Journal of Medicinal Herbs
Volume:4 Issue: 3, Autumn 2013

Drought stress, as a main abiotic stress, has a significant influence on growth and metabolic activities of plant species. In this study, the influence of reduced irrigation on dry herbage, essential oil yield, and chemical components of two thyme species were investigated. This study was done in an experimental greenhouse, I.A.U., Shahrekord Branch, Iran at 2012 in a CRD with three replications. Three irrigation levels were I1 (irrigated in field capacity or control), I2 (slight drought stress or irrigation in 75% field capacity), and I3 (mild drought stress or irrigation in 50% field capacity). Two thyme species included Thymus daenensis and T. vulgaris. The essential oils obtained by hydro-distillation and were analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.  Results indicated that irrigation levels had a significant effect on many morphological and physiological characteristics, including dry matter, plant height, and leaf area index (LAI). In addition, levels of irrigation affected on oil yield and some major constituents in the essential oils. Carvacrol, γ-terpinene, and p-cymene contents in the essential oils were significantly increased under stressed conditions, whereas thymol amount was significantly reduced under stressed conditions.  According to the results of this study, drought stress reduces the essential oil yields and dry herbage in both species of thyme.

 The aim of this study was to assess the bactericidal effect of three medicinal plant species, including Thymus vulgaris, Trachyspermum ammi, and Mentha aquatica on Erwinia carotovora growth. This research was done in a factorial to completely randomized design with three concentrations, and three replicates on nutrient agar culture medium. Results of this study indicated that the essential oils from the studied plants were effective against Erwinia carotovora. At 300 ppm concentration, diameter of growth inhabitation was 43 mm. Results indicated the essential oil from T. ammi, especially at 300 and 400 ppm concentrations had the highest antibacterial activity against Erwinia carotovora with 43.00 and 46.67 mm diameter of growth inhabitation. In addition, there was no significant difference between 300 and 400 ppm concentrations of M. aquatica and at concentrations of 200, 300, and 400 ppm for T. vulgaris. The overall results indicated the essential oils, especially Trachyspermum ammi have antibacterial activity against Erwinia carotovora; it seems that the essential oils can be employed in manufacturing desirable bactericidal agents.

Ferulago angulata sub. carduchorum (locally name: Chavir or Chavil) is an important medicinal plant in Iran. The powder of aerial parts of this plant contains variety of components with different therapeutical effects such as antioxidant activities (AOA). This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation powder of aerial parts of this plant on total activities of serum antioxidant and some of the humoral immune responses in broiler chicks. Three hundred of 16 days-old commercial chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated to six treatments with five replicates. The dietary treatments consisted of the basal diet as control (A), 100 ppm (150 IU) of vitamin E (B), 70 g / 100 kg Flavofosfolipol (C), 0.3% (D), 0.6% (E), and 1% (F) of the powder of the aerial parts of this plant added to the basal diet. At 25 days, from each treatment of experiment, two chicks were randomly selected and sheep red blood cell (SRBC) was injected through their wings veins. At 30 days, blood samples (ten sample of per treatment) for the test of antibody measurement produced against SRBC, the influenza virus and Newcastle were prepared. Moreover, with the blood extension and numbering of Hetrophil and Lymphocyte calculated and hetrophil to lymphocyte ratio were estimated. At 42 days, blood samples (ten samples per treatment) were taken for measuring total activities of serum antioxidant. Results indicated that supplementing of 0.6% of F. angulata significantly increased total activities of serum antioxidant compared to control birds (p ≤ 0.05). There is no significant difference among the treatments of experiment in the number of Hetrophil, Lymphocyte their ratio and the antibody against the virus of Newcastle and SRBC. However, this antibody against the influenza virus at the treatment of 3 g/kg F. angulata in comparison to control treatment was more. Use of F. angulata in broiler diet could be increase total serum antioxidant activity and improve humoral immunity.

In the present research, we investigated phytochemical characteristics of two important species of Verbascum genus. Enormous reconnaissance and field surveys were conducted to identify the most important natural habitats of Verbascum species in Kohgiluyeh va Buyerahmad province, southern Iran. The aerial parts of Verbascum songaricum and V.  cheirantifolium were collected at flowering stage in July 2011. The extraction was conducted by digestion method, and then to analysis and identify extracts used by GC-MS. Totally, the number of 60 and 52 compositions from different V. songaricum and V. cheirantifolium extracts identified, respectively. In order to compare different compositions present in parts between both species, first compositions were classified into six functional groups (alcohol, amin, ester, hydrocarbon, ketone, and acid), then these groups were analyzed. Results indicated that there were significant differences among various parts of flowers, leaves, and stems in both species in terms of alcohol, amin, ester, hydrocarbon, and ketone. Given that enhancement of medicinal qualitative and quantitative yields not only depends on ecological conditions, but also varies in respect to various extractions methods, etc. In addition, this is associated o plant genetically architecture. Results obtained from V. songaricum and V. cheirantifolium showed that although both species grow close together. The leaves of species of  Verbascum have the higher chemical variation than other plant organs such as flower and stem.

The major aim of this study was to determine the antibacterial activity of the essential oils from five medicinal plants. The hydro-distillation essential oils from five plant species, including Satureja bachtiarica, Zataria multiflora, Thymus daenensis, Thymus carmanicus, and Ziziphora tenuior (Lamiaceae) which are endemic in Iran. In-vitro antibacterial test was done by agar disc diffusion and serial dilution assays. Most of the essential oils indicated relatively antibacterial activity against the tested bacteria with the diameter of inhibition zone ranging between 7 and 33 mm. The essential oils from Iranian herbs could be used as natural antimicrobial agents in food preservation.

The Lamiaceae family is one of the largest and most distinctive families of flowering plants, with about 220 genera and almost 4000 species worldwide. The genus Stachys is one of the largest representative genera of the Lamiaceae family and includes about 300 species, in the subtropical and tropical regions of both hemispheres. In Iran this genus is represented by 34 species. Isfahan province has different medical plants such as species Stachys lavandulifolia Vahl. This study was aimed at investigating of phytochemical of S. lavandulifolia in the west of Isfahan province. The aerial parts of S. lavandulifolia were air-dried. The essential oil of the plant was isolated by hydro-distillation with a yield of 0.25% (v/w). The chemical composition of volatile oil was analyzed by capillary GC and GC/ MS. Result indicated that main components were germacrene-D (15.96%), thymol (14.64%), γ-cadinene (13.33%), α-pinene (7.80%), and trans-caryophyllene (6.91%). Stachy lavandulifolia Vahl is a medical plant that can be a potential source of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes.

Lamiaceae is one of the most important families of plants with global transmittal. The family is divided to two major groups: Lamioideae and Nepetoideae. Mentha L. genus has high genetic variation because of different ploidy levels and interspecific interspecific hybridization thus that is possible to select genotypes with excelsior traits as essence content. The genus includes 25 to 30 species that grow in temperate regions of Eurasia, Australia and South Africa. M. spicata, as the main specie belonging to the family Lamiaceae, is used in Iranian traditional medicine as a stomach pain-relieving agent, antispasmodic, digestive, and carminative. This study was done to identify composition of  the essential oil from the aerial parts of M. spicata L. that  were collected from three natural habitats, including Yasouj (S1), C.Sakht (S2), and Bahram-Beigi (S3) at Kohgiluyeh va Boyer-Ahmad Province, Iran in 2012. The essential oil extracted by Clevenger apparatus, and analyzed by GC and identified by using GC/MS. Result indicated that there were 10, 14, and 10 compounds in essential oils from the aerial parts of the plants of S1, S2, and S3 populations, respectively. The major components in S1 were carvone (74.57%), 1,8-cineole (10.28%), limonene (8.41%), whereas S2 had piperitenone oxide (53.19%), 1,8-cineole (27.47%), β-caryophyllene (3.55%), and the main components of S3 were 1,8-cineole (8.79%), carvone (79.6%), and lmonene (3.53%). : Ecotypes harvested from CSakht and Bahram-Beigi are promising genetic stocks to increase piperitenone oxide and carvone as medicinal components in breeding programs.

Medicinal plants is very potential to be used as a supplementary feed as well as feed additive in broilers.This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of milk thistle (MT) and thyme seeds (TS) on the performance in broilers. In this study, 160 one-day-old (Ross 308) male broiler chicks were divided randomly into four major groups with 4 replicates based on a completely randomized design. Dietary treatments was included; i.e., (A) Control, (B) diet with 20 mg per kg of MT, (C) diet with 20 mg per kg of TS and (D) diet with 20 + 20 mg per kg of MT and TS, respectively. The birds were reared for 35 days in wooden pens. Also, feed and water were provided ad libitum. Feed intake (FI) and body weight gain (BWG) were measured in 3 stage (one-14, 14-28 and 28-35 days) for each replicate and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated. At One to 28 days of age, feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio were no affected by dietary supplementation, while the percentage of abdominal fat was reduced by 3.14%, 3.11% and 3.32% for groups (B), (C), and (D), compared to group (A) 4.23%, respectively (P < 0.05). Birds fed the (D) supplemented treatment  (MT plus TS) had the greatest FI and BWG levels (P < 0.05) than the control birds (group A) at 28 to 35 days. However, dietary supplementation (MT and/or TS) reduced (P < 0.05) the conversion ratio levels in the 28 to 35 days of study, and this effect was more pronounced for the (D) treatment (MT plus TS). In conclusion, the present research indicated that supplements of powdered thistle seeds and/or thyme seeds have a protective influence on the growth performance in broiler chicks.