مجله تحقیقات گیاهان دارویی و معطر ایران
سال سی و ششم شماره 1 (پیاپی 99، فروردین و اردیبهشت 1399)

It is important to determine the suitability of rangelands for the utilization of medicinal plants. The purpose of this study was to introduce some of the criteria and indicators, influencing the rangelands suitability for medicinal plants exploitation and to investigate the differences between the results of using different approaches of suitability determination. To this end, the suitability of the Arshad Chaman rangeland was evaluated in terms of the utilization of medicinal plants. The results showed that according to the limiting factor method (a common method of determining the suitability of rangelands), 2, 6 and 77 percent of rangelands had respectively good, moderate and low suitability and 15 percent were not suitable for utilization. The mathematical method (using hierarchical analysis process) showed 4, 26, and 45 percent of the rangelands as good, moderate, and low suitability, respectively, and 25 percent as inappropriate for exploitation. The application of the theoretical method (MSMPE) also showed that 39 and 61 percent of the rangelands had respectively good and moderate suitability. In general, it was observed that there were no significant differences between the classes of suitability obtained by the limiting factor and the mathematical methods; however, there was a difference between the classes obtained by the limiting factor and MSMPE methods, and different classes of suitability were obtained for a given area of rangeland in these three methods. Therefore, it is recommended to test the accuracy of the findings of the present study to achieve a practical result in different years in terms of climatic events and other locations with different physical properties. Overall, based on the combined results of different approaches and in terms of physical and environmental constraints, the study area had low suitability for the exploitation of medicinal plants. Therefore, to reduce the livestock pressure on rangelands and increase the diversity of medicinal plants, more attention should be paid to the other aspects of rangeland use such as beekeeping and free tourism.

Hyoscyamus species such as H. reticulatus L. and H. pusillus L. are rich sources of tropane alkaloids, mainly hyoscyamine and scopolamine, which are used for their mydriatic, antispasmodic, anticholinergic, analgesic and sedative properties. In this study, in the first experiment, the effects of four strains of Agrobacterium rhizogenes (ATCC 15834, A4, A7 and A13) and three explants (leaf, hypocotyls, and cotyledon) on hairy root induction were investigated in both H. reticulatus and H. pusillus species. In the second experiment, the effects of various culture media (MS, 1/2 MS, 1/4 MS, and B5) were evaluated on some morphological and phytochemical traits of hairy roots. The results showed that in H. reticulatus, maximum hairy root induction (78%) was obtained in the cotyledon explant inoculated with A7 strain and maximum hairy roots fresh weight (6.25 g) and dry weight (0.5 g) were recorded in MS medium. In this species, the highest total phenol (3.82 mg GAE g-1 FW) and total flavonoid (7 mg QUE g-1 FW) content were observed in MS medium; however, no significant changes were observed in the activity of antioxidant enzymes of hairy roots cultured in different media. In H. pusillus, the leaf explant inoculated with A13 strain showed maximum hairy root induction (90%), and the highest hairy root fresh weight (5.25 g) and dry weight (0.43 g) were observed in MS medium and the highest total phenol (2.26 mg GAE g-1 FW) and flavonoid (9.22 mg QUE g-1 FW) content were obtained in B5 medium. This study showed that basal culture medium type and plant species had a significant impact on the biomass and phytochemical characteristics of hairy roots.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of soil application of potassium fertilizer and foliar application of brasinosteroid on morphophysiological characteristics and essential oil yield of medicinal plant purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench) in response to water availability. Treatments consisted of three levels of water availability (irrigation at 90% (control), 60%, and 30% of field capacity (FC)) in main plots and four amounts of potassium fertilizer (no potassium application (control), 50, 100, and 150 kg K2O ha-1) as well as the foliar application of three brassinosteroid concentrations (distilled water (control), 0.1, and 1 μM) in subplots. Results showed that the highest mean plant height (67.8 cm), number of leaves plant-1(151), number of flowers plant-1 (18.1), flower dry weight (151.9 g plant-1) and aerial parts dry weight (508.6 g plant-1) were obtained in the second year of the experiment under 150 kg ha-1 potassium and normal irrigation treatments. The highest percentage of essential oil (76) was obtained under irrigation at 60% of FC, 150 kg ha-1 potassium, and 1 µM brassinosteroid treatments. In the second year, the maximum amount of essential oil plant-1 (0.67 g) was related to 150 kg ha-1 potassium and 1 μm brassinosteroid treatments. In general, the results of this study showed that irrigation at 60% of FC together with 150 kg ha-1 potassium and 1 μM of brassinosteroid could reduce the effects of drought stress, increase the amount of essential oil plant-1 and improve some morphophysiological characteristics in purple coneflower.

Prevention and treatment of diabetes are a vital part of today’s lifestyle, which is associated with inactivity, stress, and bad eating habits. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the interactive effect of coriander seed supplementary and selected aerobic exercise on some cardiovascular risk factors in overweight women with type 2 diabetes. In this semi-experimental study, 40 overweight diabetic (type 2) women with a mean age of 48.82±4.6 were randomly assigned to groups including aerobic exercise + coriander supplement, aerobic exercise +placebo, coriander supplement, and placebo. The aerobic training program consisted of eight weeks (three sessions week-1) of running at 60-72% of the maximum heart rate. Supplement recipient groups received 500 mg of coriander seed powder daily 30-60 minutes before lunch and dinner. Pre- and post-test blood samples were collected and analyzed using one-way ANOVA and t-test (P≤0.05) using SPSS software. The results of the intra-group analysis showed that serum levels of cholesterol and LDL-C decreased in exercise-supplement groups, and triglyceride and HDL-C levels did not change in any of the groups, significantly. Also, there were no significant differences between groups in any of the variables. The results of this study showed that eight weeks of coriander supplement and aerobic exercise could have beneficial effects on cholesterol and LDL-C levels in patients with type 2 diabetes, and as a result, it may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by affecting blood lipids.

Medical pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L. var. Styriaca) contains valuable edible oils and compounds that are used to prevent and treat prostate cancer. To evaluate the effects of vermicompost (no application, 5, and 10 t ha-1) as the main factor, biological nitrogen (no application and application of Barvar 1), and biological phosphorus (no application and application of Barvar 2) as sub-factors on the yield and yield components of medical pumpkin, an experiment was conducted as a split-factorial based on a randomized complete block design with three replications in Islam Abad-e-Gharb, Kermanshah province, in 2015. Studied traits included male to female flower ratio, number of fruits plant-1, number of seeds fruit-1, average dry fruit yield, stem length, number of days to flowering, seed yield, and seed oil yield and percentage. Vermicompost had a significant effect on the number of seeds fruit-1, dry fruit yield, and flowering date. The highest oil yield (30 kg ha-1) was obtained from the combination of bio-phosphorus application and non-application of vermicompost treatments, and the highest seed yield (195 kg ha-1) was obtained from the combination of bio-nitrogen, non-application of bio-phosphorus, and non-application of vermicompost treatments. A combination of non-application of bio-phosphorus and bio-nitrogen and application of 5 t ha-1 vermicompost treatments resulted in the least male to female flower ratio (39); however, the highest one (66) was obtained in the combination of non-application of bio-nitrogen, application of bio-phosphorus, and  10 t ha-1 vermicompost. In general, the highest seed and oil yield was obtained from a single application of bio-nitrogen and bio-phosphorus fertilizers, respectively.

This experiment was performed to investigate the effects of probiotic on productive traits, blood parameters, serum lipoproteins, and blood immune response of broilers fed with pumpkin seed oil. A total of 480 one-day-old Arian commercial broilers in a 2×3 factorial experiment, with two plant oil sources (canola and pumpkin) and three additives (no additive, probiotic and antibiotic) in a completely randomized design with four replicates and 20 chicks per replicate, were randomly distributed among the experimental units. The results showed that probiotic application with plant oil sources had no negative effect on productive traits including relative weight of carcass, breast, thigh, abdominal fat, survival percentage, and feed conversion ratio. The percentage of blood hematocrit in the chicks receiving the additives was lower than the control group (P<0.05). The effect of oil source and additives on other blood parameters including total protein, glucose, and uric acid was not statistically significant. The use of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L. convar. pepo var. styriaca) seed oil significantly reduced triglyceride and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and increased total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (P<0.05). The effect of oil source on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was not statistically significant. The lowest levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL, and VLDL were observed in chicks fed with pumpkin seed oil and virginamycin (P<0.05). The highest amount of triglyceride was observed in chicks fed with canola oil and antibiotics (P<0.05). The effect of oil source and additives on blood immune response and relative weight of lymphoid organs was not statistically significant. Generally, using pumpkin seed oil resulted in a partial improvement in serum lipoproteins. On the other hand, the efficiency of the additives depended on the type of oil (fatty acid profile) used in the diet.

Water deficit has been the major contributor to the decline in plant yield. Soil amendment and certain hormonal agents are some strategies applied to mitigate the adverse effects of drought stress. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of one soil modifier and one growth regulator on some physiological and morphological characteristics of Borago officinalis L. under water deficit conditions. The experiment was implemented as a split-factorial in a randomized complete block design with four replications at the research farm of Agriculture Faculty of Shahroud University of Technology, Iran during 2017- 2018. The main plots consisted of three levels of irrigation (usual irrigation every five days, irrigation every 10 and 15 days) and sub-plots consisted of biochar at three levels (0, 5 and 10 t ha-1) and salicylic acid at two levels (0 and 0.5 mM). Based on the results, biochar, salicylic acid, and water deficit factors affected the number of flowering stems, number of stems, stem height, the amount of chlorophylls a and b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoids significantly. Interactions between salicylic acid and water deficit levels had the most effects on carotenoids and chlorophyll b. Triple interaction of factors also affected the total dry weight, number of flowering stems, the number of stems, stem height, and chlorophyll b. Generally, water deficit stress decreased the amount of photosynthetic pigments and leaf growth indices of European borage compared to control, and salicylic acid and biochar reduced the negative effects on the amount of photosynthetic pigments. Therefore, the use of biochar as a soil modifier and salicylic acid as a growth regulator seems to be useful in ameliorating some of the negative effects of water stress on Borago officinalis.

The vital role of medicinal plants in creating employment is inevitable, and Golestan province is one of the important poles of medicinal plants production in the country due to its climatic diversity, and a large number of populations involved in the medicinal plants businesses. This study was conducted to identify the barriers to the development of distribution businesses of medicinal plants products in Golestan province. A descriptive survey was used for this purpose. The statistical community of the study consisted of 150 business owners in Golestan province, 109 of whom were selected by simple random sampling. Data were collected through a questionnaire, the validity of which was confirmed by a panel of experts. The reliability of the study was assessed through Cronbach’s-Alpha coefficient which was 0.88. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software. The results revealed that lack of proper government support for practitioners and activists in the medicinal plants businesses, non-acceptance of medicinal plants by doctors, increased cost of medical plants production, the high price of herbal medicines and consequently low public interest in their consumption and development of new medical treatments with new drugs and neglect of the importance of medicinal plants are the most important inhibitors of medicinal plants businesses. The factor analysis categorized the inhibitory variables of medicinal plants businesses into eight factors including skill and technical, cultural, qualitative and standard, communicational-knowledge, sovereignty and legal, institutional, social, and economic factors. The recommendations of this study included the need for proper government support for practitioners and activists in the medicinal plants businesses, providing the right background for acceptance of medicinal plants by doctors, strengthening and developing the market for medicinal plants and establishing a bridge between the market for the production and sale of medicinal plants

The experiment was conducted to study the effects of water deficit stress and fertilizer sources on characteristics of Echinacea purpurea L., in a split plots design with three replications at the research farm of Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran during two years of 2016 and 2017. Irrigation consisted of three levels of non-stress (control), moderate, and severe moisture stress and fertilizer consisted of eight levels of complete fertilizer (NPK), vermicompost, humic acid, humic acid+NPK, humic acid+vermicompost, NPK+vermicompost, NPK+vermicompost+humic acid, and non-use of fertilizer (control). The single effects of deficit irrigation and fertilizer treatments were significant (p≤0.01) on the stem height, number of stems and flowers plant-1, biomass dry weight, total chlorophylls a and b, and proline content; however, their interaction effects were only significant (p≤0.01) on phenolic compounds of the leaves. In relation to the single effects of irrigation treatments, the highest height and number of stems, number of flowers plant-1, and biomass dry weight was observed in non-water stress treatments and the lowest amount of these characteristics was observed in severe water stress treatments. The highest and lowest proline content was shown in severe and non-stress treatments, respectively, and the highest and lowest total chlorophylls a and b were obtained in non-stress and severe moisture stress, respectively. Regarding the single effects of fertilizer treatments, there was no significant difference in plant height between fertilizer levels; however, all of them had a significant difference with control treatment (no fertilization). The difference between fertilizer treatments was significant in the number of stems and flowers plant-1 and biomass dry weight. The highest number of stems and flowers was obtained in humic acid+vermicompost treatment and the highest amounts of biomass dry weight were obtained in vermicompost+NPK treatment. The lowest values of these traits were observed in control (non-fertilization). The highest and lowest amounts of total chlorophylls a and b were obtained in vermicompost+NPK and control treatments, respectively, and the highest and lowest proline values were obtained in control and vermicompost treatments, respectively. The highest phenolic compounds were observed in humic acid+vermicompost+NPK and humic acid+NPK treatments, both of which under severe moisture stress, and the lowest one in non-stress and non-fertilization (control) treatment.

In this study, the effect of microwave drying method (at five power levels: 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 watts) on drying time, color change, amount of organic acids and vitamin C of sumac fruit (Rhus coriaria L.) was investigated. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications and the response surface methodology (RSM) was used to find the optimum points for the minimum drying time and color changes or the maximum organic acids and vitamin C during drying. The results showed that microwave drying had significant effect on the color, the amount of organic acids and vitamin C at 5% probability level but it had significant effect on drying time at 1% probability level. Among the different microwave powers, the highest and lowest organic acids were obtained at 1000 and 600 watts with values of 1.46 and 1.11 mg/100 g, respectively, and the highest and lowest vitamin C was obtained at 600 and 1000 watts with values of 0.40 and 0.26 mg/100g, respectively. The best situation for microwave drying (with the lowest drying time and color variations and the maximum phytochemicals) was obtained at 815 watts. Finally, the lowest color changes and the highest amount of organic acids and vitamin C were observed in the shade drying method.

The deficiency of nutrients such as nitrogen disrupts growth and changes the quantity and quality of essential oil. Foliar application of micronutrients improves plant growth. Therefore, due to this issue and its importance, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of iron and zinc foliar spray on growth factors, percentage and essential oil components of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) under soil nitrogen deficiency. This study was conducted as a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with three replications. Experimental treatments consisted of nitrogen levels (control and deficiency) and iron and zinc foliar spray (1% and 2%). The results showed that the essential oil yield of thyme decreased under nitrogen deficiency; however, the foliar application of micronutrients, especially zinc, significantly increased the essential oil yield. Also, thymol, γ-terpinene and p-cymene formed the most components of the essential oil. Thymol content increased in control plants (full strength Hoagland) with foliar spray and its highest amount (54.4%) was obtained with foliar spray at zinc-2%. The p-cymene content increased from 17% at nitrogen control level to 24.6% under nitrogen deficiency. In control plants (full strength Hoagland), foliar spray increased shoot length, and iron-2% increased shoot dry weight. The foliar application of micronutrients caused changes in the content of essential oil compounds and the synthesis of some new compounds such as 1,8-cineole in the essential oil. The foliar application also improved some growth factors such as shoot length and dry weight in the control plants.

Rosa foetida Herrm. is one of the native Rosa species in Iran known as Iranian yellow rose. The main growth area of this plant in Iran is the western parts especially Kurdistan. It is used for kidney disorders treatment and as a source of vitamin C. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of free radical scavenging, determination of phenolic compounds, and antimicrobial activity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of yellow rose flowers. The antioxidant activity and total phenolic compounds of extracts of yellow rose were determined using ABTS free radical scavenging assay and Folin-Ciocalteu method, respectively. Dilution method was used to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Salmonella enterica, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. The results showed a significant positive correlation between free radical scavenging percentage and the concentration of the extracts (P<0.05). In the range of 0.39-12.50 mg ml-1 concentrations, the aqueous extract had more antioxidant activity than ethanolic extract (P<0.05). The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of aqueous and ethanolic extracts was calculated to be 217.069 and 223.116 μmol, respectively. The results of total phenolic compounds test in extracts showed a positive and significant relationship between the concentration of the extracts and their phenolic compounds content, and the aqueous extract contained more phenolic compounds as compared with the ethanolic extract (P<0.05). The highest antimicrobial effect of aqueous and ethanolic extracts was observed against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica, respectively (P<0.05). Due to the favorable antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of this plant, its use as a natural additive in the food industry is recommended.