Phytochemistry (extraction, identification and measurement of active components)
Fahimeh Gharaie; Monireh Cheniany; Ali Ganjeali
Abstract
Background and Objectives: 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 ...
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Background and Objectives: 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.Methodology: 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.Results: 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.Conclusion: 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.
Biological effects of essential oils and extracts
P. Shiri; A. Arasteh; G. Tajadod
Abstract
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 ...
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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.
Agriculture and horticulture
A.A. Hatamnia
Abstract
Thymbra spicata L. (from Lamiaceae family) is distributed in large areas of Iran. In this study, the amount of total phenols and flavonoids, antioxidant activity, and percentage and essential oil composition in different ecotypes of this species from three different regions in Ilam province was evaluated. ...
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Thymbra spicata L. (from Lamiaceae family) is distributed in large areas of Iran. In this study, the amount of total phenols and flavonoids, antioxidant activity, and percentage and essential oil composition in different ecotypes of this species from three different regions in Ilam province was evaluated. The results showed that total phenols and flavonoids content was correlated with antioxidant activity positively and significantly, so that plant essential oil from Manesht Mountain with high phenols (8.6 mg gallic acid per g dry weight) and flavonoids (0.30 mg quercetin per g dry weight) content had the highest antioxidant activity, too. The main essential oil compound of the plant from regions with different ecological conditions was thymol (22.6-40.7%). Carvacrol, p-cymene, and γ-terpinene were the other main essential oil compounds of T. spicata from different regions. The results showed that the plant sample from Kaveran region and Manesht Mountain had the highest (2.4%) and lowest (1.4%) essential oil content, respectively. Overall, based on the results of the present study, it could be suggested that the essential oil percentage and composition of T. spicata depended not only to the genetic factors, but also to the ecological factors such as altitude, average annual temperature, and annual rainfall.
Phytochemistry (extraction, identification and measurement of active components)
M. Falavand; F. Hadi; F. Azarbani; S. Bahramikia
Abstract
The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) function is to hydrolyze the acetylcholine (ACh). This enzyme is irreversibly inhibited by the organophosphate compounds of insecticides and nerve gases. This inhibition by the ACh accumulation in the cholinergic synapses leads to the overstimulation and cholinergic crisis ...
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The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) function is to hydrolyze the acetylcholine (ACh). This enzyme is irreversibly inhibited by the organophosphate compounds of insecticides and nerve gases. This inhibition by the ACh accumulation in the cholinergic synapses leads to the overstimulation and cholinergic crisis in the synaptic cleft. This study was aimed at reactivating the inhibited cholinesterase (ChE) by the Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. hydroalcoholic extract. The effects of Ch. morifolium hydroalcoholic extract were evaluated on the activity and ChE reactivation by the Elman staining method. The erythrocyte AChE and plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) were the enzyme sources in this study. The antioxidant activity, identification of functional groups, and determination of compounds in the extract were determined by DPPH, FTIR, and GC/MS methods, respectively. The results showed that the reactivation rate of inhibited BChE (the amount of losing activity in the enzyme inhibited = up to 91.95% ± 0.17) was obtained 49.16% ± 0.24 in the 1 mg.ml-1 of chrysanthemum extract treatment. In this experiment, the AChE enzyme was inhibited up to 30.77% ± 0.45 by paraoxon, which the 1 mg.ml-1 of chrysanthemum extract restored it and eliminated the paraoxon toxicity. The IC50 in the chrysanthemum hydroalcoholic extract for scavenging the DPPH free radicals was calculated 483.67 ± 3 μg.ml-1. The results of FTIR and GC/MS also showed that the extract of this plant is rich in the phenolic compounds containing the hydroxyl and carbonyl groups, which probably play a key role in the antioxidant activity of this plant extract. The findings of this study showed that the chrysanthemum hydroalcoholic extract had very high antioxidant properties due to its phenolic compounds and could be recommended as an antidote to the organophosphate toxins such as paraoxon.
Agriculture and horticulture
S.F. Hosseini; J. Hamzei
Abstract
To investigate the effects of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and its residuals on agromorphological traits, yield, and qualitative characteristics of dragonhead (Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss.) under intercropping conditions, and finally to evaluate the usefulness of intercropping compared to the monoculture ...
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To investigate the effects of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and its residuals on agromorphological traits, yield, and qualitative characteristics of dragonhead (Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss.) under intercropping conditions, and finally to evaluate the usefulness of intercropping compared to the monoculture of dragonhead, an experiment was conducted in a randomized complete blocks design with three replications at the research farm of Bu-Ali Sina University in Hamedan during growing seasons of 2018 and 2019. Experimental treatments included the additive intercropping of 0, 20 and 40% bean with dragonhead. The bean residuals were remained at the farm in the first year to determine its effects on quantitative and qualitative yield of dragonhead in the second year. Based on the results, the intercropping improved the agromorphological traits and yield of dragonhead compared to the control (dragonhead monoculture). The results showed that in the intercropping of 20% bean, the percentage and yield of essential oil, the phenol content, and the antioxidant percentage of dragonhead were higher than the control treatment, but flavonoids content was higher in the control. The results in the study of effects of bean residuals on the quantitative and qualitative traits of dragonhead in the second year showed that the meet of dragonhead needs in terms of nutrients like nitrogen increased its quantitative and qualitative yield compared to the control treatment. The relative yield of dragonhead was higher than bean, which indicated the profitability of dragonhead from intercropping with bean. In fact, the indices of land equivalent ratio (LER), competitive ratio (CR), and aggressivity (AG) showed the usefulness of dragonhead intercropping. Overall, the additive intercropping of 20% bean with dragonhead was identified as the superior treatment and can be used by farmers for organic production of dragonhead.
Sh. Mashayekhi; A. Abdali Mshhadi; A. Bakhshandeh; A. Lotfi Jalal-Abadi; S.M. Seyyednejad
Abstract
Foliar spray of chemical and organic compounds can affect the quantitative and qualitative yield of important medicinal plants such as German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.). In order to investigate the effect of salicylic (control, 200, 400 and 600 μM) and humic (control, 200, 400 and 600 mg ...
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Foliar spray of chemical and organic compounds can affect the quantitative and qualitative yield of important medicinal plants such as German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.). In order to investigate the effect of salicylic (control, 200, 400 and 600 μM) and humic (control, 200, 400 and 600 mg l-1) acids foliar spray on some quantitative and qualitative characteristics of German chamomile, a factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications in the research farm of Khuzestan Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University in 2015. The results showed that the highest number of flowers per plant was observed in 600 μM salicylic (91) and 600 mg l-1 humic (96) acids treatments. The highest fresh flower yield (1014 g m-2) was obtained from salicylic acid (400 μM) × humic acid (600 mg l-1), which was 115% higher than that of the control treatment. The use of salicylic and humic acids had a great influence on the total antioxidant capacity and the content of flavonoids, anthocyanins, and carotenoids. The highest percentage of chamazulene (6.1%) was obtained from salicylic acid (400 μM) × humic acid (600 mg l-1) treatment, and the lowest one (4.1%) from the control treatment. In total, the best results were obtained from simultaneous application of salicylic (400 μM) and humic (600 mg l-1) acids.
R. Sheykhi; Gh. Bagherzade; R. Khani
Abstract
Chavil (Ferulago angulata (Schlecht.) Boiss.), belonging to the apiaceae family, consists of 35 species in the world. While seven species exist in Iran, three species including Ferulago phialocarpa, Ferulago contracta Boiss., and Ferulago angulata are native to Khuzestan province. The present research ...
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Chavil (Ferulago angulata (Schlecht.) Boiss.), belonging to the apiaceae family, consists of 35 species in the world. While seven species exist in Iran, three species including Ferulago phialocarpa, Ferulago contracta Boiss., and Ferulago angulata are native to Khuzestan province. The present research was conducted to determine the composition and content of fatty acids, phenolic compounds, flavonoid, tannin and antioxidant in Ferulago angulata native to Izeh region, Khuzestan province. In this research, different organs of the plant were collected in may 2016 and dried under certain conditions. The measurement of compounds in the seeds was performed. The content of phenol and total flavonoid in the methanol, ethanol, and water extracts was measured with spectrophotometric method and the results were expressed as mg of gallic acid per mg of dry matter. The total tannin content of samples was determined using tannic acid as standard spectrophotometrically. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of plant extracts was evaluated by inhibiting free radical 2, 2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Oil extraction from seeds was carried out by Soxhlet apparatus using n-hexane as solvent, and the GC-Mass method was used to identify the compounds in the plant oil. According to the results of this research, carried out on the seeds of this plant for the first time, it was determined that oleic acid (63.6%) and linoleic acid (19.7%) had the highest content of fatty acid and the lowest content of fatty acid content was related to myristic acid and heptadecanoic acid (0.1%).
J. Nazari; V. Payamnoor; M.R. Kavosi; J. Asadi
Abstract
Lichens are small environments containing two fungus and algae symbiosis. They are one of the richest sources of natural ingredients with anti-tumor, antibiotic, and antioxidant properties, some of which are used as drugs and for the treatment of certain diseases. This research was aimed to identify ...
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Lichens are small environments containing two fungus and algae symbiosis. They are one of the richest sources of natural ingredients with anti-tumor, antibiotic, and antioxidant properties, some of which are used as drugs and for the treatment of certain diseases. This research was aimed to identify and determine the amount of betolin and betulinic acid as well as evaluation of the antioxidant activity of lichen Betula pendula Roth. Roth.and its symbiotic fungus. It was found that the lichen isolated from the bark of birch contained bioactive compounds entitled Raminalina sinensis. The symbiotic fungus (Arthrinium arundinis) was detected by the molecular method. This fungus belongs to the ascomycetes, registered for the first time in the NCBI website with MG198621 code. In the extract of lichen and its symbiotic fungus, the amount of betulinic acid and betulinic acid was determined using HPLC. Betulinic acid and betulin, belonging to the terpenes, are known as a strong anticancer agent. The mentioned ingredientswere significantly found in the lichen tissue(2.17 and 0.075 percent, respectively) and in its symbiotic fungus A. arundinis (1.6 and 0.025 percent, respectively). In this way, the lichen and its symbiotic fungus are introduced for the first time as new sources containing these two active ingredients. Measurement of antioxidant properties of lichen extract and its symbiotic fungus was examined by methanol and ethanol solvents. It was found that the lichen extract and the symbiotic fungus, besides having alternative metabolites, have antioxidant properties, which are able to remove toxic free radicals. These results could have valuable effects in medicine and industry.
H. Meftahizade; Y. Hamidoghli; M.H. Asareh; M. Javanmard Dakheli
Abstract
This research was aimed to investigate the effects of sowing date and irrigation regimes on phytochemical attributes of guar genotypes. The study was conducted in a split-split plot randomized block design including two sowing dates (15th and 30th July), four irrigation regimes, and three genotypes with ...
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This research was aimed to investigate the effects of sowing date and irrigation regimes on phytochemical attributes of guar genotypes. The study was conducted in a split-split plot randomized block design including two sowing dates (15th and 30th July), four irrigation regimes, and three genotypes with three replication for two seasons (2015 and 2016). The seeds were harvested and ethanolic extraction was prepared to analyze physicochemical traits such as antioxidant activity, phenol, tannin, protein, viscosity, galactomannan content, etc. The results showed that there were significant differences (P≤0.01%) between sowing date and irrigation regimes in case of phytochemical traits, seed protein, galactomannan content, and minerals. The range of galactomannan content was 28-33%, where the maximum galactomannan level (33.8%) was recorded for the interaction of late sowing date × four- stage irrigation schedule. Among the genotypes studied, the third genotype (RGC-1066) had the highest antioxidant activity and gum protein percentage. There is no significant difference among the genotypes for other characteristics. Late sowing date, G3 (RGC-1066) and four-stage irrigation schedule during growth cycle were the best treatments. The results of this study showed that guar planting in the study area is positively evaluated in terms of mineral materials, protein content, and gum viscosity; therefore, its development can be recommended in the agronomic program.
R. Farhoudi; Adel Modhej
Abstract
In order to investigate the effect of drought stress on grain and essential oil yield, antioxidant properties of essential oil, and accumulation of conformal osmolites in the leaves of two Nigella sativa L., this research was conducted at the research farm of Islamic Azad University, Shoushtar Branch ...
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In order to investigate the effect of drought stress on grain and essential oil yield, antioxidant properties of essential oil, and accumulation of conformal osmolites in the leaves of two Nigella sativa L., this research was conducted at the research farm of Islamic Azad University, Shoushtar Branch during 2016-2017. The experiment was a split plot based on randomized complete block design with four replications. The main plot included four levels of irrigation including optimal irrigation, mild, moderate and severe stress (based on irrigation under 90, 80, 70 and 60% soil field capacity, respectively), and ecotypes of Kashmar and Shahreza were considered as subplots. Results indicated that the grain yield of Kashmar ecotype was reduced 2.4%, 20.2% and 40.1% under mild, moderate and sever stress compared to optimum conditions, respectively. The grain yield of Shahreza ecotype was reduced 6.2%, 38.1% and 63%, respectively. Reduction of grain yield under severe stress conditions was due to a significant decrease in the number of capsules and seeds per capsule. Essential oil yield of Kashmar and Shahreza ecotypes decreased by 18% and 54% in severe drought stress conditions, respectively. Kashmar ecotype had higher levels of carbohydrate and proline than those of Shahraza under stress conditions. This property caused the Kashmar ecotype to have more relative water content and lower slope change of grain yield and essential oil yield as compared with Shahreza. In normal conditions and severe drought stress, 85% and 93% of essential oil components of Kashmar and 82% and 93% essential oil components of Shahreza ecotype were identified, respectively. Drought stress increased the percentage of essential oil in both ecotypes and the essential oil of Kashmar contained more antioxidant. In general, under mild stress conditions, the highest essential oil yield was obtained due to an increase in essential oil content and no significant reduction in grain yield. Thus, it seems that the application of mild controlled stress improves the quality of Nigella sativa without affecting its quantitative performance.
H. Vosoughi Tabar; S.A. Hosseini Tafreshi; H. Dehghanzadeh
Abstract
In order to investigate the effects of Azotobacter on growth indices, yield and essential oil content of two cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) landraces under salinity conditions, an experiment was carried out in a factorial design arranged as randomized complete block design with three replications in ...
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In order to investigate the effects of Azotobacter on growth indices, yield and essential oil content of two cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) landraces under salinity conditions, an experiment was carried out in a factorial design arranged as randomized complete block design with three replications in 2015 at the Kashan University. The treatments included two cumin landraces (Ardestān and Mashhad Ardehal), four salinity levels (control, 100, 150 and 200 mili molar Nacl) and two levels of azotobacter (control and seed inoculation). Results showed that salinity and inoculation with bacteria had a very significant effect on germination rate and percentage, radicle length and plumule height. Increased concentrations up to 200 Mm sodium chloride resulted in a significant reduction in germination percentage and germination rate, radicle length, plumule height, grain yield and essential oil yield. According to the results, in both landraces and at all salinity levels, inoculation with bacteria, resulted in a significant increase in chlorophyll a, b, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, grain yield and essential oil yield compared to the control. The Ardestān landrace had the highest chlorophyll a and b, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and essential oil content and tolerated salinity better compared to the Ardehal Mashhad landrace. In salinity conditions, inoculation of seeds with Azotobacter could reduce the negative effects of stress and improve the germination rate, seed yield and essential oil yield. The results of this experiment indicated that Ardestān landrace could be cultivated and used to reduce the effects of salinity due to the inoculation with Azotobacter, and higher grain yield and essential oil yield could be obtained under conditions similar to this experiment.
M. Aghighi Shahverdi; H. Omidi; S.J. Tabatabaei
Abstract
This research was aimed to investigate the foliar application of selenium, boron and iron on leaf yield, the photosynthetic pigments rate, antioxidant enzymes activity and the steviol glycosides content under sodium chloride stress conditions. The study was conducted in a factorial experiment in Anzali ...
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This research was aimed to investigate the foliar application of selenium, boron and iron on leaf yield, the photosynthetic pigments rate, antioxidant enzymes activity and the steviol glycosides content under sodium chloride stress conditions. The study was conducted in a factorial experiment in Anzali of Guilan Province based on a completely randomized design in three replications in 2105-16. The salinity stress levels were used by sodium chloride at four levels: control (less than 10), 30, 60 and 90 mM, and the foliar application of iron, boron, and selenium was applied. The results showed that the effect of salinity stress and foliar application was significant on the leaf yield, the chlorophyll pigments rate (a, b and total), carotenoid, protein content, antioxidant activity catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POX), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the steviol glycosides composition. The highest total chlorophyll content, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b were obtained in the integrated application of iron, boron and selenium in free-salinity conditions (with means of 39.48, 24.86 and 14.63 mg/g fresh weight, respectively). The highest protein content was observed in the foliar application of iron and selenium at 90 mM NaCl, resulted in an increase of 5.3 times compared to the control treatment. The highest CAT and SOD activities were in the integrated foliar application of three elements and selenium and iron composition at salinity level of 90 mM, increasing the activity of these enzymes by approximately 130 and 11 times, respectively. The highest and lowest rates of rebaudioside A, stevioside, and rebaudioside C were obtained in the integrated application of three elements (iron, boron, and selenium) at salinity levels of 30 mM and non-spraying in 90 mM salinity, respectively. Generally, to achieve a higher amount of steviol glycosides, the integrated application of three elements iron, boron, and selenium and salinity stress up to 30 mM is recommended.
A. Moghadam; M. Saidi; V. Abdossi; M. Mirab-balou; Z. Tahmasebi
Abstract
Plant-derived extracts and essential oils may function as environmentally friendly non-persistent bio-pesticides that are safe for humans as well as other animals. In this study, we investigated the effects of six endemic plant extracts as well as commercial insecticides against Bemisia tabaci and some ...
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Plant-derived extracts and essential oils may function as environmentally friendly non-persistent bio-pesticides that are safe for humans as well as other animals. In this study, we investigated the effects of six endemic plant extracts as well as commercial insecticides against Bemisia tabaci and some physiological responses in cucumber as the host plant at field conditions. The plant extracts and Stamipride as chemical pesticide were sprayed on the plants at 250, 500 and 1000 ppm concentrations. All extracts led to the reduced number of adults as compared with control, among which the greatest impact on the control of this pest was recorded for the extract of Oliveria decombens. Application of all extracts especially at concentrations of 500 and 1000 ppm significantly increased the number of first and second grade fruits. The content of potassium significantly increased and the content of calcium decreased by increasing the concentration of extracts from 250 to 1000 ppm. Results showed that application of extracts and pesticide, especially at high concentrations, imposed negative effects on plant and significantly increased the antioxidant activity in cucumber leaves. In general, all extracts used, especially the extract of Oliveria decombens at a low concentration(250 ppm)was extremely efficient in controlling the adult population of Bemisia tabaci without adverse effects on host plants compared with the commercial insecticide.
M. Ghesmati; F. Moradinezhad; M. Khayayt
Abstract
Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is one of the invaluable medicinal plants, widely used in the pharmaceutical industry due to its vitamins, mucilage, antioxidants, alkaloids and phenolic compounds. Calcium, involved in determining the fruit quality, is one of the most important minerals and its role in ...
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Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is one of the invaluable medicinal plants, widely used in the pharmaceutical industry due to its vitamins, mucilage, antioxidants, alkaloids and phenolic compounds. Calcium, involved in determining the fruit quality, is one of the most important minerals and its role in the improvement of secondary metabolites in plants has been proved. Nevertheless, little information is available regarding the foliar application of this element on jujube plant. Hence, the current research was aimed to investigate the effects of foliar application of calcium nitrate or calcium chloride on antioxidant properties and quality attributes of jujube fruit. The study was carried out in a randomized complete block design. Treatments were included control (distilled water), calcium chloride (0.5 and 1%) and calcium nitrate (0.5 and 1%). The Foliar application was done in two stages; in fruit cell division stage (20 days after full bloom) and in fruit cell growth stage (40 days after full bloom). The results showed that foliar application of calcium nitrate (0.5%) significantly increased the titratable acidity of the fruit. Calcium chloride treatment (0.5%) also increased fruit anthocyanin content compared to the control. The highest antioxidant properties, vitamin C, and calcium content were obtained in calcium chloride (1%) treatment. The maximum values of chlorophyll a, b and total were observed in the leaves treated with calcium nitrate at a concentration of 1%. In general, the results showed that foliar application of calcium salts improved the quality and antioxidant properties of jujube fruits compared to the control.
A. Amiri; F. Ezzati Ghadi; A. Ramezani Ghara; S. Rezai Zarchi
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) on liver necrosis induced by copper sulfate in rats. Twenty-eight male rats were divided into four groups as follows: 1) Normal, 2) Toxicant control (CuSo4 was given orally (200 mg/kg b.w), 3) Purslane was given orally ...
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) on liver necrosis induced by copper sulfate in rats. Twenty-eight male rats were divided into four groups as follows: 1) Normal, 2) Toxicant control (CuSo4 was given orally (200 mg/kg b.w), 3) Purslane was given orally (400 mg/kg b.w) and 4) Toxicant + purslane. At the end of the four weeks, all the rats were sacrificed and some biochemical parameters of serum such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and concentrations of alondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in serum were estimated. CuSo4 significantly increased the levels of ALT, AST, and MDA and decreased the levels of CAT, SOD, and GPx in toxicant rats. The toxicant + purslane group restored these changes to normal levels. Histopathological findings are consistent with biochemical findings. Purslane has a hepatoprotective effect on CuSo4-induced hepatic damage in rats and these effects might be contributed to modulation of detoxification enzymes and antioxidant and free radical scavenger effects.
T. Karimi Jalilehvandi; S. Maleki Farahani; A.R. Rezazadeh
Abstract
In order to evaluate the effects of autumn and spring sowing date and different amount of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer on qualitative characteristics and seed germination of Lallemantia (Lallemantia royleana Benth.), a factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three ...
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In order to evaluate the effects of autumn and spring sowing date and different amount of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer on qualitative characteristics and seed germination of Lallemantia (Lallemantia royleana Benth.), a factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates was conducted in Medicinal Plant Research Center of the Shahed University during 2013-2014. The factors were sowing date at two levels (autumn and spring) and chemical fertilizer at three levels (without fertilizer, half dose of fertilizer (23 kg/ha N+ 50.6 kg/ha P2O5) and full doze of fertilizer (46 kg/ha N+ 101.2 kg/ha P2O5). Results for analysis of variance showed that the effect of sowing date on percentage of mucilage, germination percentage, mean germination time and germination rate, Catalase activity during grain filling, percentage of nitrogen and phosphorus was significant however on seed vigor index (SVI-II) was not-significant. The effect of chemical fertilizers on all traits was significant. The interaction effect of sowing date and fertilizer was not significant on all traits except the Catalase activity, percentage of nitrogen and phosphorus. Mean comparison showed that the highest seed germination percentage (74.815) was related to the autumn sowing and full amount of fertilizer (88.611). Regarding to the sowing date, the highest percentage of germination was related to the fall sowing (74.81) and regarding to fertilizer application, the full amount of fertilizer had the highest germination percentage (88.81). The highest catalase activity was 28 days after flowering in the autumn sowing and control (0.0075), and the lowest catalase activity was 7 days after flowering in spring planting and full dose of fertilizer (0.0014). For high germination indices, fertilizer and fall planting is recommended. Generally, results showed that fall sowing date and full dose of chemical fertilizer (46 kg/ha N and 101.2 kg/ha P2O5) produced seeds with higher seed vigor compared to other treatments.
A Salimi; V. Rowshan; E. Khanpoor
Abstract
This research was aimed to investigate the effect of salinity on quality and quantity of essential oil components and antioxidant activity in Achillea millefolium L. The study was conducted in a completely randomized design in greenhouse, controlled environment, with four treatments including 0 (control), ...
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This research was aimed to investigate the effect of salinity on quality and quantity of essential oil components and antioxidant activity in Achillea millefolium L. The study was conducted in a completely randomized design in greenhouse, controlled environment, with four treatments including 0 (control), 50, 100 and 150 mM NaCl and four replications per treatment. The essential oil was first extracted and the active components of the essential oil were separated and identified by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methods. Then, the proline content in fresh leaf and antioxidant activity of methanolic extract were determined. According to the results, the essential oil yield showed a significant increase at 150 mM NaCl. Regarding the essential oil composition, the main compounds were delta-cadinol, trans-beta-farnesene, α-Bisabolol, borneol, caryophyllene oxide, and menthone, showing an increase with increasing salinity. Some compounds such as sabinene, cis-β-ocimene, cis-γ-bisabolene were only detected in control treatment. Menthone, beta-bisabolene, epi-beta-santalene, and 1,8-cineole were only detected in the plants treated with salt. Proline content was increased with increased concentration of NaCl. The results showed that radical scavenging activity and reducing power of yarrow extract increased with increasing of salinity concentration. Our findings suggest that salt stress increases the antioxidant compounds in Achillea millefolium.
Gh. Jalilzadeh-Amin; N. Shamshiri; J. Aliakbarlu
Abstract
Herbal medicines are natural and safe; however, side effects can occur following excessive use of them. This research was aimed to investigate the acute toxicity and antioxidant activity of the essential oil of Artemisia dracunculus L. The essential oil of A. dracunculus (EOAD) was extracted by Clevenger ...
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Herbal medicines are natural and safe; however, side effects can occur following excessive use of them. This research was aimed to investigate the acute toxicity and antioxidant activity of the essential oil of Artemisia dracunculus L. The essential oil of A. dracunculus (EOAD) was extracted by Clevenger apparatus using hydrodistillation. Two types of essential oil were studied including fresh and old oil (kept in laboratory conditions for three months). All protocols were tested for both fresh and old oil. The LD50 was calculated based on Lorke’s method using Probit Analysis and maximum Likelihood method with MINITAB software. To induce acute toxicity, appropriate concentrations of essential oil (10, 100, 1000, 1600, 2900 and 5000mg/kg of EOAD) were given orally and intraperitoneally. The antioxidant activity of EOAD (1-32mg/ml) was measured by two methods: DPPH and ABTS assays. The oral LD50 values were greater than 5000 mg/kg and 3801.33mg/kg for fresh and old EO, respectively. When fresh and old EO administered intraperitoneally, the LD50 values were calculated to be 4810.06mg/kg and 3013.33mg/kg, respectively. The fresh essential oil showed higher antioxidant activity as compared with the old essential oil in both DPPH and ABTS methods. Our results clearly indicate that the essential oil of this plant is non-toxic and contains antioxidant compounds that support the use of tarragon in traditional medicine.
M. Dadashpour; I. Rasooli; F. Sefidkon; M. Taghizadeh; S. Darvish Alipour Astaneh
Abstract
Essential oils with good antioxidant properties could be used for therapeutic, nutritional and food preservation purposes. With the increasing use of medicinal plant products, different aspects need to be considered in terms of useful applications and their potential harm to human health. In the present ...
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Essential oils with good antioxidant properties could be used for therapeutic, nutritional and food preservation purposes. With the increasing use of medicinal plant products, different aspects need to be considered in terms of useful applications and their potential harm to human health. In the present study, antimicrobial, antioxidative and cytotoxic properties of fresh and commercial essential oils of Anethum graveolens L. were studied. The bacterial strains sensitive to Anethum graveolens oils were in the following order: Candida albicans> S. aureus> E. coli> P. aeruginosa. The minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations of the oils were determined. The essential oils had good bactericidal and bacteriostatic properties except for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antioxidative properties of the oils were studied using DPPH free radical scavenging and beta-carotene bleaching tests and the results were compared with standard synthetic antioxidants. Lipid peroxidation inhibitions were comparable to the synthetic antioxidants of BHT and BHA. The oil concentration required for 50% free radical scavenging (IC50) was 6.7 μg/ml with total phenol contents of 174.91 μg GAE/mg for fresh oil of A. graveolens, while they were 10.53 μg/ml and 4.34 GAE/mg respectively for the commercial oil. The volatile oils from fresh and commercial A. graveolens displayed cytotoxic effects on human peripheral blood cells (lymphocytes) with IC50 of 7 and 3042μg/ml and on human tumor cell line (HeLa cells) with IC50 of 8.51 μg/ml and 205.65 μg/ml respectively. The results show that essential oils of A. graveolens could be used with caution and after determining the dose.
M. Dadashpour; I Rasooli; F. sefidkon; E. Zaad Hosseingholi; Sh. Darvish Alipour Astaneh
Abstract
In the present study, the antimicrobial properties of Satureja sahendica Bornm. and summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) essential oils were studied. The bacterial strains sensitive to the oils were in Candida albicans> E. coli> S. aureus> P. aeruginosa order. Minimum inhibitory and bactericidal ...
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In the present study, the antimicrobial properties of Satureja sahendica Bornm. and summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) essential oils were studied. The bacterial strains sensitive to the oils were in Candida albicans> E. coli> S. aureus> P. aeruginosa order. Minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations were observed in the range of 0.5-10mg/ml. Total phenolics of S. sahendica and the S. hortensis were 170.5±8.53 and 47.25±2.14 µg Gallic acid equivalent per mg sample. Antioxidative property of the oils was carried out using DPPH free radical scavenging and beta-carotene bleaching tests and the results were compared with the standard synthetic antioxidants. Lipid peroxidation inhibitions were comparable to or higher than the synthetic antioxidants. The concentrations from S. sahendica and S. hortensis oils required for 50% free radical scavenging (IC50) were 6.25 and 5.82 μg/ml respectively. Ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of S. sahendica oil was greater than that of the S. hortensis oil. The superoxide anion radical scavenging activities of S. sahendica and S. hortensis oils were 55.28%±1.16 and 21.81%±2.46 at 15µg/ml oil with an IC50 of 9.4 and 101.2 µg respectively. Tyrosinase activity of one µg S. sahendica oil was 47.88±%1.33 while that of the S. hortensis oil at 15 µg level was 15.35%±2.9. In conclusion, the results from biological properties of Satureja sahendica are indicative of its potentials for food and drug industries applications.
N. Piroozi; H. Azarnivand; A. Kohandel; F. Khalighi-Sigaroodi
Abstract
Bidens bipinnata L. belongs to the family Asteraceae (Compositae) and genus of Bidens. In order to study the antioxidant activity, total phenolic and flavonoid content of methanolic extract of Bidens bipinnata L., were investigated. For this purpose, after full identification of the species and determination ...
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Bidens bipinnata L. belongs to the family Asteraceae (Compositae) and genus of Bidens. In order to study the antioxidant activity, total phenolic and flavonoid content of methanolic extract of Bidens bipinnata L., were investigated. For this purpose, after full identification of the species and determination of its habitat in Alborz province, aerial parts of the plant were collected at fruiting stage. In this research, three methods including DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP were applied to measure flavonoid and total phenolic content of the species. Results showed that for methanol extract of the aerial parts of Bidens bipinnata, percentage of radical inhibition was 82.13 μg/ml (IC50> 100 μg/ml). The amount of ferrous sulfate reagent was 112.66 μM/g based on the dry weight of plant in FRAP method. According to the results of ABTS method, the amount of Ascorbic Acid, total flavonoids and total phenolic compounds were respectively calculated based on the dry weight of plant as 9.15 mg and also the amount of total flavonoids in dry weight of plant using rutin reagent was determined 12.21 mg/g and the amount of total phenolic compounds of the extract using Gallic Acid reagent was determined 2.88 mg/g.
S.M. Sharafi; I. Rasooli; T. Allahghadri; M.R. Jalali Nadoushan; M.B. Rezaei
Abstract
In the present study the antimicrobial, antioxidative, hematologic and cytotoxic properties of Citrus limon L. essential oil were studied. The bacterial strains sensitive to Citrus limon L. oil were in the following order: E. coli> K. pneumonia> S. aureus> Streptococcus faecalis> Candida ...
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In the present study the antimicrobial, antioxidative, hematologic and cytotoxic properties of Citrus limon L. essential oil were studied. The bacterial strains sensitive to Citrus limon L. oil were in the following order: E. coli> K. pneumonia> S. aureus> Streptococcus faecalis> Candida albicans> P. aeruginosa .The minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations of the fresh oil were determined. The essential oils had good bactericidal and bacteriostatic properties except for P. aeruginosa. Antioxidative property of the oil was carried out by using beta-carotene bleaching test and the results were compared to the standard synthetic antioxidants. Lipid peroxidation inhibitions were comparable or higher than the synthetic antioxidant BHT and BHA. The oil concentration required for 50% free radical scavenging (IC50) was 22.81 μg/ml with total phenol contents of 57.43 μg GAE/mg for C. limon L. oil. Ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) in the blood sera of the rats gavaged with a daily dose of 100 µl oil increased. Therapeutic effects were noted as a result of feeding the rats with lemon essential oil. The volatile oil of lemon displayed cytotoxic effects on the human tumor cell line (Hela cells) and peripheral blood cells with the IC50 of 0.97 and 0.57μg/ml respectively. The results showed that the lemon oil might be consumed with precautions after dose determination.
I. Rasooli; L. Gachkar; D. Yadegarinia; M.B. Rezaei; M. Taghizadeh; M.H. Fakoor; A.M. Allameh
Abstract
Lipid peroxidation is the most important deteriorative effect of free radicals that leads to destruction of cell membrane. The routine use of antioxidants is becoming more limited due to their instability and their probable carcinogenic effects. The use of natural additives and antioxidants in treatment ...
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Lipid peroxidation is the most important deteriorative effect of free radicals that leads to destruction of cell membrane. The routine use of antioxidants is becoming more limited due to their instability and their probable carcinogenic effects. The use of natural additives and antioxidants in treatment of microbial and non microbial diseases is gaining momentum among people. In the present work, we extract and identify the chemical compounds of the essential oils of Mentha spicata L. and Chenopodium ambrosioides.L. Antioxidative property, free radical scavenging capacity and antimicrobial characteristics of oils were then studied. The microorganisms employed in this study were: E.coli, S.aureus, S.enteritidis, L. monocytogenes. The plants were hydrodistilled and the essential oils were extracted. The chemical constituents of the oils thus obtained were identified by GC/MS. Employing disc diffusion and tube dilution methods antimicrobial effects of the oils on were studied. Zones of microbial growth inhibition and Minimum Inhibitory and Bactericidal concentrations (MIC & MBC) of the microorganisms exposed to various dilutions of the oils were determined. Kinetics of microbial death were determined. Antioxidant properties of the oils were tested and their relation to antimicrobial properties of the oils were studied. Chemical analysis lead to identification of 14 and 13 compounds in the essential oils of Mentha spicata and Chenopodium ambrosioides, respectively. The sensitivity of bacteria to the oils were the order of L. monocytogenes> E. coli> S. aureus> S. enteritidis. The antibacterial properties of the essential oils from Mentha spicata leaves were higher than the oils from C. ambrosioides leaves. The D values for E. coli, S. aureus, S. enteritidis and L. monocytogenes exposed to the MBC levels of the essential oils were: Mentha spicata (6.42, 10, 6.42, 6.42) and Chenopodium ambrosioides (2.85, 4.28, 5, 4.28) minutes respectively. The zones of microbial growth inhibitions were not correlated to microbicidal kinetics of the oils. The oils had antioxidant properties equivalent to or higher than synthetic BHA antioxidant. The correlation between antioxidative properties and antimicrobial activities of the oils were studied.
S. Asgary; S.A. Emami; M.R. Shams Ardekani; Gh. Naderi; S. Aslani; T. Kasher; A. Airin
Volume 23, Issue 1 , May 2007, , Pages 59-72
Abstract
Free radicals especially reactive oxygen species damage biomolecules such as DNA, proteins, enzymes and membrane lipids. Nowadays, it is believed that antioxidant and oxidant systems play an important role in the pathogenesis of many diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancers, aging, etc. In the ...
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Free radicals especially reactive oxygen species damage biomolecules such as DNA, proteins, enzymes and membrane lipids. Nowadays, it is believed that antioxidant and oxidant systems play an important role in the pathogenesis of many diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancers, aging, etc. In the present study, antioxidant effects of essential oils from the fruits and twigs ofJuniperus excelsa subsp. Excelsa on several oxidative systems (red blood cells haemolysis , LDL oxidation, insulin and haemoglobin glycosylation and linoleic acid peroxidation) were studied. Plant specimens were identified after collection and essential oils from the fruits and twigs were separately extracted by steam distillation method. Three different concentration of each extracts from the fruits and twigs of plant were used. Experiments were carried out in the presence and in the absence of each concentration by Cu and spectroscopic method for LDL oxidation. 2, 2’-Azobis- (2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) was used to hemolysis of red blood cells and the amount of haemolysis was measured by spectroscopic method in 540 nm. Total conjugated dienes (CDs) formation from linoleic acid was determined at the presence of FeSO in 234nm. The results of this study show that insulin and haemoglobin glycosylation were effectively inhibited by the examined essential oil, also LDL oxidation was inhibited in the presence of different concentration of these oils. Inhibitory effect of twigs on LDL oxidation was greater than vitamin C. No anti-oxidation activity on LDL oxidation was observed when the experiments run with examined-concentrations of fruit. Linoleic acid oxidation in the presence of examined-oils was efficiently inhibited and a direct correlation was observed between the level of inhibition and incubation time. The obtained essential oils inhibited red blood cells haemolysis in low concentration and accelerate red blood cells haemolysis by peroxidant properties in high concentration. These results demonstratethat the essential oils prepared from the fruit and twigs of the Juniperus excelsa subsp. excelsa possess antioxidantactivity in low concentration in several oxidative systems even them caused red blood cells haemolysis in vitro. Hence, more studies are called to examine the effect of this plant for treatment of some disease including atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, etc.
S. Asgary; Gh. Naderi; N. Askari
Abstract
Flavonoids which are polyphenolic substances are found in different vegetable and fruits and they have anti-oxidant properties. Epidemiological studies showed that flavonoids reduce the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, the usage of synthetic antioxidants have been limited because ...
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Flavonoids which are polyphenolic substances are found in different vegetable and fruits and they have anti-oxidant properties. Epidemiological studies showed that flavonoids reduce the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, the usage of synthetic antioxidants have been limited because of their toxicity and, there are different researches to find better natural antioxidants. This survey investigates the effect of some pure flavonoids such as kaempferol, quercetin, morin and rutin on red blood cell (RBC) hemolysis and their -SH capacity as membrane protection indicator. The flavonoids solutions were prepared. Rate of RBC hemolysis and -SH capacity of cell membrane were determined by spectrophotometer. 2,2´azobis2 amidino propane dihydrechloride (AAPH) was used to induce RBC peroxidation. The effect of each flavonoids on RBC hemolysis was examined in 3 concentrations (0.15, 5, 10) μg/ml but for investigating the effect on -SH groups only the highest concentration (10 μg/ml) of each flavonoids were used. In all cases, the antioxidant activity was dose-dependent. Rutin showed the highest inhibitory effect on RBC hemolysis than other flavonoid, that was 42.5. Also kaempferol, rutin, morin protect -SH groups 6%, 23.3%, 26.4% respectively. Results showed that flavonoids and plants contain flavonoids can be used as natural antioxidants for treatment and prevention of diseases which their pathogenesis are lipid peroxidation.
