اردلان علیزاده

Henna (Lawsonia inermis L.) is a valuable medicinal plant used in medicine and dyeing industries. This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of Iranian native henna ecotypes using ISSR molecular markers and phenotypic traits to preserve genetic resources and advance breeding programs.

In this study, 140 henna ecotypes were cultivated in a lattice design with two replications. Important phenotypic traits including plant height, leaf dry weight, stem dry weight, leaf area index, and the ratio of leaf dry weight to stem dry weight were measured in seven selected plants from each plot. DNA was extracted using the modified CTAB method, and nine ISSR markers with the maximum number of polymorphic bands among 20 markers were selected and used.

Variance analysis revealed significant differences between ecotypes in all studied phenotypic traits. The high degree of polymorphism and ability to distinguish ecotypes demonstrated the high efficiency of ISSR markers in evaluating henna genetic diversity. Structure analysis separated the 140 henna ecotypes into three different subpopulations. Cluster analysis of phenotypic data using Ward's method divided the ecotypes into four groups. The ecotypes of Zehkalut (HA245), Rudbar (ET244), and two ecotypes of Qalehganj (EH100 and GB107) with high averages of all studied traits were placed in the second phenotypic cluster group. Additionally, phenotypic cluster analysis showed that ecotypes with the highest average plant height were also in the second group. Three ecotypes from the Qalehganj region (AGH140, LA137, and NE253) and one ecotype from the Shahdad region (SHH157) had the highest stem dry weight, all of which were located in the third phenotypic cluster group. Cluster analysis of molecular data based on the Jaccard method and principal component analysis of genotypic data placed ecotypes into more distinct groups. Molecular data revealed greater genetic differentiation between ecotypes than phenotypic information. The genetic distance analysis showed the least difference between AGH140 and NG142 ecotypes from the Qalehganj region, while the GA198 ecotype from the Dalgan region exhibited the greatest genetic difference from other ecotypes.

The population structure identified in this study can serve as a necessary prerequisite for association mapping in future studies. The obtained diversity and genetic distance results are valuable for preserving genetic resources and selecting parents to improve the breeding value of genotypes.

In the present study, 4 different ecotypes of Zataria multiflora medicinal plant (Estahban, Neyriz, Fasa and Larestan), were investigated in order to identify the best ecotype in terms of the highest percentage of essential oil, essential oil components, total phenolic content, antioxidant properties and polyphenolic compounds of methanolic extract. Essential oils were extracted from all ecotypes by hydro-distillation via Clevenger apparatus, then analyzed using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatograph connected to mass spectrophotometer (GC/MS) . In total, 52 compounds were identified in the essential oils of different ecotypes of Zataria multiflora. The main chemical constituents were, thymol (34.41 - 54.35 %), p-cymene (9.49 - 19.85 %), -Terpinene (7.34 - 16.70 %) and carvacrol (5.35 - 15.34 %). Determination of total phenol and antioxidant activity of methanolic extract were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteau reagent and by the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay, respectively. Polyphenolic components of extracts of different ecotypes were determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Total phenols varied from 234.66 to 302.28 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight, IC50 values in the radical scavenging assay ranged from 348.63 to 453.76 mg/mL. The predominant polyphenolic compounds in the extracts of all ecotypes included: Thymol, Carvacrol, Quercetin and Rosmarinic acid. The results showed that Neyriz ecotype has the highest percentage of essential oil and the highest percentage of thymol. The highest amount of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity was observed in Larestan ecotype. The predominant polyphenolic component was thymol and was observed in the Fasa ecotype.

The genus Satureja belongs to the family of lamiaceae, this genus contains about 235 species which 16 species of this genus exist in Iran of which 9 species are endemic. The experiment was carried out to evaluate the essential oil composition, phenolic compounds, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of essential oil of Satureja khuzestanica. Aerial parts of S.khuzestanica were collected from the natural habitat of the plant in Khuzestan province and dried and powdered. Essential oil was obtained by hydro distillation using Clevenger for 3 hr and dried by sodium solphat anhydrous. The weight percentage of essential oil was 3.18%. Essential oil components were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). 43 compounds were identified in the S. khuzestanica essential oil comprised 99.96% of total. Major compounds were: carvacrol (77.21%), γ-Terpinene (6.43%), α-Farnesene (2.30%), and p-Cymene (2.24%). Phenolic compounds were determined using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and antioxidant activity was performed DPPH method. The results showed that the phenolic compounds of S.khuzestanica 25.52±1.35 mg Gallic acid per gram of dry matter and amount of antioxidant activity of the plant was 8.12±0.22 µg per ml. Antimicrobial activities were tested against Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans by disc diffusion method according to a factorial test, based on Randomized Complet Design with three replications. The results showed that the essential oil of the plant has high antimicrobial effect against micro-organisms were investigated and inhibitory effect on C. albicans was greater than Escherichia coli.

Anethum graveolens is one of medcinal plant that use in traditional and modern medicine and some of populations cultivate all of Iran. There is alittle information about cytogenetic status of cultivated populations. Thus, this study was carried out in order to evaluate cytogenetic variation of 15 populations of dill (Anethum graveolens) in a completly randomaized design with three replications using aceto iron hematocylin staining. Measured cytological traits were include number of chromosomes, length of longest and shoetest chromosomes, ratio of longest to shoetest chromosome, ratio of long arm to short arm of chromosomes, total of form, and symmetric index of chromosome. The results indicated that all populations had the basic chromosome number of eleven (x=11 and 2n=22). According to symmetry classes of Stebbins, one population from Gorgan and one from Bahbahan were placed in symmetric class of 1A, one population from Poland was placed in symmetric class of 2B and the rest of populations were placed in symmetric class of 2A. Investigation of asymmetry index showed that populations of Friedan, Poland and Tiran had the lowest symmetry while populations of Gorgan, Behbahan and Shiraz had the highest asymmetry. Cluster analysis classified populations into four groups. This grouping may be used to determine the evolutionary relationships and classification position of populations and for selecting the appropriate populations in future crossing with the purpose of creating diversity.

This research was don to investigate the effect of mycorrhiza and vermicompost as the biological fertilizers to compare with chemical fertilizer phosphorous and nitrogen on yield and yield component of corn. It was based on factorial in a RCBD with 3 replications when soil control condition was some in 2010. Treatment were considered as using chemical fertilizer (F) in three levels of fertilizer's sources, urea, triple super phosphate and potassium include: F0 (N=0, P=0, K=0), F1 (N=70, P=50, K=30) and F2 (N=150, P=100 and K=50) kg/ha, vermicompost treatment in two levels (using V1 and non-using V0) and mycorrhiza treatment in two levels (using M1 and non-using M0) (population 105 g/spore). Results of variance analysis showed there was significant different between different levels’ interaction of vermicompost, chemical fertilizer and mycorrhiza on grain yield p=1% and there isn’t any significant difference between the kernel number and 1000 kernel weight. Comparing the average of interaction of vermicompost, mycorrhiza and chemical fertilizer showed significant difference on grain yield, that treatment V1F0M1 and V1F1M1 with averages 119.33 and 113.00 g/pot have higher amount of grain yield than teratmentV1F2M1 with average 106.33 g/plant, and treatment V1F0M0 with average 87.00 g/plant has lowest amount of grain yield. Comparing the average of vermicompost interaction, fertilizer’s level and myeorrhiza showed significant difference on the 1000 kernel weight and treatment V1F0M1 with average 168.33 g has highest weight of 1000 kernel weight and treatment V1F1M1 with average 134.67 g has lowest weight of 1000 grains. Use of mycorrhiza and vermicompost in low levels of chemical fertilizer could cause increase of yield and grain yield component but in high levels of chemical fertilizer their activity became hampered.

This research was done in order to find the symbiotic mycorrhiza funguses and Azospirillum bacteria as biologic fertilizer in different levels of chemical fertilizers phosphor and nitrogen on yield and yield component of corn. Experiments were done in factorial design based on RCBD with three replications when soil control condition. The treatments were selected as using chemical phosphor and nitrogen fertilizer in 3 levels (without nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers), (nitrogen 100 kg/ha and phosphor 50 kg/ha) and (nitrogen 200 kg/ha and phosphor 100 kg/ha). The Azospirillum treatments were settled in 2 levels (The usage and non usage) and Mycorrhiza treatments in 2 levels (The usage and non usage). The results showed that yield and yield component of corn was effected by fertilizers treatment so that the Azospirillum can significantly effect on grain yield and kernel numbers of the corn. It didn’t have any effect on 1000 kernel weight but Mycorrhiza could have a positive effect on grain yield and 1000 kernel weight (sig. 1%). It has no meaningful effect on the kernel number. Results showed that by using average of chemical fertilizers, microorganism activities increases but with increased consumption of chemical fertilizers microorganism activities were faint. In this research any negative affect and Antagonism between microorganism was not observed so that it can be used both microorganism until range of 100 kg/ha nitrogen fertilizer and 50 kg/ha phosphor fertilizer without any effect on each other.