Journal of Medicinal Plants Biotechnology

Abstract An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of water deficit stress (field capacity (FC), 50%, and 30% of FC) and foliar application of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and spermidine (control and 3 mg L⁻¹), as well as their combined application, on growth and selected physiological traits of basil. The highest plant biomass was observed under irrigation at FC + simultaneous foliar application of spermidine and GABA. The main effects of water deficit and foliar treatments significantly influenced chlorophyll, H2O2, malondialdehyde, proline, elemental content, and essential oil content of the plant. The highest chlorophyll a, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium content were observed under irrigation at FC. Irrigation at FC and 50% FC significantly increased chlorophyll b and nitrogen contents. Irrigation at 30% FC resulted in elevated levels of H2O2, malondialdehyde, and proline accumulation. All three foliar treatments led to increased chlorophyll b, nitrogen and potassium contents. Simultaneous foliar application of both compounds contributed to a reduction in H2O2 and malondialdehyde levels, while enhancing chlorophyll a, proline, phenolic compounds, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and essential oil contents. Essential oil content was notably increased under irrigation at 50% FC. Sixteen constituents were identified in the basil essential oil, with methyl chavicol (38.42–42.38%) being the predominant compound, particularly prominent in the treatment combining irrigation at 30% FC with foliar application of both compounds. The results of the present study demonstrate the positive effect of concurrent application of both compounds on the evaluated physiological and biochemical traits of basil under water deficit conditions.

Abstract In light of the growing demand for medicinal plants and their increasing significance in global society, this study examined the essential oils composition and phenolic content in the flowers and leaves of Stachys schtschegleevi. Plant samples were collected from the Jolfa region, and the essential oils were extracted using a Clevenger apparatus. The chemical composition of the essential oils was analyzed using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that the percentage of essential oil in the flower organs was 39% higher than in the leaves. Analysis of the essential oils identified 61 compounds in the flowers (98.39% of the total) and 49 compounds in the leaves (98.73% of the total). The dominant compounds in the flower organs were germacrene D (20.69%), α-cadinol (9.51%), α-muurolene (7.16%), n-hexadecanoic acid (5.93%), thymol (5.41%), spathulenol (4.77%), α-pinene (4.62%) and β-pinene (4%). The dominant compounds in Pulak leaf essential oil were found to be α-pinene (12.98%), germacrene D (11.92%), α-cadinol (7.9%), thymol (6.91%), n-hexadecanoic acid (4.82%), spathulenol (4.44%) and α-muurolene (4.22%). Evaluation of the phenolic compounds showed that the total phenol and flavonoid content in the flowers (81.8 and 3.5 mg/ g of dry extract, respectively) was higher than in the leaves (56.1 and 3 mg/g of dry extract, respectively). Therefore, due to its higher essential oil percentage and greater richness in phenolic compounds, the flower organ of Stachys schtschegleevi is considered more suitable than the leaf organ for industrial applications, particularly in the field of essential oil extraction.

Abstract Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is one of the oldest medicinal and spice plants in the world. Several factors affect the growth and production of saffron including: age and the number of corms per surface area, soil texture, the time of plant culture, time and kind of irrigation, mineral nutrition and ecological factors. It seems that the quantity and quality of saffron products are greatly different at different plant ages. The plant or field age has important effect on growth indices of saffron and its secondary metabolites. In order to investigate the effects of plant age on secondary metabolites and some physiological factors of saffron, a research project was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications at the research field of medicinal plants of the University of Zanjan. Three saffron farms with different biological ages of one, two and five years old were selected as experimental treatments, and then three plots were randomly selected from each farm and the desired traits were measured. Results showed that, increasing of the age of saffron plants in this experiment increased fresh weight of plant and dry weight of stigma. 5-yraes old plants showed the highest amounts of these traits. Whereas, the contents of soluble proteins and sugars and photosynthetic pigments were higher at first year and decreased by increasing of plant age. Number of secondary metabolites decreased when the age of plants increased as in one–year old saffron plants 26 metabolites and in 5-year old plants only 15 metabolites were detected. Loliolid (18%) and thymol (17%) in 1-year old plants and thymol (19%) and camphor (14%) in 5-year old plants showed the highest level among all detected secondary compounds. Generally according to these results, plant age has an important effect on the number and kinds of secondary metabolites in saffron which should be considered at the time of saffron harvesting.   

Abstract In order to investigate the application of chemical and biological fertilizers on quantitative and qualitative traits of peppermint plant a split plots in time with two factors in experiment randomized complete blocks design with four replications conducted in research farm of the University Campus and Natural Resources Tehran (Karaj), was implemented in 2019. The first factor of chemical and biological fertilizer treatment at 13 levels (A1= nitroxin fertilizer (5kg/ha), A2= nitroxin fertilizer (10kg/ha), B1=supernitroplus fertilizer (5kg/ha), B2= supernitroplus fertilizer (10kg/ha) ), C1=biosulfur fertilizer (5kg/ha), C2=biosulfur fertilizer (10kg/ha), D1=superphosphate fertilizer (5kg/ha), D2= superphosphate fertilizer (10kg / ha), E1= urea fertilizer (75kg/ha) ), E2= urea fertilizer (100kg /ha), F1= iron fertilizer (1kg/ ha), F2 = iron fertilizer (1.5 kg/ha), S=control (without fertilizer), and the second factor was harvest time in two cutting times. The experimental results showed that application of biochemical fertilizers significantly increased all quantitative and qualitative traits (height, length and number of inflorescences, wet and dry yield, leaf area, percentage and yield) of essence plant significantly 1% probability level. Treatment of biochemical fertilizers improved the quantitative and qualitative traits of peppermint compared to the control treatment (without fertilizer). The tallest height, length and number of inflorescences, wet and dry yield, leaf area, percentage of essential oil in the first harvest obtained in nitroxin biofertilizer treatments at 10 kg/ha and urea chemical fertilizer at 100 kg / ha. Also, the highest amount of the above traits in the second harvest was related to nitroxin biofertilizer at the rate of 10 kg/ha. The lowest amount of all quantitative and qualitative traits of peppermint obtained in the first and second harvests in the control treatment (without fertilizer).

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