicinal essential oil
plants.
A
similar solution is invention RU2823058 “Method for improving the air
environment of closed spaces using the transpiring and gas-absorbing properties
of indoor plants” (Patent Holders: Federal Budgetary Scientific Institution
“Novosibirsk Research Institute of Hygiene” of Rospotrebnadzor and the Central
Siberian Botanical Garden of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of
Sciences), which includes placing evergreen indoor plants in the form of
phytomodules in the room in accordance with biological requirements for
illumination, timely care of the plants, including their soil watering and
irrigation; evergreen indoor plants are selected taking into account the
absence of their antagonistic allelopathic effect on each other, ensuring
phytoncidal activity, neutralizing air pollutants of various origins, producing
oxygen and having transpiration properties, characterized in that the
phytomodules contain indoor plants Chlorophytum comosum, Cyperus alternifolius
and Sansevieria trifasciata, which have increased transpiration and gas
absorption capacity with a ratio of their leaf area in the phytomodules of
1:1:2, respectively, ensuring a balance of gas absorption and transpiration
capacity of the said plants, which are placed indoors in an amount of 1.0-1.4
m2 of leaf surface of plants per 100 m3 of room, with
illumination in the range of 1000-3500 lux and air humidity in the room of
34-36%.
The
disadvantage of this method is the lack of a developed technology for growing
and using medicinal plants together with nitrogen-fixing and similar
microorganisms of leguminous plants and specific fertilizers, the lack of
preliminary diagnostics of
pH and soil fertility for more accurate preparation for
planting, improving the urban biogeocenosis and the lack of a proven
antidepressant effect of special essential oil plants.
Another
analogue of the invention is the "Method for indoor air sanitation",
RU2734589, (Patent Holders: Federal Budgetary Institution of Science
"Novosibirsk Research Institute of Hygiene" of Rospotrebnadzor and
the Central Siberian Botanical Garden of the Siberian Branch of the Russian
Academy of Sciences), which includes placing indoors, in accordance with
biological requirements for illumination, evergreen deciduous plants capable of
producing phytoncides, and timely care for the plants, including their soil
watering and irrigation, characterized in that the evergreen indoor plants are
selected taking into account the absence of their antagonistic allelopathic
effect on each other, ensuring phytoncidal activity, neutralizing air pollutants
of various origins and producing oxygen, which are placed in the form of
phytomodules in the amount of 0.4-1.33 m2 of leaf surface per 100 m3 of the
room with illumination in the range of 800-2500 lux; Root watering of plants is
carried out with melt water at room temperature with a frequency depending on
the type of plant and the state of soil moisture and its composition, and
spraying of plant leaves is carried out daily with melt water with the same
parameters as soil watering. In this case, phytomodule No. 1 is used as a
phytomodule, containing: Coleus blume, Begonia ricinifolia, Myrtus communis,
Begonia bowerae, Chlorophytum comosum, Begonia fischeri and having a total leaf
surface of plants in the amount of 1.0 m2 per 100 m3 of space.
Also used as a phytomodule is phytomodule No. 2, containing: Coleus blume,
Chlorophytum comosum, Laurus nobili L., Begonia ricinifolia, Sansevieria
trifasciata and having a total leaf surface of plants in the amount of 0.4 m2 of
leaf surface per 100 m3 of room. Or use phytomodule No. 3,
containing: Laurus nobili L, Nephrolepis exaltata, Benogia bowerae, Sansevieria
trifasciata, Chlorophytum comosum, Begonia fischeri, Sansevieria trifasciata
and having a total leaf surface of plants in the amount of 1.33 m2 of leaf
surface per 100 m3 of room. At the same time, plants from the
succulent group, such as Kalanchoe, Crassula, Sansevieria, must be watered
after the soil has completely dried out, and the rest no more than once every 3
days.
The
disadvantages of this method include: the lack of use of leguminous plants,
biopreparations and specific fertilizers for ecological rehabilitation, the
lack of preliminary diagnostics of pH and soil fertility for more accurate soil
preparation for planting, improving the biogeocenosis and the lack of a proven
antidepressant effect of a specially selected group of medicinal essential oil
plants.
There
is also an analogue for ecological rehabilitation "Mixture for
hydroseeding for reclamation RE-Soil with soil superconcentrate",
described on the website:
https://afr-group.ru/goods/pochvennyj-koncentrat-dlya-gidroposeva-re-soil/,
which uses biological reclamation of disturbed lands, landscaping of
territories with poor and infertile lands, reclamation of lands in areas of raw
materials and coal mining, reclamation of quarries and landfills, etc. A 12 kg
plastic bucket is used for this, and the consumption is 1 bucket up to 1200 m2 and
from 10 g per 1 m2. The suspension contains: inorganic mulch fixer
GridCross, leonardide, fine fraction hydrogel RainDrop, Emerland dye,
mycorrhizal fungi: Glomus, Trichoderma harzianum, microorganisms that improve
mycorrhizal formation, phosphate-mobilizing, bacteria with fungicidal and
bactericidal properties: Pseudomonas fluorescens, Streptomyces sp., Bacillus
subtilis, Bacillus megaterium var. phosphaticum, Bacillus muciloginosus,
Enterobacter sp. Total number of viable cells - not less than 1x108 CFU/g,
alginic acid, amino acids, NPK, Zn, Mn, Fe, B, S, Mg, Ca.
The
disadvantages of this method include the lack of a developed technology for
growing and using medicinal plants together with nitrogen-fixing and similar
microorganisms of leguminous plants and specific fertilizers, the lack of
preliminary diagnostics of
pH and soil fertility for more accurate soil preparation
for planting, improving anthropobiogeocenosis and the lack of a proven
antidepressant effect of a specially selected group of medicinal essential oil
plants.
A
similar technology for growing and using aromatic plants is known, described in
the article by Ait Elallem K., Sobeh M., Boularbah A., Yasri A. « Chemically degraded soil rehabilitation process using medicinal and aromatic plants » ( Environmental Science and Pollution Research . - 2021. - I . 28. - P . 73-93.), when non-edible, fast-growing, deep-rooting and heavy
metal-stabilizing plants with high biomass are used for bioremediation, which
can produce valuable products in the form of essential oils and are considered
potential candidates for the role of edible crops. The advantages of using
aromatic and medicinal plants and their associated microorganisms for the
ecological remediation of degraded soils are shown, since they are valuable
agricultural crops, without having the potential health risks when these plants
are consumed by humans. Various soil cultivation systems and plants such as
Spanish sage (Salvia lavandulifolia Vahl.), rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis ),
Spanish lemon thyme (Thymus baeticus Boiss.), geranium (Pelargonium
graveolens), cineraria (Jacobaea maritima, Ceneraria maritima ),
Thyme ( Thymus vulgaris ), peppermint (Mentha piperita) and foxglove (Digitalis purpurea). In
degraded lands, to improve soil quality and reduce soil erosion, rhizosphere
symbiosis of microorganisms for rehabilitation and phytoremediation of heavy
metals provided an effective system. The best candidates for phytostabilization
were Lavandula dentata, Thymus satureioides, Teucrium polium and Peganum
harmala, which naturally grow on waste heaps with high heavy metal content.
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla var. recutita (formerly called Matricaria
recutita)), sage (Salvia officinalis), different varieties of basil (Ocimum
spp.), etc. were also effective.
The
disadvantage of this method is the lack of a developed technology for growing
and using medicinal plants together with nitrogen-fixing and similar
microorganisms of leguminous plants and specific fertilizers, the lack of
preliminary diagnostics of
pH and soil fertility for more accurate preparation and
improvement of the anthropobiogeocenosis before planting plants and the lack of
a proven antidepressant effect of a specially selected group of medicinal
essential oil plants.
The
method was applied from April 2018 to June 2025 in two CIS cities: Podolsk,
Moscow Region, Russian Federation, and Shymkent, Republic of Kazakhstan, and at
the laboratory of the Department of Non-Drug Treatment Methods and Clinical
Physiology of the First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M.
Sechenov, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.
pH level and
the content of nitrate nitrogen in the areas of the future flower garden are
determined by the ionometric method using the MIKON-2 kit based on the
Expert-001-3 (0.4) liquid analyzer. Measurements are carried out by field and
laboratory methods using the following techniques: soil sampling - GOST
28168-89; pH
determination - GOST 27753.3-88, general requirements for
conducting analyses - GOST 29269-91; nitrate nitrogen in the soil - GOST
26951-86. The layout of experiments, observations and records during the
growing season of plants of both flower garden variants (apothecary garden) are
carried out according to the methods of field experiments with different types
of fertilizers.
Then,
for growing in closed ground in a standard way, seeds of twenty plants are
used, sown in twenty peat pots, 80 mm in diameter, separately in each, in
neutralized high-moor peat with vermiculite in a ratio of 4:1, with the
addition of 2 crushed tablets of the fertilizer "BioTab" in each pot.
This soil composition was mixed and sowing of seeds of 20 plants was carried
out according to a separate standard method for each type of plant.
The
method involves using twenty plants in closed and then open ground:
1.
White clover ( Trifolium repens )
2.
Peppermint ( Mentha piperita )
3.
Sweet clover ( Melilotus officinalis )
4.
Melissa officinalis ( Melissa officinalis )
5.
Pea ( Lathyrus oleraceus )
6.
Common basil ( Ocimum basilicum )
7.
Perennial lupine ( Lupinus perennis )
8.
Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum)
9.
Common vetch (Vicia sativa)
10.
Lemongrass ( Cymbopogon citratus )
11.
Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia)
12.
Common Oregano ( Origanum vulgare )
13.
Astragalus licoricefolia (Astragalus
glycyphus y llos )
14.
Lavender (Lav a ndula angustifolia )
15.
Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa )
16.
Common sage ( Salvia officinalis )
17.
Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum)
18.
White mustard (Sinapis alba)
19.
Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)
20.
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
Their
seeds and then seedlings are grown to a height of 10-15 cm in the usual way
with a standard light, water, air-gas and temperature regime for each of them
in closed ground.
The
neutralized high-moor peat used in the seedling method contains humic acids,
which have a positive effect on plant growth, their development and the
formation of a strong root system. Biologically active substances contained in
peat contribute to the formation of beneficial microflora in the soil.
The
fertilizer "BioTab" (manufacturer: Terra Master LLC) used in the
method for improving the conditions for growing seedlings in the form of
tablets and crushed form contains, wt. %: organic substances (70%),
humic substances (3%), nitrogen (4%), phosphorus (4%), potassium (4%),
microelements: Ca , B , Cu , Fe , Mn , Zn and soil bacteria Bacillus subtilis IPM 215.
After
the plant seedlings reach a height of 10-15 cm in closed soil, measure out the
parts for the hydroseeding mixture, prepare and mix in a separate plastic or
metal container, with a volume of 8 to 100 liters, until a homogeneous
suspension is obtained, the following ratios of its components, wt. %:
1.
Water (65%);
2.
Medium-plastic quarry clay (10%);
3.
Chopped meadow hay measuring 50-70
mm (10%);
4.
First grade wheat flour (5%);
5.
Granular sulfur (3%);
6.
Phosphate rock flour (3%)
(manufacturer: EuroChem-Karatau LLC);
7.
Fine fraction hydrogel (2%);
8.
Complex biopreparation "Soil
Improver" (manufacturer: Biopreparat LLC), containing concentrated forms
of rhizosphere microorganisms: soil nitrogen fixers of the genus Azotobacter
spp., phosphorus and potassium mobilizers of the genus Bacillus spp.,
antagonists of pathogenic fungi and bacteria Streptomyces spp., Trichoderma
spp., with a total titer of at least 2x109 CFU/g ( wt. %: 1%);
9.
Complex fertilizer "Aqualis
6-14-35+ME" (manufacturer: JSC "MHK "EuroChem"),
containing: 35% K 2 O, 14% P 2 O5,
4% NO 3 , 2% MgO, 2% NH 4 , 1.5% S, 0.07% Fe, 0.02%
B, 0.01% Zn, 0.005% Cu, 0.005% Mn, 0.004% Mo ( wt. %: 1%);
After
preparing the suspension, after 5-240 minutes, the soil area is preparatory
moistened with water, at a rate of 20-40 liters per 1 m 2 . For
this, both mechanical and automatic watering devices and systems are used.
To
improve the urban soil quality and ecological rehabilitation of anthropobiogeocenosis,
in addition to leguminous plants, a complex biopreparation for microbiological
stimulation of beneficial microflora development, "Soil Improver" by
"Biopreparation - Planteco", is also used. The active ingredient of
the preparation is concentrated forms of rhizosphere microorganisms: soil
nitrogen fixers of the genus Azotobacter spp. (3 strains); phosphorus and
potassium mobilizers of the genus Bacillus spp. (5 strains); antagonists of
pathogenic fungi and bacteria Streptomyces spp., Trichoderma spp. with a total
titer of at least 2x109 CFU/g. For processing, the preparation is dissolved in
chlorine-free water. The temperature of the working solution is above +10°C. In
these soil conditions with leguminous plants and together with the biopreparation,
the decomposition of wheat flour, hay cellulose and sulfur by microorganisms
should lead to an increase in the level of nitrogen and other necessary
substances.
The
phosphate rock used in the method was produced by EuroChem-Karatau LLC, which
contains: fluorapatite - 3Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 x7CaF,
hydroxyapatite - 3Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 xCa(OH) 2
, carbonate apatite - 3Ca 3 (PO 4 ) 2 xCaCO
3 , as well as: magnesium sulfate MgSO 4 - up to 2%,
silicon dioxide SiO 2 - up to 18%, oxides of microelements Al 2
O 3 , CuO, Fe 2 O 3 , SO 2 ,
ZnO - up to 3% in total.
The
method for increasing the yield (growth in cm) of plants and, thus, the
efficiency of LFO and ecotherapy uses the multicomponent water-soluble
fertilizer "Aqualis 6-14-35+ME" (JSC MCC EuroChem) in wt.%: 1% in the method, containing: 35% K 2 O, 14% P 2 O5,
4% NO 3 , 2% MgO, 2% NH 4 , 1.5% S, 0.07% Fe, 0.02% B,
0.01% Zn, 0.005% Cu, 0.005% Mn, 0.004% Mo. At the beginning of the growth and
development of plant seedlings, this fertilizer leads to the maintenance of the
ecological balance in the agroecosystem and to an increase in the overall level
of soil fertility.
Then,
in moistened soil , at a rate of 20-40 liters per 1 m2 , of the apothecary garden (flower garden) area, using a metal or plastic
planting cone, make planting holes at a distance of 20-30 cm from each other,
to a depth of 5-10 cm and a diameter of 20-30 cm. Immediately after their
creation, 2 pieces of peat pots with grown seedlings of the above-mentioned
pairs of plants are planted in each hole at the same time.
After
placing the pots in the holes, using a plastic or metal ladle, add the prepared
suspension for hydroseeding into the planting holes around the peat pots with
seedlings, in a layer 3-5 cm thick. The soil, removed with a planting cone and
crushed with a cultivator, is then poured into the holes in a layer 2-5 cm thick
and the entire area is moistened with water at a rate of 20-40 liters per 1 m 2
.
After
planting the seedlings in the holes, the plants are then grown in the usual way
with the standard light, air-gas and temperature conditions in the open ground,
maintaining the irrigation regime with 20-40 liters of water 7 times a week
with fertigation of 0.1% of the above-described complex biopreparation
"Soil Improver" in all 10 holes of the plots with plants.
On
the 25th day of applying the method, a reliable ( p < 0.05) accumulation
of nitrate nitrogen was observed in both variants of the method, but the
difference between p. 1 and p. 2 was insignificant ( p > 0.05). Based on the
introduction of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms into the soil after planting
seedlings and the simultaneous use of legumes, the maximum content of nitrate
nitrogen was observed on the 50th day of the method according to the first
variant and slightly more - according to the second variant ( p > 0.05).
When replacing legumes with only essential oil plants and adding nitrogen
fertilizer instead of sulfur and increasing the biopreparation, a slightly
smaller amount of nitrate nitrogen was recorded under the plantings of the
second variant of the method on the 75th day than according to the first variant,
but the difference between them was insignificant ( p > 0.05).
The
height of plants in the method was measured with a tape measure and calculated
as the arithmetic mean for each of the 10 pairs of plants grown in the
flowerbed areas. The plant height indicators, respectively, were according to
the method, item 1 on the 25th day - 19.2 cm and on the 75th day - 35.3 cm. On
the 50th day, the greatest increase in growth was in the first version of the
method with legumes - up to 29.3 cm.
A
particular increase in the growth (yield) of essential oil plants was noted
when applying complex and nitrogen fertilizers in the second variant of the
method - from 17.1 cm to 39.3 cm.
Table 1. Dynamics of height of the plants used
|
Plant combinations |
Average plant height, cm |
|||
|
Day 1 |
Day 25 |
Day 50 |
Day 75 |
|
|
Flower garden according to item 1 |
12.2 ± 0.3* |
19.2 ± 0.4 |
25.3 ± 0.4 |
35.3 ± 0.5* |
|
Flower garden according to item 2 |
11.8 ± 0.2* |
17.1 ± 0.3 |
23.2 ± 0.3 |
39.4 ± 0.6* |
*-
reliable differences in changes (p<0.05)
Thus,
to increase the effectiveness of ecological rehabilitation and ecotherapy, the
green mass of medicinal plants that secrete LFOV reliably achieved differences
in growth from the 1st day only on the 75th day.
After
the first day and growing of plant seedlings from 10-15 cm, also on the 25th,
50th and 75th day, the following were selectively identified: by sedimentation
and aspiration methods - the antibacterial effect of volatile phytoorganic
emissions of these plants and by measuring the Zung Self-Rating Depression
Scale test and the SAM (well-being, activity, mood) questionnaire - the
antidepressant effect of complex ecotherapy in city dwellers with non-psychotic
affective disorders.
During
sanitary and microbiological studies, the air in the method is assessed
according to the following indicators:
1.
total microbial count (TMC) - the total number of bacteria and fungi in 1 m3 of
air;
2.
the presence of sanitary indicator microorganisms (SIM) - Staphylococcus aureus.
The
sedimentation method is simple, reproducible and allows, if necessary, to
determine the entire spectrum of microorganisms present in the air environment
of the applied apothecary garden at a given time. We used the sedimentation
method in combination with active sampling methods.
Meat-peptone
agar (MPA) is used as a nutrient medium for counting the total number of
microorganisms per cubic meter of air, and Chapman agar is used for counting
the CFU of Staphylococcus aureus. In this salt agar with mannitol,
Staphylococcus aureus microorganisms break down mannitol and egg yolk, which
are part of the medium, as a result of which yellow colonies are formed,
surrounded by a zone of yellowing of the medium.
Measurements
and data on the number of viable airborne microorganisms during the work were
obtained by counting colonies grown on the nutrient medium in three stages: at
the beginning, when the plants reached a height of 10-15 cm in containers and
were planted in the soil of an open-ground flower bed, then 25 days after
reaching growth (17.1-19.2 cm) for each plant and after 50 and 75 days
(35.3-39.4 cm) of cultivation and use. The number of microorganisms that formed
colonies visible to the naked eye when growing on the medium is taken as the
number of bacteria in the air.
Petri
dishes with the nutrient medium are left open on a 90 cm high stand among the
plants of the plot for 30 minutes during the daytime. Sampling points are
installed at 2 opposite corners of the flower garden plot. Then the dishes are
covered with lids and placed in a thermostat at 37±1°C for 24 hours. The degree
of air pollution by microorganisms is judged by the number of grown colonies.
The number of colonies was counted manually, visually, using a magnifying
glass. For each determination of the TMC, 2 Petri dishes with 10-15 cm 3 of
meat-peptone agar were prepared. The dishes are transferred to the test room
and placed on the unfolded paper in which they were sterilized. Then the lids
are moved to the very edge of the rim of the dish so that the entire surface of
the agar medium is completely open.
The
total microbial count (TMC) reflected the total content of mesophilic aerobic
and facultative anaerobic microorganisms in the test material - identified
colony-forming units per 1 m3 of air. This test is an important
integral sanitary indicator, because the higher the obtained CFU/m3 indicator ,
the more polluted the air is. TMC was clearly related to the degree of
contamination by organic flora, since the result of the analysis was affected
by the presence of saprophytic bacteria and LFOV of flower garden plants,
preventing the spread and development of microorganisms.
For
the aspiration method of calculating the effectiveness of ecotherapy, an
impactor was used in the method, the operating principle of which implied the
separation of suspended particles of microorganisms from an air sample using an
inertial impact and according to the principle of a multi-jet impact of
particles and isokinetic sampling , supporting the storage of data on the
sampling time, sample volume and other 256 parameters.
In
the first measurement only, in both variants of the method, the BK-BAS-IV
impactor (manufactured by BIOBASE) was used, designed for microbiological
monitoring of atmospheric air in pharmaceutical, food and other aseptic
production facilities. Particles are deposited on agarized Petri dishes with a
diameter of 90 mm, located inside the impactor. The content of microbes in 1
liter of air is determined by dividing the number of grown colonies by the
number of liters of air passed through. To convert this indicator based on 1
m3, the resulting number of microbes in 1 liter of air is multiplied
by 1000.
To
determine the content of microorganisms in 1 m3 , use the formula
proposed by Omelyansky, according to which as many microorganisms settle on the
surface of a cup with an area of 100 cm2 within 5 minutes as there
are in 10 liters of air.
Omelyansky's
formula:
X
= a×100×5×100 / ST,
Where:
a
- the number of colonies grown in the dishes (the average of two);
S
- area of Petri dish, cm2 ;
T
- exposure time, min;
100
- recalculation of the area of the cup to 100 cm2 ;
5
- exposure time according to Omelyansky, min;
100
- recalculation for 1 m3 of air.
In
this way, the effectiveness of the LFOV of plants of the method according to
paragraph 1 and paragraph 2 was studied, which suppress the test culture of OMC
and staphylococcus to 94.8%, i.e. almost no growth of colonies of
Staphylococcus aureus is observed during the incubation of the Staphylococcus
aureus culture (on the 75th day) in a space saturated with the LFOV of the
first and second variants of the herbal garden (flower garden).
Table 2. Changes in the effectiveness of the antibacterial component
according to paragraph 1 of the method
|
Meanings |
CFU/ m3 |
|||
|
Day 1 |
Day 25 |
Day 50 |
Day 75 |
|
|
OMCH |
3580±64.8* |
2233±53.7 |
1892±41.3 |
1126±33.8* |
|
Staphylococcus aureus |
95±14.8** |
34±10.8 |
13±7.1 |
5±4.1** |
*-
reliable differences in dynamics - ( p <0.05)
** - reliable
differences in dynamics - ( p <0.01)
As
a result of the study, it was established that the LFOV of the plants used have
a static effect on the microorganisms of the bioaerosol in the city, which is
manifested in a decrease in the TMC and the number of grown colonies of
microorganisms on the experimental Petri dishes, compared with a similar growth
of microorganisms on the control Petri dishes (p<0.05).
The microbial contamination of the air when using plants was low and
decreased after 50 days, compared to the initial, more than 3 times,
eliminating the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. A decrease in the total
microbial count (TMC) was observed after 25 days.
Table 3. Dynamics of the effectiveness of the biochemical antibacterial
component according to item 2 of the method
|
Meanings |
CFU/ m3 |
|||
|
Day 1 |
Day 25 |
Day 50 |
Day 75 |
|
|
OMCH |
3556±62.4* |
2278±55.6 |
1850±45.8 |
1108±42.9* |
|
Staphylococcus aureus |
96±12.8** |
33±11.9 |
12±8.4 |
6±4.5** |
* - reliable differences in dynamics - ( p <0.05)
** - reliable
differences in dynamics - ( p <0.01)
That
is, at the last two control measurement points, almost 95% bacteriostatic
effect of the LFOV of the plants of the flower beds of the first and second
variants according to 1. and p. 2 was established.
As
a result of the conducted study, it was established that the LFOV of the plants
used have a static effect on microorganisms, which is manifested in a decrease
in the number of grown colonies of microorganisms on the experimental Petri
dishes, compared with a similar growth of microorganisms on the control Petri
dishes ( p < 0.05). The second most significant bacteriostatic effect is the
50th day (45.7% and 55.4%) in both variants, almost twice inferior to the 75th
day (78.3% and 94.8%).
To evaluate the effect of flower beds obtained by the
claimed method, a general aromatic (unpleasant, neutral, pleasant smell) and
visual (unattractive, neutral, beautiful appearance) assessment of two types of
flower beds was carried out using a special questionnaire. The smell of plants was
determined at a temperature of 25 o C by inhalation at a distance of
5-15 cm from the boundaries of the plots.
The flower bed according to item 1 in the composition
provides a pleasant smell from the plants from the 25th to the 75th day and an
attractive appearance from the 25th to the 50th day, and after the 75th, these
plant compositions require additional care in both growing options to maintain
their decorative effect (they require care - weeding and pruning of part of the
herbaceous plants).
Data on the assessment of
the dynamics of the characteristics of the smell and decorativeness of each
type of flower garden using the method, using a special questionnaire in
electronic form, filled out on a smartphone or tablet, were also entered into a
table.
Table 4. Changes in subjective
organoleptic characteristics of flower beds
|
Indicator in the method |
Indicators by day |
||
|
Day 25 |
Day 50 |
Day 75 |
|
|
Option according to item 1. |
|
||
|
Attitude to smell |
Neutral |
Nice |
Nice |
|
Intensity of smell |
Weak |
Average |
Strong |
|
Appearance |
Beautiful |
Beautiful |
Neutral |
|
Option according to item 2. |
|
||
|
Attitude to smell |
Nice |
Nice |
Nice |
|
Intensity of smell |
Average |
Strong |
Strong |
|
Appearance |
Beautiful |
Beautiful |
Neutral |
The procedure of complex ecotherapy was carried out with 36 subjects in
the cities of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan: Podolsk
and Shymkent and consisted of three main components:
1.
Watering of flowerbed plants by
the test subjects every day, for 5 minutes, with 20-40 liters of water with
fertigation of 0.1% of the complex biopreparation “Soil Improver”
(manufacturer: Biopreparation LLC) in all 10 holes of the flowerbed.
2.
Passive normal inhalation every
day for 15 minutes of aromas and LFOV phytocompositions in a flower garden
area, sitting on a chair, at a distance of 5-15 cm from the boundaries of the
area.
3.
Concentrate on plants every day
for 15 minutes, sitting on a chair at a distance of 5-15 cm from the boundaries
of the site, while simultaneously inhaling aromas and LFO.
Thus, the complex ecotherapy method included the approach
of five international methods of rehabilitation and prevention: garden therapy,
ecological phytodesign, aerophytotherapy, aromatherapy and contemplative
landscape.
The 36 city residents (25 females and 11 males, average
age 38.5±12.7 years) received 2 psychodiagnostic tests in electronic form on a
smartphone or tablet to assess their psychoemotional status 4 times during the
application of the method: on the 1st, 25th, 50th and 75th day, which made it
possible to identify changes in the effectiveness of complex ecotherapy for
city residents.
The Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale is a self-assessment
test of depression developed at Duke University by psychiatrist Dr. William
Zung. This self-assessment instrument has been shown to be effective for the
preliminary diagnosis and screening of depressive disorder. The scale allows
the subject or the clinician to self-assess or screen for depression. The test
takes into account 20 factors that determine four levels of depression. The
test contains ten positively worded questions and ten negatively worded
questions.
In turn, the SAN test (well-being, activity, mood) was
developed by employees of the 1st Moscow Medical Institute named after I.M.
Sechenov V. A. Doskin, N. A. Lavrentyeva, V. B. Sharai and M. P. Miroshnikov in
1973 and is a map (table) containing 30 pairs of words reflecting the studied
features of the psychoemotional state (well-being, mood, activity). SAN has
found wide application in assessing the mental state of sick and healthy
individuals, psychoemotional reaction to stress, to identify individual characteristics
and biological rhythms of psychophysiological functions.
Table 5. Dynamics of symptoms according to the
Zung Depression Self-Rating Scale during the method, points
|
Zung Depression Self-Rating
Scale |
Day 1 |
Day 25 |
Day 50 |
Day 75 |
|
Flower bed according to item
1 |
53,6 ±2,4* |
32.7 ±2.1 |
32,2 ±2,4 |
20,6 ±2,2* |
|
Flower bed according to item
2 |
52.7 ±2.3* |
27,7 ±2,2 |
22,5 ±2,3 |
20,1 ±2,4* |
*-
reliable differences in dynamics (p<0.05)
The “mood” indicator of the SAN questionnaire increased significantly
from day 1 to day 25 – by 3.2 points according to item 1 of the method and by
3.3 points according to item 2 of the method (p<0.05) , and then the
improvement in the indicator was not significant (p>0.05).
Table 6. Changes in mood according to the SAN
test during the application of the method, points
|
SAN test, "mood"
indicator |
Day 1 |
Day 25 |
Day 50 |
Day 75 |
|
Flower bed according to item
1 |
2.3±0.2* |
4.6 ±0.4* |
5 ,1 ±0,5 |
5,5 ±0,7 |
|
Flower bed according to item
2 |
2.4±0.2* |
4.8 ±0.3* |
5 ,2 ±0,5 |
5.7 ±0.6 |
*-
reliable differences in dynamics (p<0.05)
It was thus established in the SAN test that these flowerbed plants,
when used in the method, improved the mood of city dwellers ( p < 0.05).
The effectiveness of using LFOV of herbaceous medicinal plants grown in the
method confirmed the technical result that they are capable of reducing the
number of microorganisms in the atmosphere of cities and reducing the intensity
of depressive symptoms in city dwellers and leading to a comprehensive
improvement of anthropobiogeocenoses (growth and organoleptic properties in the
phytocenosis), compared with the initial indicators (p < 0.05).
In
this case, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms,
but is not limited to the implementation described in the present two versions.
The specified embodiments of the invention are preferred and do not limit its
implementation, as well as any combinations of technical solutions, features,
elements and means listed in the description and formula.
