جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « antioxidant » در نشریات گروه « باغبانی »

Medicinal plants produce bioactive compounds with high antioxidant value. Due to the importance of Withania coagulans</em> in the pharmaceutical industry and also due to the cutting of this shrub species and its use in the pharmaceutical industry using traditional methods, the risk of extinction of this valuable species will increase, so we should look for the method - to be alternatives to increase the production of secondary metabolites of this plant. Using elicitors as a technique in vitro increases plant production of effective compounds (secondary metabolites). It has been reported that fungal stimulants are also used to induce the production or increase of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants. Therefore, in this study, the effect of cellulase elicitor on the growth index and biochemical and physiological traits of Withania coagulans</em> (Stocks) Dunal) was investigated in cell suspension culture.

Seeds of Withania coagulans</em> were collected from the Mehrestan region of Saravan city, and after disinfection, they were cultivated in ½ MS medium to produce explant. Production explants were cultured in an MS culture medium containing auxin and cytokinin hormones (2mg/l 2, 4, D, and 0.5 mg/l Kinetin) to produce callus. Three sub-cultures of production called into MS culture medium containing transfer previous regulating hormones were done. Investigated treatments include six elicitor treatments: 1: Control 2: Elicitor with a concentration of 200 μg/ml and 24 hours of exposure to the Elicitor, 3: Elicitor with a concentration of 200 μg/ml and 48 hours of exposure to the Elicitor, 4: Elicitor with a concentration of 200 μg/ml and 72 hours of exposure Elicitor, 5: Elicitor with a concentration of 7.5 μg/ml and 14 days of exposure to the Elicitor and 6: Elicitor with a concentration of 10 μg/ml and 14 days of exposure to the cellulase elicitor in a completely randomized design with three replications in the central laboratory of the university of Zabol was applied. Investigated traits were: callus growth index, antioxidant activity, proline content, soluble carbohydrates, malondialdehyde, total alkaloid, and activity of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, guaiacol peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and polyphenol oxidase).

The effect of different cellulase treatments on all traits was significant except polyphenol oxidase enzyme activity. In general, different elicitor treatments improved all the measured traits except the content of total carbohydrates. However, the increase in the trait depended on the concentration and period of exposure to the Elicitor. So, in most of the measured traits, the elicitor treatment with a concentration of 10 micrograms/ml and a period of 14 days caused an increase in all treatments. All cellulase elicitor treatments increased the antioxidant activity of Withania coagulans</em> cells in cell suspension culture. The highest antioxidant activity was observed in the sixth and fifth treatments and the lowest in the second and first treatments (control). The addition of Elicitor in the early stage of cell growth in cell suspension culture (eighth day) despite the lower concentrations of Elicitor (7.5 and 10 μg/ml) leads to a further increase in callus growth, antioxidant activity, Proline, and total alkaloid increased then the addition of Elicitor in exponential phase, despite the high concentration of Elicitor (200 μg/ml). A higher concentration of elicitors causes a hypersensitive response, which leads to cell death; hence, an optimal Elicitor level is required to induce growth.

Cellulase elicitor improved the growth index and antioxidant potential of Withania coagulans </em>through physiological and biochemical traits. According to the obtained results, the use of cellulase elicitor can be considered an important strategy to increase the growth, effective compounds, and antioxidant properties of Withania coagulans</em> for commercial production.

Heavy metals, like cadmium, lead, and arsenic, harm air, soil, agriculture, and human health. Plants suffer from reduced growth, chlorophyll production, and enzyme activity due to heavy metal exposure. Reactive oxygen species are produced, damaging biological molecules. However, plants have developed resistance mechanisms, including antioxidant stimulation. Flavonoids, complex compounds in plants, enhance resistance to heavy metals. Medicinal plants, rich in secondary metabolites like flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and alkaloids, show resistance to heavy metals. Origanum majorana as a medicinal plant, contains compounds that contribute to its heavy metal resistance. Based on limited studies, medicinal plants, particularly marjoram, have shown greater resistance to environmental stresses due to their secondary metabolites and the ability to produce uncontaminated essential oils in response to heavy metals like cadmium and lead. This study aimed to investigate the biochemical responses and growth of marjoram plants when exposed simultaneously to cadmium and lead, as well as the mutual effects of these two elements on marjoram behavior.

A factorial randomized complete block design experiment with four replications was used to study the effect of Cd in four concentrations (0, 6, 12 and 24 mg.kg-1 soil) as well as Pb in four concentrations (0, 150 300 and 450 mg. Kg-1 soil). The concentrations were determined based on previous reports and a preliminary experiment. Soil was prepared with appropriate amounts of cadmium chloride and lead chloride were added according to the desired concentrations. The contaminated soil was then incubated at field capacity moisture for two months. Seeds have been sown in germination trays. Seedlings at the three to four leaf stage were transferred to pots containing the contaminated soil. Plant harvest took place 42 to 52 days after the transfer to pots, specifically when the plants had just entered the flowering stage. The aboveground parts of the plants were harvested separately, and the roots were carefully removed from the soil. Half of the plants were dried at 105 °C for 24 h to determine the dry weight, Pb and Cd concentrations. The other half of the plants were used to measure biochemical traits including flavonoids, anthocyanins, malondialdehyde, protein, proline and some enzymatic antioxidants. The data was analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the means were compared using the LSD test. A significance level of 95% was applied using SAS 9.2.

In this study, various parameters were measured including the dry weight of aerial parts and roots, concentrations of lead and cadmium in the aerial parts and roots, lipid peroxidation (MDA), flavonoids, anthocyanins, total phenols, proline, protein, and antioxidant enzymes including guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and catalase (CAT). The results of the analysis of variance showed that all the mentioned traits were influenced by the individual effects of lead and cadmium. However, there was no significant interaction between cadmium and lead on proline, protein, GPX, polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. The dry weight of aerial parts and roots decreased in the presence of cadmium and lead, while the concentrations of lead and cadmium increased. However, this damage was more pronounced in the presence of cadmium compared to lead. The presence of cadmium in a lead-containing environment had an inhibitory effect on lead uptake by the plant, and vice versa. The highest level of MDA was reported in the combination of lead and cadmium concentrations of 450 and 24 mg/kg, respectively. The analysis of enzyme activity showed that the maximum catalase activity was observed in the combination of 6 and 450 mg/kg of cadmium and lead, respectively, while the minimum activity was found in the control group. Similarly, the highest APX activity was reported in the combination of 24 mg/kg of cadmium and zero lead, while the lowest activity was observed in the control group. The use of cadmium and lead at the highest consumption level compared to the control group resulted in a 204% and 40% increase in GPX activity, respectively. In the analysis of total phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and protein, an increase in cadmium concentration from zero to 24 mg/kg led to a decrease of 52%, 42%, 208%, and 81%, respectively, while protein decreased by 39%. These traits showed an increase of 14%, 14%, 58%, and 40%, respectively, with an increase in lead concentration from zero to 450 mg/kg, while protein decreased by 24%. Based on the results, it appears that the increase in secondary metabolites with the increase in heavy metals has accompanied the plant's response to the prevailing conditions.

The study found that both cadmium and lead negatively affect the dry weight of plants, with cadmium having a greater impact. This reduction is particularly noticeable in photosynthesis, pigments, electron transport chain, and energy production. The highest concentrations of lead and cadmium (24-450 mg/kg) show the maximum decrease. As the concentrations of these elements increase in the growth medium, their concentration in the plants also increases. Lead has lower mobility and tends to accumulate in the roots compared to cadmium. Interestingly, the presence of cadmium inhibits the uptake of lead by the plant, and vice versa. This leads to an average inhibition of 39% for lead uptake by cadmium and 35% for cadmium uptake by lead in the aerial parts. The study also observed an increase in secondary metabolites, which act as antioxidants and help the plant cope with the stresses caused by cadmium and lead. These metabolites may also contribute to osmotic regulation along with the increase in proline. Based on these findings, it seems that these plants can be used in green spaces contaminated with moderate to low levels of cadmium and lead, particularly in mining areas.

Persian sage (Salvia mirzayanii L.) is a medicinal plant belonging to the mint family, which has been of interest since ancient times due to its many medicinal properties. In order to investigate the effect of different concentrations of amino acids (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 gr/L) and storage duration (0, 2, 4 and 6 months) on the amount and changes of Iranian sage essential oil, a factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design. Amino acid foliar application had a positive effect on the measured vegetative and reproductive traits of Iranian sage plant as well as the percentage of compounds after harvest. In this study, the most important compounds found in Iranian sage essential oil after harvesting were 5-neo-sedranol (20.11%), Lnalyl acetate (16.52%) and alphaterpinyl acetate (14.28%). The content of total phenol increased by increasing the level of amino acid foliar application up to the level of 1 mg/L (82.6 mg/L) and after that it decreased, and by continuing storage for 6 months after harvesting, it increased by 23.15% compared to four months. The highest antioxidant activity was obtained from foliar spraying of amino acid with a concentration of 1 mg/L, and storage for 6 months after harvest reduced it by 29% compared to the time of harvest. Based on the results of this study, it is recommended to use amino acid up to a concentration of 0.5 gr/L in order to achieve the maximum fresh and dry weight of the plant.

In recent years, Urtica dioica L. has attracted the attention of researchers due to its significant effect on many diseases, especially diabetes. However, more research needs to be done in the field of tissue culture and the effect of elicitors on antioxidant properties and the production of its secondary metabolites. This research aimed to investigate the best hormonal combination and light conditions effective on nettle callogenesis and the effect of methyl jasmonate elicitor on its biochemical properties.

For this purpose, using stem explants, the effect of different levels of auxin hormones, naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) (1.5 and 3 mg/l) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4 D) (0.5 and 1.5 mg/l) and cytokinin hormone, benzylaminopurine (BAP) (0.5 and 1.5 mg/l) were evaluated in two light conditions (light and dark) by measuring fresh weight, dry weight and percentage of callogenesis. The nettle plant's callus growth curve was obtained using liquid culture. After starting the suspension culture, methyl jasmonate treatment was applied with three levels of 1, 0.1 and 0.01 mM, and sampling was done at 24, 48 and 96 hours. The enzyme activity of phenylalanine ammonialyase and polyphenol oxidase and total protein content by extracting in 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer with 8.8 acidity and total phenol, total flavonoid content by extracting in 80% methanol was measured using spectrophotometric and standard methods for control samples and those under different treatments of methyl jasmonate. Also, three metabolites of quercetin, kaempferol and rutin were measured using an HPLC device with a UV detector and 18C column stationary phase. Data from the callogenesis experiment were analyzed in a two-factor experiment in a completely randomized design. The data from the biochemical and HPLC experiments were analyzed in a split-plot in time design, and the means were compared with Duncan's test.

According to the results, the best hormonal combination to produce fresh and dry weight in light conditions includes 1.5 mg/l of NAA and 1.5 mg/l of BAP and in dark conditions, it includes 1.5 mg/l naphthalene acetic acid and 0.5 mg/l of benzyl aminopurine. Also, according to the results, naphthalene acetic acid (62.5%) performed better than 2,4-D (43.5%) in the nettle callogenesis percentage. Lighting was determined as the best light condition for callogenesis in nettle, so the amount of fresh and dry weight and percent of callogenesis in light compared to darkness increased by 4.79, 4.91 and 1.92 times, respectively. There was an increase in polyphenol oxidase enzyme activity, total phenol and total protein in some samples treated with methyl jasmonate compared to the control, and no significant increase was observed in the activity of phenylalanine ammonialyase enzyme and total flavonoid content. According to the HPLC results, the highest amount of rutin metabolite was obtained in 96 hours after the addition of the elicitor and at the concentration of 0.01 mM methyl jasmonate.

The naphthalene acetic acid hormone was more effective than the 2,4-D hormone and light conditions than darkness in nettle callogenesis. Methyl jasmonate elicitor increased the antioxidant property of nettle (48 hours after treatment) by increasing the polyphenol oxidase enzyme activity. However, compared to the control, it had no significant effect on the phenylalanine ammonialyase enzyme activity and total flavonoid. It is suggested that other concentrations of methyl jasmonate be tested to reach optimal conditions for increasing the production of secondary metabolites in nettle in vitro culture conditions.

Teucrium polium L. is a herbaceous plant from the mint family that has many uses in traditional medicine. In recent years, numerous medicinal effects such as anti-diabetes, anti-cancer, anti-spasm, and reducing fat and blood pressure have been reported. Therefore, cultivation of this plant under laboratory conditions is necessary to preserve its survival, reproduction, and increased secondary metabolites. Among the solutions, elicitors in the plant tissue culture technique are one of the most widely used methods to increase secondary-medicinal metabolites. Chitosan, as a biopolymer, induces defense responses, increases antioxidant enzyme activity, and accumulates phenolic compounds. In the present study, the effect of chitosan bio-elicitor was studied on some phenolic compounds of T. polium under in vitro culture to optimize secondary metabolites and increase antioxidant capacity. Leaf explants were prepared from preserved T. polium in hydroponic conditions and fed with Hoagland's solution. After sterilization with sodium hypochlorite 5% (v/v) and ethanol 70% (v/v), middle slices were prepared from the leaf explant and cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) culture medium containing separate and combined concentrations of benzyl amino purine (BAP)(1 and 1.5 mg.L-1) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA)(0.5 mg.L-1). The samples were kept for four weeks in the dark at 25 degrees Celsius. With callogenesis, the samples were transferred to light conditions of 16 hours of light and 8 hours of darkness. At the end of the sixth week, the induced calli were subcultured. The calli were treated with chitosan at different concentrations (0, 50, 100, and 150 mg.L-1). After eight weeks, green calli were collected. Finally, to prepare the final extract for biochemical assays, extraction was done from green calli. The content of phenolic compounds (phenol, flavonoid, flavone, and phenolic acids), antioxidant activity, and phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL) activity was measured. According to the results, the application of different concentrations of chitosan (0, 50, 100, and 150 mg.L-1) and all hormonal treatments (BAP1, BAP1.5, and BAP1.5+NAA 0.5 mg.L-1) caused a significant increase in the content of phenolic compounds, antioxidant capacity, and PAL activity compared to the control samples. So the application of the simultaneous and combined treatment of BAP at a concentration of 1.5 mg.L-1 with NAA at a concentration of 0.5 mg.L-1, along with the treatment of 100 mg.L-1 of chitosan induced green calli of T. polium in in vitro culture, results in the maximum content of phenolic derivatives (1884.95 for phenol, 936.65 for o-diphenol, 1462.28 for flavonoid, 631.07 for flavone, and 662.41 for phenolic acids). As compared to the control, the antioxidant capacities (measured by DPPH and FRAP assays) increased by 68.34 percent and 71.92 percent, respectively. A significant increase in PAL activity (65.81%) was observed in induced calli. Considering the importance of T. polium as a medicinal plant, chitosan, a successful elicitor, promotes the synthesis of phenolic secondary metabolites. As a result, the increase of antioxidant power and PAL activity in the callus of T. polium.

The medicinal plant of Balangu Shirazi (Lalemantia royleana Benth) to the Lamiaceae or Labiateae family. This medicinal plant is native to the tropical regions of Asia, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. This plant is also found in various regions of the Middle East and Europe, especially Turkey, Iran and in the Siberian regions of Russia, i.e. in Western Siberia. Due to the presence of high mucilage content, Lallemantia royleana seeds quickly absorb water through the hydration process and produce a sticky, cloudy and tasteless liquid that can be used as a new source of hydrocolloid in food formulations as well. Soil salinity is a growing problem in agricultural ecosystems that endangers the growth and productivity of plants. Salinity causes ionic toxicity, nutritional imbalance, pigment destruction and inhibition of photosynthesis, oxidative and osmotic stress, limited release of CO2 in leaves, changes in metabolic pathways, cell deformation, premature aging and finally cell death in it becomes a plant. Therefore, effective solutions to deal with soil salinity under agricultural management systems can include all kinds of salt-resistant species and biotechnological approaches such as the use of beneficial microorganisms that are able to improve plant tolerance to salt. Mycorrhizal fungi, one of the common soil microbes, can occupy the roots of most terrestrial plant species. Notably, mycorrhizal fungi can improve host plant tolerance to salinity stress by a series of physiological and biochemical mechanisms, including higher water use efficiency, photosynthetic capacity, maintaining ion homeostasis, osmotic protection, maintaining cell ultrastructure and enhancing antioxidant metabolism. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the role of three mycorrhizal fungi on seed yield, physiological characteristics and mineral elements (N, P and K) of the medicinal plant L. royleana under salt stress conditions.

This experiment was factorial based on a completely randomized design including the treatment of mycorrhizal fungi at three levels (R. irregularis, G. versiform, F. mosseae) with the number of spores 5 x 106 per milliliter of inoculum and salinity stress including four level (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 dS/m of sodium chloride salt) was done in three repetitions. This experiment was carried out in 2018 in a greenhouse at Islamic Azad University, Mahabad Branch, day and night temperatures were 25 and 22 degrees Celsius, respectively, with two relative humidity levels of 60 (during the day) and 40 (at night). The percentage and amount of carbon dioxide was about (mMol.mol-1) 500-600. Shirazi Balangu seeds were obtained from Pakan Seed Company of Isfahan with 99% purity and 80% potency. Distilled water was used for zero treatment (control) and pure sodium chloride salt (Merck, Germany) was used to prepare solutions with electrical conductivity of 2, 4, 6 and 8 dS/m. Balango seeds were sown in the middle of Mehr in pots with an opening diameter of 20 cm and a length of 18 cm containing soil, sand and manure (2:1:1) at a depth of 0.5-1 cm. Three fungi G. versiform, R. irregularis and F. mosseae were used for mycorrhiza inoculation, and there were at least 50 live spores in each gram of soil. The ratio of the inoculant used to the soil was one to nine (by volume) and in layers. In order to prevent any deficiency of nutrients, 10 ml of Hoagland nutrient solution with half the concentration of phosphorus was added to all the pots every week. The traits under study encompassed the seed yield of a single plant, seed oil percentage, antioxidant capacity, proline content, as well as the leakage of ionic substances and nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted on the data using SAS 9.1 statistical software. Mean comparisons among traits were performed utilizing Duncan's test at a significance level of 5%.

The results showed that the traits evaluated in the present study were affected by mycorrhizal fungus treatments, salinity stress and the mutual effect of fungi in salinity stress. Seedlings inoculated with mycorrhizal fungus R. irregularis had the highest seed yield, percentage of oil, proline, antioxidant power and mineral elements compared to the other two strains of mycorrhizal fungus. Salinity stress increased the percentage of oil, proline, and antioxidant power of L. royleana medicinal plant leaves, and increasing the salinity stress from 0 to 8 dS/m decreased grain yield and mineral elements. According to the comparison results of the average effect of fungus interaction in salt stress, the highest amount of seed yield and mineral elements in plant inoculation with R. irregularis fungus was observed in the absence of salt stress, as well as the highest amount of traits of oil percentage, proline and antioxidant power. It was obtained in a tension of 8 dS/m. According to the results of the present research, the use of R. irregularis mushroom strain had the most positive effect on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of L. royleana medicinal plant compared to the absence of mushroom inoculation.

In general, the results of this study showed that mycorrhizal inoculation had a positive and significant effect on seed yield, antioxidant capacity, oil percentage, proline content and the concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium elements in L. royleana plant. Also, the results indicated that the use of mycorrhiza in the cultivation of L. royleana can partially prevent the occurrence of element deficiency in saline soils and reduce the high consumption of chemical fertilizers. This assertion has been corroborated by research conducted by other scholars focusing on medicinal plants. Employing mycorrhizal symbiosis in saline soils has been shown to enhance plant resistance to salinity. Therefore, by employing a suitable mycorrhizal strain with salinity resistance, it becomes feasible to mitigate the departure of saline soils from the production cycle, thereby averting consumption-related issues. Furthermore, the excessive use of chemical fertilizers has led to numerous problems, highlighting the need for alternative approaches.

Bedding plants are important elements in landscape construction, and their cultivation is limited by drought stress. Improving the cultivation medium of these flowers with organic materials such as biochar can be a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution to increase their tolerance to drought stress. For this purpose, a greenhouse research was conducted to mitigate the effects of drought on morpho-physiological and biochemical characteristics of African marigold by application of rice husk biochar. The factorial experiment was conducted with two factors of irrigation treatment at three levels of 100, 50 and 25% of the field capacity (FC) and biochar at three levels of 0, 3.5 and 7% (w/w) in a completely randomized design with 5 replications. The results showed that drought decreased the morphological factors of shoot height, shoot dry weight, number of leaves, number of lateral branches, number of flowers, and length and diameter of flowers, so their lowest value were obtained in 25% FC. Furthermore, the use of biochar improved the morphological traits mentioned under drought conditions. The activity of peroxidase and superoxide dismutase enzymes, hydrogen peroxide content, proline, malondialdehyde, soluble carbohydrates, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoid increased under drought conditions. The use of biochar reduced these biochemical traits under drought conditions. Furthermore, relative water content of leaf, cell membrane stability index and soluble proteins showed a decreasing trend under drought conditions, and the use of biochar led to the improvement of these traits. In general, 7% biochar was more effective than 3.5% in reducing the adverse effects of drought stress. Therefore, 7% rice husk biochar can be recommended as a suitable soil improver to increase tolerance to drought stress in bedding plants for landscape purposes, although more investigations are needed both under field cultivation and at other applied amounts.

This study examined how salinity affects the growth and mineral uptake of Damask rose seedlings in hot and dry areas, where soil and salt water are major challenges for plant cultivation. Four levels of salinity (0, 25, 50, and 75 mM NaCl) were applied to the seedlings under field condition. The following traits were measured: wet and dry weights of shoots and roots, proline and malondialdehyde contents, guaiacol peroxidase and catalase activities, soluble carbohydrates, chlorophyll and carotenoid levels, and concentrations of nitrogen, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc in the leaves. The results indicated that salinity reduced the vegetative growth and the chlorophyll and carotenoid levels of the seedlings. Salinity also increased the proline and soluble carbohydrate contents and the antioxidant enzymes activities in the leaves, which were biochemical responses to salt stress. Moreover, salinity disrupted the mineral balance in the leaves by increasing the sodium accumulation and decreasing the uptake of the other elements. To mitigate the adverse effects of salinity and supply adequate nutrients, the use of fertilizer solutions is recommended.

Micrografting is an important technique supporting the micropropagation of a range of plant species, particularly woody plant species. In the past decade, in vivo and in vitro micrografting has become a strategy to facilitate shoot recovery and acclimatization of horticultural species. This experiment was conducted to study pistachio (P. vera L.) micrografting under in vivo condition and interaction of growth regulator and arbescular mycorrhizal fungi on micrografting success and stablishment. The scions were prepared from shoot tips of 6-7 years- old mature trees of " Ahmad Aghaie" cultivar and were micrografted on 14-deys- old "Qazvini" under controlled conditions. In order to examine the effect of mycorrhizal symbiosis on micrografting success and stablishment, inoculation of rootstooks with mycorrhizae (Funneliformis mosseae) was performed at the time of seed sowing. After floating the scions in ascorbic acid (0 and 400 mg L-1) for 60 min, they were treated with IBA (0, 50 and 100 mg L-1) and BA (0, 40 and 80 mg L-1). The results showed that, mycorrhizal inoculation had a positive influence on graft success percentage, survival percentage, scion growth, scion dry weight and leaf number. With the use of growth regulator, the success rate of micrografting increased so that the level of 100 mg L-1 of indolebutyric acid and 40 mg L-1 of benzyl adenine was observed to be more effective than other levels. In this study, ascorbic acid treatment had different effects, but in most cases it did not have a significant effect on micrografting, even in combination with growth regulators, the treatment had a negative effect. According to the results obtained from this study, it seems that the use of growth regulatorse and AM fungi had a positive effect on the survival rate of micrografted plants and these plants had a longer survival.

While grapes are considered as non-climacteric fruits, during the post-harvest stages, due to the softening of the tissue, it is very prone to decay, which shortens its post-harvest life. Today, due to the desire of consumers to use high quality food, the use of biodegradable films and coatings with antimicrobial properties, is a suitable alternative to synthetic preservatives, in order to maintain food security and prevent wastage of significant capital. Edible coatings are edible thin layers that are used to increase the shelf life and quality of fruits. This material increases the quality and health of the product by creating a semi-permeable barrier to water vapor and oxygen and carbon dioxide gases between the product and the environment, and to prevent anaerobic respiration, it absorbs a certain amount of gases and to this Sequence increases product shelf life. One of the most important ways to increase the shelf life and maintain the quality of agricultural products, especially fruits, is the use of edible coatings on the crop surface. Chitosan is one of the most important natural derivatives of chitin, of which about 50% of its acetyl’s groups have been removed. Due to the fact that Aloe vera gel has no taste and odor, can be considered a good option as a cover for fruits after harvest and due to its elasticity and strength solution in water, as a suitable layer on the product. Located and protects the fruit from mechanical damage and moisture loss.
 

 In this study, 12-year-old mature grape trees of ‘Asgari’ cultivar in the scaffolding garden of Abestan region of Khorramabad city in 1398 were studied. In the pre-harvest stage, chitosan was sprayed on the tree and in the post-harvest stage, Aloe vera gel was applied by dipping the fruit in Aloe vera gel in the laboratory. After treatment, the fruits were stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 4 ± 0.5 ° C and were examined at different time stages for quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the fruit. 20 identical grape trees (in terms of fruit size and load, with 50 to 70 annual branches in 8-14 buds) selected and grape clusters with different concentrations of chitosan (control (distilled water), 2 and 3 Percentage of chitosan) at different stages of growth (fruit set), 35 and 50 days later) were sprayed directly with 4 liters per vine, by hand sprayer (2 ml Tween 80% was added as the active surfactant). For this stage, immediately after harvesting the grapes, take them to the laboratory and immerse them in concentrations (zero, 25 and 33%) of Aloe vera gel for 10 to 20 seconds and then in the air. They dried. Then, grape fruits weighing about 360-300 g in each experimental unit were stored for 28 days at 4 ° C and examined. This study was performed as a factorial experiment (2 factors) in a completely randomized design with three replications. The first factor is the effect of the treatments studied in seven levels including: control, 2% chitosan (CTS 2%), 3% chitosan (CTS 3%), chitosan 2% + Aloe vera gel 25% (AVG 25% + CTS 2%), chitosan 3% + Aloe vera gel 25% (AVG 25% + CTS 3%), 2% chitosan + 33% Aloe vera gel (AVG 33% + CTS 2%), chitosan 3% + Aloe vera gel 33% (AVG 33% + CTS 3%) and the second factor was storage time at five levels (zero, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after harvest). Data analysis was performed using SAS software and a significant difference between treatments for each trait with a minimum significant difference at the probability level = 0.05 α was determined.
 

 The results of analysis of variance showed that the effect of treatment and storage time on the desired traits was significant at the level of one percent. Fruits treated with chitosan and Aloe vera gel had higher texture firmness, taste index, phenolic content, antioxidant activity and titratable acids and caries index and pH were lower than the control. The highest content of phenol, antioxidant, flavor index and titratable acidity in all five measurement times belonged to 2% chitosan treatments with both concentrations of Aloe vera gel (25 and 33%) and the lowest amount belonged to the control treatment. In control treatment, the percentage of caries index increased during storage and in grapes treated with chitosan and Aloe vera gel, the caries process was slower and the lowest rate of caries was observed in 2% chitosan treatment with aloe vera gel on the 14th day. In general, it was observed that pre-harvest application of chitosan and post-harvest Aloe vera gel increase the post-harvest life of ‘Asgari’ grapes and improve its quality traits. Chitosan creates a barrier with selective permeability to oxygen and carbon dioxide gases, and by placing carbon dioxide at a higher level and reducing oxygen, it creates a modified atmosphere around the fruit, which reduces respiration and ethylene production. As a result, it reduces the aging process and reduces the consumption of organic acids and sugars and prevents the increase of pH. Low pH prevents browning of the fruit due to the activity of catechins and chlorogenic acid enzymes. Aloe vera gel coating maintains and increases the antioxidant capacity of the whole fruit by reducing fruit juice loss, reducing respiration, reducing ethylene production and delaying aging.
 

 The combined treatment of chitosan 2% and Aloe vera gel (25 and 33%) increased fruit firmness, titratable acidity, taste index, total phenol content and antioxidant activity of grapes and reduced pH and caries index. Application of these treatments increased the post-harvest life of ‘Asgari’ grapes by 14 days, so it can be stated that the use of chitosan in the pre-harvest stage and the use of Aloe vera gel in the post-harvest stage as biodegradable and natural compounds to increase Shelf life of ‘Asgari’ grape fruit is recommended.

The use of drought-tolerant rootstocks, such as seeded and rainfed watermelons, and pumpkins, is an effective solution for increasing tolerance to drought stress in watermelons. For this purpose, this experiment was conducted in a greenhouse to evaluate the effects of irrigation treatment at three levels (1-0.8; 0.6 -0.8; and 0.3-0.6 FC) and rootstock type at five levels (control, three rootstocks of rainfed and seeded watermelons including Sabzevar, Khajahe and Ashtian and one rootstock of pumpkin: Shintoza) on physiological and biochemical parameters in watermelon Crimson Sweet Super Dragon F1. The results showed that the number of leaf stomata in grafted and non-grafted plants decreased with the increase of dryness levels, and the grafted plants on Shintoza rootstock had a higher stomatal density. Drought stress caused a significant decrease in chlorophyll index and leaf relative water content and increased electrolyte leakage in studied watermelons. The total antioxidant capacity and the activity of catalase and peroxidase enzymes increased as a result of drought stress, but this increase was greater in grafted plants on Shintoza and Sabzevar rootstocks than in plants grafted on Ashtian and Khajahe rootstocks as well as watermelons.. Watermelons grafted on Sabzevar and Shintoza rootstocks produced the highest content, while non-grafted and grafted watermelons on Ashtian rootstocks produced the lowest content of leaf phenolic compounds Potassium and phosphorus levels in plants with normal irrigation were higher than plants under stress. As a result, yield and vegetative growth traits were significantly affected by irrigation and transplanting treatments.

One of the most important factors for the preservation of plants, medicinal plants in particular, is the use of biotechnological methods for increasing the production of secondary metabolites. This study was performed with the aims of evaluating and enhancing the secondary metabolites contents of Teucrium polium under in vitro culture by application of methyl jasmonate as elicitor. For callus induction, immature leaf explants were obtained from the plants grown under hydroponic condition and were cultured on MS medium supplied with various concentrations of Benzylaminopurine (BAP) (0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5 mg/L) in combination with Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) (0, 0.5, and 1 mg/L). Regarding the highest percentage of callus induction frequency and mean of calli dry weight, the selected cultures were treated with methyl jasmonate (50, 100, and 200 μM). The content of different groups of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity were evaluated. The highest percentage of callus induction (100%) was achieved in the medium supplemented by BAP individually as well as in combination with NAA. The maximum fresh and dry weights of calli were achieved at 1.5 mg/L BAP + 0.5 mg/L NAA, 1.5 mg/L BAP, and 1 mg/L BAP. The calli treated with 50 μM methyl jasmonate yielded the maximum contents of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, flavones, O-diphenol, phenolic acids, and rosmarinic acid that differed significantly from calli obtained from other methyl jasmonate concentrations. The highest antioxidant activity with IC50 of 2.066 ± 0.24 µg/mL using DPPH assay, and 383.79 ± 33.61 mg Fe+ 100g-1 DW using FRAP were in 50 μM methyl jasmonate and 1.5 mg/L BAP + 0.5 mg/L NAA treatment. Based on the results, methyl jasmonate in optimal concentration can play a promotive role in increasing the effective pharmacological compounds of T. polium and can be considered as a stimulus for the synthesis of phenolic compounds and further increase of the antioxidant power in callus.

Harvest at inappropriate time is the most important factor in reducing the fruit quality, marketability, and postharvest life of kiwifruit. In this study, the effect of different harvest times on fruit quality, nutritional value, and organoleptic characteristics of two novel kiwifruits of yellow and red flesh was investigated. Fruits from promising genotypes were harvested at 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, and 180 days after full bloom (DAFB). The results showed that fruits harvested after 180 DAFB showed higher weight, length, diameter, dry matter, soluble solids content, and total soluble sugars. Meanwhile, titratable acidity was lower than fruits harvested earlier. The values of soluble solid content ranged from 6.80 to 11.66° brix in golden kiwifruit and from 6.90 to 13.70° brix in red flesh kiwifruit. With delayed harvest, total phenols, ascorbic acid content, DPPH and FRAP antioxidant capacity and hue angle in outer and inner pericarp decreased in both genotypes. Ascorbic acid content in the red-fleshed genotype decreased from 90.34 to 75.57 mg/100 g and in the golden genotype from 74.83 to 50.62 mg/100 g. Fruits from the red-fleshed genotype had the higher antioxidant capacity and nutritional value compared to the golden genotype. There was a positive significant correlation between ascorbic acid content and antioxidant capacity measured by DPPH (r=0.98) and FRAP (r=0.95) methods. In conclusion, novel golden and red flesh kiwifruit genotypes reached the minimum soluble solid content and hue angle for commercial harvest with favorable organoleptic properties only at 170 DAFB and the delay in harvest increased the organoleptic properties in both genotypes. However, the content of their antioxidant capacity was slightly lower compared to the early harvest.

Plantago major L. is a herbaceous perennial plant with many biological effects such as strong antioxidant properties. This study aimed at investigating the inhibitory effect of P. major seeds extract on amyloid nanofibrils production and also to antioxidant properties of this extract. First, the plant powdered-seeds hydroalcoholic extract was prepared using 96% ethanol. The extract compounds were then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method. The production of amyloid fibrils was confirmed using the concord spectrometry method and transmission electron microscope imaging and its antioxidant effects were evaluated by the DPPH method. The presence of pyrrolidinone (2.95%) and N-(4-aminobutyl) acetamide (17.98%) in the extract was confirmed by GC/MS. The highest antioxidant activity (99.18%) and lowest amyloid nanofibrils production (55.73%) were obtained in the concentrations of 2 and 0.4 mg.ml-1 of the extract, respectively. The presence of amyloid fibrils was confirmed by electron microscopic imaging. The results of this research showed that the P. major seeds extract can be introduced as a suitable candidate to reduce the complications caused by Alzheimer's disease.

Thymbra spicata L. (from Lamiaceae family) is distributed in large areas of Iran. In this study, the amount of total phenols and flavonoids, antioxidant activity, and percentage and essential oil composition in different ecotypes of this species from three different regions in Ilam province was evaluated. The results showed that total phenols and flavonoids content was correlated with antioxidant activity positively and significantly, so that plant essential oil from Manesht Mountain with high phenols (8.6 mg gallic acid per g dry weight) and flavonoids (0.30 mg quercetin per g dry weight) content had the highest antioxidant activity, too. The main essential oil compound of the plant from regions with different ecological conditions was thymol (22.6-40.7%). Carvacrol, p-cymene, and γ-terpinene were the other main essential oil compounds of T. spicata from different regions. The results showed that the plant sample from Kaveran region and Manesht Mountain had the highest (2.4%) and lowest (1.4%) essential oil content, respectively. Overall, based on the results of the present study, it could be suggested that the essential oil percentage and composition of T. spicata depended not only to the genetic factors, but also to the ecological factors such as altitude, average annual temperature, and annual rainfall.

Kumquat is one of the citrus fruits that has gradually become important in the world. The fruits of kumquat suffer from sunburn in intense sunlight. In order to reduce the adverse effects of solar radiation, in this experiment, treatments of kaolin (0, 3 and 5%) and salicylic acid (with concentrations of 0, 0.1 and 1 mM) were used as foliar spray on potted samples. The evaluated treatments included relative water content, gas exchange, biochemical characteristics of the leaves, antioxidant enzymes activity and concentrations of nutrients. The results showed that treatments had significant effects on the measured parameters. Kaolin increased stomatal conductance and net CO2 uptake by creating a thin coating on the plant and protecting it from environmental stresses and reducing plant temperature. Salicylic acid also had positive effects on the activities of antioxidant enzymes.The effects of treatments on the balance of plant nutrients were not very noticeable, although slight changes were observed in some cases. In general, the results of this experiment showed that the use of kaolin 5% and 1mM salicylic acid together can be considered as a cheap and effective treatment in kumquat and in order to protect the plant in high temperature and severe radiation conditions.

The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of 14 populations of five species of Rumex, including R. chalepensis, R. kandavanicus, R. pulcher, R. crispus and R. tuberosus from Ardabil and Khorasan Razavi provinces using morphological traits. The studied traits included leaf length, leaf width, number of leaves per plant, aerial fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, phenol and antioxidants. Studies of morphological and phytochemical traits on farm and greenhouses showed that the highest coefficient variation for morphological traits related to aerial fresh and dry weight and number of leaves per plant, while the lowest coefficient variation related to the leaf length. In addition, the highest coefficient variation related to chlorophyll b and phenol and the lowest related to chlorophyll a. Also, the results of mean comparison of morphological traits under farm and greenhouse conditions showed that there was a significant difference between different species of Rumex and different populations within each species in the farm, however, there was a significant difference between different species in the greenhouse only in leaf length, leaf width, number of leaves per plant, aerial fresh and dry weight, phenol and antioxidants. In general, phenol and antioxidants were higher in R. crispus than in other species, however, R. tuberosus showed lower values ​​in all morphological and phytochemical traits compared to other species.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a nutrient dense fruit with a high health value and one of the most important Iranian fruit crop. Historical evidence reveals that the primary origin of pomegranate is Iran and that it has been spread from this region to other areas. A vast range of pomegranate varieties can be found in Iran; 760 original, decorative and wild ones. Pomegranate juice contains a high amount of total soluble solid (TSS), anthocyanins, polyphenolic compounds, vitamin C, sugars and proteins.Pomegranate is considered as one of the most tolerant fruit crops capable of growing under arid and semi-arid climatic conditions. Cultivar and growing region climate are the main factors determining chemical composition of pomegranate fruits; Significant differences in various fruit quality parameters such as organic acids, phenolic compounds, sugars and water-soluble vitamins have been reported in previous studies.  The aim of present study was to compare and evaluate physical and biochemical characteristics of fruits and different polyphenolic compounds in juice of six commercial Iranian pomegranate cultivars.
This research was conducted in 2017 and 2018 years in a commercial orchard in Arsanjan region of Fras province. Six Iranian pomegranate cultivars included ‘Malas Yusef Khani’ (MYK), ‘Bajestani (BK), ‘Khazr Bardskan’ (KHZ), ‘Malas Dane Syah’ (MDS), ‘Rabbab’ (RB) and ‘Zard Anar Arsenjan’ (ZA) were studied. The trees were planted in randomized block design and spaced 5 and 3 m between and along the rows, respectively. The trees were grown under drip irrigation with routine cultural practices suitable for commercial fruit production. Orchard management was conducted uniformly according to optimized available recommendations (based on soil and water samples analysis) for the orchard site. Fruits were harvested randomly from orchard and some physicochemical characteristic of fruits were measured. Fruit length and fruit diameter measured by manual caliper, fruit and above ground weight was determined by digital scale. The fruit juice percentage was calculated by calculating the percentage of aril juice.  TSS (Total soluble solids) expressed in Brix◦ was measured using a refractometer. The titrable acidity (TA) was determined by titration to pH 8.1 with 0.1M NaOH solution and expressed as percentage.Total anthocyanins, total polyphenols, vitamin C and anthyoxidant activity were measured spectrophotometrically. Polyphenolic compositions of juices (Gallic acid, Catechin, Caffeic acid, Chloregenic acid, p-Coumaric acid Vanilin, Trans-ferulic acid, Hesperedin and Ellagic acid) were also measured using HPLC analysis. The chromatographic analysis was carried out on Agilent Technologies 1200 series HPLC system. Chromatograms were recorded at 280 and 320 nm. Each compound was quantified by comparing its peak. Data was analyzed by SPSS software and means were compared using Duncan’s multiple range tests at 5% probability level.
 
 Significant differences were found among studied pomegranate cultivars for various physical fruit characteristics, quality parameters and polyphenolic composition of fruit. ‘Malas Daneh Syah Yazd ’was the best in comparison to other cultivars.  ‘Malas Daneh Syah Yazd’ had the highest fruit weight (332 g), fruit length (8 cm), fruit diameter (8 cm), TSS(15.77 Brix◦), anthocyanin content (26.98 mg 100 ml-1), polyphenol content (514.37 mg 100 ml-1) , ascorbic acid content (9.23 mg 100 ml-1) and antioxidant activity (52.2%). Also, the amount of polyphenols in this cultivar was relatively high. This cultivar had high amount of some polyphenol content such as cathechin (223.5 mg L-1), Hesperidin (30.55 mg L-1) and Ellagic acid (43.02 mg L-1) with no significant differences with highest amount. ‘Rabbab’ had the highest aril weight (340 mg) and moderate levels of other fruit characterestics, this cultivar had the maximum polyphenols such as gallic acid (163.1 mgL-1), catechin (264.2 mgL-1), caffeic acid (265.1 mgL-1), p-Coumaric (74.41 mgL-1) acid, vanillin (18.21 mgL-1) and ellagic acid (43.5 mgL-1). Zard anar’ pomegranate cultivar which was native to this region in terms of most biochemical properties had a low a‘mount .Therefor, among the studied pomegranate cultivars‘ Malas Dane syah’ and was the best. This cultivar had the highest fruit characteristics and polyphenol content such as ellagic acid. 
The results of this study showed significant differences among studied pomegranate cultivars. ‘Dane syah Yazd’ had the highest physical and chemical characterestics of fruits. Previous studies showed that theses cultivars had good growth characteristics and high yield in comparison to other cultivars. Therefore, among the studied cultivars, ‘Dane syah Yazd’ is introduced as a suitable cultivar for this region. Also, ‘Rabbab’ Neyriz cultivar can be considered as a cultivar with high antioxidant properties of fruit juice due to having the highest amount of measured polyphenolic compounds, especially alginic acid.