JOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES)
Year:2009 | Volume:1 | Issue:2|Papers Count:12

Datura stramonium L., of the family Solanaceae, is a toxic and medical annual that grows as a wasteland weed in Iran.Its flowers are white with a pentamerous trumpet shaped corolla, five stamen and two fused carpels. The stigma is of the wet and papillate type. In the present study, the ontogenetic and structural aspects of papillae were investigated using light microscopy. The papillae were unicellular and originated from the epidermis at the apex of very young style (within buds £10 mm in length).In the course of development, they progressively covered the stigma, then lysed and detached from its surface. This was an early - began in ³15 mm long buds -and continuous process and caused almost lack of the papillae in pollinated opened flowers. Papillae as well as underlying stigmatic cells showed secretory activity during their development. Secretion began very early in 20-25 mm long buds. These structures represented stigmatic secretion material. Electron density of secretory components after post-fixation with Auramine O revealed their lipoid nature. With further development a large number of lipoid droplets were observed just below the cuticle. In the mature stigma (in 40-60 mm long buds) droplets increased in number, coalesced and formed large lipid bodies under the cuticle and on the stigma surface. This procedure caused the cuticle to rupture and become distanced from the cell wall. It seemed that lipoid exudates passed through the ruptures and reached the stigma surface. Otherwise, the existence of these ruptures may facilitate the passage of the lipoid material that occurs through the thin cuticle.

Recent studies suggested that Ghrelin have important role on various metabolic functions, particularly regulation of thyroid hormones secretion and it results in reduction of thyroid hormones level. Other studies revealed that endogenous opioids have similar effect on T3 and T4 secretions. This study was undertaken to determine the mediating effect of endogenous opioids on ghrelin metabolic pathway and thyroid secretions. For this purpose, male Wistar rats divided into four groups: Normal Saline (control group), Ghrelin (12nmol/kg, ICV), Naloxone and finally Naloxone+Ghrelin. I.C.V injection of drugs was taken for three days and blood samples were collected 30 minutes before and 2 hours after injection. The average contents of T3 and T4 in plasma were measured using the radioimmunoassay methods. Results showed that I.C.V injection of Ghrelin reduce T3, but have no significant effect on T4 level in plasma. T3 and T4 level in plasma were not significantly altered after I.C.V administration of Naloxone.Pretreatment with both Naloxone and Ghrelin can not affected T3 and T4 concentration in plasma. This data provideevidence that opioids have a role in mediating Ghrelin effect on thyroid hormones secretion.

Along with increasing cancer all over the world and also in Iran the need for anticarcinogenic medicines with more effects and less side effects seems to attract researchers’ attention day by day. Nowadays, however, more than 60% of anticarcinogenic compounds are derived from herbal, marine and micro-organisms resources. Plantago major L. with its expanded medical property in traditional medicine has got several secondary metabolites such as: Fenolice compounds (Coffeic acid derivatives) Felavonoids, Alkaloids, Terpenoids and Vitamin C, which can be used in the dermal disease healing, and respiratory, digestive and blood circulation problems therapies. It also can prevent cancer and tumor and infectious wounds. The aim of this study was to compare the anticarcinogenic and antimoutagenic effect of the metanolic extract of vegetative (leaves, roots) and generative (inflorescences) parts of the plant in two different regions: Hesarak and Langerood. The antimoutagenic potential determination experiment was done using Professor Ames and et al. Method on mutagened Salmonella typhimurium TA100 and in the presence of a carcinogenic compound, Sodium Azid. Furthermore, by adding rat liver microsome, the anticarcinogenic effect of the extracts was proved. Each experiment included positive control (Sodium Azid+bacteria) and negative experiment (water+bacteria). The results revealed that the methanolic extracts of the florescences and the leaves of P.major in both Langerood and Hesarak region with and without S9 and inhibition percentage of more than 40% showed strong antimutagenicity and anticarcinogenicity efficiency. However, the root extracts, by less than 40% inhibitory percentage revealed decrease in antimutagenicity and anticarcinogenicity efficiency. It is concluded that the P.major by having anticarcinogenic and antimoutagenic properties is a valuable medical plant and finally, comparing the extracts of the plants in both regions showed the effect of environmental conditions in antioxidant production in the plants.

Eritrichieae tribe from Boraginaceae sect consists of 4 subtribes, 6 genera and 28 species in Iran.Thirty-three morphological characters in 28 species of Eritrichieae tribe and 6 species of its related species (4 species of Cynoglosseae tribe and 2 species of Myosotideae tribe) were studied. The main aim of this research was to investigate the phylogeny renovation of Eritrichieae tribe and its subtribes.The studies were performed on samples available from Tehran University Herbarium and Botanical Research Center of Mashhad University using the Maximum Parsimony method as implemented in PAUP* software. Trichodesma africanum from Cynoglosseae tribe was selected as the out-group. Results of analyses showed that Myosotideae is monophyletic but Cynoglosseae and Eritrichieae forming a clade together with their respective genera intermixed and none of them is monophyletic. Among of subtribes of Eritrichieae, Rocheliinae including only Rochelia (fruits with 2 nutlets), and Heterocaryinae including only Heterocaryum (with 4 nutlets, usually unequal, compressed, winged margin and appendages glochidiate) are monophyletic. So, situation of these subtribes are conserved. Within Eritrichiinae subtribe, the Lappula represented herein by 10 species was paraphyletic, and the Lepechiniella with 3 sampled species here was also not monophyletic. The Asperuginae subtribe (represented by Asperugo procumbens, solely), with calyx divided into linear-lanceolate lobes, accrescent and saucer-like in the fruiting stage, is here resurrected as the Asperugeae tribe.

Traditional fermentative dairy products are complex ecosystem of lactic acid bacteria and because of this microbial variety, direct isolation of probiotic from traditional dairy products is very complicated operation. Aim of this study was to selective screening of potential probiotic lactobacilli from traditional dairy products including yoghurt, cheese, and dried whey without passing through preliminary time consuming isolation steps. In this study, 30 different samples of diary products were prepared from traditional workshops and following the delivery to laboratory in 4oC, they carried to MRS broth that is considered as a suitable nutritive medium for incubation of lactobacilli. In order to increase the possibility of probiotic bacteria growth, dairy samples went through an acidic treatment and then the species sensitive to acidic condition were omitted and the isolates which were resistant to acid and bile salts were separated on a MRS agar medium containing 1% bile salts. Following the warm coloration and catalase test, the positive warm bacilli and lactobacilli negative catalase were identified and stored under glycerol in -70oC and their resistance to acidic condition and bile salts were evaluated.Finally, from among 30 different dairy samples, 19 lactobacilli species which had the highest resistance to acidic condition and bile salts were chosen as the potential probiotic species.

The dual identity and structure of lichens was investigated far too late, and they were among unidentified species of nature for quite a while. In spite of comprehensive studies concerning the lichens worldwide, studies in Iran have been limited, while Iran possesses a rich lichen flora due to appropriate geographic and climatic conditions. In recent years, studies concerning the lichens have been the center of attention particularly in the framework of some postgraduate dissertations in different universities, and the lichens of a number of regions in Iran have been collected and identified. Nevertheless, there are not sufficient references and available comprehensive identification keys for lichen species, and the field requires through research. The present paper intends to perform a floristic study of lichens in Tarom district. In this research, following the knowledge of coverage areas, we attempted to carry out a thorough collection of lichens at appropriate distances from different geographic places by random sampling. Following the collection and primary laboratory approaches, identification of genera and species was carried out using designed and available binomial keys. During this study, 7 novel species of Lecanoraceae family including Lecanora, Lecidella and Rizoplaca were introduced.

Dionysia revuluta is an endemic plant in Iran that is used for gastric disease prevention and also infectious wounds healing. In this study, the biochemical component of Dionysia revuluta and its antibacterial effects against Staphylococcos aureus were examined. The plant samples were harvested from Geno Mountain of Hormozgan Province in April and March of 2006 and 2007 for three times. Initially, the shoots of sample plants dried by oven in 60oC and then transferred to the shade.In order for determination of biochemical component and also antibacterial effects examination, the ethanol, ether, and methanol essence of the plant was extracted and biochemical component of extracts was determined by GC-Mass. The results showed that all three extracts had antibacterial effects and among them the ethanol extraction had higher antibacterial effect on the growth of Staphylococcos aureus in such a way that the MIC of plant extractions was equal with Erythromycin and Cephalexin. The results of GC-Mass showed that Dionysia have 22 biochemical compounds that the some of these compounds have antibacterial and medical effects.

Distribution of Allactaga cuvier 1837 is reported from semiarid regions of North Africa, plateau of Iran, Central Asia and also Mongolia and about 12 species of this genus were observed in Iran.The purpose of this study was to investigate the distribution and taxonomic condition of Allactaga genus, Cuvier, 1837 in Qazvin province. Therefore, in this study 48 specimens of Allactaga collected from various regions of Qazvin province from 2006 to 2007 and they were evaluated from morphological, biometrical, karyological, ecological and points of view. It was determined that only one subspecies called Allactaga elater aralychensis from genus Allactaga was seen in Qazvin province. This animal has 4 channels including winter, summer, reproduction and temporary channel and lives in the regions where the distribution of active animals is the most. The result of karyotype analyze showed that the number of diploid chromosomes number was 48 (2n=48), and the number of fundamental arms and autosomal chromosomes arms were 96 (FN=96) and 92 (FNa=92), respectively.Based on karyotipical studies, there was no difference in amount of chromosomes between this subspecies and other species.