IRANIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS
Year:2004 | Volume:20 | Issue:3|Papers Count:14

Determination of medicinal plants growth under different water stresses could be a well guidance for cultivation of resistant plants in dry regions. In numerous glasshouse experiments under Completely Randomized Design (CRD), 5 medicinal plants species were planted separately. Plantago psyllium, Achillea millefolium, Salvia officinalis, Calendula officinalis and Matricaria chamomilla were treated by well water (Fe), 75% FC, 50% FC and 25%FC. Total dry matter, root weight, root length, shoot weight and height of medicinal plants were measured and analyzed separately. All of water and water stresses treatments were significantly different in 1% probability. Among the medicinal plants in this experiment, Salvia officinalis and Achillea millefolium had the best growth in all water stresses treatments and conserved their freshness under severe water stress. These species could establish as the resistant medicinal plants in dry region or water deficit. Other species also completed their life cycle under severe water stress.

Because of the importance of water stress influence on plant growth, metabolism and yield, Satureja hortensis L. was imposed to water stress treatments. Irrigation treatments were selected based on different percentage of field capacity (FC), including (i) a control which was irrigated to full field capacity during the growing season (FC), (ii) two moderate water stress treatments during vegetation (LS1) and flowering stages (LS2) and (iii) severe water stress treatments during flowering stages (HS). Results showed that plant water potential reduced from -0.5 to 1.5 Mpa and RWC (relative water content) decreased too. Also water stress induced high amount of proline. The amount of proline was the highest in sever treatment while it changed from 0.69 to 7.36 mM/g FW in FC, LS2 treatments.

Zhumeria majdae is one of the important, endomic, unique medicinal plants of hormozgan province that it use has been known from past by native people. In this investigation constituents of essential oils of Zhumeria majdae were collected from Sarchahan mountai of Hormozgan province at flowering stages and were determined with GC and GC/MS. Then, the effects of different concentrations of essential oils prepared from leaves of Zhumeria majdae on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcos aureous were tested.Chromatography analysis (GC & GC/MS) showed that there were 22 different compounds present in essential oils of leaves of Zhumeria majdae. The major compounds were Linalool (60.4), Camphor (26.5), Borneol (2.1), Geraniol (2.1), Limonene (1.3) and Camphene (1.2). In this investigation arabic gum solution was control and different dilutions of essential oil of Zhumeria majdae were treatments. The dilutions of essential oil (0, 20, 40, 60 percent) on Staphylococcos aureous and oil (0, 20 percent) on Escherichia coli had MIC efficacy. The dilutions of essential oil (80, 100 percent) on Staphylococcos aureous and the dilutions of essential oil (40, 60, 80, 100 percent) on Escherichia coli had MBC efficacy. In this study, constituents of essential oils and antimicrobial potentials of Zhumeria majdae were determined.

Contents of inorganic elements are very important traits in plants. Some of the elements have causal effects on plant growth. Also, their effects on plant metabolism and therefore quality and quantity of essential oils. Thus, to obtain relatively good results, different parts of Rosa damascena Mill. genotypes were analyzed.In this research, plants collected from different provinces, including Tehran, Qazvin, East Azarbaijan and Golestan provinces and cultivated in the national botanical Garden (Tehran - Kraj highway), and samples were collected in May 2003.For determination and comparative study of inorganic elements like Na, K, Mn, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, P and N used different apparatus like induced Coupled Plasma (ICP), Kjeltce and spectrophotometer. Results are from different genotypes on petals and sepals of Rosa damascena Mill. From different states like Tehran, East Azarbaijan and Golestan were Na (127.4- 160.4ppm), K (24.48 - 35.88 ppm), Mg (9.11 - 10.61 ppm), Ca (60.54 - 65.41 ppm), Mn (0.073 - 0.094 ppm), Zn (0.162 - 0.35 ppm), Cu (0.207 0.30 ppm), P (0.19 - 0.28 mg/kg ) and N (0.95 - 1.77 %) in petals, and Na (110.2- 277.7ppm), K (25.72 - 38.53 ppm), Mg (12.36 - 24.27 ppm), Ca (57.63 - 196.3 ppm), Mn (0.105 - 0.185 ppm), Zn (0.156 - 0.62 ppm), Cu (0.166 0.32 ppm), P (0.23 - 0.39 mg/kg ) and N (2.26 - 2.90 %) in sepals.

The majority of the crop seeds have physiological dormancy after harvesting. This phenomenon is depending to different physiological dormancy. This phenomenon can overcome by pre-treatment including prechilling, pre-heating, dry storage condition, using chemical for promoting germination and overcoming of inhibitor substances. In this study the seeds of two medicinal species (Eruca sativa Lam. and Anthemis altissima L.) under two cold rooms (4°C) and dry storage (room temperature) conditions were maintained over six months and tested by standard germination test. The physiological quality of the seed rocket plant had not any oignificance differences in two conditions. The reason might be due to non-physiological dormancy of the seed species. Where as, germination of percent in the species of chamomile was significant in two conditions. As it is clear the percent of germination of the chamomile from dry storage condition was higher from cold room condition and this is due to physiological dormancy of plant seed which overcome by dry storage condition. The speed and vigor index of plant seed had no significant differences in two conditions.

The medicinal plant Datura stramonium (D.s) is a rich source of alkaloids which has been introduced as an analgesic herb. Regarding the possible interaction between opioid and muscarinic systems and the key role of opioid receptors in alleviation of pain, we investigated the effect of alcoholic Datura seed extract in acute and chronic pain. In the present study in order to producing acute and chronic pain, hot plate and formalin tests were used. In treatment group 20 min prior to pain scoring the extract was intraperitonealy administered to the animals and the results was compared with the control group. In our experiments, the extract alleviated the pain dose dependently, and ED50 was equal to 25 and 50 mg/kg in hot plate and formalin tests, respectively. Analysis of the data by student t-test have shown that the acute and chronic pain producing by formalin and hot plate tests were significantly attenuated in animals which treated with D.s seed extract. In order to determine the LD50, doses of 500-4000 mg/kg i.p. of the extract were applied to the animals. In this experiment the calculated LD50 was 2500 mg/kg. In addition, our resuJts show that the D.s seed extract has an analgesic effect in both acute and chronic pain which were produced by hot plate and formalin tests. It is likely that, this effect can be attributed to the D.s extract alkaloids which interacted with opioid system. Also, regarding the significant difference between ED50 and LD50, perhaps we can introduce the D.s seed extract as an analgesic medicinal plant.

Juglone is a naphtoquinone compound present in walnut (Juglans regia L.; Juglandaceae) leaves and peels. that have been broadly used in traditional medicine for many years. In this research, samples were collected during June to November 2001 and (10 g) extracted with a Soxhlet apparatus for 2 hours. The concentrate of the acetone extract of the samples was defatted and then extracted with chloroform. The chloroform solution was evaporated under reduced pressure to give a dry residue recoverd by methanol. The extract was analyzed by HPLC. Juglone content in leaves was from 0.021 mg/ml to 0.114 mg/ml and in peels were 0.035 mg/ml to 0.534 mg/ml, respectively.

Rosa damascena from eight regions in western parts of Iran, were cultivated at the experimental field of Research Institute of Forests and Range lands, using three replicated randomized complete blocks design. Six genotypes were compared based on different traits including flower yield in 2003 and 2004. The obtained data was performed using ANOVA (which means classification and correlation analysis). Genotypes showed significant differences in terms of the measured traits. Comparison in meaning, classified the genotypes in 4, 2, 3 and 4 grblips, based on flower yield, flower weight, dry matter percentage and petal weight to flower weight ratio, respectively in 2003 and in 4, 2, 2 and 5 groups in 2004. It could be concluded from the results of different analyses that although the genotypes could be grouped based on geographical origins, flower yield, flower number and dry matter percentage could be used as appropriate selection factors for classification of damask rose genotypes in western parts of Iran.

The research project of collection and identification of medicinal plants of Zanjan province was studied during 2000-2003 and 217 species of medicinal plants were collected and identified. They are classified in 68 families. The most number of medicinal species belongs to compositae (27 species). Before this study about 49 species were identified as medicinal plants in Zanjan province and now we have identified and introduced 163 species.

In order to effects of reduction in nitrogen fertilizer in agroecosystem, a field experiment was carried out on Mellisa officinlais in Alborz research complex in 2004 year. The treatments were 80 kgha-1 nitrogen application in soil and %2 spry application that was compared to the control treatment (no fertilizers) in complete randomize block design with three replication. In both treatments, the first application was conducted when plant high was 10 cm and second application was after 30 days. The harvest carried out before flowering.The results showed that, in comparison of other treatments, the application of nitrogen in form of spry, raised dry mater yield to 5532.8 kgha-1. The LSD test showed that, the spry method was significant (a=%5) to control. In the spry method, nitrogen fertilizer reduced 87.5% to the control. Based on the results, low input Agriculture systems could be introduced for sustainable agriculture.

Echium amoenum is one of the most important and famous medicinal plant which people used since acient times. In our country (Iran), this plant can be grown in different states like Gilan, Mazandran province and also on high mountains between Ardebil and Astara.In this research, flowers of Echium amoenium were collected and dried from the research station of Alamot (near Ghazwin city) for phytochemical investigation. The compounds were extracted by perculation method. Then for identification of compounds we used different method to find out flavonoides, tannins, saponines alkaloid and phenolic compounds in plant. our primer investigation showed flavonides, saponines and phenolic compounds, but no alkaloides totall tannines compounds are present on the extract.