Improvement and breeding
Fatemeh Zakerian; Fatemeh Sefidkon; Bohloul Abbaszadeh; Sepide Kalatejari; Masoumeh Layeghhaghighi; Najmeh Hadi
Abstract
Background and objectives: Among the 16 species of Satureja in Iran, 10 are endemic, including S. bachtiarica, S. khuzistanica, S. intermedia, S. sahendica, S. isophylla, S. rechingeri, S. edmondi, S. kallarica, S. atropatana, and S. kermanshahensis. Satureja sahendica Bornm. is a perennial plant with ...
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Background and objectives: Among the 16 species of Satureja in Iran, 10 are endemic, including S. bachtiarica, S. khuzistanica, S. intermedia, S. sahendica, S. isophylla, S. rechingeri, S. edmondi, S. kallarica, S. atropatana, and S. kermanshahensis. Satureja sahendica Bornm. is a perennial plant with essential oil widely used in the pharmaceutical, food, health, and cosmetic industries. Its antiviral properties have also been documented. Drought stress is one of the most significant environmental challenges for plants, leading to reduced water absorption, stomatal conductance, transpiration, and photosynthesis, while also disrupting hormonal balance. Plants adopt various mechanisms to mitigate drought stress, such as increasing osmotic regulators like sugars, proline amino acids, and proteins. Drought conditions typically decrease chlorophyll content while increasing carotenoids. Additionally, oxidative stress intensifies under drought, leading to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, and ascorbate peroxidase in chloroplasts and mitochondria. Mycorrhizal fungi play a crucial role in enhancing root absorption, regulating water movement within host plants, and ultimately improving tissue water uptake and leaf physiology.Methodology: This experiment was conducted using a split-plot design within a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications at the Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands during 2015–2016. The main factor was irrigation treatment, consisting of full irrigation (control), irrigation interruption at the stem stage (resumed at the budding stage), irrigation interruption at the budding stage (no irrigation until the end of the flowering period), and irrigation interruption at the 50% flowering stage (no irrigation until the end of flowering). The secondary factor was biological fertilizer application, which included no biofertilizer (control), inoculation with Glomus intraradices, inoculation with Glomus mosseae, and inoculation with Glomus mosseae + Glomus intraradices. Throughout the growth period, irrigation was maintained at 80–90% of field capacity, and drought treatments were applied based on plant morphology. The biofertilizers contained mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus intraradices and Glomus mosseae) in the form of active fungal structures, including spores, hyphae, and roots. Before transplanting the seedlings, 10 grams of biofertilizer, containing 400 to 500 active fungal units, was applied to each planting hole.Results: The interaction effect of drought stress and mycorrhiza was significant at the 1% probability level for protein, catalase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, chlorophyll a, total chlorophyll, proline, polyphenol oxidase, soluble sugars, essential oil percentage, essential oil yield, and flowering shoot yield, while its effect on carotenoid and total phenol was significant at the 5% level. The results indicated that the yield of p-cymene, γ-terpinene, and thymol was significantly influenced at the 1% level by the triple interaction of year, drought stress, and mycorrhiza. Mean comparisons revealed that catalase, superoxide dismutase, chlorophyll b, proline, total phenol, essential oil percentage, and essential oil yield were higher in the second year. Regarding drought stress, the highest flowering shoot yield was observed under full irrigation and moisture stress applied at the full flowering stage. Mycorrhizal treatment comparisons showed that the highest malondialdehyde release occurred in plants without inoculation and those treated with the combination of Glomus intraradices + Glomus mosseae. Essential oil analysis revealed that the highest percentage (2.23%) was obtained in the budding stage treatment with G. mosseae, while the highest essential oil yield (51.78 kg/ha) was recorded under full irrigation with G. intraradices inoculation. The triple interaction (year × drought stress × mycorrhiza) analysis showed that in the first year, the highest thymol yield (74.59%) resulted from full irrigation combined with G. mosseae inoculation.Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that the application of biological fertilizers effectively mitigated the effects of drought stress, leading to an increase in both the essential oil percentage and thymol content.
Improvement and breeding
A. Javanmard; Mosa Jamali; M. Morshedloo; M. Nouraein; M. Amani machiani
Abstract
Background and objectives: In recent years, green manure has received attention due to its positive effects on soil health and the quality and quantity of plants. It has been reported that intercropping legumes with cereal as green manures improves soil fertility and nutrient availability, increasing ...
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Background and objectives: In recent years, green manure has received attention due to its positive effects on soil health and the quality and quantity of plants. It has been reported that intercropping legumes with cereal as green manures improves soil fertility and nutrient availability, increasing plant productivity. In addition to green manures, applying organic (vermicompost) and biofertilizers (arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi) can positively affect the plant's productivity and quality. Considering the adverse effects of chemical fertilizers on the bio-active compounds of medicinal and aromatic plants, improving the quantity and quality characteristics, especially in low-input conditions, has become a significant challenge in the agricultural sector. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of green manures and bio- and organic fertilizers on the nutrient content and morphological and phytochemical characteristics of peppermint.Methodology: The experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 8 treatments and three replications at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maragheh, Iran, in 2022. The treatments included green manures [barley monoculture, hairy vetch monoculture and replacement intercropping of 75% hairy vetch+ 25% barley, 50% hairy vetch+ 50% barley and 25% hairy vetch+ 75% barley], arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and vermicompost. Before harvesting, peppermint's growth characteristics, including plant height, number of leaves, number of nodes, and number of lateral branches, were randomly measured in 10 samples from each treatment. To measure the dry matter yield of peppermint, 3.2 m2 of each plot was harvested randomly after removing the marginal effects. The peppermint EO was extracted using a Clevenger by water distillation. Moreover, the EO constituents were analyzed using GC-MS (GC–MS; 5977A, Agilent) and GC-FID (Agilent 7990B). Data analysis was performed with SAS (version 9.3) software. Also, the significant differences among means were compared with the LSD test at P< 0.05.Results: The results demonstrated that the highest N (18.05 g kg-1) and K (18.25 g kg-1) content was obtained by applying green manure as intercropping of 50% hairy vetch+50% barley. However, the highest content of P (1.75 g kg-1) was achieved in the AMF application. The maximum dry yield of peppermint (292.67 g m-2) was observed when green manure was applied as an intercropping of 50% hairy vetch+50% barley, which had no significant difference from the AMF application. Additionally, the maximum essential oil content (1.84%) and essential oil yield (5.39 g m-2) was achieved by applying green manure as intercropping of 50% hairy vetch+50% barley. The essential oil analysis showed that the significant constituents of peppermint essential oil were menthol (32.74-38.06%), menthone (18.33-21.42%), and 1,8cineol (5.20-6.12%). The maximum content of menthol and cineol was obtained by applying green manure as intercropping of 50% hairy vetch+50% barley.Conclusion: Generally, the study results demonstrated that applying green manure as intercropping of 50% hairy vetch+50% barley as a sustainable strategy can improve peppermint's essential oil quantity and quality.
Improvement and breeding
F. Houshidari; S. R. Tabaei-Aghdaei; F. Sefidkon; B. Yousefi
Abstract
Background and objectives: Savory belongs to the family Lamiaceae and the genus Satureja. Among the 16 savory species in Iran, 9 are endemic to Iran. The most important composition of the essential oil of these species is carvacrol, which has antiseptic properties and is used in the composition of some ...
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Background and objectives: Savory belongs to the family Lamiaceae and the genus Satureja. Among the 16 savory species in Iran, 9 are endemic to Iran. The most important composition of the essential oil of these species is carvacrol, which has antiseptic properties and is used in the composition of some organic substances. The flowering branches and the aerial parts of the savoury plant are the most critical usable parts, usually harvested when flowering and dried in the shade and have a fragrant smell. In this study, we evaluated the adaptation of different savory accessions (Satureja spp.) in the climatic condition of Kurdistan province.Methodology: Thirty-seven accessions belonging to 10 Saturejaspecies were used in a randomized complete block design experiment in three replications at the Grize Station in Sanandaj from 2009-2013. The seeds were collected from different regions of Iran (Khorasan, East Azerbaijan, Yazd, Mazandaran, Kurdistan, Lorestan, Ilam, Gilan, Isfahan and Zanjan provinces). Savory species include S. sahendica Bornm, S. avromanica Maroofi, S. bachtiarica Bunge, S. spicigera (C. Koch) Boiss, S. mutica Fisch, S. macrantha CAMey, S. atropatana Bunge, S. rechingeri Jamzad, S. khuzistanicaJamzad, and S. isophylla Rech. The seeds were planted using transplanting trays, and at the stage of 8-10 leaves, the healthy plants were selected to be cultivated in unique pots. After levelling the ground and implementing the drip irrigation system, the healthy seedlings were transferred to the foremost field in the research farm. A sampling of savoury branches in the full flowering stage was done in early summer to mid-autumn. Variance analysis and average data comparison were done using Duncan's multiple range test. Using cluster analysis of the investigated characteristics, the accessions were separated into groups with different origins. Also, a variance distribution of the main components of the data was done for the principal components analysis. Essential oils obtained from 3 replicate samples were mixed and analyzed by GC and GC/MS.Results: Based on the variance analysis there was a significant difference between species and accessions at the level of (p≤0.01) in terms of essential oil yield percentage, essential oil yield per hectare (based on the dry weight of flower and leaf per hectare), total phenolic compounds of essential oil, plant's fresh weight yield per hectare and plant's dry weight yield per hectare, dry weight of leaf and flower yield per hectare, canopy area, the mean of the branch's height and establishment percentage. Also, the effect of the year on essential oil yield was significant. Comparison of the average species of savory showed that the average yield of essential oils in hectares (based on the weight of flower and leaf per hectare) was the highest in S.spicigera, S.mutica, S.rechingeri, S. macrantha, S.khuzestanica, S.sahendica, S.bachtiaricawith 45.20, 38.44, 19.00, 12.40, 12.07, 9.45, 9.26 kg/ha and the lowest in species of S.avromanica, S. isophylla, S. atropatana with 0.74, 1.64, 2.48 kg/ha, respectively. Species of S.khuzestanica, S.rechingeri,S.avromanica, S. mutica, S.spicigera, S.bachtiaricawith 91.90, 90.26, 58.45, 53.03, 51.35 and 50.49, respectively had the highest total phenolic compounds of essential oil and the species of S. isophylla, S. macrantha, S.sahendica, S. atropatana had the lowest with 29.15, 36.55, 36.85 and 37.60%, respectively. Species of S. avromanica, S. macrantha, S. spicigera, S. mutica, S. isophylla, S. sahendica with averages of 93.32, 92.30, 91.76, 83.82, 83.11, 81.44% had the highest survival or percentage of establishment, and S. atropatana, S. rechingeri, S. khuzistanica species had the lowest establishment percentage with 26.44, 31.73 and 38.89%, respectively. Comparison of traits in different species of Saturejashows that the yield of fresh plant weight per hectare is the highest in S. mutica and S. spicigera species with 13637.73 and 13570.76 kg and S. isophylla, S. atropatana and S.avromanica had the lowest values with 1199.43, 1604.31, and 1764.89 kg, respectively. The yield of the dry weight of flowers and leaves per hectare was the highest in S. spicigeraand S. mutica with 2173.94 and 2101.89 kg and S. atropatana, S. isophylla and S. avromanica had the lowest values with 338.45, 427.48, and 457.03 kg, respectively.Conclusion: Based on the cluster analysis results, S. sahendica, S. bachtiarica, S. macrantha, S. spicigera and S. mutica were prioritized for planting in Kurdistan. S. avromanica, S. Tropicana and S. mesophyll were placed in the second priority for planting, and S. recharger and S. khuzestanica, with an average yield of essential oil of 2.87 and 2.41%, respectively (higher than the native species), due to their sensitivity to cold, the low establishment, the small area of the canopy and finally the lack of dry weight of flowers and leaves can be concluded that these two species are not suitable for cultivation in the same conditions of Kurdistan. On the other hand, based on the biplot diagram, the yield of essential oil per hectare positively correlates with the canopy area and the wet and dry weight of the plant. Therefore, S. spicigera, S. mutica, S. bachtiarica, S. macrantha and S. sahendica species, in addition to the large canopy area and as a result of increasing the dry weight of flowers and leaves in them, showed essential oil yield per hectare in the climate conditions of Sanandaj. Also, S. spicigera, S. mutica, S. macrantha, S. sahendica, and S. bachtiarica species have the highest dry weight yield per hectare with 5992, 5694, 2061, 1046, and 1622 kg per hectare and 20.45 38.44, 12.40, 9.45, 9.26 kg per hectare had the highest yield of essential oil.
Improvement and breeding
Hoshang Rahmati
Abstract
Background and objectives: Oenothera biennis L., known as evening primrose, has a unique place in medical science and nutrition science due to the particular arrangement of fatty acids in the glycerol molecule and rare gamma-linolenic fatty acid. Soil and water salinity is one of the main obstacles to ...
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Background and objectives: Oenothera biennis L., known as evening primrose, has a unique place in medical science and nutrition science due to the particular arrangement of fatty acids in the glycerol molecule and rare gamma-linolenic fatty acid. Soil and water salinity is one of the main obstacles to producing agricultural and horticultural products in arid and semi-arid areas. Salicylic acid plays an active role in the plant's response to various abiotic stresses, including salinity, and research on this plant hormone is important in the production of agricultural products.Methodology: This research was conducted as a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with two factors and three replications in greenhouse conditions during the crop year 2021-2022. The first factor included four levels of sodium chloride salt at zero, 50, 100, and 150 mM, and the second factor included two levels of zero and 2 mM salicylic acid. For each experimental unit, 5 plants (five pots) were randomly selected and the number of branches, plant height, wet weight of aerial parts, wet weight of roots, dry weight of aerial parts, and leaf area were measured. Also, the traits of proline amount, total protein, relative water content of leaves, and pigments of chlorophyll and carotenoid were measured for each experimental unit.Results: Variance analysis showed that the application of salinity stress treatments had a significant effect on all traits at the 1% level; on the other hand, the application of the salicylic acid treatment on plant wet weight and chlorophyll b had a significant effect at the 1% level, and for the trait of chlorophyll a did not have a significant effect, but in other traits, it had a significant effect at the level of 5%. It was also observed that there was no significant interaction effect only in the trait of carotenoid amount, and for the traits of proline and chlorophyll a, this effect was significant at the 1% level, as well as for the traits of plant height, plant wet and dry weight, root wet weight, leaf area, number of branches, relative water content, protein, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll, the interaction effect of salicylic acid and salinity were significant at 5% level. The results of the mean comparison showed that the increase in salinity stress levels decreased all agricultural traits and most physiological traits, which was insignificant up to the level of 50 mM and significantly above the level of 100 mM. Also, salicylic acid caused a significant increase in most traits.Conclusion: The evening primrose plant had moderate resistance to salinity and the application of salicylic acid treatment improved the agronomic and physiological characteristics of evening primrose up to the stress level of 50 mM (6.5 dS/m) and at the stress level of 100 mM (1.9 dS/m), the application of 2 mM salicylic acid moderated the effects of salinity stress in the plant, but at a stress level of 150 mM (13 dS/m), the agronomic and physiological characteristics of the plant decreased significantly, and the application of salicylic acid treatment caused a more decrease. Based on this, 2 mM salicylic acid is recommended to help improve the performance of the evening primrose plant up to the salinity stress level of 9 ds/m.
Improvement and breeding
Korosh Ahmadi; Ehsan Shahbazi; Poorandokht Golkar; Keramatollah Saeidi
Abstract
Background and objectives: Nigella sativa L. is an important medicinal plant widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Considering the increasing demand for medicinal plants worldwide and the need to produce cultivated and breeding varieties, it is necessary to study the ...
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Background and objectives: Nigella sativa L. is an important medicinal plant widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Considering the increasing demand for medicinal plants worldwide and the need to produce cultivated and breeding varieties, it is necessary to study the genetic resources. The gain from selection for a trait depends on the relative importance of genetic factors in the occurrence of phenotypic differences among genotypes; in other words, the success of breeding programs depends on the genetic variation and heritability of traits. Therefore, this study investigated the genetic variation and inheritance of seed yield and yield component traits in different black cumin genotypes and identified desirable genotypes for use in breeding programs.Methodology: This study investigated the genetic variation in 20 different black cumin genotypes (Iranian and foreign) regarding different agronomic traits as a randomized complete block design with three replications at the research farm of Shahrekord University. The genotypes were planted in the middle of March. Each genotype in every repetition was cultivated in four rows, each 1.5 meters long. The distance between the rows of cultivation was 30 cm, with seeds planted 15 cm apart within the row at a depth of 1-2 cm. The traits studied included seed yield, number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per capsule, thousand seed weight, capsule diameter, number of branches per plant, and plant height. Based on the expectation of mean square components, environmental, genetic, and phenotypic variance were calculated, and then the genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation and broad-sense heritability were estimated. Statistical analyses, including analysis of variance and comparison of the mean traits between genotypes, were performed using the least significant difference (LSD) test using SAS 9.0 software. Pearson correlation between traits and cluster analysis based on Ward's method according to squared Euclidean distance using R 3.6.1 software. Also, to ensure the correctness of grouping, multivariate tests and analysis of variance tests were performed based on a completely random, unbalanced design.Results: The analysis of variance showed a significant difference between the studied genotypes for all the agronomic traits (p<0.01). The plant height in the studied genotypes varied from 22 cm (Nige7) to 58.4 cm (Nige1). The highest number of capsules per plant was observed in the Nige 53 genotype, with 20.45 capsules, and the lowest number of capsules per plant was observed in the Nige63 genotype, with 5.3 capsules. The number of branches per plant ranged from 3.9-11.5 per plant. The yield ranged from 263.56 kg/ha (Nige3) to 1409.39 kg/ha (Nige78 genotype). The phenotypic coefficient of variation varied from 48.58% (seed performance) to 5.20 (capsule diameter), and the genotypic coefficient of variation varied from 48.29% (seed performance) to 4.7 (capsule diameter). The highest genetic coefficient of variation (48.29%) belonged to the grain yield trait. The estimated heritability for the assessed traits ranged from 73.81% for number of branches per plant to 98.8% for seed yield. Heritability was 91.91% for the number of capsules per plant trait. According to the correlation coefficient results, seed yield per plant showed a positive and significant correlation with the number of capsules per plant (r=0.87**) and branches per plant (r=0.54*). In the cluster analysis, the studied genotypes were divided into four different groups, and the results of the multivariate analyses indicated appropriate grouping and significant differences in the amount of grain yield and yield components among the groups resulting from the cluster analysis.Conclusion: The high genetic variation among the studied genotypes indicates the high efficiency of this germplasm for improving grain yield and various traits and the high efficiency of selection in black cumin. Genotypes Nige53, Nige78, and Nige60 had high grain yields compared to other genotypes, which can be used to improve and increase grain yield in black cumin.
Improvement and breeding
Ashraf Aghababapoor Dehkordi; Saadollah Houshmand; Shahram Mohammady; Rudabeh Ravash
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Zataria multiflora Boiss. is an important medicinal plant species in the Lamiaceae family, native to Iran and some neighboring countries. Water scarcity is a significant limiting factor for crop growth and production. Reduced efficiency of chemical fertilizer uptake under drought ...
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Background and Objectives: Zataria multiflora Boiss. is an important medicinal plant species in the Lamiaceae family, native to Iran and some neighboring countries. Water scarcity is a significant limiting factor for crop growth and production. Reduced efficiency of chemical fertilizer uptake under drought conditions and their adverse environmental effects necessitates using sustainable agricultural practices. Mycorrhizal fungi, through their symbiotic with plants, provide essential nutrients to plants and mitigate the adverse effects of biotic and abiotic stresses on plants. This study investigates the influence of mycorrhizal symbiosis under drought stress and non-stress conditions on morpho-physiological characteristics of eight Z. multiflora ecotypes.Methodology: This study was conducted on eight Z. multiflora ecotypes collected from Safashahr, Neyriz, Khanekhore, and Fasa (located in Fars province), Faridan, Baharestan, Kalat Ghazi (located in Isfahan province), and Qasreghand (located in Sistan and Baluchestan province). Two-year-old plants of these ecotypes were subjected to two levels of drought stress, consisting of 50% and 90% soil field capacity, representing drought stress and non-drought stress conditions, respectively. Mycorrhizal fungi were applied at two levels (with and without) in a factorial experiment based on the completely randomized design with three replications, conducted in a greenhouse of the Agriculture Faculty, Shahrekord University, Iran. Drought stress was applied through reduced watering, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were inoculated in holes at a depth of 4-5 cm around the roots in the pots. The symbiosis was confirmed through root staining. Morpho-physiological traits, including plant length, width, crown area, leaf area, dry plant yield, and chlorophyll "a" and "b" content, were measured. After variance analysis, the means were compared using the LSD test. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to determine trait correlations, and stepwise regression was employed to identify traits affecting dry plant yield.Results: The results of the analysis of variance showed that ecotype, drought stress, and mycorrhizal application had highly significant effects on plant length, plant width, crown area, leaf area, dry plant yield, and chlorophyll "a" and "b" content. The significance of the two- and three-way interaction effects of ecotypes with drought stress and mycorrhizal application in all studied traits indicates the different responses of ecotypes to drought stress and mycorrhizal fungus application. Comparing the means of the two drought stress levels indicated a significant reduction in all traits under stress conditions. Mycorrhizal application in non-stress conditions significantly increased the traits. Using mycorrhizal fungi under drought stress conditions compensated for part of the reduction caused by drought stress in the traits, resulting in an increase ranging from 14% (plant width) to 210% (dry plant yield) compared to drought stress conditions. The comparison of ecotypes in each combination of stress levels and mycorrhizal application levels suggests that plant length and width, crown area, leaf area, and plant dry yield increased. The intensity of response or change in these ecotypes to drought stress and mycorrhizal application varies. The correlation coefficients and stepwise regression results indicate the critical role of leaf area and plant length in dry plant yield under both non-drought and drought stress conditions.Conclusion: In this restudy, high variability was observed in the evaluated traits such as plant length and width, canopy area, leaf area, plant dry yield, and chlorophyll "a" and "b" levels in the Z. multiflora ecotypes. On the other hand, the different reactions of these ecotypes to drought stress indicate the high genetic potential of this native plant in Iran. Therefore, it can be used to select superior genotypes. Considering the increasing and significant effect of most of the characteristics studied, including yield due to the application of mycorrhizal fungus, this fungus can be used in producing Z. multiflora under standard cultivation conditions and drought stress.
Improvement and breeding
Borzoo Yoosefi; Roya Karamian
Abstract
Background and objectives: Creeping savory is a medicinal and perennial plant that grows in the north and northwest of Iran. The essential oil of this plant has antibiotic properties and is used in herbal medicines, food preparation, and health products. Salinity stress has adverse ...
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Background and objectives: Creeping savory is a medicinal and perennial plant that grows in the north and northwest of Iran. The essential oil of this plant has antibiotic properties and is used in herbal medicines, food preparation, and health products. Salinity stress has adverse effects on photosynthetic processes and plant growth and yield. Salicylic acid protects plants against stress by regulating many physiological and enzymatic processes. So far, not much information has been published about the effect of salicylic acid on the physiological process, morphologically, and yielding traits of creeping savory under salinity stress conditions.Methodology: This factorial experiment was implemented in the greenhouse of the Kermanshah Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center based on a Completely Randomized Design including four levels of salinity (0-50-100-150 mM) and two levels of salicylic acid (0 and 2 mM). Chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) was measured with a Hansatech, UK Pocket PEA device. The chlorophyll index (SPAD) was measured with a SPAD-502Plus device, Minolta, Japan. Leaf proline content and soluble protein were measured based on Bradford method using a Bio Tek PowerWave XS2 Microplatereader, USA. Various morphological and yield traits such as plant height, leaf area (by a Light Box device, ADC, UK), leaf fresh weight, root fresh weight, and shoot fresh weight (g) were measured. Leaf dry weight, root dry weight, and shoot dry weight were weighed after drying the samples at 75°C for 48 hours. Relative water content (RWC) was calculated. Leaf electrical conductivity (µS/cm) was measured with an EC COND 3110, WTW (Germany). Analysis of variance and comparison of means (Dunkan test) were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics (Ver. 26).Results: The highest plant height (92.7 cm), leaf area (0.8 cm2), shoot fresh weight (26.9 g), and shoot dry weight (9.15 g) were obtained at 0 mM NaCl + 2 mM SA. The highest leaf fresh weight (13.5 mg), leaf dry weight (2.5 mg), quantum yield of photosystem II (0.80), and photosynthetic index (37.0) were observed at 50 mM NaCl + 2 mM SA. The highest root fresh weight (27.3 grams), root dry weight (4.3 grams), and the highest relative water content (91.7 percent) were obtained at 0 mM NaCl. The highest proline (12.7 μg/g) was observed at 150 mM NaCl and the highest soluble protein (1.1 mg/g) was observed at 100 mM NaCl + 2 mM SA. The use of 2 mM salicylic acid, under salinity stress conditions, increased plant height (16.4%), leaf area (18.6%), leaf fresh weight (17.3%), shoot fresh weight (35.4%), shoot dry weight (35.8%), relative water content (8.4%) and soluble protein by 41.4%, but decreased proline content (41.4%) and electrical conductivity (49.4%). Applying 2 mM salicylic acid has a significant effect on root fresh weight, maximum quantum yield of photosystem II and chlorophyll index in mild salinity conditions. Also, SA increased leaf dry weight in mild salt stress but decreased it in severe salinity conditions.Conclusion: This research showed that applying salicylic acid under salinity stress causes changes in some morphophysiological, photosynthetic, and biochemical characteristics of creeping savory. Increasing the salinity levels decreased some photosynthetic, physiological, vegetative, and yield traits, but the content of some osmotic regulators, such as proline and protein, was increased. The application of 2 mM salicylic acid improved some of the adverse effects of salinity in creeping savory at different salinity levels, enhancing growth and yield traits in the salicylic acid-treated plants. Applying two mM salicylic acid increases the tolerance of creeping savory against salinity stress by increasing the osmotic protectants and inducing the activity of antioxidant systems. Based on the research results, growing this plant in soils with a salinity of more than 100 mM is not recommended. Also, in the case of planting creeping savory in saline soils (less than 100 mM), to increase plant growth and farmers' income, it is recommended to apply two mM salicylic acid as a foliar spray.
Improvement and breeding
Ghobad Salimi; Fatemeh Javadi
Abstract
Background and purpose: The medicinal plant Ocimum basilicum L. is one of the most important medicinal plants. It is native to tropical regions from Central Africa to Southeast Asia and has antimicrobial, antioxidant, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Drought stress is one of the most ...
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Background and purpose: The medicinal plant Ocimum basilicum L. is one of the most important medicinal plants. It is native to tropical regions from Central Africa to Southeast Asia and has antimicrobial, antioxidant, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Drought stress is one of the most important abiotic factors that can severely affect plant growth and yield. This study aimed to investigate the effect of mycorrhizal fungus on some physiological and biochemical properties of the medicinal plant O. basilicum L. under drought stress.Methodology: This experiment was conducted in the research greenhouse of Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah branch in 2022. The experiment was performed as a factorial experiment in a Random completely blocked design with two factors (mycorrhiza fungus) in three levels including control (without inoculation with fungus), G. etunicatum and G. mosseae, water drought stress at three levels (without stress, 75 and 50% of field capacity) were performed in four replications. The traits measured in the experiment include, the number of leaves, relative water content, ion leakage, photosynthetic pigments, proline, carbohydrate, antioxidant activity, phenol content and clonization percentage.Results: The results of analysis of variance analysis showed that the effect of mycorrhizal fungus on all the traits measured in the experiment was significant, and also, the effect of drought stress on all the investigated traits was significant except for the amount of phenol and total chlorophyll. The interaction effect of two factors, mycorrhizal fungus and different levels of drought stress, on the characteristics of ion leakage and carotenoid content was significant. Mean comparisons of data showed that the highest number of leaves (70.5) was observed in the treatment of G. mosseae fungus, and the lowest number of leaves (58) was in the treatment without fungus. The highest relative water content of leaves (79.059%) was in non-stress conditions, which had a significant difference with the stress conditions of 75 and 50% of crop capacity. The highest electrolyte leakage percentage (33.02%) in the stress condition was 50% of the field capacity in the control treatment, which was not significantly different in the same condition as the G. etunicatum fungus treatment. Inoculation with mycorrhizal fungus increased the content of total chlorophyll so that the highest amount of total chlorophyll (0.96 mg/g of fresh weight) was obtained in the treatment of G. mosseae, which was not significantly different from G. etunicatum and also inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi increased the content of chlorophyll a and b by 91.8%. Inoculation with mycorrhizal fungus increased the proline content by 25.33%, too. The highest antioxidant activity (21.13%) was obtained in treating G. mosseaefungus. The lowest amount of essential oil was observed in the 50% of the field capacity treatment, 25.96% less than the control treatment. Drought stress decreased the percentage of root colonization in G. mosseae by 55.77% and in G. etunicatum by 57.93%.Conclusion: Mycorrhizal fungus improved the morphological and physiological characteristics in green basil plant.symbiosis with G. mosseae fungus under drought stress conditions with increasing proline and antioxidant activity, improved physiological traits and resistance to drought stress in green basil plant.
Improvement and breeding
Bohloul Abaszadeh; Sahar Fanaee; Davood Bakhshi
Abstract
Background and objectives: Plants are exposed to various environmental stresses during their growth period in nature and under field conditions. Due to its medicinal and therapeutic properties, Silybum marianum L. Gaertn. has been used since ancient times for the treatment of liver and gallbladder diseases. ...
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Background and objectives: Plants are exposed to various environmental stresses during their growth period in nature and under field conditions. Due to its medicinal and therapeutic properties, Silybum marianum L. Gaertn. has been used since ancient times for the treatment of liver and gallbladder diseases. This study aimed to investigate the response of Silybum marianum to plant growth regulators under different soil moisture conditions.Methodology: The present study was conducted in the agricultural year 1401-1400 at the Forests and Rangelands Research Institute research farm located in Karaj, Iran. The research farm is 5 kilometers southeast of Karaj city at a geographical latitude of 35 degrees and 48 minutes north and a longitude of 51 minutes east, with an elevation of 1320 meters above sea level. The study was carried out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The experimental treatments included different levels of field capacity (90%, 75%, 50%, 25% FC) and foliar application with plant growth regulators such as salicylic acid (75-150 mg.l-1), spermine (70-140 mg.l-1), brassinosteroid (C28) (1-1.2 µM), and water (control). Soil moisture levels were determined daily using the weighing method and TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry) in the range between field capacity and 25% soil moisture content. Irrigation was conducted according to the desired treatments throughout the growth period based on the plotted graph and with the help of TDR. Foliar spraying was performed seven days apart in three stages, five months after seed sowing in April. At the end of the study, traits including average leaf number, leaf area, canopy diameter, number of lateral branches, root length, root collar diameter, days to leaf emergence, fruit antioxidant capacity, fruit color index, seed ash percentage, leaf sugar content, thousand seed weight, fruit yield, and oil content were measured.Results: The study showed that the reduction of field capacity (FC) reduced growth and yield traits in the plant compared to the control treatment. However, the foliar application of plant growth regulators improved growth traits effectively. For instance, the leaf number in the 25% field capacity treatment was almost halved compared to the control treatment (90% field capacity). Foliar spraying with brassinosteroids prevented a significant decrease in leaf number in the plant under different field capacity levels. The highest leaf area was observed in the treatment with 140 mg.l-1spermine + 75% field capacity. Foliar spraying with spermine and brassinosteroids had a significant effect on improving growth traits under stress conditions. Foliar spraying with spermine or brassinosteroids resulted in the highest oil content in the fruit under 50% field capacity conditions. Under 75% field capacity, foliar spraying with brassinosteroids (1 µM) increased fruit yield in the plant by 71% compared to the control treatment at the same stress level and by 5.5% compared to the control treatment under 90% field capacity conditions. The correlation analysis between color indices and fruit antioxidant capacity showed a positive and significant correlation between the percentage of fruit antioxidant capacity and brightness index (L), indicating that fruits with darker colors had higher antioxidant capacity. However, the redness index (a) and yellowness index (b) had a negative and significant correlation with fruit antioxidant capacity.Conclusion: The research findings have shown that reducing field capacity reduces plants' vegetative and reproductive growth parameters. However, foliar spraying plants with plant growth regulators improves plant growth conditions under water-limited conditions. In general, based on the research results, foliar spraying of plants with spermine at a concentration of 140 mg.l-1 helps improve the growth and performance characteristics, increasing the plant's resistance to moisture stress conditions in the soil.
Improvement and breeding
Ali Ghaderi; Mohammad Moghaddam; Shahram Rezvan
Abstract
Background and Objective: Limited research exists on the relationship between different root structures and the content of steviol glycosides in various genotypes of the Stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) under varying levels of drought stress. This study aimed to assess the relationship between ...
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Background and Objective: Limited research exists on the relationship between different root structures and the content of steviol glycosides in various genotypes of the Stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) under varying levels of drought stress. This study aimed to assess the relationship between root characteristics and the content of Rebaudioside-A (Reb-A) and Stevioside (Stev) in two Stevia genotypes under drought stress.Methodology: This study evaluated the relationship between root attributes, yield characteristics, and the content of Reb-A and Stev in two Stevia genotypes (Chinese and Indian) under hydroponic conditions. Seven drought levels (-2, -4, -6, -8, -10, and -12 bars using polyethylene glycol 6000) were applied in 2023. The experiment consisted of two completely randomized design trials with three replications each. To begin the experiment, pots filled with a 1:1 ratio of vermiculite and perlite were prepared, and three uniform seedlings were planted in early April. Throughout the growth period and the application of drought stress using Hoagland solution, all pots were initially irrigated with distilled water until the establishment of plants. Once plant establishment was ensured, drought treatments were administered by irrigating once every three days with 400 mL of Hoagland solution with varying osmotic potentials based on the designated treatments. After 65 days from planting, all plants were carefully removed from the pots, and their aboveground and underground parts were separated to measure the desired traits. Steviol glycosides were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with two C18 columns and a UV-Vis detector at a wavelength of 202 nm. Finally, the results pertaining to each genotype were analyzed and presented separately.Results: The results indicated that both genotypes experienced significant reductions in yield and growth characteristics, including plant height, leaf number, leaf fresh weight, leaf yield, and total biomass yield, under drought stress conditions. Compared to the control, all mentioned traits decreased notably under stress. At the -12 bar level, the reduction in leaf yield traits was 59.84% and 87.9% in the Chinese and Indian genotypes, respectively, while total biomass yield decreased by 52.51% and 64.19%, respectively. The Indian genotype exhibited a higher average leaf yield at non-drought stress levels, whereas the Chinese genotype showed a higher yield at higher drought stress levels (beyond -8 bars). This suggests that the Chinese genotype displays greater tolerance in terms of leaf yield under higher stress levels compared to the Indian genotype. Root-related traits, including fresh and dry weight, volume, length, and density, showed the highest averages in the Chinese genotype at the -4 bar level and in the Indian genotype at the -2 bar level. In both genotypes, partial drought stress (-2 bars) resulted in increased average content of Stev when compared to the non-stress treatment, with the highest content of Reb-A and Stev observed at this stress level in both the Chinese and Indian genotypes (2.58% and 2.58%, respectively, and 7.8% and 5.96%, respectively). According to the stepwise regression results, root area, leaf fresh weight, and total biomass yield were identified as influential traits in increasing the combined content of Reb-A and Stev.Conclusion: Based on the findings, severe drought stress resulted in a decline in growth and yield traits, root characteristics, and the content and yield of the combined Reb-A and Stev. The synthesis of these two glycosides as metabolites in Stevia plants peaked at the partial drought stress level (-2 bars), highlighting their pivotal role as influential metabolites in imparting stress tolerance. The Chinese genotype exhibited the highest resistance to drought stress, displaying superior yield and content of combined Reb-A and Stev compared to the Indian genotype in certain instances. Overall, this study illustrates that severe drought stress directly diminishes the yield and content of Reb-A and Stev in Stevia plants. In contrast, certain root-related and yield traits can serve as reliable indicators of drought tolerance in this plant.
Improvement and breeding
R. A. Khavari-Nejad; M. Moghadami Rad; S. Sadatmand; F. Najafi
Abstract
Background and objectives: Madder (Rubia tinctorum L.) is a perennial and herbaceous plant. Madder's root is known as its most important economic part, and it is rich in anthraquinone derivatives. Madder is a plant with medicinal, nutritional, color and health benefits. Recent ...
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Background and objectives: Madder (Rubia tinctorum L.) is a perennial and herbaceous plant. Madder's root is known as its most important economic part, and it is rich in anthraquinone derivatives. Madder is a plant with medicinal, nutritional, color and health benefits. Recent pharmaceutical studies have shown that the anthraquinones of the madder root have selective inhibitory effects on cancer cells. In this research, according to the water and soil limitations of the tested area, the use of biodegradable calcium carbonate and phosphate fertilizers to produce madder was suggested. So, considering climate change and water shortage as severe risks to sustainable development, the cheapness of madder production and its multiple uses, the planting and production of this plant are mainly used in semi-arid areas.
Methodology: In field conditions in Ardakan, Yazd, this research was tested in factorial form in a randomized complete block design with two factors and four replications. Calcium carbonate agent was supplied at five levels of 0, 20, 50, 100 and 150 kg hˉ1 and phosphate from triple superphosphate fertilizer at four levels of 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg hˉ1. In each four-by-four-meter plot, four rows of seeds were planted, two side rows and two plants from the sides of the remaining lines were removed as marginal effects, and the rest of the plants were considered statistical populations. Irrigation water's electrical conductivity was measured during the growth period, and its average was 11.6 ds mˉ2. The plots were irrigated immediately after planting the seeds. Four days later, irrigation was done again. In the fall of the second and third years, soil was again given to the plants along with the desired treatments. Madder plants were harvested in the third winter year. Root fresh-weight biomass was weighed immediately after harvesting. After drying the roots at 104 °C, the dry weight of the roots was measured. A spectrophotometer also determined the content of anthraquinone and hydrogen peroxide in the roots.
Results: The results of bivariate analysis of variance of the data showed that the simple and reciprocal effect of different calcium carbonate and phosphate treatments on functional indicators of biomass, root fresh weight, root dry weight, anthraquinone content and root hydrogen peroxide in this research was significant at P≥ 0.05. The comparison of averages showed that the highest values of biomass, root wet weight, root dry weight, anthraquinone and hydrogen peroxide were observed in the combined treatment of 20 kg h-1 of calcium carbonate and 100 kg h-1 of phosphate, compared to the control. The lowest value of performance indicators investigated in this research was observed in the combined treatment of 150 kg h-1 of calcium carbonate and 150 kg h-1 of phosphate, compared to the control. The simultaneous use of these two fertilizers had a complementary effect on each other. This was because the application of 20 and 50 kg h-1of calcium carbonate and 100kg h-1 of phosphate had an increasing impact on the anthraquinone and hydrogen peroxide content in madder roots. The comparison of the averages showed that in the combined treatment of 20 kg h-1of calcium carbonate and 100 kg h-1of phosphate, compared to the control, the highest wet weight of the root increased by 71%, the highest dry weight of the root increased by 91%, and the highest anthraquinone content increased by 142% was observed. The comparison of the averages showed that in the combined treatment of 50 kg h-1 of calcium carbonate and 100 kg h-1 of phosphate, compared to the control, the highest biomass index was observed, with an increase of 79%.
Conclusion: The results showed that the functional indices of root fresh weight, root dry weight, anthraquinone content and biomass of madder increased significantly under the combined treatment of 20 kg h-1 of calcium carbonate and 100 kg h-1 of phosphate. It is suggested that madder be cultivated using calcium carbonate and phosphate fertilizers to increase the anthraquinone compounds under the influence of biodegradable and inexpensive external environmental stimuli in regions similar to the climatic conditions studied in this research.
Improvement and breeding
F. Mohammadi Dolatabad; M. Sanikhani; M. Yaghoobi; A. Kheyri
Abstract
Background and objectives: Punica granatum L. var. pleniflora is an ornamental/medicinal shrub native to Iran. Gulnar extract, like morphine, reduces pain in patients. It is also used against various diseases such as prostate cancer and breast cancer due to triterpenoids. ...
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Background and objectives: Punica granatum L. var. pleniflora is an ornamental/medicinal shrub native to Iran. Gulnar extract, like morphine, reduces pain in patients. It is also used against various diseases such as prostate cancer and breast cancer due to triterpenoids. In traditional medicine, it has been applied to cure diarrhea, bleeding, mucous secretions, and vaginal secretions. In external use, it has been used as a gargle to cure tonsillitis. Atherosclerosis is one of the most dangerous factors in cardiovascular disease. Due to antioxidant compounds, Gulnar reduces artery-clogging by almost 70%. Therefore, it is critical to enhance Persian Gulnar growth and flowering, a natural source of antioxidants.Methodology: To investigate the effect of the amino acids tryptophan, phenylalanine, and methionine on the morphophysiological and phytochemical characteristics of the Persian Gulanar, an experiment was conducted in the research greenhouse of Zanjan University in a completely randomized design including ten treatments in three replications and 3 pots for each experimental unit in the research greenhouse, Faculty of Agriculture of Zanjan University. Different levels of treatment included methionine 0.5, 1, 2 mM, phenylalanine 0.5, 1, 2 mM, tryptophan 0.5, 1, 2 mM. The extraction conditions were optimized for total phenol, total flavonoid, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial activity tests. To extract and optimize the extraction using a dry flower sample, an ultrasonic device was used and an experiment was designed to determine the appropriate solvent, temperature, and duration of extraction, as well as to determine the optimal ratio of plant dry matter to solvent, and a comparison was made between two water solvents and alcohol at temperatures of 30-50-70 degrees Celsius and different amounts of plants 0.2, 0.35, and 0.5 grams per ten milliliters of solvent and durations of 5, 15, 25 minutes. Based on these cases, the initial tests by recommended software. To investigate the antimicrobial activity of the flower extract and Persian Gulnar's red color, a good penetration method was used. Plates containing a solid culture medium of Mueller Hinton agar were used in this method.Results: The treatments significantly affected the dry weight of flowers and flavonoids at a 5% probability level. In addition, they affected the number of flowers, anthocyanin content, antioxidant activity (FRAP), and chlorophyll b at a 1% probability level. The flower dry weight increased by 97.09% in the presence of 2 mM tryptophan compared to the control. The most anthocyanin was observed with an increase of 56.05 and 50% in the concentration of 0.5 mM phenylalanine compared to the control. The highest amount of antioxidant activity (FRAP) was obtained with a 110% increase compared to the control at a concentration of 2 mM tryptophan. The highest flower number was at 1 mM phenylalanine and 2 mM methionine. The most positive correlation (*r=0.68) was between flower dry weight and branch growth, and the most negative correlation (*r=0.80) was between chlorophyll b and anthocyanin. There was a significant positive correlation between chlorophyll a and total flavonoids, chlorophyll b, and branch growth. Also, there was a significant positive relationship between the number of flowers with anthocyanin and total phenol. The best extraction point was related to the temperature of 70 ºC, 70% ethanol solvent, 15 minutes, and the ratio of plant dry matter to solvent was 0.2 grams of dry weight in 10 ml of solvent. The red flowers showed a higher inhibitory effect against Escherichia coli, and the variegated flowers had a higher inhibitory power against Staphylococcus aureus.Conclusion: According to the results, in addition to confirming Gulnar's antibacterial activity and determining the optimal extraction point, it was found that the levels of 0.5 mM amino acids in most of the traits, including branch growth, flower dry weight, total phenol, and anthocyanin brought the best results from the treatment. It also justifies them in the field. Since amino acid fertilizers are applied in small amounts, they are economically justified.
Improvement and breeding
M. Gerami; D. Akbari Nodehi; M. Amiri; E. Darvakh
Abstract
Background and objectives: Nowadays, due to the revelation of the harmful effects of chemical drugs for most users, the desire to use medicinal plants has increased significantly. Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is one of the most important medicinal plants of great interest in ...
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Background and objectives: Nowadays, due to the revelation of the harmful effects of chemical drugs for most users, the desire to use medicinal plants has increased significantly. Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is one of the most important medicinal plants of great interest in various pharmaceutical industries due to its valuable and vital secondary metabolites, such as essential oil. However, salinity is considered a major constraint for its productivity. Soil and irrigation water salinity is a major constraint for crop production. In salinity-rich soils, the osmotic pressure increases, and the plant must burn more vital energy to absorb water. Increasing the salinity tolerance of plants for sustainable food production, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, can reduce the need for irrigation and, thus, production costs. Since using calcium nanoparticles increases nutrient utilization efficiency, reducing soil toxicity, minimizing the adverse effects of over-fertilization and reducing the frequency of fertilizer application, the present study investigates the effect of calcium nanoparticles on physiologic and biochemical properties of basil medicinal plant under salinity stress. Materials and Methods: The plants were treated with calcium nanoparticles in five levels by spraying with concentrations of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 g/l and salt concentrations of 0.75 and 150 mM along with Hoagland solution in a completely randomized design in a greenhouse environment with three replications. Some growth characteristics such as height, number of leaves, leaf area, fresh and dry weight, amount of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoid content of the plant were measured. Some biochemical characteristics such as flavonoid, soluble sugar, anthocyanin content and antioxidant enzymes such as catalase and peroxidase were also measured. The least significant difference (LST) test was used to compare the means in SAS software.Results: The results of ANOVA showed a significant effect of calcium nanoparticles on most morphological traits. Also, different salinity levels alone significantly affected the studied traits (p<0.01). Following the reduction of the osmotic potential of the soil solution due to salinity stress, water absorption decreases and as a result of stomata closing, the photosynthesis and respiration decrease. The mean comparison of the simple effect of calcium nanoparticles on chlorophyll pigments showed that with increasing the nanoparticle level, chlorophyll content increased, and as a result, photosynthesis improved. The simple effect of different salinity levels on some traits (phenol, soluble sugar, peroxidase enzyme and anthocyanin) showed that increasing the salinity level caused an increase in these traits. So, at the concentration of 150 mM salinity, phenol content with 8.02 mg of gallic acid per g of dry weight showed the highest amount compared to the control sample of 10.5 mg. Also, the soluble sugar content was the highest at this salinity concentration, with 139.9 mg/g dry weight, compared to the control, with 110.9 mg/g dry weight. The interaction effect of calcium nanoparticles and salinity on basil's morphological characteristics and carotenoid content was insignificant. However, it was significant in the chlorophyll content, the amount of flavonoids and catalase (p<0.01). In fact, with nano fertilizers, the plant can absorb more nutrients, and while reducing the leaching of elements, the yield of the product increases.Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the physiological and biochemical characteristics of Basil were affected by salinity stress, and the interaction of nano calcium with salinity stress reduced the effects of salinity stress. Therefore, spraying the nano-fertilizer in an appropriate concentration is suggested to improve the yield of basil in salinity stress conditions.
Improvement and breeding
Shamila Yadollahizadeh; Farzin Abdollahi; Alireza Yavari; Leila Jafari
Abstract
Light is one of the environmental factors influencing the growth and development of plants. In recent years, the attention of agricultural experts has been directed to plant growth regulators in order to improve the quality and stability of the cultivation system. The current research was carried out ...
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Light is one of the environmental factors influencing the growth and development of plants. In recent years, the attention of agricultural experts has been directed to plant growth regulators in order to improve the quality and stability of the cultivation system. The current research was carried out in the year 2021 in the greenhouse of Shahid Fozveh Biological Research Center in a factorial format in the form of a completely randomized design in 5 replications. For this purpose, the effect of test factors including four concentrations of abscisic acid (0, 5, 10 and 20 mg/liter) and 5 day lengths (16, 14, 12, 10 and 8 hours of light) on the growth characteristics and content of photosynthetic pigments. The cannabis plant was evaluated. The results showed that the highest plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, root length, fresh and dry weight of roots, fresh and dry weight of aerial parts and fresh and dry weight of leaves were obtained under the lighting duration of 14 hours, while the lowest amount of this the traits were observed during the lighting period of 16 hours. Also, the highest amounts of chlorophyll a, b, total and carotenoid were obtained in the treatment of 16 hours of light duration without the use of abscisic acid hormone. While the highest amount of anthocyanin was observed in the treatment of 16 hours of light duration under the treatment of abscisic acid hormone with concentrations of 10 and 20 ppm. Also, the highest amount of total phenol was obtained during the lighting period of 16 hours under the treatment of abscisic acid with a concentration of 20 ppm. Considering the importance and many uses of secondary metabolites in today's human life, investigating the existence of a relationship between environmental conditions and the production and accumulation of secondary metabolites in plants can be very useful. Therefore, it is recommended to use LED light with lighting durations of 14 and 16 hours to increase the growth characteristics and content of photosynthetic pigments of hemp plant.
Improvement and breeding
Mostafa Sarani Mallak; Maryam Allahdou; Leila Mehravaran; Halimeh Piri
Abstract
Background and objectives: Drought stress is the most critical factor limiting agricultural and medicinal plants' performance in arid and semi-arid areas. Silybum Marianum L. is a medicinal plant with antioxidant properties. In addition to the plant's genetic nature, flavonolignan ...
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Background and objectives: Drought stress is the most critical factor limiting agricultural and medicinal plants' performance in arid and semi-arid areas. Silybum Marianum L. is a medicinal plant with antioxidant properties. In addition to the plant's genetic nature, flavonolignan production and accumulation are affected by various environmental conditions. The accumulation of secondary metabolites under drought stress was studied concerning the antioxidant defense system at the biochemical level. The purpose is to evaluate the secondary metabolites of milk thistle under non-stress conditions and different levels of drought stress and different growth conditions, as well as to identify the best level of moisture stress and the time of harvesting the plant to increase the effective compounds.Methodology: Milk thistle seeds were disinfected and transferred to a Petri dish containing filter paper and placed in a germinator at 25°C for germination. The germinated seeds were transferred to the pots and put under controlled temperature and humidity in the greenhouse of Hirmand city, Shandel village, located 25 km from Zabul city, Sistan, and Baluchistan province. Evaluation of the effect of drought stress at four different levels of irrigation (25, 50, 75, and 100% of water requirement respectively severe stress, moderate stress, mild stress, and non-stress) and in 3 growth stages (6, 13 and 20 weeks after planting) on biochemical traits including proline content (PC), carbohydrates content (CC), total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activity and activity of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CA), ascorbate peroxidase (AP), guaiacol peroxidase (GP), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and polyphenol oxidase (PO) was carried out. The experiment was done as a factorial based on a completely randomized design with three replications. Data and errors were examined for normality. After confirming the normality of the data and errors, analysis of the variance of the traits and comparing the mean of the traits (LSR) was done at the 5% level.Results: The variance analysis of traits showed that the effect of different levels of irrigation, harvest time, and their interaction on all traits was significant. Comparison of the average interaction effect of irrigation treatment and harvest time of traits: proline content, carbohydrates content, phenol and flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity increased in all growth stages and the lowest and highest values were respectively observed in the growth stage 6 weeks after planting in 100 Percentage of water requirement and growth stage 20 weeks after harvesting in the condition of 25% water requirement. Therefore, the drought stress factor can be used to improve the effective substances of this plant. In addition, the final growth stage is the most appropriate time to harvest this plant due to the accumulation of secondary metabolites at this stage. The interaction effect of irrigation treatment and harvest time was not significant for the activity of guaiacol peroxidase enzyme, and for other antioxidant enzymes it showed that the highest activity of catalase enzyme was at the growth stage 6 weeks after planting in conditions of 25 and 50% water requirement, for ascorbate peroxidase enzyme, it belonged to the growth stage 6 weeks after planting in the condition of 100% water requirement, and for polyphenol oxidase and superoxide dismutase enzymes, it belonged to the growth stage 20 weeks after planting in the condition of 25% water requirement. These results indicate that antioxidant enzymes act differently at different growth stages and under various moisture stress conditions.Conclusion: The evaluation results of milk thistle in 4 irrigation regimes and three growth stages showed that most biochemical traits increased under stress conditions. This indicates that the milk thistle plant responds to drought stress through an enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defense system. Milk thistle plants had the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content at the final development stage (20 weeks after planting). Therefore, the best time to harvest is at the final stage of development, which has the most polyphenolic compounds.
Improvement and breeding
- -; Masomeh Moradi; Mousa Torabi Giglou; Mahsa Ahadzadeh
Abstract
Background and objectives: Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a plant from the Mint family and the genus Ocimum, which has many species, among which O. basilicum is the most useful economic species, and like other plants of the Mint family, it is a source of cyclic compounds and ...
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Background and objectives: Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a plant from the Mint family and the genus Ocimum, which has many species, among which O. basilicum is the most useful economic species, and like other plants of the Mint family, it is a source of cyclic compounds and essential oil. It is also known as a rich source of phenolic compounds (especially rosmarinic acid and caffeic acid) and flavonoids. The plant's vegetative body contains essential oils. Linalool, methyl chavicol, citral, euginol, cineol, geraniol, camphor, and methyl cinnamate are important components of basil essential oil. As the most critical abiotic stress, drought stress plays a crucial role in reducing the yield of medicinal plants. It causes numerous morpho-physiological and biochemical changes in the plant. The performance of the effective substance is influenced by the plant's economic performance and environmental conditions, including drought stress. Stress effects are different at different stages of growth and development.Methodology: To investigate the effect of ascorbic acid on native O.basilicum the native population "Shahre-ray," under drought stress conditions, a factorial experiment in the form of a randomized complete block design was performed in four replications on the research farm of Horticulture Department of Mohaghegh Ardabili University in 2017. Treatments included drought stress (complete irrigation and cessation of irrigation at the beginning of reproductive growth and cessation of irrigation at 50% flowering) and ascorbic acid foliar application at four concentrations of 0.0, 0.5, 1, and 2 mM. This experiment was field operated in May 2016. Before the experiment, the bed preparation operation included plowing, disking, and leveling the ground. The plots of one meter in length and width were created. The seeds were planted in three lines with 15 cm plant spacing. 3-4 cm of rotted manure was used to cover the seeds. After determining the soil texture by the hydrometric method, the mentioned treatments were applied to stress. On the first day, irrigation was a flood, and after germination, irrigation was reduced. All traits were measured in the Physiology Laboratory after the Horticulture Science Department of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences analyzed the data with SAS software. Also, the treatment averages were compared with Duncan's multi-range test at a probability level of 5%. Results: The results showed that with increasing drought stress intensity, total plant height, stem length, number of leaves, and plant dry weight decreased by 36.08%, 39.75%, 51.26%, and 53.80% compared to the control treatment, respectively. If ascorbic acid spraying could improve these values, the highest root length was obtained under severe stress conditions (beginning of flowering) and treatment with ascorbic acid (15.83 cm), which showed an increase of about 31.91% compared to the control treatment. Drought stress conditions increased proline and essential oil components. Chlorophyll content also decreased under severe stress. Also, by applying drought stress, in all studied traits, the highest amount of ascorbic acid treatment (concentrations of 0.5 and 1 mM) increased, and higher concentrations decreased the content of studied traits. By analyzing the essential oil of plant samples, the main compounds obtained from basil essential oil included geraniol, methyl chavicol, alphapinene, caryophyllene, citral, coupon, carvacrol, neral, linalool, and limonene. In most compounds, essential oil compounds and components were enhanced by increasing drought stress and spraying. The highest amount of essential oil in the stress condition up to the 50% flowering stage and sprayed with 2 mM ascorbic acid was obtained for methyl chavicol compound (33.76%).Conclusion: Applying ascorbic acid increased basil growth under drought stress and created resistance in the plant. Therefore, due to the lack of water resources and the great need of plants for water, it is possible to create resistance to stress in plants by spraying non-toxic and essential elements on them.
Improvement and breeding
Najmeh Hadi; Razieh Azimi; Mahdi Yahyazadeh; Maryam Mackizadeh; S. Fekri Qomi; Simin Mohit
Abstract
Background and objectives: Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) is a valuable medicinal plant with many applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic health industries. Chamomile's biological properties are attributed to its essential oil (EO) compounds, especially chamazulene and a-bisabolol ...
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Background and objectives: Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) is a valuable medicinal plant with many applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic health industries. Chamomile's biological properties are attributed to its essential oil (EO) compounds, especially chamazulene and a-bisabolol oxide A, and flavonoids, esp. apigenin and luteolin. Evaluation of wild plant populations belonging to different geographical regions in situ (study on wild samples) and ex-situ (study on wild samples under agricultural conditions) is a crucial step in plant breeding and selection of promising genotypes. On the other hand, cultivation and domestication of wild plants under agricultural conditions improve plant yield and prevent unnecessary harvesting and extinction of the plant. In the present study, the quantitative and qualitative EO diversity of some wild chamomile was investigated.Methodology: Flowers and seeds of 15 wild chamomile populations were collected from Iran's natural habitats, including 12 populations from Khuzistan province (Kh1-12), 2 populations from Fars province (F1-2), and 1 population from Bushehr province (F3) in 2021 (February-May). Flowers were used for essential oil extraction, and seeds were planted in a randomized complete block design (treatment = genotype) with three replications. The research farm located at Alborz Research Station, affiliated with the Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Alborz province, was considered a cultivation site without adding fertilizer to the soil. The seeds were sown directly in the field with a 15 cm distance between the planting lines and 15 cm between the plants on the lines (April 2021). Drip irrigation was used, and weeding was done mechanically. Flowers with less than 5 cm of peduncles were harvested manually at the 70% full bloom stage. The shade-dried flower EOs were extracted by water distillation (Clevenger) for 3 hours, and their quantitative and qualitative analysis was done using GC and GC/MS.Results: The results showed that sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, oxygenated sesquiterpenes, and diacetylenes made the highest EO compounds percentage in both wild and cultivated samples. Chamazulene (from sesquiterpene hydrocarbons) and a-bisabolol oxide A (from oxygenated sesquiterpenes), as two important chamomile EO compounds, showed an increase from wild to cultivated samples. Among the wild samples, the highest chamazulene (5.3%) and a-bisabolol oxide A (21.5%) contents were assigned to the populations Kh8 and Kh4, respectively. In the cultivated samples, the highest amount of these compounds (11.1 and 32.3%, respectively) was obtained in the populations Kh7 and F2, respectively. In general, the main EO compounds (%) in the wild and cultivated populations included α-bisabolone oxide A (wild: 31.3 (F1) to 64.5 (Kh3) and cultivated: 29.8 (F2) to 56 (Kh3)), α-bisabolol oxide A (wild: 5.8 (Kh5) to 21.5 (Kh4) and cultivated: 10.3 (Kh3) to 32.3 (F2)), E-β-farnesene (wild: 6.1 (Kh3) to 23.3 (Kh8) and cultivated: 6.9 (Kh1) to 15.6 (F3)), Z-spiroether (wild: 0 (F1) to 16.1 (Kh1) and cultivated: 9.1 (Kh7) to 15.1 (Kh13)), and chamazulene (wild: 1.6 (F1) to 5.3 (Kh8) and cultivated: 4.7 (Kh6) to 11.1 (Kh7)). Also, the EO% was obtained more in the cultivated samples (0.9 (Kh5) to 1.4% (Kh13)) than in the wild ones (0.1 (Kh6) to 0.5% (Kh10).Conclusion: The results of this research showed that by cultivating wild populations under agricultural conditions and water and crop management, it is possible to have essential oil in the desired quantity and quality compared to wild ones. It should be noted that the results of repeating population cultivation under the same conditions in the following years will be reported in proportion to the data output.
Improvement and breeding
B. Asghari; S. Mafakheri; M. M. Zarrabi
Abstract
Background and Objectives: 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 ...
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Background and Objectives: 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.Methodology: 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%.Results: 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.Conclusion: 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.
Improvement and breeding
M. Momeni; A. Ghasemi Pirbalouti; A. Mousavi; H.A. Naghdibadi
Abstract
Background and objectives: 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 ...
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Background and objectives: 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.Methodology: 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.Results: 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.Conclusion: 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.
Improvement and breeding
M. Shafaei; M. Ebrahimi; A. Mokhtari
Abstract
Background and objective: 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 ...
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Background and objective: 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.Methodology: 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.Results: 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.Conclusion: 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.
Improvement and breeding
M. Salehi Vozhdehnazari; Z. Shirazi; S. Samavat
Abstract
Due to the similarity in appearance and properties of some medicinal plants, it is necessary to identify them more precisely by various methods. Accordingly, in the present study, Satureja rechingeri Jamzad and S. khuzistanica Jamzad were investigated and compared based on morphological, phytochemical, ...
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Due to the similarity in appearance and properties of some medicinal plants, it is necessary to identify them more precisely by various methods. Accordingly, in the present study, Satureja rechingeri Jamzad and S. khuzistanica Jamzad were investigated and compared based on morphological, phytochemical, and molecular characteristics. S. rechingeri and S. khuzistanica seeds were collected from Ilam and Lorestan provinces, respectively, and after scientific identification, they were planted in the research greenhouse of the Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands. The seedlings were then transferred to the experimental farm of the mentioned institute based on a t-test (n=3). Several important morphological traits including inflorescence length, inflorescence stem internode length, length and calyx diameter, calyx three-large and two-short teeth length, length and corolla diameter, stamen length, stigma length, length and vegetative organ leaf width, length and leaflet width, stem diameter, plant height, number of main and sub-branches, largest and smallest canopy diameter, and length and reproductive organ leaf width were measured at full flowering stage in the third year of planting. The essential oils (EOs) were extracted from the plants floral branches in the third year of planting through water distillation. The EOs yield was calculated and their compounds were identified using ultra-fast gas chromatography (GC-FID). DNA barcoding and ITS marker were used for molecular studies on these two savory species. The results showed that these two species did not differ significantly (P<0.01) for all the morphological traits examined. 13 common compounds were identified in these two species EO. S. rechingeri and S. khuzistanica EOs contained 88.6% and 89.5% carvacrol, respectively. The EO yeild was obtained 3.3% for S. rechingeri and 3.04% for S. khuzistanica. These two species showed 100% nucleotide similarity with each other and were closely related to S. bachtiarica (98%). On this basis, it is probable that these two species are not only independent species, but can also be different accessions of the same species.
Improvement and breeding
M. Edalateyan Kharazi; A. Asgharzadeh
Abstract
To investigate the effects of drought stress, salicylic acid, and polyamines on plant growth yield and oil and seeds essential oil content in Nigella sativa L., a factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications in the research greenhouse of Shirvan Azad University ...
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To investigate the effects of drought stress, salicylic acid, and polyamines on plant growth yield and oil and seeds essential oil content in Nigella sativa L., a factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications in the research greenhouse of Shirvan Azad University in 2020-21 cropping year. The experimental treatments included drought stress at four levels (25, 50, 75, and 100% of field capacity) as the first factor and foliar application of salicylic acid, putrescine, and spermidine each at two levels (0.5 and 1 mM) as the second factor. The results showed that the highest number of fertile capsules per plant (12.66), number of seeds per capsule (96.24), and harvest index (58.69%) were obtained in the 100% of field capacity treatment. Also, the highest seed yield per pot was obtained in the 100% of field capacity treatment (16.05 g) and 1 mM salicylic acid (11.46 g). On the other hand, the highest plant height (62.5 cm), dry weight of single plant (6.44 g), biomass in pot (32.2 g), oil content (31.21%), and oil yield (5.71 g.pot-1) were obtained in the treatment of 100% of field capacity + 1 mM salicylic acid and also, the highest essential oil content (0.09%) was obtained in the treatment of 25% of field capacity + 1 mM salicylic acid. Overall, the results showed that full irrigation (100% of field capacity) + 1 mM salicylic acid foliar application was the best treatment for N. sativa under greenhouse conditions. In general, the plant growth characteristics decreased with increasing stress severity, but the negative effects of drought stress were moderated with increasing the salicylic acid foliar application.
Improvement and breeding
A.A. Alizadeh Everi; M. Parsaeian; Z. Ghasimi Hagh
Abstract
Glycyrrhiza glabra L. is one of the valuable medicinal plants of the world, whose glycyrrhizin, the most important triterpenoid metabolite in its roots, is widely used in food and modern pharmaceutical industries. To overcome the seed germination problems, the risk of plant extinction due to the indiscriminate ...
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Glycyrrhiza glabra L. is one of the valuable medicinal plants of the world, whose glycyrrhizin, the most important triterpenoid metabolite in its roots, is widely used in food and modern pharmaceutical industries. To overcome the seed germination problems, the risk of plant extinction due to the indiscriminate root harvesting, and the slow rate of natural biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, it is necessary to study on this plant root tissue culture and use elicitors to increase its glycyrrhizin biosynthesis. In the present study, the seed germination rate of two Iranian licorice ecotypes (Kashmar and Joghtai) and an Iraqi ecotype was investigated at different levels of sulfuric acid pretreatment. In addition, differences between the ecotypes in terms of morphology and root glycyrrhizin content were studied in response to IAA and NAA auxin elicitors with concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5 mg.l-1 in ½ MS medium using root explants. The results showed that all three ecotypes obtained the highest seed germination in the 98% sulfuric acid pretreatment for 40 minutes. The Iraqi ecotype was placed in the statistically best group in terms of all traits except glycyrrhizin content under control and some hormone levels (esp. NAA) conditions. In the Iranian ecotypes, the auxin elicitors application significantly improved the root traits and glycyrrhizin content. Kashmar ecotype produced the thickest roots using 0.5 mg.l-1 of IAA and the highest root dry weight (5.8 and 5.4 mg, respectively) using the medium and high concentrations of NAA and IAA. Joghtai ecotype also produced the heavy roots with 1.5 and 0.5 mg.l-1 of IAA and NAA (100 and 79 mg, respectively). In general, the medium and high concentrations of IAA and NAA (1 and 1.5 mg.l-1) caused the highest glycyrrhizin production (8.82 and 7.83 µg.g-1 DW, respectively) in Kashmar ecotype roots. Therefore, selection of appropriate ecotype and auxin elicitors application can increase in vitro production of biomass and root glycyrrhizin content in G. glabra.
Improvement and breeding
R. Zandi; M.H. Mirjalili; Gh. Eghlima; A. Sonboli; H. Rezadoost
Abstract
Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Schultz-Bip.) is a perennial medicinal plant from Asteraceae family and a rich source of sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide with anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasm, and especially anti-migraine properties. In this study, the aerial parts of five wild populations ...
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Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Schultz-Bip.) is a perennial medicinal plant from Asteraceae family and a rich source of sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide with anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasm, and especially anti-migraine properties. In this study, the aerial parts of five wild populations of this plant were harvested from Mazandaran (Marzanabad, Siah Bisheh, and Valiabad) and Tehran (Ahar and Gachsar) provinces at full flowering stage in 2020 to evaluate their morphological traits and parthenolide content. The results showed a significant difference at 1% probability level among the studied populations for all the traits. The highest plant height (130 cm), flower dry weight (8.60 g.plant-1), and parthenolide content (0.33 mg.g-1 dry weight) were observed in Gachsar, Siah Bisheh, and Marzanabad populations, respectively. Parthenolide content correlated with leaf length, number of lateral branches, and crown diameter negatively and with number of capitols positively and significantly at 5% probability level. Cluster analysis put the feverfew populations in two main groups. Principal coordinate analysis showed that the first three factors could explain 93.06% of the total variance. Overall, the results indicated the existence of high diversity in feverfew populations for use in breeding programs and cultivation and domestication of this species.
Improvement and breeding
M. Rigi; M. Valizadeh
Abstract
Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dunal from solanaceae family is a multi-purpose species that is distributed in Iran only in limited areas of natural habitats in Sistan and Baluchestan province. Different organs of this plant have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-tumor biological effects. To investigate ...
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Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dunal from solanaceae family is a multi-purpose species that is distributed in Iran only in limited areas of natural habitats in Sistan and Baluchestan province. Different organs of this plant have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-tumor biological effects. To investigate the effects of humic acid and titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the amount of phytochemical compounds and some growth parameters of this species, a pot factorial experiment was performed based on a randomized complete design with three replications. Experimental factors included humic acid at four levels (H0: 0, H1: 10, and H2: 30 g.kg-1 soil) and titanium dioxide nanoparticles at three levels (T0: 0, T1: 45, and T2: 90 mg.l-1). The results showed that the H2T2 treatment increased fresh weight, dry weight, number of lateral branches, height, phosphorus, potassium, and relative water content compared to the control, significantly. Increasing humic acid up to 30 g decreased the phenols content from 48.59 in H0 to 39.88 mg.g-1 fresh weight in H2. In T2, the phenols content increased by 2.37% compared to T0, which had a significant difference with the other treatments. Also, a similar trend was observed for the parameters like total flavonoids and proline. But increasing humic acid up to 30 g increased the amount of chlorophyll fluorescence by 70.79% compared to the control. Overall, the results indicated that the interaction of humic acid and titanium dioxide nanoparticles could improve the growth and plant yield parameters.
