IRANIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS
Year:2017 | Volume:33 | Issue:5 (85) |Papers Count:22

Plant-derived extracts and essential oils may function as environmentally friendly nonpersistent bio-pesticides that are safe for humans as well as other animals. In this study, we investigated the effects of six endemic plant extracts as well as commercial insecticides against Bemisia tabaci and some physiological responses in cucumber as the host plant at field conditions. The plant extracts and Stamipride as chemical pesticide were sprayed on the plants at 250, 500 and 1000 ppm concentrations. All extracts led to the reduced number of adults as compared with control, among which the greatest impact on the control of this pest was recorded for the extract of Oliveria decombens. Application of all extracts especially at concentrations of 500 and 1000 ppm significantly increased the number of first and second grade fruits. The content of potassium significantly increased and the content of calcium decreased by increasing the concentration of extracts from 250 to 1000 ppm. Results showed that application of extracts and pesticide, especially at high concentrations, imposed negative effects on plant and significantly increased the antioxidant activity in cucumber leaves. In general, all extracts used, especially the extract of Oliveria decombens at a low concentration (250 ppm) was extremely efficient in controlling the adult population of Bemisia tabaci without adverse effects on host plants compared with the commercial insecticide.

The loganberry (Rubus × loganobaccus), belonging to the Rosaceae family and Rubus genus, gives fruits like strawberry. The fruit is red and very sour and this rare species is one of the cultivars of red raspberry. Loganberry is not native to Iran and currently is propagated through in vitro plant tissue culture. So far, phytochemical research has not been conducted on loganberry. In present study, the leaf extract of loganberry, propagated through in vitro culture, was investigated phytochemically. The extract of loganberry was purified and the obtained natural product was elucidated by NMR spectroscopy techniques. In this study, a flavonoid, namely hesperetin, was isolated from the leaves of the loganberry. This structure was elucidated by spectral methods (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, IR and dept 135).

This study was conducted for the first time in Iran to investigate the quantity and quality of fatty acids in the seeds of Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dun. and Withania somnifera (L. ) Dun. and compare the effects of different habitats on the quantity and quality of fatty acids. Five seed samples of the study species were collected from different habitats of Sistan and Baluchestan Province in November 2016. After clearing the seeds from fruits, the seed oils were extracted by Soxhlet apparatus and pure solvent n-Hexane, and analysed qualitatively and quantitatively using GC with FID-Fame detectors. The results showed that different habitats had significant impact on the amount and type of fatty acids in the seed oil of two study species. The predominant fatty acid in W. somnifera, collected from Zahedan habitat, was linolenic acid (Omega-3) (39. 84%), while in Saravan habitat, archidic acid was the predominant fatty acid (SFA) (34. 95%). The predominant fatty acid in W. coagulans, collected from Gosht of Saravan and Pip habitats was linolenic acid (Omega-3) (62. 73%; 67. 03%), respectively, while in the Tange Sarheh habitat, oleic acid was the predominant fatty acid (Omega-9) (69. 22%). In general, the results of this study proved the high effect of ecological status on the quantity and quality of fatty acids in the seeds of the study species. Our results clearly showed that the seeds of W. somnifera contained more oil as compared with W. coagulans.

A field experiment was carried out in the research farm of Shahrood University to study the effects of ultrasonic waves and mycorrhizal fungi on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of Black seed (Nigella sativa L. ) in 2012. The experiment was conducted as factorial based on randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments included: mycorrhizal inoculation at three levels of control (non-inoculated), recommended level and twice the recommended level as well as five exposure duration of ultrasonic waves (42 kHz) including control, 3, 5, 7 and 9 minutes. According to the results, seed yield, 1000 seed weight, root colonization percentage, biological yield and harvest index were affected by mycorrhizal fungi. Essential oil percentage and yield were significantly affected by mycorrhizal inoculation. The highest essential oil percentage was obtained from application of twice the recommended level of mycorrhizal inoculum (1. 1 %). No significant difference was found for seed yield and 1000 seed weight between two inoculum treatments. Plant height, seed yield, biological yield, 1000 seed weight and essential oil percentage and yield were increased by exposure to the ultrasonic waves. The highest value of seed yield and 1000 seed weight was obtained from 7-min of exposure to ultrasonic waves (696. 3 kg. ha-1 and 2. 7g). Results showed that the interaction effects of mycorrhiza and ultrasonic were significant on plant height, number of capsules per plant, and essential oil percentage. The highest essential oil percentage was obtained from 9-min of ultrasonic exposure and non-inoculated treatment as well as 3-min of ultrasonic exposure and the use of mycorrhiza.

This study was aimed to evaluate the quantitative and qualitative performance of different populations of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum L. ( under the influence of autumn and spring planting season. Therefore, a split plot experiment was conducted including autumn and spring planting as main plots and four local populations (Shush, Poldoktar, Khoram Abad and Aleshtar) and a crop cultivar as sub plots. The study was carried out in the Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, for two years 2014-2015. In addition, the native and crop populations of this species in Aleshtar were compared in a randomized complete block design. Based on the results, there was a significant difference between spring and autumn planting seasons. The highest plant height (107 cm), capitol diameter (44 mm), number of grains in capitol (78) and grain yield (1000 kg ha-1) were obtained in autumn planting. The interaction effect of planting season and population type showed that the highest content of silymarin (22 mg/g of dry weight) and silybin (3. 9 mg /g of dry weight) was obtained from the crop cultivar in autumn planting. The comparison between native and crop populations in Aleshtar region showed that the highest content of silybin (4. 2 mg /g of dry weight) and silymarin (more than 21 mg / g of dry weight) was recorded for native Aleshtar population compared with other populations. In general, it was determined that the highest and lowest quantitative and qualitative performance of Milk Thistle in the temperate region of Khorramabad was obtained in autumn planting, and the highest content of silymarin and silybin was recorded for the native Aleshtar population compared with other populations.

Inflammation is one of the body’ s defensive reactions against microorganisms and allergens. The NF-κ B pathway is an essential component of the inflammatory responses involved in a number of respiratory tract diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In traditional medicine, Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (Myrtaceae) is used in inhalation therapy for respiratory tract infections and inflammation. In this study, the anti-inflammatory activity of Eucalyptus globulus essential oil and its impact on the NF-κ B pathway was evaluated. A rat model of carrageenan-induced hind paw edema was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of E. globulus oil. Essential oil was injected intraperitoneally at doses of 0. 5-3 mg/kg. An in vitro model based on a luciferase reporter gene construct (with repeats of a consensus NF-κ B coding sequence) was used for investigation of the inhibitory effects of oil on the NF-κ B pathway at concentrations of 100-250 μ g/ml in Human chronic myeloid leukemia (K562) cells. E. globulus oil significantly reduced rat hind paw edema (P<0. 05) at doses of 0. 5 and 1. 0 mg/kg at 1 to 3 h after carrageenan injection. The maximal reduction in edema was 58%. E. globules oil inhibited TNFα-induced NF-κ B activity significantly (P<0. 01) at a concentration of 250 μ g/ml. The findings of the present study show that E. globulus essential oil is a potent anti-inflammatory natural product, whose effects could be mediated through the NF-κ B pathway.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill. ), belonging to Apiaceae family, is one of the oldest medicinal plants. Knowing the genetic diversity is an important factor in each breeding program. The aim of this study was to characterize fennel ecotypes based on morpho-phenological traits and determine the genetic diversity based on the phenotype. In this study, 32 different fennel ecotypes were evaluated in a p-rep augmented design in the garden of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Birjand. Traits including the number of days to 50% flowering, days to 50% maturity, plant height to main umbel, total plant height, number of main branches per plant, number of umbels per plant, effective umbels per plant, number of umbelets per main umbel, number of seed per umbel, internode length, number of internodes, and grain yield were measured. According to REML analysis, significant differences were observed among different fennel ecotypes for most of the traits studied. The estimated broad-sense heritability of traits ranged from 14 to 93 percent. The desirable traits to improve selection efficiency were the number of seeds per main umbel, number of umbels per plant, number of umbelets per main umbel, and number of umbels, which showed positive significant correlation with grain yield. The results of biplot analysis showed that ecotypes of Ahvaz, 54, Kerman, Neyriz and Razan were superior for most of the traits. Cluster analysis grouped the ecotypes into two clusters. According to the results of this study, there is a significant variability among the fennel ecotypes studied. Thus, crossing between superior ecotypes of each cluster and testing their progeny through breeding and selection will help to produce cultivars with desirable agronomic characteristics.

This research was aimed to evaluate the effects of drought and manure on some physiological characteristics and yield of Thymus vulgaris L. and Thymus daenensis Celak. The study was conducted as factorial based on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications during crop years of 2015 and 2016 at the agriculture research farm of University of Birjand, Iran. Experimental factors were including: water stress at three levels (100%, 67% and 33% of field capacity), manure at two levels (30 tons. ha-1 and no manure), and two thyme species (Thymus vulgaris L. and Thymus daenensis Celak). Water stress reduced stomatal conductance, relative water content (RWC), Chl a, b and quantitative and qualitative yield; however, carotenoids content was increased under water stress. Although the quantity and quality yield of the study species decreased under water stress condition, manure application at 30 tons per ha led to the increased quantity and quality yield of both species. Thymus daenensis had more relative water content and quantity and quality yield (oil) in both crop years as compared with T. vulgaris. According to the results, T. daenensis can grow successfully in arid and semi-arid regions and could be recommended. There was a significant difference between two crop years; in the 2nd year, the quantity and quality yield (essential oil yield) of both study species increased.

Zataria multiflora Boiss. is one of the valuable and endangered medicinal plants used in food and medicine industries. A study was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications in four habitats of Isfahan, Fars, Yazd and Hormozgan provinces to investigate some of the mineral elements of Zataria multiflora Boiss. (Shirazian thyme) and also for comparing the accumulation of heavy metals in some natural habitats of the country. The mineral elements of this medicinal plant including micronutrients and a number of essential and high-consumption elements such as iron, zinc, manganese, copper, magnesium, sodium, calcium, potassium and a number of metals such as chromium, cobalt, silicon, lead, arsenic, nickel, cadmium, vanadium, totally 17 elements, were measured by using an inductively coupled plasma measuring apparatus (ICP-OES). The results of analysis of variance showed a significant difference among habitats for all elements except arsenic, cadmium and mercury (P <0. 01). The three mentioned metals were not detected by the ICP apparatus and were, therefore, considered negligible. The results of this research also showed that the habitat affected the qualitative attributes of the study species. The plants grown in Yazd had the maximum amount of sodium, magnesium, iron and the minimum amount of calcium and cobalt, while the plants grown in Isfahan had maximum amount of zinc, manganese, copper, potassium and minimum amount of sodium and magnesium, indicating the significant effect of habitat on the qualitative attributes on this medicinal plant. Comparison of the amount of heavy elements accumulated in collected plants with permissible limit, reported by the World Health Organization, indicated that these elements were not toxic. This research was aimed to study the possibility of introducing ionomic indicators for identification of Zataria multiflora Boiss. populations as well as comparison of product health among different habitats.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different levels of peppermint (Mentha piperita L. ) powder on performance, carcass characteristics and immune system of Japanese quail. For this purpose, 200 one-day-old quail chicks were used in a completely randomized design with four treatments and five replicates and 10 birds per replicate. The experimental treatments consisted of four levels of peppermint (0. 0, 0. 25, 0. 5 and 0. 75%). The consumption of 0. 5 and 0. 75% peppermint powder significantly reduced the severity of respiratory burst (P<0. 01). No effects of experimental treatments were observed for heterophil, lymphocyte, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio and monocyte counts (P>0. 05). Different levels of peppermint powder caused to decreased antibody production against SRBC and humoral immune suppression (P<0. 01). In addition, different levels of peppermint powder enhanced the cellular immune system through increased lymphocyte proliferation and significant increase in the thickness of the membrane between the toes in response to SRBC injection (P<0. 01). The results of this experiment showed that the consumption of peppermint powder had no effect on performance of Japanese quail during different weeks and whole the experimental period (P>0. 05). Moreover, there were no significant differences between the treatments for carcass characteristics, internal organ weights and length and weight of different parts of the intestine (P>0. 05). Thus, according to enhancement of cellular immune responses by peppermint powder, the use of peppermint powder is recommended during the viral illness (such as Newcastle, bronchitis and influenza) or intracellular parasite infection (such as coccidiosis).

A field experiment was conducted focusing on the effects of biochar on quantity characteristics of Black Seed (Nigella sativa L. ) under water deficit conditions. The experimental design was split plot factorial in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Three levels of irrigation (I1: 100%, I2: 70% and I3: 40% of water irrigation requirement) were assigned as main plots and the combination of three levels of biochar (B1: 0, B2: 10 and B3: 20 t. ha-1) and two levels of chemical fertilizers (F1: without and F2: with chemical fertilizer) were allocated as sub plots. Results were shown that seed number per plant and seed weight per plant significantly increased by 10 t. ha-1 biochar application compared with 20 t. ha-1. Chemical fertilizer significantly affected the yield components of black seed except 1000-seed weight. The interaction between biochar, chemical fertilizer and water requirements significantly affected the seed yield and biological yield. The result revealed that the application of 10 t. ha-1 biochar plus 70% water irrigation requirement and using chemical fertilizer (I2B2F2) produced the highest seed yield and biological yield (1365 and 5776 kg. ha-1, respectively). Application of biochar combined with chemical fertilizers could improve soil nutrient and water availability conditions and increased the yield of black seed.

Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element in the earth crust. Silicon has been shown to ameliorate the adverse effects of heavy metals on plants. This research was aimed to investigate the effects of silicon nano-fertilizer nutrition on growth and physiological characteristics of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L. ) under lead stress. The study was conducted in a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with four replications in the research greenhouse of Mohaghegh Ardabili University during 2016. Experimental treatments included soil contamination by PbCl2 (0, 500, 1000 and 1500 mg/kg soil) and foliar spraying with silicon nano-fertilizer (0, 1. 5 and 3 mM). Morphological studied traits including plant height, leaf number and area, fresh and dry weight of root and plant, root and stem diameter, physiological parameters such as photosynthetic pigments, electrolyte leakage, relative water contents, proline, carbohydrates, phenol, antioxidants were measured. Results indicated that lead stress reduced the morphological characteristics such as plant height, plant fresh and dry weight, and stem and root diameter, so that the increased content of lead led to decrease of plant dry weight, root weight, root and stem diameter, root length, plant height, leaf area and dry weight up to 57, 50, 20, 41, 15, 42 and 25%, respectively. Foliar spraying with silicon (3mM) led to improve most of morphological traits of coriander. The content of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoid and carbohydrate in leaves was increased with increasing lead concentration in soil. However, silicon foliar spraying improved these traits under lead stress. Proline, phenol, flavonoid and antioxidant capacity were significantly increased with increasing concentration of lead up to 1500mg/kg. In general, it can be concluded that the use of silicon nanoparticles for coriander can reduce the negative effects of lead stress to a satisfactory level.

Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. ) is one of the invaluable medicinal plants, widely used in the pharmaceutical industry due to its vitamins, mucilage, antioxidants, alkaloids and phenolic compounds. Calcium, involved in determining the fruit quality, is one of the most important minerals and its role in the improvement of secondary metabolites in plants has been proved. Nevertheless, little information is available regarding the foliar application of this element on jujube plant. Hence, the current research was aimed to investigate the effects of foliar application of calcium nitrate or calcium chloride on antioxidant properties and quality attributes of jujube fruit. The study was carried out in a randomized complete block design. Treatments were included control (distilled water), calcium chloride (0. 5 and 1%) and calcium nitrate (0. 5 and 1%). The Foliar application was done in two stages; in fruit cell division stage (20 days after full bloom) and in fruit cell growth stage (40 days after full bloom). The results showed that foliar application of calcium nitrate (0. 5%) significantly increased the titratable acidity of the fruit. Calcium chloride treatment (0. 5%) also increased fruit anthocyanin content compared to the control. The highest antioxidant properties, vitamin C, and calcium content were obtained in calcium chloride (1%) treatment. The maximum values of chlorophyll a, b and total were observed in the leaves treated with calcium nitrate at a concentration of 1%. In general, the results showed that foliar application of calcium salts improved the quality and antioxidant properties of jujube fruits compared to the control.

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of needle shepherd (Scandix pectenveneris L. ) on broiler performance, immune system, blood parameters and carcass characteristics. In this research, two hundred and forty one-day-old female chickens (Ross 308) in a completely randomized design were allocated to one of four treatments (four replicates of 15 birds per treatment): control, and the control diet supplemented with 0. 5%, 1% and 1. 5% needle shepherd. Results indicated that, the growth performance was affected significantly by treatments, as the average weight and feed conversion ratio in the treatment of 1. 5% was significantly higher and lower than that of the control, respectively (P<0. 05). There were no significant differences in terms of glucose, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and characteristics of carcass among treatments during experiment. The stimulation of immune system was determined with sheep red blood cell (SRBC) in two stages. It was found that the antibody titer against SRBC in the groups fed with 1 and 1. 5% of plant were more than other groups in the first and second stages (P<0. 05). The highest and lowest percentage of eosinophil’ s cells (5. 67% and 4. 34%) were observed in the treatments of 1. 5% and 0. 5%, respectively (P<0. 05). The results obtained in this study indicate that the use level of 1. 5% shepherd's needle can improve poultry performance characteristics. On the other hand, due to the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of the study species, it can be concluded that this plant has a positive effect on the activity and immunity of poultry.