نشریه اکوفیتو شیمی گیاهان دارویی
سال نهم شماره 1 (پیاپی 33، بهار 1400)

To investigate the effect of water-deficit stress on physiological characteristics, content and composition of Satureja sahendica Bornm essential oil, an experiment was conducted in greenhouse conditions in a randomized complete block with three replications in 2019. Different levels of water-deficit stress included: control at 100% field capacity, 40% and 70% field capacity depletion. Essential oils were extracted by water distillation and then were analyzed using GC-MS. After preparing methanolic extract, total phenol content was measured by Folin-Ciocalteu method. The results showed that water-deficit stress in both levels (40 and 70% moisture depletion) caused a significant reduction of 74.73 and 78.83% of dry weight compared to the control, respectively, but no significant difference was observed between the two stress levels. Water-deficit stress with 40 % and 70% moisture depletion led to a reduction of 18.49% and 30.87% of total chlorophyll content, 13.84% and 25.35% of relative leaf water content (RWC) content, respectively. The content of hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde and proline increased significantly under water-deficit stress conditions. The total phenol content increased by 25.78% and 48.44% in 40% and 70% moisture depletion, respectively. The most important composition of S.sahendica essential oil in all treatments included p-cymene, γ-terpinene and thymol; water stress affected the amount of these compounds and a significant increase of 11.47% and 30.65% in thymol content was observed in 40 and 70% moisture depletion, respectively. Based on the results, it was found that water-deficit stress can increase the physiological properties, quantity and quality of S. Sahandi essential oils.

Jashir (Prangos spp.) is a medicinal plant and native plant to some parts of Iran that is used in traditional medicine in the treatment of many diseases. This study aimed to investigate the total phenol content and antioxidant activity of aerial parts of 80 populations belonging to seven species P. hausslmechtii, P. lophoptera, P. corymbosa, P. uloptera, P. acaulis, P. platychlaena, and P. ferulacea at the flowering stage in spring and summer 2018 in six provinces of Lorestan, Isfahan, Fars, Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari as a randomized complete block design. Methanol extracts of plants were obtained by the maceration method. Total phenol content and antioxidant activity were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu and DPPH (1,1- diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) methods, respectively. ANOVA and Duncan's tests were used for statistical analysis. The results showed that there is a difference between populations and different species of Jashir genus in terms of total phenol content and antioxidant activity. The total phenol content of these extracts belonging to 80 populations was different and ranged from 17.59 to 1.76 mg gallic acid/g extract and their antioxidant activity ranged from 61.77 to 96.2%. The highest total phenol content and antioxidant activity were observed in populations 5 (P. acaulis) and 48 (P. platychloena), and the lowest amount obtained from populations 80 (P. platychloena) and 36 (P. platychloena). Among seven species of Prangos spp., the highest amount of total phenol content and antioxidant activity was found in P. uloptera and P. acaulis. Due to the high antioxidant properties of Prangos spp. and because of the possible carcinogenicity of synthetic antioxidants, different species of this genus especially P. uloptera and P. acaulis are suggested as suitable substitutes for preservatives. So they can be used as rich and accessible resources in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Glabridin is one of the most flavonoid compounds in Glycyrrhiza glabra L. root with biological activities such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-diabetic, antimicrobial, anti-cancer and neuroprotective properties. In this study, in order to investigate the content of glabridin and its relationship with soil and climatic factors, roots with a diameter of 2 cm from 17 populations of licorice were harvested from different regions of Iran in October 2018. and transferred to the Laboratory of Research Institute of Medicinal Plants and Raw Materials at Shahid Beheshti University for analysis. Extraction of the extract was performed using 80% methanol solvent and the content of glabridin was studied by HPLC. Glabridin content of different licorice populations varied from 0.41 (in Yasuj population) to 22.87 (in Kashmar population) mg / g dry weight. Significant positive correlation was observed between glabridin and phosphorus and soil lime content at 1% level. Glabridin content had a significant negative correlation with altitude of 5%. Based on the results of cluster analysis, 17 licorice populations were divided into three main groups. Evaluation of populations for glabridin showed a high diversity so that Kashmar, Ilam and Bojnurd populations can be used as superior populations for domestication and breeding and for food and pharmaceutical industries.

Turmeric, scientifically known as Curcuma longa L., belongs to the zingiberaceae family. Due to the need to find new antimicrobial drugs, in this study the phytochemical evaluation, antibacterial and inhibitory effects of turmeric extract were investigated on the production of amyloid nanobiofibrils. Dry and abraded skin of the plant was prepared from India in autumn 2016 and then extracted by maceration method. Analysis of secondary compounds of the extract was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The anti-microbial effect of aqueous and hydro-alcoholic extract of turmeric was investigated by the agar well diffusion method, MIC and MBC on two Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Anti-Alzheimer's effects of Hydro-alcoholic extract on the production of amyloid fibrils were studied by spectrophotometry. The results showed that Turmerone and Zingiburn were the most abundant compounds in hydro-alcoholic extract with 21.26% and 11.65%, respectively. The diameter of the non-growth halo in the hydro-alcoholic extract was 12 for Escherichia coli and 13 mm for Staphylococcus aureus and in the case of aqueous extract, no growth halo was created. The MIC was reported in hydro-alcoholic extracts for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli at 26 and 53, respectively and in the aqueous extract for both bacteria at 123 mg/ml. MBC levels were also reported in the presence of hydro-alcoholic extracts for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli at 53 and 106, respectively and for aqueous extract for both bacteria at 247 mg/ml. Increasing the concentration of Hydro-alcoholic extract reduced the production of amyloid fibrils by up to 40 % of the initial amount and this decrease was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Hydro-alcoholic extract of turmeric with antimicrobial and reducing effects on the production of amyloid fibrils, can be used as one of the useful drugs to reduce the complications of Alzheimer's disease.

Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a plant that its organs, especially its roots, are widely used in the pharmaceutical industries. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different concentrations of fulvic acid and methyl jasmonate on some morphophysiological and biochemical traits of root and aerial herbal parts of coneflower. This study was conducted as a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with three replications at Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in 1396-1397. Treatments included: fulvic acid at three levels (0, 1000 and 2000 ppm) and methyl jasmonate at four levels (0, 90, 100 and 110 μM) in two tissues (root and herbal part). The measured variables included: total phenol content, total flavonoid, antioxidant activity, chlorogenic acid and caffeic acis. Plant samples were extracted by methanol and biochemical traits measured by spectrophotometer and HPLC. The results showed that the treatments and their interactions biochemical traits (except for the effect of fulvic acid on total flavonoid and antioxidant activity) were significant at one and five percent probability level. Also based on the results of mean comparison, the highest amount of chlorogenic acid (7.46 mg/g) was observed at 110 mM methyl jasmonate and 1000 ppm fulvic acid and the maximum amount of caffeic acid (28 mg/g) was observed at 110 μM of methyl jasmonate and 1000 ppm of fulvic acid.

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.

In order to investigate the quality and quantity of essential oil of Thymus daenesis Celak., an experiment was conducted. The essential oil characteristics recognition is important to economical development in Thymus accessions. For This purpose, flowering shoots of eight accessions of T. daenesis were harvested at 50% of flowering stage. They cultivated under field condition at Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center of Golestan and Studied during 2011-2012. The samples were dried in shadow and grinded. Essential oil extraction was carried out by hydro distillation method for three hours. Chemical compounds were identified with GC and GC-MS. Results showed that essential oil yield was between 0.22%- 3.6% that the highest essential oil yield belongs to accession 60 (Markazi1). In this study, main chemotypes were consisting of linalool, thymol, carvacrol, p-cymene and 1, 8-cineole. According to results, the highest percentage of thymol (72%) and carvacrol (43%) were identified in accession 60 (Markazi1) and accession 49 (Isfahan2) respectively. Therefore, according to results of study could be recommended these accessions due to high content thymol and carvacrol.