Journal of Medicinal Plants Biotechnology

Abstract This study investigated the effect of different levels of charcoal obtained from acacia wood on some growth characteristics, essential oil content, and nutrient absorption of sage plants under cadmium stress. The experimental treatments included different levels of charcoal (0, 1, and 2% by weight) and cadmium stress at three levels of 0, 30, and 60 mg/kg of soil, which was factorial in the form of a completely randomized design with 4 replications in the research greenhouse of the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. The results showed that increasing the concentration of cadmium caused a significant decrease in the growth of sage plants in terms of height, stem diameter, number of sub-branches, leaf area, number of leaves, biomass, and root growth. Cadmium stress also caused a decrease in essential oil content and the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium elements, and increased iron, manganese, and cadmium in the aerial parts of the sage plant. The use of charcoal reduced the harmful effects of cadmium on growth by reducing the transfer of cadmium from roots to aerial organs and improving the absorption of nutrients. In plants treated with increasing charcoal concentration, the amount of essential oil in the flowering branches of sage significantly increased. The greatest effect of charcoal on morphological traits, percentage of essential oil, and concentration of nutrients was observed in the highest concentration used (2% by weight) and in plants under severe cadmium stress.

Abstract Medicinal plants are recognized as significant sources of natural antioxidants due to their bioactive compounds, particularly phenolics and flavonoids, which have shown potential in the prevention and treatment of various diseases. These compounds are widely studied for their notable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. The efficiency and profile of extracted phytochemicals are highly influenced by extraction parameters, including solvent type, solvent concentration, and extraction time. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different extraction methods, namely maceration and ultrasound, along with solvent type and concentration (ethanol and methanol at 50% and 70%), and extraction durations (5 and 10 minutes), on the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity of extracts from Portulaca oleracea and the leaves and fruits of Ziziphus spina-christi. A factorial experiment was conducted based on a completely randomized design with two replications for statistical analysis. The results revealed that the highest phenolic content was obtained from P. oleracea extract using the maceration method with 70% methanol for 5 minutes. Similarly, the highest flavonoid content was observed in Z. spina-christi leaf extract under the same conditions. Regarding antioxidant activity, the most potent effect was recorded in the leaf extract of Z. spina-christi using 70% ethanol and an extraction time of 10 minutes. These findings highlight the importance of optimizing extraction conditions to enhance the recovery of beneficial bioactive compounds from medicinal plants, thereby improving the antioxidant potential of the resulting extracts.

Abstract Borage, generally known as Iranian Borage flower (scientific name Echium amoenum Fisch. & C.A. Mey.), is among the important, well-known, and widely used medicinal plants in human medicinal history and holds a special place in various cultures and folklores, particularly in Iran. This plant appears to rank after thyme in the list of the most consumed plants in Iran. Across the world, the flowers and leaves of E. amoenum are utilized for medicinal purposes, including the treatment of stress, cardiovascular diseases, cough, and lung disorders, as well as for their tonic and sedative properties. This plant is native to limited regions of northern and northwestern Iran and the Caucasus and it also grows in many parts of Europe, Western Asia, and North America, where it is often found growing wild along riverbanks. Iranian borage is considered one of the most valuable and popular medicinal plants in Iran. The Boraginaceae family comprises more than 130 genera and 2300 species. The Echium genus includes 67 species. According to global research, Iranian cowpea contains natural bioactive compounds with health-promoting effects, including antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, soothing, and immunoregulatory properties. In traditional medicine, the petals of this plant are used as a diuretic, pain reliever, diaphoretic, and blood pressure reducer. The principal constituents of this plant are polyphenols, rosmarinic acid, and flavonoids. This plant has seeds rich in alpha-linolenic and gammalinolenic essential fatty acids, which are among the fatty acids required for the formation of prostaglandins involved in the synthesis of the nerve myelin sheath. For this reason, it is used in the preparation of medicinal supplements to prevent neurological diseases such as MS. Genetic diversity, as well as the use of biotechnological methods such as cell culture and callus culture in this plant, is among the approaches for producing secondary metabolites that has been studied by numerous researchers and is discussed in this article. Most of the conducted research has been based on micro-proliferation. The nutritional medium used was Murashige and Skoog, and most of the hormones applied were 42-dichloroethoxyacetic acid, naphthalene acetic acid, and 6-benzylaminourea, or a combination of them.

Abstract Ferula.gummosa is one of the important medicinal plants in Iran and world. Today this plant is endangered in nature. One of the reasons for the threat is the long dormancy of galbanum seeds and its very low germination power, along with its uncontrolled harvesting. In this research, which was conducted in a completely randomized design with 3 replications and 3 treatments at the Biotechnology Research Institute of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, galbanum plant embryos from Fars province were seprated from seeds and cultured to find the best concentration for growth in MS media with concentrations of 1/2-1/4 and complete MS media. After 30 days, traits such as seedling length, seedling weight, and percentage of germination in each medium were measured and compared. The results showed that the growth rate of this plant in MS1/4 media was higher than the two other concentrations . According to available published sources, the results of this study are reported for the first time on the effect of culture medium concentration on germination and seedling growth indices of Ferula.gummosa plant

Abstract Medicinal plants have been a source of medicinal compounds and other useful products since ancient times. Due to some limitations, the traditional methods of supplying medicinal compounds are not able to meet the ever-increasing needs of the market, and therefore the use of alternative methods is inevitable. Metabolic engineering is a logical and efficient solution to increase the production of medicinal compounds and reduce related costs. In addition to improving the production of desired metabolites and reducing the production of unwanted metabolites, metabolic engineering also leads to the production of new metabolites in plants. Currently, many methods are used to manipulate metabolic pathways, among which CRISPR/Cas technology has a special place due to its high accuracy and ease of use. In this article, the importance of medicinal plants and their metabolites has been discussed first, and then the necessity of using metabolic engineering to increase the medicinal compounds of these plants has been pointed out. In the following, we have explained the CRISPR/Cas technology and how it works in gene editing. Then, the application of this technology in manipulating the metabolic pathways of medicinal plants is discussed, focusing on three major groups of plant metabolites, namely terpenoids, alkaloids and phenylpropanoids. The next section deals with some of the challenges in the application of this technology in the metabolic engineering of medicinal plants, and proposed solutions. At the end, the future prospects of using this technology in metabolic improvements of medicinal plants are briefly described.

Abstract Anghuzeh is one of the important medicinal plants of Apiaceae family. Anghuzeh is very important in traditional Iranian medicine and there is a great global demand for it. This plant has many applications in the pharmaceutical field and has been used in the treatment of diseases for a long time. The results of the research of Angouzeh plant conducted in this field show the anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, antiviral, antibacterial and antioxidant effects. The applications of this plant in the food industry are very important, so this plant is used as an additive, flavoring or spice in the preparation and processing of various foods. Anghuzeh also has many applications in the cosmetics industry. The importance of Anghuzeh is due to the valuable gum that is obtained from cutting its roots. In recent years, due to the considerable profit from the sale of gum, the harvesting of this plant from nature has increased, and this issue leads to the extinction of the Anghuzeh generation. Anghuzeh gum contains special compounds. Essential oil is one of the main active ingredients in gum, which is used in other related industries after extraction and purification. At present, Anghuzeh gum is sold in raw form in Iran. It is hoped that with proper planning and the creation of suitable conversion industries for Anghuzeh, it will be possible to create good added value (valuation) for the country while creating employment.

Abstract Thyme is one of the most important medicinal plants which grows naturally in wide areas of range lands in Iran and simultaneously is cultured widely in Iran and other parts of the world. As Iran has placed in arid and semi-arid regions of the world, with actually low precipitation, doing projects in order to reveal the mechanisms or increase the drought tolerance of crop and medicinal plants has great value. Drought stress decreases the yield and quality of medicinal plants as well as crops. To investigate the mechanisms of drought tolerance of thyme plants and to evaluate the possibility of increasing of drought tolerance in these valuable medicinal plants, activity of some antioxidant enzymes and total soluble proteins were been analyzed in Thymus vulgaris L.in a complete randomized design experiment. After reaching to the adequate stage of growth, seedlings were grown in pots containing suitable soil, were subjected to different levels of drought stress (80% as control, 60% and 40% irrigation of field capacity(FC) as treatments). Results show that, drought stress had significant effect on total protein content as well as the activity of antioxidant enzymes. At 60% FC treatment and especially at 40% FC the amount of total soluble proteins drastically decreased. However; the activity of catalase increased at 60% FC treatment. The activity of peroxidase did not change significantly at 60% treatment but its activity decreased at 40% treatment. As a conclusion; it can be suggested that, one of the drought tolerance mechanisms of thyme is increasing of the activity of antioxidant enzymes especially the activity of catalase.  

Abstract The new concept of Metaverse seeks to create a virtual life with similar goals of real life. Although its mechanism has not been well identified so far, according to the current data, it is apparent that some facilities such as VR and AR can make a plural room for agricultural and medicinal plants aspects. This 4^th generation technology would play a significant role in the rings of agricultural value chains, and establish a new understanding among users and chains, also between the planet and the production and consumption fields. Theorizing this concept, the current article tries to define some common generalities related to Metaverse technology, then it shows how this future tool can monitor human and their agricultural products from pre-production stage to post-consumption phase; then it clarifies how man would be able to be a traveler of other sectors of surrounding ecosystems to find deeply out the consequences of every decision and action on other parts of the planet. Eventually, the importance of creating a "personal user metadata" in metaverse would be described in order to solve the problems facing mankind, resulting in a simple solution despite a complex approach in bottom layers as what we may see in soil mechanism in the nature.

Abstract Secondary metabolites are substances that exist in some plants and in a certain vegetative stage of growth. Alkaloids (Morphine, Codeine, Atropine), Terpenoids, Flavonoids, Pigments and Tannins are among the most important of these compounds. The process of changes of these effective substances in two medicinal plants Artemisia and Thymus at three altitude levels H₁ (700 to 800), H₂ (1300 to 1200) and H₃ (1700 to 1800) meters above sea level and three regions Climatic, arid, semi-arid and semi-humid conditions were studied by completely randomized block design with three replications. R software used fo statistical analysis, in addition to examining the changes of effective substances in these two medicinal plants, we achieved a new index for evaluating the severity and using it for drought zoning. The results of this research can be used in the exploitation of pasture medicinal plants. The introduced index shows that with the increase of drought severity, the amount of secondary metabolites increases significantly in different species and in different vegetative stages. This index can be used for ecology and climatology studies.

Abstract Biodiversity plays a major role in the well-being of the world population by contributing to human livelihood and development. According to WHO reports, about 80% of the world's population still relies on herbal medicines. Today, most of the drugs are self-contained medicinal plants. Natural substances have long served as sources of therapeutic drugs, such as digitalis (from foxglove), ergotamine (from infected rye), salicylates (willow bark) being classic examples. Drug discovery from natural sources includes a multifaceted approach by combining botanical, phytochemical, biological and molecular techniques. Therefore, drug discovery based on medicinal plants is still an important and undiscovered area, research in this issue leads to important results in line with medicinal goals. The decrease in biodiversity is the result of the increase in global population, rapid industrialization, excessive deforestation, overexploitation of natural resources, Pollution and ultimately global climate change. Preserving plant biodiversity is important for creating structural diversity and main compounds in the future for the sustainable development of human civilization. This issue becomes more important for

Abstract It is essential to use corrective techniques in the cultivation of medicinal plants and to improve the quantity and quality of the essential oils and essence in them for the production of high-yielding plants. The influence factors in callus production and regeneration include genotype, growth regulators, culture medium, age and type of explants and environmental conditions. In this study, callus induction in seven plant species (Daucus carota, Dracocephalum kotschyi, Hyssopus officinalis, Galega officinalis, Amsonia tubemaemontana, Moringa oliefera, Urtica dioica) has been investigated in vitro, which were evaluated callus induction and organogenesis on the leafy specimen in MS and WPM medium with different concentrations of growth regulators. For this purpose, a factorial experiment was designed in a completely randomized design (CRD) and was investigated genotypic effects on callus induction and subsequent proliferation of the plant. The results showed that Daucus carota, Moringa oliefera and Hyssopus officinalis had a significant difference in callus induction with other species.

Abstract

Abstract Native plants to desert ecosystems, have unique features to ensure their survival in harsh conditions. Choghan
(local name for Salsola tragus) is an ancient desert plant, have used for medicinal properties, and was the only
washing plant in many parts of Iran. Urban culture and supply all kinds of chemical detergents have led to the
forgetfulness of the capacities of national and patriotic detergent plant. Identify and preserve of such valuable
plants that is resistant to harsh conditions and generally are halophyte, can be exploited in therapeutic
applications, detergent plant production programs, sustainable agriculture, environmental protection and
desertification. In order to study the response of callus initiation of this plant tissues, seeds were sterilized and
planted on MS medium. After two days, explants of root, stem and leaf were cultured on MS medium with
NAA hormone with three levels: 0, 5 and 10 mg per liter. After three weeks, callus formation was evaluated.
The results showed that the best explants for good callus induction, were the explants of leaf and then stem in
16 hours of light with an intensity of 3000 lux at a concentration of 5 mg of the NAA.

Abstract To evaluate the genetic diversity of fifteen ajowan population, 15 RAPD primer(s) were used. Minimum allele (4) were dectected in TIBMBC02, TIBMBA06 and TIBMBC06 primers and maximum (11) in TIBMBC09 primer. The highest diversity index (0.9) was belong to TIBMBC09 primer and the lowest (0.4) blong to TIBMBC12 Primer, The highest Marker Index (9.07) was belong to TIBMBA09 and the lowest (1.63) belong to TIBMBA06, the most Ne allele, Shanon diversity and Nei diversity (1.9, 0.673 and 0.48 respectively) was belone to TIBMBA12 primer and the lowest Ne allele, Shanon diversity and Nei diversity (1.15, 0.258 and 0.134 respectively) was belone to TIBMBA09 primer. On the basis of the Nei and Li and Jaccard similarity, The lowest similarity was belong to C. copticum of Ardabil with Boroujerd, Qom and Boshrooyeha. Partitioning variations within and between populations, using an analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), showed that 15% and 85% of the total genetic variation existed between and within growing regions, respectively. Cluster analysis based on Nei and Li and Jaccard similarity matrix and UPGMA method showed an avegrage relationship between genetic distance and the geographical grouping of Ajowan.

Abstract