Astragalus Gossypinus Research Articles

Evaluation of Antioxidant, Mutagenicity, and Anti-mutagenicity Potential of Astragalus gossypinus Fisch. Extracts

Background: Astragalus gossypinus Fisch. is one of the Astragalus (Leguminosae) species that has been used in traditional medicine due to its phenomenal pharmacological and biological activities. Objective: In this research, the mutagenicity, anti-mutagenicity, and antioxidant potential of two different extracts of root (chloroform and ethyl acetate) and chloroform extract of aerial parts of Astragalus gossypinus were investigated. Methods: Antioxidant property was expressed as the ability of each extract to scavenge the free radicals like DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and mutagenicity and anti-mutagenicity were evaluated with the Ames test using Salmonella typhimurium strain TA100. Results: All extracts exhibited antioxidant capacity. Among them, the ethyl acetate extract of the root (IC50 = 289.29 μg/mL) was reported to be the best one, followed by the chloroform extract of the root (IC50 = 327.2 μg/mL), probably due to a higher percentage of phenolic and flavonoid compounds in these extracts. Chloroform extract of the root had the strongest anti-mutagenicity on S. typhimurium strain TA100, with a potential anti-mutagenic index ranging from 90.4867±5.84227 % to 50.2950±1.37308 %. Moreover, all tested extracts have neither direct nor indirect exerted mutagenic activity against this special strain of S. typhimurium. In the present research, saponins, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds are proposed to be antioxidant and antimutagenic agents in all extracts. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the potent antioxidant and anti-mutagenic activity of A. gossypinus make it possible to use it as a natural antioxidant or bio-preservative in various medicinal formulations and cancer prevention.

Low-molecular weight oligosaccharides from gum tragacanth (Astragalus gossypinus) ameliorate nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Wistar male rats.

Overall, the results of the current study demonstrated that the use of GT oligosaccharides obtained from Gum tragacanth (Astragalus gossypinus) showed significant antioxidant properties and hypoglycemia in NAFLD induced rats and could be used as a useful nutritional strategy for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD.

Synthesize of polyurethane/chitosan/Vicia ervilia protein/gelatin/heparin-coated Astragalus gossypinus scaffold for cardiovascular tissue engineering

With the increasing number of patients with heart disease and the relative inefficiency of existing treatments, finding a new way to treat heart disease is one of the main topics studied by researchers in recent decades. This study aimed to synthesize electrospun of polyurethane/chitosan/Vicia ervilia protein/gelatin/heparin-coated with Astragalus gossypinus scaffold for cardiovascular tissue engineering. This study was to load the anticoagulant drug heparin on nanofibers. Therefore, nanofibers of chitosan complex (2%)/polyurethane (14.5%)/cow protein (1%)/gelatin (20%) with A. gossypinus coating (3%)/gelatin by electrospinning method with two-phase voltage 16.5 kW-distance needle up to 18 cm collector feed rate 0.2 was prepared. The prepared nanofibers were examined for morphology (FT-IR, SEM, and XRD). Also, the obtained fibers were miscible and had no fuzzy separation. Also, the MTT dialysis bag was used to release the Heparin and toxicity of the produced nanofibers. This drug can remove about 82% in 120 h. The absence of cytotoxicity in this system was investigated, and these nanofibers with the drug showed 91% cell survival after seven days. This study showed better adhesion and growth of endothelial cells in the vessel's inner wall.

Evaluation of the effect of carboxy methyl cellulose edible coating containing Astragalus honey (Astragalus gossypinus) on the shelf-life of pistachio kernel

The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) containing Astragalus honey (Astragalus gossypinus) to control rancidity and microbial spoilage of pistachio kernel during storage at room temperature without effect on their sensory properties. Pistachio kernels were coated with different Astragalus honey (0, 1 and 2%) and CMC (1%) concentrations. Samples were stored at room temperature for 120 days. Microbial and fungal counts, oxidation parameters, weight loss, and hardness of pistachio samples were increased, but moisture content and sensory scores were decreased during the storage. Pistachio kernels coated with honey (2%) and CMC (1%) had the lowest microbial and fungal counts, weight loss, peroxide, anisidine, free fatty acids, and textural hardness during the storage (P < 0.05). Pistachio kernels coated with CMC containing honey exhibited the lowest color changes. Sensory score of samples increased after coating with honey and CMC. At the end of 120 days storage, the peroxide value and free fatty acid content of the sample coated with CMC and honey (2%) were about half of what was considered an acceptable threshold. Overall, the CMC coting containing Astragalus honey could obviously extended the shelf life of pistachio kernel. However, for more details, it is recommended to investigate the shelf-life of pistachio kernel in longer period or in accelerated conditions.

Preparation and characterization of poly(vinyl alcohol)/gum tragacanth/cellulose nanocomposite film

AbstractThe effects of gum tragacanth obtained from two species of Astragalus Gossypinus (GT‐G) and A. Parrowianus (GT‐P) at two levels of 10% and 30% combined with cellulose nanofibers (CNF; 5%) on the physico‐mechanical and structural properties of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposite film were investigated in this study. The water solubility and water vapor permeability of the films decreased with increasing the content of both gums, especially in the film containing 30% GT‐P. The highest values of the tensile strength (39.3 MPa) and elongation at break (445%) belonged to the treatment containing 10% GT‐P (90/10P/0). The FTIR and DSC analyses confirmed good interactions between GT and PVA in the 90/10P/0 treatment. SEM images indicated the dense structure of this film as the optimum treatment. Although the presence of CNF in the films containing GT‐G improved some properties, especially the Young modulus, it impaired all the functional properties of nanocomposite GT‐P film.

Spatial distribution of heavy metal concentrations surrounding a cement factory and its effect on Astragalus gossypinus and wheat in Kurdistan Province, Iran

The main objective of this study was to investigate the spatial variation of heavy metals concentrations released by a Kurdistan cement plant and determine the level of soil and plant contamination with lead, chromium and cadmium around the cement factory in Kurdistan province and adjacent rangeland areas.

The Effect of Seed Pre-treatments on Germination of Astragalus gossypinus Seed

The Effect of Seed Pre-treatments on Germination of Astragalus gossypinus Seed

Is Astragalus gossypinus Honey a Natural Antibacterial and Cytotoxic Agent? An Investigation on A. gossypinus Honey Biological Activity and Its Green Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles

Nowadays, there are some inconsistent reports on antibacterial and other biological properties of honey. It seems that, depending on the type, geographical location and source of flowers, honey may or may not have antibacterial, anticancer, and wound healing properties. This natural product has a high potential to combat a variety of diseases, especially infectious diseases, however, directly using this substance in therapeutic processes faces some limitations. The aim of this study is to investigate the cytotoxicity and antibacterial behaviors of Astragalus gossypinus honey. Moreover, the potential of this honey, as an interface of natural products and nanobiotechnology, in the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles was investigated and the antibacterial and cytotoxicity properties of nanoparticles were also assessed. Based on the results, the honey does not show significant antibacterial and cytotoxic activity by itself, while it plays an efficient role in the synthesis and functionalization of stable silver nanoparticles (spherical, 42.7 nm). The honey-functionalized nanoparticles show an ambivalent cytotoxic effect against the L-929 cell line. So that they stimulate the viability of the cells at low concentrations, while they show toxicity toward them at concentrations above 50 μg/mL. The nanoparticles also have a good dose-dependent antibacterial activity against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus bacterial strains.

Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) as a Potential Bioindicator for Detection of Toxic and Essential Elements in the Environment (Case Study: Markazi Province, Iran).

Honeybees, due to their wide-ranging foraging behaviour, have great potentials for monitoring environmental quality. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use honeybees as bioindicators for the detection of toxic and essential metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, and Fe) in the environment. Totally, 180 soil, plant (including root and aerial part), honeybees, and honey samples were collected from 12 sites within the main beekeeping and honey production regions in Markazi Province, Iran in 2016. After acid digestion of samples, the metal concentrations were measured by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometers. The translocation factor (TF), and bioconcentration factor (BCF) of metals were computed. The results showed that among the analyzed bee samples, Cd (mgkg-1) was detected in amounts ranging from 0.01 to 2.35, Cr (mgkg-1) ranged from 0.02 to 18.10, Cu (mgkg-1) ranged from 2.00 to 39.11, and Fe (mgkg-1) ranged from 163 to 1695. BCF and TF values obtained showed that the Astragalus gossypinus would have a great accumulation ability for Cd and Cr. The results indicated that honeybees could be used to detect the spatial patterns of metal contaminations in the environment they dwell in.

Effect of partial replacement of fat with added water and tragacanth gum (Astragalus gossypinus and Astragalus compactus) on the physicochemical, texture, oxidative stability, and sensory property of reduced fat emulsion type sausage

This study aimed to investigate the effect of partial fat replacement with two species of gum tragacanth (Astragalus gossypinus and Astragalus compactus) on physicochemical, textural, oxidative stability, and acceptability of reduced fat emulsion type sausages. Increasing the concentration of both gums to 1%, minimized extractable fat and cook loss. A. gossypinus at the concentration of 1% was the most effective in retardation of TBARS formation in sausages (p < 0.05). Reduced-fat sausages with 1% A. gossypinus showed the lowest carbonyls at the end of storage (28 days) (p < 0.05). Sausages with 1% A. gossypinus or A. compactus showed the lowest shear force (~6 and ~7 N respectively) and hardness (~21 N/cm2) among all treatments (p < 0.05). The results suggested that A. gossypinus (1%) enhanced oxidative stability and textural properties. Addition of 0.5% A. gossypinus showed an acceptable sensory score of the sausage formulation and as a potential fat replacer in the reduced fat sausages.

Possibility of utilizing natural coagulants (Trigonella foenum-graecum and Astragalus gossypinus) along with alum for the removal of turbidity

Water, especially drinking water, might need to be treated before being utilized. Coagulants play a significant role in water treatment. In spite of having adverse effects on human health, aluminum sulfate, alum and other chemical coagulants are commonly used in coagulation processes. Utilization of natural and herbal materials such as quince seeds, fleawort, tragacanth, starch and yeast as coagulant aids has been experimentally investigated in this study. The aims of the present paper are: (1) to determine the optimal dose of Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) and Astragalus gossypinus (tragacanth) seeds as coagulant aids along with alum for the coagulation of raw water from Minab water treatment plant) located 7 km away from Bandar Abbas–Minab road at the east of Bandar Abbas in Iran, with a total area of 11.5 ha) and (2) to study their influence on reducing the water turbidity at a pilot scale. According to the obtained results, the optimum amount of alum (without additives) was calculated as 35 mg/L for water with the initial turbidity of 70–75 NTU, as the average turbidity interval. Using A. gossypinus and T. foenum-graecum seeds as coagulant aids, the optimum amount of alum reached 22 mg/L. The performance of A. gossypinus, as a coagulant aid, was much better in low concentrations. It was used in doses of 0.25, 1 and 2 mg/L along with 20, 22 and 28 mg/L of alum for low, intermediate and high turbidity levels (28, 70 and 120 NTU) and led to turbidity removal percentages of 85, 94.5 and 96.4, respectively. The optimum amounts of T. foenum-graecum seeds for the three mentioned turbidity levels were calculated as 1, 2 and 4 mg/L. The turbidity removal percentages of 91.5, 95.7 and 97.8 were obtained using the mentioned amounts of T. foenum-graecum seeds along with 20, 22 and 25 mg/L of alum, respectively. Similar results were obtained by using both additives along with alum.

Climatic Characteristics of the Natural Habitats of Astragalus gossypinus Fisher in Isfahan Province

Climatic Characteristics of the Natural Habitats of Astragalus gossypinus Fisher in Isfahan Province

Investigation of current and future potential distribution of Astragalus gossypinus in Central Iran using species distribution modelling

The potential impact of climate change on Astragalus gossypinus in Central Iran based on grid map 2.5 arc min was analyzed. A stratified sampling was applied through a geographic information system to pick up 587 sample sites (prevalence 0.39). For each sampling site, the presence or absence of given species together with environmental variables was recorded. Two novel statistical techniques, logistic regression tree (LRT) and nonparametric multiplicative regression (NPMR), were used to examine environmental variables related to the current species distribution. Using these models, maps of current potential distribution and potential distribution for a climatic change scenario (2CO2) were generated. Both statistical techniques produced strong and useful models, but NPMR identified a much smaller subset of relevant predictor variables. The model demonstrated that the occurrence of A. gossypinus is highly probable when the precipitation of the wettest month is between 30 and 50 mm and the mean temperature of the wettest quarter is between −2 and +4 °C, but much lower outside this range. Under double-CO2 climatic scenario, predicting a moister and slightly warmer climate in Central Iran, A. gossypinus is expected to move north-eastwards with a decreasing area of distribution.

Gum tragacanth dispersions: Particle size and rheological properties affected by high-shear homogenization

The effect of high-shear homogenization on the rheological and particle size characteristics of three species of gum tragacanth (GT) was detected. Dispersions were subjected to 0–20min treatment. Static light scattering techniques and rheological tests were used to study the effect of treatment. The results showed that the process caused a decrease in particle size parameters for all three species, but interestingly, the apparent viscosities increased. The highest increase of apparent viscosity was found for solutions containing Astragalus gossypinus, which possessed the highest insoluble fraction. The viscoelastic behaviors of dispersions were also significantly influenced by the process. Homogenization caused an increase in both G′ and G″, in all three species. The alterations seem to be highly dependent on GT species and structure. The results could be of high importance in the industry, since the process will lead to textural modifications of food products containing GT.

Prediction of Rheological Properties of Multi-Component Dispersions by Using Artificial Neural Networks

This article shows the ability of artificial neural network (ANN) technology for predicting the correlation between rheological properties of multi-component food model systems and their chemical compositions. Multi-component food model systems were made of whey protein isolate (WPI) (2, 4 wt%), Iranian tragacanth gum (TG) (Astragalus gossypinus) (0.5, 1 wt%) and oleic acid (5, 10% v/v). The input parameters of the neural networks (NN) were these chemical compositions, namely WPI and TG concentrations, and oleic acid volume fractions. The output parameters of the NN models were rheological properties of multi-component food model systems (flow and consistency indices, viscosity, loss and storage moduli). Results showed that, ANN with training algorithm of back propagation (BP) was the best one for the creation of nonlinear mapping between input and output parameters. The best topology was 3-10-5. The ANN model predicted the rheological properties of multi-component food model systems with average RMSE 4.529 and average MAE 3.018. These results show that the ANN can potentially be used to estimate rheological parameters of multi-component food model systems from chemical composition. This development may have significant potential to improve product quality control and reduce time and costs by minimizing the rheological experiments.

Complexation of sodium caseinate with gum tragacanth: Effect of various species and rheology of coacervates

We investigated complex coacervation of sodium caseinate/Astragalus rahensis (A.r) as a function of pH with light scattering, spectrophotometry, and viscosity measurements. Interestingly, sodium caseinate/A.r displayed five structural transitions; pH 7.00 to pH ∼5.40: no interaction occurred, pH ∼5.40 to pH ∼4.80: initiation of the formation of primary soluble complexes, pH ∼4.80 to ∼4.30: formation of interpolymer complexes, pH ∼4.30 to ∼4.02: optimum coacervation and pH ∼4.02 to ∼2.50: suppression of coacervation. In addition, rheological properties of sodium caseinate/A.r coacervates were studied at various pH values. A much higher storage modulus (G′) than loss modulus (G″) for all sodium caseinate/A.r coacervates suggests the formation of highly interconnected gel-like network structures with mainly elastic behaviour. Moreover, sodium caseinate/A.r coacervates at all pH values exhibited a shear thinning behaviour across the entire shear rate range investigated. Effects of different species of gum tragacanth on the interactions with sodium caseinate have been scarcely studied. Our study showed that systems containing various species (A.r, soluble fraction of A.r and Astragalus gossypinus (A.g)) had different critical pH values and particle sizes during complex coacervation, which could be due to different ratio of soluble to insoluble fractions and uronic acid content of various species.

Role of water soluble and water swellable fractions of gum tragacanth on stability and characteristic of model oil in water emulsion

The influence of concentration (0.1–0.5% w/w) and type of gum tragacanth (GT) obtained from Astragalus gossypinus (AG gum) and Astragalus fluccosus (AF gum) species on stability and physicochemical properties of oil in water emulsion were investigated by considering the role of water soluble (tragacanthin) and water swellable (bassorin) fractions. Sugar composition determination, particle size distribution, interfacial tension, steady shear and oscillatory rheological measurements were used to characterize the emulsions and obtain more information about the possible stability mechanism. The emulsions were prepared by homogenizing 10 wt% sun flower oil with 90 wt% aqueous gum dispersions and were stored quiescently at 25 °C for two months. The results indicated that AF gum was more effective in reducing interfacial tension; but, effect of AG gum on increasing viscosity and reducing size of droplets was more pronounced. Moreover, except the sample contained Bassorin, with increasing gum concentration, a pronounced decrease in droplet size and polydispersity were observed. According to the results, emulsifying activity of tragacanthin and viscosity enhancement properties of bassorin was responsible for emulsion stabilizing function of AG gum. Better stabilizing property of AG than AF gum was related to their differences in soluble/swellable ratio and chemical composition (methoxylation degree, uronic acid and neural sugar content). This study revealed that AG gum alone could be used as an alternative for mixed biopolymer systems to stabilize oil in water emulsions.

Effect of gum tragacanth on rheological and physical properties of a flavored milk drink made with date syrup

Date syrup as a nutritional additive and safe alternative to added sugar is one of the best choices for milk flavoring. In this study, a flavored milk beverage was formulated using date syrup for flavoring the product and gum tragacanth to obtain an acceptable mouth feel. Steady shear and dynamic oscillatory rheological properties of the samples contained 3 concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3%, wt/wt) of 2 types of gum tragacanth (Astragalus gossypinus and Astragalus rahensis) which at 3°C, were studied. Particle size distribution and colorimetric assays were determined by laser diffractometry and using reflection spectrometer, respectively. Sensory analysis was performed with 25 semitrained panelists, using a 5-point hedonic scale. The results showed that viscoelastic properties, flow behavior parameters, particle size, and color parameters (L*, a*, and b*, where L* represents lightness, a* represents the redness/greenness quality of the color, and b* represents the yellowness and blueness quality of the colors) were significantly affected by the concentration of the gum tragacanth and the severity of this effect was influenced by the type of gum. The use of appropriate type and concentration of gum tragacanth in date milk formulation can improve the texture and mouth feel by affecting on particle size and the flow behavior of this product.

A comparative study on the emulsifying properties of various species of gum tragacanth

Emulsification activities of three different species of gum tragacanth containing Astragalus gossypinus, A. compactus and A. rahensis were investigated. Emulsion stability indexes, particle size distributions, steady and unsteady rheological properties and some other physicochemical attributes including the surface tensions and uronic acid contents were taken into consideration. It was revealed that A. gossypinus created the most stable emulsions although having lower viscosity than A. compactus. It is believed that higher insoluble fraction and higher uronic content made this species a good steric and electrostatic emulsifier.

Effects of the height and geographical aspects on potential of soil carbon sequestration in Kermanshah, Iran

Main phenomenon of climate change that is harmful for human being, increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Regarding to the potential of carbon storage in soil and plant tissues, this approach has a serious interest in recent decades. Due to the different climate zones in IRAN, share and amount of carbon sequestration in any of these areas need more contemplation. Therefore, the ability of soil carbon sequestration of mountain pastures in Kermanshah Province was studied in 3 height and 4 geographical aspects. Then, soil samples were taken from the areas that Astragalus Gossypinus and Astragalus Parrowianus grew at two depths of 0-30cm and 30-60cm. The amount of organic carbon, bulk density, electrical conductivity, pH, moisture content and soil texture in both depths of each soil profile were measured. Stepwise regression results also showed that texture parameters, bulk density and pH, respectively, were the most important factors affecting on soil organic carbon. Based on the results of data analysis using a completely randomized factorial design, significant differences were observed at 1% significance level between the two species and also in height between the classes and geographical aspect on soil carbon sequestration rates.Comparison of results based on SNK tests also indicates that, biggest amount of carbon sequestration taking place in the maximum height in the geographic north aspect. Also according to the results can be stated that capability of Soil Carbon Sequestration in Astragalus Parrowianus is more than Astragalus Gossypinus.