Medicinal Plants
Zhale Zandavifard; Majid Azizi; Majid Darroudi; Azar Hosseini
Abstract
Introduction:Ganoderma lucidum is a high medicinal value mushroom have been widely used in the Far East countries especially in traditional Chinese medicine as promoting human health and treatment of many diseases. Nowadays, many published studies have established it contains a high source of nutraceutical ...
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Introduction:Ganoderma lucidum is a high medicinal value mushroom have been widely used in the Far East countries especially in traditional Chinese medicine as promoting human health and treatment of many diseases. Nowadays, many published studies have established it contains a high source of nutraceutical and pharmaceutical substances with potent and unique properties as immune suppressors, hypercholesterolemic agents, or coadjutant treatments in diseases such as cancer, hypertension, insomnia, anorexia, dizziness, and chronic hepatitis, among others. This species is rich in several bioactive compounds (over 400 compounds) mainly, including polysaccharides, triterpenoids, steroids, fatty acids, amino acids, nucleotides, proteins, and alkaloids. Herein, the fruiting bodies of G. lucidum were studied in terms of nutritional value and chemical composition analysis. and further assessment of antioxidant activity of extracts from the fruiting body. Materials and methods: In order to detection of nutrient elements, the samples were homogenized by microwave digestion (Milestone Ethos, Germany) with 1000 W maximum power and further characterized using Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Biochemical molecule contents were characterized using Acquity Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatograph (UPLC, Waters) coupled to a photodiode array detector (PDA, Waters) and an electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometer (ESI–QTOF/MS; Waters). In order to assess antioxidant activity, two kinds of extract including methanol 80 % (ME) and hot water (HWE) as solvent were prepared by ultrasonic method. Six different in vitro assays are used for the determination of antioxidant capacity including ABTS, DPPH, superoxide (SO), nitric oxide (NO) free radicals scavenging, iron-reducing power (FRAP), and iron chelating activity (ICA). The data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the means were separated by the Newman-Keuls Multiple Comparison test (GraphPad Prism 8, San Diego, CA, USA)). All data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. P ≤ 0.05 values or less were considered to indicate a statistically significant difference. Furthermore, Half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for each assay were calculated from linear or logarithmic regression using Excel software.Results and Discussion: G.lucidum was characterized in terms of nutritional value and chemical composition. Generally, to study the nutraceutical value of G.lucidum, 14 elements were analyzed by ICP-OES. Amongst the macronutrient group, phosphorus and potassium (2910.8 and 1510.8 mg/kg dry matter) and in the micronutrient iron and zinc (8.5 and 7.74 mg/kg dry matter) have the highest amounts, respectively. In terms of biochemical compounds, totally 37 compounds were identified in which Ganoderic acid was observed as most abundant (15890.1 ± 232.1 μg per g dry matter) followed by Sinapic acid and Succinic acid (2011.4 ± 28.11 and 1505.33 ± 31.5 μg per g dry matter) were the predominant compounds. The results of antioxidant assays clearly revealed that, the methanolic extract proved to have higher antioxidant potential than one corresponding hot water extract for all assays. In ABTS radical scavenging activity assay, ME with the best antioxidant activity (IC50,48.46±2.42 µg/ml) had a higher activity which was significantly different (P ≤ 0.05) from HWE (163.51±4.51 µg/ml). For DPPH assay, radical scavenging capacity was dose-dependent and IC50 values of ME (111.93±1.39 µg/ml) and HWE (213.48±5.42µg/ml) was a significant difference (P ≤ 0.05). In FRAP assay, The highest level of iron-reduction was observed in the highest level of ME(IC50, 308.13±4.13 µg/ml). This extract had higher iron-chelating activity (IC50, 671.75±5.66 µg/ml) as well. These values in both assays were significantly more potent than HWE (P ≤0.01). In SO assay, ME extract (IC50, 488.8±7.38 µg/ml) and HWE (IC50, 645.92±5.48 µg/ml) showed no difference significantly. In addition, in the NO assay, both extracts released slight weak activity for neutralization of nitric oxide radicals, however, the highest activity level was related to ME (IC50, 1189.5±8.5 µg/ml) in comparison to HWE (IC50, 1343.2±10.6 µg/ml) that was significant (P ≤0.01). The results clearly indicate that different solvents used in this study significantly affected antioxidant capacities and total biochemical contents.Conclusions: G. lucidum, as a high medicinal value mushroom, proved is a very important source of nutrients and antioxidant compounds such as terpenoids, especially triterpenoids, and polysaccharides. The free radical scavenging properties, reducing power and iron-chelating inhibition of G. lucidum seemed to be correlated with phenolic compounds and triterpenoids mostly. Therefore, based on the nutritional and biochemical profile of G. lucidum, and also its antioxidant power, this mushroom possesses a high nutrient potential that reflects positively on its health benefits.
Medicinal Plants
Mohammad Bagher Razavinia; Nasibeh Pourghasemian; Farzad Najafi
Abstract
IntroductionHeavy 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 ...
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IntroductionHeavy 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. Materials and Methods 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. Results and DiscussionIn 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. Conclusion 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.
Medicinal Plants
Esmaeil Nabizadeh; Masud Haghshenas; Khadijeh Ahmadi
Abstract
IntroductionThe 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, ...
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IntroductionThe 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. Materials and MethodsThis 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%. Results and DiscussionThe 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. ConclusionIn 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.
Postharvest physiology
Abdollah Ehtesham Nia; Shirin Taghipour; Sara Siahmansour
Abstract
IntroductionWhile 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 ...
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IntroductionWhile 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. Material and Methods 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. Results and Discussion 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. Conclusion 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.
Pomology
Alireza Bonyanpour; Babak Jamali
Abstract
Introduction
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 ...
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Introduction
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.
Materials and Methods
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.
Results and Discussion
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.
Conclusion
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.
Postharvest physiology
Bahareh Ghorbani; Roghayeh Najafzadeh
Abstract
Introduction
Cherry fruit has a high nutritional value and because of its favorable taste, its attractive appearance is of great importance. Iran is the origin of many horticultural products, especially cherries. The quality and quantity of the Iranian cherry crop are much more suitable in comparison ...
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Introduction
Cherry fruit has a high nutritional value and because of its favorable taste, its attractive appearance is of great importance. Iran is the origin of many horticultural products, especially cherries. The quality and quantity of the Iranian cherry crop are much more suitable in comparison with other producing countries due to suitable climatic conditions and significant areas under cultivation. This fruit has a very short shelf life due to its susceptibility to transport damage. After harvest, the cherry fruit decays quickly and in some cases, due to the time of transfer and marketing, does not reach consumers with good quality. Therefore, the use of natural compounds to increase shelf life and maintain its quality seems necessary inlcuding lower moisture, and perishability. On the other hand, storage of products involves a series of biochemical changes that take place, which is accompanied by softening of the fruit, destruction of the cell wall, and reduction of the external and internal quality of the products. Therefore, the use of appropriate compounds to increase durability and maintain its quality seems necessary. Phytohormonal treatments such as melatonin increase the cold resistance of fruits during storage and reduce the development of mechanical damage in the refrigerator during fruit storage. Melatonins have an amphiphilic indole ring structure, through which they can easily move out of the cell and play a role in the structure of the cell wall or membrane. Besides, melatonin is structurally similar to auxin and has similar effects, helping to maintain cell wall structure under stress and reducing the denaturation of cell wall proteins. Melatonin is also known as a biostimulant. These biostimulants in plants affect the production of secondary metabolites, biosynthesis of various phytohormones, facilitate plant uptake of nutrients, stimulate growth, and increase product quality and quantity. Melatonin, in interaction with other signaling agents, increases fruit metabolism and induces stress resistance.
Materials and Methods
In the present study, cherry fruits were harvested from the commercial garden at full maturity and after washing with distilled water with zero melatonin (control), 50, 100, 200 micromolar were treated by immersion for 5 minutes and Store at 1.5 with a relative humidity of 85% for 35 days. Parameters such as weight loss, titratable acidity, organic acids, soluble solids, antioxidants (DPPH), phenolic compounds, anthocyanin content, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase activity were examined per week.
Results and Discussion
The results indicated that fruits treated with 200 μM melatonin showed less weight loss than other treatments and controls, and melatonin prevented fruit water loss, as well as of phenolic compounds, titratable acidity, soluble solids. The activity of peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase enzymes have all increased. These compounds preserve the fruits during storage and increase the oxidation resistance. Melatonin coating on cherry fruit and can protect cells from stress by raising antioxidant levels. Consumption of edible coatings on horticultural products such as fruits increases durability and marketability. Edible coatings reduce fruit rot and prevent microbial growth on their surface. These coatings have a positive effect on physical properties and reduce physiological activity. Oral coatings better preserve organic acids by changing the internal atmosphere and slowing down the respiration of the fruit.
Conclusion
The use of exogenous compounds or growth regulators has in many cases been effective in reducing the effects of environmental stresses. These results show that the combination of melatonin has high antioxidant properties and can act as a protective compound and inhibit free radicals. Besides, it acts as a signaling molecule at the cellular level and manages antioxidant activity, thus preventing membrane damage and lipid peroxidation of the membrane. Melatonin also increases plant tolerance to environmental stresses and follows this mechanism by regulating gene expression in various horticultural crops. The use of melatonin improves the process of coping with oxidative stress by further regulating the biosynthesis of anthocyanins and the antioxidant-encoding gene.
Decomposition of cell wall compounds may increase total soluble solids, melatonin reduces the process of wall destruction, and preserves the appearance of the fruit. Increasing the amount of soluble solids increases the total antioxidant, phenolic and increases the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Melatonin is also at the forefront of stress management, and other antioxidants act as support after melatonin. Melatonin can prevent further stress damage by activating the plant signaling pathway.
Postharvest physiology
Vahid Anisi; Yahya Selahvarzi; Maryam Kamali; Bahram Abedi
Abstract
Introduction
Cucumber is a vegetable with a low capacity for storage; it usually loses quality 14 days from the beginning of storage. The benefits of cold storage are not the same for all the fruit or vegetables, some given vegetables are more suitable for cold storage than others. However, pre-cooling ...
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Introduction
Cucumber is a vegetable with a low capacity for storage; it usually loses quality 14 days from the beginning of storage. The benefits of cold storage are not the same for all the fruit or vegetables, some given vegetables are more suitable for cold storage than others. However, pre-cooling is always advisable, because the products takes profit from the benefits of low temperatures in cold storage rooms. Due to the short shelf life of cucumber and the high speed of reducing its quality, various methods are used to maintain the quality of cucumber, such as edible coatings. Propolis, also called “bee-glue,” is a natural resinous substance produced by honeybees from plant exudates, beeswax, and bee secretions in order to defend the hives. Propolis has an important role in prevention of food loss weight and waste, thus helping to ensure food safety and security. The concoction of aqueous propolis extracts has a lower cost as compared to hydroalcoholic extracts and it is believable that both, aqueous and hydro alcoholic extracts, present similar concentrations of phenolic compounds resulting in a product of appropriate functional characteristics. Herein, the biochemical composition and efficacy of propolis in maintaining the postharvest storability of food products were discussed to provide a comprehensive guide to farmers and food processing and storage sectors and to scientists.
Materials and Methods
In order to investigate the effect of two factors of hydro cooling and propolis as an edible coating on cucumber shelf life, this study was conducted in the spring and summer of 2019 in the laboratories of horticultural sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. The factorial experiment was based on a completely randomized design. Experimental treatments included three levels of propolis alcoholic extract (0, 4 and 8%) and two temperature treatments (4 (hydro cooling temperature) and 25 ° C) in 4 replications.
Weight loss, tissue firmness, extract pH, total soluble solids, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, total phenol and antioxidant activity were measured. The experimental data were analyzed using Jump-8 statistical software and the means of treatments were compared by LSD test at 5% probability level.
Results and Discussion
Results showed that the interaction of treatments had an effect on fruit weight loss percentage, firmness, and antioxidant activity, chlorophyll and total soluble solids. Thus, the highest percentage of fruit weight loss was observed in the control treatment (without propolis) in 4°C (5.02%). Foliar application of fruits led to an increase in firmness of fruit tissue with propolis in both concentrations of 4 and 8% compared to the control treatment (no foliar application with propolis) in both temperature treatments. The highest total chlorophyll content was in 8% propolis treatments + temperature of 24 °C (8.96 mg / gfw), treatment of 8% propolis + temperature of 4 °C (8.68 mg/gfw) and treatment of 4% propolis + temperature of 4 oC (7.93 mg/gfw) significantly. In addition, antioxidant activity increased in the treatments of 4 °C+ foliar application with propolis 4 and 8%. In general, although fruits treated with 24 ° C showed more weight loss than 4 °C, the use of both concentrations of propolis improved the above trait, reducing the amount of fruit phenol and tissue firmness and other biochemical traits. Studies have shown that the chemical composition of the propolis samples which a certain breed of bees (Apis mellifera intermissa) made have 17 different chemical compounds. They noted that the main phenolic compound was caffeic acid (0.85 mg·g−1 EAP) and the main flavonol compound was pinocembrin (0.82 mg·g−1 EAP). Significant (P ≤ 0.05) differences were observed in dragon fruit quality when treated with different concentrations of ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) (0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0%) and stored at 20 ± 2 °C and 80 ± 5% relative humidity (RH) for 20 days, which matched our results. Passos et al. (2016) reported test panel did not detect significant differences amongst coated and not coated cv. Prata bananas up to six days of storage. Propolis extracts.
Conclusion
In addition to a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, contain hydrophobic composites that assist in ameliorating attributes as biodegradable films on fruits.
Medicinal Plants
Zeinabsadat Shahzeidi; Saeid Hesami Tackallou; Leila Amjad; Hakimeh Zali; Alireza Iranbakhsh
Abstract
Introduction UV-C (254-280 nm) and 280-320 nm) UV-B, UV-A (320-390nm) wavelengths are irradiated with three ultraviolet strips and have detrimental effects on the growth of a number of plants. Ultraviolet light is an important non-living factor that can stimulate the production of secondary metabolites, ...
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Introduction UV-C (254-280 nm) and 280-320 nm) UV-B, UV-A (320-390nm) wavelengths are irradiated with three ultraviolet strips and have detrimental effects on the growth of a number of plants. Ultraviolet light is an important non-living factor that can stimulate the production of secondary metabolites, including antioxidant compounds in plants. Ozone depletion and its consequences, including direct UV radiation on the planet and its effects on crops and medicinal plants, are among the topics that have received very little study. Ultraviolet light in nature occurs only at low intensities, but if the inhibitory effect of the ozone layer in the stratosphere is significantly the result of nitrogen and hydrocarbon oxides the weaker the halogen, the higher its amount.Materials and Methods Portulaca oleracea seeds were prepared by Pakan Isfahan Company. The aim of this study was the effect of ultraviolet rays at different levels (UV-C: 0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 nm) on the activity of photosynthetic pigments and biochemical traits of portulaca oleracea in factorial in a completely randomized design with three replications. After transferring the seeds of portulaca oleracea, the healthy and uniform seeds of this plant were sterilized in 15% sodium hypochlorite solution for 154 minutes and then washed thoroughly with distilled water and placed in a petri dish for germination. Moisture was supplied through filter paper soaked in distilled water. The seeds were planted in pots filled with cocopeat and perlite evenly and watered for 20 days with a half-strength Hoagland solution. Plants were grown for 20 days at a temperature of 30 ± 2 ° C and a light period of 8.16 (light / dark, respectively). Plants for one week, every other day, and for 3 minutes each time by two fluorescent lamps with a wavelength of 260 nm exposed to ultraviolet C (at a distance of 30 cm from the UV light source with an intensity of 27 (w / m2) were located. The traits studied in this study included chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, phenol, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity. In this study, the effect of ultraviolet light on the activity of photosynthetic pigments and biochemical traits of portulaca oleracea was investigated factorially in a completely randomized design with three replications.Results and Discussion The results of the mean comparison showed that the UV treatment of chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll, carotenoid of portulaca oleracea was reduced compared to the control; However, UV treatment of portulaca oleracea significantly increased phenol, flavonoids, and antioxidants compared to the control. The effect of different doses of ultraviolet rays on phenol and portulaca oleracea antioxidants showed that the UV-C highest and lowest were 700 and 100 nm, respectively. Decreases in carotenoid content can result in either inhibition of pigment synthesis or their breakdown and degradation. The results of this report indicate significant changes in phenols and flavonoids as compounds it absorbed ultraviolet rays compared to control cells.Conclusion It can be said that excessive exposure to radiation may affect chlorophyll levels by inhibiting chlorophyll biosynthesis or accelerating its degradation. Oxygen is an electron receptor in the electron transport system that produces energy from adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the body. Under certain conditions, oxygen can be converted to a single electron, creating free radicals. When oxygen is converted to a single electron, it is called active oxygen (ROS). These free radicals cause oxidative stress in plants which oxidative stress leads to damage to macromolecules such as DNA, proteins and so on. Environmental stresses, including UV radiation, produce active oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide (O2-), and hydroxyl radicals (OH), which cause oxidative stress and cause damage to cells, such as DNA. And cause the destruction of these compounds. The plant contains compounds that act as active antioxidants and sweep away active oxygen. In the present study, the observed increase in phenols, flavonoids and antioxidants indicates an increase in the production of free radicals under ultraviolet radiation and shows that the production of these radicals is more than the plant's defense capacity and has caused damage to plant biological membranes. In summary, the application of controlled ultraviolet light stress can provide a new alternative strategy to increase the productivity of the portulaca oleracea plant. Modulating UV-C light in agricultural systems is a promising tool to increase crop production.
Heshmat Omidi; Fatemeh Pirjalili; Khadijeh Ahmadi
Abstract
Introduction: Water deficit is one of the major abiotic stresses, which adversely affects crop growth and yield. Plants use two different strategies, including drought avoidance and drought tolerance to grow under drought stress. Drought avoidance species are able to have a normal growth, which is due ...
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Introduction: Water deficit is one of the major abiotic stresses, which adversely affects crop growth and yield. Plants use two different strategies, including drought avoidance and drought tolerance to grow under drought stress. Drought avoidance species are able to have a normal growth, which is due to: 1) efficient and fast metabolism, 2) high uptake of water and nutrients, and 3) little production of secondary metabolites under deficient water conditions. While drought tolerance species maintain their regular growth, under drought stress, by: 1) adjustment of osmotic potential, 2) changes in cell wall properties, and 3) production of antioxidants and secondary metabolites, these species under prolong drought, and irrespective of plant type, plant produces higher rate of secondary metabolites, as a non-enzymatic mechanism. Such products are able to maintain plant activities, under oxidative stress, and in the presence of high rate of reactive oxygen species. Medicinal plants, including Balangu (Lallemantia royleana Benth.), are cultivated across different parts of the world including Iran for food and biodiesel purposes. Investigating the effects of drought stress on the production of secondary compounds by medicinal plants is an important issue. According to the previous studies drought stress increases the production of secondary compounds affecting the quality of medicinal plants. This must be considered when developing tolerant medicinal plants under stress, especially if the quality of medicinal plants is of higher importance than their quantity. The tolerance of medicinal plants is different under stress. Due to the importance of drought and its effects on the growth and the quality of medicinal plants, in this research the effects of stress intensity and plant species on the growth and physiology (including the medicinal contents) of Balangu plants were investigated. To our knowledge, there are not much data on such effects. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of drought stress on: 1) Balangu growth and yield, and 2) Balangu physiology including the activities of morphological traits, yield components and oil yield and the production of antioxidant enzyme affecting plant medicinal content. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted to investigate grain yield, yield components, and superoxide dismutase enzyme in three populations of Balangu (Lallemantia royleana Benth.) under drought stress. This study was conducted as a split plot experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications at the experimental field of Shahed University during 2013-2014 growing season. The main factor consisted of four levels of drought stress (soil moisture content of -0.5, -3.5, -6.5 and -9 atm) and three Balangu Shirazi populations (Mashhad, Kerman and Taleghan) as sub-factors were considered. The main factor included drought stress levels at four levels (soil moisture content of -0.5, -3.5, -6.5 and -9 atm) and three Balangu Shirazi populations (Mashhad, Kerman and Taleghan) were considered as sub-plots. Measured traits were included root length, plant height, fresh and dry weight per plant, grain yield, grain yield components, mucilage percent and yield. In order to study the morphological traits, seven plants of each plot were selected with consideration of marginal impacts. About four square meters of each plot was harvested at maturity for determination of yield and its components.. The analysis of variance was does through SAS 9.12 statistical program and the means were compared by Duncan's multiple range test in 5% level. Results and Discussion: A set of yield and biochemical properties of three different species of Balangu which were affected by drought levels were determined. According to the analysis of variance the yield and biochemical properties of Balangu were significantly affected by drought, and there were significant differences between three species. The results showed that drought stress had a significant effect on growth components, yield components, grain yield, and oil yield and superoxide dismutase enzyme. With decrease of soil water content, plant height traits (24.73 cm), the number of branches (5.44), fresh (17.36 g) and dry (3.80 g) weight of plant, 1000-grain weight (1.51 g), harvest index (6.41 %), grain yield (157 kg.ha-1) and oil yield (37.77 kg.ha-1) decreased. Root length and superoxide dismutase content increased by 24.02 and 66.63% under severe stress compared to no stress condition, respectively. The highest grain and oil yield was obtained in Mashhad population under drought stress. In relatively severe stress conditions, the grain and oil yield of Taleghan population increased with the mean of 315.75 and 86.5 kg.ha-1, respectively. Under drought stress levels, the lowest reduction was observed in some growth characteristics and grain yield of Kerman population. Conclusion: Overall, the results of this study demonstrated that drought stress at flowering stage increased root length and superoxide dismutase enzyme of the studied populations. Furthermore morphological traits, grain yield components, harvest index, relative water content, grain yield and seed oil of Balangu populations were decreased. The highest seed and oil yield gained under moderate stress which belongs to Taleghan population and Mashhad population revealed the highest seed and oil yield under mild stress. Therefore, given the high stresses, introducing high-yielding populations under relatively severe stresses can lead to water use efficiency and irrigation management. Finally, the production of Taleghan population under relatively severe conditions such as arid and semi-arid cropping systems is recommended.
Mitra Mohammadi Bazargani
Abstract
Introduction: The phytochemical and biological properties of medicinal plants depend on the climatic conditions of the area under development, the growth stage, genetic factors and other factors. Therefore the study of the wild flora in the geographical areas with different climatic conditions ...
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Introduction: The phytochemical and biological properties of medicinal plants depend on the climatic conditions of the area under development, the growth stage, genetic factors and other factors. Therefore the study of the wild flora in the geographical areas with different climatic conditions is important. It has been proved that the extract of Epilobium has high antioxidant capacity, which is associated with a high concentration of flavonoids content. Studies on five species of Epilobium genus (E. parviflorum schreb., E. roseum schreb., E. tetragonum L., E. montanum L., E. angustifolium L.), had shown that E. parviflorum had the highest antioxidant capacity among studied species. The occurrence of E. parviflorum in wide range of altitudinal zones in Iran makes it as ideal species to study the variation of antioxidant capacity among ecotypes. The present study aims to screen Epilobium parviflorum ecotypes (n=16) of Iran in terms of antioxidant capacity (AOX). Materials and Methods: Total phenol content (TPH), Total flavonoid (TFL), antioxidant capacity (AOX) and anthocyanin content (ACY) were measured by Folin- Ciocalteu, flavonoid-aluminum chloride (AlCl3), Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and the differential PH methods, respectively. Regression analysis was used for studying the relationships between antioxidant capacity, altitude and latitude. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine whether there is a linear relationship between variables. Results and Discussion: There was a high correlation between total phenol content and total flavonoid in ecotypes (r = 0.7, P = 0.002, n = 16). There was a positive and significant correlation between AOX content with TPH (r = 0.71, P = 0.002, n = 16) and also between AOX with TFL (r = 0.73, P = 0.001, n = 16). According to several studies, high antioxidant capacity has been attributed to high concentrations of flavonoids and phenols, which is consistent with the results observed in this study. The results also showed that the Iranian E. parviflorum ecotypes had considerably TFL, TPH and AOX content as compare to previous reports on E. parviflorum (in other country) and also other Epilobium species. Principal component analysis showed that the two main components explained 87.87% total variation. The high contribution of the two first components suggested a considerable correlation between three phytochemical traits, the contribution of the first component alone was 62.13% and the portion of the second component was 25.74%. In the first component, TFL, TPH and AOX were with coefficients of 0.78, 0.77 and 0.88, respectively. The high contribution of the two first components had a significant relationship between three phytochemical traits. The ecotypes of E. parviflorum were clearly separated based on the first principal component. Ten ecotypes had a correlation with the first main component (PC1) shown by TFL, TPH and AOX. Among them six ecotypes had a positive correlation (r> 0.6) and 4 ecotypes had a negative correlation (r> 0.6) with the first main component (PC1). Thus, out of the 16 ecotypes of E. parviflorum in Iran, six ecotypes including EPP3, EPP6, EPP8, EPP10, EPP13 and EPP9 had the desired content of TFL, TPH and subsequently antioxidant capacity, most of which belonged to the Zagros and crossroad of Zagros and Alborz mountains. The ecotypes that did not have the desired content of TFL, TPH and AOX (negative correlation with the first main component, PC1) mostly belong to the Alborz Mountains. The highest levels of TPH, TFL and AOX capacity were observed for the Sangan ecotype with values of 1761, 32.64 mg/g DW and 93.50 mM/g DW, respectively, and the lowest was observed in Kaleybar ecotype. Out of 16 ecotypes, 6 ecotypes had the desired content of TFL, TPH, and subsequently AOX, most of which belonged to the Zagros and crossroad of Zagros and Alborz Mountains. Regression analysis showed no relation between AOX capacity with altitude (R2 = 0.04) and also with latitude (R2 = 0.14). Conclusion: This research is the first study that screens AOX capacity by including multiple ecotypes (n=16) from E. parviflorum species to evaluate intra ecotypes phytochemical variation for E. parviflorum. We found positive and significant correlation between TFL, TPH and AOX. We did not find any significant correlation between TFL, TPH content and AOX capacity of E. parviflorum with altitude above sea. Our results also showed Iranian E. parviflorum ecotypes (especially Sangan ecotype, EPP10) have considerably TFL, TPH and AOX capacity compared to previous reports. The results of this study indicate that there is a remarkable variation among Iranian E. parviflorum ecotypes for the studied traits, which can be used to carry out breeding programs and protection of germplasm.
Mehdi Ghesmati; Farid Moradinezhad
Abstract
Introduction: Sour cherry is one of the most strategically important horticultural products in the Khorasan Razavi province that proper nutrition can improve the performance of the plant. This fruit is rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and soluble fiber, which is very useful for lowering blood ...
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Introduction: Sour cherry is one of the most strategically important horticultural products in the Khorasan Razavi province that proper nutrition can improve the performance of the plant. This fruit is rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and soluble fiber, which is very useful for lowering blood pressure. Proper nutrition is one of the important factors in determining the quantity and quality of the fruit. In arid and semi-arid regions, micronutrient elements availability is one of the factors that limits growth, yield, and quality of fruit trees , because absorption of nutrients being limited due to the alkalinity of the soil. So, the use of an appropriate method to provide the required nutrients by plants is necessary. Foliar application of nutrient is one of the important ways in the food supply for plants. Hence, spraying is an effective way to reduce nutritional disorders in plants. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of foliar application of iron and zinc micronutrients on the yield and physicochemical properties of sour cherry fruit.
Materials and Methods: In order to investigate the effect of spraying of iron chelate and zinc sulfate on yield and qualitative characteristics of the sour cherry fruit, a factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications in the commercial orchard of Astan Quds Razavi, Mashhad, Iran. The first factor was spraying iron 6% Fe-EDDHA at 3 levels (0, 2 and 4 g l-1) and the second factor was spraying zinc sulfate at 3 levels (0, 2 and 4 g l-1). The treatments were applied in two stages, 20 days after the whole flowering stage and 20 days after the first spraying. Spraying chemicals was done in the morning when temperature and humidity were not high.. Fruit and leaves samples were collected, at the commercial maturity stage of fruit, from each tree include one kilogram of fruit and half kilogram leaves. Thereafter, healthy fruits and leaves of the same shape, size, and color were selected to determine the biochemical properties of fruit and chlorophyll leaves. In this experiment, 36 grilled cherry trees of 10 years old with a spacing of 3×4 m were used. The general conditions of the selected trees were similar to other garden trees, and irrigation (dripping), pest and disease control were applied uniformly to all treated trees. The studied traits included the fresh weight of fruit, dry matter percentage, fruit yield, fruit juice acidity, soluble solids, total antioxidant, trace related to chlorophyll content, iron and zinc concentration in leaves.
Results and Discussion: The results showed that different levels of iron chelate, zinc sulfate, and their interaction increased fruit fresh weight, dry matter percentage, fruit yield and chlorophyll traits. An individual application of 4 g l-1 of iron or zinc, and also their combination application showed the greatest values on evaluated traits In addition, the soluble solids, total antioxidant, and iron leaf values were only affected by different levels of chelate iron, which improved with increasing spraying levels of the studied traits. Sprayed with zinc sulfate could increase the concentration of zinc in the leaves but the acidity of juice was not affected by the treatments. The results showed that different levels of zinc significantly affected all quantitative traits of sour cherry fruit than iron chelate. However, spraying with iron chelate had a significant effect on the quality traits of fruit, including total soluble solids and total antioxidants. Moreover, the combination effect of chelate iron and zinc sulfate in comparison to their individual application had a better effect on the quantitative and chlorophyll traits of the cherry leaf. The highest increase in both zinc and iron content of leaf samples were obtained in trees that were treated with 4 g l-1 of zinc or iron solutions, respectively. The results show that foliar application of high concentrations of both chemicals increased zinc or iron content of leaf samples about 30% compared to the control. Thus, not only higher yield but also quality improvement of sourcherry fruit occurred in treated trees. Our results was in accordance with the findings of previous studies on different fruit tress like grapes, pistachio and orange. According to the results, it can be concluded that spraying with zinc sulfate and iron chelate during plant growth season can increase yield and improve the physical and chemical properties of the sour cherry fruit.
Gholamhossein Davarynejad; Seyedeh Faezeh Taghizadeh; Javad Asili
Abstract
Introduction: Phenolic compounds have an ability to scavenge free radicals and cause the balance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in our body. This balance prevents atherosclerosis, coronary heart and cancer diseases. Butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT) is a well-known synthetic antioxidant, which is restricted ...
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Introduction: Phenolic compounds have an ability to scavenge free radicals and cause the balance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in our body. This balance prevents atherosclerosis, coronary heart and cancer diseases. Butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT) is a well-known synthetic antioxidant, which is restricted to be used due to its probable toxic effects. Therefore, replacement of synthetic antioxidants with plant materials with high amounts of antioxidant activity, which protect the body from free radicals and many diseases caused by lipid peroxidation, is an appropriate option. ZiziphusjujubaMiller is one of the forty species belonging to Rhamnaceae family, which produces a great deal of industrial raw materials for horticultural, ornamental, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Antioxidants can be extracted by various solvents and extraction methods. Solvent extraction is the most common method used for separating natural antioxidants. Solvent properties undoubtedly play a key role in the extraction of antioxidative compounds. The type and yield of antioxidant extracted have been found to vary as affected by the solvent properties such as polarity, viscosity and vapor pressure. Therefore, it is difficult to develop a unified standard method for the extraction of antioxidants from all plant materials.
Materials and Methods:
Plant materials Fresh fruits were collected from Birjand, Iran, in late summer 2014. The samples were air dried under the shade at room temperature. Dried fruits were ground by using a mortar and pestle and were separately extracted by distilled water and organic solvents such as methanol, ethanol and acetone (50%, 90% and100% (v/v)). After filtering through the Whatman paper #3 and removing the solvents (using a rotary evaporator (BUCHI V-850)) and water (using a freeze dryer, (OPERON, FDB-5503, Korea)), the dried extracts were stored in refrigerator for further analysis.
Determination of Total Phenolic Content (TPC) Samples were measured for TPCs colorimetrically using the Folin-Ciocalteu method with modification. Absorbance was read at 725 nm against blank using UV-Visible spectrophotometer (Cecil. UK.). A calibration curve was prepared using a standard solution of Gallic acid (0.2-1mg/ml). Results were expressed as mg Gallic acid/g dry extract (mg GA/g DE).
Determination of Total Flavonoid Content (TFC). TFC was determined using the method of Huang et al. (13) with minor modifications. Absorption was measured at 430 nm using UV-VIS spectrophotometer (Cecil. UK.). TFC was determined using a standard curve with quercetin as the standard, and expressed as mg of quercetin equivalents (CE)/g dry extract (mg QE/g DE).
Determination of Total Anthocyanin Content (TAC). TAC was measured using a spectrophotometric differential pH method. Its absorbance was read at 510 and 700nm. Results were expressed as milligrams of cyanidin-3-glucoside (CY.) equivalents per g of dry extract.
Determination of Total Tannin Content. For determination of tannins in the sample extracts, vanillin–HCl method was used. The absorbance was read at 500 nm using UV–vis spectrophotometer. The content of tannins in the sample was expressed as mgcatechine equivalent (CE)/100g sample.
Determination of Antioxidant Activity. Antioxidant activity of the samples was determined using DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-pic-rylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). In the presence of antioxidant, FRAP assay reduced Fe3+-TPTZ (2, 4, 6-tris (2-pyridyl)-5-triazine) complex to Fe2+ - TPTZ at low pH. The absorbance of the mixture was measured by using spectrophotometric ally at 595 nm. The effect of antioxidant on DPPH radical was thought to be due to their hydrogen donating ability or radical scavenging activity. DPPH assay expressed as IC50 and percentage inhibition. Lower IC50 value indicates higher antioxidant activity.
Results and Discussion: Efficiency of different solvent extractions depends on the matrix of plant materials as well as the type of extractable compounds. The correct selection of solvent can improve the extraction yield of antioxidants from plants matrices considerably. For this reason, in the present study, some selected types of solvent showed different results. For extraction of total phenol and flavonoid compound, acetone 50% was the best yield. In methanolic extract (50, 100%), the highest amounts of anthocyanin and total tannin were reported. In all extracts, water had the least efficiency in comparison with other solvents. High correlation was observed in total phenolic content and antioxidant activity which was determined by DPPH and FRAP assay. Acetone 50% was the most potent for scavenging free radicals and reducing a ferric-tripyridyltriazine, Fe (III)-TPTZ, complex to ferrous, Fe (II) in all extracts.
Conclusions: The results of the present study indicated that polarity, selectivity, viscosity, and vapor pressure are important physicochemical properties that should be considered when selecting a suitable solvent for the extraction of bioactive compounds from plant materials.
Nastaran Hemmati; Azim Ghasemnezhad; Javad Fattahi Moghadam; Pooneh Ebrahimi
Abstract
Introduction: all fruits that called citrus are from rutaceae family and aurantioideae subfamily. This subfamily have more than 33 different genus that only three of its genus (citrus, poncirus and fortunella) have economic aspects and in citrus producing country are important. It's reported that orange ...
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Introduction: all fruits that called citrus are from rutaceae family and aurantioideae subfamily. This subfamily have more than 33 different genus that only three of its genus (citrus, poncirus and fortunella) have economic aspects and in citrus producing country are important. It's reported that orange skin has a phenolic compounds which play a role in natural defense mechanism. Also various compounds of phenolic and antioxidant have a major role in fruit tolerance to stressful condition suh as cold and drought. Metabolites found in citrus fruits have antioxidant properties and it's very useful in pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics industries. Oranges, like other citrus fruits, are an excellent source of vitamin C; Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the blood. Various factors such as rootstock type can effect on quality and quantity of citrus fruits. Also, the usage of rootstock causes the change in plant characteristics such as flowering time, ripening time, fruit quality and antioxidant characters of the fruits. Other factors except the rootstock such as scion, geographical and climate factors are effective on producing secondary metabolites. Also active substances or secondary metabolites are producing by the conduction of genetic processes, but their production are being effected by other factors obviously. The aim of this study is to investigating the biochemical changes grafted tree fruit that affected by rootstock with study the correlation between grafted tree and rootstock changes.
Materials and Methods: This study was done to compare the amount of total phenol, total flavonoids and antioxidant features of fruit flesh and skin with investigating the effect of cultivar and rootstock on these parameters based on completely randomized factorial design with three replications. For this purpose total phenol, total flavonoid and antioxidant activity in two citrus cultivar (morro and mars) that grafted on four rootstock (yuzu, citrumelo, sour orange and shel mahalleh) with seedling rootstocks fruit were studied in fruit skin and flesh. Fruits were harvested in the middle of December according to their total soluble solid materials (TSS) which was 10 and then transferred to the researching laboratory in Gorgan Agricultural Science and Natural Resources University. Antioxidant properties using DPPH method in 517 nm wavelength, total amount of phenol using folin siocalteu method in 765 nm wavelength and the total amount of flavonoid were done using the aluminum chloride method in 415 nm wavelength and they were measured using spectrophotometer.
Results and Discussion: the result showed that the two factors consisting rootstock and scion have significant effect on the amount of total phenol, total flavonoid and antioxidant properties of extracts of citrus skin and flesh. The greatest amount of phenolic compounds was produced in the skin of morro cultivar that grafted on shel mahalleh rootstock and the lowest amount was observed in the flesh of yuzu seedling rootstock. Total flavonoid was affected by fruit tissue, cultivar and rootstock. The maximum amount of that was seen in the skin of morro and mars cultivar that was grafted on yuzu rootstock and the minimum amount was recorded in the flesh of morro cultivar that grafted on sour orange rootstock. Also the highest antioxidant activity was produced in skin of citrumelo seedling rootstock and the lowest amount was seen in flesh of yuzu seedling rootstock. The investigation on citrus rootstock showed that, antioxidant activity, total phenol and total flavonoid had significant effect in different rootstock and cultivar fruit. These compounds were affected by climatic condition. Because the light is effective in biosynthesis of phenolic compounds, in fact, these substances have a protective role against the light, especially short wavelengths. Therefore their more accumulation is in skin. The results of this experiment and also the results of the other researcher show that the rootstock effect is related to the quality of grafted species with the species, rootstock type and their interaction.
Conclusion: Based on these experiments, there was significant difference between antioxidant compounds of grafted tree fruit with rootstock fruit but there wasn’t a clear relationship between them. It seems this difference was due to combination and physiological characteristic of each fruit. It seems that the accumulation of chemicals in citrus fruit superior than every factors depends on genetic characteristics and inherent abilities. So that some factors specially rootstock has an important and determinant role in accumulation of these substances.
Mohammad Shahin Daneshmandi; Majid Azizi; Reza Farhoosh
Abstract
In this research, we studied physical, chemical and biochemical characteristics of pistachio entitled Pistacia vera cv. Daneshmandi and was compared to three pistachio including of Badami Sefid, Kalle Ghoochi and Akbari. The examined characteristics were fresh and dry weight of seed, green shell and ...
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In this research, we studied physical, chemical and biochemical characteristics of pistachio entitled Pistacia vera cv. Daneshmandi and was compared to three pistachio including of Badami Sefid, Kalle Ghoochi and Akbari. The examined characteristics were fresh and dry weight of seed, green shell and also kernel, weight of hard shell, seedless and early opening nut, comparing the seed and kernel dimensions, percentage of oil, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, acid value, peroxide value, total tocopherols, and total phenolics. The results indicated that Pistacia vera cv. Daneshmandi in some characteristics holds a distinction amongst the other types and particulary in some qualities such as kernel weight, percentage early opening nut and kernel/seed proportion. This cultivar was high-oil (51.28%) and also the highest in the ratio of poly unsaturated to saturated fatty acids (2.82). The second place of pistachio Daneshmandi was the amount of antioxidant material. In front, was lowest peroxide value in the Daneshmandi cultivar (2.702 mil equivgr.kg-1 oil). Also 27% decreased the amount of acid value in the Daneshmandi cultivar (0.49 mg.g-1 oil) of compared of the Kalleghoochi cultivar (0.627 mg.g-1 oil). In total, Pistacia vera Cv. Daneshmandi can be considered to be a good cultivar for commercial production and to have a top position among the national product exported.
Maryam Haghighi; Mohsen Kafi
Abstract
Information of heavy metal toxicity about physiological aspect of lettuce is limited. Therefore an experiment was conducted in CRD designed with 7 replications on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Treatments were cadmium in 3 concentration (0, 2 and 4 mg/L) added to Hoagland solution. Results were shown that ...
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Information of heavy metal toxicity about physiological aspect of lettuce is limited. Therefore an experiment was conducted in CRD designed with 7 replications on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Treatments were cadmium in 3 concentration (0, 2 and 4 mg/L) added to Hoagland solution. Results were shown that increasing in cadmium of nutrient solution caused increasing in SOD, POD antioxidant and proline contents of leaf tissues, in addition, cadmium decreased the amount of fresh weight and organic acid. Applying 2 and 4 mg/L cadmium in nutrient solution produced POD, SOD and Proline around 8 and 53%, 55 and 106%, 39 and 119% in 2 and 4 mg/L cadmium, respectively. Whereas in the same concentrations of cadmium protein decreased 25 and 5 %, respectively. Under cadmium stress, toxic effects decline photosynthesis more than chlorophyll content.
Elham Ardakani; Gholamhossein Davarynejad; Majid Azizi
Abstract
The limited postharvest storage life of apricot causes the goal of presenting a solution in this manuscript to improve the postharvest storage of studied apricot cultivars. Studying the effect of different concentration of pre-harvest salicylic acid on quality attributes and antioxidant activity of apricot ...
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The limited postharvest storage life of apricot causes the goal of presenting a solution in this manuscript to improve the postharvest storage of studied apricot cultivars. Studying the effect of different concentration of pre-harvest salicylic acid on quality attributes and antioxidant activity of apricot during storage is the approach in used. The apricot cultivar(Nori) were sprayed at the 3 weeks before commercial ripening stage, with 1, 2, 3 and 4 mM salicylic acid as well as distilled water (control). At commercial ripening stage, apricot fruit were harvested and immediately transported to the laboratory, and then fruits were packed in boxes with polyethylene cover and stored at 4°C and 95% relative humidity for 20 days. The changes in weight loss, fruit firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, ascorbic acid, total phenolics and antioxidant activity were estimated after 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 days during storage. The results showed that the weight loss, total soluble solids, pH increased significantly while the fruit firmness, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total phenolics and antioxidant activity decreased significantly during storage for both cultivars. During this stage, a significant difference between control and salicylic acid treatments in all measured parameters is observed. The salicylic acid treatments reduced significantly the weight loss and maintained their firmness. In this condition, the highest and lowest of titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total phenolics and antioxidant activity were observed in treatments of 4 mM salicylic acid and control, respectively. The data revealed that the quality of apricot fruits was improved by the use of salicylic acid treatment due to its effect on delaying the ripening processes.
Yahya Tajvar; Reza Fotouhi Ghazvini; Yousef Hamidoghli; Reza Hassan Sajedi
Abstract
The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants under low temperature stress cause damage to plants. In order to evaluate of antioxidant responses of Page mandarin young trees (two years old) on different rootstocks under low temperatures, an experiment was conducted in a factorial plan based ...
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The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants under low temperature stress cause damage to plants. In order to evaluate of antioxidant responses of Page mandarin young trees (two years old) on different rootstocks under low temperatures, an experiment was conducted in a factorial plan based on completely randomized design. Treatment of temperatures were at seven levels include 9, 6, 3, 0.-3,-6 °C and 25 ± 2 °C (as control) and rootstocks were Sour orange, Citrange and Trifoliate orange. Results showed that, low temperatures increased electrolyte leakage, lipid proxidation, antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase and peroxidase enzyme activities (P
