Background: Swertia spp. (GENTIANACEAE) grow widely in eastern and southern Asian countries such as Japan, China and India and are used as traditional remedy for gastrointestinal complains because of their bitter principles. Several studies have been carried out on hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, mono amino oxidase inhibitory and antidepressant effects of these plants and it has been shown that xanthones and iridoids are responsible for their activities. Purpose of the study: In order to gain better knowledge of endemic plants of Flora Iranica, Swertia longifolia Boiss. growing in the northern parts of Iran, was subjected to phytochemical studies. Methods: Dried and milled aerial parts of the plant were extracted with petroleum ether and ethanol of which results of petroleum ether extract has been reported previously. For purification of ethanol extract, it was acidified with acetic acid and subsequently extracted with chloroform and then with n-butanol. The n-butanol extract was analyzed using different chromatographic methods and the structures of the isolated components were established by means of spectroscopic techniques. Results: Four components including an iridoid glycoside (loganic acid), a secoiridoid glycoside (gentiopicroside), a secoiridoid dilactone (gentiolactone) and a nucleoside (uridine) were isolated from n-butanol extract of the plant. Major conclusion: Similar to other species of Swertia, iridoid and secoiridoid glycosides could be considered as major constituents of Swertia longifolia Boiss.

Swertia longifolia, from the GENTIANACEAE family, grows in various regions of the world and is used in traditional and modern medicine to treat many diseases. The present study aimed to systematically review the physiological-pharmacological effects of this plant and its compounds. To conduct this scoping review, articles published in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Google Scholar, ProQest, Cochrane, SID, and Magiran databases were searched, using the keyword S. longifolia, on 18th March, 2023 to find relevant articles. S. longifolia contains effective compounds such as xanthones, iridoid glycosides, flavonoids, and triterpenoids, which have antioxidant, anti-cholinesterase, and anti-cytotoxic properties. Moreover, the extract of this plant and its compounds have anti-diabetic, hepatoprotective, and hypolipidemic properties and can inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. Given the effects of the extract and compounds of S. longifolia in the treatment of various diseases, it seems that clinical trials as well as more advanced studies should be conducted on each of the compounds of the plant which will be considered as new candidates for drug development in the future.

Background: The objective of this study is to develop a new animal model based on signalingpathways to understand the pathophysiology, therapy of depression, and to investigate theantidepressant activity of Enicostemma littorale which is not yet established.Methods: Animal models of depression were raised by physical methods and administration ofmethyl isobutyl ketone (100 mg/kg b.w., i.p.,) and a protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, sodiumorthovanadate (30 mg/kg b.w., i.p.,) to young Wistar rats. E. littorale aqueous extract (100 mg/kgb.w., oral) was administered. Forced swimming test (FST), biochemical, and histopathologicalparameters were performed with reference to fluoxetine (20 mg/kg b.w., oral) treatment.Results: High‑performance thin‑layer chromatography confirmed the presence of swertiamarin, a unique glycoside present in the GENTIANACEAE family. FST indicated high rates of immobility indepressed groups and low rates in plant extract‑administered group with reference to fluoxetine.Biochemical assays indicated significantly (P<0.05) increased levels of total protein, superoxidedismutase, triglycerides, and total serum cholesterol, whereas significant reduction (P<0.05)of glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and lipid peroxidation in plant extract‑administered groups incomparison to the depressed groups. Histopathological analysis indicated disorganized neuronalarchitecture during depression whereas rejuvenation of neuronal patterns was observed duringtreatment with plant extract and fluoxetine.Conclusions: This study shows that sodium orthovanadate induces depression in animals andalso establishes the antidepressant activity of E. littorale.

Background and purpose: Gentiana olivieri Griseb is a famous species in GENTIANACEAE family. G. olivieri is native to Iran, and grows mainly in the western regions of the Zagros Mountains. Thinking over the importance of proper nutrition in child’s growth and lack of proper appetizer in pharmaceutical market, preparing an effective herbal product was considered to increase appetite in children suffering from growth failure and malnutrition.Materials and methods: A case control study was performed in which the plant’s root extract was used to prepare hydroalcoholic product (2.5%) and its appetizing effect was evaluated in children. Fifty children with anorexia were randomly divided into two groups to receive either the hydroalcoholic extract of the Gentiana olivieri or a placbo at the dose of 2.5 mg/kg/day for two months. Variables such as weight, height, waist, consumed calories, and hunger VAS score, liver enzymes fluctuations and some blood biochemistry tests were also monitored.Results: The average age of cases and controls was 56.12 and 56.64 months, respectively. Before treatment, the mean weight in both case and control groups was 13.130±1.56 kg and 13.010±1.27 kg, respectively that changed to 14.275±1.69 kg and 12.962±1.16 kg after a month and 14.550±1.54 kg and 12.814±1.22 kg, respectively two months after the intervention. Significant effects were seen on received calories and VAS score.Conclusion: The product was found to have significant effect on weight, food intake and VAS score compared with placebo.

Plants of the genus Swertia (GENTIANACEAE) have been used in traditional medicine for many years. These herbs taste extremely bitter and have been mainly used for the treatment of hepatic, choleric and inflammatory diseases such as hepatitis, cholecystitis, pneumonia, osteomyelitis, dysentery, scabies, spasm, pain and neurastenia. In this genus, many components such as iridoids, xanthones, flavonoids, polyphenolic compounds and so on have been isolated and their biological activities investigated. They were described as antidepressant, antipsychotic, antidiabetic and hepatoprotective. It is also reported that xanthones and xanthone glycosides are most active compounds. Because of these biological abilities and in our course to a better knowledge of endemic plants of Flora Iranica, Swertia longifolia (Boiss.) that grows in the northern parts of Iran was studied. Dried and milled aerial parts of plant were continuously extracted in a soxhlet apparatus with petroleum ether (bp. 60-80) and then with ethanol. Ethanolic extract after concentration was poured into aqueous acetic acid 4% and filtered. The clarified acidic aqueous solution was subsequently extracted with chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-buthanol. N-buthanol extract was chromatographed over Sephadex LH-20 and eluted with methanol. The main fractions were chromatographed on Silica and then C18. This process yielded 7 components. They were identified as 1 iridoid glycoside, 1 secoiridoid glycoside, 2 xanthones and 2 xanthone glycosides by means of their UV, MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR data. Since there are xanthones and xanthone glycosides in Swertia longifolia, it is expected that this plant has interesting pharmacological activities

a-Amylase inhibitors play a critical role in the control of diabetes and many of medicinal plants have been found to act as a-amylase inhibitors. Swertia genus, belonging to the family GENTIANACEAE, comprises different species most of which have been used in traditional medicine of several cultures as antidiabetic, anti-pyretic, analgesic, liver and gastrointestinal tonic. Swertia longifolia Boiss. is the only species of Swertia growing in Iran. In the present investigation, phytochemical study of S. longifolia was performed and a-amylase inhibitory effects of the plant fractions and purified compounds were determined. Aerial parts of the plant were extracted with hexane, chloroform, methanol and water, respectively. The components of the hexane and chloroform fractions were isolated by different chromatographic methods and their structures were determined by 1H NMR and 13C NMR data. a-Amylase inhibitory activity was determined by a colorimetric assay using 3, 5-dinitro salysilic acid. During phytochemical examination, a-amyrin, b-amyrin and b-sitosterol were purified from the hexane fraction, while ursolic acid, daucosterol and swertiamarin were isolated from chloroform fraction. The results of the biochemical assay revealed a-amylase inhibitory activity of hexane, chloroform, methanol and water fractions, of which the chloroform and methanol fractions were more potent (IC50 16.8 and 18.1 mg/ml, respectively). Among examined compounds, daucosterol was found to be the most potent a-amylase inhibitor (57.5% in concentration 10 mg/ml). With regard to a-amylase inhibitory effects of the plant extracts, purified constituents, and antidiabetic application of the species of Swertia genus in traditional medicine of different countries, S. longifolia seems more appropriate species for further mechanistic antidiabetic evaluations.

Introduction Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) from GENTIANACEAE family is from wild flowers of north and west America. Lisianthus, a relatively new floral crop to the international market, quickly ranked in the top ten cut flowers worldwide due to its rose-like and blue flowers. It is also widely used as a flowering potted and bedding plant. Lisianthus ‘Mariachi Blue’ is cultivated as a cut flower. Salicylates have very beneficial effects on plant growth and development. The effect of phenolic compounds in many biochemical and physiological processes including photosynthesis, ion adsorption, membrane permeability, enzyme activity, flowering, stimulation of plant resistance systems, heat production and plant development has been proven. The most famous member of this group is salicylic acid, which as a simple phenolic compound, is naturally produced by plants. Salicylic acid (SA) is considered to be plant signal molecule that plays a key role in plant growth, development, and defense responses. Polyamines (PAs) are ubiquitous and biogenic amines that have been implicated in cellular functions in living organisms. In plants they have been implicated in a wide range of biological processes including cell division, cell elongation, senescence, embryogenesis, root formation, floral initiation and development, fruit development and ripening, pollen tube growth and plant responses to biotic and abiotic stress. Sodium nitroprusside is a nitric oxide releasing agent. Nitric oxide is a gaseous free radical that can disperse very rapidly through cell membranes due to its gaseous nature and medium shelf life, without a carrier. Nitric oxide (NO) is an unstable environmentally-friendly gas radical that is used to protect the postharvest longevity of different horticultural crops. In addition to controlling harvested crop senescence, NO is involved in many plant processes, e.g., germination, growth and development, photosynthesis, pigment synthesis, defensive system, and many others. In the present study, we investigated the effects of foliar application of salicylic acid, spermidine and sodium nitroprusside on some morpho-physiological characteristics and vase life of lisianthus flowers ‘Mariachi Blue’.Materials and Methods This study was conducted based on a completely randomized design with 10 treatments, 4 replications which each replication containing 2 pots. The treatments were included spermidine at concentrations of 0.5, 1 and 2 mM, salicylic acid at concentrations of 0.5, 1 and 1.5 mM, sodium nitroprusside at concentrations of 50, 100 and 200 μM and control (without any application of growth regulators) as foliar application at intervals of 15 days for 2 months. Plant characteristics including leaf area, stem length, fresh and dry weight of leaves and flower, number of buds, flowers’ length and diameter, photosynthetic pigments and vase life were assayed. To perform analysis of variance and compare the mean of the studied traits, SAS software version 9.1 was used. The means were compared using the Tukey multi-domain method at a probability level of 1%. Also, Excel (2016) software was used to draw the chart. Results and Discussion The results obtained from analysis of variance in this study showed that the effect of growth regulators used in the study was significant at the level of 1% probability on all morphological traits measured, photosynthetic pigments and vase life of lisianthus flowers. Mean comparison graphs showed that salicylic acid, spermidine and sodium nitroprusside had a positive effect on some morphological traits, photosynthetic pigments and vase life compared to control. It can be concluded that, salicylic acid caused to increase all parameters except the flowers’ fresh weight compared to control. Spermidine increase stem length, leaf fresh weight, flowers’ fresh and dry weight, length, and diameter, chlorophyll index, chlorophyll b, and carotenoid and vase life of flowers. Also, sodium nitroprusside had beneficial effects on all parameters in this research except leaf area, leaf dry weight, chlorophyll a and vase life of flowers. Salicylic acid plays an important role in regulating some physiological processes of plants such as growth and development, ion uptake and transport, stomatal conductivity, and membrane permeability, which is effective in plant photosynthesis and with increasing photosynthesis, plant growth rate increases. Polyamines such as spermidine are involved in a wide range of developmental stages including cell division, embryogenesis, root growth, and flowering. Sodium nitroprusside is involved in the most important plant processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, growth and cell division. Probably, these growth regulators, due to their effect on plant growth, flowering, as well as photosynthetic pigments, have caused the increment of plant biomass and vase life.Conclusion In the present study, the effect of salicylic acid, spermidine and sodium nitroprusside on some growth and flowering characteristics, photosynthetic pigment and vase life of Eustoma grandiflorum ‘Mariachi Blue’ was assayed. According to the results of the present study, it can be concluded that these growth regulators improved growth indices, flowering parameters, photosynthetic pigment and vase life of flowers. According to the results, the appropriate concentrations for salicylic acid were 1 mM, for spermidine, 1 mM and for sodium nitroprusside were also 50 and 100 μM.