farahnaz khalighi-sigaroodi

In recent decades, the use of environmentally friendly insecticides, especially plant essential oils (EO), has attracted the attention of many researchers. The aim of this study was to investigate the insecticidal effects of essential oils extracted from Juniperus excelsa needles collected from Aqdagh (Khalkhal) and Shahrestanak (Karaj) in Iran against adults of Plodia interpunctella and Tenebrio molitor. The essential oil was extracted from the needles of the plant using the clevenger apparatus, and the compounds were analyzed using a gas chromatograph coupled with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Fumigant toxicity of the EO was also evaluated against the above-mentioned insects by probit regression and the LC50 index. Based on the results, the chemical compounds identified in the EO from Shahrestanak and Aqdagh regions were 24 and 18 compounds, respectively. However, α-pinene was the main component of the EOs obtained from both habitats. Additionally, the results showed that the respiratory toxicity of EO in both studied areas had a positive and significant correlation with the concentration of essential oils (p < 0.01). Therefore, it seems that the EO extracted from J. excelsa needles has a high potential for use in pest control programs in warehouses. The calculated LC50 indices of Aqdagh and Shahrestank essential oils for Tenebrio molitor was 279.10 and 253.16 µl/L, respectively. Also, the indices of Aqdagh and Shahrestank essential oils for P. interpunctella were 182.26 and 115.16 µl/L, respectively. The LC50 values of Shahrestank EO were lower for both insects, probably due to the difference in the chemical compositions of Aqdagh and Shahrestanak essential oils. Considering the respiratory toxicity of the essential oil obtained from juniper leaves in two regions, and considering the difference in LC50 index, more biometric studies of J. excelsa in different habitats are recommended.

Natural products currently often consider starting points in drug discovery, followed by synthetic reforms to increase bioavailability and alleviate side effects. Approximately, fifty percent of the approved drugs by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are inspired by natural products. Glycyrrhizin is a well-known anti-inflammatory component that has been shown to prolong the coagulation time of thrombin and fibrinogen and to increase the duration of plasma recalcification. Suberosin, also known as 7-methoxy-6-prenylcoumarin, belongs to the class of coumarin compounds. The purpose of this article is to purify, identify, and standardize glycyrrhizin and suberosin, from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and Ferulago trifida L. First, two plants were pulverized and then extracted using a percolator. The extracts were then divided into different fractions by column chromatography and mixed with thin-layer chromatography. Finally, we obtained pure compounds after using column chromatography and thin-layer chromatography. 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR have been used to purify compounds and also the HPLC method was used to standardize these compounds. Glycyrrhizin and Suberosin were extracted from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and Ferulago trifida L respectively and 1H-NMR 13C-NMR techniques approved the structure of these two compounds, also, standardization of these compounds was correctly done by HPLC.

Flavonoids, a group of natural substances, are found in flowers, fruits, roots and stems. These natural products are well known for their health-beneficial effects. Hence, isolation and purifying of flavonoids from the ingredients is worthwhile. Flavonoids are now considered indispensable in various nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, medicinal and cosmetic applications. Apigenin, quercetin, and apigenin-7-O-glycoside have therapeutic properties that these two are in the flavonoid group.

In this study, apigenin, quercetin, and apigenin 7-O-glycoside were purified by column chromatography and identified by NMR and HPLC UV-visible techniques.

Total extracts of three plants (Apium graveolens, Petroselinum crispum, Allium cepa) were divided into different solvent fractions. Column chromatography is used to purify these fractions. Finally, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and mass spectrometry techniques were used for identification. Also, the HPLC technique was used for identifying these compounds and standardized.

In the present work, apigenin was extracted from ethyl acetate fraction of Apium graveolens seeds. High purity of apigenin 7-O-glycoside isolated from the butanol fraction of Petroselinum crispum aerial parts. Also, ethyl acetate fraction isolated quercetin from the Allium cepa. Identification of the data obtained from 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR, which were proofed by comparison with the sources of purified compounds.

The methods used in this research were able to produce these three compounds with a high percentage of purity to be used in industry as standards.

In this study, a fast and precise method for determining three opium alkaloids (morphine, codeine, and thebaine) in different parts of some Papaver species was developed and validated with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.05 - 0.20 mg/L. The proposed method was based on three extraction steps by alkaline aqueous solution/chloroform/acidic aqueous solution and analysis by ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). After optimizing IMS parameters based on an experimental design, IMS was applied to analyze the extracts of seeds, stems, leaves, and capsules of seven Papaver species collected from different regions of Iran. All prepared samples were analyzed by HPLC and IMS at the same time. Then, the obtained results of the two instrumental methods were compared. The HPLC did not detect morphine in the prepared samples, while IMS results showed trace amounts of morphine in the capsules and leaves of four Papaver species. Other results were comparable and showed that IMS is more sensitive, affordable, and faster than HPLC for alkaloid analysis.

In this study, a fast and precise method for determining three opium alkaloids (morphine, codeine, and thebaine) in different parts of some Papaver species was developed and validated with a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.05 - 0.20 mg/L. The proposed method was based on three extraction steps by alkaline aqueous solution/chloroform/acidic aqueous solution and analysis by ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). After optimizing IMS parameters based on an experimental design, IMS was applied to analyze the extracts of seeds, stems, leaves, and capsules of seven Papaver species collected from different regions of Iran. All prepared samples were analyzed by HPLC and IMS at the same time. Then, the obtained results of the two instrumental methods were compared. The HPLC did not detect morphine in the prepared samples, while IMS results showed trace amounts of morphine in the capsules and leaves of four Papaver species. Other results were comparable and showed that IMS is more sensitive, affordable, and faster than HPLC for alkaloid analysis.

Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. (Milk thistle) is a perennial herb with medicinal properties. The seeds of these plants contain silymarin compounds with flavonolignan structure and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects. The major bioactive constituent of S. marianum is silybin A and B. It is used in the treatment of various liver conditions and exhibits high anti-tumor promoting activity.

The purpose of this study was to purify, identify, and standardize of silybin A and B from the seeds extract of Silybum marianum.

At first, the milk thistle seeds were defatted with hexane and then extracted with methanol as solvent. Isolation and further purification of silybin A and B was carried out by column chromatography using Diaion HP-20 resin, silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 as stationary phase, respectively. 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR techniques were used to identify these compounds. Finally, the HPLC method has been used to standardize.

1H-NMR and 13C-NMR techniques characterized the structure of silybin A and B extracted from Silybum marianum L. and standardization and determination of their purity was performed using HPLC.

Our proposed system presented significant advantages in increasing efficiency and reducing cost, and the diastereoisomers of silybin A and silybin B in silymarin were successfully isolated with high purities.

Diabetic neuropathy is a consequence of chronic hyperglycemia that leads to neural damage over time. The fruits of Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schard. (C. colocynthis) have long been used in Iranian traditional medicine for treatment of diabetes.

In this study, we investigated the protective effects of C. colocynthis against high glucose-induced neurotoxicity in PC-12 cells as a suitable in vitro model for neuronal functions.

The seedless dry fruit powder was extracted with methanol and then dried by rotary evapoartion. Later the obtain extract was fractionated as hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol fractions and aqueous residue. HPLC method was used for qualitative analysis of colocynthin in C. colocynthis pulp. The PC-12 cell viability of total extract and fractions of C. colocynthis were evaluated by means of dose and time in high glucose medium in PC-12 cells as a suitable culture model for studying neuronal functions through MTT assay.

The PC-12 cell viability significantly decreased in wells containing high glucose, compared with normal glucose treated cells. C. colocynthis extract treatment significantly enhanced the cells viability under toxic high glucose condition in a dose and time depending manner. Methanol extract of C. colocynthis exhibited a protective effect against high glucose-induced cytotoxicity in PC-12 cells.

C. colocynthis has neuroprotective properties against high glucose condition in vitro.

Honey is one of the most valuable foods that used in human societies to treat many diseases due to its healing properties for centuries. The lack of an objective way to distinguish natural honey from counterfeit honey has strengthened the field of profiteering in this area and has led to the supply of counterfeit honey instead of natural honey. So honey quality must be controlled analytically with the aim of guaranteeing the reality and preserving the consumer from commercial speculation.

The present study was conducted to evaluate 24 samples of 9 commercial brands of honey in Tehran’s markets with number 1 to 9 (1-AB, 2-TF, 3-DP, 4-JK, 5-SN, 6-SK, 7-IM, 8-MD, and 9-MH). A number of physical, chemical, and biological parameters of the samples were evaluated.

Carbohydrate composition was determined by GC/Mass to evaluate the contents of fructose, glucose, and sucrose. 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfuraldehyde (HMF) was quantified by HPLC-UV and other physicochemical quality parameters including moisture, pH, proline content; and diastase activity were also evaluated according to the Codex Alimentarius.

Only 2 brands met all major international specifications. Although all the parameters of the other brands were conformed, the diastase activity was not in a specific range.

The diastasis activity is considered as the most important factor to evaluate honey quality based on the results of this study.

Cancer is one of the most important causes of death all around the world. Screening plants and their secondary metabolites as cytotoxic agents is one of the common methods for identifying new compounds used in chemotherapy and inhibition cancer process. Caesalpinia bonduc (L.) Roxb. from the Fabaceae family was used for improving wound, fever, tumor, hydrocele, hernia, smallpox, toothache, inflammation, and as astringent, anthelmintic, antidiabetic, and antimalarial agent in traditional medicine. A bioassay-guided study of this species led to the isolation of three flavonoids. At first, the cytotoxicity of methanol extract of aerial parts (leaves and stems), seeds, and legumes of this plant was tested against MCF-7 and PC-3 by MTT assay. The methanol extract of legumes showed better inhibitory activities (IC50 < 500 µg/mL). As a result, this extract was selected for fractionation. In the next step, the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction was selected for phytochemical analysis based on the inhibitory activity (IC50 = 170 ± 0.9 µg/mL). In this way, total phenol content (625 ± 7.2 GAE/g extract) and antioxidant activity (IC50 = 6.1 ± 0.3 µg/mL) was compared by BHT (IC50 = 13.5 ± 0.7 µg/mL). Finally, three compounds including, quercetin-3-methyl ether (1), kaempferol (2), and kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-1→2)-β-D-xylopyranoside (3) were isolated from EtOAc fraction, and all isolated compounds were tested for their cytotoxicity and compound 1 showed better inhibitory activity than other two compounds. This study suggests that Caesalpinia bonduc could be considered for further investigations as a natural source of biological compounds.

A significant amount of crop production is destroyed annually by pests in the storage and significant damage is caused to crops. Recently, the use of essential oils as an alternative to pesticides in pest control has been considered. Due to the presence of α-pinene, Cupressus genus is a significant source of plant insecticides that can act as fumigant, repellency and inhibitory insecticides.

The aim of this study was to investigate the insecticidal properties, repellency and nutritional parameters of essential oils of Cupressus species on Sitophilus oryzae in 2018.

The experiment was conducted in a factorial arrangement based on completely randomized design with 4 replications. The essential oils of the different species and populations of Cupressus were prepared by the Clevenger apparatus using a water distillation method. The major constituents in the essential oils were analyzed by GC-MS and the biological effects of the essential oils against adult S. oryzae were investigated.

In the analysis of chemical compounds, α-pinene was identified as the main essential oils of the above species. The result showed that among the species, C. arizonica showed the highest Fumigant toxicity to S. oryzae with LC50 = 172.30 μl/L air. In investigating the effect of repellency on S. oryzae, essential oils of C. sempervirens L. var. horizontalis (France) with 80.61 % showed the highest distance.

Due to the toxicity and high repellency effect of Cupressus essential oils on S. oryzae, this genus has high potential for use in storage pest control.

Many herbal remedies have been used in medical systems for the cure of diseases. One of these important applications is usage of them as cytotoxic agents for the treatment of cancers and tumors. Various studies have been conducted on several species of Caesalpinia genus including evaluation of antimicrobial, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antipsoriatic, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antibacterial, immunomodulatory and hypoglycemic activities. Some reports have shown that these plants contain phytochemicals like polyphenols, glycosides, terpenoids, saponins and flavonoids.

The aim of this study was to find species of the Caesalpinia genus containing diterpene compounds with the structure cassane and norcassane with emphasis on cytotoxic properties.

In this study, keywords including Caesalpinia genus, cytotoxic and anticancer effects, and cassane and norcassane compounds were searched in Scopus and Science Direct databases.

Thirteen Caesalpinia species were investigated for phytochemical composition and biological effects. Different plant parts of the species including leaves, seeds, stems, roots and legumes contained diterpenes. Among these species, the cytotoxic effects on different cancer cell lines have been evaluated and some had significant cytotoxic effects.

Present study show that Caesalpinia genus has valuable cytotoxic activity but further studies are needed to investigate the active components and their possible development as new anticancer drugs.

Lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora H.B.K.) from Verbenaceae family, as an aromatic and medicinal plant, has attracted interests for its valuable essential oil (EO). This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of various temperatures on phytochemical, biochemical, and allometric traits of lemon verbena leaves.

The experiment was designed on the basis of randomized complete block design (RCBD) with treatments of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 °C, and three replications.

The results showed that the EO content, main components, and chemical classes, except for oxygenated sesquiterpenes were enhanced by increasing the temperature from 5 to 25 ° C, while pigments, total soluble solid, proline, and soluble proteins were conversely decreased by increasing temperature. The highest fraction of variance among these variables was observed in the neral, EO, polyphenols and anthocyanins, respectively. According to cluster analysis (CA), the effect of temperature on the content of EO, main components, and chemical classes were classified into three groups (A: 5 and 10 °C, B: 15 and 20 °C, and C: 25 °C). Also, dendrogram cluster analysis showed three temperature groups (A: 5 °C, B: 10 °C, and C: 15-25 °C) on the basis of biochemical traits.

The present study showed that the content of oxygenated sesquiterpenes and antioxidant pigments in contrast to the amount of EO were severely increased by decreasing the environmental temperature. These results clarify the quality and economic value of this plant at the time of harvesting and environmental conditions for the pharmaceuticals, health, and food industries.

Environmental factors may affect qualitative and quantitative properties of essential oil in medicinal plants.

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of macro environmental factors on essential oils content and composition of Iranian populations of Oliveria decumbens.

The aerial parts of 25 wild populations of Oliveria decumbens Vent. were collected from various natural habitats in the southwest of Iran. The essential oil of samples was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). Therefore, macro environmental factors were determined by the PCA method. The correlations between the factors were calculated based on the Pearson correlation coefficient.

The major compounds of essential oils were thymol, carvacrol, p-cymene, and y-terpinene, respectively, with an average of 28.77%, 25.31%, 14.02%, and 8.12%. The results showed that the altitude, mean evaporative per month (MEM) and Mean Day Temperature (MDT) were effective macro environmental factors on essential oil, thymol, and carvacrol content.

The highest content of essential oil, thymol, and carvacrol was related to warm and semi-humid regions.

This study aims to extract Glycyrrhizic Acid (GA) from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (licorice) using a novel, high efficiency, and low-cost extraction method. Water was chosen as the proper solvent for the extraction process to eliminate the requirement of harmful and toxic solvents, prepare an environmentally friendly process, and reduce the costs. The effect of different process variables (extraction time, feed to solvent ratio, pH of extraction medium, and temperature) on the extraction, yield was investigated experimentally and statistical analysis using the RSM method was performed to analyze the effect of variables and obtain a proper model correlating the yield of extraction to variables. The obtained model was found successful in fitting the experimental results. It was found that all the four variables affect the yield of extraction significantly, and only the interaction between pH and extraction time was found important in increasing the GA% in the precipitate. The highest yield was achieved experimentally 54.9%, for the case with the extraction time of 17 h, feed to solvent ratio of 10 g/ml, pH of 10, and temperature of 60ºC.On the other hand, the optimum condition obtained by the model was found at extraction time of 10.12 h, feed to solvent ratio of 10.71 g/ml, pH of 9.8, and temperature of 119.7ºC.

Aloe vera is used in the food and pharmaceutical as an aid to effective treatment. The purpose of this study is to improve growth, increase production of valuable metabolites and increase the sugars in Aloe vera gel with low cost and high efficiency under water stress conditions.

In this study, Aloe vera potted in greenhouse conditions with four levels of zeolite including 0, 11, 22, and 44 g in 5 kg pots of soil in three replications. The pots were treated under three irrigation levels for five months. Experimental treatments included irrigation in once a week, once every two weeks, and once every three weeks. Some characteristics, as well as amount of production barbaloin and sugars in the plant were measured by HPLC. The data were analyzed using the MSTATC statistical software.  

The study of simple effects and interactions of zeolite application and levels of irrigation, The best results traits were obtained from 22 g Zeolite treatment in 5 kg pots of soil and once every three weeks irrigation. The highest amount of barbaloin was observed in 44 g Zeolite treatment in 5 kg pots of soil with  once a week irrigation. The highest amount different sugars was obtained from 44 g Zeolite treatment in 5 kg pots of soil with once every two weeks irrigation.    

Zeolite is effective in improving the morphological traits, which in this study increased amount of barbaloin, and levels of polysaccharides in Aloe vera gel under water stress conditions.

The use of natural products as anticancer and antioxidant agents has a long history. Several drugs currently used in chemotherapy were isolated from plant species. The aim of this study was to evaluate cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity as well as phenol and flavonoid contents of five plant species of Solanaceae family. Five plant species of Solanaceae family were collected from different regions of Iran. Methanol extracts and chloroform fractions of these species were tested by brine shrimp lethality assay in order to detect cytotoxicity. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH method. The total phenol content was measured using Folin - Ciocalteu method. The flavonoid content was measured by a colorimetric assay. The extracts of Datura innoxia and Datura stramonium showed the highest cytotoxicity activities with LC50 values of 22.08 and 21.66 μg/ml, respectively. The chloroform fractions of these two species were subjected to cytotoxicity assay with LC50 values of 33.00 and 4.29 μg/ml, respectively. In comparing, Solanum dulcamara showed the highest antioxidant activity with IC50 values of 52.51 μg/ml and the highest phenol and flavonoid content of the dry weight. It could be seen among five tested plant species that D. stramonium had the highest cytotoxic activity and S. dulcamara had the highest antioxidant activity, phenol and flavonoid content. Further studies are necessary for chemical composition of the extracts and more comprehensive biological assays.

The ethnobotany of the medicinal plants of Alamut region is important in understanding the cultures and traditions of Alamut people. This study documents 16 medicinal plant species, most commonly used by the indigenous people of Alamut region (Ghazvin Province), northwest, Iran. The botanical name, family name, vernacular name, part used, and the application of the plants have been provided in this paper. Alamut region was divided into different villages with the aid of maps. We recorded traditional knowledge and use of medicinal plants from herbal practitioners and village seniors in Alamut. The plants were gathered from different sites. The fully dried specimens were then mounted on herbarium sheets. We found 16 medicinal plants belonging to 11 families which were traditionally used in Alamut. Finally, we describe traditional usages by the native people in the Alamut region. The obtained results were compared with data on the herb’s clinical effects. A set of voucher specimens were deposited to the Institute of Medicinal Plants Herbarium (IMPH).

Numerous studies have been focused on natural anticarcinogenic agents. Many antioxidants have been identified as anticarcinogens. Antimutagens have also been proposed as cancer chemopreventive agents. The use of natural products as anticancer has a long history that began with traditional medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity of twenty-three plant species of Leguminosae family from different regions of Iran. Twenty-three plant species of Leguminosae family were collected in May-June 2009 from different regions of Iran.Methanol extracts of these species were tested through the brine shrimp lethality assay in order to detect potential sources of novel cytotoxic compounds. The total antioxidant activity was evaluated with DPPH free radical-scavenging method. The extracts of twelve species showed moderate cytotoxicity against brine shrimp (LC50 between 30 and 50 μg/mL). The extracts of Taverniera spartea and Tephrosia persica showed significant cytotoxicity (LC50 < 30 μg/mL) with LC50 values of 0.34 and 2.43 μg/mL, respectively, whereas the positive control, thymol showed a LC50 value of 1.37 μg/mL. The chloroform fractions of the latter two species were subjected to the brine shrimp lethality assay with LC50 values of 113.79 and 1.23 μg/mL, respectively. In comparing antioxidant capacities, Gleditschia caspica and Taverniera spartea showed significant antioxidant activity (IC50 < 50 μg/mL) with LC50 values of 14.54 and 20.32 μg/mL, respectively. It could be seen among 23 tested plant species that Taverniera spartea had the most cytotoxic and antioxidant activity and was the best candidate for these effects. Further investigations are necessary for chemical characterization of the active compounds and more comprehensive biological assays.