IRANIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS
Year:2005 | Volume:21 | Issue:3 (29)|Papers Count:14

In this research, essential oils were extracted by hydro-distillation method but with different apparatus of distillation from Rosa damascena Mill. The oil obtained at different yields for example for Clevenger (0.008%), Miquel (0.014%), A.O.AC. (0.012%) and two plans designed in Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands by authors which were named plan-l (0.015%) and plan-2 (0.023%). Samples were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The main constituents of the oil by Clevenger were geraniol (26.7%), n-nonadecane (21.3%), citronellol (12.5%) and n-henicosane (12.0%); by Miquel were geraniol (32.9%), citronellol (19.0%), n-nonadecane (10.6%); by A.O.A.C. were n-nonadecane (28.5%), geraniol (22.6%), n-henicosane (10.6%) and citronellol (10.2%) in plan -1 were n-nonadecane (21.3%), geraniol( 21.8%), citronellol (12%) and in plan-2 were n-nonadecane (21.8%), geraniol (19.1 %) and citronellol (15%), respectively. By comparison of the results from different apparatus of hydro-distillation, it can be concluded that the best plan for obtaining essential oil from Rosa damascena Mill., were plan-2 and Miquel.

With a view to occurrence of drug resistance, attempts have been made to arrive at new compounds of plant origin as substitute antibiotics. Dried chamomile flowers were added to 85% ethanol and distillated water separately and were then distilled. Dried weights of the extracts were determined per ml. The anti bacterial properties of the extracts were investigated by tube dilution method in broth media. Different concentrations of the extracts were used to determine minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC). Equal amounts of these concentrations were added to wells in Muller – Hinton agar. Mean diameter of growth inhibition zones (mm) were noted. Some concentrations of the alcoholic extract showed significant antibacterial effects, Alcoholic extract at 2.617 mg/ml concentration was growth inhibitory and at 5.237 mg/ml concentration was bactericidal on both strains whereas; the aquatic extract did not show any antimicrobial effect. So the alcoholic extract of German chamomile showed antibacterial activity on the Staphylococcus aureus strains; however it's introduction as an antibacterial compound require further investigations.

The genus Satureja from lamiaceae family consists of many species all over the world. In Iran, there are 15 species, 9 of them are endemic. The oil of different Satureja species is very important because of having carvacrol. In this study, the effect of two extraction methods (hydro-distillation and supercritical fluid extraction) on yield and composition of the essential oils Satureja hortensis and Satureja rechingeri was investigated. The aerial parts of S. hortensis were collected from Research Station of Alborz (Karaj) at full flowering stage and those of S. rechingeri were collected from their natural habitats on Hamprovince. After drying the plant material, the oil of both species were obtained by hydro-distillation and also by SFE (with and without modifier). The oil were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. 17 compounds were identified in the oil of S. hortensis by hydrodistillation, with carvacrol (48.1%) and g-Terpinene (38.4%) as the main components. In the oils of SFE, 9 compounds were characterized with carvacrol (57.1%-63.4%) and g-Terpinene (27.0%-32.8%) as the major components. Therefore, the percentage of carvacrol was increased by SFE and y-Terpinene was decreased. 20 components were identified in the oil of S. rechingeri by hydro-distillation, with carvacrol (86.6%) as main constituent. In the oils of SFE, 6 compounds were identified, that the percentage of carvacrol (95.0%-95.6%) was higher.

In order to study the autumn and spring cultivation of Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Ajowan (Carum copticum), Black cumin (Nigella sativa) and Anis (Pimpenella anisum) under irrigation and non-irrigation conditions an experimental bulk design with 4 replications was conducted in Alamut medicinal plant research station in 2000 and 2001. Each medicinal plant was studied in a separate experiment. Treatments were included: autumn + irrigation, autumn + non-irrigation, spring + irrigation and spring + nonirrigation. The results showed significant different responses mentioned plants planting season Fennel and black cumin had earlier spring growth, more shoot, seed weight, and more seed yield because of better establishment in autumn. While ajowan and anis autumn planting could not be successful because of damping off, so their planting can only be practical in spring. All plants were better in respect of height; seed weight and seed yield in irrigation compared with non-irrigation condition. There was less difference between seed yield of fennel in irrigation and non-irrigation condition in autumn planting. Fennel and black cumin had 1703 and 1298 in irrigation, 948 and 447 kg/ha in non-irrigation condition in autumn planting. Also ajowan and anis had 1147, 1120 in irrigation and 312 and 361 kg/ha in non-irrigation condition in spring planting. Result of Pearson Correlation Coefficient about black cumin showed that there were significant correlations among all of the traits.

Echinops manna is produced on some Echinops species by larval activity of Larinus vulpes Olivier. According to studies, in growth season during 2001- 2003, 14 species of Echinops were identified in 75 habitats in different parts of Fars province. The results showed that, even although the Larinus insect was present on all Echinops species, they produce only Manna on four following species, (Echinops endotrichus, E. dichrous, E.. tenuisectus and E. persepolitanus). Morphological investigations indicated that the manna producing species of Echinops have spherical aggregated flowers and they have the same plant height. In addition they grow in the same altitude. Life cycle of Larinus vulpes was studied as well Manna.

Dracocephalum kotschy is an aromatic and medicinal plant, which can be found in the mountainous parts of Iran. It is a considerable plant for its high amount of essential oil. The aim of this research is, finding a suitable method for growing the seed and keeping it in a cultivation condition. Treatment which used included, H2SO4 and temperature (0-15 and 50°C).The results showed that treatment with- 15°C and 10 minutes is the most suitable one and about 82% seeds survival in the field.

The ripening seeds of Eremurus stenophyllus were collected from existed species from National Botanical Garden of Iran and put under physical stimulator pretreatments including soaking of seeds in water for 24-48h, cutting of seeds top, making abrasion on seed cortex, exposing to light for 24h and 12h and absolute darkness and chemical stimulators like sodium Hypochloride, Citric acid and Gibberellic acid in different concentrations for finding the suitable methods for inducing germination and breaking dormancy by these methods, the maximum percentage of seed germination and the most suitable treatment has been specified. The results showed that the most suitable pretreatment and treatment were soaking of seeds in the water for 24-48h, removing of seed cortex and washing in sodium hypocholoride 35% and distilled water, cutting of seed top and Gibberrelic acid treatment (0.005 M.) for 45 minutes under 1O-15°C white light, 24h (4500-5000 lux) for 1-3 weeks which made the germination percent 75%, germination speed 0.81, seed vigor 6.75 Treatment with Citric acid (30mgllit) included germination percent 100%, germination speed 0.86 and seed vigor 9. The results showed some important differences in comparison with controls.

Seed germination is an important event in the life of every sexually reproduced higher plant. The seed of many medicinal plant species have dormancy, which they do not germinate unless specific environmental signals or events occur. This study was carried out to evaluation the effect of different treatments on seed dormancy and germination of Chahar Mahal & Bakhtiyari local thyme (Thymus daenensis) was done in completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. These treatments were: gibberellic acid 100 PPM, gibberellic acid 500 PPM, gibberellic acid 1000 PPM, KN3 0.2%, thiourea 1 Molar and control. The results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the effect of various treatments on thyme seed germination percentage were significantly different (P£0.01).Treatments of KNO3 (0.2%) and Thiorae (1 Molar) have the highest and lowest seed germination percentage.

In order to micropropagate and for acclimatization of Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), seeds were cultured on MS/4 medium with the whole vitamins, and shoot explants of seedlings, with shoot tip and without shoot tip, were cultured on MS medium supplemented with NAA (0.54 mM) and BAP (4.44 mM). 100% of explants with shoot tip and only 44% of explants without shoot tip produced plantlet. The number of plantlets produced, was more in shoot tip explants.For acclimatization, plantlets were rinsed with water for one hour. Roots were cut, and transferred to plastic pots containing Pit: Vermiculite (1:1). Plantlets were capable of acclimatization in ex vitro conditions and 62.5% of them remained alive.

Evonymus japonicus belongs to Celasteraceae family and cultivated in the different parts of the world. Aroma of flowers is very hectic and the plant is a host of the sugar beet fly. In order to study the volatile constituents, its flowers were collected in June, extracted by solvent (hexane) and examined by GC/MS. Twenty compounds identified representing about 95.2 % of the extract. It was dominated by 46.6% alcohol. The major components of flowers extract were phenylethyl alcohol (29.4%), benzyl butanoate (28.6 %) and benzyl alcohol (11.1%).Other main components were phenylethyl propinate (8.5%), eugenol (4.8%), nonalal (2.9%) and 1, 3, 5-trimethoxy benzene (2.7%).

Model of seed storage behavior has high importance for seed conservation. With determination model of seed storage behavior, collection and conservation of plant seed would be recognized. If the plant seeds have orthodox behavior, their conservation will be carried out in out of provenance and it is termed as Ex- situ conservation. If the plant seeds have recalcitrant behavior, their conservation would be done within provenance and it is termed as In situ conservation.In this research, model of seed storage behavior of some medicinal plant seeds were studied. The seed samples of some medicinal plants from different state of country were processed and analyzed. The processing of the seed samples included physical and genetic purity, seed healthy test, thousand weight, moisture content determination, germination test, packaging and conservation of the seed samples in cold room of gene bank. Evaluation and determination of model of seed storage behavior was the major point of this research work. By determination of moisture content, the model of seed storage behavior of medicinal plant seeds was identified and most of them have orthodox seed storage behavior. Therefore their conservation should be done as Ex- situ conservation.