Identification, introduction, ecology and ethnobotany
zahra aslani; Ahad Hedayati; Behrooz- Esmaielpour-
Abstract
Background and objectives: Hippophae rhamnoides L. (sea buckthorn) is a deciduous shrub or tree in the Elaeagnaceae family. Sea buckthorn is one of the native species of the Turani regions of Iran, with limited and scattered habitats in Gachsar, Haraz, Arasbaran, Khoy, and Alamut. ...
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Background and objectives: Hippophae rhamnoides L. (sea buckthorn) is a deciduous shrub or tree in the Elaeagnaceae family. Sea buckthorn is one of the native species of the Turani regions of Iran, with limited and scattered habitats in Gachsar, Haraz, Arasbaran, Khoy, and Alamut. An old miraculous plant, it is highly regarded for its richness in bioactive and nutritional substances. Hippophae rhamnoides is one of the valuable precursor species in terms of nitrogen fixation for the soil. It is a storage shrub resistant to cold, drought, and low-cover environments. Sea buckthorn contains nearly 200 nutritional and bioactive compounds. This plant's fruits are rich in lipids, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, and flavonoids. The purpose of the present study, considering the high medicinal and ecological importance of the Sea buckthorn plant and the few studies in Iran, especially in the field of phytochemical compounds of this valuable plant, is to introduce the Sea buckthorn plant, its phytochemical compounds, and some of their uses in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Materials and methods: This article contains scientific papers published between 2001 and 2022 from Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed.Results: All parts of sea buckthorn (fruits, leaves, stems, branches, roots, and thorns) have been traditionally used in medicine and food supplements. Sea buckthorn leaves, fruits, and oils are rich in macro and microelements, vitamins A, C, E, lipids, carotenoids, amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, and phenols. In recent years, there have been several reports on the medicinal activities of sea buckthorn, including its anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiviral activities and its ability to protect the heart and blood vessels. The oil obtained from the seeds and fruit includes bioactive compounds such as palmitoleic acid (omega 7), a part of skin lipids, and stimulates epidermis repair and healing wounds. Flavonol glycosides are one of the most abundant phenolic compounds in sea buckthorn. Flavonoids are antioxidants in sea buckthorn that prevent blood platelet accumulation and cancer cell spread. They improve blood circulation and reduce inflammation. As an antioxidant, antimicrobial, and other natural additive, sea buckthorn is used in various food products. In addition, it is used in diverse forms, such as oil, dried powder, fruit juice, pills, drinks, fruit, and tea. Conclusion: Besides its high nutritional value as a food, the genus Hippophae has several economic advantages as a raw material for cosmetics, food, pharmaceutical industries, and environmental protection. Due to its high tolerance to cold, drought, salinity, and alkalinity and the ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, it is an ideal product for protecting soil and water and windbreaks on marginal lands prone to soil erosion.
H. Jahantighi; M. Moghaddam; M. Valizadeh
Abstract
The prominent influence of medicinal plants in the prevention and treatment of different diseases has led to an increasing trend of human societies towards them. In addition to numerous ornamental, industrial and agroforestry applications, Rohida (Tecomella undulate (Roxb.) seem.) from Bignoniaceae family ...
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The prominent influence of medicinal plants in the prevention and treatment of different diseases has led to an increasing trend of human societies towards them. In addition to numerous ornamental, industrial and agroforestry applications, Rohida (Tecomella undulate (Roxb.) seem.) from Bignoniaceae family is considered as one of the most valuable medicinal species in arid region due to the presence of efficient active ingredients such as lapachol with proven effects in the treatment of major diseases including cancer, aids, malaria and so forth. In this research, firstly the habitats of Rohida were identified in the province and then their climate characteristics, soil physical and chemical properties, phenology, some of morphological traits and companion plants were investigated. The evaluations showed that this plant had six small habitats with a low population of two yellow and orange morphotypes in the Balouchestan region, growing at altitudes ranging from 480 to 830 m above sea level, often in the direction of the waterways and the margin of the seasonal rivers with different aspects and low slopes. The climate of the habitats studied was warm desert and the soil texture was light to medium with an alkaline reaction. In addition to the phenological differences, a significant difference between the habitats in terms of their morphological traits and growth indices was observed that could be due to genetic and environmental factors, or both. The results of this study, regarding the decreasing population of this plant affected by various factors, especially the continuous drought caused by climate change, indicate that the Rohida in this province is exposed to extinction and urgent measures have to be taken toward its conservation, rehabilitation, and domestication.
F. Nosrati; B. Fakheri; M. Solouki; N. Mahdi Nezhad; M. Valizadeh
Abstract
Development and implementation of effective and useful programs for the rehabilitation, conservation and sustainable utilization of medicinal species is possible only by identifying plant and ecological characteristics. Astragalus fasciculifolius Bioss. belonging to the Fabaceae family, is a valuable ...
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Development and implementation of effective and useful programs for the rehabilitation, conservation and sustainable utilization of medicinal species is possible only by identifying plant and ecological characteristics. Astragalus fasciculifolius Bioss. belonging to the Fabaceae family, is a valuable medicinal species. This species plays an effective role in treatment of heart disease, inhibition of cancer cell growth, and eliminating the chemotherapy effects due to the presence of compounds such as saponins, flavonoids, and polysaccharides. In this study, the distribution map of this species was prepared using available resources, and then climatic characteristics, physical and chemical analysis of soil, different phenological stages, and associated plants in the region were recorded. The results of this study showed that this plant is distributed in the cities of Khash, Saravan, Soran and Mehrestan. According to the Demartonne method, the climate of this region is arid. The average annual precipitation, relative humidity, and an average temperature of these habitats are 52 mm, 20%, and 25°C, respectively. This species is distributed between approximately 1300 and 1500 m above sea level, on the slopes and mainly in the waterways, in the bed of seasonal rivers, and in all directions, especially the northern direction and the slope between 0 to 75%. The soil texture of habits is mainly sandy loam with the pH range of 6.73 to 8.28, EC range of 0.56 to 1.06 ds/m, and 30.64-50.62% lime. A. fasciculifolius is a drought tolerant species which is capable of growing under dry climatic conditions with an average annual rainfall of less than 30mm.
M. Valizadeh; A. Bagheri; J. Valizadeh; M.H. Mirjalili; N. Moshtaghi
Abstract
Development and implementation of effective programs to conservation, reclamation and efficient utilization of valuable plant species seem to have a special importance. To achieve this goal, ecological characteristics of important plant species, forming natural vegetation, need to be detected and recognized. ...
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Development and implementation of effective programs to conservation, reclamation and efficient utilization of valuable plant species seem to have a special importance. To achieve this goal, ecological characteristics of important plant species, forming natural vegetation, need to be detected and recognized. Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dunal, belonging to the Solanaceae family, has received much attention in recent years due to the presence of a large number of steroidal lactones, known as withanolides. One of the most important withanolides is withaferin A, having anticancer properties. To study the autecology of W. coagulans, its habitats in Sistan and Baluchestan region were identified and habit characteristics including climate, soil physical and chemical properties, altitude, slope gradient, aspect and phenological stage were investigated in several locations. Results showed that this plant is exclusively distributed in limited areas of the province. The climate of the study area is arid based on Demarton aridity index. Average annual rainfall is 124.8 mm with a relative humidity of 32% and average temperature of 24.2 C°. This species is mainly (45%) distributed at an altitude of 1200 to 1400 meters above sea level, in slopes, valleys, road edges and mainly in waterways and the bed of seasonal rivers and in all aspects particularly the South and a slope from zero to 74%. The soil texture of the study habits is predominantly sandy loam with a pH of 7.5-7.8, an EC of 0.5-5.2 ds/m and 8.4-23.1% lime. W. coagulans is a drought resistant species growing in arid climate conditions with an average annual rainfall of 150 mm. In general, essential measures need to be taken towards the conservation and distribution of this rare and valuable species.
M. larti; S. Ghasempour; E. Sharifi Ashorabadi; B. Alizadeh
Abstract
Thyme is one of the most important species in pharmaceutical, food, health and cosmetic industries. In order to study natural habitats of different species from Thymus genus in west Azerbaijan province, several studies were conducted in habitat conditions during 2001-2003. First, habitat surveys were ...
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Thyme is one of the most important species in pharmaceutical, food, health and cosmetic industries. In order to study natural habitats of different species from Thymus genus in west Azerbaijan province, several studies were conducted in habitat conditions during 2001-2003. First, habitat surveys were conducted in different parts of the province and then plot establishment and data collection were performed in the habitats of T. pubescens and T. kotschyanus, in Hajibeyk and Ghoshchi regions, respectively. In this study, in addition to climate and soil data, vegetation indices such as plant height, canopy cover, number of branches and root length were measured. The results of the study showed that T. kotschyanus is distributed at an altitude of 1450-2500 m and slopes of 20-60% in northern slope and with an average rainfall of 400-600 mm while, T. pubescens is distributed at an altitude of 1900-2600 m, and slopes of 10-45 % (east and north), with an average rainfall of 250-400 mm. A soil texture of silty-clay-loam and silty-loam are needed for the growth of T. kotschyanus and T. pubesen, respectively. Essential oil percentage in 50% flowering stage was recorded to be 1/12% and 1/78% in T. pubescens and T. kotschyanus, respectively.
H.R. Mirdavoodi; P. Babakhanlo
Abstract
Markazi province has different types of climatic conditions due to its location which is inside the angle of Alborz and Zagros mountain chains. As a consequence of such a charactrisitic it possess a great variety of diversity of plant species. On the basis of existing reports and scientific resources ...
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Markazi province has different types of climatic conditions due to its location which is inside the angle of Alborz and Zagros mountain chains. As a consequence of such a charactrisitic it possess a great variety of diversity of plant species. On the basis of existing reports and scientific resources as well as field investigations, 144 species were introduced from Markazi as medicinal plants. They belonged to 127 genera and 48 famillies, that Compositeae and Labiateae were dominant. The distribution of some of these species are limited to special habitats and elevations. Majority of them have wide distribution in the province and changes of altitude and rainfall are not effective.
Z. Baher Nik
Volume 18, Issue 1 , February 2003, , Pages 53-76
Abstract
Due to the importance of different species of Ephedra genus which produce ephedrine and psuedoephedrine, several samples of 9 species of Ephedra were collected from native habitates and then determined. During collection, some ecological factors like altitude, precipitation, maximum and minimum temperature, ...
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Due to the importance of different species of Ephedra genus which produce ephedrine and psuedoephedrine, several samples of 9 species of Ephedra were collected from native habitates and then determined. During collection, some ecological factors like altitude, precipitation, maximum and minimum temperature, soil texture, orientation and accompanying species were studied. Result showed, while E. major and E. procera distribute in hyrcani region and E. brevifolia which grows in sahara- sandi region, other species distribute in Irano- Torani region. E. major is found from altitute 300 to 2900 m and is a dapted to different egions. This species is stablisned on sand-rock soil suceessfuly.
