آنتی اکسیدان

Melatonin has been introduced as a strong antioxidant that has a protective role in stressful conditions and acts as an osmotic regulator and metabolic modifier when different stresses occur. In order to investigate the effect of melatonin pretreatment on improving the morphophysiological traits of Calendula officinalis L., a factorial completely randomized design with three replications was conducted. Melatonin at three levels (0, 100 and 150 µM) and sodium chloride at four levels (0, 30, 60 and 90 mM) were considered as the treatments. Based on the obtained results, the highest plant height, the highest number of leaves and the longest root length were obtained in 150 μM melatonin without sodium chloride treatment. On the other hand, at 90 mM salinity and without the presence of melatonin, the lowest number of leaves and plant height were observed. The fresh weight of the root, at different levels of salinity, showed a decreasing trend with increasing salinity concentration, so that its lowest value was observed in the concentration of 90 mM salt without melatonin. The fresh weight of the root increased with the increase in melatonin concentration. The highest relative water content and potassium percentage of leaves were observed in 150 μM melatonin treatment. As the salt concentration increased, the relative water content and potassium concentration decreased. The highest amount of soluble sugar related to 60 mM salinity in combination with 100 µM melatonin and the highest amount of proline was observed in 60 mM salinity + 150 µM melatonin. The results indicated that melatonin pretreatment was effective on the vegetative and physiological traits of marigold under salinity stress and was able to reduce the effect of salinity, especially in the concentrations of 30 and 60 mM sodium chloride.

Persian sage (Salvia mirzayanii L.) is a medicinal plant belonging to the mint family, which has been of interest since ancient times due to its many medicinal properties. In order to investigate the effect of different concentrations of amino acids (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 gr/L) and storage duration (0, 2, 4 and 6 months) on the amount and changes of Iranian sage essential oil, a factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design. Amino acid foliar application had a positive effect on the measured vegetative and reproductive traits of Iranian sage plant as well as the percentage of compounds after harvest. In this study, the most important compounds found in Iranian sage essential oil after harvesting were 5-neo-sedranol (20.11%), Lnalyl acetate (16.52%) and alphaterpinyl acetate (14.28%). The content of total phenol increased by increasing the level of amino acid foliar application up to the level of 1 mg/L (82.6 mg/L) and after that it decreased, and by continuing storage for 6 months after harvesting, it increased by 23.15% compared to four months. The highest antioxidant activity was obtained from foliar spraying of amino acid with a concentration of 1 mg/L, and storage for 6 months after harvest reduced it by 29% compared to the time of harvest. Based on the results of this study, it is recommended to use amino acid up to a concentration of 0.5 gr/L in order to achieve the maximum fresh and dry weight of the plant.

Medicinal plants produce bioactive compounds with high antioxidant value. Due to the importance of Withania coagulans</em> in the pharmaceutical industry and also due to the cutting of this shrub species and its use in the pharmaceutical industry using traditional methods, the risk of extinction of this valuable species will increase, so we should look for the method - to be alternatives to increase the production of secondary metabolites of this plant. Using elicitors as a technique in vitro increases plant production of effective compounds (secondary metabolites). It has been reported that fungal stimulants are also used to induce the production or increase of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants. Therefore, in this study, the effect of cellulase elicitor on the growth index and biochemical and physiological traits of Withania coagulans</em> (Stocks) Dunal) was investigated in cell suspension culture.

Seeds of Withania coagulans</em> were collected from the Mehrestan region of Saravan city, and after disinfection, they were cultivated in ½ MS medium to produce explant. Production explants were cultured in an MS culture medium containing auxin and cytokinin hormones (2mg/l 2, 4, D, and 0.5 mg/l Kinetin) to produce callus. Three sub-cultures of production called into MS culture medium containing transfer previous regulating hormones were done. Investigated treatments include six elicitor treatments: 1: Control 2: Elicitor with a concentration of 200 μg/ml and 24 hours of exposure to the Elicitor, 3: Elicitor with a concentration of 200 μg/ml and 48 hours of exposure to the Elicitor, 4: Elicitor with a concentration of 200 μg/ml and 72 hours of exposure Elicitor, 5: Elicitor with a concentration of 7.5 μg/ml and 14 days of exposure to the Elicitor and 6: Elicitor with a concentration of 10 μg/ml and 14 days of exposure to the cellulase elicitor in a completely randomized design with three replications in the central laboratory of the university of Zabol was applied. Investigated traits were: callus growth index, antioxidant activity, proline content, soluble carbohydrates, malondialdehyde, total alkaloid, and activity of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and polyphenol oxidase).

The effect of different cellulase treatments on all traits was significant except polyphenol oxidase enzyme activity. In general, different elicitor treatments improved all the measured traits except the content of total carbohydrates. However, the increase in the trait depended on the concentration and period of exposure to the Elicitor. So, in most of the measured traits, the elicitor treatment with a concentration of 10 micrograms/ml and a period of 14 days caused an increase in all treatments. All cellulase elicitor treatments increased the antioxidant activity of Withania coagulans</em> cells in cell suspension culture. The highest antioxidant activity was observed in the sixth and fifth treatments and the lowest in the second and first treatments (control). The addition of Elicitor in the early stage of cell growth in cell suspension culture (eighth day) despite the lower concentrations of Elicitor (7.5 and 10 μg/ml) leads to a further increase in callus growth, antioxidant activity, Proline, and total alkaloid increased then the addition of Elicitor in exponential phase, despite the high concentration of Elicitor (200 μg/ml). A higher concentration of elicitors causes a hypersensitive response, which leads to cell death; hence, an optimal Elicitor level is required to induce growth.

Cellulase elicitor improved the growth index and antioxidant potential of Withania coagulans </em>through physiological and biochemical traits. According to the obtained results, the use of cellulase elicitor can be considered an important strategy to increase the growth, effective compounds, and antioxidant properties of Withania coagulans</em> for commercial production.

Heavy metals, like cadmium, lead, and arsenic, harm air, soil, agriculture, and human health. Plants suffer from reduced growth, chlorophyll production, and enzyme activity due to heavy metal exposure. Reactive oxygen species are produced, damaging biological molecules. However, plants have developed resistance mechanisms, including antioxidant stimulation. Flavonoids, complex compounds in plants, enhance resistance to heavy metals. Medicinal plants, rich in secondary metabolites like flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and alkaloids, show resistance to heavy metals. Origanum majorana as a medicinal plant, contains compounds that contribute to its heavy metal resistance. Based on limited studies, medicinal plants, particularly marjoram, have shown greater resistance to environmental stresses due to their secondary metabolites and the ability to produce uncontaminated essential oils in response to heavy metals like cadmium and lead. This study aimed to investigate the biochemical responses and growth of marjoram plants when exposed simultaneously to cadmium and lead, as well as the mutual effects of these two elements on marjoram behavior.

A factorial randomized complete block design experiment with four replications was used to study the effect of Cd in four concentrations (0, 6, 12 and 24 mg.kg-1 soil) as well as Pb in four concentrations (0, 150 300 and 450 mg. Kg-1 soil). The concentrations were determined based on previous reports and a preliminary experiment. Soil was prepared with appropriate amounts of cadmium chloride and lead chloride were added according to the desired concentrations. The contaminated soil was then incubated at field capacity moisture for two months. Seeds have been sown in germination trays. Seedlings at the three to four leaf stage were transferred to pots containing the contaminated soil. Plant harvest took place 42 to 52 days after the transfer to pots, specifically when the plants had just entered the flowering stage. The aboveground parts of the plants were harvested separately, and the roots were carefully removed from the soil. Half of the plants were dried at 105 °C for 24 h to determine the dry weight, Pb and Cd concentrations. The other half of the plants were used to measure biochemical traits including flavonoids, anthocyanins, malondialdehyde, protein, proline and some enzymatic antioxidants. The data was analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the means were compared using the LSD test. A significance level of 95% was applied using SAS 9.2.

In this study, various parameters were measured including the dry weight of aerial parts and roots, concentrations of lead and cadmium in the aerial parts and roots, lipid peroxidation (MDA), flavonoids, anthocyanins, total phenols, proline, protein, and antioxidant enzymes including guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and catalase (CAT). The results of the analysis of variance showed that all the mentioned traits were influenced by the individual effects of lead and cadmium. However, there was no significant interaction between cadmium and lead on proline, protein, GPX, polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. The dry weight of aerial parts and roots decreased in the presence of cadmium and lead, while the concentrations of lead and cadmium increased. However, this damage was more pronounced in the presence of cadmium compared to lead. The presence of cadmium in a lead-containing environment had an inhibitory effect on lead uptake by the plant, and vice versa. The highest level of MDA was reported in the combination of lead and cadmium concentrations of 450 and 24 mg/kg, respectively. The analysis of enzyme activity showed that the maximum catalase activity was observed in the combination of 6 and 450 mg/kg of cadmium and lead, respectively, while the minimum activity was found in the control group. Similarly, the highest APX activity was reported in the combination of 24 mg/kg of cadmium and zero lead, while the lowest activity was observed in the control group. The use of cadmium and lead at the highest consumption level compared to the control group resulted in a 204% and 40% increase in GPX activity, respectively. In the analysis of total phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and protein, an increase in cadmium concentration from zero to 24 mg/kg led to a decrease of 52%, 42%, 208%, and 81%, respectively, while protein decreased by 39%. These traits showed an increase of 14%, 14%, 58%, and 40%, respectively, with an increase in lead concentration from zero to 450 mg/kg, while protein decreased by 24%. Based on the results, it appears that the increase in secondary metabolites with the increase in heavy metals has accompanied the plant's response to the prevailing conditions.

The study found that both cadmium and lead negatively affect the dry weight of plants, with cadmium having a greater impact. This reduction is particularly noticeable in photosynthesis, pigments, electron transport chain, and energy production. The highest concentrations of lead and cadmium (24-450 mg/kg) show the maximum decrease. As the concentrations of these elements increase in the growth medium, their concentration in the plants also increases. Lead has lower mobility and tends to accumulate in the roots compared to cadmium. Interestingly, the presence of cadmium inhibits the uptake of lead by the plant, and vice versa. This leads to an average inhibition of 39% for lead uptake by cadmium and 35% for cadmium uptake by lead in the aerial parts. The study also observed an increase in secondary metabolites, which act as antioxidants and help the plant cope with the stresses caused by cadmium and lead. These metabolites may also contribute to osmotic regulation along with the increase in proline. Based on these findings, it seems that these plants can be used in green spaces contaminated with moderate to low levels of cadmium and lead, particularly in mining areas.

In recent years, Urtica dioica L. has attracted the attention of researchers due to its significant effect on many diseases, especially diabetes. However, more research needs to be done in the field of tissue culture and the effect of elicitors on antioxidant properties and the production of its secondary metabolites. This research aimed to investigate the best hormonal combination and light conditions effective on nettle callogenesis and the effect of methyl jasmonate elicitor on its biochemical properties.

For this purpose, using stem explants, the effect of different levels of auxin hormones, naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) (1.5 and 3 mg/l) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4 D) (0.5 and 1.5 mg/l) and cytokinin hormone, benzylaminopurine (BAP) (0.5 and 1.5 mg/l) were evaluated in two light conditions (light and dark) by measuring fresh weight, dry weight and percentage of callogenesis. The nettle plant's callus growth curve was obtained using liquid culture. After starting the suspension culture, methyl jasmonate treatment was applied with three levels of 1, 0.1 and 0.01 mM, and sampling was done at 24, 48 and 96 hours. The enzyme activity of phenylalanine ammonialyase and polyphenol oxidase and total protein content by extracting in 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer with 8.8 acidity and total phenol, total flavonoid content by extracting in 80% methanol was measured using spectrophotometric and standard methods for control samples and those under different treatments of methyl jasmonate. Also, three metabolites of quercetin, kaempferol and rutin were measured using an HPLC device with a UV detector and 18C column stationary phase. Data from the callogenesis experiment were analyzed in a two-factor experiment in a completely randomized design. The data from the biochemical and HPLC experiments were analyzed in a split-plot in time design, and the means were compared with Duncan's test.

According to the results, the best hormonal combination to produce fresh and dry weight in light conditions includes 1.5 mg/l of NAA and 1.5 mg/l of BAP and in dark conditions, it includes 1.5 mg/l naphthalene acetic acid and 0.5 mg/l of benzyl aminopurine. Also, according to the results, naphthalene acetic acid (62.5%) performed better than 2,4-D (43.5%) in the nettle callogenesis percentage. Lighting was determined as the best light condition for callogenesis in nettle, so the amount of fresh and dry weight and percent of callogenesis in light compared to darkness increased by 4.79, 4.91 and 1.92 times, respectively. There was an increase in polyphenol oxidase enzyme activity, total phenol and total protein in some samples treated with methyl jasmonate compared to the control, and no significant increase was observed in the activity of phenylalanine ammonialyase enzyme and total flavonoid content. According to the HPLC results, the highest amount of rutin metabolite was obtained in 96 hours after the addition of the elicitor and at the concentration of 0.01 mM methyl jasmonate.

The naphthalene acetic acid hormone was more effective than the 2,4-D hormone and light conditions than darkness in nettle callogenesis. Methyl jasmonate elicitor increased the antioxidant property of nettle (48 hours after treatment) by increasing the polyphenol oxidase enzyme activity. However, compared to the control, it had no significant effect on the phenylalanine ammonialyase enzyme activity and total flavonoid. It is suggested that other concentrations of methyl jasmonate be tested to reach optimal conditions for increasing the production of secondary metabolites in nettle in vitro culture conditions.

Teucrium polium L. is a herbaceous plant from the mint family that has many uses in traditional medicine. In recent years, numerous medicinal effects such as anti-diabetes, anti-cancer, anti-spasm, and reducing fat and blood pressure have been reported. Therefore, cultivation of this plant under laboratory conditions is necessary to preserve its survival, reproduction, and increased secondary metabolites. Among the solutions, elicitors in the plant tissue culture technique are one of the most widely used methods to increase secondary-medicinal metabolites. Chitosan, as a biopolymer, induces defense responses, increases antioxidant enzyme activity, and accumulates phenolic compounds. In the present study, the effect of chitosan bio-elicitor was studied on some phenolic compounds of T. polium under in vitro culture to optimize secondary metabolites and increase antioxidant capacity. Leaf explants were prepared from preserved T. polium in hydroponic conditions and fed with Hoagland's solution. After sterilization with sodium hypochlorite 5% (v/v) and ethanol 70% (v/v), middle slices were prepared from the leaf explant and cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) culture medium containing separate and combined concentrations of benzyl amino purine (BAP)(1 and 1.5 mg.L-1) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA)(0.5 mg.L-1). The samples were kept for four weeks in the dark at 25 degrees Celsius. With callogenesis, the samples were transferred to light conditions of 16 hours of light and 8 hours of darkness. At the end of the sixth week, the induced calli were subcultured. The calli were treated with chitosan at different concentrations (0, 50, 100, and 150 mg.L-1). After eight weeks, green calli were collected. Finally, to prepare the final extract for biochemical assays, extraction was done from green calli. The content of phenolic compounds (phenol, flavonoid, flavone, and phenolic acids), antioxidant activity, and phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL) activity was measured. According to the results, the application of different concentrations of chitosan (0, 50, 100, and 150 mg.L-1) and all hormonal treatments (BAP1, BAP1.5, and BAP1.5+NAA 0.5 mg.L-1) caused a significant increase in the content of phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, and PAL activity compared to the control samples. So the application of the simultaneous and combined treatment of BAP at a concentration of 1.5 mg.L-1 with NAA at a concentration of 0.5 mg.L-1, along with the treatment of 100 mg.L-1 of chitosan induced green calli of T. polium in in vitro culture, results in the maximum content of phenolic derivatives (1884.95 for phenol, 936.65 for o-diphenol, 1462.28 for flavonoid, 631.07 for flavone, and 662.41 for phenolic acids). As compared to the control, the antioxidant capacities (measured by DPPH and FRAP assays) increased by 68.34 percent and 71.92 percent, respectively. A significant increase in PAL activity (65.81%) was observed in induced calli. Considering the importance of T. polium as a medicinal plant, chitosan, a successful elicitor, promotes the synthesis of phenolic secondary metabolites. As a result, the increase of antioxidant power and PAL activity in the callus of T. polium.

The medicinal plant of Balangu Shirazi (Lalemantia royleana Benth) to the Lamiaceae or Labiateae family. This medicinal plant is native to the tropical regions of Asia, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. This plant is also found in various regions of the Middle East and Europe, especially Turkey, Iran and in the Siberian regions of Russia, i.e. in Western Siberia. Due to the presence of high mucilage content, Lallemantia royleana seeds quickly absorb water through the hydration process and produce a sticky, cloudy and tasteless liquid that can be used as a new source of hydrocolloid in food formulations as well. Soil salinity is a growing problem in agricultural ecosystems that endangers the growth and productivity of plants. Salinity causes ionic toxicity, nutritional imbalance, pigment destruction and inhibition of photosynthesis, oxidative and osmotic stress, limited release of CO2 in leaves, changes in metabolic pathways, cell deformation, premature aging and finally cell death in it becomes a plant. Therefore, effective solutions to deal with soil salinity under agricultural management systems can include all kinds of salt-resistant species and biotechnological approaches such as the use of beneficial microorganisms that are able to improve plant tolerance to salt. Mycorrhizal fungi, one of the common soil microbes, can occupy the roots of most terrestrial plant species. Notably, mycorrhizal fungi can improve host plant tolerance to salinity stress by a series of physiological and biochemical mechanisms, including higher water use efficiency, photosynthetic capacity, maintaining ion homeostasis, osmotic protection, maintaining cell ultrastructure and enhancing antioxidant metabolism. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the role of three mycorrhizal fungi on seed yield, physiological characteristics and mineral elements (N, P and K) of the medicinal plant L. royleana under salt stress conditions.

This experiment was factorial based on a completely randomized design including the treatment of mycorrhizal fungi at three levels (R. irregularis, G. versiform, F. mosseae) with the number of spores 5 x 106 per milliliter of inoculum and salinity stress including four level (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 dS/m of sodium chloride salt) was done in three repetitions. This experiment was carried out in 2018 in a greenhouse at Islamic Azad University, Mahabad Branch, day and night temperatures were 25 and 22 degrees Celsius, respectively, with two relative humidity levels of 60 (during the day) and 40 (at night). The percentage and amount of carbon dioxide was about (mMol.mol-1) 500-600. Shirazi Balangu seeds were obtained from Pakan Seed Company of Isfahan with 99% purity and 80% potency. Distilled water was used for zero treatment (control) and pure sodium chloride salt (Merck, Germany) was used to prepare solutions with electrical conductivity of 2, 4, 6 and 8 dS/m. Balango seeds were sown in the middle of Mehr in pots with an opening diameter of 20 cm and a length of 18 cm containing soil, sand and manure (2:1:1) at a depth of 0.5-1 cm. Three fungi G. versiform, R. irregularis and F. mosseae were used for mycorrhiza inoculation, and there were at least 50 live spores in each gram of soil. The ratio of the inoculant used to the soil was one to nine (by volume) and in layers. In order to prevent any deficiency of nutrients, 10 ml of Hoagland nutrient solution with half the concentration of phosphorus was added to all the pots every week. The traits under study encompassed the seed yield of a single plant, seed oil percentage, antioxidant capacity, proline content, as well as the leakage of ionic substances and nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted on the data using SAS 9.1 statistical software. Mean comparisons among traits were performed utilizing Duncan's test at a significance level of 5%.

The results showed that the traits evaluated in the present study were affected by mycorrhizal fungus treatments, salinity stress and the mutual effect of fungi in salinity stress. Seedlings inoculated with mycorrhizal fungus R. irregularis had the highest seed yield, percentage of oil, proline, antioxidant power and mineral elements compared to the other two strains of mycorrhizal fungus. Salinity stress increased the percentage of oil, proline, and antioxidant power of L. royleana medicinal plant leaves, and increasing the salinity stress from 0 to 8 dS/m decreased grain yield and mineral elements. According to the comparison results of the average effect of fungus interaction in salt stress, the highest amount of seed yield and mineral elements in plant inoculation with R. irregularis fungus was observed in the absence of salt stress, as well as the highest amount of traits of oil percentage, proline and antioxidant power. It was obtained in a tension of 8 dS/m. According to the results of the present research, the use of R. irregularis mushroom strain had the most positive effect on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of L. royleana medicinal plant compared to the absence of mushroom inoculation.

In general, the results of this study showed that mycorrhizal inoculation had a positive and significant effect on seed yield, antioxidant capacity, oil percentage, proline content and the concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium elements in L. royleana plant. Also, the results indicated that the use of mycorrhiza in the cultivation of L. royleana can partially prevent the occurrence of element deficiency in saline soils and reduce the high consumption of chemical fertilizers. This assertion has been corroborated by research conducted by other scholars focusing on medicinal plants. Employing mycorrhizal symbiosis in saline soils has been shown to enhance plant resistance to salinity. Therefore, by employing a suitable mycorrhizal strain with salinity resistance, it becomes feasible to mitigate the departure of saline soils from the production cycle, thereby averting consumption-related issues. Furthermore, the excessive use of chemical fertilizers has led to numerous problems, highlighting the need for alternative approaches.

Strawberry is known as one of the most important temperate small fruits which is cultivated in the field, greenhouse and high tunnels in the most regions of the world. The role of gibberellin and auxin in increasing fruit size of strawberries have been reported. One of the major problems of strawberry production in greenhouse is the fruits malformation which has reduced the market value of the fruit. Gibberellin and auxin have been different effects in vegetative and reproductive of growth stages. The purpose of this research was to improve the vegetative and reproductive indices of the fruit and to control the malformation problem by stimulating the development of seeds on the fruit and stimulating the growth of the fruit receptacle by gibberellin GA3.

Experiments were conducted in a commercial greenhouse in Karaj, Hashtgerd New City, Phase 7 during 2017-2019. Two separate experiments (spraying hormones on whole plant or immersing individual fruitlets on hormone solution) were designed and implemented in a commercial greenhouse unit. In the first experiment: GA3 was at concentrations of 50, 100 and 150 ppm and IBA at concentrations of 20, 40 and 60 ppm in growth stages of 60 and 65 according to BBCH worldwide model. In the second experiment, fruits were immersed in NAA with concentrations of 20, 40 and 60 ppm and GA3 with concentrations of 25, 50 and 100 ppm at fruit growth stages 70 and 73 according to BBCH procedure. After reaching the red stage, the fruits were manually harvested and transferred to the laboratories for additional tests. Vegetative and reproductive traits were evaluated including leaf area, number of leaves, crown circumference, plant height, number of flowers and fruit dimensions. Fruit biochemical characteristics include: total soluble solids, titratable acid content of fruit, anthocyanin and antioxidant capacity, total phenolics, catalase and superoxide dismutase enzymes activities and content of vitamin C were evaluated. The experiments were designed and implemented in the frame of a randomized complete block design. The data were analyzed by SAS ver.9.4 and SPSS ver. 22 software, the mean data were compared based on Duncan's multi-range test, and the graphs were drawn by Excel 2013 software.

Foliar spraying with gibberellin had a significant effect on several characteristics, including leaf area, crown circumference, number of flowers, and plant height at the 1% level of significance. However, it did not yield a significant impact on the attribute of leaf number. The increase in vegetative growth could be due to the synthesis of more amino acids in the stimulation of gibberellin treatment. Gibberellin treatments increased the vegetative growth of the plant and increased the number of flowers, but their growth was stopped after fruit formation and no fruits were formed in gibberellin spraying. This can be due to the existence of an antagonistic relationship between vegetative parts and fruit developments. Auxin hormone treatments had a significant effect on increasing fruit size and reducing the percentage of malformed fruits. GA3 at concentration of 50 ppm improved plant vegetative characteristics such as: plant leaf area, plant crown circumference, plant height and number of flowers, while IBA reduced fruit deformity by 40% and also increased the amount of total soluble solids, the titratable acid content of the fruit and the antioxidant content of the fruit. In general, gibberellin at a concentration of 50 ppm in order to increase plant vegetative indices and auxin at a concentration of 60 ppm were statistically effective. In second experiment, it seems that three levels of gibberellin treatment have increased all traits related to fruit compared to auxin and control. GA3 at a concentration of 100 ppm, causing an increase in fruit size, fruit weight and the biochemical properties of the fruit and the deformity decreased by 37/5% while NAA at a concentration of 60 ppm increased the amount of fruit anthocyanin as well as total fruit phenolics and vitamin C content.

In the first experiment, gibberellin foliar application at a concentration of 50 ppm had the greatest effect on vegetative growth indicators. Also, in the same experiment, it was found that the use of GA3 in high concentrations has the negative effects on flowering and fruit growth., while it increases the amount of runner production. Also, IBA at a concentration of 60 ppm was the most effective treatment in fruit indices. In the second experiment, gibberellin at a concentration of 100 ppm was the most effective treatment in fruit and its biochemical traits, while NAA auxin in the second experiment showed a lower response to fruit than IBA auxin in the first experiment.

Bedding plants are important elements in landscape construction, and their cultivation is limited by drought stress. Improving the cultivation medium of these flowers with organic materials such as biochar can be a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution to increase their tolerance to drought stress. For this purpose, a greenhouse research was conducted to mitigate the effects of drought on morpho-physiological and biochemical characteristics of African marigold by application of rice husk biochar. The factorial experiment was conducted with two factors of irrigation treatment at three levels of 100, 50 and 25% of the field capacity (FC) and biochar at three levels of 0, 3.5 and 7% (w/w) in a completely randomized design with 5 replications. The results showed that drought decreased the morphological factors of shoot height, shoot dry weight, number of leaves, number of lateral branches, number of flowers, and length and diameter of flowers, so their lowest value were obtained in 25% FC. Furthermore, the use of biochar improved the morphological traits mentioned under drought conditions. The activity of peroxidase and superoxide dismutase enzymes, hydrogen peroxide content, proline, malondialdehyde, soluble carbohydrates, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoid increased under drought conditions. The use of biochar reduced these biochemical traits under drought conditions. Furthermore, relative water content of leaf, cell membrane stability index and soluble proteins showed a decreasing trend under drought conditions, and the use of biochar led to the improvement of these traits. In general, 7% biochar was more effective than 3.5% in reducing the adverse effects of drought stress. Therefore, 7% rice husk biochar can be recommended as a suitable soil improver to increase tolerance to drought stress in bedding plants for landscape purposes, although more investigations are needed both under field cultivation and at other applied amounts.

While grapes are considered as non-climacteric fruits, during the post-harvest stages, due to the softening of the tissue, it is very prone to decay, which shortens its post-harvest life. Today, due to the desire of consumers to use high quality food, the use of biodegradable films and coatings with antimicrobial properties, is a suitable alternative to synthetic preservatives, in order to maintain food security and prevent wastage of significant capital. Edible coatings are edible thin layers that are used to increase the shelf life and quality of fruits. This material increases the quality and health of the product by creating a semi-permeable barrier to water vapor and oxygen and carbon dioxide gases between the product and the environment, and to prevent anaerobic respiration, it absorbs a certain amount of gases and to this Sequence increases product shelf life. One of the most important ways to increase the shelf life and maintain the quality of agricultural products, especially fruits, is the use of edible coatings on the crop surface. Chitosan is one of the most important natural derivatives of chitin, of which about 50% of its acetyl’s groups have been removed. Due to the fact that Aloe vera gel has no taste and odor, can be considered a good option as a cover for fruits after harvest and due to its elasticity and strength solution in water, as a suitable layer on the product. Located and protects the fruit from mechanical damage and moisture loss.
 

 In this study, 12-year-old mature grape trees of ‘Asgari’ cultivar in the scaffolding garden of Abestan region of Khorramabad city in 1398 were studied. In the pre-harvest stage, chitosan was sprayed on the tree and in the post-harvest stage, Aloe vera gel was applied by dipping the fruit in Aloe vera gel in the laboratory. After treatment, the fruits were stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 4 ± 0.5 ° C and were examined at different time stages for quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the fruit. 20 identical grape trees (in terms of fruit size and load, with 50 to 70 annual branches in 8-14 buds) selected and grape clusters with different concentrations of chitosan (control (distilled water), 2 and 3 Percentage of chitosan) at different stages of growth (fruit set), 35 and 50 days later) were sprayed directly with 4 liters per vine, by hand sprayer (2 ml Tween 80% was added as the active surfactant). For this stage, immediately after harvesting the grapes, take them to the laboratory and immerse them in concentrations (zero, 25 and 33%) of Aloe vera gel for 10 to 20 seconds and then in the air. They dried. Then, grape fruits weighing about 360-300 g in each experimental unit were stored for 28 days at 4 ° C and examined. This study was performed as a factorial experiment (2 factors) in a completely randomized design with three replications. The first factor is the effect of the treatments studied in seven levels including: control, 2% chitosan (CTS 2%), 3% chitosan (CTS 3%), chitosan 2% + Aloe vera gel 25% (AVG 25% + CTS 2%), chitosan 3% + Aloe vera gel 25% (AVG 25% + CTS 3%), 2% chitosan + 33% Aloe vera gel (AVG 33% + CTS 2%), chitosan 3% + Aloe vera gel 33% (AVG 33% + CTS 3%) and the second factor was storage time at five levels (zero, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after harvest). Data analysis was performed using SAS software and a significant difference between treatments for each trait with a minimum significant difference at the probability level = 0.05 α was determined.
 

 The results of analysis of variance showed that the effect of treatment and storage time on the desired traits was significant at the level of one percent. Fruits treated with chitosan and Aloe vera gel had higher texture firmness, taste index, phenolic content, antioxidant activity and titratable acids and caries index and pH were lower than the control. The highest content of phenol, antioxidant, flavor index and titratable acidity in all five measurement times belonged to 2% chitosan treatments with both concentrations of Aloe vera gel (25 and 33%) and the lowest amount belonged to the control treatment. In control treatment, the percentage of caries index increased during storage and in grapes treated with chitosan and Aloe vera gel, the caries process was slower and the lowest rate of caries was observed in 2% chitosan treatment with aloe vera gel on the 14th day. In general, it was observed that pre-harvest application of chitosan and post-harvest Aloe vera gel increase the post-harvest life of ‘Asgari’ grapes and improve its quality traits. Chitosan creates a barrier with selective permeability to oxygen and carbon dioxide gases, and by placing carbon dioxide at a higher level and reducing oxygen, it creates a modified atmosphere around the fruit, which reduces respiration and ethylene production. As a result, it reduces the aging process and reduces the consumption of organic acids and sugars and prevents the increase of pH. Low pH prevents browning of the fruit due to the activity of catechins and chlorogenic acid enzymes. Aloe vera gel coating maintains and increases the antioxidant capacity of the whole fruit by reducing fruit juice loss, reducing respiration, reducing ethylene production and delaying aging.
 

 The combined treatment of chitosan 2% and Aloe vera gel (25 and 33%) increased fruit firmness, titratable acidity, taste index, total phenol content and antioxidant activity of grapes and reduced pH and caries index. Application of these treatments increased the post-harvest life of ‘Asgari’ grapes by 14 days, so it can be stated that the use of chitosan in the pre-harvest stage and the use of Aloe vera gel in the post-harvest stage as biodegradable and natural compounds to increase Shelf life of ‘Asgari’ grape fruit is recommended.

Harvest at inappropriate time is the most important factor in reducing the fruit quality, marketability, and postharvest life of kiwifruit. In this study, the effect of different harvest times on fruit quality, nutritional value, and organoleptic characteristics of two novel kiwifruits of yellow and red flesh was investigated. Fruits from promising genotypes were harvested at 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, and 180 days after full bloom (DAFB). The results showed that fruits harvested after 180 DAFB showed higher weight, length, diameter, dry matter, soluble solids content, and total soluble sugars. Meanwhile, titratable acidity was lower than fruits harvested earlier. The values of soluble solid content ranged from 6.80 to 11.66° brix in golden kiwifruit and from 6.90 to 13.70° brix in red flesh kiwifruit. With delayed harvest, total phenols, ascorbic acid content, DPPH and FRAP antioxidant capacity and hue angle in outer and inner pericarp decreased in both genotypes. Ascorbic acid content in the red-fleshed genotype decreased from 90.34 to 75.57 mg/100 g and in the golden genotype from 74.83 to 50.62 mg/100 g. Fruits from the red-fleshed genotype had the higher antioxidant capacity and nutritional value compared to the golden genotype. There was a positive significant correlation between ascorbic acid content and antioxidant capacity measured by DPPH (r=0.98) and FRAP (r=0.95) methods. In conclusion, novel golden and red flesh kiwifruit genotypes reached the minimum soluble solid content and hue angle for commercial harvest with favorable organoleptic properties only at 170 DAFB and the delay in harvest increased the organoleptic properties in both genotypes. However, the content of their antioxidant capacity was slightly lower compared to the early harvest.

 Lavandula stricta, Cassia obovata, Cocculus pendulus, and Solanum xanthocarpum are among the species that can be grown in Bushehr province, and so far, there is no report describing the ecophysiological, herbicidal and biochemical characteristics of these species in Iran. In recent decades, many chemical herbicides have been used to control weeds in agricultural ecosystems. Despite the many benefits of these herbicides, their improper use has caused devastating effects on the environment and agricultural production and ultimately has harmed human health. At present, the approach of developed countries is to use non-chemical methods and natural materials (biocides) to control weeds. Bushehr province with an area of about 252,653 Km2 in southern Iran and the Persian Gulf and at an altitude of 0 to195 meters above sea level. The average rainfall in Bushehr province is 250 mm. Bushehr province has a great variety in terms of having medicinal plants that allopathic substances and secondary metabolites of these plants have received less attention. Therefore, the identification of secondary metabolites and plants with allopathic properties is very important for the production of biological herbicides.

 This study was conducted to evaluate the eco-physiological, biochemical and herbicidal characteristics of Lavandula stricta, Cassia obovata, Cocculus pendulus and Solanum xanthocarpum. The plants were collected in April and May 2019. The location was situated in Kangan and Dashti, Bushehr Province, Iran. The ecological characteristics of the four areas such as latitude and longitude (UTM) and altitude were also recorded. Also, in order to determine the physicochemical properties of the soil in the collection areas of the studied plants, samples were taken from 15 different points of plant growth, from a depth of 0-30 cm and their properties were reported. In order to investigate the phytotoxic activity of the studied plants on germination and growth characteristics of Malva sylvestris and Chenopodium album in laboratory conditions, the seeds were first disinfected in 5% sodium hypochlorite for 5 minutes. Then the seeds were washed for 15 minutes and then dried at room temperature. In this study, Solanum xanthocarpum juice and alcoholic extracts of Lavandula stricta, Cassia obovata and Cocculus pendulus were used to investigate the phytotoxic properties and biochemical traits. From the extracts, concentrations of 0 (distilled water), 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 µl.L-1 were prepared and added to Petri dishes containing 25 seeds. In order to germinate the seeds, Petri dishes containing the extracts related to the extract were placed in suitable light conditions at a temperature of 25°C. Two weeks after treatment, germination percentage (%), germination rate index (number of day), radicle and plumule length (cm) and allopathic index were measured. Determination of free radical scavenging was performed by using the DPPH test. The samples’ absorptions were read at a wavelength of 517 nm with Epoch Microplate Spectrophotometer, BioTek Instruments, Inc., USA. Measuring the total phenols was performed according to Folin’s reagent method and the use of gallic acid as standard by using a spectrophotometer at the wavelength of 765 nm. Total flavonoid content was measured using a spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 510 nm through a standard curve of quercetin from Sigma-Aldrich. Flavones and flavonols were measured using 2% aluminum chloride and methanol at 425 nm. To isolate and measure the amount of polyphenols, an HPLC Agilent HPLC 1200 series model was used. Data were analyzed by using Duncan’s multiple range test (P< 0.05) by SAS, version 9.4 for Windows.

 Among the studied plants, the highest  and lowest amount of total phenol was found in Cocculus pendulus and Cassia obovata, respectively. The results showed, the highest amount of the total flavonoid in the extract, was achieved in Lavandula stricta plants collected in Kangan. The lowest (0.37 mg QUE. 100 g-1 DW) and highest (2.79 mg QUE. 100 g-1 DW) amount of flavon and flavonol was found in Cassia obovata and Cocculus pendulus, respectively. Also, antioxidant activity (I%) for Cocculus pendulus, Lavandula stricta and Solanum xanthocarpum were 77, 57 and 35%, respectively. Although, the lowest amount of antioxidant activity was found in Cassia obovata plants collected in Dashti. The results showed, the Lavandula stricta plants collected in Kangan had p-coumaric acid (PC) and ellagic acid (EA) by 0.565 and 1.28 mg g-1 DW. Among the phenolic acids evaluated, only catechin (0.262 mg g-1 DW) and p-coumaric acid (0.163 mg g-1 DW) were observed in the Cocculus pendulus plants collected in Kangan. The Cassia obovata plants collected in Dashti, had ellagic acid by 0.915 mg g-1 DW. The results of this study showed that the phenolic compounds identified in Solanum xanthocarpum juice were caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, pi-coumaric acid, vanillin and hesperidin. Chlorogenic acid was the predominant phenolic compound by 457 mg g-1 DW. Laboratory results showed Cocculus pendulus and Solanum xanthocarpum extracts had the most inhibition effect on the germination and growth of Malva sylvestris at the concentration of 1000 µl L-1.

 In this study, as the concentration of the extracts increased, the germination percentage, germination rate index (GRI), radicle and plumule lengths of Chenopodium album decreased significantly. Moreover, Solanum xanthocarpum juice showed the highest inhibition effect on Chenopodium album growth and germination at 1000 µl L-1. Due to the high potential allelopathy of the Cocculus pendulus and Solanum xanthocarpum, they can be used for Malva sylvestris and Chenopodium album control. Also, Cocculus pendulus extract can be used as a natural antioxidant source in related industries.

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is one of the medicinal plants of the Asteraceae family that contains natural compounds, especially stevioside and ribaodioside A, which are estimated to be 150 to 400 times sweeter than sucrose. Plants are exposed to various environmental stresses during growth and development under natural and agricultural conditions. Among these, drought is one the most severe environmental stresses affecting plant productivity. About 80–95% of the fresh biomass of the plant body is comprised of water, which plays a vital role in various physiological processes including many aspects of plant growth, development, and metabolism. Stevia is susceptible to various environmental stresses but the major effects are contributed by drought. Today, the fungal species Stevia rebaudiana is used as a biofertilizer and increases the production of secondary metabolites of economically valuable plants and also increases the growth and seed production of many plants. This fungal endophyte produces a significant amount of acid phosphatase for mobility in a wide range of insoluble or complex forms of phosphate, enabling the host plant to have adequate access to inactive phosphorus reserves in the soil. However, medicinal plants that are cultivated have often been reported to have lower abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere, which significantly reduces plant survival. Considering the coexistence role of mycorrhizal fungi in modulating the effects of drought stress, the aim of this study was to investigate the morphological, physiological and biochemical traits of stevia in response to the effects of mycorrhizal inoculation and drought stress.
 
This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of P. indica endophytic fungus under water stress conditions on vegetative characteristics, physiological parameters and micronutrients of stevia. A factorial experiment was employed based a completely randomized design with four replications in the research greenhouse of Islamic Azad University, Mahabad Branch in 2017. The first factor was drought stress at four levels (25, 45, 60 and 80% of field capacity) and the second factor was inoculation of seedlings with fungus at two levels (no inoculation and inoculation with P. indica). Water stress was applied based on a combination of plant appearance symptoms (no wilting to severe wilting) and soil moisture. Investigated traits included root colonization, dry weight, leaf number, plant height, stem diameter, chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, proline, soluble sugars, antioxidant power and micronutrients including copper, iron, zinc and manganese. To analyze the data variance, SAS 9.1 statistical software was used to analyze the variance of the data.
The results showed that the evaluated traits in the present study were affected by the main treatments of fungus and drought stress. Seedlings inoculated with P. indica endophytic fungi had the highest percentage of root colonization, growth parameters, photosynthetic pigment content, soluble compounds and micronutrients compared to no inoculation. Drought stress increased soluble sugars, proline content and antioxidant power of stevia leaves and decreased the other traits by increasing the stress level from 25 to 80%. The highest rate of root colonization (26.90%), stem diameter (3.21 mm) and carotenoid content (1.71 μg/ml) was observed in the treatment of plant inoculation with fungi and 25% drought stress. While the highest antioxidant power was found in the treatment of plant inoculation with fungi and 80% drought stress. According to the results of the present study, use of P. indica fungus had the most positive effect on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of stevia medicinal plant compared to no fungus inoculation.
 
This study showed the positive effect of P. indica endophyte inoculation on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of root colonization, dry weight, number of leaves, plant height, stem diameter, chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, proline, soluble sugars, antioxidant power and The micronutrients of calcium, iron, zinc and manganese showed stevia, and drought stress reduced the studied traits except for proline content, soluble sugars and antioxidant power. Inoculation of stevia seedlings with P. indica endophytic fungi at drought stress levels had the highest rate of root colonization, stem diameter, carotenoid content and antioxidant power compared to non-fungal inoculation. Therefore, due to the effect of biological compounds of natural origin and the production of plants with healthier active secondary compounds, the use of P. indica endophytic fungi can be recommended.

 Today, in the commercial production of strawberries, short day cultivars  are used due to having large fruits of desirable quality. Among  the short  day cultivars available in Iranare Camarosa, Atabaki, Gaviota, Queen Aliza, Paros and McDonance, which can be cultivated at greenhouse. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles are one of the metal oxides that exist in three forms of rutile, brookite and anatase, which affect growth, enzymatic activity and photosynthesis. Reported titanium nano dioxide in the highest concentration used (11.5 mg/l) increases fruit formation  percentage, leaf chlorophyll content, vitamin C content, fruit  ripening index, fresh and dry weight of roots and shoots and yield of strawberries. In another study, it was shown that titanium dioxide treatment under drought stress can increase photosynthetic pigments, total soluble solids, vitamin C, phenol, flavonoid, anthocyanin, and antioxidant activity, and it also improved plant performance. increase the strawberry cultivar Ventana compared to the control treatment. In a research found that spraying titanium increases the biomass, fertility and quality of peach fruit. It has alsow been showed that the pomegranate size of flowers and fruits increased with using titanium nano dioxide, and this can increase the quantity and quality of Alberta peach cultivar. Foliar application of titanium nano dioxide in cucumber has been reported to increase photosynthesis  and  phenolic content  and reduce lipid peroxidation. In a research, it was shown that titanium dioxide nanoparticles increased photosynthesis rate, water conductivity and transpiration rate in tomato leaves. Despite the effect of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the quantitative and qualitative improvement of some agricultural products, the researches conducted on strawberry plants were not complete or were only conducted on a specific variety. Therefore, with the aim of investigating and comparing the morphological and biochemical traits of some commercial strawberry cultivars under the effect of foliar spraying with titanium dioxide, the above research was conducted.
 
 This research was conducted to investigate the effect of nano titanium dioxide foliar spraying on four strawberry cultivars in the hydroponic greenhouse of the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in 2020-2021. Experimental treatments included 4 levels of titanium nano dioxide (0, 5, 10 and 20 mg/l) and 4 strawberry cultivars (Sabrina, Paros, Gaviota and Camarosa) with 4 replications. The research was done in a factorial manner based on a completely random design. JMP 8 software was used to perform variance analysis and compare the averages of the measured traits. Means were compared using Tukey test at 5% probability level and graphs were drawn using Excel 2010 software.
 According to the tables of mutual effects of titanium dioxide nano treatments and varieties, it can be found that the application of titanium dioxide nanoparticles had a positive effect on the desired characteristics in all four studied strawberry varieties. So that the application of different levels of titanium dioxide nano particles causes a significant increase in quantitative traits (number of leaves, leaf area, root length, fresh and dry weight of aerial and root parts, photosynthetic pigments) The yield-dependent traits compared to the control plants were found in strawberry-strawberry cultivars. Nano titanium dioxide had an effect in increasing the number of fruits and vegetative traits of all investigated cultivars, in such a way that, on the one hand, with a balanced increase in vegetative growth, and on the other hand, improving the efficiency of photosynthesis and absorption through the roots and increasing the percentage of fruit formation. , increased the yield per plant. Also, sprinkling of titanium nanoparticles on all levels caused a significant increase in juice pH, TSS, TA, vitamin C, anthocyanin, total phenol, flavonoid and in general qualitative traits compared to the control. In the treatment of nano titanium dioxide, especially at the level of 10 mg/liter, better results were observed.

According to the results, the use of Paros and Gaviota cultivars is recommended to farmers and agricultural researchers due to its high yield and good quality.

Plantago major L. is a herbaceous perennial plant with many biological effects such as strong antioxidant properties. This study aimed at investigating the inhibitory effect of P. major seeds extract on amyloid nanofibrils production and also to antioxidant properties of this extract. First, the plant powdered-seeds hydroalcoholic extract was prepared using 96% ethanol. The extract compounds were then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method. The production of amyloid fibrils was confirmed using the concord spectrometry method and transmission electron microscope imaging and its antioxidant effects were evaluated by the DPPH method. The presence of pyrrolidinone (2.95%) and N-(4-aminobutyl) acetamide (17.98%) in the extract was confirmed by GC/MS. The highest antioxidant activity (99.18%) and lowest amyloid nanofibrils production (55.73%) were obtained in the concentrations of 2 and 0.4 mg.ml-1 of the extract, respectively. The presence of amyloid fibrils was confirmed by electron microscopic imaging. The results of this research showed that the P. major seeds extract can be introduced as a suitable candidate to reduce the complications caused by Alzheimer's disease.

Barberry is one of the most important horticultural crops that has a privileged position among horticultural products due to its unique medicinal properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the morphological and biochemical characteristics of the fruit of some wild barberry genotypes in Shahroud to introduce the superior genotypes. 27 barberry genotypes were selected from three regions of Shahroud (Nekarman, Olang and Dehkhair), and sampling from each genotype was done in three replications. Morphological traits including fruit width and length, fruit weight, fruit tail length, seed width and length, seeds weight, number of seeds per fruit, leaf length, leaf width, petiole length, as well as total phenol and flavonoid, anthocyanins content and antioxidant activity were evaluated. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the genotypes in terms of the evaluated traits. The highest length, width and weight of fruit, seed length and width, seeds weight, seeds number per fruit, leaf length and width, petiole and cluster length were observed in Olang 1 (OL1) genotype. Fruit weight in the studied genotypes, varied from 0.09 in Nekarman 5 (NK5) to 0.28 g in OL2 and 0.27 g in OL1 genotypes. The highest amount of phenol (75 mg/g FW), flavonoids (37.2 mg/100 g FW) and antioxidant activity (38%) were recorded in OL3 genotype. Genotypes collected from Neckarman region had considrable anthocyanins content. According to the results, the highest (109%) and lowest (6.10%) amount of phenotypic coefficient of variation were observed for chroma index and cluster length, respectively.

The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of 14 populations of five species of Rumex, including R. chalepensis, R. kandavanicus, R. pulcher, R. crispus and R. tuberosus from Ardabil and Khorasan Razavi provinces using morphological traits. The studied traits included leaf length, leaf width, number of leaves per plant, aerial fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, phenol and antioxidants. Studies of morphological and phytochemical traits on farm and greenhouses showed that the highest coefficient variation for morphological traits related to aerial fresh and dry weight and number of leaves per plant, while the lowest coefficient variation related to the leaf length. In addition, the highest coefficient variation related to chlorophyll b and phenol and the lowest related to chlorophyll a. Also, the results of mean comparison of morphological traits under farm and greenhouse conditions showed that there was a significant difference between different species of Rumex and different populations within each species in the farm, however, there was a significant difference between different species in the greenhouse only in leaf length, leaf width, number of leaves per plant, aerial fresh and dry weight, phenol and antioxidants. In general, phenol and antioxidants were higher in R. crispus than in other species, however, R. tuberosus showed lower values ​​in all morphological and phytochemical traits compared to other species.

Kumquat is one of the citrus fruits that has gradually become important in the world. The fruits of kumquat suffer from sunburn in intense sunlight. In order to reduce the adverse effects of solar radiation, in this experiment, treatments of kaolin (0, 3 and 5%) and salicylic acid (with concentrations of 0, 0.1 and 1 mM) were used as foliar spray on potted samples. The evaluated treatments included relative water content, gas exchange, biochemical characteristics of the leaves, antioxidant enzymes activity and concentrations of nutrients. The results showed that treatments had significant effects on the measured parameters. Kaolin increased stomatal conductance and net CO2 uptake by creating a thin coating on the plant and protecting it from environmental stresses and reducing plant temperature. Salicylic acid also had positive effects on the activities of antioxidant enzymes.The effects of treatments on the balance of plant nutrients were not very noticeable, although slight changes were observed in some cases. In general, the results of this experiment showed that the use of kaolin 5% and 1mM salicylic acid together can be considered as a cheap and effective treatment in kumquat and in order to protect the plant in high temperature and severe radiation conditions.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a nutrient dense fruit with a high health value and one of the most important Iranian fruit crop. Historical evidence reveals that the primary origin of pomegranate is Iran and that it has been spread from this region to other areas. A vast range of pomegranate varieties can be found in Iran; 760 original, decorative and wild ones. Pomegranate juice contains a high amount of total soluble solid (TSS), anthocyanins, polyphenolic compounds, vitamin C, sugars and proteins.Pomegranate is considered as one of the most tolerant fruit crops capable of growing under arid and semi-arid climatic conditions. Cultivar and growing region climate are the main factors determining chemical composition of pomegranate fruits; Significant differences in various fruit quality parameters such as organic acids, phenolic compounds, sugars and water-soluble vitamins have been reported in previous studies.  The aim of present study was to compare and evaluate physical and biochemical characteristics of fruits and different polyphenolic compounds in juice of six commercial Iranian pomegranate cultivars.
This research was conducted in 2017 and 2018 years in a commercial orchard in Arsanjan region of Fras province. Six Iranian pomegranate cultivars included ‘Malas Yusef Khani’ (MYK), ‘Bajestani (BK), ‘Khazr Bardskan’ (KHZ), ‘Malas Dane Syah’ (MDS), ‘Rabbab’ (RB) and ‘Zard Anar Arsenjan’ (ZA) were studied. The trees were planted in randomized block design and spaced 5 and 3 m between and along the rows, respectively. The trees were grown under drip irrigation with routine cultural practices suitable for commercial fruit production. Orchard management was conducted uniformly according to optimized available recommendations (based on soil and water samples analysis) for the orchard site. Fruits were harvested randomly from orchard and some physicochemical characteristic of fruits were measured. Fruit length and fruit diameter measured by manual caliper, fruit and above ground weight was determined by digital scale. The fruit juice percentage was calculated by calculating the percentage of aril juice.  TSS (Total soluble solids) expressed in Brix◦ was measured using a refractometer. The titrable acidity (TA) was determined by titration to pH 8.1 with 0.1M NaOH solution and expressed as percentage.Total anthocyanins, total polyphenols, vitamin C and anthyoxidant activity were measured spectrophotometrically. Polyphenolic compositions of juices (Gallic acid, Catechin, Caffeic acid, Chloregenic acid, p-Coumaric acid Vanilin, Trans-ferulic acid, Hesperedin and Ellagic acid) were also measured using HPLC analysis. The chromatographic analysis was carried out on Agilent Technologies 1200 series HPLC system. Chromatograms were recorded at 280 and 320 nm. Each compound was quantified by comparing its peak. Data was analyzed by SPSS software and means were compared using Duncan’s multiple range tests at 5% probability level.
 
 Significant differences were found among studied pomegranate cultivars for various physical fruit characteristics, quality parameters and polyphenolic composition of fruit. ‘Malas Daneh Syah Yazd ’was the best in comparison to other cultivars.  ‘Malas Daneh Syah Yazd’ had the highest fruit weight (332 g), fruit length (8 cm), fruit diameter (8 cm), TSS(15.77 Brix◦), anthocyanin content (26.98 mg 100 ml-1), polyphenol content (514.37 mg 100 ml-1) , ascorbic acid content (9.23 mg 100 ml-1) and antioxidant activity (52.2%). Also, the amount of polyphenols in this cultivar was relatively high. This cultivar had high amount of some polyphenol content such as cathechin (223.5 mg L-1), Hesperidin (30.55 mg L-1) and Ellagic acid (43.02 mg L-1) with no significant differences with highest amount. ‘Rabbab’ had the highest aril weight (340 mg) and moderate levels of other fruit characterestics, this cultivar had the maximum polyphenols such as gallic acid (163.1 mgL-1), catechin (264.2 mgL-1), caffeic acid (265.1 mgL-1), p-Coumaric (74.41 mgL-1) acid, vanillin (18.21 mgL-1) and ellagic acid (43.5 mgL-1). Zard anar’ pomegranate cultivar which was native to this region in terms of most biochemical properties had a low a‘mount .Therefor, among the studied pomegranate cultivars‘ Malas Dane syah’ and was the best. This cultivar had the highest fruit characteristics and polyphenol content such as ellagic acid. 
The results of this study showed significant differences among studied pomegranate cultivars. ‘Dane syah Yazd’ had the highest physical and chemical characterestics of fruits. Previous studies showed that theses cultivars had good growth characteristics and high yield in comparison to other cultivars. Therefore, among the studied cultivars, ‘Dane syah Yazd’ is introduced as a suitable cultivar for this region. Also, ‘Rabbab’ Neyriz cultivar can be considered as a cultivar with high antioxidant properties of fruit juice due to having the highest amount of measured polyphenolic compounds, especially alginic acid.

A new group of colored shades called photo-selective netting shades are being developed, which can the affect the quality and quantity of light received by the plants, and at the same time provide optimal protection for them. Therefore, in order to investigate the use of colored shades (red, green and yellow) on the morphological and physiological characteristics of marigold, violet, croton and aglaonema, two separate experiments were carried out in winter and spring at Lahijan Flower and Ornamental Plants Research Station. The evaluated morphological traits included: plant height, fresh and dry weight of shoot and physiological traits included chlorophyll, carotenoid, anthocyanin, flavonoid, antioxidant capacity and catalase and peroxidase enzymes. The results showed that the yellow shade increased the vegetative power of the plants. The interaction effects of shade and plant species showed that the highest plant height, chlorophyll content and carotenoid content the plant were related to yellow shade and violet treatment. The results showed that the highest amount of anthocyanin, carotenoid and catalase was obtained under the red shade and the highest amount of total chlorophyll was obtained under the red and yellow shades in croton and aglaonema. The results of this research showed that the use of colored shades compared to not using shades created more favorable growth conditions for plants. Also, the yellow and red shades were better for the growth of the tested plants than the green shades and no shade and had a more favorable effect on the growth of the plants.