Studies on palatability of some commom weed species, herbaceous plants and oilseed rape to D. reticulatum, A. lusitanicus and A. rufus slugs have been carried out under laboratory conditions. In food choice trials the rate and degree of damage to seedlings and leaf disks were determined for 20 plant species. The conducted experiments have also permitted to establish, which plant species were preferred or were not accepted by particular slug species. It was found that the studied slug species preferred seedlings and leaves of Brassica napus and Papaver rhoeas, but showed no preference for Epilobium hirsutum, Geranium sanguineum and Saponaria officinalis plants. As to the remaining plant species under study, the preferences exhibited by particular slug species were quite diverse.
Ascorbic acid is a well-known antioxidant found in plants. The content of ascorbic acid was assayed using a normal phase European Pharmacopoeia HPLC method for ascorbic acid in medicinal products. The content of ascorbic acid in herbs was calculated in % for absolutely dry drug. Ascorbic acid was not detected in the roots of Primula ueris, in aerial parts it was detected in flowers (0.43 +/- 0.034%), in blades (1.43 +/- 0.11%) and petioles (1.56 +/- 0.12%). In fresh leaves collected at weekly intervals the content of ascorbic acid varied from 1.19 to 2.39%, being highest from mid-May to mid-June. The fresh leaves contained 2.35 +/- 0.18% of ascorbic acid and when frozen its content was quite stable for one year. The content of ascorbic acid in dried leaves decreased more than ten times in three months, in twelve months it was less than 1/20th of the initial level. Compared to the analyzed common fresh fruits and salads (n = 10) the fresh leaves of common cowslip contained considerably more ascorbic acid. Commercial orange juices could be recommended as the most convenient source of ascorbic acid (8.6-50.4 mg/100 ml); 1-5 glasses of orange juice could fulfill the recommended daily intake of vitamin C (60 mg).
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