IRANIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS
Year:2014 | Volume:30 | Issue:2 (64)|Papers Count:22

In order to indicate the water deficit stress and nitrogen fertilization effects on alkaloids yield and content of Hyoscyamus niger L. plant parts (root and shoot), this experiment was conducted at the full flowering growth stage in greenhouse conditions. Plants were treated with different nitrogen application (0, 75, 150 and 225 kg/ha N as ammonium nitrate in the form of solution, N0-N3) before the commencement of water deficit stress treatment (30, 60 and 90% depletion of water from field capacity, W1-W3). Extracted alkaloids were analyzed by Gas chromatography /mass spectrometery (GC/MS) analysis using a Younglin Acme 6000 GC system equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID) and HP-5MS capillary column (30 m×0.25 mm, film thickness 0.25 mm).The identification of alkaloids was based on the comparison of their GC retention time and mass spectra data with their standards substances. Results showed that the highest alkaloid content values in root (HYO: 0.281 %DW; SCO: 0.232 % DW) and shoot (HYO: 0.937%DW; SCO: 0.416%DW) were achieved in plants grown under sever water deficit stress (W3) accompanied with nitrogen supply of 225 kg/h (N3). The maximum and minimum (20.52 and 8.95 mg.plant-1) total alkaloids yield in whole plant were obtained in N2W1 and N3W3 treatments, respectively. The survey results indicated that H. niger in the treatment of moderate water deficit stress (W2) along with 150kg N.h-1(N2) in addition to having a good amount of content and performance of both alkaloids, it also contained the highest level of SCO, indicating alkaloid quality.

Nowadays, the application of plant essential oils has been highly considered as an alternative for synthetic insecticides especially in stored-product pests. One of the potential resources for development of new pesticides is plant materials, acting as repellents, antifeedants, oviposition deterrents and toxic compounds. In this study, fumigant toxicity of essential oils extracted from Laurus nobilisL. and Myrtus communis L. was assessed on adults and eggs stage of Callosobruchus maculatus. This research was conducted in a completely randomized design at 30±2°C and relative humidity of 60±5 % in darkness. Each essential oil was tested in 3 replications and 5 concentrations. The LC50 values for L. nobilis and M. communis for adults of the beetle were calculated to be 71.782 and 44.138 micro liter per liter of air and the LC95 values were calculated to be 216.278 and 141.716 micro liter per liter of air, respectively. The LC50 values for L. nobilis and M. communis for eggs of the beetle were calculated to be 63.994 and 38.371 microliter per liter of air, respectively. It seems that essential oils can be used as a low-risk insecticide.

The genus Nepeta, belonging to the Lamiaceae family, has 67 species in Iran, most of which are endemic. In this study we provide a qualitative and quantitative comparison of essential oil of leaves, flowers, stems and roots. Nepeta bornmuelleri Hausskn. ex Bornm., an endemic and aromatic species, was collected from Hezar mountain, Kerman province, Iran, in May 2011. The essential oils of leaves, flowers, stems and roots of the plant were separately extracted using hydrodistillation method and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. In the leaf and flower oils, 38 and 19 components were identified, representing 98.% and 94.5% of the total oils, with 4ab, 7a, 7ab-nepetalactone (29.2% and 26.8%), 1, 8-cineole (19.6% and 14.6%), 4aa, 7a, 7aa-nepetalactone (6.6% and 19.5%) and b-pinene (18.9% and 11.4%) as the main constituents, respectively. The stem oil was characterized by higher amount of 4ab, 7a, 7ab-nepetalactone (39.8%), caryophyllene oxide (24.1%) and 1,8-cineole (12.8%) among the 9 components comprising 95.8% of the total oil. Furthermore, 12 compounds were identified in the root oil, representing 99.3% of the total oil.4ab, 7a, 7ab-Nepetalactone (73.2%) and 4aa, 7a, 7aa-nepetalactone (13.4%) isomers were found to be the major constituents. As a result, nepetalactone was the dominant component in the essential oils of N. bornmuelleri.

Portulaca oleracea L. as a medicinal plant, having valuable secondary metabolites, such as noradrenaline, dopamine and omega-3, is used as anti-cancer, antioxidant, and blood purifier factor. Callus inducted from hairy roots of some medicinal plants are used to increase the production of secondary metabolites, cell suspension culture, protoplast culture, induction of embryonic callus and gene transfer agents. In this experiment, various concentrations of two hormones of BA and 2,4-D were examined on transgenic hairy roots of P. oleracea to produce callus. Hairy roots transgenic of P. oleracea were induced by Agrobacterium rhizogene, 15834 strain. Hairy roots produced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes 15834 strain, were transferred to 1.2 MS medium containing different concentrations of BA and 2,4-D hormones. BA and 2,4-D hormones were used, both at three levels of 0, 0.5 and 1 mg per liter and in three replications.Our results indicated that BA and 2,4-D hormones alone as well as without hormone treatment (control) did not show any callus formation. The treatments containing different ratios of BA and 2,4-D hormones, caused callus formation in varying degrees. The medium containing 1mg/L BA and 1 mg/L of 2,4-D hormones showed the higher production of callus.

Plant essential oils are used in a wide range of pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics and hygienic products. Satureja sahendica Bornm is an endemic aromatic plant in Iran. In traditional medicine, it has analgesic and anti-infection properties. Savory is used for treatment of chest discomfort, cough, wasting and rheumatic pain. Previous researches showed that the main compounds of Satureja Sahendica essential oil were r-cymene, thymol, carvacrol and g-terpinene. Since different drying and distillation methods affect oil yield and composition of aromatic plants, in this study, to investigate the effect of drying methods, the aerial parts of Satureja Sahendicawere collected from Agricultural Research farm in Qazvin, at full flowering stage. The plant materials were dried by different methods (oven 30°C, oven 40°C, oven 50°C and shade). The essential oils of each treatment were obtained by hydro-distillation in three replicates. The oils were analyzed by capillary GC and GC/MS. Oil yield and the percentage of main components were compared statistically by Duncan's Multiple Range Test in SAS software. Results showed that oil yields, percentage of thymol and total phenolic compounds in essential oils were not different statistically in oven 30°C, oven 40°C and shade, but drying in oven 50°C produced lower oil yield. The percentage of thymol and total phenolic compounds was higher in oven 50°C. Statistical analysis showed that the oil yield obtained from hydrodistillation method (1.45%) was higher than that of the other two methods (at 1% level), while the highest values of thymol and carvacrol were obtained by steam distillation (at 5% level).

Damask rose with scientific name of Rosa damascena Mill. contains essential oils with large medicinal properties. Qualitative and quantitative extraction of essential oils as well as its economic justification depends on appropriate methods of drying. Appropriate method of drying reduces loss and damage during storage and helps maintain product quality. The purpose of this study was to predict Rose moisture content during the drying process with hot air flowing as a function of temperature at four levels (40, 50, 60 and 70°C) and air velocity at three levels (0.5, 1 and 1.5 m/s), using artificial neural networks. The average initial and final moisture contents were calculated to be 78% and 9%, respectively. The drying process was modeled by mathematical models using matlab and then the moisture content graphs were achieved by excel. Then, the drying process was modeled using neural networks with three inputs including temperature, air velocity and time. Results showed that neural network was more accurate than mathematic models in modeling and predicting the drying process of damask rose and could be used in on-line controlling.

In order to investigate the effects of organic, chemical and biological sources of nitrogen on nitrogen and fertilizer use efficiency of black seed (Nigella sativa L.), a field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, in 2009-2010. The experiment was arranged by using a completely randomized block design based on factorial fashion with three replications and twenty-five treatments. The experimental treatments included different sources of nitrogen (manure, compost, vermicompost, urea fertilizer and control) and different biological fertilizers (nitroxin including Azotobacter sp. and Azospirillum sp), mycorrhizae, nitroxin+mycorrhizae, biosulfur ((including Thiobacillus sp.) +sulfur and control (no biofertilizer). Results indicated that in spite of significant effects of sources of nitrogen and biological fertilizer on nitrogen and fertilizer use efficiency of black seed, interactions between these factors had no significant effects on mentioned traits. Results showed that nitrogen and fertilizer use efficiency of black seed in organic fertilizer treatments were significantly higher than that of urea fertilizer. The biological fertilizer had no significant increasing effects on mentioned traits, except biosulfur+sulfur bentonite. It seems that in the alkalic soils, biosulfur biofertilizer plus sulfur could contribute in increasing the nitrogen uptake and use efficiency of black seed, by decreasing the soil pH.

In recent years, increasing use of medicinal plants has caused further research associated with medicinal plants. Male factors approximately include 40 percent of infertility, therefore, this research was aimed to investigate the effects of herbal medicine "TOPALAF" including Tribulus terrestris, Amygdalus communis nut, Allium ampeloprasum, Lepidium sativus, Orchis mascula, and Phoenix dactylifera pollen and Ficus carica on the improvement of sperm fertility. Sixty-two infertile men (age 23-40 years) were randomly selected for the assessment of sperm parameters, having spermatozoa concentration lower than 20 million/ml, progressive motility<50%, and normal morphology<20%, according to WHO criteria. Thirty-two men in the study group were given the herbal powder and control group received placebo. In both groups, men were taken 25-gram packs, three times a week for 3 months. After 3 months, sperm parameters were evaluated and compared with control. Data were analyzed by t-test. According to the results, the study group showed an increase of 10.46 percent in spermatozoa count and 8.14 percent in progressive motility (a+b class), but there was no significant difference in normal morphology. Our findings showed that the count and sperm motility parameters improved after taking the herbal powder in the study group compared with the control group, indicating its effectiveness in improving sperm parameters and fertility potential.

Plants, used by human, contain different compounds such as polyphenols. The phenols in food diet are important because of antioxidant and probably anticancer activity. In present research, total phenolic contents (using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay) and antioxidant capacity (using the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP)) of 31 Iranian basil landraces (Ocimum basilicum L.) were measured using spectrophotometery. Linear relationship between total phenolic contents and antioxidant capacity was investigated. The similarity among studied genotypes was calculated by City block similarity coefficient and the classification of genotypes was done by the wards clustering method. Results showed that maximum and minimum total phenolic contents belonged to the landraces of Yazd with 19.84 mg/g fresh weight and Hamedan with 1.07 mg/g fresh weight, respectively. Maximum and minimum antioxidant capacity belonged to Birjand landrace with 3.73 mmol/100g, fresh weight and Shiraz II with 0.45 mmol/100g fresh weight, respectively. Phenotypic correlation between antioxidant capacity and total phenloic content in basil landraces was 0.59. According to cluster analysis, studied landraces were categorized in 3 clusters. Sanandej III and Shiraz II landraces had maximum distance from each other. It also became clear that genetic relationships among the studied populations did not match by their geographical origin. Basil populations displayed a considerable diversity for studied traits that could be useful for germplasm management and utilization into crop improvement.

Many plants have compounds with insecticidal properties. In recent years, certain compounds of plants with insecticidal properties have been considered as alternatives to chemical pesticides for pest control. In this study, the respiratory toxicity of tangerine essential oil was evaluated on the mortality rate of the adults ofCallosobruchus maculatus F. (Col.: Bruchidae). The experiment was carried out at 27±1°C and 60±5% relative humidity in darkness. All experiments were based on CRD. LC50 and LC95 values for adults were 88.93 and 205.54 microliter per liter of air, respectively indicating the toxicity of tangerine essential oils on the studied pest. The insecticidal effect of essential oils of tangerine and acetone and synergistic effect of diethyl maleate were also assessed against cowpea beetle. LC50 values for the insects exposed to essential oil alone and along with synergist were 88.93, and 54.54 microliter per liter of air, respectively based on probit analysis. To determine the synergistic effect of acetone on tangerine lethality, LC25 values of both of them were calculated, combined and evaluated on insect host. Results showed that acetone and diethyl maleate had synergistic effects on tangerine essential oil.

Holy basil (Ocimium sanctum L.) is a medicinal and aromatic plant belonging to Lamiaceae family. This study was conducted to determine the most suitable plant density and nitrogen fertilizer rate to improve the qualitative and quantitative traits of Holy basil. The experiment was a randomized complete block design in a factorial arrangement with two factors and four replications. The factors were plant density (D) at 26.6, 19, 14.8, and 12.1 plant per m2, and nitrogen (N) at three levels of 0, 50 and 100 kg/ha. At full flowering stage, plant height, shoot number and length, inflorescence length, fresh and dry weights of shoots and roots, and essential oil content and yield were measured. According to the results, the plant density and nitrogen treatments had significant effects (P £0.05) on fresh and dry matter weights, secondary shoot length, essential oil content and yield, and the number of inflorescences. However, the studied treatments did not affect the number of branches, plant height, and root and shoot, root dry matter, chlorophyll content and leaf area. The interaction effects of row spacing and nitrogen levels on all traits with the exception of chlorophyll content and leaf area were significant (P £0.05). The highest amounts of fresh and dry matter weights, shoot length, number of inflorescences, essential oil content and yield were obtained in 14.8 plant per m2 with application of 50 kg N/ha. Essential oil contents (w/w%) varied between 0.6-1.1%.

Centaurea zuvandica (Sosn.) Sosn. is a perennial species, distributed in North and North-West of Iran. The shoots of C. zuvandica were collected at flowering stage from Firoozkoh, Ghaemshahr and Chaloos Road, in late June 2011. The plant parts were dried at ambient temperature and milled to small particles. The essential oils of stem as well as leaves and inflorescences were obtained by hydrodistillation and were analyzed by GC and GC/MS.Essential oil yield of different organs varied (w/w dried weight) between 0.02% to 0.07%. The major constituents were: spathulenol (>28.8%), thymol (>21.7%), caryophyllene oxide (>20.9%), linalool (>19.5%), germacrene D (>16.3%) and carvacrol (>6.8%). According to the obtained results, a high variability was found for the major essential oil constituents among three studied localities and even among different organs of a locality. The major constituent in the stem and leaf oils, collected from Chaloos Road and Firoozkoh localities, was thymol (17.8% and 21.7%). Linalool (19.5% and 9.7%) was the major constituent in inflorescence oils, collected from Chaloos Road and Firoozkoh localities. For the samples collected from Ghaemshahr, caryophyllene oxide (20.9%) was identified as the major constituent in stem and leaf oil.

Most plant compounds have very low level of antimicrobial activity than antibiotics especially against Gram-negative bacteria (MIC=100-1000 mg/ml). Recently, scientists believe that the bacterial efflux pumps are responsible for this problem. These transmembrane proteins (efflux pumps) are capable of recognizing and expelling a variety of structually unrelated antimicrobial agents including plant compounds from the bacterial cell and subsequenly conferring resistance to these compounds. The aim of this study was to investigate the main reason (s) of low level antimicrobial activity of plant-based alkaloids; noscapine, caffein and vincamine, against representative highly resistant Gram negative bactria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Most alkaloids are the part of plant phytoalexins which their levels increase strongly in response to microbial invasion, this means that most alkaloids are plant antimicrobial agents but noscapine, caffein and vincamine did not actually show any antimicrobial activity in a direct susceptibility tests in vitro. Intrinsic antimicrobial activity (intraction between alkaloids and PAbN (inhibitor of Gram negative bacteria)) or efflux pump inhibitory properties (synergy between alkaloids and levofloxacin (substrate of the efflux pumps in (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) of noscapine, affeine and vincamine were assessed by a checkerboard titration assay. Results showed that caffeine and vincamine were intrinsically the plant antimicrobial compounds. With disrupting the function of MexAB-OprM in nal B highly resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by PAbN, antimicrobial activities of caffeine and vincamine were increased by 17-and 8-fold, respectively. Therefore, it could be said that bacterial efflux pumps are a major factor in the weakening of antimicrobial activity of plant compounds. It appears that inhibition of these pumps may significantly improve the clinical performance of these natural compounds and thereby hoped that plant antimicrobials similar to systemic antibiotics will find its way to the field of clinical treatment in future.

Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val., Sitophilus granarius L. and Oryzaephilus surinamensisL. are the most important stored-product pests on stored wheat. This research was aimed to investigate the repellency effect of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. and Callistemon viminalis (Gaertn.) G. Don essential oils against the above mentioned insects. Essential oils were obtained from dry leaves of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. and Callistemon viminalis (Gaertn), subjected to hydrodistillation using a modified Clevenger. The Y-tube olfactometer bioassay was used to test the repellency of essential oils. Different concentrations of essential oils (4-10 ml) were prepared by dissolving in 50 ml acetone and mixing with 2 g wheat kernels. The highest repellency of E. camaldulensid and C. viminalis essential oils were obtained at concentration levels of 90% and 70% for T. confusum, 60% and 35% for S. granarius and 60% and 53% for O. surinamensis, respectively. Results indicated that the essential oils were more repellent to T. confusum as compared to S. granariu and O. surinamensis. At a concentration of 35.71 ml/l. air, the half-life time of E. camaldulensis essential oils (3.79 days) was as long as C. viminalis (4.34 days) on T. confusum. The persistence of E. camaldulensis essential oils (4.40 days) was significantly longer than that of C. viminalis (2.15 days) on S. granarius. Findings indicated that the tested essential oils in protected areas had substantial repellency even at low concentrations; however, they were less persistent compounds, broken down more quickly.

The effects of density and intercropping of safflower (Carthamus tinctorious L.) and rocket sativa (Eruca sativa L.) were evaluated on yield and land equivalent ratio. The experiment was conducted as spilt plot in a randomized complete block design with three replications for one year (2010-11) in the experimental field of Share-Rey University. Main plots included three density levels (40, 20 and 16 plant\m2) and subplots included six intercropping arrangement system. CCCCCCCC (pure culture of Carthamus tinctorious L.) EEEEEEEE (Pure culture of Eruca sativaL.) and CCCCEEEE, ECCCEEEC, CCEECCEECC, CECECECE (Mix culture). The studied characteristics included yield, yield components and LER. According to the results, the highest dry matter yield (1035 and 1050 gr) and seed yield (246 and 268 gr) were obtained from a density of 40 and CCCCEEEE arrangement forEruca sativa and Carthamus tinctorious, respectively. In addition, the highest LER of dry matter yield (1.41) and seed yield (1.48) were obtained from high density and CCCCEEEE arrangement, indicating the benefits of intercropping as compared to the pure culture of each studied species.