mohammad armin

The viability of probiotics in sensitive environments, particularly gastrointestinal conditions, is of significant importance. In this study, the microencapsulation technique was used to increase the viability of probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus La5) under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. These bacteria were microencapsulated using the emulsification method in a matrix of Sodium alginate and Sodium caseinate at five concentration levels, individually and in combination. Then it was examined for viable cell count, encapsulation yield, survival against bile salts, and viability against gastric acid and intestinal fluid with and without bile salts. Our results showed significant differences between the treatments in all tests when comparing the average data (p<0.05). The survival of free cells in digestive conditions decreased sharply; however, microencapsulation acted as a protective role, and the survival of microencapsulated strains was higher than that of free cells. The results showed that microencapsulation acts as a protective mechanism for improving the viability of microencapsulated strains compared to free cells. On the other hand, the combination of Sodium alginate and Sodium caseinate as an encapsulant can significantly increase the bacteria's resistance to digestive conditions (p<0.05). Among the treatments, the free cells (L-FC) treatment showed the lowest survival against the simulated digestive environment. In the viability test in the intestinal environment with bile salt, no live cells were present after 300 minutes. However, in contrast, the treatment 75% Sodium alginate + 25% Sodium caseinate (L-SA3SC1), had the highest encapsulation yield and exhibited the best protective effect against bile salts, gastric acid, and intestinal fluid. In conclusion, microencapsulation using the emulsification method with a combination of Sodium alginate and Sodium caseinate effectively enhances the survival of Lactobacillus acidophilus. It thus can significantly benefit human health, particularly in improving gastrointestinal diseases.

Saffron, a member of the lily family, is highly valued for its low water requirements, potential for job creation, and medicinal properties. Despite the high costs associated with traditional saffron cultivation, the use of tissue culture is recommended to enhance cultivation practices and produce disease-free seedlings. In vitro cultivation can significantly boost the production rate of new seedlings, with success largely dependent on the hormonal composition used. Additionally, carbon nanotubes, which have various applications in biology, have demonstrated a positive impact on plant growth. This study employs the response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the saffron culture medium with carbon nanotubes and to identify the appropriate hormonal composition.
 
This research was conducted using in vitro culture techniques and a RSM design, comprising four replications. The factors investigated included concentrations of 2,4-D (0.2-0.5 mg/L), BAP (1.5-6 mg/L), and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (30-70 μg/mL). The culture medium and equipment were sterilized in an autoclave at 120°C and 1.5 atmospheres. Pedicel shells were removed, washed, and then immersed in Vitex solution for 30 minutes. The explants were placed in culture dishes and maintained under controlled light and temperature conditions. After five weeks, callus induction characteristics, such as callus induction percentage, diameter, and fresh weight, were measured. The Box-Benken statistical design was utilized for data analysis, and necessary transformations were applied based on software recommendations. A quadratic function was generally selected for the fitted model, even in cases of non-significance, and response surface curves along with contour diagrams were used to interpret the interaction effects of the traits. Tissue culture optimization aimed at maximizing callus formation, fresh weight, and diameter, with the highest model fitness identified as the optimal environment
The study's findings indicated that the concentrations of nanocarbon and 2,4-D significantly affected the number of calluses produced. At lower concentrations of 2,4-D, increasing BAP resulted in a higher number of calluses, while at higher concentrations, this effect remained positive. The maximum number of calluses was achieved with specific combinations of 2,4-D and BAP concentrations. High levels of BAP and carbon nanotubes increased the callus production percentage to 174%, whereas at lower concentrations, it was below 85%. The ratios exhibited a saddle function, with the highest number of calluses observed at low concentrations of 2,4-D and nanocarbon. Additionally, the linear effects of 2,4-D and carbon nanotube concentrations were significant at the 1% level, while the effect of BAP was not significant. Elevated concentrations of 2,4-D negatively impacted callus diameter, whereas increasing nanocarbon at high concentrations contributed to an increase in diameter. Ultimately, raising the concentration of 2,4-D led to an increase in callus induction percentage from 79.68% to 92.185%, although high concentrations had a detrimental effect. The highest callus induction percentage was noted with a specific combination of 2,4-D and carbon nanotubes.
 
The experimental results demonstrated that carbon nanotubes and the hormones BAP and 2,4-D significantly influenced saffron callus induction. High concentrations of 2,4-D exhibited the most substantial effect on the number of calluses produced. Furthermore, the application of BAP hormone up to a certain concentration increased callus number, but higher concentrations resulted in a decrease. Finally, the percentage of callus induction was positively affected by carbon nanotubes, while other characteristics did not show significant effects

The aim of study was to investigate the effect of the ultrasound extraction on phenolic compounds and also to improve the properties of black raspberry juice (Rubus Dolichocarpus) by adding Lactobacillus gaseri and L.casei bacteria. First, raspberry juice was extracted by ultrasonic method with constant frequency at 225, 245, and 265 watts and different times of 30, 60, and 90 minutes at temperatures of 25, 35, 45, 55, and 65 degrees Celsius. The highest amount of phenolic compounds was obtained at the power of 285 watts and time of 90 minutes and at temperatures of 25, 35, and 45 degrees Celsius. Then the bacteria were inoculated in ultrasonicated black raspberry juice and the amount of change in phenolic and flavonoid compounds, anthocyanins, and antioxidant power and inhibition of alpha-amylase enzyme and tyrosinase formation at different hours of fermentation were determined and observed that with increasing fermentation hours, the biological power of fruit juice and inhibition of alpha-amylase and tyrosinase enzymes increased. The amount of phenolic and flavonoid compounds also increased with increasing fermentation time, but the amount of anthocyanins decreased and the biological properties of fermented fruit juice were improved by more than 40%. The antioxidant power of the ultrasounded fruit juice samples along with the fermentation process in tilapia fish was also investigated for 15 days. According to the obtained results among the raspberry juice samples, the fruit juice sample extracted with ultrasound, and fermented with Lactobacillus gaseri was the strongest sample in reducing the amount of TBARS.

Today, chronic pain is one of the main treatment challenges that affects many of the patient's daily activities. Various methods have been investigated to increase the quality of life in these patients. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is one of the promising interventions to improve quality of life in such patients. The aim of this study was to systematically review and meta-analysis the effectiveness of ACT on improving the quality of life of patients with chronic diseases in Iran.

Methods and Materials: 

In this study, the studies conducted in Persian language in the last decade (from 2011-03-21 to 2023-05-22) in internal databases (Sid, Magiran,Ganj, Irandoc, Civilica). The results were expressed in terms of Hedges effect size and the corresponding 95% confidence interval.

Out of 482 articles, 33 articles were used to conduct a meta-analysis of the effectiveness post-test compared to the control and 11 studies were used to investigate the effectiveness in the follow-up compared to the post-test. The effectiveness of ACT on post-test, the estimated effect size was 1.585 (CI=1.165 - 2.556 CI), and in the follow-up, the effect size was estimated to be 0.983 (CI=0.785 – 1.181).

Overall, the results showed that ACT improved the quality of life in patients with chronic diseases by 185% in the post-test and 98.3% in the follow-up period. Based on this, it can be said that this psychological therapy is a suitable method to improve the quality of life in these patients.

Wheat bread is one of the most commonly used foods in the world. However, coeliac patients are not able to use wheat bread because they are gluten intolerant. The only treatment for them is to use a gluten-free diet. To examine the effects of hydrocolloid pectin (1.5 and 2.5%) and raisins essence (3% and 4%) on baking effect of gluten-free bread of setaia italica and oryza sativa flour mixture a completely randomized study design was used. The results showed that using pectin increased stability of the dough and decreased its softness level. Colorimetry study showed that the brightest color of bread crust was obtained with pectin containing samples. The highest volume and specific volume were obtained with pectin and raisins essence treatments. In addition, pectin and raisins essence lowered rigidness and stiffness of the samples at all concentrations, which delayed breads going stale. The highest effect was seen with 2.5% pectin and 4% raisins essence treatments. Stiffness of samples in these two treatments was not significantly different between the first 24hrs and 48hrs. In general, adding 2.5% pectin and 4% raisins essence to setaria italica and oryza sativa flour mixture led to a gluten-free bread with a higher quality.

In the present study, fortification of industrial noodles with lentil flour (7-35 %), soy protein isolate (SPI), albumin and Spirulina platensis microalgae were (at 1 to 5 %) and their physicochemical, rheological and sensory properties were evaluated. Treatments containing 1-5 % of S.platensis had higher ash, moisture, fat and protein content compared to treatments containing albumin, lentil flour, soy isolate content and control samples. Increasing the levels of S.platensis and lentil flour individually resulted in a decrease in the peroxide value. The lowest L * , a* and b* value were related to the treatments containing S.platensis, while the treatments containing lentil flour had the highest a * and b* and the highest a * was related to the treatments containing albumin. In all treatments, with increasing the level of all additives, the firmness increased and treatments containing SPI showed the highest firmness. However, the highest adhesion, gumminess and chewability were related to the treatments containing lentil flour and the highest gumminess and chewability were related to albumin. Different levels of albumin had the highest color scores compared to other treatments and control samples. The highest score of taste, texture and overall acceptance belonged to the treatments containing different levels (2 - 5%) of albumin. As a conclusion, it can be said that different levels of albumin had the most significant effect on the quality properties of industrial noodle samples, and in contrast, treatments containing spirulina did not show acceptable results in the quality tests evaluated.

This study aimed to optimize the formulation of chitosan-caffeic acid nanogel containing Shirazi thyme (Zataria multiflora) essential oil (ZEO) and nisin. The independent variables (the concentration of chitosan nanogel, Shirazi-thyme, and nisin) were optimized based on the highest zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency, besides the lowest particle size and IC50(DPPH) values. The results of The Box-Behnken experimental design and Stepwise-response surface model showed the optimal nanogel formulation was as follows: chitosan concentration= 0.4 g; ZEO= 157.1 ppm and nisin= 10.1 ppm. The particle size, zeta-potential, antioxidant activity, and encapsulation efficiency of the optimal chitosan-ZEO-nisin nanogel were 411.39±18.11 nm, 32.90±1.10 mV, 0.79±0.06 mg.mL-1, 71.06-82.69% respectively. Moreover, the addition of optimized nanogel to the Iranian white cheese formulation showed that the treated cheese samples with ZEO and nisin (free or encapsulated in chitosan nanogel) improved the microbial quality of chess. The antimicrobial activity of the ZEO and nisin encapsulated in chitosan-caffeic acid nanogel was higher than a free form of ZEO-nisin. The Coliforms population of cheeses treated with sodium nitrate and chitosan nanogel containing ZEO-nisin was acceptable during 60 days of storage. During the storage period, the most changes in the color and texture (hardness) of the cheese samples were related to the control sample, and the least change was obtained for samples treated with sodium-nitrate and chitosan nanogel (P < 0.05). Also, the sensory quality of the sample containing ZEO and nisin was acceptable for the sensory evaluator. The sample containing chitosan nanogel received an acceptable sensory score (> 3) during 60 days of storage. In general, the potential of the nanogel in increasing the shelf-life of Iranian white cheese was comparable with sodium nitrate.

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is the most widely used natural fiber and the most important dual-purpose industrial plant in the world. Delayed transplanting of cotton using early cultivars is one of the effective methods to increase the cultivated area and increase the production of this strategic crop. Plant growth regulators can be effective in the source-sink balance in different plants and are progressively used to increase yield in many plants. Cytokinins are one of the most important plant growth regulators, which increase cell division and differentiation, reduce the effect of terminal dominance, increase leaf surface development, increase the number of lateral branches, increase mobility of nutrients, prevent chlorophyll decomposition, and prevent aging. Growth regulators containing mepiquat chloride, such as pix, reduce vegetative growth in cotton by preventing the synthesis of gibberellic acid. Controlling the growth of cotton as a result of the use of pix, allocates the photosynthetic assimilates to the fruit organs and growing bolls, which increases the weight of the bolls.

To investigate the effect of foliar application of 6-benzylaminopurine and pix on the growth and yield of cotton (cv. May 344) in delayed transplanting, a factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications in Sabzevar during 2020. The factors studied were foliar application of pix at two levels of no foliar application and foliar application at the rate of 1.5 liters per hectare and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) foliar application at five concentrations of 0, 5, 25, 50 and 100 mg l-1. May 344 cotton cultivar was used in this experiment.

The results showed that foliar application of pix significantly increased the content of chlorophyll a compared to the no foliar application conditions. Foliar application with concentrations of 50 and 100 mg l-1 BAP also caused a significant increase in the content of chlorophyll a compared to the no foliar application conditions. The highest content of chlorophyll a was observed in the concentration of 50 mg l-1 BAP, which had an increase of 17.7% compared to the control treatment. The highest height of the plant (67.9 cm) was obtained by foliar application of 25 mg l-1 BAP alone, which showed an increase of 15.1% compared to the control. The lowest plant height (51.6 cm) was also observed in the treatment of foliar application of pix along with 100 mg l-1 BAP. Foliar application of pix along with 25 mg l-1 BAP produced the highest number of bolls per plant, which was 29.8% higher than the control. The highest average boll weight (5.4 g) and the highest percentage of open bolls (83.8%) were obtained in the foliar application treatment of pix with 100 mg l-1 BAP, which was not significantly different from the control treatment. Foliar application of 1.5 liters per hectare of pix alone produced the highest seed cotton yield (2754.3 kg ha-1), which had a 40.2% increase compared to the control. The highest biological yield was produced in the foliar application treatment of PIX along with 5 mg l-1  of BAP, which had an increase of 26.5% compared to the control treatment. The lowest biological yield was obtained in the treatment of foliar application with 100 mg l-1  of BAP, which was not significantly different from the control treatment. The highest percentage of lint (52.2%) was observed in the pix foliar application treatment along with 50 mg l-1 BAP, which showed an increase of 20.3% compared to the control.

According to the results, foliar application of 1.5 liters per hectare of pix is recommended to produce high seed cotton yield and increase the percentage of lint in delayed transplanting cotton.

There is a close relationship between population growth and rapid economic development and overuse of natural resources. Recently, one of the main problems of human societies is the management of energy consumption. In agricultural ecosystems, there is a strong dependence on non-free inputs and free environmental inputs. In different production systems, different methods are used to increase stability. Various methods have been utilized to investigate the sustainability of agricultural systems such as emergy analysis. Emergy analysis is an ecological approach that measures all the inputs from natural resources and human activities that are directly and indirectly used to obtain a particular product. This method estimates all the resources, including energy, consumed environmental resources, and financial and human costs based on solar energy units. By considering both economic and ecological factors, emergy analysis helps identify ways to achieve maximum crop yield while supporting resource efficiency in agricultural production. Emergy analysis is a method used for sustainability assessment of agroecosystems, including potato production. It determines the most important indicators related to efficiency, renewability, environmental pressure, and sustainability of potato agroecosystems. Although the sustainable production of crops has been analyzed by some researchers, the effects of farm size have not been considered so far. Hence, in the current study, the effect of farm size on sustainability of potato production was studied using the emergy methodology.

In order to evaluate the effect of farm size on the sustainability of potato production, a study using emergy analysis was conducted in Fariman county in 2018-19. Information was collected in different potato production systems in terms of farm size including small, medium and large (Based on Cochran's formula, 30, 15 and 5 farms respectively) using questionnaires completed by farmers. The inputs were divided into four types to examine the sustainability of agroecosystems and calculate the emergy indices: Free renewable environmental inputs (R) include sun, wind and rain; non-renewable environmental inputs (N) include groundwater, soil erosion, and soil organic matter losses; non-free (purchased) renewable inputs (FR) include seeds and organic fertilizer; and purchased non-renewable inputs (FN) include machinery, chemical fertilizer, pesticides, fuel, and electricity. To obtain the emergy value of each input, the raw information of each input is multiplied by the conversion coefficients in terms of joules, grams, or Rials. The total emergy is the sum of all emergies of all independent inputs. Finally, emergy indices are calculated and interpreted to evaluate different production systems.

The results of this research showed that different potato production systems have different effects on the contribution of different sources of total energy. By increasing the size of the farm, the share of renewable natural resources decreased and the share of purchased resources increased. Among the renewable environmental inputs in all three emergency systems, rain had the highest amount. The amount of renewable environmental inputs for production systems in small, medium and large farms was 1.42, 1.13 and 1.04% of the total inputs, respectively. Cultivation in small farms required the least amount of emergy for crop production in contrast to large farms. In addition, cultivation on large farms was more similar to cultivation on medium farms in terms of purchased resources. On the other hand, large farms had high sustainability compared to small farms based on the ELR index. In addition, large farms were not significantly different from medium farms. Since the economic yield of large farms was much higher than the economic yield of medium and small farms, other indicators of emergy except renewable energy were also higher in large farms than in medium and small farms.

In this area, cultivation in large fields with the use of more mechanization has improved the yield along with maintaining the stability of the production system.

In recent years, the use of plant sources with bioactive compounds such as pigments and antioxidants in food has greatly expanded. Research has shown that these resources play an important role in improving quality properties and increasing the shelf life of food products such as cereals and dairy products. According to these points, in the present study, single levels of green tea extract (0, 1 , 2%), white tea (0, 1 , 2%) and ginger (0, 0/75 , % 1) were used in the sponge cake formulation and chemical and physicochemical experiments was performed on different treatments. To optimize the results, the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used. By increasing levels of green tea, white tea and ginger extracts, the fat, protein and total phenol content and pH value in the treatments increased. In contrast, moisture content, acidity and peroxide value decreased. All three extracts of green tea, white tea and ginger had significant effects on the quality characteristics of sponge cake samples. The results of the RSM showed that the low levels of the evaluated extracts in the studied parameters, except the peroxide value, gave better results.

A split-plot factorial experiment was conducted with 3 replications to evaluate the impacts of different type and time applications of stress modulators on the yield and yield components of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) under rainfed and irrigated conditions during 2016-2018. The studied factors were the cultivation method at 2 levels (rainfed and irrigated conditions) as the main plot and times of foliar applications with 2 levels (vegetative and vegetative + flowering growth stage) and sources of stress modulators with the 4 levels (control, 1.5 M Glycine Betaine (GB), 10-7 mM Brassinosteroids (BRs), and 1.5 mM Sodium Nitroprusside (SNP)). The results showed that irrigated cultivation led to the productions of higher plant heights, more lateral branches, larger numbers of umbrellas and seeds per plant, greater 1000-seed weights, more grain and essential oil yields, and less essential oil contents as compared to the treatments undergoing the rainfed condition. The lateral branches, umbrellas per plant, seeds per plant, and 1000-seed weights were affected by the application times. The foliar applications of Brassinosteroids (BRs) increased plant heights, lateral branches, umbrellas per plant, seeds per plant, 1000-seed weights, and grain and essential oil yields with less essential oil contents compared to those of the control. Under the irrigated condition, spraying of BRs enhanced plant height (7.64%), lateral branches (3.57%), umbrellas per plant (14.3%), seeds per plant (47.4%), 1000-seed weight (3.69%), and grain yield (74.5%), and lowered essential oil content (11.22%) when compared to those undergoing the rain-fed condition. Overall, the modulators for reducing drought stress impacts by elevating the yields and yield components could be classified as BRs>GB>SNP.

Access paths to natural attractions in protected areas must be designed and developed considering their impacts on the environment. Visitors' movement in the areas where are highly sensitive to soil erosion may cause destructive impacts on trails such as widening, increasing susceptibility to erosion, and damaging surrounding vegetation. This research aims to suggest a sustainable trail network (off-road vehicles and hiking trails) in Sarigol National Park and Protected Area,

 The study has been carried out based on the least-cost path algorithm, and comparing the results with existing recreation trails. The required field information including the width of 431 trails and 15 environmental factors affecting the trail width was obtained through the study area. Analysis of Covariance has been used for estimating the potential of pathwidth expansion. The accuracy of the model was assessed by root mean square error which is 29cm for hiking trails and 126cm for off-road vehicles trails.

One optimized off-road vehicles trail and one optimized hiking trails in the study are were suggested using degradation map and least cost patch model. The findings of the present study indicated that existing paths are located in areas with high susceptibility to widening because of crowding.

To evaluation and selection of different genotypes of sugar beet for winter cultivation in Razavi Khorasan province, a randomized complete block design with four replications was conducted separately in two regions (Jovin and Torbet-Jam) in 2018-19.In the Jovein region, 94.11 percent of the total variation in the data was explained by three components. Based on these findings, the characteristics of molasses sugar, sodium content, sugar extraction coefficient, and root yield are the most appropriate selection criteria for winter planting genotypes. Using Ward's method, cluster analysis revealed that the investigated genotypes were distributed into three clusters in both regions. FDIR19B3021 genotype in the first cluster of the Jovin region and FDIR19B4028 genotype in the Torbet-Jam region, SBSI-6 and SVZA2019-JD0402 genotypes in the second cluster as desirable genotypes for the Jovin and Torbet-Jam regions, and SVZA2019-JD0400 genotype in the third cluster. The Perfekta variety was selected as the Torbet-Jam representative for the Jovin region. The results of the experiment demonstrated that the genotypes used in the two regions are distinct, and that the increase in root impurities is a problem associated with winter cultivation, despite the fact that the root yield is maximized. The FDIR19B3021 genotype is recommended in the Jovin region, while the FDIR19B4028 genotype can be suggested in the Torbet-Jam region.

In this research, in order to modelling and predicating some physiochemical properties of low calorie cake containing apple pulp fiber from different percentages, apple pulp fiber (0- 10%)and maintenance time (0-30days) were used and fat degree, water activity, dropping off, the number of mold & yeast, resinous, chewable, elasticity and brightness of cake samples were surveyed. For predication of changing processes from artificial neural networks, MATlab R2013a software was used .The survey showed that different networks, releasing feedback networks with typology of 8-5-3 with correlation coefficient more than 912/0 and the average square less than 0115/0 and applying sigmound activation hyperlogic ,mutant learning patterns and1000 learning cycle considered as the best neural modelling.The result showed that the selected optimal models also were surveyed and these models with high correlation coefficient(more than 689/0)were able to predict the changing processes .Among measurable properties, artificial neural networks were so accurate for predicting the level of fat.

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) is an important crop for medicinal purposes in Razavi Khorasan province, especially in Sabzevar. With 80% of the country's cultivated land, Khorasan Razavi province is the leading producing province in Iran. In the world's arid and semiarid regions, access to water is a greater constraint on crop production than access to land. Using cultivars or plant species that are adapted to the climatic conditions of these regions is one of the easiest ways to combat drought stress. Despite the fact that cumin is considered a drought-tolerant plant, drought stress, particularly in years with low precipitation, significantly reduces cumin yield. The management of water during cumin's growth and maturation can affect crop yield and quality. Cumin's low productivity is largely attributable to weed infestations. Cumin is especially susceptible to weed competition during its early growth stages. Several characteristics of cumin, including slow plant emergence, short plant height, and cumin morphology, enable weeds to effectively compete. Yield losses ranging from 40 to 90% have been sustained in cumin due to weed competition. To determine the effect of different irrigation cut-off times on cumin yield and yield components under weed interference conditions, a field experiment was conducted in 2018 and 2019 at the Hakmabad Joven Agricultural Service Center (Khorasan Razavi) using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Irrigation cut-off time (full irrigation, irrigation cut-off in flowering stage, irrigation cut-off in seed-filling stage, and rainfed cultivation) was the main plot, while weed interference  was the sub-plot. Land preparation was done with moldboard in the fall of the previous year, the tillage operation included shallow plowing, double disc plow, and full leveling. Each subplot was 5 m long and 1 m wide, with five planting rows, 20 cm between rows, and 5 cm between plants. To prevent water from spreading laterally, plots were surrounded by dikes and separated by 2 m. The local landrace (Sabzevar), which is widespread and suitable for the region, was utilized. The height, number of sub-branches, number of umbrellas per plant, number of umbels per umbrella, and number of seeds per umbel were measured for five plants randomly selected from each plot at the end of the growing season. Before performing combined analysis across years, homogeneity was determined using Bartlett's Chi-square test. Due to the significance of the year effect, separate analyses of variance were conducted for each year using SAS (version 9.4) statistical software, and treatment means were compared using Fisher's least significant difference (FLSD) tests (p < 0.05). The results showed that in the rainy year, the yield and yield components of cumin did not respond to irrigation cut-off times. However, in the dry year, the highest seed and essential oil yield was obtained with full irrigation, and a delay in irrigation cessation had fewer negative effects on yield and yield components.In the first and second years, full irrigation increased the number of lateral branches (45.7% and 38.4%), the number of umbels per plant (46.1% and 12.9%), the number of seeds per umbel (36.4% and 44.7%), and 1000-seed weight (6.4 and 36.4%). All irrigation levels resulted in a lower grain yield under weed interference conditions compared to non-interference. The most detrimental effects of weed interference were observed when irrigation was stopped at the time of flowering (34.8%). In full irrigation conditions, grain yield decreased by 12.8%, but the yield reduction percentage was lower compared to other irrigation levels. Dryland cultivation yielded the highest amount of essential oil in both the first and second year. In the first year, complete irrigation produced the highest yield of essential oil, whereas in the second year, cessation of irrigation at the seed stage produced the highest yield. In the first and second year, weed competition significantly reduced the number of lateral branches (14.7 and 25.6%), the number of umbels per plant (33.1 and 21.2%), the number of seeds per umbel (17.2 and 37.2%), and the weight of 1000 seeds (9.22 and 17.2%). The percentage of essential oil was unaffected by weed interference. Delays in irrigation cessation increased grain and essential oil yield under both interference and non-interference conditions. In conclusion, this experiment revealed that the response of yield and yield components to the irrigation regime depended on weather conditions and precipitation during the growing season. In conditions where the amount and distribution of rainfall was adequate during the growing period, yield and yield components did not react significantly to the irrigation regime, whereas supplementary irrigation produced the optimal grain and essential oil yield in the absence of rainfall. Weed control increased yield in both irrigated and rainfed environments. Weed competition reduces cumin yield, yield components, and the number of umbrellas per plant, but has no effect on the percentage of essential oil produced. Consequently, in wet years, full irrigation is recommended in terms of both interference and non-interference of weeds, and in terms of appropriate irrigation, cessation of irrigation after seeding is recommended to produce optimal economic performance.

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.)  is one of the most important medicinal plants grown in arid and semiarid environments. Cumin is suitable for rainfed cultivation due to its short growing season, leaf shape, canopy structure, and low water requirement. However, when rainfall falls short of crop requirements, rain-fed agriculture does not produce adequate economic yields. Several agronomic and physiological strategies have been implemented to mitigate the negative effects of drought stress and increase plant tolerance to it. Utilizing plant hormones is one of the realistic and promising strategies for increasing crop yields under stressful conditions. Few studies have examined the use of these substances as stress modulators in medicinal plants. This research was conducted to investigate the effect of stress modulator application on seed and essential oil yield of cumin in dryland and irrigated conditions. The split-plot factorial experiment was done based on a randomized complete block design with 3 replications on a private farm in the city of Jaghtai (Khorasan Razavi) in 2017-18. The cultivation method at two levels (dryland and irrigated conditions) and sources of stress modulators at four levels (control, 1.5 M Glycine Betaine, 10-7 M Brassinosteroids, and 10-3 M Sodium nitroprusside) were studied as the main plot and subplot, respectively. The experimental field underwent wheat and barley cultivations in the previous first and second years. For soil preparation, the land was plowed in autumn. The fertilizers consisted of P2O5 (75 kg.ha-1), K2O (100 kg.ha-1), and N (100 kg.ha-1) represented ammonium diphosphate, potassium sulfate, and a form of urea, and were applied at sowing under irrigated conditions. In the rain-fed condition, nitrogen fertilizer application was reduced to 50 kg.ha-1. At the end of the growing season, 10 plants were randomly selected from each plot and their cumin yield components were measured, including final plant height, number of branches, number of umbels per plant, number of seeds per plant, and 1000-seed weight. To determine grain yield and biological yield, a 2.5 m2 area was harvested from each plot after removing the margins. Using the steam distillation method, the Clevenger apparatus was utilized to measure the essential oil. For this purpose, 50 grams of the seeds in each treatment were selected, crushed with a laboratory mill, and dissolved in 500 mL of water for three hours.The essential oil yield was obtained by multiplying the essential oil percentage by seed yield. ata analysis was performed using SAS software (ver. 9.4) and tables and charts were drawn using Word and Excel software. Mean data was compared with LSD method. Slicing of moderator interaction at the planting method levels revealed that foliar application with brassinosteroids in irrigated and dryland conditions increased number of umbrellas per plant (150 and 137%), number of seeds per plant (85.5% and 41.7%) and seed yield (57.9% and 44.8%) relative to no foliar application. Under irrigated conditions, the type of stress modulators affected the number of lateral branches and essential oil yield, with foliar application of glycine betaine producing the highest number of lateral branches and foliar application of brassinosteroids producing the highest essential oil yield. Foliar application of brassinosteroids decreased the essential oil content of irrigated plants by 8.81%. In general, the results of the experiment indicated that in cumin, in order to obtain proper seed and essential oil yield, cultivation should be done as irrigated and the most suitable modifiers to obtain maximum grain and essential oil yield could be classified as brassinosteroids > glycine betaine > Sodium nitroprusside.

In saline condition, addition to salinity stress, nitrogen deficiency is also observed. In order to investigate the response of yield, yield components, and nitrogen efficiency of cotton to supplemental nitrogen application in saline conditions in optimum and delayed cultivation, a factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design with three replications was done in Sabzevar Islamic Azad University in 2017-2018. Factors were: planting date (optimum and late) and nitrogen levels (0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 kg.ha-1) as a foliar application on the bolling stage as Urea form. Delayed planting reduced the number of bolls per plant (6.59 %), boll weight (17.33%), seed cotton yield (14.70 %), nitrogen uptake efficiency (23.2 %), and nitrogen use efficiency (11.32 %) compared to optimum cultivation. Foliar application of 7.5 kg N.ha-1increased the number of bolls per plant (67.6%), boll weight (47.2%), seed cotton yield (73.2%), nitrogen uptake efficiency (45.1%), and nitrogen use efficiency (41.2%) compared to control. Sprayed due to lack of solution. The highest plant height, number of reproductive branches, lint percentage, lint yield, and agronomic nitrogen use efficiency in optimum planting date and foliar application of 7.5 kgN.ha-1were obtained which was not significantly different from foliar spraying of 5 kgN.ha-1. Nitrogen foliar application could not improve the negative effects of planting delay on yield and yield components of cotton. In general, the results of this experiment showed that the best seed cotton yield can be achieved by planting at the optimum date and spraying 5 kg of nitrogen as a supplement at the beginning of the bolling stage that increases the efficiency of cotton nitrogen consumption in saline conditions.

The current research aims to compare the effect of green (enzymatic and ultrasoundic) and conventional (acidic and alkaline) extraction methods on the yield (total-dietary fiber (TDF), soluble-dietary fiber (SDF) and insoluble-dietary fiber (IDF)), chemical composition, and hydration properties of olive-pomace DF. The rheological properties of doughs containing different amounts (0, 5, 10, and 15%) of SDF were investigated. The yield of TDF was 74.79 (ultrasonic method)- 90.2% (enzymatic method) which 12.12 -21.68 % of them was SDF. The moisture content of SDF was higher than IDF. The ash and protein contents of IDF were higher than SDF. The extraction method had no significant effect on the moisture and ash content of SDF. The lowest protein content was observed in DF extracted by the enzymic method (P < 0.05). The highest and lowest swelling-power and solubility-index were obtained for the fiber extracted by the enzymic and ultrasonic methods, respectively due to the level water absorption of this fiber. The enrichment of wheat flour with SDF extracted by enzymatic method showed by increasing the fiber level to 10%, the dough-development, stability time and FQN increased, while the softening-degree decreased significantly. Replacing 15 % wheat-flour with SDF led to increasing resistance to extension and energy of doughs. The extensibility of the dough increased significantly with the addition of 5% fiber, while the addition of 10% fiber reduced this index to less than the control value. Overall, although the performance of the enzymatic method was significantly higher than other ones, this method was very time-consuming which limits its application in food-industry. Using a combination of green methods to accelerate enzymatic extraction can be a topic for future research. Furthermore, the replacement of ⁓10 % of wheat flour with SDF showed acceptable rheological properties which can meet the expectation for high-quality and nutritional value bread.

Nowadays, the use of stress modulators as a useful and low-cost solution to reduce the effects of environmental stress has been considered by researchers. In order to investigate the effects of stress modulator’s foliar application in different planting dates on yield and yield components of cotton, an experiment has been conducted as split-plot factorial in a randomized complete block design with three replications in Sabzevar Islamic Azad University in 2017 and 2018. Factors include planting date (early and late) as the main plot and type of stress modulator (control, salicylic acid (SA) 2 and 4 mM, glycine betaine (GB) 50 and 100 mM and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) 100 and 200 μM) as the sub-plots. Foliar application of 2 mM SA in the first year and 4mM SA in the second year produce the highest number of bolls per plant (10.1 and 7.58, respectively). In contrast, 4 mM SA spraying in early planting date increases seed cotton yield (45.6%), but in late planting date, seed cotton yield does not respond to the stress modulator application. In the first year, 100 μM SNP foliar application has the highest lint yield in both early and late planting dates, but in the second year, 2 mM SA foliar application produce higher lint yields. Overall, the results of this experiment show that the highest yield of cotton in saline conditions are obtained in sowing at the appropriate date and foliar application of 4 mM salicylic acid.

Damask rose ( Rosa Damascena Mill.) belongs to the genus Rosaceae. Its extract contains several active ingredients that have antioxidant and anti-radical properties. Different extraction methods affect the extraction efficiency and antioxidant activity of the extract. This study investigates the impact of solvent and ultrasound-assisted extraction methods on yield, the contents of phenolic compounds, and antioxidant properties of the extracts. The highest (36.3%) extraction yield were obtained at the ultrasonic- assisted extraction at 100w amplitude, during 10 minutes. Extraction method had a significant effect (P<0.05) on the total content of phenolic compounds of the extract. The highest level of phenolic compounds was observed in the ultrasound-assisted extraction at sonic power of 100 w and sonication time of 30 min (568.3 mg Gallic acid per gram of extract). The analysis of variances (ANOVA) was performed utilizing SPSS software. The findings showed that extraction method had no significant impact (P<0.05) on DPPH free radical scavenging activity. However, there was a significant difference (P<0/05) between the antioxidant activities extracts obtained from both maceration and ultrasound-assisted methods. In addition, with increasing time, ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) values and antioxidant activity of the extracts increased and there was a significant difference between the antioxidant activity of the extracts. While the highest anthocyanin compounds content were extracted by the ultrasound-assisted method (125.06 mg/g extract), the lowest extracted anthocyanin compounds content were observed for the maceration method (68.3 mg/g extract).

The aim of this study was to produce electrospun gliadin nanofibers containing Zataria multiflora Boiss essential oil (ZMEO) (5, 10 and 15%, w/w) to create active antimicrobial mats. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericide concentration (MBC) of essential oil were measured. The ZMEO loaded gliadin nanofibers were characterized for physicochemical, antioxidant and antibacterial activity. Results according to the MIC and MBC revealed that the ZMEO showed the most remarkable bactericidal effect. The nanofibers showed an encapsulation efficiency close to 95% and the presence of ZMEO led to increased contact angle and opaque. ZMEO increased the absorption of color in the visible region, which in turn led to increase of the b* parameter but reduced a* and L* parameters. The nanofibers’ antimicrobial activities were induced by incorporating ZMEO, and Bacillus subtilis was the most sensitive bacterium to ZMEO-containing nanofibers, while Salmonella tiphi was the most resistant. The nanofibers incorporating ZMEO showed good antioxidant properties; this effect was greatly improved when the proportion of added ZMEO was 15%. Then, efficacy of bioactive nanofibers included 5, 10 and 15% (w/w) ZMEO to reduce microbial growth (Listeria monocytogenes) of smoked salmon fish fillet during chilled storage was evaluated; the results indicated that its final population was reduced to about 2.5-3 Log cycles after 16 days of storage at 4 °C in presence of ZMEO, compared with negative control mats produced without the ZMEO. These results suggest that the developed gliadin nanofibers with active substance could be used in designing antimicrobial packaging materials.

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is one of the oldest agricultural crops, cultivated in over 100 countries with a total production of approximately 25 Mt. This plant's oil, protein, and seed cotton are used in human and animal nutrition, and as the best coating raw material for spinning mills, respectively. Cotton, following sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris), is Iran's third largest industrial crop and first oil crop. Appropriate agronomic practices, such as plant density and fertilizer management, have a substantial impact on crop development and final yield. Adjusting the distance between cotton rows has been a technique used to increase yield. Typically, cotton is planted in rows separated by 70 to 100 cm. Ultra narrow row (UNR) cotton production has been proposed as a cost-effective method for increasing yields and decreasing production expenses. The fertilizer needs of UNR cotton are not well-established, and the lint yield of UNR cotton relative to that of conventional-row (CR) cotton has been variable. This research aimed to determine the optimal nutrition systems for UNR and CR cotton production. This research was conducted on a private farm in Rudab (Khorasan Razavi province), 60 km from Sabzevar at a latitude of 36° 13',  longitude of 57° 44', and an elevation of 990 m above sea level, during 2019 and 2020. The experimental design consisted of a split plot arrangement of treatments with three replicates in a completely randomized complete block design. The type of fertilizer, which included chemical, organic, chemical+organic, and control (without fertilizer), was regarded as the main plot, while the planting method, which included conventional and ultra-row spacing cultivation, was regarded as the sub plot. Each plot consisted of four 50 cm (UNR) or 25 cm (CR) rows with a length of 4 m and a 20 cm plant spacing. Utilizing a pneumatic seeder and Varamin cultivar, sowing was performed. Before planting, a physicochemical analysis of the experimental soil was conducted. In accordance with the recommendation of the soil test, a uniform dose of phosphorus (150 kg ha-1) in the form of Triple Super Phosphate was applied at the time of sowing as part of the chemical treatment. The recommended amount of N (250 kg ha-1) was applied as urea. One-third of the N was applied at the time of sowing, and the remaining two-thirds were applied in two equal splits at the first and second weedings (50 and 80 days after sowing, respectively). In organic treatment, the rate of poultry manure application was 3000 kg ha-1. In the chemical+organic treatment, each organic and chemical fertilizer was applied at a rate of 50%. At the time of harvest, five plants were randomly selected from the middle rows of each plot and their final height, number of branches, and number of bolls per plant were measured. In order to determine the weight of bolls, 10 bolls were selected at random from the harvested plants and their average weight was determined. The seed cotton yield was harvested at one stage after approximately 90 percent of the bolls had opened. The lint and seeds were separated and weighed separately from the seed cotton. The lint percentage was calculated by dividing the lint weight by the seed cotton weight. The collected data on various parameters were statistically analyzed using SAS (Version 9.4), and the least significant difference (LSD) test at a 5% probability level was used to compare the treatment means. Chemical and organic treatment increased the number of lateral branches (48.7 percent), number of bolls per plant (88.9 percent), and boll weight (131 percent) compared to the control, while organic fertilizer treatment increased lint percentage (42.3 percent). In all nutrition systems, conventional cultivation produced more bolls per plant than ultra-row spacing, and integrated treatment and conventional cultivation produced the greatest number of bolls per plant. In ultra-row spacing and integrated nutrition systems, seed cotton yield was increased by 18.5% over conventional and organic fertilizer and cultivation, and lint yield was increased by 9.28% over conventional cultivation. Overall, the results of this experiment demonstrated that it is possible to produce a satisfactory seed cotton yield by substituting 50 percent of the chemical fertilizers in an integrated system with 50 percent less organic fertilizer and by utilizing ultra-row spacing.

Abiotic stress and callus formation can increase total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The aim of this study was to increase the amount of total phenol and antioxidant activity in Securigera securidaca L. and its calli by ultrasonic stress in vitro conditions. The plants were grown in the greenhouse. Callus formation was performed with MS culture medium containing α-naphthalene acetic acid (2.2 mg/L) and 6-Benzylaminopurine (8.8 mg/L). Ultrasonic stress was applied to the main plants for 10, 20 and 30 minutes in 15 days in vitro conditions; in addition, the ultrasonic stress was applied to the calli for 10 minutes at the same time. The samples were collected on the first, fifth, tenth and fifteenth days. The samples were then dried in an oven, then their ethanolic extract was prepared. Total phenol content and antioxidant activity tests were performed by Folin-Ciocalteu and Wu methods respectively on the leaves of the main plant and its calli. The results showed that the amount of total phenol in the 30 minutes on the first day of ultrasonic treatment is higher than the control. In all treatments, antioxidant activity was reduced compared to the control sample. The highest amount of phenol was observed in calli in ultrasonic stress treatment on the 15th day. Antioxidant activity was reduced in calli under ultrasonic stress compared to the control sample. Therefore, it can be concluded that ultrasonic stress in the samples of this experiment increased the amount of phenolic but did not affect the antioxidant activity. Callus formation and ultrasonic stress also increase total phenol content simultaneously.

In order to investigate the agrophysiological response of cotton to foliar application of stress modulators in different planting date, an experimental was conducted as split-plot factorial in a randomized complete block design with three replications in 2017-2018. Factors were: planting date (early (May 15 and 20, for the first and second year, and late (June 20 and 17, for the first and second year, respectively) as the main plot and type of stress modulator at four levels (control, salicylic acid, glycine betaine and sodium nitroprusside) and time of stress modulators application (flowering and flowering + bolling stage) as a factorial in the sub-plot. Both in early and late planting date, foliar application in flowering+bolling stage increased the number of reproductive branches, number of bolls per plant, seed cotton and lint yield. The highest number of bolls per plant was obtained in early planting date by foliar application of glycine betaine (15.7) and in late planting date by foliar application of salicylic acid (8.7). While salicylic acid foliar application increased the seed cotton yield in early planting date (47%), but in late planting date, seed cotton yield did not respond to the stress moderator application. In both flowering and flowering+bolling stage, the highest seed cotton yield was obtained by spraying sodium nitroprusside (1265 and 1537 kg/ha, respectively). In terms of lint and seed yield, in early planting date, foliar application of sodium nitroprusside and in late planting date, foliar application of salicylic acid was better than other modifiers. Overall, the results of this experiment showed that sowing at the appropriate date and foliar application with salicylic acid in the flowering + bolling stage is the most appropriate treatment to obtain the highest seed cotton yield in saline condition.

The aim of this study was to produce a suitable cake with reduced fat with the help of apple pomace fiber as a fat substitute. After preparing fiber from apple pomace by water extraction method, first some properties of this fiber were evaluated. Due to the low amount of fat and energy and the amount of crude fiber, the extracted apple fiber was able to replace carbohydrate-based fat for flour products. In this study, optimization of the cake production process by three factors, including apple fiber with a ratio of (0.5, 10%) and oil (16.38, 15.47, 14.57%) with a shelf life of 0, 15 and 30 days. Response method was performed. The result showed that with increasing the amount of fiber moisture, fat, firmness and adhesion, the springiness of the cakes increased and the volume decreased. With increasing shelf life, moisture, fat, aw increased and the firmness and stickiness of cake spring decreased.  The results of this study show that the cake containing 5.163% fiber and 14.9% oil in 8 days was the best sample. The results showed that the use of apple pomace in the cake reduced the fat content by 9.3% compared to the control sample. According to the optimization results, the optimum sample moisture content is 22.847%, water activity 0.850%, fat 15.018%, specific gravity 82.737 cm3/g, hardness 10809 (N), spring content 0.747 cm and the amount of adhesion was determined to be 0.392.