ghasem eghlima

Secondary metabolites have a complex structure which is produced by chemical bio-synthesis. Therefor, they are mostly extracted from wild or cultivated plants. The essences are natural, complex and volatile secondary metabolites which are mostly produced in medicinal and aromatic plants. Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.), a hybrid from M. aquatica and M. spicata, is an herbaceous and perennial plant belonging to Lamiaceae family.  It is widely cultivated in temperate regions of Europe, Asia, America, India and Mediterranean countries due to its commercial value and unique odor.

In order to investigate the influence of putrescine treatment at three levels including 0, 0.1 and 1 mM, and salicylic acid treatment at three levels including 0, 0.1 and 1 mM, on the yield performance and essence components of peppermint, a field factorial experiment was performed based on complete blocks design with three replications at Research Station of Tabriz University during 2019. Peppermint seedling were prepared from Agricultural Jihad Organization of Bostan Abad and cultivated at a distance of 30×30 cm. Foliar application of salicylic acid and putrescine was carried out twice during vegetative stage of plants (with one week interval). Harvesting and bio-chemical assessments were done at stage of 25 % flowering. The essential oil of peppermint was assessed to identify its main components.   

The results of the current study showed that the average yield of essential oil in plants treated with 1 mM salicylic acid was significantly increased compared to the control. A total of 24 compounds were identified in the essential oil of peppermint aerial parts. The main components of the essential oil were included menthone, menthol, L-menthol and 1,8-cineole. Menthone and menthol constituted 26.14 and 23.21 % of essential oil, respectively. Different concentrations of salicylic acid and putrescine increased the production rate of menthone, menthol, l-menthol and methyl acetate compounds in the essential oil compared to the control. The concentration of 1 mM salicylic acid had the greatest effect on the production of essential oil compounds. The correlation results between essential oil compounds showed that menthone has a positive and significant correlation with methyl acetate. Similarly, foliar application of salicylic acid (10 mM) and indole-3-acetic acid (1.5 mg L-1) increased the content of main component of peppermint and lemon balm. In the other study, foliar application of lemon balm plants with salicylic acid and putrescine caused a considerable increase in monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes content which was in line with obtained results of the present study.      

The plant growth regulators used in this research increased the yield and composition of the essential oil of aerial parts of peppermint, which shows that both salicylic acid and putrescine have a high potential in increasing the potency and chemical composition of the essential oil in the peppermint plant and probably in other aromatic crops. Therefore, foliar application of salicylic acid and putrescine during vegetative growth of peppermint could be introduced as influential technique to improve qualitative and quantitative characteristics of this aromatic and medicinal plant.

The genus Grammosciadium of the Apiaceae family has nine species, of which three species pterocarpum, G. platycarpum and G. scarbridu grow in Iran, which grow in most temperate or cold temperate regions and in mountain pastures. G. platycarpum species is a perennial plant with a height of 40 to 100 cm, which is known as mountain parsley or mountain dill and is distributed in Iran, Turkey, Iraq and Armenia. It is used as an infusion to reduce fat and blood sugar and as Vegetables are consumed raw and cooked in some regions of Iran. It has a pleasant taste and smell and is used as a vegetable and food additive in different regions in spring. Since wild and medicinal plants usually have weak and uneven germination, therefore, the use of methods to improve germination can have a positive effect on improving the production of these plants. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of stratification and gibberellic acid pretreatments on seed germination characteristics and to determine the best method of seed treatment to improve the germination of mountain G. platycarpum seeds.

To investigate the impact of stratification and gibberellic acid pretreatments on the germination and growth indices of platycarpum, an experiment was conducted in the Ecophysiology Laboratory of Medicinal Plants, Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute of Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran during 2023. The seeds used in this experiment were collected in August 1402 from its habitats in the northwest of the country from the city of Mahabad (longitude: 45°40', latitude: 36°41', altitude: 1426) located in West Azarbaijan province. In order to improve the germination indices of mountain dill seeds, an experiment in a factorial format based on a completely randomized design with two factors of wet chilling at 4 times (0, 2, 4 and 8 weeks) and gibberellic acid at four concentrations (0, 300, 500 and 700 ppm) was implemented with three iterations in 2023. Before conducting the experiment, in order to disinfect the seeds collected from nature, they were disinfected with a 1% sodium hypochlorite solution and then with a 70% ethanol solution for 5 minutes in each step, and then they were disinfected with distilled water in several steps and then They were washed with distilled water in several stages. In order to apply gibberellic acid treatment, concentrations of 300, 500 and 700 ppm were prepared and the seeds were soaked in it for 48 hours. In each petri dish, 40 seeds were placed on a filter paper and placed in the refrigerator at 4°C for wet chilling treatment, and according to the treatments, after 0, 2, 4 and 8 weeks and adding 10 ml of water to the germinator at 25°C, 60% relative humidity and 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness were transferred. Germinated seeds were counted daily 24 hours after the start of the experiment. The seeds whose roots were visible (that is, about 2 mm long) were counted as germinated seeds and the results were recorded. Germination percentage, germination rate, mean germination time, seedling vigor, fresh and dry weight of seedlings were measured.

The results showed that with increasing the duration of stratification and increasing the concentration of gibberellic acid, the germination percentage, germination rate germination, rate index, seedling vigor, fresh and dry weight of the seedling improved and had a significant difference compared to the control. The highest germination percentage (94.66 percent), germination rate (90.66 seeds per day), germination index (5.2), seedling vigor (2325), fresh weight (1.51 g) and dry weight (0.41g) seedlings were observed in the combined treatment of 700 ppm gibberellic acid and stratification for 8 weeks. Also, the lowest mean germination time (1.6 days) was obtained in the treatment of 700 ppm gibberellic acid and 8 weeks of stratification, and the longest (6.93 days) was in the control.

Familiarity with the seeds of medicinal plants and knowledge of their germination characteristics can be a big step in domestication, development of their cultivation methods and prevention of their extinction in natural habitats. In general, the results of this research showed that the combined use of 700 ppm gibberellic acid with 8 weeks of stratification was the best treatment in breaking dormancy and seed germination of platycarpum. Based on the results of G. platycarpum dormancy breaking treatments and the use of gibberellic acid was able to replace part of the cold requirement, it can be concluded that G. platycarpum has different degrees of physiological dormancy.

Satureja khuzistanica is native to Iran, which is used as a vegetable, spice, decoction, and painkiller and disinfectant in traditional medicine, food and pharmaceutical industries, and has antifungal, antimicrobial, and antibacterial properties. This plant has pain-relieving, anti-diabetic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics, and reduces blood fat and triglycerides. Biochar, called black gold in agriculture, is a carbon-rich organic substance, which is obtained by pyrolyzing biomass or plant residues in the presence or absence of oxygen at 300-1000 ˚C. The material can affect soil physico-chemical characteristics, leading to a change in its biological characteristics and better fertility, and consequently, more plant yield. In addition, biochar results in absorbing and retaining nutrients, raising water holding capacity, increasing cation exchange capacity, improving soil structure, and subsequently providing mineral nutrients (P, Mg2+, Ca2+ and K+) for plants.           

To investigate the impact of pomegranate biochar on the germination, biochemical and growth indices of khuzistanica, an experiment was conducted in the Ecophysiology Laboratory of Medicinal Plants, Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute of Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran during 2022. To prepare biochar, the required amount of pomegranate wood (Punica granatum) was collected from the pomegranate orchards located in Saveh region, and then dried, packed in aluminum sheets, and placed in a furnace at 450 ˚C for four h to perform the pyrolysis process. The experiment was conducted based on completely randomized design with three replications. In this study, the effects of biochar treatment at four different levels including 0 (control), 1, 2 and 3 % (w/w) on germination indices, growth indices, leaf relative water content, chlorophyll content and activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes were investigated.

Results showed that the effect of pomegranate biochar on germination percentage, germination speed, mean germination time, seed vigour index, shoot and root length, fresh and dry weight of shoot and root, leaf relative water content and chlorophyll a and b content was significant at 1 % probability level, but the effect on activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes was not significant. Based on results, a significant improvement was observed in germination percentage, germination speed, and mean germination time and growth indices with the application of biochar 2 %. The mean comparing results showed that the levels of 1, 2, and 3 % of pomegranate biochar increased the germination percentage. In this study, the lowest (61 %) and highest (88 %) germination percentages were observed in control and biochar 2 %, respectively. Also, the highest germination speed was recorded under application of biochar 2 % (with an average rate of 11.66 seed d-1). The lowest germination speed was observed in control (with an average rate of 6.66 seed d-1). Increasing the level of pomegranate biochar to 2 % decreased the duration of germination, so that the longest germination duration (5.86 d) was for the control and the shortest duration (4.33 d) was for biochar 2 %. The highest germination index (2024.67) was observed in seeds sown in culture trays filled with soil mixed with 2 % pomegranate biochar, and the lowest value (777.13) was observed in the control. The highest length (23 cm), fresh weight (1.05 g) and dry weight (0.124 g) of the shoots were observed in the treatment of 2 % pomegranate biochar, and the lowest values were recorded in control. In the present study, increasing the level of pomegranate biochar up to 2 % increased the root length, but increasing the level of pomegranate biochar up to 3 % decreased root length. The maximum amount of length (7.6 cm), fresh weight (0.31 g) and dry weight (0.034 g) of the root was obtained under the application of 2 % pomegranate biochar, which had a significant increase compared to the control. By increasing the use of pomegranate biochar, the leaf relative water content increased, so that the highest relative water content (80.33 %) was observed with the use of biochar 3 %. The highest levels of chlorophyll a (2.91 mg g-1 FW) and b (0.95 mg g-1 FW) were obtained with the application of biochar 2 %, and the lowest values were for the control.

In conclusion, the use of biochar as an organic fertilizer in the production of khuzistanica medicinal plant, in addition to having a positive effect on the seed germination indices, can lead to improving growth rate and producing stronger seedlings.

Solidago virga-urea L. is a valuable medicinal plant that has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, diuretic and analgesic effects. In order to evaluate the phenolic and flavonoid compositions in different organs extract (rosette leaf, stem leaf and flower) and also in extracts obtained from different growth stages (before bloom, first bloom, full bloom and after bloom) of S. virga-urea L.'Phasa F type', two separate experiments were conducted in the form of a randomized complete block design with three replications. The experiment carried out in the Research Institute of Plants and Medicinal Raw Materials of Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran in 2019. Phytochemical properties including total phenol content, total flavonoids and leiocarposide content were measured by Folin–Ciocalteu, Aluminum Chloride method and high performance liquid chromatographic analysis, respectively. The results showed that among different organs, the highest amount of phenol (29.36 mg GAE.g-1 dry weight) was in flowers, flavonoids (8.63 mg RUT. g-1 dry weight) in rosette leaves, and leiocarposide (5.17 mg.g-1 dry weight) in stem leaves. Among the growth stages, the highest total phenol (28.84 mg GAE.g-1 dry weight) and total flavonoids (7.95 mg RUT. g-1 dry weight) were obtained in the full bloom stage, while the highest amount of leiocarposide (9.65 mg.g-1 dry matter) obtained before blooming. According to the results obtained from this study, the best organ and harvest time for having high amounts of total phenol, total flavonoids or leiocarposide can be chosen based on pharmaceutical and food industries requirements, in the climatic conditions of Tehran.

Satureja khuzistanica is a native plant of Iran, which is used as a vegetable, spice, decoction, painkiller and disinfectant in traditional medicine, food and pharmaceutical industries, and has antifungal, antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. It is pain-relieving, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, reduces blood fat and triglycerides. One of the problems of mass production of plants through seeds and seed production industries is the low germination percentage of wild plant seeds due to the lack of ecological compatibility with domestic environment conditions. The quality of light is one of the most important environmental factors for the growth and development of plants, so the use of different light spectrums is one of the stimulating methods to increase the indicators of seed germination of different plants and their seedling growth.

In order to investigate the effects of light quality on the germination indices and biochemical characteristics of S. khuzistanica, an experiment was conducted in the form of a completely randomized design in three replications in 2022, in the Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute of Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran. The experimental treatments included the combination of light at four levels (red light, 30% blue + 70% red, blue, fluorescent). S. khuzistanica seeds were obtained from the collection of medicinal plants of Shahid Beheshti University's Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute and were washed for 30 seconds with a five percent sodium hypochlorite solution and then washed four times with sterile distilled water and 40 seeds were selected in each petri dish and in four Rows are arranged randomly. Germination indices (germination percentage and speed), growth indices (shoot and root length, shoot and root dry weight) and biochemical characteristics (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoid, total phenol, peroxidase, and super oxidase dismutase and catalase enzyme activity) were evaluated.

The highest percentage of germination (84.33%) and germination speed (45.87%) were achieved with the use of red light. Also, the highest length of radicle (3.53 cm), the highest dry weight of radicle (0.51 mg/seedling) and the dry weight of plumule (0.45 mg/seedling) in the treatment of 30% blue + 70% red and the highest length of plumule (1.68 cm) were obtained in the red treatment, respectively. The highest chlorophyll a (0.58 mg.g-1 FW) and chlorophyll b (0.49 mg.g-1 FW) were observed in red light treatment and the highest carotenoid content (0.48 mg.g-1 FW) was observed in blue light treatment. With the use of blue light, the activity of catalase and peroxidase enzymes increased and the activity of superoxide dismutase decreased.

The results of this research showed that the germination indices, growth and biochemical characteristics of S. khuzistanica seedlings were affected by different light spectrums. In general, the results indicated the possibility of improving the germination indices, growth and biochemical characteristics of S. khuzistanica seedlings using a combination of blue and red lights compared to fluorescent light.

Sesqui-terpene lactone - parthenolide in Tanacetum parthenium L. is known as the most important medicinal substance with anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasm and especially anti-migraine effects. In this study, the content of parthenolide in the flowering branches of some natural populations of T. parthenium L. from different habitats in Gilan (Masoleh), Mazandaran (Chalos), Qom (Vishnu) and Tehran (Ahar) provinces were collected at the full flowering stage and compared with their flowered seedlings under in vitro conditions. In vitro seedlings were seeded and cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium enriched with hydrolyzed casein (100 mg/l), salicylic acid (2 mg/l) and benzylaminopurine (5 mg/l). The parthenolide content of flowering branches of all samples was measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results of variance analysis of the data showed that the effect of population and cultivation conditions as well as their interaction at the probability level of 1% on parthenolide content was significant. The parthenolide content in self-grown populations ranged from 0.13±0.007 to 1.03±0.113 mg/g dry weight and in tissue culture seedlings from 0.23±0.011 to 1.21±0.148 mg/g dry weight was variable. The highest and lowest parthenolide content was observed in Qom (Vashno) and Gilan (Masuleh) populations, respectively. Parthenolide content for all populations was higher in tissue culture samples than in natural samples. The findings of this study can be considered and exploited for the commercial production of parthenolide pharmaceutical composition under controlled conditions.

To investigate the effect of different drying methods on the Solidago virgaurea L., an experiment based on a completely randomized design with six treatments and three replications was conducted in 2018 in the Ecophysiology Laboratory of Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran. In this study, aerial parts of S. virgaurea L. was harvested from Sangdeh natural habitat located in Mazandan province at full flowering stage. The drying methods were shade and sun-drying (natural drying), oven-drying (40 and 50 °C), and microwave-drying (550 and 1000 watt). In all methods, drying of the plant materials was continued until the moisture content reached 10% (based on plant fresh weight). Methanolic extract was obtained from the dried samples and some secondary metabolites including content of total phenol, total flavonoid and leiocarposide were measured by Folin-Ciocalteu method, aluminum chloride method, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), respectively. The minimum (7 minutes) and maximum (60 hours) drying times were related to 1000 watt microwave drying and shade drying methods, respectively. The highest content of total phenol (30 mg Gallic acid /g DW) in shading drying treatment and the highest content of total flavonoids (7.95 mg Rutin/g DW) and leiocarposide (3.07 mg/g DW) was observed in the oven at 40 °C. In addition, active metabolites content decreased with increasing microwave power and oven temperature. In general, the correct choice of drying method depends on several factors, and among them, the type of active ingredient, optimal energy consumption and cost savings should also be considered.

Twenty-two G. glabra populations were used to study the genetic diversity of ISSR molecular markers. 12 primers were used to amplification of genomic DNA fragments of G. glabra populations. High genetic diversity based on ISSR markers was observed among individuals. A total of 130 bands were formed and 105 bands were polymorphic. The mean polymorphism percentage among studied populations was 80.47. The highest polymorphic percentages were assigned to IS23, IS21, IS9, IS13 and IS15 primers. The mean of PIC and MI were 0.347 and 2.47, respectively. The Shannon index (I) varied between 0.207-0.393 and the Nei genetic variation index (h) from 0.140 to 0.026. Darab and Solataniyeh populations showed the lowest and highest genetic diversity, respectively. The percentage of polymorphic loci was varied between 35.224 to 65.71%. The observe allele number and effective alleles number was 1.46 and 1.34, respectively. Based on the genetic distance Nei, populations Bardsir and Baft had the highest genetic similarity (0.888) and populations Bardsir and Solataniyeh had the least genetic similarity (0.132). The studied populations were grouped into three main groups by cluster analysis using UPGAM and Jaccardchr('39')s similarity coefficient. The results showed that the ISSR marker is a reliable marker system for revealing a high level of polymorphism and can be used to study genetic diversity and further examinations as a subset of breeding programs in G. glabra.

Glabridin is one of the most flavonoid compounds in Glycyrrhiza glabra L. root with biological activities such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-diabetic, antimicrobial, anti-cancer and neuroprotective properties. In this study, in order to investigate the content of glabridin and its relationship with soil and climatic factors, roots with a diameter of 2 cm from 17 populations of licorice were harvested from different regions of Iran in October 2018. and transferred to the Laboratory of Research Institute of Medicinal Plants and Raw Materials at Shahid Beheshti University for analysis. Extraction of the extract was performed using 80% methanol solvent and the content of glabridin was studied by HPLC. Glabridin content of different licorice populations varied from 0.41 (in Yasuj population) to 22.87 (in Kashmar population) mg / g dry weight. Significant positive correlation was observed between glabridin and phosphorus and soil lime content at 1% level. Glabridin content had a significant negative correlation with altitude of 5%. Based on the results of cluster analysis, 17 licorice populations were divided into three main groups. Evaluation of populations for glabridin showed a high diversity so that Kashmar, Ilam and Bojnurd populations can be used as superior populations for domestication and breeding and for food and pharmaceutical industries.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) as a strategic and highly valuable medicinal plant in Iran with numerous beneficial pharmaceutical properties contributes substantially to Iranian herbs exports. In the present study, a variation on the phytochemical and antioxidant activity of 25 populations of valuable and profitable medicinal plant of G. glabra was investigated. The climate variables and soil properties were evaluated in various habitates of G. glabra. Total phenol (Folin–Ciocalteu method), total flavonoid (Aluminum Chloride method), anthocyanin (pH difference method) and antioxidant activity (DPPH method) were studied. Glycyrrhizic acid, glabridin, liquiritigenin and liquiritin content of root were evaluated by liquid chromatography. The content of major components in G. glabra varied in different regions. Outstanding quantitative variability of glycyrrhizic acid, glabridin, liquiritin and liquiritigenin content were observed in roots of licorice from different regions of Iran. Glycyrrhizic acid content was varied from 93.89 (mg/g dry weight) for the Sepidan population to 20.68 (mg/g dry weight) for the Ahar population. The maximum and minimum amounts of glabridin were recorded in Kashmar and Bajgah populations, respectively. The highest levels of liquritin and liquiritigenin were in the population of Kazerun and Yasuj, respectively, and the lowest was observed in Kashmar. Also, the highest antioxidant activity (the lowest IC50) for licorice root was associated with Semirom population. In conclusion, The populations with high amount of each active ingredient in licorice root and those with considerable antioxidant activity can be exploited depending on the purpose of breeding and cultivation.

The licorice is a perennial herb of the Fabaceae family, which is native to the Mediterranean, south of Russia and Asia, but is now cultivated throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia. This plant grows in different regions of Iran. Although, from north to south of Iran, licorice carcasses come to the car, but since this plant is extracted from the ground, it gradually decreases in nature, so that in southern provinces of the country, especially the provinces of Fars and Kerman, this plant danger of extinction, so special attention is increasingly given to maintaining the heritable reserves of this plant more and more. quantitative and qualitative study of this plant in the natural habitats of different regions of the country has a significant role in identifying the best ecotypes for cultivation and domestication of this medicinal plant.

In order to study the diversity of morphological and functional traits of different populations in Zanjan climate, after collecting populations in autumn, they were cultivated in a randomized complete block design with 5 replications. Morphological and functional traits of different populations were evaluated late in the growing season. Plant height, plant width, leaf length, leaf width, leaf number, leaf length, leaflet width, lateral branch, main stem diameter, fresh shoot weight, root fresh weight, shoot dry weight and root dry weight, ratio Root to shoot, shoots yield, root yield, total phenol, total flavonoid and Glycyrrhizic acid were investigated. Data were analyzed using SAS and SPSS software. For cluster analysis, the cluster analysis was performed by input method and factor analysis was done using the Variomax rotation method.

The results of analysis of variance showed that there was a significant difference among 22 licorice populations for all studied traits at 1% level. The highest plant height in population AH (9 cm) was the highest plant width in population E (86.6 cm), the highest fresh weight in the population D (400.4 gr / plant), the highest root fresh weight in population E (356.2 gr / Plant) had the highest shoots yield in the population D (643.75 gr / m2) and the highest root yield in population E (692.25 gr / m2) and the highest percentage of Glycyrrhizic acid in population D (8.3%). The root yield was significantly correlated with plant height, plant height, main stem diameter, leaflet length, lateral branch number, fresh weight of shoot, root fresh weight, dry shoot weight, root dry weight, shoot yield, total phenol, total flavonoid and glycyrrhizic acid. There was a positive and significant correlation between dry weight ratio of root and shoot in 5%, but no significant correlation was observed between leaf length, leaf width, leaf number and leaf width. Based on the results of cluster analysis, 22 populations were divided into four main groups. Factor analysis showed that the first four factors were able to justify 84.184 percent of the total variance.

The overall results of this study showed that there is a great diversity among the studied populations on the basis of morphological and functional traits. According to the results of D, E, MS, SH, SP, and TF populations, they have desirable traits and proper yields and were identified as the most desirable populations in this research, which indicates high genetic potential among different populations and which can be considered as superior populations in breeding projects in order to create high quality and desirable food industries and the medicine was used.

Glycyrrhiza glabra L. is a family of Legominos, herbaceous, perennial and Iran is one of the countries exporting its root. This plant grows in different regions of Iran, hence the study of phytochemical diversity in different regions is important. This study was carried out to evaluate the content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of 2 cm diameter roots of licorice populations in 15 provinces and 30 regions of Iran in 2017 in October and were transferred to the laboratories of the Department of Horticulture of Zanjan University. Total phenol (Folin–Ciocalteu method), total flavonoid (Aluminum Chloride method), anthocyanin (pH difference method) and antioxidant activity (DPPH method) were studied. The results of analysis of variance of data showed that among 30 populations, for all traits, there was a significant difference in the level of one percent. Total phenol traits ranging from 456.05 to 826 mg gallic acid per 100 g, total flavonoid between 1909.25 to 292.62 mg of quercetin per 100 g, anthocyanin levels ranging from 6.89 to 26.24 mg cyanidine-3-glucoside in Liter, the antioxidant activity varied between 62.07% and 87.14%. There was a significant and positive correlation between phenol total phenotype and antioxidant activity at 1% level, but there was no significant correlation with total flavonoid, anthocyanin and height. Based on the results of cluster analysis, 30 G. glabra were divided into two main groups. The evaluation of populations in terms of phytochemical traits showed a high variation that N, KA, BA, T, E, Y, M, MR, and SB populations