فهرست مطالب محمدحسین میر جلیلی

The genus Grammosciadium of the Apiaceae family has nine species, of which three species pterocarpum, G. platycarpum and G. scarbridu grow in Iran, which grow in most temperate or cold temperate regions and in mountain pastures. G. platycarpum species is a perennial plant with a height of 40 to 100 cm, which is known as mountain parsley or mountain dill and is distributed in Iran, Turkey, Iraq and Armenia. It is used as an infusion to reduce fat and blood sugar and as Vegetables are consumed raw and cooked in some regions of Iran. It has a pleasant taste and smell and is used as a vegetable and food additive in different regions in spring. Since wild and medicinal plants usually have weak and uneven germination, therefore, the use of methods to improve germination can have a positive effect on improving the production of these plants. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of stratification and gibberellic acid pretreatments on seed germination characteristics and to determine the best method of seed treatment to improve the germination of mountain G. platycarpum seeds.

To investigate the impact of stratification and gibberellic acid pretreatments on the germination and growth indices of platycarpum, an experiment was conducted in the Ecophysiology Laboratory of Medicinal Plants, Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute of Shahid Beheshti University of Tehran during 2023. The seeds used in this experiment were collected in August 1402 from its habitats in the northwest of the country from the city of Mahabad (longitude: 45°40', latitude: 36°41', altitude: 1426) located in West Azarbaijan province. In order to improve the germination indices of mountain dill seeds, an experiment in a factorial format based on a completely randomized design with two factors of wet chilling at 4 times (0, 2, 4 and 8 weeks) and gibberellic acid at four concentrations (0, 300, 500 and 700 ppm) was implemented with three iterations in 2023. Before conducting the experiment, in order to disinfect the seeds collected from nature, they were disinfected with a 1% sodium hypochlorite solution and then with a 70% ethanol solution for 5 minutes in each step, and then they were disinfected with distilled water in several steps and then They were washed with distilled water in several stages. In order to apply gibberellic acid treatment, concentrations of 300, 500 and 700 ppm were prepared and the seeds were soaked in it for 48 hours. In each petri dish, 40 seeds were placed on a filter paper and placed in the refrigerator at 4°C for wet chilling treatment, and according to the treatments, after 0, 2, 4 and 8 weeks and adding 10 ml of water to the germinator at 25°C, 60% relative humidity and 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness were transferred. Germinated seeds were counted daily 24 hours after the start of the experiment. The seeds whose roots were visible (that is, about 2 mm long) were counted as germinated seeds and the results were recorded. Germination percentage, germination rate, mean germination time, seedling vigor, fresh and dry weight of seedlings were measured.

The results showed that with increasing the duration of stratification and increasing the concentration of gibberellic acid, the germination percentage, germination rate germination, rate index, seedling vigor, fresh and dry weight of the seedling improved and had a significant difference compared to the control. The highest germination percentage (94.66 percent), germination rate (90.66 seeds per day), germination index (5.2), seedling vigor (2325), fresh weight (1.51 g) and dry weight (0.41g) seedlings were observed in the combined treatment of 700 ppm gibberellic acid and stratification for 8 weeks. Also, the lowest mean germination time (1.6 days) was obtained in the treatment of 700 ppm gibberellic acid and 8 weeks of stratification, and the longest (6.93 days) was in the control.

Familiarity with the seeds of medicinal plants and knowledge of their germination characteristics can be a big step in domestication, development of their cultivation methods and prevention of their extinction in natural habitats. In general, the results of this research showed that the combined use of 700 ppm gibberellic acid with 8 weeks of stratification was the best treatment in breaking dormancy and seed germination of platycarpum. Based on the results of G. platycarpum dormancy breaking treatments and the use of gibberellic acid was able to replace part of the cold requirement, it can be concluded that G. platycarpum has different degrees of physiological dormancy.

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.

In the present study, the diversity and stability of morphological traits and essential oils of four native Iranian species of Thymus including T. persicus (Ronniger ex Rech.f.) Jalas, T. daenensis subsp. daenensis, T. pubescens Boiss., and T. caramanicus Jalas. has been investigated during the process of cultivation and ex situ domestication with an emphasis on the conservation point of view. In terms of ethnobotany, the species are known in their habitat as Ezboe, Orishom, Kekik, and Apishan, respectively, which are used in the treatment of cold and cough. The morphological traits of the species were measured in the habitat and the plants were cultivated in the same environmental conditions. The stability of the morphological and essential oils traits of the cultivated species were studied in the second year. The results showed that plant height and diameter, the number of branches, fresh and dry weight, essential oil content, and their compounds in the cultivated species were significantly (p<0.05) higher than the wild samples. The highest fresh weight (389.8 ± 3.2 g), essential oil content (3.1 ± 0.2%), thymol (73.3 ± 0.6%), and carvacrol (97.5 ± 0.8%) were obtained in cultivated T. persicus, T. daenensis, T. daenensis, and T. caramanicus, respectively. The results will be considered in the domestication and protection programs and germplasm breeding of these valuable Thymus species.

n order to investigate AMF and phosphorus fertilizer effects on bitter gourd under different irrigation regimes, an experiment was conducted in the research farm of the faculty of agriculture of Tarbiat Modares university in 2020 as a split factorial based on a randomized complete blocks design with three replications. Three irrigation regimes including full irrigation, moderate irrigation deficit, and severe irrigation deficit were randomized in the main plot units and the factorial combination of two species of fungi Glomus mosseae and Glomus intraradices along with control (without fungi) and an amount of phosphorus with a control without phosphorus was randomly placed in the sub-plot units. The results showed that under water dificit stress, fruit yield, total chlorophyll, leaf phosphorus, and colonization percentage decreased compared to full irrigation, and proline, MDA, leaf ion leakage, CAT and APX enzymes, and coumaric acid increased. The use of AMF and phosphorus fertilizer under full and low irrigation conditions reduced MDA and improved fruit yield and the other investigated plant traits. The highest fruit yield (3133.27 g.m-2) was allocated to the plants under inoculation with Glomus mosseae species and phosphorus application under full irrigation regime. The highest amount of fruit coumaric acid (almost 11 ppm) was obsereved in inoculated plants with Glomus mosseae species and application and non-application of phosphorus fertilizer under severe irrigation deficit. According to the obtained results, it is possible to suggest the use of two species of Glomus mosseae and Glomus intraradices and sufficient phosphorus element to improve the yield and quality of bitter gourd fruit under water dificit stress and full irrigation.

In this study, ethnobotanical data and in vitro conservation of Zataria multiflora Boiss. were investigated. By visiting the plant natural habitats in Fars, Isfahan, and Hormozgan Provinces, it was found that Z. multiflora is locally known as ‘Avishan-e-Shirazi’, ‘Avishan-e-Barg Pahn’, and ‘Avesham’ and used to treat human and animal diseases. Zataria multiflora habitats are being severely destroyed due to the plant materials over-collection from nature for many medicinal in the recent years. So, conservation of this valuable species is necessary. In this study, the indirect plant micropropagation was studied. Induced calli from the seedling were transferred to the Gamborg (B5) medium containing 6-benzyl amino purine (BAP) (0.1, 1.5 and 0.2 mg/l) with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) (0.1 and 0.5 mg/l) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (0.1 and 0.5 mg/l). The highest shoot-forming capacity (13.8) was obtained in the medium supplemented with 1.5 mg/l BAP and 0.1 mg/l IBA. The maximum root-forming capacity (6.8) was found in the medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/l IBA. The rooted plantlets were successfully acclimatized (75%). The results can be used to protect germplasm, supply seedlings, and restore the plant habitats.

Perilla frutescens var. crispa, a medicinal and aromatic plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family is widely used for the treatment of constipation, asthma, and skin disorders, and also as spice. As climatic, environmental, and edaphological conditions of the plant habitats affect active substances of medicinal plants, quantitative and qualitative changes in the essential oil content and composition of the plants cultivated in the Research Farms of four regions of Iran (Rasht, Noor, Khorramabad, and Neishabour) were evaluated in the present study in 2020. Aerial organs of the plants were collected at the vegetative stage and their essential oils were isolated by hydro-distillation. The essential oils were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Among the studied areas, the highest and lowest altitudes were Neishabour and Rasht, respectively. The climatic classification of Rasht and Noor was also more similar. The essential oil contents (%w/w) of the plant samples in Rasht, Noor, Neishabour, and Khorramabad were 1.45, 1.33, 1.26, and 1.16, respectively. In total, 28, 27, 25, and 27 compounds were identified in Noor, Rasht, Khorramabad, and Neishabour regions, respectively. (E)-Caryophyllene (42.4-58.7%), α-cadinol (8.2-16.5%), (E)-nerolidol (3.8-9.5%), α-dehydro-elsholtzia ketone (2.1-7.5%), cis-dihydro-α-terpinyl acetate (1.0-7.5%), and egoma ketone (0.2-5.5%) were the major essential oil compounds at different regions. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (44.9-61.2%) were the major class of the compounds of essential oils. Cluster analysis based on the essential oil compositions classified the studied areas into two distinct groups. Noor and Rasht were clustered in one group and Khorramabad and Neishabour were clustered in the other group. Results showed that temperate regions are suitable to increase the essential oil contents of the plants, while arid and semi-arid regions can improve the quality of essential oils.

Tea (Camellia sinensis), belongs to the family Theaceae, is a well-known perennial and evergreen plant that is processed and widely used as a daily drink across the world.

The present study was aimed to explore aromatic composition, catechins content, and metal elements (MEs) profiling of forty-three black tea samples collected across Iran.

Black tea samples were prepared from the Iranian Tea Research Institute. MEs content of the plant dried samples was measured by atomic absorption spectrometer. Aromatic composition and catechins content of the studied samples were analyzed by GC-FID, GC-MS and HPLC, respectively.

Hexanal (0.3-27.6 %), cis-linalool oxide (0.1-44.7 %), trans-linalool oxide (0.2-48.3 %), linalool (0.2-39.2 %), benzyl alcohol (0.2-38.9 %), phenylethanol (0.1-37.9 %), and (-)-Myrtenol (4.4-26.8 %) were the major volatile oil compounds of the studied samples. The highest content of hexanal, cis-linalool oxide, trans-linalool oxide, linalool, benzyl alcohol, phenylethanol and (-)-Myrtenol was measured in IR5 (Zarin), IR13 (Leil 1), IR23 (Shariat), IR31 (Roozmehr 1), IR34 (Noshiran), IR36 (Roozmehr 3) and IR18 (Amard 2), respectively. Catechin content was ranged from 0.589 ± 0.0285 in IR32 (Roozmehr 2) to 0.65 ± 0.0088 in IR29 (Aramgol 1). The level of the copper, Iron and lead were generally within the safe limitation mentioned in the world.

Sample of Roozmehr was characterized with high aromatic compounds, catechins content, and low level of MEs. This information can be interestingly considered by food industrials to process black tea products.

Squalane is an unsaturated triterpene that has wide applications in pharmaceuticals. In this research, the production of squalene and its bioinformatic analysis in four species of unicellular and multicellular eukaryotes and prokaryotes were investigated in order to determine the difference of this gene in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. The results of phylogenetic analysis showed that algae as multicellular eukaryotes, yeast as single-celled eukaryote and bacteria as single-celled prokaryote were placed in one group and plants were placed in a separate group. GC percentage of SQS protein was evaluated by GC Content Calculator, as well as aliphatic index and instability index by protparam. The results showed that the SQS gene is in a range from unstable to stable. The analysis of the presence of signal sequences and the analysis of the detection of the final location of the protein showed that the possibility of transferring the SQS protein to the mitochondria, chloroplast and secretory pathway is very low and it is not among the signal proteins. It was also found in Gymnema sylvestre that this protein has three protected domains. The comparison of the secondary structure of the protein confirmed the existence of alpha sheets. 3D modeling of this protein in plant was done by homology modeling method and using Swiss Model database after selecting a suitable model with high similarity which was extracted from PDB database. In order to validate the structure of the drawn three-dimensional model and stereochemical analysis, the Ramachandran diagram was drawn and the dihedral angles were calculated. The results of structural quality evaluation showed that the proposed models have good quality and stability. The study of the protein structure can help to understand the function of the protein, and studying the details of its structure can be useful in the studies of the active site of the protein and docking.

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.

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is cultivated all over the world on a large scale due to its wide use in the food, textile, and pharmaceutical industries. One of the factors that affect the cultivation of this plant is abiotic stresses, such as inappropriate pH and soil with a lack or toxicity of nutrients, which leads to a decrease in its quantity and quality. Therefore, it is necessary to identify genes responsive to different stresses. In the present study, using RNA-Seq data obtained from the roots of flax plants under the stress of aluminum toxicity and zinc deficiency, DEGs were investigated to identify stress-responsive changes in two resistant and sensitive cultivars. In total, 30 common DEGs were identified between resistant cultivars and 97 common DEGs between sensitive cultivars in both stresses in which, the number of DEGs was more in the sensitive cultivar and four genes were common between sensitive and resistant cultivars. The most general changes of common DEGs were related to flax-specific biological processes, metabolic processes, and cellular processes, which indicate the metabolically active state of the plant cell. Resistant cultivars responded more specifically and most of the genes were grouped in GO related to response to stimuli. In the protein-protein interaction network of susceptible cultivars, chitinases and the PR4 gene had the most related to other proteins, while in the resistant cultivars, the resistance strategy was different, and the expression of cell wall modifying genes showed the highest relation with other proteins. In general, the expression profile of stress-responsive genes showed that the PR1 gene had the most changes in both cultivars and can be used as a resistance marker for plant breeding purposes. Also, the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, which is a response to stress, increased significantly. The obtained results provide new insights into the mechanism of tolerance to abiotic stress in flax, which can be used to improve the quantitative and qualitative yields.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) is a well-known commercial medicinal plant with wide usage.

During our ongoing aims for the selection and breeding programs of Iranian licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) populations, in the present study, total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and biological activities of the leaf extract of eight selected plant populations cultivated in the north of Tehran were investigated.

The TPC and TFC were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride reagents, respectively. The antioxidant potential of the leaf extracts was measured through the evaluation of their power to reduce the Fe3+-TPTZ complex to Fe2+-TPTZ. The antibacterial activity was also assessed according to the broth micro-dilution method to determine minimum inhibitory concentration.

The results indicated that TPC varied from 6.18 ± 0.33 (mg GAE/g DW) in Bajgah population to 14.91 ± 1.17 (mg GAE/g DW) in Ilam population. The highest TFC was observed in Ilam (17.04 ± 1.25 mg rutin/g DW) and Marvest (15.06 ± 1.77 mg rutin/g DW) populations, respectively, without statistically significant differences. The maximum antioxidant activity was associated with the Ilam (532.18 ± 12.61 µmol Fe/g DW) population, confirming the antioxidant potential of phenolic and flavonoids compounds. The leaf extracts of Eghlid, Marvest, Ilam, and Bojnourd populations were exhibited outstanding antibacterial activity against S. aureus.

The licorice leaf extracts showed more inhibitory effect against Staphylococcus aureus than Escherichia coli.

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Schults-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.

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.

Sesqui-terpene lactone - parthenolide in Tanacetum parthenium L. is known as the most important medicinal substance with anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasm and especially anti-migraine effects. In this study, the content of parthenolide in the flowering branches of some natural populations of T. parthenium L. from different habitats in Gilan (Masoleh), Mazandaran (Chalos), Qom (Vishnu) and Tehran (Ahar) provinces were collected at the full flowering stage and compared with their flowered seedlings under in vitro conditions. In vitro seedlings were seeded and cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium enriched with hydrolyzed casein (100 mg/l), salicylic acid (2 mg/l) and benzylaminopurine (5 mg/l). The parthenolide content of flowering branches of all samples was measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results of variance analysis of the data showed that the effect of population and cultivation conditions as well as their interaction at the probability level of 1% on parthenolide content was significant. The parthenolide content in self-grown populations ranged from 0.13±0.007 to 1.03±0.113 mg/g dry weight and in tissue culture seedlings from 0.23±0.011 to 1.21±0.148 mg/g dry weight was variable. The highest and lowest parthenolide content was observed in Qom (Vashno) and Gilan (Masuleh) populations, respectively. Parthenolide content for all populations was higher in tissue culture samples than in natural samples. The findings of this study can be considered and exploited for the commercial production of parthenolide pharmaceutical composition under controlled conditions.

Momordica charantia L., a member of the Cucurbitaceae family and commonly known as bitter gourd and bitter melon, thrives in humid and subtropical regions around the world. Bitter gourd is a common herb usually consumed as a vegetable for medicinal purposes in different parts of the world, including Central America, the Caribbean, South America, Asia, and Africa. It is a good source of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals such as iron and calcium, vitamins, especially vitamin C, and dietary fibers. Grafting is a connection of two plant tissues, which are forced to develop vascular connections and grow as a single plant. Grafting has become imperative for vegetable production. Grafting of herbaceous seedlings is a unique horticultural technology practiced for many years in East Asia to overcome issues associated with intensive cultivation using limited arable land for vegetable production. In the study effect of different cucurbit rootstocks on some morphological and yield indices of bitter gourd.

In order to evaluate the effect of commercial cucurbit rootstocks: Marvel, Tetsukabuto, Sentinel (Takii Seed Company, Japan), and scion: bitter gourd Preeti variety (Kian Darou Zagros company, Iran) on qualitative and quantitative bitter gourd an experiment was carried out in a completely randomized block design under hydroponic with three replicates in the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Campus of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, in greenhouse conditions at 2019. In this experiment, in addition to pH of xylem sap, EC of xylem sap, water absorption (ml/day), and growth indices including day to first female flowering (Day), green and ripe fruit shape, green and ripe fruit weight (g), water content green and ripe fruit (ml), dry matter green and ripe fruit weight (%), number of fruits per plant, rootstock diameter (cm), graft site diameter (cm), and scion diameter (cm).

The results showed that rootstocks and grafting caused an increase in first female flowering, green and ripe fruit shape, green and ripe fruit weight, dry matter green and ripe fruit weight, number of fruits per plant, and pH, EC xylem sap, water absorption. The highest weight of green and ripe fruit weight, dry matter green and ripe fruit weight were observed in Marvel rootstock and the lowest was observed in Sentinel rootstock. The highest water absorption was observed in the Tetsukabuto rootstock and the lowest was observed in the Sentinel rootstock. Also, the highest green fruit diameter (6.87 cm), green fruit length (18.48 cm), and ripe fruit length (18.57 cm) were observed in the Tetsukabuto rootstock and the lowest was observed in Sentinel rootstock (green fruit diameter (3.19 cm), green fruit length (12.43 cm), and ripe fruit length (13.12 cm)). But the highest green and ripe fruit shape (4.09), graft site diameter (3.8 cm), day to first female flowering (33.53 days), and water content green fruit (91.89%) were observed in Sentinel rootstock.

According to the obtained results, Marvel and Tetsukabuto rootstocks were better compatible with bitter gourd and showed a significant difference with other treatments in terms of measured indices (green fruit diameter, green fruit length, ripe fruit length, green and ripe fruit weight, dry matter green and ripe fruit weight). Also, Sentinel rootstock showed a decrease in morphological and yield indicators in most cases (green fruit diameter, green fruit length, ripe fruit length, green and ripe fruit weight, dry matter green and ripe fruit weight). According to the results of Sentinel rootstock, it showed incompatibility with bitter gourd.

Trigonella L. is a well-known worldwide growing genus of the Fabaceae family. In addition to food, the plants have various medicinal properties, including reducing fat and blood sugar, antibacterial, anti-ulcer, and analgesic.

Variability in agro-morphological traits, phenolic compounds, and proximate composition of the aerial parts of some Iranian Trigonella and its relative e.g. Medicago L. species was studied to introduce the superior species for further use in breeding and exploitation programs.

The seed samples of T. astroides, T. elliptica, T. filipes, T. foenum-graecum, T. spruneriana, M. crassipes (syn: T. crassipes), M. monantha (syn: T. monantha), M. monspeliaca (syn: T. monspeliaca), M. orthoceras (syn: T. orthoceras), and M. phrygia (syn: T. aurantiaca) were collected from different regions of Iran, and then were cultivated at the same agronomic conditions. Morphological traits were measured by a ruler, digital caliper and scales. Proximate composition (moisture, ash, fibre, protein, fat, and carbohydrates) and phenolic acids of the aerial parts were determined by the AOAC method and HPLC, respectively.

Significant morphological differences among the studied species were observed. The highest protein content was measured in M. orthoceras (13.4 ± 0.4 %), followed by T. filipes (11.5 ± 0.8 %), and T. spruneriana (11.1 ± 0.4 %). Fibre content was ranged from 0.7 ± 0.04 % to 4.9 ± 0.4 %. In the extracts of the studied species, catechin, chlorogenic acid, and p-coumaric acid were found in abundance (0.01 ± 0.05 - 69.32 ± 0.7 mg/g DW).

Trigonella filipes and T. spruneriana could be selected as suitable species for further exploitation in food and pharmaceutical industries.

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.

Nisin is a natural antibacterial that is used as a preservative in foods and drugs. The production of transgenic carrots containing recombinant nisin protein was investigated by Agrobacterium, LBA4404 strain and pBI121 plasmid. PBI121 plasmid was contains NPTII reporter genes with promoter CaMV35S and terminator NOS, respectively. In order to prepare recombinant plasmid, nisin gene first was identified . After codon optimization, were cloned between bamHI and SacI in pBI121 vector. Root, leaf, stem and nods explants of carrot were inoculation with agrobacterium suspension containing inoculum with different concentrations and were placed for different times of co-cultivation and they were also cultured in callus induction medium containing kanamycin and cefotaxime. The calli that were able to grow on the selective medium were selected and were transferred to the regeneration medium . Callus induction was observed in 40% of the explants. The produced embryos, after germination were transferred to the regeneration medium. The highest percentage of kanamycin resistant plants (45%) were related to the use of stem explants and bacterium concentrations of 0.6 to 0.8 and different co-cultivation times of 1 and 2 days and concentration of 250 mg/L cefotaxime. In order to ensure no contamination of plants to Agrobacteria and confirm the accuracy of gene transfer, polymerase chain reaction was performed using specific primers of vir gene and the accuracy of gene transfer was confirmed. Polymerase chain reaction was showed that 60% of hypothetical transgenic plants had at least one copy of nptII and nisin genes in their genomes.

Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dunal is a well-known medicinal plant due to its many healing properties.

The aim of the present study was to induce friable callus and subsequently establish the plant cell suspension cultures for the production of two important withanolides i.e. withaferin A (WFA) and withanolide A (WNA).

In vitro callus induction was carried out from young leaf and internodal explants cultured on MS medium fortified with various concentrations (0, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 mg/L) of auxins (2,4-D, NAA, and IAA) solely or in combination with BAP (0., 0.5 and 1.0 mg/L) in a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with five replications. The plant cell culture was then established for the production of both withanolides.

The percentage of callogenesis from the leaf (25.0-96.0 %) was higher than internodal explants (23.2-85.4 %). The high percentage of friable calli was achieved from leaf explants cultured on MS medium fortified with 2.5 mg/L 2,4-D + 0.5 mg/L BAP. Cell suspension culture was established from derived friable callus cultured on MS medium supplemented with 1.5 mg/L IAA + 0.5 mg/L BAP. The highest accumulation of biomass (172 g/L fresh weight and 15 g/L dry weight) and the production of both withanolides were observed in the fourth week of the culture period. The plant cells produced 0.08 and 21 µg/L WFA and WNA at this time, respectively.

These results can be used for future research on biosynthesis pathways of withanolides as well as their production in bioreactors.

Salvia sahendica Boiss. & Buhse.  with antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticonvulsant properties is an endemic species of the lamiaceae family that grows in the Sahand highlands in East Azerbaijan province. The aim of the present study was to investigate the quantity and quality of essential oils and effect of different treatments on the percentage and germination rate of this species due to the low germination percentage of its seeds. The aerial parts of the plant were collected at flowering stage in the summer of 2012 from Kasai habitat in Tabriz Then, its essential oil was obtained by clevenger method and analized by GC/MS. Seed test was conducted based on a completely randomized design (CRD) with 4 replications. Treatments included gibberllin at three levels of concentration (100, 150 and 200 ppm for 24 h), three levels of wash time (12, 24 and 72 h), chilling at three levels of duration (for 24, 48 and 72 h) and magnetic treatment (50 and 130 mT for 5, 10, 20, 25 and 30 min) and control. Based on the results, the essential oil yield of this species was 0.8% by weight and the presence of 23 compounds including trans-meta-mentha-2,8-diene, spathulenol, α-Pinene, 1,8-cineol and β-pinene in the essential oil components of this plant was proved. Seed test result showed that seeds treated with 100 ppm gibberellin had the highest germination rate (47 %) and seeds treated with 130 mT for 20 min had the highest germination rate (5.83) compared to control (16) and (1/99) respectively. The results indicate that the seeds of this species have physiological dormancy and different treatments can significantly increase.

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".

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.

In this study, to investigate the effect of ploidy level changing on morphological and physiological traits and the amount of essential oil  of Lavandula stricta as a Iranian  native medicinal plant. In this experiment, gel containing colchicine at five concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 %) and four times (8, 16, 24 and 48 h) in the final meristem in the four-leaf growth stage of the potted plant under greenhouse conditions. The results of flow cytometry showed that the genome size in all diploid and treated plants with colchicine were in the same range (0.55 and 0.57 pg, respectively), but, it was obtained 0.73 pg for treated plant with 0.4% colchicine in 48 hours and SEM images showed an increase in the density of glandular trichomes and stomata size in them. Also, the results showed that the concentration of colchicine and the time of treatment had no significant effect on chlorophyll and carotenoid, but increasing the concentration of colchicine and the application time increased the weight of 1000-seed, weight of seed with cover, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, catalase and percentage and yield of essential oil. According to the obtained results, it can be stated that the application of colchicine at 0.4% for 48 hours has the ability to increase ploidy level of Lavandula stricta plant and increase medicinal value of this plant.

Nowadays, the widespread use of antimicrobial peptides as a natural preservative due to the side effects of synthetic preservatives (cancers and liver damages in medicines and foods) has received much attention.

In the present study, five antibacterial peptides including Nisin A of Lactococcus lactis, melitin of Apis mellifera, copsin from Coprinopsis cinerea, Terpene of Erythrolobus australicus, and thionin from Arabidopsis thaliana were studied using bioinformatics analysis.

The results showed that these peptides (peptides studied in eukaryotics and prokaryotics) had cytoplasmic targeting and the studied peptides were not protected in different organisms. There was a variation in the number of α helixes and β sheets among the studied peptides. The results of the phylogenetic tree by Mega5 showed that besides Apis mellifera, four other species were located in the same cluster. The domains were different in the five studied species, but all domains had antibacterial properties. These peptides showed a wide range of physicochemical properties. The substitution template, substitution model, and D-Tajima sequence of the studied peptides showed that Apis mellifera was isolated from other species during evolution. Three-dimensional (3-D) modeling of peptides by the homology modeling method and Swiss Model database showed that the three-dimensional structure of terpene and thionin had high quality. Using peptidecutter and allermatch websites, it was found that nisin A, melitin, copsine, terpene, and thionin were not allergenic. To determine the minimum lethal concentration and minimum inhibitory concentration, the disk diffusion method was used. The highest inhibition of nisin of Lactococcus Lactis was obtained in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli by disk diffusion. Blank discs were 19, 23 mm, 5, and 1 mm, respectively.

The results showed that nisin can be used as a natural preservative to delay food spoilage against gram-positive bacteria.