IRANIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS
Year:2020 | Volume:36 | Issue:3 (101)|Papers Count:13

Chemical drugs have many side effects; therefore most people turn to traditional medicine and use a large number of herbs. Rue (Ruta graveolens L. ) is one of the plants widely used in traditional medicine. The extract of this plant has different effects on body cells due to various compounds with different biological properties. This study was planned to clarify how rue can affect the DNA integrity of sperms, fertilization, and early in vitro embryonic development in white mice. In this study, 20 healthy adult male mice weighing approximately 25± 3 g were used. Mice were randomly divided into two groups of 10. The experimental group received 300 mg kg-1 rue aqueous extract in a volume of 0. 2 ml and the control group received 0. 2 ml of normal saline orally, daily for 45 days. The results showed that sperm parameters such as number and viability in addition to embryonic parameters such as fertilized oocytes, two-celled embryo, and the number of blastocysts decreased significantly (P<0. 05) in the experimental group compared to the control one. However, the percentage of immature sperms and fractures in their DNA increased significantly (P<0. 05) in the experimental group, compared to the control one. The results of this study indicated the reducing effect of rue extract on sperm and embryonic parameters.

To evaluate the percentage and degree of polymerization and yield of inulin, and also root fresh yield of 13 native accessions and two imported cultivars of chicory (Cichorium intybus L. ), an experiment was conducted using randomized complete block design with three replications in Khoshkedaran Research Station of Mazandaran province, Iran, in three consecutive years (2016-2018). The roots were harvested at the end of the rosette stage in the second year of cultivation, then weighed and relevant calculations were performed. Samples were extracted by using aqueous extraction method, and their total sugar content and reducing sugar and the percentage and degree of polymerization of inulin were calculated. Means comparison showed that accessions "Rasht" and "Chamestan" and imported cultivar "Selenite" had the highest percentage of inulin (15. 8, 13. 9, and 14. 3%, respectively) among the chicory genotypes. Findings showed that cultivar "Selenite" and accession "Tonekabon" were more superior to other genotypes in terms of fresh root yield and inulin and ranked first (35. 458 t ha-1 fresh root and 2818. 99 kg ha-1 inulin yield) and second (12. 692 t ha-1 fresh root and 807. 5 kg ha-1 inulin yield), respectively. In addition, "Selenite" and "Tonekabon" had good stability in terms of percentage and degree of inulin polymerization in two years of research and were found to be more suitable for the western region of Mazandaran province than other genotypes.

Ensuring the healthy and sustainable production of agricultural products, esp. medicinal plants, while preserving the environment, is an important issue that is becoming increasingly important every day. To investigate the effect of seaweed fertilizer foliar application on growth characteristics and quantitative and qualitative yield of hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis L. ), an experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with four treatments of seaweed fertilizer (0, 2. 5, 5 and 10 ml. l-1) and three replications in the research farm of faculty of agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran province, Iran in 2017. Measured traits included plant height, leaf area, stem diameter, top flowering branch length, fresh and dry weight of the plant, chlorophyll content index, yield, essential oil content, and composition. The results showed that seaweed fertilizer had a significant effect on all studied traits except top flowering branch length and stem diameter, and the highest plant height (49. 66 cm), fresh and dry weight of the plant (103. 22 and 22. 89 g, respectively), leaf area (0. 77 cm2) and chlorophyll content (61. 83) were obtained in 10 ml. l-1 seaweed fertilizer treatment without significant difference from 5 ml. l-1 treatment. Also, the 10 ml. l-1 treatment caused the highest percentage and yield of essential oil (0. 58% and 2. 12 g. m-2). Essential oil analysis showed that β-pinene, trans-pinocamphone, and cis-pinocamphone were the main compounds of essential oil in all treatments. The highest content of β-pinene (32. 8%), cis-pinocamphone (42. 5%), and transpinocamphone (19. 6%) was observed in 5, 2. 5 and 10 ml. l-1 seaweed fertilizer treatments, respectively, without significant difference from control treatment. Based on the results of this study, the application of seaweed fertilizer can improve the growth characteristics and quantitative and qualitative yield of hyssop.

Identification of the genes biosynthesizing medicinal plants-specific metabolites is now performed with great speed and accuracy using new transcriptome study technologies such as RNA sequencing. The present study was carried out to find the specific genes in the biosynthetic pathway of triterpenes and sesquiterpenes in the fruit tissue of colocynth (Citrullus colocynthis L. ). After RNA extraction from the tissue of colocynth fruits harvested from Andimeshk region in Khuzestan province in 2017, RNA sequencing technique was performed using the Illumina HiSeq2500 platform. The bioinformatics steps including de novo assembly, using the Evidential-gene software, and functional annotation, using the KAAS database, were performed. In the KAAS database, 17359 unigenes were annotated in 134 plant pathways. Among the different and important secondary metabolites pathways in the fruit tissue of colocynth, 39 unigenes and 8 orthologous genes were assigned to the triterpenes and sesquiterpenes gene pathways. Transcriptome analysis of this medicinal plant with the aim of identifying the genes of secondary metabolites biosynthetic pathways underlies various research and practical aspects such as biosynthetic pathway engineering of herbal medicines.

Chemical composition and insecticidal activity and repellency of essential oils from Ferula gummosa Boiss., Cuminum cyminum L., Carum carvi L. and Pelargonium roseum Willd. against the adults of Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) were studied. The gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), bioassays, and olfactometer were respectively used to identify the components and determine the fumigant toxicity (in 50 mL vials containing 20 adult insects) and repellency of the essential oils. The main compounds of the essential oils were β-pinene (35. 2%), α-pinene (9. 4%), ρ-cymene (8. 5%), and terpinene-4-ol (8. 5%) for F. gummosa, cuminaldehyde (46. 6%), ρ-cymene (18. 4), γ-terpinene (12. 2%) and α-terpinene-7-al (8. 1%) for C. cyminum, carvone (46. 2%), ρ-cymene (14. 0%) and γ-terpinene (8. 3%) for C. carvi, and β-citronellol (47. 3%) and citronellyl formate (13. 2%) for P. roseum. The fumigant toxicity of C. carvi and C. cyminum essential oils against C. maculatus was higher than the other two essential oils, and the repellent activity was observed for all essential oils tested against this pest. The repellency percentage of P. roseum, F. gummosa, C. cyminum and C. carvi essential oils was calculated as 41. 66, 64. 70, 70. 17, and 66. 29%, respectively. The results indicated that these essential oils could be considered as an effective alternative to control C. maculatus and possibly other storage coleopteran pests.

To investigate the effects of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and drought stress on essential oil of Thymus daenensis Clack, a greenhouse experiment was conducted in Shahrekord, Iran in 2017. The experiment was arranged as a factorial in a completely randomized design with three replications. The first factor included four levels of irrigation: well-watered (No stress), irrigation after depletion of 20-25% of field capacity (FC) (Low stress), irrigation after depletion of 35-40% of FC (Mild stress) and irrigation after depletion of 55-60% of FC (Severe stress). The second factor included two levels of PGPR treatments: no inoculation (Control) and inoculation with PGPR. The results showed that the morphological parameters were significantly increased in PGPR treatments, while water stress decreased all parameters. The essential oil amount increased in low stress and decreased in severe stress. PGPR inoculation increased the amount of essential oil, although this increase was not statistically significant. PGPR incubation and drought stress had a significant effect on 13 and 14 components, respectively. The interaction of PGPR and drought stress had a significant effect on the oil components. Thymol and carvacrol, two important components of T. daenensis essential oil, decreased with increasing severity of drought stress, but PGPR inoculation increased them, especially at drought stress treatments.

Medicinal plants have potentially cytotoxic effects due to their secondary metabolites, and it is important to know their cytotoxicity. Echium amoenum Fisch. et Mey., native to the northern part of Iran, is one of the important medicinal herbs in traditional Iranian medicine. It has large red flowers that turn dark purple after drying, and its decoction has medicinal uses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity of aqueous extract of E. amoenum petals on human cells. In this study, the cytotoxic effects of different concentrations of E. amoenum extract on human glioblastoma cells was studied by MTT assay in a completely randomized statistical design with three replications. The results showed that the aqueous extract of this plant with IC50=19. 28 mg ml-1 had a cytotoxic effect on human glioblastoma cells. The morphology of the treated cells changed from polygonal to spherical. The results of the present study showed that although the aqueous extract of E. amoenum petals had beneficial effects, it should be used with caution according to the instructions, because as it has a cytotoxic effect on human glioblastoma cells, it may also have a cytotoxic effect on healthy cells.

To investigate the effect of iron and zinc chelates on some quantitative and qualitative characteristics of medicinal plant black cumin (Nigella sativa L. ), a factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications in two areas (the research farm of 1-Gonbad Kavous University in Golestan province and 2-Agriculture Faculty of Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran province). Experimental treatments included control )spray with pure water), and separate foliar spray of iron: iron nano-chelate at two levels of 1. 5 and 4 per 1000 and iron chelate at 3 per 1000 and zinc: zinc nano-chelate at two levels of 1. 5 and 3 per 1000 and zinc chelate at 3 per 1000. The treatments were applied in the 8-10 leaf stage and at the time of filling the capsules. The application of nano forms of iron and zinc chelates compared to the common forms had a significant relationship with yield and yield components and qualitative characteristics and increased them. Concentrations of 4 per 1000 of iron nano-chelate and 3 per 1000 of zinc nano-chelate caused the highest increase in seed yield (217. 47 g m-2 in Gonbad and 288. 67 g m-2 in Tehran), biological yield (582 g m-2 in Gonbad and 337. 2 g m-2 in Tehran), harvest index (37. 43% in Gonbad and 76. 46% in Tehran), and oil percentage and yield. The highest numerical values for cell leakage (57. 70 μ mol g-1FW in Gonbad and 64. 72 μ mol g-1FW in Tehran) and prolin (13. 40 mg g-1FW in Gonbad and 11. 51 mg g-1FW in Tehran) were related to iron and zinc chelate treatments (common forms). Based on the results, the application of the nano form of iron and zinc, even at low concentrations, could positively affect the quantitative and qualitative yield.

Mullein (Verbascum L. ) is a biennial herbaceous medicinal plant belonging to the Scrophulariaceae family. The flowers of this plant are used to treat respiratory disorders. In this study, the genetic diversity of different mullein species from different regions of West Azerbaijan province was investigated based on some phytochemical markers to domesticate this valuable plant. Phytochemical diversity among different species of mullein was evaluated based on the content of carotenoid, beta-carotene, total phenol, total flavonoid, and antioxidant activity (by FRAP and DPPH methods), and identification of phenolic compounds (gallic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, rutin, coumaric acid, quercetin, cinnamic acid, and apigenin) by HPLC in leaf. The results showed that all phytochemical characteristics studied were significantly different among species (P<0. 01). The highest content of carotenoid (76. 27 mg g-1 DW), beta-carotene (5. 88 mg 100g-1 DW), total phenol (32. 83 mg GAE g-1 DW), total flavonoid (7. 13 mg QE g-1 DW) and antioxidant activity by DPPH method (34. 66 μ g AA mL-1) was observed in V. sinuatum. The results showed that V. erianthum leaves had the highest content of chlorogenic acid, quercetin, cinnamic acid, and apigenin, while the highest content of gallic acid and caffeic acid was observed in V. saccatum. In general, the findings of this research showed that there was a wide variation of mullein species in West Azerbaijan province. Species V. erianthum and V. saccatum had unique phytochemical properties that can be used to design breeding programs and use them in the pharmaceutical industry.

To study the phenotypic and genotypic variation of Iranian flixweld (Descurainia sophia L. ) populations and the effect of complementary irrigation on their yield and yield components, an experiment was conducted as a split-plot in a randomized complete block design with three replications in the research farm of Islamic Azad University, Naragh Branch, during 2017-2018 growing season. Irrigation at two levels of rainfed cultivation and cultivation with one complementary irrigation was considered as the main plot and flixweld populations at eight levels of Hamedan, Esfahan, Chadegan in Esfahan, Markazi, Abuzeid Abad in Kashan, Bashrouye, Nakhjiravan, and Khomein as sub-plots. The results showed that grain yield, biological yield, the number of siliqua, the number of grains per silique, 1000-grain weight, and the number of sub-stems increased by complementary irrigation. There was a high variation among flixweld populations in terms of different traits. The highest grain yield under complementary irrigation and rainfed conditions was observed in Chadegan and Khomein populations with 499. 1 and 359. 1 kg ha-1, respectively. Cluster analysis divided flixweld populations into four groups under rainfed conditions. Populations Hamedan, Esfahan, Boshrouyeh, and Khomein were placed in the first group, Nakhjiravan in the second group, Markazi and Abuzeid Abad in the third group, and Chadegan in the fourth one. The highest broad-sense heritability (68. 4%) was obtained for grain yield and number of siliqua traits.

Medicinal plants, in addition to their role in improving health and human quality of life, can have a positive impact on tourism capacity and tourist attraction. In this study, the economic potential of medicinal plants and its impact on tourism development in Abadanan city of Ilam province was investigated. The study method was descriptive-analytical with data gathering in the library and field through the distribution of a researcher-made questionnaire. The social classes studied in this study included businessmen, ordinary people, students and teachers. The collected data were analyzed using statistical tests and for a better comparison, the results were presented using structural modeling method by AMOS software. The results showed that the medicinal plants tourism affects the economic indicators item with a weighted regression of 0. 52. Also, the economic potential of medicinal plants with the factor loading of 0. 494 and family income through the sale of medicinal plants with the factor loading of 0. 130 had the highest and lowest indirect impact on tourism of medicinal plants, respectively.

Damask rose (Rosa damascena Mill. ) is one of the most important plants in the pharmaceutical and perfumery industry. The present study was carried out to achieve an efficient and effective regeneration instruction for use in breeding programs under laboratory conditions of this economically valuable plant. For this purpose, two damask rose genotypes were used in MS and WPM media. In the proliferation stage, the effect of growth regulator 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) at six levels of 0 (control), 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 mg. l-1, and in the rooting stage, the effect of growth regulator indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) at five levels of 0 (control), 0. 01, 0. 05, 0. 1 and 0. 2 mg. l-1 were investigated. Based on the ANOVA results of proliferation data, genotypes Kashan in MS medium (2. 72) and Isfahan in the WPM medium (2. 50) had the highest number of shoots. The highest amount of shooting was obtained in MS medium containing 5 mg. l-1 BAP. Genotype Kashan in MS medium containing 5 mg. l-1 BAP had the highest mean shoot length (2. 93 cm). In terms of shoots fresh weight, genotype Isfahan had the highest weight in the WPM medium containing 5 mg. l-1 BAP. The interaction effect of genotype × medium × BAP on dry weight was not significant. The highest number and mean root length in both genotypes Isfahan and Kashan were observed in the WPM medium containing 0. 2 mg. l-1 IBA. Rooted shoots were transferred to the pots containing a mixture of horticultural soil, peat, and perlite with the same volume ratio (1: 1: 1), and based on observation, the survival coefficient was more than 80%.