مجله تحقیقات گیاهان دارویی و معطر ایران
سال سی و نهم شماره 3 (پیاپی 117، پاییز 1402)

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea L.) is one of the most wellknown medicinal plant species with high economic value worldwide. In Iran, this species' roots and shoots are used in herbal medicines. Many types of phytomedicine are commercially produced from Echinacea aerial portions for boosting the nonspecific immune system and treating the common cold. Environmental and health costs of chemical fertilizers have led researchers to meet plant nutritional needs using chemical, organic and biological fertilizers. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of organic and biological fertilizers on morphological traits, shoot and root dry matter, and essential oil percentage and yield in the leaves and stems of coneflower plants. This experiment was conducted on a randomized complete block design with three replications at the Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Iran, in 2018-2019. Treatments included control, NPK (N50P25K25; N75P35K35 and N100P75K75 Kg.ha-1), manure (30, 60 and 90 ton.ha-1), vermicompost (5, 10, and 15 ton.ha-1), N50P25K25 fertilizer + 30 ton.ha-1 manure, N50P25K25 + 5 ton.ha-1 vermicompost, biological fertilizers including Glomus intraradaices + G. mosseae, Azospirillum + Pseudomonas, Thiobacillus + 5 ton.ha-1 vermicompost and Thiobacillus + 250 Kg.ha-1 of sulfur (S). Before applying fertilizer treatments, a soil analysis was done. After applying fertilizer treatments, the physical and chemical properties of the soil were also determined. The treatments were selected based on the fertilizer requirements of the plant as well as soil test results. Parameters such as plant height, leaf, stem, and flower numbers, root penetration depth, root volume, leaf, stem, root, and flower dry matter, leaf, stem, and flower essential oil, and essential oil yield of leaves, stems, and flowers were evaluated. At the full flowering stage, samples were taken from aerial segments of plants in all treatment groups. After shade-drying, the samples through a Clevenger-type apparatus were hydro-distillated to obtain the essential oil. The oil percentage, as well as yield, was calculated based on the dry weight. The results showed that the highest leaf and stem dry matter was observed in the 15-ton.ha-1 vermicompost treatment. A 5-ton.ha-1 vermicompost treated with NPK fertilizers displayed the highest flower dry matter. On the other hand, the highest root dry matter was obtained in the treatment with 30 tons.ha-1 manure + NPK fertilizers. The highest flower essential oils yield was obtained in ton.ha-1 manure + NPK fertilizers. The highest leaf + stem oil yields were found at the flowering stage in 15 tons.ha-1 vermicompost. Also, NPK treatment + 30 tons.ha-1 of manure resulted in the highest yield of flower essential oil. 15-ton.ha-1 vermicompost treatment yielded the highest stem and leaf essential oil yield. Only the organic fertilizer group (CM vs. V5) and the biofertilizer group (GM and GI vs. T) showed an increase in flower essential oil yield compared to the other nutritional treatments. In the leaf+stem essential oil yield results, all comparisons between treatment groups showed a significant effect, except for the organic fertilizer group (CM vs. V5). Compared to the NPK group, the biofertilizer and organic fertilizer group yielded the highest leaf+stem essential oil yield. It was concluded that biological fertilizers treatment combined with organic fertilizers could be a suitable alternative to chemicals in the sustainable production of this valuable medicinal plant. These findings suggested that biofertilizers and organic fertilizers can benefit Echinacea purpurea cultivation because, when combined, they enhance the essential oil percentage and yield.

Savory (Satureja spp.) has a special position among medicinal plants due to its valuable compounds, such as thymol and carvacrol. Savory is one of the genera of the Lamiaceae family, and this genus has 16 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants in Iran. Due to the high amount of essential oil, Satureja species are highly economically and medically important in the food, cosmetic, health, and pharmaceutical industries. This research aimed to increase the quantitative and qualitative yield of Satureja sahendica Bornm. essential oil with appropriate plant nutrition. This research was carried out under irrigation conditions in the form of a randomized complete block design with eight fertilizer treatments (no fertilizer, N50, P25, K25(kg.ha-1), Cow Manure(30, 60 ton.ha-1), Cow Manure(30, 60 ton.ha-1)+ N50, P25, K25(kg.ha-1), Vermi-compost(5 ton.ha-1), Vermi-compost(5 ton.ha-1)+ N50, P25, K25(kg.ha-1)) in three replications over four years (2017-2020) in East Azarbaijan province. Cultivation was indirect and through grafting. Seedlings were prepared in greenhouse conditions by growing seeds in seedling trays with a mixture of peat moss, cocopeat, and perlite in a ratio 4:2:1. The treatments were applied only once, simultaneously with the plot preparation and before the planting stage. This was done by hand spraying and mixing with the soil. The plot dimensions were 4 x 3 meters, the distance between the planting lines was 50 cm, and the distance between the plants on the line was set to 30 cm. The irrigation method was drip irrigation twice a week in the early stages of growth and once a week after establishment. Weed weeding was also done during the growing season. Plant height, flowering date, crown area, and green shoot yield were measured during the cropping season. Essential oil was extracted by distillation with distilled water, and essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Based on the results, all traits showed a significant difference between different fertilizer treatments. The highest yield of flowering branches was 1974 kg.ha-1 (6% increase compared to the control) and the yield of essential oil was 22.25 kg.ha-1 (9% increase compared to the control), and the highest quality of essential oil (sum of phenolic compounds thymol and carvacrol) is 61.89% (18% increase in comparison to the control) with treatment of Cow Manure(60 ton.ha-1)+ N50, P25, K25(kg.ha-1) were obtained. To be economical, cow manure (60 tons per hectare) can also be used alone. With regards to 50% flowering, the latest product was a control treatment (without fertilizer) with 160.25 days, while the earliest product was Cow Manure (60 tons.ha-1) +N50, P25, K25 (kg.ha-1) with 155.33 days. The main components of the essential oil were Thymol, p-cymene, and γ-terpinene, respectively. The results of the average percentage of phenolic compounds thymol and carvacrol as essential oil quality in each fertilizer treatment and each year showed that the average quality of essential oil in the first year was 53.13%, in the second and third years it was 63.98 and 63.54, respectively. The percentage decreased to 47.93% in the fourth year. The use of fertilizer treatments, especially animal manures, along with chemical fertilizers, in addition to increasing yield, also causes early ripening. Early harvesting of the first layer allows the second layer to use the growing season optimistically and avoid autumn cold. As the plant age increases, the yield of essential oil increases, but the product is later, and the quality also decreases. Accordingly, Cow Manure(60 ton.ha-1)+ N50, P25, K25(kg.ha-1) should be applied to S. sahendica until the fourth year to produce adequate yields.

Cumin (Cuminum cymium L.) is an annual plant with delicate stems and a height between 15 and 50 cm. For high yield and increased product quality, consuming the appropriate amount of dinitroaniline herbicides and using mulches to control weeds is important. Therefore, the use of trifluralin, pendimethalin herbicides, and wheat mulch was investigated in this experiment to investigate the population and growth of weeds, physiological and vegetative characteristics, yield, and percentage of cumin essential oil.

This experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design with three replications. In this study, the experimental treatments included 100% and 50% recommended amounts of trifluralin and pendimethalin herbicides alone and in combination with wheat stubble mulch, which was considered together with wheat stubble mulch alone and no weed control (control). Wheat stubble mulch, 5 cm long and equal to 5 tons per hectare, was applied. The herbicide was spread using a 20-liter book-back sprayer with a rain nozzle. Weed species were identified by Zarghan Agricultural Research Station, Fars Province weed experts. After that, quadrats with dimensions of 50 x 50 cm were used to determine weeds' density and dry weight. Three fully opened and fresh young leaves were selected to measure the relative water content of leaves and the chlorophyll content of each treatment. Sampling was done in the morning and before sunrise. Before the end of the growth period, the height and number of branches were measured. After harvesting, yield and yield components (including the number of umbels per plant, the number of seeds per umbel, and the weight of 1000 seeds) were determined. From the harvested seeds in each plot, 50 grams of samples were randomly taken and analyzed to determine the percentage of essential oil. To extract essential oil from the prepared samples, the steam distillation method was used by a Clevenger machine. The percentage of essential oil in each sample was determined. The mean comparison of the studied traits was compared using Duncan's multiple range test at 0.05.

The dominant weed species identified in the field included 6 genera and 6 species. The mean comparison results showed that using trifluralin herbicide with the recommended dose + mulch reduced weeds' density and dry weight by 88% and 87%, respectively, compared to no weed control (control). Mulch treatment alone reduced weed density and dry weight compared to control plants by 29.6% and 37.5%, respectively. 85% mulch + trifluralin herbicide at the recommended dose resulted in the highest relative leaf water content. Also, the highest chlorophyll b and total leaf chlorophyll content were obtained for both trifluralin and pendimethalin herbicides in combination with mulch, which showed a significant increase compared to mulch alone and no weed control. The lowest cumin plant height was observed in the weed-infested treatment (control). Among the management treatments, the number of lateral branches in the treatment of 100% of the recommended herbicide dose was more than in the treatment of 50%. Also, adding mulch to the treatments showed a significant increase in lateral branches. Cumin aerial parts dry weight increased by 4% with the 50% dose and 10% with the full dose. With trifluralin herbicides, cumin seed yield increased by 47% and pendimethalin by 45%. By applying mulch management treatments, cumin seed yield increased by 48%.

The application of wheat mulch, by increasing leaf water and chlorophyll's relative content, improves growth indicators. In addition to the application of 100% of the recommended dose of trifluralin and pendimethalin herbicides in combination with wheat mulch, which increased the dry weight of shoot and seed yield in cumin, the treatment of 50% of the recommended dose in combination with wheat mulch at a lower level improved these traits. Therefore, due to reduced herbicide consumption, 50% of the recommended dose of trifluralin herbicides in combination with wheat mulch is recommended to control weeds in cumin.

Hibiscus sabdariffa L., commonly known as Roselle, is a plant cultivated in many regions of the world regions. Roselle has been used as a medicinal herb in traditional medicine for controlling and treating different diseases and physical ailments. These therapeutic effects are attributed to active compounds such as carotenoids, fatty acids, and phenolic compounds, including phenolic acids and flavonoids. One common method to stimulate plants for increased production of active compounds is subjecting them to various types of stresses, such as drought or salinity, along with plant growth regulators. This study investigated salicylic acid's effect on the phytochemical content and various biological properties of Roselle plants under water scarcity conditions.

The experiment was conducted as a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design, including irrigation intervals at three levels: three days (D1), five days (D2), and seven days (D3), and foliar application of salicylic acid at three levels: 0 (SA0), 0.75 mM (SA1), and 1.25 mM (SA2), with three replicates in a research greenhouse at the International Imam Khomeini University. The required seeds for cultivation were obtained from Pakanbazr Company in Isfahan. The imposition of drought stress through irrigation intervals of 3, 5, and 7 days started at the 4-leaf stage of the plants, and the plant spraying with salicylic acid was performed at the 6-leaf stage, three days before the start of irrigation treatments. The measurement of electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde content was carried out to determine membrane stability and lipid peroxidation level. Additionally, the measurement of proline content and the activity of three antioxidant enzymes, including peroxidase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase, was performed in different samples. Furthermore, the total phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanin contents, as the main secondary metabolites of Roselle plants, were measured. The biological and medicinal properties, including the free radical scavenging activity (DPPH) and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, were also evaluated. The obtained data were analyzed using SAS statistical software version 9.4. Mean comparisons were conducted using Duncan's multiple range test at a significance level of 5%.

The results showed both electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde content increased significantly with increasing levels of applied drought stress on Roselle plants. However, overall, applying salicylic acid treatments led to a decrease in both indicators. The measurement of proline content in Roselle samples showed that the highest amount of proline was observed in plants subjected to the highest drought stress and treated with the 1.5 mM salicylic acid solution. The activity of all three antioxidant enzymes increased with the intensity of the applied drought stress and the concentration of salicylic acid solutions. Roselle's highest levels of phenolic and anthocyanin content were observed in samples sprayed with 1.5 mM salicylic acid solution. The change in anthocyanin content of Roselle plants also demonstrated that increasing the severity of water scarcity resulted in higher levels of this compound. The highest DPPH free radical scavenging activity was observed in Roselle samples grown under the highest drought severity and sprayed with the highest concentration of salicylic acid (61.93%). The highest antioxidant activity was also observed in samples treated with the highest concentration of salicylic acid solution in all irrigation regimes. The highest α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (69.2% and 67.7%) was associated with Roselle samples grown under the highest applied drought severity, sprayed with 1.5 mM and 0.75 mM salicylic acid solutions, respectively.

It can be concluded that the use of salicylic acid as a growth regulator can contribute to the enhancement of phytochemical content, especially secondary metabolites such as phenolic and flavonoid compounds, anthocyanins, and the elevation of defensive parameters such as the activation of antioxidant enzymes, as well as an increase in osmolyte content like proline in Roselle plants. These effects assist the plants in exhibiting greater resistance to drought stress and mitigating the negative impacts of this type of stress on the plant.

In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or the insulin it produces does not work properly. Type 2 diabetes, also known as insulin-independent diabetes, is the most common type of diabetes in the world, which usually occurs due to the resistance of the body's cells to insulin. Many useful compounds in dandelion (Taraxacum officinale L.) increase insulin production and reduce blood sugar levels. In the present research, the effect of an aqueous dandelion root extract on blood sugar level reduction in type 2 diabetic patients in Mashhad was studied. After cleaning and removing impurities, the dandelion roots were dried on a grinding machine. Extraction from dandelion roots was performed with the Soxhlet apparatus. After the extraction process, the resulting extract was passed through a filter to separate the solid compounds. The prepared extract was consumed as tea twice a day by the selected diabetic patient for four days. A glucometer measured the diabetic patient's blood sugar level. Each day, blood sugar level measurement was performed for one hour and two hours (to study stability) after taking the second dose of the extract. The patient did not use supplements or drugs to lower blood sugar levels during the research. Since blood sugar fluctuations in fasting conditions at the beginning of each day depend on various factors such as mental, physical, nutritional, and especially nervous conditions, to reduce the error rate, fasting blood sugar was measured as a control one month before and one month after extract consumption. Present research showed that blood sugar decreases significantly with the increase in the number of days of dandelion root extract consumption and the increase in the frequency of consumption per day. Based on the data obtained from the measurement of blood sugar levels in different time intervals, the four-day average blood sugar level of a diabetic person one month before consuming the extract was 233, which decreased by 81 units one month after consuming the extract and reached 152; Therefore, based on the obtained results, the consumption of the root extract of this plant causes a 35% decrease in blood sugar. A study of the interaction effect of the number of days of using dandelion root extract and the time of its use also showed that the simultaneous reduction of blood sugar level with increasing the number of days of extract consumption and the number of times of consumption per day is significant. The results of the analysis of variance for the response of blood sugar levels also indicated that the effect of factors A (number of days of extract use) and B (hours of extract use) with a P-value much lower than 0.05, on the reduction of blood sugar level is significant. Based on the numerical optimization of the data, the blood sugar level can be reached at 150.167 by consuming the extract twice daily for four days. Overall, this research shows the positive effect of dandelion root extract on type 2 diabetes. The decreasing trend of blood sugar with increasing the number of days of use and the number of times of use per day indicates that the long-term use of this extract can have more stable effects on reducing blood sugar in people with diabetes.

According to the law on the protection and exploitation of forests and pastures, any exploitation of natural resources by individuals or legal persons must be done with the approval and permission of the country's natural resources and watershed management organization. Issuing a license to exploit medicinal plants is one of the most critical natural resource licenses. It has an implementation process. The evidence shows that there are various issues with issuing this license. It is necessary to conduct a scientific investigation to improve and correct the mentioned process. The upcoming research analyzes the licensing process for medicinal plants in the field of natural resources.

The current research is qualitative and applied. In order to identify the current status of the sadro process and the license to exploit medicinal plants, the qualitative research method of the focus group has been used. This research selected 64 users and 30 experts from 6 provinces. Their points of view were collected and analyzed using content analysis.

The results showed that, in total, there are 23 harms in the process of exporting the exploitation of medicinal plants, which are the multiplicity of systems and the lack of an integrated and intelligent system, the lack of a common platform for the implementation of processes in the provinces, the physicality of performing a large part of the processes, unauthorized harvesting and No product license from the plantations, lack of specialized manpower for monitoring, handing over the right of exploitation to non-native people, neglect of some observers in declaring and including the actual amount of production and harvesting of medicinal plants, the small financial and economic power of the operators to prepare the plan booklet, the largest share in the pathology of the licensing process. Also, the results showed that the average time required to obtain a license with a design booklet is 16 months. Without a design booklet, it takes 67 days. This time to get a license to transport the product inside the province was estimated to be 17 days on average and 23 days outside the province.

Issuing a license to harvest medicinal plants is one of the most critical licenses in the country's natural resources sector, which has its implementation process. There are various issues and problems in issuing this license, leading to problems and dissatisfaction among the users and, ultimately, damage to the rangelands. Therefore, taking measures to improve affairs and reform this process is a fundamental issue that needs to be investigated and proposed a solution. Based on the findings of this investigation, the creation of an integrated electronic system, continuous and regular field monitoring through intrusive intrusions at the various stages of medicinal plant exploitation, especially in the harvesting phase, with the cooperation of the engineering system organization, the priority of the exploitation contract with natives and local communities, and improving the motivation for public sector experts can be effective in enhancing the process.

Thymbra spicata L. belongs to the Lamiaceae family and is a rich source of aromatic compounds and essential oils. This research was conducted to study the effect of salicylic acid and chitosan elicitors on the growth indicators and DXR gene expression in T. spicata L. under different levels of irrigation towards enhancing the performance of this medicinal plant in experimental pots in a greenhouse in Ilam province during 2017-18. A factorial design was used with 15 treatments and three replications in a completely randomized study. Irrigation regimes at three levels of normal (A₁), 70% of field capacity (A₂), 40% of field capacity (A₃), and foliar spraying at five levels, including control (B₁), chitosan at concentrations of 0.5 g.l-1 (B₂) and 1 g.l-1 (B₃), salicylic acid foliar spraying at concentrations of 2.5 mM (B₄) and 5.0 mM (B₅) were used at the 10-12 leaf stage. To prepare chitosan and salicylic acid elicitors, the powders were dissolved in 5% acetic acid and then adjusted to desired concentrations with ddH2O. Irrigation regimes were applied three months after cultivation (15-20 cm seedlings). To apply the elicitors simultaneously with the water stress treatment, foliar spraying was done three times at ten-day intervals. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to investigate the expression changes of the DXR gene, which is one of the key genes in the carvacrol biosynthesis pathway. In this regard, total RNA was extracted, and cDNA was synthesized after assessment of its quantity and quality. With the aid of specific primers, the target sequence was amplified. Furthermore, using the GAPDH reference gene reported in Hyssop thyme, the gene expression level was investigated through the relative quantification method. The method of difference in cycle threshold (2-∆∆CT) and Relative Expression Software Tool (REST) were used to analyze the data. The analysis of the variance table showed the effect of different levels of irrigation on all quantitative growth indices, including plant height, root length, number of main branches, root fresh and dry weight, leaf fresh weight, stem fresh and dry weight, except leaf dry weight, were significant (p<0.01). The interactive effect of low irrigation and foliar spray of salicylic acid and chitosan on root fresh weight, leaf fresh weight, and stem fresh weight was significant at 1%. Accordingly, the interaction effect of irrigation and foliar spraying on the dry weight of the stem was significant at the 5% probability level. The results showed that the interactive effect of irrigation and foliar spray on leaf dry weight, number of main branches, and root length was insignificant. In this study, DXR gene expression did not show many changes after applying two different levels of chitosan (0.5 and 1.0 g.l-1). In contrast, salicylic acid treatment with 2.5 mM was significant at 1% probability and caused an increase in gene expression. The transcript level of this gene increased 29.72 times after applying 5.0 mM of this solution, which was significant at the 1% level. The amount of low irrigation decreased this gene's expression. Based on the obtained data, the normal irrigation method is the most suitable for hyssop thyme plants regarding their growth indicators. Foliar spraying of chitosan at different levels did not significantly affect growth indices and DXR gene expression. At the same time, salicylic acid increased them in this species. As a result, salicylic acid elicitor can increase carvacrol yield and biosynthesis.

Medicinal plants have a much healthier effect than chemical drugs, and due to the presence of various effective substances, they can be used in the prevention and treatment of many diseases. This research aims to compare the performance of hydroalcoholic extracts of eucalyptus and garlic in reducing the fungal and bacterial load of Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) eggs during incubation. At first, enough sperm and eggs were obtained from Persian sturgeon male and female breeders after artificial propagation stages. After fertilization, the eggs were weighed by a digital scale. The number of eggs per gram, the total weight of eggs per tray, and the final number of eggs stored in the incubator were calculated. Considering the allocation of three trays for each treatment, the number of stored eggs for each treatment was 15000. The total number of stored eggs for five treatments was 75000. Hydroalcoholic extracts (70% ethanol solvent) of eucalyptus (appearance: clear, color: brown, pH=5.02) and garlic (appearance: clear, color: light brown, pH=6.49) were prepared. Five experimental treatments containing control (no extract), Eucalyptus 50 mg.l-1, eucalyptus 100 mg.l-1, Garlic 50 mg.l-1, and 100 mg.l-1 were designed in three replicates by the short-term bath method in three stages (days). At the end of the three disinfection stages, eggs were randomly sampled from each replicate for the total bacterial and fungal count. No significant difference was observed in the water's physical and chemical factors, such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature, during the disinfection stages of eggs (p<0.05). The results showed that treatments containing eucalyptus and garlic extracts at 50 and 100 mg/l showed lower total bacterial and fungal counts than the control treatment (P<0.05). Still, the eucalyptus extract at 100 mg/l performed much better than the rest of the experimental treatments (P<0.05). In incubation indices such as hatching rate and healthy larvae, statistically significant differences were observed in four treatments containing garlic and eucalyptus extracts (50 and 100 mg.l-1) with the control (P<0.05). Based on Duncan's test, the average rate of hatching and the number of healthy larvae were more in eucalyptus at 100 mg.l-1 than in other studied treatments (P<0.05). Egg hatching rates were equal in garlic and eucalyptus at 100 and 50 mg.l-1, respectively. During the research, there was no change in the appearance of the larvae, which can be considered the safety of plant extracts. Various factors such as the type and compounds in the plant, the amount of used concentration, the type of microorganism, the pH level, and the environment's temperature can influence the antimicrobial potential of herbal extracts and compounds. According to the obtained findings, it can be stated that hydroalcoholic extracts of Garlic and Eucalyptus played a very decisive role in reducing the fungal and bacterial contamination of Persian sturgeon eggs during the incubation period.

The amount of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants are changed during different stages of plant growth, so in order to determine the best time to harvest each medicinal herb, it is necessary to determine the amount of active substances and their biological activities in different phenological stages. Tanacetum parthenium L. is one of the important species of chicory genus that has many medicinal properties. This study investigated the content of total phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and anthocyanins and the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of Tanacetum parthenium L. aerial parts and root ethanolic extracts at different phenological stages (vegetative, flowering, and seeding). For this purpose, total phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and anthocyanins were measured spectrophotometrically in the aerial parts and root ethanolic extracts of T. parthenium. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was measured using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and antibacterial activity was evaluated against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium) by disk diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) methods. The maximum levels of total phenol (62.3 ± 1.2 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dry weight), flavonoids (35.7 ± 0.9 mg quercetin equivalents (QE).g-1 dry weight), alkaloids (73.2 ± 0.6 mg atropine equivalent.g-1 dry weight) and total anthocyanin (4.2 ± 0.3 mg cyaniding-3glicoside equivalents.g-1 dry weight) were measured in the shoot extract of the studied species at the flowering stage. Results of the antioxidant activity evaluation showed that the shoot extract at the flowering stage had the highest antioxidant activity (75.3 ± 0.7 %). The lowest antioxidant activity (16.5 ± 0.9 %) was measured for the root extract at the vegetative stage. According to the antibacterial investigation, the maximum inhibition zone (21 ± 0.3 mm) was observed for the shoot extract at the flowering stage against Staphylococcus aureus. The minimum inhibitory concentration (12.5 mg.mL-1) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (25 mg.mL-1) were recorded for shoot extracts at vegetative and flowering stages against the abovementioned bacteria. Based on the results, the studied species' extracts were more effective against gram-positive than gram-negative bacteria. According to the results of this study, it can be concluded that the flowering stage extract of T. parthenium had considerable phytochemical compounds with appropriate antioxidant and antibacterial properties. It can be used as a source of natural antioxidants and antibiotic agents.

St. John's Wort, known as Hypericum perforatum L., is a valuable medicinal plant in the Hypericaceae family. Its most common use is for its antidepressant properties. The active compounds hypericin and hyperforin in St. John's Wort and their proven therapeutic effects have made this plant one of the most valuable medicinal plants worldwide. Hypericin, a major plant metabolite, has antiviral and anticancer effects. Hypericin belongs to the naphthodianthrones family and is light-sensitive. It mainly accumulates in the dark-colored glands on the leaves and flowers of the plant, and its concentration ranges from 0.3% to 3.0% in the leaves and 1% to 14% in the flower buds, depending on the plant variety, height, light conditions, and season. Hyperforin is another important compound of the phloroglucinols group found abundantly in St. John's Wort flowers, especially in the stamens and the fruit. However, it is also present in large amounts in the leaves. Hyperforin content of 6.9% in flower buds, 8.5% in unripe fruit, and 5.1% in leaves has been reported. Unlike hypericin, hyperforin accumulates in transparent glands. Since hypericin and hyperforin depend on environmental conditions, asexual reproduction is preferred over sexual reproduction. In this study, 20 populations from 20 different regions of Iran were collected and examined for micropropagation optimization. In addition to identifying the most suitable medium for micropropagation of these populations, the morphological, physiological, biochemical, and histological characteristics of them were also investigated. To prepare the modified culture medium, ½ MS salts, FeEDDHA, B5 vitamins, and two g.l-1 Glycine was used. The MS basal medium was used as a control after adjusting the pH to 8.5 and adding 8.6 g.l-1 Agar, the desired medium, was distributed into culture vessels and autoclaved at 121°C and 2 bar pressure for 20 minutes. Seven explants containing 1-2 buds were placed in each culture vessel. All cultures were incubated in a growth room with 8 hours of darkness and 16 hours of light at an intensity of 1500-2000 lux, a temperature of 25°C, and a relative humidity of 60-70% for four weeks. After the emergence of new shoots, data were collected on the number of branches, length of branches, fresh weight, and dry weight. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to measure the hypericin content in the leaves of the plantlets. This study shows that changing the culture medium composition in most studied populations increases branch length and number. Reducing the amount of mineral salts in the culture medium has affected the plant's osmotic relationships to water and nutrient uptake. This and increased glycine concentration have created a better fine growth trend. This study showed that among twenty native es of Iran, the North Khorasan population had the highest morphological (shoot number, shoot length), physiological (fresh weight, dry weight), and biochemical (hypericin content) indices in the modified medium. Also, histological studies in this study showed a larger growth of dark glands in the modified medium than in the basal medium. Based on the findings for twenty native populations of Hypericum perforatum in Iran, the North Khorasan population had the highest morphological (shoot number, shoot length), physiological (fresh weight, dry weight), and biochemical (hypericin content) indices in the modified medium. Also, histological studies showed a larger growth of dark glands in the modified medium than in the basal medium.

Today, in the poultry industry, food additives are used to achieve the highest production at the lowest cost. Growth stimulants and food additives are chemical, biological, or natural compounds added to water and feed. They are used to improve growth and feed efficiency and obtain the highest and most economical production. The use of medicinal plants in poultry nutrition showed that, in addition to stimulating feed consumption, these plants also have antibiotic and anti-coccidiosis properties. This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of different levels of the herbal Bilhar (Dorema aucheri Boiss.) on the Production Parameters, hematology, and thigh and breast meat quality traits of broiler chickens in a completely randomized design.

In this study, 240 one-day-old Ross 308 were exposed to five treatments (four replicates), and 12 chickens in each replicate were raised for 42 days. The chickens had free access to water and feed during the rearing period. The necessary care was following scientific rearing principles and commercial catalog recommended methods. The experimental treatments included 1) control-common diet with no additive 2) control diet + 0.1% flavophospholipol antibiotic, 3) control diet + Bilhar (0.1 % in starter and grower, 0.05 % in finisher phase), 4) control diet + Bilhar (0.3 % in starter and grower, 0.15 % finisher phase), 3) control diet + Bilhar (0.5 % in starter and grower,0 .25 % in finisher phase). The experiment measured body weight and food consumption at the end of the initial, growth, and final periods. On the 42nd day, one chicken from each replicate was randomly selected and blood was collected through the wing vein. Two blood samples, one into the venoject tubes containing 0.5 cc of the anticoagulant ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), to collect and measure blood hematological parameters (the amount of red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit and the subtracted population of white blood cells) and the other part of the blood into tubes free of anticoagulants in order to separate the blood serum, to measure the metabolites Serum biochemical tests were transferred.

Chick's body weight at 24 and 42 d was higher in the first Bilhar group and antibiotic level than in the control group. Different experimental groups significantly affected feed intake at the starter and grower phases (P> 0.05). Adding bilhar to the diet did not change red blood cell numbers but impacted hemoglobin, hematocrit percentages, and white blood cell count. Different levels of Bilher powder and antibiotics significantly influenced villus height, villus thickness, and villus area in the duodenum (P<0.05). But the depth of the crypt and the ratio of the height of the villi to the depth of the crypt in the duodenum did not show a statistically significant effect between the treatments (P<0.05). Despite no significant improvement in breast water holding capacity, dripping loss, or cooking loss, dietary billiards significantly decreased breast PH. Experimental treatments significantly affected thigh water holding capacity, dripping loss, and pH but did not affect thigh cooking loss.

It can be concluded that in the case of most traits, especially functional traits, the first level of bilhar (treatment 3) improved compared to the control treatment. Therefore, this plant can be used at the indicated level as a plant additive in a broiler chicken diet. This will improve functional and histological traits.