hassanali naghdibadi

Intercropping reduces the application of chemical pesticides to control pests and weeds, reducing the environmental risks associated with chemical pesticide application (Himmelstein et al., 2017). Biochar is a soil amendment because of its potential to retain water and nutrients, prevent nitrogen leaching, increase soil fertility, and improve plant growth (Fang et al., 2018; Munoz et al., 2016). Other benefits of vermicompost are increased stability of soil resources, maintenance of production, reduction of environmental pollution, and increased soil biological activity too (Demir, 2019). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of forage turnip (Brassica rapa var. rapa) leaves in different intercropping ratios of forage turnip and basil (Ocimum basilicum) using biochar as soil amendment and vermicompost.

A biennial study was conducted on the quality performance of forage turnip (Brassica rapa var. Rapa) in the form of split-plot factorial in a randomized complete block design with three replications in the research farm of Islamic Azad University of Karaj in two years (2018-2019). The treatments of this study include: intercropping in four ratio (100% forage turnip (monoculture), 90% forage turnip + 10% basil, 80% forage turnip + 20% basil, 70% forage turnip + 30% basil), in main plots, and vermicompost in two levels (15, 18.5 ton.ha-1) and biochar in two levels (No consumption and 5 ton.ha-1) which was placed in subplots. The forage turnip cultivar was PacFB05. In this study, Photosynthetic pigments were measured by the Arnon  (1967) method, membrane permeability (Ferrat and Loval, 1999), relative moisture content (Bertin et al., 1996), soluble leaf sugars (Sheligl, 1986), catalase (Dazy et al., 2008) and soil respiration (Isermeyer, 1952). Using SAS software (Ver.9) for data analysis of a two-year experiment and analysis of means was done with Duncan’s test in significance at 5% probability level. Excel software was used to plot the graphs.

The results of this study indicated that by increasing the ratio of basil in intercropping, the quality traits of forage turnip leaves increased. Consumption of biochar and application of vermicompost at the level of 18.5 ton.ha-1 increased the quality of forage turnip leaves. The highest chlorophyll a ((17.52 mg.g-1Fw), chlorophyll b (8.76 mg.g-1Fw) total chlorophyll (26.38 mg.g-1Fw), carotenoids (6.91 mg.g-1Fw), relative water content (59.54%), of soluble sugars (69.43%), catalase (0.018 micromole Fresh weight/min) were due to the interaction of (70% forage turnip + 30% basil) × vermicompost 18.5 ton ha-1 × application of biochar. The highest value of membrane stability index was related to 100% forage turnip × vermicompost 15 ton ha-1 (4.85 (mol.ml-1.s-1)). The highest amount of soil respiration is associated with the interaction of vermicompost 18.5 ton.ha-1 × 70% forage turnip + 30% basil with value of 0.28 (micromole.gsoil-1.hour-1)), interaction of biochar ×70% forage turnip + 30% basil (0.32 (micromole.gsoil-1.hour-1)), and interaction of vermicompost of 18.5 ton.ha-1 × biochar 0.31 (micromole. g soil-1.hour-1). Due to the potential of biochar (water and food retention and prevent of nitrogen leaching) it can increase the availability of water and nutrients for the plant, which leads to increased photosynthesis of the plant and thus the quality of forage turnip leaves (Akhtar et al., 2015; Hammer et al., 2015). Vermicompost increases soil organic matter and the uptake of zinc, copper, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen in soil. The presence of these elements in the soil and their absorption by the roots increases vegetative growth and leaf production in the plant, which causes the level of light absorption, photosynthetic level, the formation of hydrocarbons in the leaves, and the resulting growth also increases leaf quality (Theunissen et al., 2010).

The results of this study indicated that the application of vermicompost ​​18.5 ton ha-1 and biochar increased forage turnip quality, which is due to the availability of water and nutrients for forage turnip. The best intercropping ratio was related to 70% forage turnip + 30% basil, which can be said to be due to the increase in the percentage of basil and the competition of plants for better use of intercropping components of growth sources such as light, water, and food.

The drying process can preserve herbal products against pathogens and improve their shelf life and quality; however, drying techniques have different effects on the appearance and quality of final products. Accordingly, the present study assessed various drying techniques viz. sunlight, shade, oven (45, 55, and 65 °C), vacuum (45, 55, and 65 °C), and microwave (20, 400, and 600 W) on color and phytochemicals characteristics of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) plants with respect to total phenolic content (TPC), cannabidiol (CBD), and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), chlorophyll (Chl) content, and color properties using multivariate analysis. The results revealed that the highest CBD and THC were observed in plants dried in a microwave at 400 and 600 W, respectively. The TPC reached the highest amount in shade drying conditions and was followed by microwave at 400 W, and oven at 45 °C. Although Chl b mainly remained unchanged, Chl a represented the lower amount by increasing the temperature of drying methods, especially over 65 °C. The lightness (L*) and brightness (b*) of fresh leaves were higher than dried samples, while over 65 °C possessed their minimum amount of L*. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) showed three different clusters were determined as microwaves at 200, 400, and 600 W were placed in a distinguished cluster. Finally, this experiment suggested shade drying or minimum temperatures of the oven and vacuum techniques to reach constant color and phytochemicals, while microwaves can be recommended for CBD and THC, which can be useful in food and pharmacological industries.

In order to evaluate the effect of Artemisia sieberi extract from different habitats on the shelf life of Iranian white cheese, this research was conducted in 2022 in the research laboratory of Qom University, Iran. A factorial experiment was conducted based the completely randomized design, and cheese in terms of chemical and microbial characteristics in the conditions of no extract (control) and the use of extract containing 1% of the weight of the fresh material ofA. sieberi from three habitats of Venan, Tajkhatun and Abbas. Abad was checked on the 1st, 15th and 30th. The results showed that the population of cheese microorganisms increased with the increase of the storage period, and the extract of Venan better controlled the population of microorganisms than other extracts. The amount of pH and protein in the dry matter decreased with the increase of the storage period, and the amount of moisture, salt, fat, dry matter, phenol and antioxidant activity increased. Venan extract increased the quality and shelf life of cheese more than other extracts, which may be due to the higher amount of total phenol in Venan extract compared to other extracts. In general, the extract of Artemisia sieberi significantly increased the shelf life and quality of cheese, and with further studies, the extract of this valuable plant can be used to increase the shelf life and quality of food products, especially dairy products.

Due to the nutritional and pharmaceutical importance of hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.), the morphophysiological and phytochemical diversity of 15 Iranian hazelnut populations with two commercial cultivars were studied. The genotypes had significant differences in morphophysiological and phytochemical characteristics. The significant variance among genotypes (p<0.01) and high genetic variance (σ2g) indicated the divearsity in most traits. The highest coefficient of genetic changes was related to the percentage of fruit kernel, kernel width, calcium, phosphorus, total phenol and taxol. The main components did not correspond to different traits.  Mantel test showed that the correlation between the groupings based on morphological traits and climatic variability was 0.67%, while it was 0.51% for the phytochemical traits and 0.41% for taxol. The significant diversity among hazelnut genotypes and also the mismatch with climatic diversity indicated the role of genetic factors on traits, which can be used in future breeding programs to produce superior hazelnut cultivars.

water deficit stress during growth and flowering is one of the most major environmental constraints, which influences seed grain filling and consequential germination and early growth stages of plants. In this study, the impact of foliar application of micronutrients (control, Fe, Zn, Fe + Zn, nano- Fe, nano- Zn, nano- Fe + nano- Zn) on quinoa at 2 reproductive stages (50% and 100% of flowering stage) were evaluated under 2 levels of water deficit stress, control (-0.03±0.045) bar and water deficit stress (-9±0.045) bar. The results showed that germination traits including percentage, rate, mean germination time, germination uniformity, seedling length and weight index as well as chlorophyll and carotenoid content were significantly affected by micronutrient foliar application, foliar application time and water deficit stress. water deficit stress decreased the percentage and rate of germination and seedling indices, but foliar application of micronutrients reduced the adverse effects of foliar application of micronutrients. Foliar application of micronutrients also increase the amount of photosynthetic pigments. The findings of this research show that foliar spraying with nutrients, especially nano-iron + nano-zinc, increases the germination indices to improve the germination and growth of quinoa seedlings under water stress conditions.

Ziziphus nummularia is a thorny shrub belonging to the Rhamnaceae family which has a variety of phytochemical compounds. This study was conducted with the aim of phytochemical and morphological evaluation of Z. nummularia populations in different heights of habitats in Khuzestan province.The leaves and fruits of Z. nummularia were collected from different heights of natural habitats of Khuzestan province, including altitude groups of 0-200, 200-400, 400-800 and 800-1000 meters above sea level in summer and autumn. The morphological characteristics were measured using accurate measuring tools and also phytochemical characteristics were measured using a Spectrophotometer.The results showed that different morphological and phytochemical traits including leaf length, thorn length, ripe fruit weight, ripe fruit diameter, number of thorns, and also content of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins and saponins were significantly different in various habitats of Khuzestan province. Based on the cluster analysis of morphological traits, the trees in habitats with a height of 200-400 m were different from other groups. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that leaf length and width, saponin and phenol content of leaf and fruit, and leaf tannin content were identified as the most important traits with the highest correlation factor for population identification. Altitude above sea level is an important factor that had a significant impact on various morphological and phytochemical traits of Z. nummularia, including the quality and quantity of leaves and fruits.

Lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora H.B.K) from Verbenaceae is a sensitive plant to low temperatures as abiotic stress.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of adjuvants and anti-chilling formulations on lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora H.B.K) leaves under low temperatures.

The combined analysis was done on the basis of a randomized complete blocks design (RCBD) with 28 treatments and 3 replications. The three factors included two anti-chilling formulations (glycerol, and glycerol + polyvinyl alcohol), seven adjuvants formulations (α-tocopherol, amino acids of proline + glycine-betaine, and ABA), and two levels of low temperature (5 and 10 °C).

The treatment of glycerol + proline + glycine-betaine + ABA reduced the damaging effects of low temperature in biomass, essential oil content, and osmoprotectants, while the highest protection by antioxidant pigments was obtained in glycerol + α-tocopherol + ABA. Enzymes activities and polyphenol content showed the best results by glycerol + ABA.

The best formulations were glycerol + proline + glycine-betaine + ABA and glycerol + ABA from the viewpoint of economic yield and also qualitative protection against low temperature, respectively. The efficiency of the mentioned formulations was due to their direct protective function and the indirect influence of adjuvants in a synergistic interaction with other components of the formulation.

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.

Thymus fallax Fisch. & C.A.Mey. is one of the medicinal plants of the Lamiaceae family, which aerial part contains valuable phytochemical compounds such as thymol and carvacrol.

This study was performed for assessing the essential oil diversity of different populations of Thymus fallax in its habitats.

The populations of Thymus fallax were collected from its natural habitats in Alborz, Tehran, Zanjan, Mazandaran, and North Khorasan provinces. Their essential oils were extracted by hydro-distillation method and the compounds were identified using GC and GC-MS.

The result indicated that the essential oil content of populations was on average 1.71 %, the highest percentage of which was observed in the population of Migoun(2.58 %), Chelcheshmeh (2.35 %), and Ghormehdareh (2.25 %), and the lowest was obtained in Dizin (1.05 %) and Ira (1.15 %). Overall, 30 essential oil compounds were identified, comprising 95 % of the total essential oil, of which carvacrol, thymol, p-cymene, and geraniol were the major constituents, accounting for 75 % of the essential oil. Five groups of thyme population were identified using cluster analysis, including the first group with high content of carvacrol, the second group with high content of geraniol, the third group with high content of thymol and carvacrol, the fourth group with high content of thymol, and the fifth group with high content of thymol, carvacrol and geraniol.

The high amounts of essential oil, carvacrol and thymol in some populations were valuable results that can be considered in future and breeding studies.

Stachys laxa, Boiss. & Buhse a member of the Lamiaceae family, is a medicinal and aromatic that found in semi-cold and Mediterranean regions of northern Iran. The essential oil composition of Iranian pof S. laxa were evaluated in this study. The 16 populations of S. laxa were collected from North of Iran. The essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation using Clevenger type and were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Based on the essential oils analysis, 37 different chemical compounds were identified in this study within the sixteen populations of S. laxa. The results revealed that distinct differences in the content of compounds depending on region of sample collection. The main constituents of the identified essential oils were β-Elemene (1.1-18.7%), trans-Caryophyllene (0-13.2%), Germacrene D (1.1-46.6%), and Caryophyllene oxide from (0.3-32.3%). According to the GC/MS results, some components such as Germacrene A, Spathulenol, Germacrene D, and α-cadinol were the effective components to separate different populations of S. laxa. In general, the lowest and highest content of germacrene D was founded from 1.1 to 46.6% in the population of Kiasar (KSR), and Chalus (CHL), respectively. The S. laxa populations had high diversity in term of essential oil components, which could be considered in future studies.

In the present study, the effect of altitude on the morphological characteristics and also essential oil content and composition of Inula helenium L. was studied. This plant was collected in the flowering stage in the first half of July 2017 and 2018 in different altitudes of the Zanjan region (from 1200 to 2400 meters above sea level) and the growth traits of plant organs including leaves, stems, flowers, and roots were measured. In autumn, at the end of the annual growth period of the plants, plant rhizomes were harvested to evaluate essential oil content and composition. The Clevenger device was used for 3 hours for essential oil extraction and the GS-MS device was used to identify the constituents of Inula helenium essential oil. The results showed that there were significant differences in all growth traits and essential oil depending on the altitude of the region. Although, the growth traits of Inula helenium such as leaf and stem dry weight, leaf width and length, leaf number, and plant height decreased with increasing altitude, but the rhizome dry weight and diameter, and essential oil content increased with increasing altitude. The essential oil components of I. helenium were changed with increasing altitude so that the content of geranyl acetone, verbanol, α-pinene, isoalantolactone and valencene increased with increasing altitude. Also, the content of α-selinene decreased and no changes were observed in the content of caryophyllene oxide and β-elemene with increasing altitude. In general, the results showed that altitude is an important and influential factor affecting Inula helium's quantitative and qualitative yield.

In this study, to investigate the phytochemical changes of essential oil and growth performance of Thymus daenensis Celak. affected by light and salicylic acid, an experiment was conducted as a split plot in a completely randomized block design with three replications. The tested factors included salicylic acid foliar spraying at three levels (0-0.2 M) and two light levels (50-100%). Special nets were used to create 50% shading. The amount of light reduction compared to the control treatment was measured by a lux meter. Foliar spraying was done before flowering. Plant essential oil was obtained from flowering aerial branches by Clevenger apparatus and analyzed by GC-MS. The highest yield of flowering branches and height were from 0.1 M salicylic acid (33.35 kg/ha and 24.33 cm, respectively) and full light treatments (32.50 kg/ha and 22.47cm respectively). The highest amount of chlorophyll a (5.2 mg/g), chlorophyll b (1.98 mg/g) and the number of lateral branches (180/35) due to the application of 0.1 M salicylic acid × 50% light treatment significantly increased compared to the control treatment. The amount of essential oil decreased with increasing light intensity and the use of salicylic acid improved this attribute. So that with full light intensity it reached the lowest level of 1.95% and the application of 0.1 M salicylic acid increased the percentage of essential oil (3.1) compared to the control treatment. The most components of thyme essential oil with the use of 0.1 M salicylic acid× 50% light treatment include carvacrol (4.4%), paracetamol (14.6%), beta-caryophylline (5.95%). Also, the highest amount of thymol was related to 0.1 M salicylic acid treatment (59.66%) and full light (57.8%). In general, the results showed that the use of salicylic acid has a positive effect on improving the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the essential oil components of thyme. (5.95%). Also, the highest amount of thymol was related to 0.1 M salicylic acid (59.66%) and full light (57.8%). In general, the results showed that the application of salicylic acid had a positive effect on improving the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the essential oil components of thyme.

Assessing the genetic diversity of natural and protected germplasm is one of the most strategic global activities and as the national capital of each country. Over the years, various mutations and crosses have caused the accumulation of some useful genes in this germplasm and can be used as genetic resources in critical situations. Evaluation of diversity based on morphological and phenotypic traits is not stable due to the influence of the environment and the interaction of genotype in the environment. Therefore, the use of DNA-based markers that have high reproducibility. Codon-based DNA amplifier-based markers have recently been used to translate SCoT in plants due to heritability and reproducibility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of hazelnut genetic germplasms in the forests of the northwest of the Iran by SCoT markers and it’s accordance to diversity estimates based on national markers of hazelnut differentiation tests.

In this study, 77 genotypes from hazelnut forests of Ardabil, Miyaneh and Arasbaran were selected by locating each genotype using GPS. Qualitative traits were evaluated using the national guidelines for uniform differentiation and hazelnut stability tests. after DNA extraction from leaf tissue, their polymorphism diversity was assessed using 15 SCoT-specific primers.

The results showed that the genotypes were classified according to the qualitative traits of differentiation of 17 clusters. Using 15 SCoT markers, 165 polymorphic bands were produced with an average of 11 bands per marker and the average percentage of polymorphisms with an average of 11 bands per marker and the average percentage of polymorphisms for markers 90.2% of genotypes based on these markers in 19 sub-clusters Were grouped.

Analysis of qualitative traits based on bands created in SCoT showed that markers 3, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 20 had more genetic diversity and that the degree of  accordance of genotype grouping based on the SCoT markers was 0.87 on The basis of the Mantel test.

Using two genetic markers, 75% (R2) of the variety of hazelnut differentiation descriptors can be accessed.

The post-harvest techniques of medicinal plants such as drying, is very important in their production cycle. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of different drying methods on some phytochemical traits of Chuchak in the spring of 2020 based on the completely randomized design with three replications. The chuchak samples were collected in the vegetative stage from the gardens of Noor city, Iran. The drying treatments were shade-drying at room temperature (25±3 °C), sun-drying, oven-drying (45, 55 and 65 °C), vacuum oven-drying (45, 55 and 65 °C), microwave-drying (200, 500 and 800 watts), and fresh samples. The studied traits were moisture content based on fresh and dry weight, drying time and speed, ascorbic acid content, protein content, total carbohydrate content, total phenol and flavonoid content and antioxidant activity. The results of the variance analysis showed the significant effect of drying methods on all studied properties of the samples (P≤0.01). The mean comparison showed that the minimum drying time and the maximum speed drying were related to the microwave (800 watts). The highest amount of ascorbic acid (385.72 µg/mg), protein (19.72%), total phenol (47.19 mg GA per 1 g dry matter), total flavonoids (50.96 mg quercetin per 1 g dry matter) as well as antioxidant activity (76.02%) was observed in the fresh plant and then in the oven-drying (55 °C).

The present study was conducted to investigate the influence of drying methods on the amount of some effective compounds in fruit Ecballium elaterium M. Bieb extract based on a completely randomized statistical design with 15 treatments and 3 replications. The treatments included different drying methods (1- Shade drying at room temperature (25±3°C) with suitable ventilation, 2- Sun drying, 3- Oven drying at 35°C, 4- Oven drying at 45°C, 5- Oven drying at 55°C, 6- Vacuum oven drying at 35°C, 7- Vacuum oven drying at 45°C, 8- Vacuum oven drying at 55°C, 9- Infrared drying at 0.2w, 10- Infrared drying at 0.3w, 11- Infrared drying at 0.4w, 12- Microwave drying at 200w, 13- Microwave drying at 500w, 14- Microwave drying at 800w) which were compared with the fresh fruit of the plant (as a control). The studied traits were total phenols content, total flavonoids content, radical scavenging activity assay, soluble tannin, total amino acids, total soluble protein, total alkaloids, and total cucurbitacin. The results showed that different drying methods had a significant effect on soluble tannin and cucurbitacin content (P≤0.05) and also on other traits (P≤0.01). The highest amount of total phenol and flavonoids was related to fresh plants and then vacuum oven drying at 45 °C, and the highest amount of antioxidant activity and soluble tannin was found in fresh plants and then the vacuum oven drying at 55°C. The highest amount of amino acids was related to fresh plant and then 200 watt microwave treatment and the highest amount of total protein, alkaloids and cucurbitacin was related to fresh plant and then shade treatment.

European mistletoe (Viscum album L.) a semi-parasitic plant that often grows on forest trees and shrubs, is used in the treatment of various diseases such as cancer due to its valuable active ingredients. The quantity and quality of active ingredients in parasitic and semi-parasitic plants in addition to genetic and environmental factors, are also affected by the host tree. This study was conducted in a completely randomized design with the aim of investigating the phytochemical diversity of 20 populations of mistletoe on different hosts by collecting samples from different regions of Gilan, Mazandaran, Golestan, and Alborz provinces in the summer of 2017. The extracts were obtained by reflux method with 70% ethanol. The content of syringic acid, total flavonoids, phenolic compounds, protein, and antioxidant activity were measured by a spectrophotometer and HPLC methods in the leaves of plants in different populations. The results showed that the amount of chemical composition of mistletoe populations was affected by environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and altitude, and the type of host tree. These populations were classified into 3 distinct groups. The mistletoe collected from Gilan and Alborz provinces did not have much phytochemical diversity. Populations of Guilan province had the highest mean of total flavonoids, protein, and antioxidant activity. The mistletoe collected from Mazandaran and Golestan provinces had more phytochemical diversity. It seems that in addition to environmental conditions, the host tree type was also responsible for creating the phytochemical diversity of European mistletoe in these provinces.

Drought stress during growth and seed maturation is one of the most major environmental constraints, which influences seed grain filling and consequential germination and early growth stages of plants. In this study, the impact of foliar application of micronutrients (control, Zn, Fe, Zn + Fe, nano-Zn, nano-Fe, nano-Zn + nano-Fe) on quinoa at 2 reproductive stages (50% and 100% of flowering stage) were evaluated under 2 levels of drought stress (50% and 85% of depletion of soil moisture content). The results revealed that germination traits including germination percentage, and seed technological parameters such as germination value and germination energy, antioxidant enzymes activities and chlorophyll (Chl) content were significantly affected by foliar application of micronutrients, time of micronutrient spraying and drought stress level. The correlation results showed that 1000- grain weight had a positive and significant relationship with grain filling period, physiological maturity, germination percentage (GP) and germination speed (GS). The drought stress also increased the antioxidant enzymes activities of catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) in all nutrients treatments. Drought stress at seed formation stage had a significant effect on seed filling and its weight and could decrease seed germination rate. It was concluded that application of nano-Zn + nano-Fe in 50% flowering stage could promote the germination performance, seedling growth and the antioxidant capacity under drought conditions stress

In this study, in order to study and compare the morphological and phytochemical traits of Artemisia sieberi Besser., aerial parts of the plant at the full flowering stage were collected randomly from 20 different regions of Qom province. Morph physiological and phytochemical traits including plant height, leaf dry weight, stem dry weight, leaf ash percentage, leaf and width length, shoot dry weight, as well as chlorophyll content, soluble sugars, proline, phenol, flavonoid, and essential oil percentage of different populations, were measured. In addition, ecological conditions and soil composition in each area were assessed. Due to the ecological diversity of habitats in Qom province and based on the analysis of the main components for ecomorphological and phytochemical traits of Artemisia sieberi populations, the highest diversity of characteristics and factor load was observed in chlorophyll a, b and aerial dry weight as the most important distinguishing feature of A. sieberi populations, respectively. The results of cluster analysis showed the separation of A. sieberi populations in two main groups with 13 and 7 populations in a hierarchical dendrogram, respectively. The results of correlation of traits showed that aerial dry weight had a significant positive relationship with chlorophyll and essential oil content. In general, the amount of proline, soluble sugars, phenols and flavonoids had a significant relationship with ecological traits, temperature and rainfall in each region. In addition, the altitude of each region was negatively correlated with the amount of proline and positively correlated with the percentage of essential oil, so that the population of Vanan with the highest altitude had the highest percentage of essential oil. In general, the amount of rainfall and the height of the environment affect the appearance and amount of plant compounds.

Awareness of genetic diversity and population structure is very effective in conserving germplasm and preventing the weakening of the genetic base and provides the opportunity to harness the potential of desirable genes in the genetic repository in breeding programs. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity in the germplasm of Rosa damascena collected from different regions of Iran and to identify the genetic relationships of different populations for use in breeding and Conservation of genetic resources programs.

Genetic diversity and population structure were evaluated in a collection of Rosa damascena Mill germplasm, including 40 accessions collected from five geographical regions of Iran using inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers.

Twelve ISSR primers replicated 202 multiform genomic fragments, the number of these bands ranged from 15 to 18 in different primers and the average was 16.83. The average Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) and marker index (MI) for the primers used ranged from 0.35 to 0.46 and 5.25 to 8.28, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed that intra-population diversity accounts for a greater share (93%) of total molecular diversity. The dendrogram obtained from cluster analysis based on method neighbor joining categorized the accessions into 3 main groups, which were confirmed by principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). Based on Jacard coefficient, the highest genetic distance (0.837) was observed between Hormozgan and Barzok 3 accessions, and the lowest genetic distance between Semnan accessions (0.141). The results of population structure using STRUCTURE software showed no strong relationship with the geographical distribution of accessions.

Cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis were consistent with the genetic relationships derived by STRUCTURE analysis in many cases. The results showed that the grouping of accessions based on molecular data is not strong related to their geographical origin, thus strengthening the probability of gene flow between populations. Genetic diversity obtained by ISSR marker indicates the ability to identify interspecies and intraspecies differences of this marker.

Tanacetum pinnatum Boiss. is a perennial plant native to Iran belonging to the Asteraceae family. Which has been used to treat migraine, rheumatism and anti-inflammatory diseases. In this study, phytochemical charchterisic of different populations of T. pinnatum in natural habitats was evaluated by multivariate methods. First, the aerial parts of plant in blooming were collected from Tehran, Alborz, Hamedan and Kermanshah provinces in mid-June to mid-August 2016. The essential oils were extracted by hydro-distillation clevenger device and were analysed by using GC/MS. The results were showed that the effect of population on leaf and flower essential oil was significant (P<0.01) which seems to be due to geographical factors and type of climate. According to the results, 50 compounds were identified in the flower and leaf essential oils of the populations, of which 13 compounds had the highest frequency among the populations and the highest percentage in the leaf and flower essential oils. Based on the principal component analysis and cluster analysis, populations 1, 2, 9, 3 and 5 had the highest composition of flower essential oil, while populations 4, 8 and 10 had the weakest values for most essential oil compounds. Populations 6, 7, 11 and 12 also had moderate amounts of compounds in flower essential oil. However, for leaf essential oil, populations 1, 2, 6, 3, 5 and 10 had the highest essential oil composition, while population 4 had the weakest values for most essential oil compounds and only had a high amount of cubenol. Populations 9, 12, 7, 8 and 11 also had moderate amounts of compounds in leaf essential oil. Population grouping based on their phytochemical assessment did not match their geographical distribution. However, areas with higher E, Z-geranyl acetate،ß-eudesmol and cubenol levels in flowers and leaves had average annual rainfall and higher altitude, average sunshine, and lower annual temperatures (populations 4 and 1). While in areas where populations had higher levels of α-cadinene in flowers, they had the highest average relative humidity, the lowest rainfall and annual temperature. Population 1 had the highest amount of flower ß-eudesmol and was one of the populations that showed a positive correlation between the amount of flower and leaf essential oil and essential oil components. As a result, the best population in the natural habitat was population 1.

In order to improve the quantity and quality of medicinal plants, the use of natural substances such as amino acids have increased in recent years, which provide little information on their individual effects, as well as interaction with other fertilizer sources.

To investigate effect of different fertilizers and the foliar application of L-phenylalanine on nutritional elements of hyssop [Hyssopus officinalis L. subsp. angustifolius (Bieb.)], an experiment was done in a randomized complete block design with three replications during two consecutive years of 2016 and 2017 in a field experiment at the experimental field, Shahrekord. The investigated factors were fertilizer treatments including chemical fertilizer (NPK), organic fertilizers (animal and vermicompost) and a bio-fertilizer, mycorrhizal fungus (including Glomus genus) in the main plots and L-phenylalanine (at three levels: 0, 500, and 1000 mg/L) in sub plots.

Results indicated that the application of different fertilizers along L-phenylalanine at two studied concentrations (500 and 1000 mg/L) led to significant increase in the concentration of most nutrient elements including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and micro elemts [Iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu)] in the leaf were compared to the control. Among them, the application of fungal and vermicompost fertilizers, L-phenylalanine × fungal fertilization, and phenylalanine × vermicompost had highest effects on the increase of these traits. In conclusion, the results indicated that the application of organic fertilizers along with L-phenylalanine spraying at 1000 mg/L level has a beneficial role in the improvement of nutritional elements and dry matter yield of H. officinalis L. subsp. angustifolius (Bieb.).

 Climatic and geographical conditions of Iran and some factors such as climate change, water limitation and the existence of soils with salinity limitation, the cultivation of medicinal plants compatible with such conditions is one of the most important strategies. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) is a valuable medicinal plant and will also contribute to community health. Quinoa has been cultivated in the Andes for about 5,000 years. The largest area under quinoa cultivation in Bolivia is 100,000 ha. In this review, the botany, traditional uses, phytochemical and pharmacological properties of quinoa are discussed.

In the current review keywords including quinoa and medicinal properties were searched in scientific websites such as Science Direct, PubMed and Google Scholar to compile the botanical and medicinal properties of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.).

 According to the literature review, quinoa protein is 8-22% with proper quality and balance of essential amino acids (lysine, methionine and thyronine). The amount of essential amino acids in quinoa is higher than the daily requirement set by the World Food Organization and the World Health Organization for each person. Compared to other grains, quinoa is high in alpha tocopherols (vitamin E), riboflavin, thiamine and vitamin C, and has 10 times more folic acid. Quinoa seeds are a safe, gluten-free alternative to cereal grains among celiac patients.

industries: Quinoa with a high amount of biochemical components and pharmacological effects can be used as a valuable herbal drug. It also provides a gluten-free diet, which is beneficial for celiac patients. Its cultivation for industrial and pharmaceutical purposes can help to improve the production of anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-celiac and anti-cancer drugs in Iran.

Environmental stresses such as salinity have a great impact on the amount and quality of secondary metabolites of medicinal plants. To investigate the effect of salinity on phytochemical attributes of cannabis (Cannabis Sativa L.), an experiment in the form of a randomized complete block design with three replications and 5 salinity treatments (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 dS/m) was conducted in 2019 in medicinal plants research center, Karaj, Iran. In this study, the amount of potassium (K) and sodium (Na) elements and chlorine (Cl) in leaf and root organs of the plant were measured by a flame photometer and colorimetric method, respectively. The content of cannabinoids compounds in leaves including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabichromene (CBC) were measured by GC/MS. The results showed that there was a significant difference (P≤0.01) among different salinity treatments in terms of Na, K, Cl and cannabinoids THC, CBD and CBC. With increasing salinity level, the amount of Na and Cl ions in leaves and roots increased compared to the control treatment and the highest amount of leaf and root Na (15.81, 14.06 mg/g, respectively) was observed in salinity treatment of 8 dS/m . Also, increasing the salinity concentration caused a decrease in leaf and root K of the plant and the highest amount of leaf and root K (34.83, 34.46 mg / g, respectively) was related to the control treatment. The highest amount of THC and CBD (7.94 and 1.45 mg / g of dried plant, respectively) at salinity concentration of 4 dS / m and the highest amount of CBC at salinity of 2 dS / m (0.012 mg / g dry leaf) were obtained. Therefore, salinity changes the amount of cannabinoids in cannabis and the highest levels of THC, CBD and CBC are obtained at low salinity levels.

Biostimulants originate from natural and biological sources and in addition to improving plant growth and soil yield, they can protect plants from environmental stresses and stimulate the synthesis of secondary metabolites involved in plant defense mechanism. In this study, to study the effect of foliar application of various amino acids on the biochemical responses of Physalis alkekengi L. an experiment in the form of randomized complete block design with 3 replications in the farm of research Institute of Medicinal Plants of jahad University in Karaj was conducted in the cropping year of 2018-19.Treatments at five levels of amino acid foliar application including {control (A0), tryptophan (1 mg/L) (A1), glycine (1 mg/L) (A2), tyrosine (1 mg/L) (A3) and arginine (1 mg/L) (A4) were administered. Measured variables included: carotenoids, anthocyanins, proline, phenol, beta-carotene, lycopene, ascorbic acid, and alkaloids. The dimensions of the plots were 3×3 m, the distance between each plot was considered to be one meter. Planting operations were done manually in May 2017. The distance between the plants on the culture lines was 25 cm and the distance between the culture lines was 60 cm. Foliar spraying on plants began before flowering. At the time of sampling, three replicates were taken from each treatment and three samples were taken from each replication. Chlorophyll and carotenoids by Lichtenthaler method, anthocyanin by Mita method, proline by Bates method, phenol by Meda method, beta-carotene by Amarowicz method, lycopene by Montesano method, ascorbic acid by titration method, and alkaloid by Iranian Herbal Pharmacopeia method, were measured. The results showed that foliar application of amino acids had a significant effect (p ≤ 0.01) on all evaluated traits and the highest amounts of carotenoids (12.83 mg/gfw), beta-carotene (0.035 mg/gfw), and lycopene (0.017 mg/gfw) from arginine foliar application, highest ascorbic acid (24.2 mg/gfw) and alkaloids (42.25%) from tryptophan foliar application, highest proline (1.4 mg/gfw) Glycine and the highest levels of anthocyanin (12.25 mg/gdw) and phenol (32.44 mg/gfw) were obtained from the control treatment (no foliar application). In general, the results showed that foliar application of amino acids as a biological stimulant had a positive effect on improving the quality characteristics of the Physalis alkekengi L and increased the production of biochemical compounds of the plant.

To investigate the effect of zinc and iron foliar application on the morph-physiological and biochemical traits of marshmallow (Althaea officinalis L.) under salinity, a factorial experiment was conducted based on a completely randomized design with three replications in Esfahan Agriculture and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Iran. The factors included NaCl at 3 levels of 0, 4 and 8 dS/m, zinc sulfate at 3 levels of 0, 1.5 and 3 ppm and iron sulfate at 3 levels of 0, 1.5 and 3 ppm. The sodium and potassium content was measured using a flame photometer. The iron and zinc content was measured using an atomic absorption spectrometer. The mucilage was dried to determine its weight and total phenol was measured using a spectrophotometer. With increasing salinity, the amount of potassium, zinc and iron significantly (P ≤0.01) decreased but the sodium content increased. With increasing the zinc concentration in saline and control conditions, the potassium amount significantly (P ≤0.01) increased. Foliar application of zinc and iron significantly (P ≤0.01) increased the zinc and iron amount in the leaves. Although flowers fresh weight was reduced under saline condition compared to non-stress conditions, the zinc and iron spraying mitigated the effects of stress. Also, mucilage content was increased by 49 and 20% under 8 and 4 dS/m salinity, respectively, in comparison with non-stress conditions. The iron and zinc spraying significantly (P ≤0.01)increased the amount of mucilage. With increasing salinity, the phenol content significantly (P ≤0.01) increased and the highest content of phenol (65.2 mg / ml) was observed in the salinity of 8 dS/m3 + 3ppm of iron sulfate + 0 ppm of zinc sulfate. Generally, spraying of iron and zinc sulfate in saline conditions not only improved the nutritional status of marshmallow, but also increased the flowers yield and mucilage.