mohammad bagher rezaei

Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) is a woody and perennial plant belonging to the Theaceace family. In this study, we evaluated the diversity of tea plant ecotypes from Langroud, Lahijan and Siahkal regions (ten ecotypes in each region) as three major tea growing regions in Iran during 2019. Traits such as fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll a, b and total, caffeine, polyphenols, percentage of total ash and water soluble and insoluble ash were measured. The analysis of variance showed a significant difference (P≤0.01) between tea ecotypes for all traits. The highest dry and fresh leaf weight was obtained in Siahkal ecotype (code 11). Siahkal ecotype (code 13) had the highest percentage of caffeine (7.63%), whereas Lahijan ecotype (code 21) represented the maximum amount. The highest amount of chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll was observed in Siahkol ecotype (code 18) and the highest amount of chlorophyll b was observed in Lahijan ecotype (code 30). The maximum (9.45%) and minimum (3.1%) polyphenols (9.45%) were obtained in Siahkal (code 16) and Lahijan (code 21), respectively. Siahkal (code 18), Siahkal (code 12) and Lahijan (code 21) represented the optimum total ash, soluble and insoluble ash in water, respectively. In general, ecotypes belonging to Siahkal region (codes 11, 13, 16 and 18) can be used in planning breeding projects and deciding to select suitable parents in hybridization to increase tea yield and phytochemical properties.

To study the effect of different irrigation levels and plant densities on yield, yield components and morphological traits of artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.), a field experiment was conducted at Sarabelle Agricultural Research Station in Ilam province, Iran, during 2014-2015. The experiment was conducted as a split plot in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments were four irrigation levels including 25 %, 50 %, 75 % and 100 % (control) of the plant water requirement that assigned to the main plots and four plant densities of 10000, 20000, 30000 and 40000 per hectare that assigned to the sub plots. The results showed that the highest plant height (242 cm), 1000-seed weight (36 g), number of buds (10 per plant), lateral shoots (10 per plant), total shoot dry weight (20872 kg.ha-1) and grain yield (2781 kg.ha-1) were obtained under 100 % plant water requirements. The highest total plant height (228.2 cm), 1000-seed weight (37 g), total shoot dry weight (20306 kg.ha-1) and grain yield (2830 kg.ha-1) were obtained at 40000 plant.ha-1. The highest number of buds per plant (10) and number of lateral branches (12) were observed at the density of 10000 plants.ha-1. The highest oil yield (694 kg.ha-1) was obtained at 40000 plants.ha-1 and under 100 % of the plant water requirement. According to the results, the highest grain yield was obtained at 40000 plants.ha-1 and under 100 % of the plant water requirement, but even under severe water deficiency conditions, it had high ability to produce forage, seed, bud and shoot. Under severe drought conditions(25 % of the plant water requirement) more than 9.8 ton shoots dry matter, 1.7 ton grain yield and 0.7 ton oil seed per hectare were obtained.

The use of natural products as medicinal agents presumably predates the earliest recorded history. Ocimum sanctum L., is a plant which is used in several traditional medicine systems to cure various diseases. In this study aerial parts of Ocimum sanctum were collected on august 2014 from Shahr-e-Rey in Iran. Fresh and dry partsof plants essential oils were extracted with hydro-distillation and steam distillation and then essential oils injected to GC/MS. Main component for dried leaves and flower with hydro-distillation method were chavicol (75.66%), linalool (6.69%) and cis-sabinene hydrate (2.84%) and 0.18% yield and for dry flower were chavicol(38.2%), linalool (32.8%), 10-epi-cubebul (3.89%) and 0.28% yield. Main component with steam distillation method for dry leaves were chavicol (60.95%), linalool (4.38%), E-β-farnsene (3.8%) and 0.21% yield. Main component of steam distilation for dry flower were chavicol (31.4%), linalool (24.7%), (E, E)-farnesole (20.8%), and 0.37% yield. Main component for fresh and dried leaves with hydro distillation method with dry leaves were chavicol (75.66%), linalool (6.69%), cis-sabinene hydrate (2.84%), and 0.20% yield. Main component with fresh leaves were methyl chavicol (27.64%), spathulenol (13.92%), β eudesmol (11.5%), and 0.18% yield. Main component for steam distillation method with dry leaves were chavicol 60.95%), linalool (4.38%), E-β-farnsene (3.8%) and 0.23% yield. Main component with fresh leaves were methyl chavicol (38.96%), linalool (12.19%), spathulenol (6.73%), and 0.21% yield. Main component for fresh and dry flower with hydro-distillation method with dry flower were chavicol (38.2%), linalool (32.80%), α-cadinene (4.08%), and 0.25% yield. Main component for fresh flower were methyl chavicol (26.99%), linalool (17.98%), β- eudesmol (13.12%), and 0.28% yield. Main component for steam distillation method with dry flower were chavicol (31.44%), linalool (24.70%), α-cadinene (5.28%), and 0.35% yield. Main component with fresh flower were chavicol (25.2%), linalool (17.99%), germacrene D (6.87%), and 0.37% yield. Chavicol is used as an odorant in perfumery and it is miscible with alcohol, ether, and chloroform.

In this study due to evaluate the morphological and phytochemical diversity of Stachys lavandulifolia Vahl. essential oils, the seeds of six populations of plant from Azerbaijan Province (Damraji and Gereh Zagh), Alborz (Gachsar), Qazvin (Alamut), Isfahan (Tangeh Saiad) and Lorestan (Nour Abad Delfan) were obtained from gene banks of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands (Tehran), so after that the aerial parts of plants were collected before flowering in July 2013, which were cultivated from the research farm of Alborz province. The essential oils were obtained by hydro distillation method and were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The results of variance analysis were showed significant differences in plant height, crown diameter, stem diameter, leaf length and width, number of leaves per plant and dry weight, respectively. The highest plant height (103.9 mm), stem diameter (3.6 mm) and number of leaves per plant (19) were showed in Alborz population (Gachsar) and the populations were classified in to two groups. Three components explain 89.6% of variation of all data and some traits such as stem diameter, leaf number and fresh and dry weight were attributed to first component. The lowest (0.015%) and the highest (0.049%) yields belonged to the Alamut and Gereh Zagh population, respectively. The composition of γ-terpinene, β-pinene, α-Pinene, germacrene-D and bicycle -germacrene were dominant in all essential oils of plant in different regions.

Utilization of plants as antioxidants in food processing is a hope for substitution of synthetic antioxidants. Biological properties of Saturejasahendica Bornm. essential oils have not been studied yet. Ferrous ion chelating, nitric oxide radical scavenging and cytotoxicity of S. sahendica and commercial Satureja essential oils were studied. Chelating reaction was dose dependent with an IC50 of 750 and 190 µg in S sahendica and the commercial oils respectively. S.sahendica oil with 39.5 fold flavonoid content exhibited nitric oxide radical scavenging with an IC50 of 6 and 195 µg in S sahendica and the commercial oils respectively. The total phenolics of Satureja sahendica and the commercial Satureja were 170.5 ± 8.53 and 23.83 ± 2.24 µg Gallic acid equivalent per mg sample. The concentrations from S. sahendica and commercial satureja oils required to exert 50% fatal effect (IC50) on healthy human normal lymphocytes and Hela cells were 253.66, 1490, 0.19, and 1.09 µg respectively. The results indicate nutritional value of these plants in preventing formation of toxic reactive oxygen species and that Satureja, as a good antioxidant, can directly scavenge NO and O2−. With a view to cancerous cells killing properties of the oils at their lower concentrations, one may conclude applicability of these oils in combating cancerous cells without having a adverse effect on normal healthy cells.

Safety and efficacy of the synthetic antioxidants used in the food industry are frequently questioned because such antioxidants are unstable and highly volatile, therefore, interest in finding naturally occurring antioxidants that have the potential to protect human beings from damage induced by oxidative stress has intensified. Bioactivities of Thymus daenensis and Anethum graveolens essential oils with special reference to their antioxidative properties are studied. Total phenolic content (TPC), lipid peroxidation inhibition (LPI), ferrous-ion chelating (FIC), superoxide anion and nitric oxide radical scavenging, and tyrosinase inhibition activities of the essential oils were determined. TPC of T. daenensis and A. graveolens oils were 644.07±6.79 and 174.91±2.05 mg GAE/100 g. T. daenensis and A. graveolens oils showed the highest LPI activity with FICs of 63.28±0.21 and 70.22±1.9 percent respectively. Superoxide anion and nitric oxide radical scavenging activities of the above oils had IC50 of 0.013, 0.001 and 0.005, 0.0014 mg, respectively. A. graveolens oil showed 6 fold higher anti - tyrosinase activity than T. daenensis oil. There was not correlation between lipid peroxidation or ferrous ion chelating activities with total phenolics implying that the oils contain chelating ligands. The effects of antioxidant phytochemicals in the biological systems are ascribed on their ability to scavenge radicals, chelating metals, activate the antioxidant enzymes, and to inhibit the oxidases. T. daenensis and A. graveolens oils have good commercial potential in both food processing and cosmetic industries.