صمد نژاد ابراهیمی

The skin is considered the first barrier against the penetration of laser light into the body, which causes limitations in imaging or treatment with laser light. The constituents of the skin, which are mainly proteins, lipids, interstitial water, and blood vessels, cause severe light scattering and limit the penetration of light into the deep tissues. This limitation causes the lack of access to structural information and tissue constituents by light and a decrease in the resolution of optical imaging. In this study, using semi-natural HPMC polymer, sorbitol, coconut oil and Tween 20 (called CSC1 and CSC2 for short), the optical parameters of the skin tissue sample were determined by the diffuse reflection spectrum (DRS) method.

DRS was used to obtain the reflection and transmission spectra of the tissue. Then, by using the obtained values and placing them in the Kramers-Kronig relationship, the refractive index can be obtained before and after applying optical clearing agent. Also, other optical parameters such as absorption coefficient, total attenuation coefficient and diffusion coefficient have been calculated from reflection and transmission spectra.

The effect of using optical clearing agent (CSC1, CSC2) on variation of optical properties of sample (refractive index, absorption coefficient, and diffusion coefficient) are measured.

The results show that the semi-natural HPMC polymer, which played a role in maintaining the structure of the solution, was effective. Therefore, it can be concluded that the CSC2 could better clear the sample, and it improves the optical depth.

Over the past decades, the use of natural additives has increased as an alternative to artificial ingredients in the food industry. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of pomegranate peel (PP) as a natural food additive. Many factors, including genotype, could affect the quality of PP as a by-product of juice production with many nutritional, functional and anti-infective properties. In this study, the most significant phytochemical characters of thirty Iranian pomegranate peels (IPP) from different genotypes, including total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid content (TFC), and nine phenolic compounds were determined. The HPLC-DAD-MS results of PPEs revealed nine phenolic compounds in the IPP extracts. Punicalagin β, punicalagin α, and ellagic acid were the main components constituting 20.8–48.7, 13.9–30.1, and 1.6–13.4 μg/mg DW, respectively. The peel of IPP23 (Kabdar-Shirin-e- Behshahr) contained the highest quantity of polyphenolic compounds. Also, TPC and TFC of the peel extracts ranged between 66.38 and 181.41 mg GAE/ g DW and 38.5 to 144.13 mg RE/ g DW, respectively. Eventually, antioxidant potential estimated by the DPPH assay ranged between 4.1 and 14.4 μg/ml. The results showed that the antioxidant property of pomegranate peel extracts is significantly higher than the standard of gallic acid. Also, the peel of the genotypes that had high phenolic compounds were introduced as superior genotypes. The results of HCA showed that, among the studied genotypes, the peel of IPP23 can be introduced as a potential source of natural preservatives in the food industry.

Greek marjoram (Origanum vulgare L. spp. hirtum) is a well-known aromatic plant belongs to the Lamiaceae family which is widely used in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. Due to the economic importance of the plant, in the present study, morphological, phytochemical and antioxidant capacity of the plant were evaluated through the introducing of the plant to the climate of northern Tehran. According to the results, the mean plant height, leaf length, leaf width and pedicle length were 55, 2.5, 1.75 and 0.3 cm, respectively. Also, the average measured traits for plant fresh weight were 350 g, plant dry weight was 138.33 g and the ratio of plant fresh weight to dry weight was 2.53%. The yield of the plant in second year was 2899.8 kg/ha. The essential oil content of the plant at full flowering stage was 1.5%. Carvacrol (71.0 %), γ-terpinene (12.7 %) and ρ-cymene (6.9%) were the major compounds of the plant oil. The content of total phenol, total flavonoids and rosmarinic acid at full flowering stage were 29.34 mg GAE/g DW, 21.42 mg QE/g DW and 13.37 mg /g DW, respectively. The antioxidant activity of Greek marjoram extract showed the IC50 index of 99.11 μg/ml.

Thymol is the main monoterpene phenol occurring in essential oils. The aim of this study was to encapsulate thymol, in natural polymers gelatin and carrageenan. In order to achieve the optimization of encapsulated thymol, the CCD method of the experiment design software was used. As a result, based on the analysis, it was found that the optimal conditions suggested by Design Expert 13 software were as follows: pH 6, thymol concentration 0.4% (W/V) and the ratio of carrageenan to gelatin =1, which in this case, the encapsulation efficiency, nanocapsule size and polydispersity index were obtained 91%, 112 nm, and 1.1, respectively. The encapsulated thymol gave lower minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) values than the unencapsulated thymol against Bacillus sp. strain. In addition, encapsulated thymol had 70% inhibition and eradication of biofilm in lower concentrations. In general, the results showed an improvement in antibacterial and antibiofilm activity for nanoencapsulated thymol against marine bacteria Bacillus sp. This formulation could be proposed as an alternative or adjuvant for controlling biofilm in marine bacteria in the first stage of the biofouling phenomenon.

Phytosome technique is a new method for encapsulating natural compounds to increase bioavailability and absorption in the biological environment. Phytosome provides maximum adsorption conditions in target cells due to the use of phospholipids as coatings. This project aims to present a suitable method for encapsulating the polyphenolic enrich extract of Satureja khuzistanica in the phytosome structure by thin-film hydration following ultrasonication and freeze-drying. Phytosome structures were analyzed by particle size, morphology, and time-release mechanism. The results showed the phytosome particle size in the dimensions of 82.2 nm was stable for six months. The release of phytomose structure properly adjusted on Korsmeyer mechanism and release drug transport occurs by diffusion following Fick law (case-I transport).

Scrophularia oblongifolia belongs to the Scrophulariaceae family, commonly known as the water figwort in Iran. It has been known as a traditional medicinal plant in Iran.

This study was designed to investigate the phytochemicals and antimicrobial activity of ethyl acetate, methanol, MeOH: H2O (50:50 v/v), and n-hexane extract of Scrophularia oblongifolia aerial parts, growing in the Kangavar region in the Kermanshah province of Iran.

Compounds of ethyl acetate extract were isolated by chromatographic techniques (HPLC-PDA-MS/MS-Q-TOF) and their structures were elucidated by spectral methods (1D and 2D NMR). The antifungal and antibacterial activities of some new compounds and ethyl acetate, methanol, and n-hexane extract were evaluated.

Two new polyphenol iridoid glycosides with phenylpropanoid moiety namely scrophuloside A5 and scrophuloside A6; two known phenylpropanoid glycosides namely scrophuloside A3 and scrophuloside A4, and two known iridoid glycosides namely aucubin and harpagoside were isolated from S. oblongifolia. Pure compounds showed high antifungal activities with MIC values ranging from 0.35 to 0.74 µg/ml against C. albicans and high antibacterial activities with MIC values ranging from 0.70 to 1.48 µg/ml against G. vajinalis. n-Hexan extract showed moderate antibacterial and antifungal activity, while methanol and methanol:H2O (50:50 v/v) extract showed no antimicrobial activities.

Based on these findings, compounds isolated from S. oblongifolia have demonstrated potential antibacterial and antifungal activities.

Solidago virga-urea L. is a valuable medicinal plant that has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, diuretic and analgesic effects. In order to evaluate the phenolic and flavonoid compositions in different organs extract (rosette leaf, stem leaf and flower) and also in extracts obtained from different growth stages (before bloom, first bloom, full bloom and after bloom) of S. virga-urea L.'Phasa F type', two separate experiments were conducted in the form of a randomized complete block design with three replications. The experiment carried out in the Research Institute of Plants and Medicinal Raw Materials of Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran in 2019. Phytochemical properties including total phenol content, total flavonoids and leiocarposide content were measured by Folin–Ciocalteu, Aluminum Chloride method and high performance liquid chromatographic analysis, respectively. The results showed that among different organs, the highest amount of phenol (29.36 mg GAE.g-1 dry weight) was in flowers, flavonoids (8.63 mg RUT. g-1 dry weight) in rosette leaves, and leiocarposide (5.17 mg.g-1 dry weight) in stem leaves. Among the growth stages, the highest total phenol (28.84 mg GAE.g-1 dry weight) and total flavonoids (7.95 mg RUT. g-1 dry weight) were obtained in the full bloom stage, while the highest amount of leiocarposide (9.65 mg.g-1 dry matter) obtained before blooming. According to the results obtained from this study, the best organ and harvest time for having high amounts of total phenol, total flavonoids or leiocarposide can be chosen based on pharmaceutical and food industries requirements, in the climatic conditions of Tehran.

Grape is one of the most important fruit products globally and has a high nutritional value with strong antioxidant and anti-cancer activity. Today, the use of healthy natural compounds, including organic nitrogen compounds, has become very important to improve the qualitative performance of fruits. The use of amino acids as one of the natural compounds of nitrogen can increase the nutritional values of fruit crops. In the present study, gamma aminobutyric acid was used as a non-protein amino acid to improve the quality characteristics of Qizil-Uzum grape fruit.

The experiment was performed in two separate orchards located in two regions of Urmia city with different microclimatic conditions in a completely randomized design with GABA foliar application at 4 concentrations (0, 5, 10, 25 mM) in two stages (veraison stage and one week later) with 3 replications on 13-year-old cv. Qızıl Uzum grapevines. Some fruit quality characteristics include titratable acids (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), total antioxidant content, total phenol, total flavonoid, total anthocyanin, the activity of phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL), catalase enzymes, phenolic compounds of fruit including flavonols, flavan-3-ols and phenolic acids, and also a relative expression of PAL and CHS genes were evaluated.

Based on the results, GABA at a concentration of 10 mM, caused the highest content of titratable acids, total soluble solids, total phenol, total flavonoids, total antioxidant and total anthocyanin of fruit. The highest activity of PAL enzyme was also observed at this concentration. Catalase enzyme had the maximum activity at 25 mM. The phenolic compounds that were measured by HPLC in this study included the flavonol compounds: myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol, syringetin; the flavan-3-ols compounds: catechin; and the non-flavonoid compounds: gallic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid and resveratrol, most of which had the highest level at 10 mM, followed by 5 mM GABA. Also, PAL and CHS genes had the highest expression at both sampling times (48 and 72 hours after foliar application) at the concentration of 10 mM GABA and their lowest expression was at the concentration of 25 mM GABA.

This study showed that GABA at the concentration of 10 mM at the veraison stage and one week later had an effect on increasing fruit quality indicators, including total soluble sugars, as a basic substrate for the biosynthetic pathway of effective fruit quality compounds, and with effect on antioxidant content improvement, as well as enhancing the expression of related genes for PAL enzyme activity, as a key enzyme of the biosynthesis of the phenolic compound, can improve fruit quality and marketability of grape fruit of Qızıl Uzum cultivar.

Ready-to-use pomegranate arils can be a good alternative to fresh fruits, but they have a short shelf life, so a safe and healthy method is needed to maintain the quality of these arils during storage. For this purpose, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of combined ozone treatment and Satureja khuzistanica extract on pomegranate arils of Malas Saveh cultivar during storage for 21 days in the cold storage at 4 °C. Factorial experiment with two factors of postharvest treatments (including seven treatments: 1) 1 ppm ozone; 2) 3 ppm ozone; 3) 1 ppm ozone + 0.5% S. khuzistanica extract; 4) 1 ppm ozone + 1% S. khuzistanica extract; 5) 3 ppm ozone + 0.5% S. khuzistanica extract; 6) 3 ppm ozone + 1% S. khuzistanica extract; and 7) control), and sampling time (zero (before storage), 7, 14 and 21 days after storing arils in cold storage) were performed with three repetitions. The results showed that the highest amount of titratable acid (TA) (1.15%), anthocyanin (126 ppm), total phenol (115.6 mg GAE g-1 FW), and vitamin C (30.5 mg 100 g FW) during the storage period was obtained from 1 ppm ozone treatment with 0.5% extract of S. khuzistanica. Also, pomegranate arils treated with 1 ppm ozone + 0.5% S. khuzistanica extract had the highest appearance quality, and the lowest population of mesophilic, and psychrophilic bacteria, yeasts and fungal infections. In general, the combined treatment of ozone 1 ppm + 0.5% S. khuzistanica extracts is recommended as a safe and healthy method for storing pomegranate arils in storage.

Medicinal plants are used in all civilizations and cultures are one of the most essential defensive lines to protect human health and fight human diseases in the world. From the distant past to now, the plants have long been considered as a source of renewable medicines.Perilla (Perilla frutescens var. crispa)is an annual plant native to East Asian, which used as a medicinal plant due to the presence of active metabolite, especially rosmarinic acid. The medicinal organs used in this plant are its leaves and flowering branches. Growth, drug yield, as well as quantity and quality of secondary metabolites of medicinal plants are affected by ecological factors. The present study was conducted to evaluate the agro-morphological and phytochemical traits of Purple Perilla grown in three different locations of Sari, Rasht, and north of Tehran.

 The experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Purple Perilla  were planted as seedlings in early spring in the trial field with the density of 25×50 cm (inter-plant space × inter-row space) in three locations including Sari, Rasht, and north of Tehran in 2018. Plants were harvested at the flowering stage in late September. Argo-morphological and phytochemical traits including plant height, inflorescence length, number of branches, stem diameter, internode length, leaf length, leaf width, plant fresh weight, stem fresh weight, leaf fresh weight, flowers fresh weight, plant dry weight, leaf dry weight, flower dry weight, total phenolics and flavonoids as well as rosmarinic acid content were measured. The total phenolic contents of extracts of Perilla plants were determined according to the method of Ciocalteus Reagent (FCR) Folinthe aluminum chloride method was used for the determination of the total flavonoid content of the extracts. The rosmarinic acid content was estimated with method HPLC. Data set were subjected to variance analysis using SPSS statistical software (version 19). Also, Duncan’s multiple range test was used to compare treatment means at P<0.05.

 Results of variance analysis showed that almost all morphological traits (except stem fresh weight, plant dry weight, and plant fresh weight) and all phytochemical traits were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by locations. Mean comparisons of the effect of different locations for morphological traits showed that the maximum plant height (137.67 cm), leaf length (15.28 cm), fresh weight of leaf (108.3 g), dry weight of leaf (41.63 g) were observed in Sari, while the minimum plant height (87.34 cm), leaf length (10.8 cm), fresh weight of leaf (69.74 g), dry weight of leaf (26.13 g) were detected in north of Tehran. The Rasht had the highest flower fresh weight, flower dry weight, and number of branches with an average of 108.67 g, 25.99 g, and 33, respectively. The lowest flower fresh weight, flower dry weight, and number of branches were observed in the north of Tehran with an average of 47.07, 12.71, and 22 g, respectively. The results revealed that the highest internode length, inflorescence length, and leaf width belonged to the Sari with an average of 9.12, 13.17, and 98.8 mm, respectively, while the Rasht had the lowest internode length, inflorescence length, and leaf width with an average of 6.28, 9.8, and 6.97 mm, respectively. Also, the maximum and minimum stem diameter were observed in the north of Tehran and Sari (8.95 and 7.65 mm), respectively. Mean comparisons of the effect of different locations for phytochemical traits showed that the maximum total phenolic contents and rosmarinic acid produced in the Rasht with an average of 49.03 and 52.20 (mg/ g dry matter), respectively, while the Sari had the maximum flavonoids content (14.8 mg/ g dry matter).

 Drug yield (leaf and flower fraction) of the plants grown in Sari, Rasht, and north of Tehran was 41.63, 32.05, 26.13 and 12.71, 25.99, 18.47, respectively The highest total phenolics (49.027 mg/ g dry matter) and rosmarinic acid content (46.99 mg/ g dry matter) were observed in Rasht region, while the highest total flavonoids was observed in Sari (14.8 mg/ g dry matter).  In terms of argo-morphological and phytochemical traits, Sari and Rasht were suitable places for the growth of purple perilla.

Punica granatum L. peel is a rich source of phenolic compounds such as punicalagin and ellagic acid that represent a major part of the fruit and many fruit by-products in Asian countries, mainly Iran.

The purpose of this study is to design a value-added pomegranate peel product.

For this purpose, a safe and environmentally friendly method of resin column chromatography was used to enrich the hydroalcoholic extract of pomegranate peel with punicalagin. The enrichment conditions were optimized in terms of column condition and the amount of extract used. The results were monitored and confirmed by HPLC-PDA. In order to improve the physicochemical properties of the enriched extract, the obtained extract was loaded onto nano-phytosome by thin-film hydration method. FT-IR confirmed the nano-phytosome structure.

The resin column was optimized at a 3:1 resin-to-extract ratio in an optimum contact time duration of 30 minutes (80.50 %) and a 2.63-fold increase in the phenolic compounds compared to the crude extract. The results indicated that encapsulation efficiency was equal to 58 %, the particle size was equal to 154.0 to 216.5 nm, and one-year stability was achieved with an optimal polydispersity index of 0.215-0.287 in terms of particle size.

The enrichment of the crude extract before formulation and fabrication polyphenol enriched extract is a promising strategy to transform of pomegranate peel into a valuable product.

Zearalenone (ZEA), which is one of the most prevalent wheat and corn seeds mycotoxins causes acute and chronic toxicities in ruminants, poultry, and aquatic animals. Among commercial toxin binders, only a few active charcoals have the significant ability to adsorb ZEA contamination; nevertheless, active charcoal is not considered a sound additive by the feed industry.

This study aimed to screen and identify the ZEA-degradation compounds of the Zataria multiflora (Shirazi thyme) in the cattle rumen fluid.

In this investigation, essential oil and different extracts (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol) of the aerial part of Shirazi thyme (at three concentrations of 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/ml) were screened to reduce ZEA contamination conditions (2 µg/ml) in rumen fluid. ZEA-content was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a fluorescence detector. In addition, Shirazi thyme phytochemical compounds responsible for eliminating ZEA were localized by HPLC-based activity profiling and then identified by mass spectrometry (LC-MS).

Both n-hexane and methanol extracts of Z. multiflora, considerably remediated ZEA (63-78%) from rumen fluid. According to HPLC-based activity profiling of Z. multiflora extract and LC-MS analysis, two triterpene compounds, including ursolic and oleanolic acids were introduced as ZEA degradation agents.

Z. multiflora could be recommended as a new botanical source, and ursolic and oleanolic acids could be introduced as new phytochemical compounds that degrade ZEA.

Citrus aurantium L. seed is a by-product of fruit juice industries. In this research, the main fatty acids and phytosterols in C. aurantium seed oil were evaluated with the aim of nutritional evaluation and its biological properties. The C. aurantium oil extracted by two methods of cold pressing and using hexane solvent.The C. aurantium seed fatty acids composition was analyzed by GC-MS, 1HNMR, and 13CNMR. In addition, the effects of ultrasonic waves and air pressure on the C. aurantium pulp obtained from cold press extraction by n-hexane was studied. The findings showed that the highest oil yields were obtained using ultrasound-assisted extraction (25%) compared to other methods. The five fatty acids including 9-oleic (18.07%), Linoleic (36.69%), palmitic (21.90%), stearic acid (6.6%) and 10-oleic acids (1.1%) were the most phytosterols in C. aurantium seed oil. According to the obtained results, C. aurantium oil can be considered as a new food source.

Secondary metabolites in chamomile flower essential oil are widely used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and health industries due to their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-bacterial effects. In this study, for comparative evaluation of phytochemical and antioxidant properties of Matricaria chamomilla L. flower essential oil, plant flowers were harvested from the research farm of Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran and after matching the plant with herbarium samples in the herbarium section of the institute were completely dried. Essential oil extraction was performed by two different methods of distillation with water and ultrasonic method.. The most important effective compounds of essential oils were evaluated using GC and GC / MC devices. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was also evaluated using the DPPH method. The results showed that by simultaneously application of ultrasound (0.1%) and water distillation methods (0.05%), the essential oil of this plant was obtained with higher efficiency. In the water distillation method, the most important secondary components of the essential oil including: alpha-bisabolone 66.08% and camazoline 6.46% were obtained, while in the method coupled with ultrasound, the amount of alpha-bisabolone the amount of alpha-bisaboline increased up to twice and camazoline up to 17.23%. In both methods, the main compounds: camazoline and bisabolol were optimally identified and determined using the proposed method as an efficient application method to separate the most important secondary pharmaceutical compounds of essential oil from chamomile samples.

To investigate the effect of different drying methods on the Solidago virgaurea L., an experiment based on a completely randomized design with six treatments and three replications was conducted in 2018 in the Ecophysiology Laboratory of Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran. In this study, aerial parts of S. virgaurea L. was harvested from Sangdeh natural habitat located in Mazandan province at full flowering stage. The drying methods were shade and sun-drying (natural drying), oven-drying (40 and 50 °C), and microwave-drying (550 and 1000 watt). In all methods, drying of the plant materials was continued until the moisture content reached 10% (based on plant fresh weight). Methanolic extract was obtained from the dried samples and some secondary metabolites including content of total phenol, total flavonoid and leiocarposide were measured by Folin-Ciocalteu method, aluminum chloride method, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), respectively. The minimum (7 minutes) and maximum (60 hours) drying times were related to 1000 watt microwave drying and shade drying methods, respectively. The highest content of total phenol (30 mg Gallic acid /g DW) in shading drying treatment and the highest content of total flavonoids (7.95 mg Rutin/g DW) and leiocarposide (3.07 mg/g DW) was observed in the oven at 40 °C. In addition, active metabolites content decreased with increasing microwave power and oven temperature. In general, the correct choice of drying method depends on several factors, and among them, the type of active ingredient, optimal energy consumption and cost savings should also be considered.

Reports growing areas of growing and/or planting flax, hemp, kenaf and cotton that supplied fibers for papermaking in the middle Ages.

  Data was collected from library resources, and archival documents.

Flax, hemp, kenaf and cotton were planted since the ancient times in Iran to support industries such as textile and flax trade. Cotton in Fars, flax in southwest of lands and in the mountainous Kohkilouyeh region, Darband, Hemp in Lorestan, Kazeroun and Shiraz, Kenaf plant in Golestan (Gorgan), Mazandaran, and Gilan were cultivated. Therefore, paper makers not only had access to raw fiber plants, but could also use them in raw form, processed strings, or worn plant clothes to make paper.

Historical papers are composed of non-woody plant fibers, fibers mentioned only in a few sources. This research intends to study the diversity and the most types of plant fibers used in the sample of manuscripts of the 5th, 7th to 12th centuries AH by matching them with existing plant samples. Therefore, with citing library resources regarding the most used plants in paper making, collecting non-woody plants, examining their fibers with the morphology of the fibers of the manuscripts in the National Library and Museum property collection data. These data were obtained based on laboratory methods and through microchemical reagents and optical and polarizing microscopic examinations, which ultimately led to the description, analysis and classification of various fibers in the paper sample of this study. The results showed that the plant fibers of flax, hemp, kenaf and cotton are different in two categories of woody fibers and bast fibers, but this difference is not stable and sometimes does not follow the biometric standards of fibers and sometimes similarities are observed, especially among their bast fibers. Also, In the sample of study papers, the main constituents of the bast fibers of flax, hemp and cotton lint fibers are present, and there is no sign of the presence of kenaf fibers among the papers of this manuscript. In the pulp of all these papers, woody fibers and accompanying cells are seldom present, which make it difficult to identify plant fibers, but their presence plays an effective role in the correct identification and detection of plant fibers.

The morphological, yield, and phytochemical characteristics of Solidago virgaurea L. were studied at the full flowering stage in two habitats of Pol Sefid and Sang Deh in Mazandaran province in 2019. The traits including plant height, plant diameter, inflorescence length, number of stems, length and leaf width, length and ray floret width, tubular floret length, flower diameter, receptacle diameter, stem diameter, fresh and plant dry weight, fresh and leaf dry weight, fresh and stem dry weight, fresh and leaf+flower dry weight, and total phenols (by Folin-Ciocalteu method), flavonoids (by aluminum chloride method), and leiocarposide (by HPLC) contents were measured. The results showed that the highest amounts of inflorescence length (40 cm), flower diameter (21.1 mm), plant dry weight (9.44 g plant-1), flower dry weight (6.06 g plant-1), flower+leaf dry weight (7.22 g plant-1), and stem dry weight (2.22 g plant-1) were obtained in the population "Pol Sefid". A positive and significant correlation was observed between the plant dry weight and traits including the plant height, number of stems, stem diameter, flower diameter, plant fresh weight, fresh and leaf dry weight, fresh and stem dry weight, fresh and leaf+flower dry weight, and total flavonoids. The content of total phenols (26.95 mg Gallic acid/g DW), total flavonoids (8.82 mg Rutin/g DW), and leiocarposide (2.08 mg/g DW) was higher in the population "Sang Deh" than "Pol Sefid".

Ultrasonic assisted extraction (UAE) is a robust and efficient method as a desirable alternative to conventional strategies for extracting active ingredients from different parts of plants. Coupling this technique with hydrodistillation is an effective method for producing essential oil from plant material.

In this study, we successfully combined ultrasonic technology with hydrodistillation (HD) and optimized the system to reduce the time of the isolation and increase the yield of the essential oil obtained from Stureja khuzistanica Jamzad (SK).

In the next step, isolation time, yield, and quality of essential oils obtained by conventional and ultrasonic-assisted methods were compared. Ethyl acetate (EA) was used to recover the remaining essential oil in the distillate.

All oils and distillates were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively via the GC-FID and GC-MS techniques. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of SK essential oil against Escherichia coli (0.5 mg/ml to 8.0 mg/ml) and Staphylococcus aureus (0.25 mg/ml to 8.0 mg/ml) were calculated.

Our results show that while the obtained essential oils chemical profile and biological properties are comparable, this method can enhance essential oil isolation yield efficiency by up to 40 %.

Common horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.), is widely used in the bone and nail strengthen herbal products due to the presence of minerals, especially silica.

Agro-morphological and phytochemical diversity, and the silica content of the E. arvense populations (EAPs) collected from Iran along with two commercial samples from Russia and Switzerland were investigated.

Morphological traits were measured using ruler, digital caliper, naked eye, and digital balance. Phytochemical characteristics were assessed by spectrophotometer and HPLC-PDA analyses. Silica content was measured by Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX) analysis.

The maximum height was observed in Sarab (EAP4), while the highest width and stem dry weight was found in Marzanabad (EAP11). The highest TPC and TFC were measured in the Russian and EAP11 samples, respectively. Isoquercitrin content was varied from 0.03 (Russian) to 3.05 mg/g DW (EAP11) based on HPLC analysis while silica content was different among samples from 30 to 87.5 mg/g DW in EAP9 and EAP1, respectively.

In this study, EAP11 and EAP4 were superior in terms of important morphological traits. Marzanabad (EAP11) was a superior population in phytochemical characteristics which can be strongly recommended for further exploitation in conservation, domestication, and mass production programs. In the case of silica content, the EAP1 was characterized as the superior population which can be interesting for further exploitation in the production of bone, hair, and nail strengthening herbal products.

Medicinal plants play a significant role in preventing and treating diseases due to their traditional uses.

The aim of the study was to isolate, purify and identify phytochemicals from the n-hexane extract of Teucrium hircanicum L. roots and evaluate the antioxidant activity of the extract and its purified compounds.

The n-hexane extract (2.27 g) was extracted from the roots of this plant. The extract was fractionated by column chromatography with normal phase by eluting with n-hexane-EtOAc and following with EtOAc-Methanol. Fractions with similar phytochemical fingerprints combined to produce 23 main fractions. Final purification was carried out by preparative reversed-phase HPLC-UV. The structures of isolated were secured by different spectroscopic methods such as 1D, 2D NMR, and mass spectroscopy methods and comparing of these data with literature reported values. The antioxidant activity of the n-hexane extract of T. hircanicum roots and its purified diterpenoids was evaluated in DPPH assay and radical scavenging activity was calculated.

Extraction and isolation methods were used to purify three rearranged abietane-type diterpenoids villosin A (1), teuvincenone B (2) and 5, 8, 11, 13, 15-abietapentaen-7-one (3), a phenethyl ester namely 4-hydroxyphenethyl pentacosanoate (4) and one sterol namely 22-dehydroclerosterol (5).

The n-hexane extract from roots of T. hircanicum and three rearranged abietane type diterpenoids were showed good antioxidant activities ranged from 3.5-4.3 μg/ml compared with the reference value (BHT = 16.5 μg/ml).

Pomegranate juice is a known natural source of anthocyanins, including the glycosidic derivatives of delphinidin, cyanidin, and pelargonidin. The use of resins in various industries has a long history and, in this study, resin was used to enrich anthocyanins in pomegranate juice. The anthocyanin pigment in pomegranate juice was isolated and purified by SEPLITE®LXA10 resin, and finally, the anthocyanin powder was obtained by spray drying with high quality and efficiency. The purity of enriched anthocyanins is above 90%, while the amount of pigment in pomegranate itself is 20% or less. The yield of the powder obtained from enriched anthocyanin was 89.6% and pomegranate juice was 21%. The proposed method led to enrichment of anthocyanins by resins and removal of unnecessary additives and increases the quality and intensity of natural dye obtained. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of anthocyanin-enriched powder showed a uniform, spherical structure of particles that were of better quality than pomegranate juice powder. Particle sizes were between 1 and 6 μm with a spherical structure. Due to the high cost of anthocyanins, its use in the food industry and high imports into the country, we obtained a relatively pure anthocyanin pigment. Purification of anthocyanins from pomegranate juice is an economical method for producing natural red pigment and its uses in the cosmetics, health and food industries.

It has been a long time since aromatic plants and aromatic materials have been used in perfumery.Therefore, production of perfume flask had become noticeable among craftsmen and artists. The use of plants and other aromatic substances in perfumery has been possible by obtaining their essential oils. The production of perfumes are mainly derived from plants such as roses, cloves and saffron, incense and sandalwood and plant gums. Amber, musk and Azfar were also taken from some animals such as Gazelle and Amber fish. Perfume flasks are little containers made by a variety of different materials that have been shaped or embellished by standard technology and ornaments of their historical period. Glass has been one of the most favorite materials to make a perfume flask through the time. This research gives a brief overview of the history of perfumery, from the Achaemenid era to the first centuries of the Islamic era. Then it analyzes remained materials inside the five glass containers, which are considered to be perfume bottles, from the Parthian period to the first centuries of the Islamic era. These glass perfume bottles are kept in the Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran currently. This analysis has been done by Coupled gas chromatography with mass spectrometer in the gas chromatography laboratory of Research Institute of Medicinal Plants and Drugs, Shahid Beheshti University. The main composition which has been detected and identified are waxes, cholesterol, and natural fatty acids. Due to its sensitivity, speed, versatility, and ability to identify traces of compounds in a mixture, the GC-MS technique's application is a brilliant method for archaeological organic chemistry and can be applied to analyse any substance containing volatile organic compounds expected. In two samples of our collection, residual perfumes were extracted.For this test, the containers were first washed with n-hexane solvent and the solution was transferred into the sampling dishes for transfer to the laboratory. On the day of sampling, the objects were selected from the samples which were photographed. Then, through a Pasteur pipette, about 2 ml of n-hexane was placed in the dishes and the material was washed by rotating and the extract transferred into the pipette and prepared for the analysis by evaporating of hexane. It should be noted that n-hexane solvent has no destructive effect on the objects and because of its high volatility, immediately it will be disappeared completely and there is no trace of it in the container.Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is a powerful tool for separation and identification of natural and chemical materials. In this method, after the initial preparation, the components of a mixture are injected into the device through a special syringe in the amount of half a microliter of the tested solution. The materials are separated based on the difference between the boiling point and interaction with the chromatographic column, will be entered into the Ionization Mass Spectrometry source, because of generating powerful electric and magnetic fields, the mixture’s components will be identified quantitatively and qualitatively based on their electrical charge to mass ratio (m/z). For this analysis, 1 to 3 mg of the sample was taken and 1 ml of KOH hydroalcoholic solution (potash alcohol) was added and then subjected to alkaline hydrolysis at 60 ° C for 3 hours. After hydrolysis, the neutral organic components were extracted with n-hexane. Then, according to the internal standard, injection of the solution was analyzed in GC-MS. It was then interpreted based on comparisons of components and reference materials with library items and mass spectrum. In order to identify the type of fatty acid compositions, GC-MS equipped with a DB-5 column with a length of 30 m and an inner diameter of 0.25 mm and a thin layer thickness of 0.25 μm was used. The oven temperature was increased from 60 °C to 250 °C at velocity of 5 °C/min and was kept at 250 °C for 10 minutes. Helium carrier gas with a flow rate of 1.1 ml/min was used and 70-eV electrons was used for ionization and a mass range was from 43 to 456 amu. In order to analyze the essential oil using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, the components were identified. The components and compounds were identified by the use of various parameters such as retention time (RT) and retention index (RI), study of mass spectrum and comparing the spectrum with standard compounds and basic data in the GC-MS database by Xcalibur Software. The relative percentage of each components of the essential oil was obtained according to the area under the curve in the GC. Based on the chromatogram table, the following results were obtained:Sample 1 (Table 1, Figure 1), the perfume flasks from the Arsacid era: the most important compounds identified in container No. 1 including the paraffin compounds, cholesterol (animal-based oils), vegetable oils, and fatty acids and waxes. Also, an important substance in the solution obtained from washing was flavonoid. It is a polyphenolic substance which is found in the extract obtained from the petals and pollen of plants. Sample 2 (Table 2, Figure 2), a semi-thin blue glass container, probably from the Arsacid era: the most important components identified include an essential oil, wax and fatty acid. Sample 3 (Table 3, Figure 3), a thin glass container probably from the Sassanid era: the most important compounds identified include fatty acids such as palmitic acid, stearic acid and linoleic acid. Such materials indicate that this container has been in contact with vegetable-base oils and 80% of the substances identified in this container are fatty acids. Sample 4 (Table 4, Figure 4), a semi-thin glass container from the first centuries of the Islamic period: there are only paraffin materials such as wax and beeswax and do not contain any fatty acids. The most important substance in this sample is natural linalool, which is classified as a perfume. Example 5 (Table 5, Figure 5), the perfume flask with base from the first centuries of the Islamic period: the most important compounds identified are plant-based fatty acids, paraffin compounds or waxes, and phthalate compounds.According to the tests performed in two case studies (samples No. 2 and 4), aromatic substances and essential oils are present in the identified compounds. It shows that natural perfumes and essential oils can actually stay in the glass and the adsorption of glass is very high for keep of such materials. Except for sample No. 4, other samples contain a variety of fatty acids and proved that such glasses were used as preservative objects. Wax can be seen in all samples. Fats have been identified in various forms such as cholesterol (animal base oil), palmitic acids (plant base fats) and paraffinic substances.

Salinity is one of the main abiotic stress limits plant growth and production by changing ionic and osmotic balance. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of osmotic pretreatment on germination indices of celery seeds under salinity stress as a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with three replications. Osmotic pre-treatment factors were: osmotic solution (1%) of KNo3, KCl, CaCl2 and CaSO4 and control (without pre-treatment) and salinity factor at four levels including concentrations of 0, 50, 100 and 150 mmol NaCl. Seed germination rate, seed germination percentage, radicle and plumule length, radicle and plumule dry weight, Kutowski-coefficient, salinity tolerance index, allometric coefficient and seed vigor index were measured. Results showed that under normal conditions, osmotic pretreatment had no positive effect on germination percentage and germination rate. Germination indices significantly decreased with increasing salinity stress, so that no germination observed in the 150 mM salinity treatment. The positive effect of osmotic pre-treatments on seed germination indices was significant. In non-stress conditions, calcium chloride treatment increased salinity resistance by 100% and in 50 mM stress by 150%, but at 100 mM salinity, potassium nitrate had a better effect than other treatments. There was a positive and significant correlation between all germination indices. In general, under salinity stress pretreatment of celery seeds can be used as a beneficial solution.

Vasha is a monocarpic plant endemic to central Iran. The sesquiterpens in the oleo gum resins of vasha display important defense role against fungi and pathogenic bacteria. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of essential oil as well as ethyl acetate, chloroform, hexane and methanolic extracts from the gum-resin of Dorema ammoniacum and investigating its essential oil constituents. As the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites is affected by the prevailing environmental conditions, in this study, the extracted gum of Dorema ammoniacum from Shahrood region was phytochemically characterized.

Oleo gum resin of vasha was collected from Shahroud (Torud) desert and essential oils were analyzed using GC and GC/MS and extraction was done using Soxhlet extractor with organic solvents of different polarity including hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and methanol. Evaluation of the antioxidant activities of essential oil as well as ethyl acetate, chloroform, hexane and methanolic extracts from gum-resin of Dorema ammoniacum were done using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, and for the antibacterial screening disk diffusion and Broth micro dilution methods were employed. The minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were measured against a number of bacteria.

The ethyl acetate extract with IC50=69.0 μg/mL showed highest antioxidant activity and essential oil with IC50 = 166.0 μg/ml displayed a moderate antioxidant activity. The methanolic (31.25 μg/mL) and chloroformic (62.50 μg/mL) extracts exhibited high antibacterial activities. Analysis of essential oil of oleo-gum resin by GC-MS led to the identification of 51 compounds. Methyl oleate (20.2%), Methyl palmitoleate (15.9%), Fenchyl acetate (7.25%), Methyl linoleate (6.87%), Methyl stearate (6.64%), Oleic acid, trimethylsilyl ester (4.97%), Pentadecane (3.14%), alpha.-Gurjunene (2.66%), beta.-Bisabolene (2.6%) were identified as the dominant compounds.

D. ammoniacum is one of the most important species of Dorema. The established phenolic and polyphenolic compounds in the extracts or essential oil as well as the presence of sesquiterpens coumarines / phenols in the oleo gum resin extract with biological activities such as antioxidant and antimicrobial and even anti-Alzheimer's makes D. ammoniacum plant as a good candidate for medicinal uses. These results showed that some extrinsic factors such as climate, soil properties, insect and microorganisms stress, harvest time, plant preparation procedure and the method of essential oil extraction in D. ammoniacum may affect chemical composition of the extracts and essential oils. Keywords: Antioxidant activity, Antibacterial activity, Essential oil, Dorema ammoniacum