Iranian Medicinal Plants Research Articles

Phytochemical Variation within Aerial Parts of Ferula cupularis Populations, an Endangered Medicinal Plant from Iran.

Ferula cupularis (Boiss.) Spalik et S. R. Downie is an endangered endemic Iranian medicinal plant with occurrence restricted to Fars and Kohkilooyeh Boyerahmad provinces, Iran. F. cupularis is cited for strong antibacterial activity, usages in foodstuffs preservation, and has long been used by local peoples for ulcer treatment. In this research, the aerial parts of F. cupularis wild populations were collected from three natural habitats: Eqlid-Kaftar (FC1), Kakan (FC2), and Sepidan-Komohr (FC3), to assess phytochemical diversity and antioxidant activity. The quantity of essential oil (EO) ranged remarkably from 0.42 to 0.72 % v/w among the populations. Results obtained from the EO analysis by GC-FID and GC/MS detected up to 56 compounds. α-Pinene (21.65-31.53 %), sabinene (4.74-11.39 %), phellandrene (1.78-5.1 %), δ-3-carene (1.85-7.18 %), limonene (4.12-7.45 %), (Z)-β-ocimene (9.08-17.64 %), and elemicin (0.23-5.74 %) were the major compounds of EOs varied significantly among the populations. Moreover, total phenol content (250.54 to 387.45 mg gallic acid/100 g dry weight (DW)) and flavonoids (34.38 to 41.12 mg quercetin/100 g DW) of methanolic extracts varied substantially among the populations. Antioxidant activities of F. cupularis EOs and extracts were assessed by DPPH (2,2,1-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging method. EOs exhibited EC50 values ranging from 8.88 to 9.67 μg mL-1 and the EC50 values for the extract ranged from 941.36 to 1335.96 μg mL-1 within the populations. Results demonstrated significantly different levels of antioxidant capacities among the studied populations. Monitoring the data, the population collected from Eqlid-Kaftar (FC1) was selected as the most potent population concerning the highest EO content and antioxidant activity level. The obtained data provided new insights for an initial source of breeding plans and ultimately massive production for food and pharmaceutical industries.

High-throughput enzyme inhibition screening of 44 Iranian medicinal plants via piezoelectric spraying of planar cholinesterase assays

A rapid and straightforward approach was developed for screening the acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase (ChE) inhibitory activity of 44 Iranian medicinal plant extracts at laboratory scale. After a fast ChE inhibitory pre-testing of samples applied as band pattern, 40 out of the 44 Iranian medicinal plant extracts were selected. These were adjusted in the application volume depending on their inhibition activity, applied on both plate sides and simultaneously developed in a horizontal developing chamber. Different mobile phases were studied to achieve maximum separation of ChE inhibitors and minimum co-elution with matrix. Contrary to immersion, the piezoelectric spraying reduced the consumption of assay solutions, prevented zone tailing, zone shift and cross-contamination, and homogeneously covered the entire plate surface with the assay solutions. The ChE inhibitors of the six most bioactive plant extracts were tentatively assigned by high-resolution mass spectrometry in combination with the spectral and chromatographic information obtained.

Potential antiviral effects of some native Iranian medicinal plants extracts and fractions against influenza A virus

BackgroundInfluenza A virus (IAV) infection is a continual threat to the health of animals and humans globally. Consumption of the conventional drugs has shown several side effects and drug resistance. This study was aimed to screen some Iranian medicinal plants extracts and their fractions against influenza A virus.MethodsGlycyrrhiza glabra (rhizome), Myrtus commonis (leaves), Melissa officinalis (leaves), Hypericum perforatum (aerial parts), Tilia platyphyllos (flower), Salix alba (bark), and Camellia sinensis (green and fermented leaves) were extracted with 80% methanol and fractionated with chloroform and methanol, respectively. The cytotoxicity of the compounds were determined by MTT colorimetric assay on MDCK cells. The effective concentrations (EC50) of the compounds were calculated from the MTT results compared to the negative control with no significant effects on cell viability. The effects of EC50 of the compounds on viral surface glycoproteins and viral titer were tested by HI and HA virological assays, respectively and compared with oseltamivir and amantadine. Preliminary phytochemical analysis were done for promising anti-IAV extracts and fractions.ResultsThe most effective samples against IAV titer (P ≤ 0.05) were crude extracts of G. glabra, M. officinalis and S. alba; methanol fractions of M. communis and M. officinalis; and chloroform fractions of M. communis and C. sinensis (fermented) mostly in co- and pre-penetration combined treatments. The potential extracts and fractions were rich in flavonoids, tannins, steroids and triterpenoids.ConclusionThe outcomes confirmed a scientific basis for anti-influenza A virus capacity of the extracts and fractions from the selected plants for the first time, and correlated their effects with their phytochemical constituents. It is worth focusing on elucidating pure compounds and identifying their mechanism(s) of action.

Thymus persicus (Ronniger ex Rech. f.) Jalas alleviates nociceptive and neuropathic pain behavior in mice: Multiple mechanisms of action

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThymus persicus (Roniger ex Reach F.) is an Iranian endemic medicinal plant of which essential oil and various products have numerous food and pharmaceutical applications (headache and fever treatments). ObjectiveThis modern research included Swiss mice to investigate the anti-nociceptive and anti-neuropathic effects of Thymus persicus aerial parts essential oil (TPEO). Materials and methodsTo determine TPEO's anti-nociceptive function in the formalin-induced paw licking (FML), researchers looked at the L-arginine/NO/cGMP/KATP channel signaling pathway as well as multiple receptors as with serotonin, morphine, dopamine, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors. The CVC or cervical spinal cord contusion exemplar has also been used to induce neuropathic pain. ResultsTPEO (50, 100, and 150 mg/kg) relative to control mice in the phase-II of FML provided strong antinociception (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, p < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, methylene blue, glibenclamide, Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, naloxonazine, nor-binaltorphimine, prazosin, yohimbine, and ondansetron pre-treating restored the TPEO anti-nociceptive activity in the FML (phase-II) exemplar (p < 0.05). In phase-II of the FML exemplar, carvacrol (one of the active components of TPEO) also greatly reduced pain (p < 0.001). Likewise, in CVC mice, TPEO altered mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia. ConclusionIt was attained magnificently that TPEO could exerts antinociceptive effects through the involvement of L-arginine/NO/cGMP/KATP signaling pathway, adrenergic, opioid, and serotonin receptors. Moreover, it is demonstrate that anti-neuropathic activity of TPEO may be mediated by inflammatory function.

In Silico Evaluation of Iranian Medicinal Plant Phytoconstituents as Inhibitors against Main Protease and the Receptor-Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2.

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which initially appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Elderly individuals and those with comorbid conditions may be more vulnerable to this disease. Consequently, several research laboratories continue to focus on developing drugs to treat this infection because this disease has developed into a global pandemic with an extremely limited number of specific treatments available. Natural herbal remedies have long been used to treat illnesses in a variety of cultures. Modern medicine has achieved success due to the effectiveness of traditional medicines, which are derived from medicinal plants. The objective of this study was to determine whether components of natural origin from Iranian medicinal plants have an antiviral effect that can prevent humans from this coronavirus infection using the most reliable molecular docking method; in our case, we focused on the main protease (Mpro) and a receptor-binding domain (RBD). The results of molecular docking showed that among 169 molecules of natural origin from common Iranian medicinal plants, 20 molecules (chelidimerine, rutin, fumariline, catechin gallate, adlumidine, astragalin, somniferine, etc.) can be proposed as inhibitors against this coronavirus based on the binding free energy and type of interactions between these molecules and the studied proteins. Moreover, a molecular dynamics simulation study revealed that the chelidimerine–Mpro and somniferine–RBD complexes were stable for up to 50 ns below 0.5 nm. Our results provide valuable insights into this mechanism, which sheds light on future structure-based designs of high-potency inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2.

Silybum marianum ethanolic extract: in vitro effects on protoscolices of Echinococcus granulosus G1 strain with emphasis on other Iranian medicinal plants

BackgroundCystic echinococcosis (CE), is a parasitic zoonosis caused by Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus) larvae in liver and lungs of both humans and animals. Surgical intervention is the mainstay for CE treatment, using scolicidal agents that inactivate live protoscolices. This study evaluated the scolicidal effects of Silybum marianum ethanolic extract and its combination with albendazole in vitro for the first time. Moreover, in a literature review, we investigated the effects of a wide range of Iranian medicinal plants on protoscolices of E. granulosus.MethodsS. marianum ethanolic extract was prepared and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was used to establish the proportions of its component compounds in the extract. Cytotoxicity was evaluated in mouse macrophage cells (J774A.1 cell line) using MTT method. Next, the scolicidal activity of the extract alone and combined with albendazole was tested as triplicate at various concentrations incubated for 5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 min. Finally, protoscolex viability was determined using 0.1% eosin as a vital stain. PCR–RFLP and DNA sequencing techniques were used to characterize the genotype of E. granulosus.ResultsHPLC analysis showed that S. marianum ethanolic extract contained mostly silydianin (14.41%), isosilybin A (10.50%), and silychristin (10.46%). The greatest scolicidal effects were obtained with the combination of S. marianum with albendazole (79%), S. marianum ethanolic extract alone (77%) and albendazole (69%), at a concentration of 500 μg/ml for 60 min, respectively (P < 0.05). Molecular analysis showed that all the cysts used were G1 genotype.ConclusionThe data suggest that S. marianum ethanolic extract is a potential scolicide in vitro; however, further investigations are required to determine its efficacy in vivo.

Phytotherapy in Burn Wound Healing: A Review of Native Iranian Medicinal Plants

Studies have shown that burn wounds are one of the most severe forms of trauma which may cause disability, morbidity and mortality, stupendous hospital costs, and emotional disturbance. In spite of the therapeutic effects of synthetic drugs, due to their unwanted side effects, the tendency of people to use these drugs has been decreasing, contrary to the use of natural origin drugs. Medicinal plants that can be formulated to treat and repair the wound should be identified. Therefore, in this article a number of native Iranian medicinal plants that have been studied and their healing effects on burn wounds have been reported are discussed. In this review article, the keywords medicinal plants, burn, burn wound repair, burn wound and Iran were used to search for relevant articles indexed in databases such as IranMedex, Scientific Information Database, Google Scholar, Scopus, Institute for Scientific Information, Web of Science and PubMed. Based on the results, the medicinal plants Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f., Matricaria chamomilla L, Quercus brantii Lindl., Cydonia oblonga Mill., Scrophularia striata, Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze, Portulaca oleracea L, Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume, Achillea talagonica Boiss., Olea europaea L., Hypericum perforatum L., Cucurbita pepo L., Teucrium polium L., Myrtus communis, Brassica oleracea L., Plantago major L., Malva sylvestris L., Arnebia euchroma (Royle) I.M.Johnst., Cucurbita moschata Duchesne, Achillea millefolium L., Lythrum salicaria L., Crocus sativus L. and Allium sativum L. are some of the most important herbal remedies to repair burn wounds. According to the various researches on the medicinal plants, the anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antimicrobial effects of these plants have been scientifically demonstrated, which has led to information that can be used to produce antimicrobial drugs for infectious and burn wounds.

The effect of Scrophularia striata on cell attachment and biocompatibility of decellularized bovine pericardia.

Since using tissue transplantation has faced limitations all over the world, regenerative medicine has introduced decellularized tissues as natural scaffolds and researchers are trying to improve their efficiency and function. In this study, to increase cell attachment and ultimately cell proliferation on decellularized bovine pericardia, scrophularia striata extract was used. Scrophularia striata is an Iranian traditional medicinal plant. For this aim after decellularization of bovine pericardium and analysis of its morphology, it was incubated in scrophularia striata solution. Next, isolated human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells were cultured on the tissue. Finally, MTT assay, nitric oxide assay, and scanning electron microscopy observation were performed. MTT showed an increase in cell survival after treating the tissue with the plantextract after 48hin a dose dependent manner significantly. The survival of cells in 0.5%, 2.5%, and 5% groups was about 5, 10 and 15 folds higher in comparison to control groups, respectively. Additionally, nitric oxide secretion in 2.5% and 5% samples was three and five folds higher than that in control group, respectively. Moreover, SEM observation indicated an impressive and dose-dependent effect of using Scrophularia striataon tissuebiocompatibility. The results of this study showed that using Scrophularia striata increased cell viabilityand cell attachment on decellularizedpericardia which could pave the way for the use of natural extracts of medicinal plants to reduce unwanted effects and make desired changes in decellularized tissues.

The Most Important Native Iranian Medicinal Plants Affecting The Bacteria that Cause Tooth Decay; A Systematic Review

Background: Tooth decay is an infectious disease that is caused by various microorganisms. Chemicaldrugs used to control and treat tooth decay mainly have side effects. On the other hand, many plants haveantimicrobial effect against microbes that cause tooth decay. Therefore, the aim of this study was to introduceIranian medicinal plants with antimicrobial properties in tooth decay.Method: To reach this purpose, we searched keywords containing Iranian medicinal plants, medicinalplants, Tooth decay, essential oils, and extracts in Pub Med, Web of Science Direct, Scopus, ScientificInformation Databases, and Google scholar.Results: The results of our study led to the achievement of 17 articles that intensive on the study of Iranianmedicinal plants affecting the bacteria that cause tooth decay.Conclusion: This article introduces a number of plants that have been introduced in different regions of Iranfor the treatment of tooth decay, which based on the knowledge of traditional and ethnobotanical medicineof Iran, we believe that they can be used as a drug against tooth decay.

THE MOST IMPORTANT MEDICINAL PLANTS AFFECTING BEE STINGS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW STUDY

Bee stings are one of the most common insect bites. In some insects, including bees, the sting, along with the venom gland, is separates from the bees' body after the bite and remains at the site of the bite. Bee stings are associated with symptoms such as redness of the skin, itching, allergic reactions causing infection, headache, dizziness, nausea, chest pain, suffocation, breathing difficulty, and paralysis of the bite area. This review study was conducted to identify Iranian medicinal plants for the treatment of bee stings. It was used to review articles in Iranian ethnobotanical sources and articles. Keywords such as bee sting, bee sting, medicinal plants, ethnobotany, identification of medicinal plants and Iran were used. Databases such as ISI Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, ISC, ISID, Magiran and Google Scholar were used to review articles and resources. Medicinal plants such as Aloe vera, Calendula officinalis, Ruta graveolens L., Allium sativum, Heliotropium ramosissimum, Allium cepa L., Taraxacum officinale L., Rosa canina L., Petroselinum crispum, Verbascum songaricum Schrenk., Vitex pseudonegundo, Ment eriophora DC., Peganum harmala L, Citrullus colocynthis, Ocimum basilicum, Curcuma longa were among the most important medicinal plants used in Iranian ethnobotanical sources to treat bee stings. The most common plant families used for bee stings include Asteraceae and Lamiaceae. Also, the most plant organs used in bee stings included leaves (37%), shoots (20%) and flowers (14%). This study lists a number of plants that have been introduced in different parts of Iran as a treatment and antidote against bee stings and bee stings. This study introduces a number of herbs that are used in different parts of Iran as a treatment against bee stings. We believe that the plants can be used as herbal remedies and antidotes against bee stings. Lack of natural, useful and effective drugs for the treatment of bites leads to the expansion of research on effective and natural drugs for patients with bites.

The Function of some Important TCM and Iranian Medicinal Plants in Treatment of Viral Hepatitis

The Function of some Important TCM and Iranian Medicinal Plants in Treatment of Viral Hepatitis

Diversity and Spatiotemporal Distribution of Fungal Endophytes Associated with Salvia multicaulis.

Salvia multicaulis has been an important medicinal plant in Iran and several East Asian countries for hundreds of years. Because of growing demand, overharvesting of wild S. multicaulis has endangered its wild populations. Endophytes are well known for protecting wild plant populations against biotic and abiotic stresses, especially under harsh situations, as well as for their plant growth enhancement activities. Since no information was on endophyte biology in S. multicaulis, here we aimed at analyzing diversity and spatiotemporal distribution of fungal endophytes associating S. multicaulis in their main wild habitats in Iran, i.e., Qazvin, Alborz and Mazandaran provinces. A total of 153 fungal endophytes were isolated and identified according to their morphology and ribosomal ITS rDNA sequences. As results indicated Ascomycota dominated in colonizing S. multicaulis with a relative frequency (RF) of 96.77%, comprising of Eurotiomycetes (RF: 40.5%), Sordariomycetes (RF: 33.9%) and Dothideomycetes (RF: 20.5%). Mucoromycota, comprised the rest of endophytes (RF: 5.23%). The entire fungal microbiome was classified into nine genera including Fusarium (25.5%), Penicillium (21.5%), Aspergillus (17.0%), Alternaria (15.5%), Colletotrichum (5.2%), Rhizopus (5.2%), Macrophomina (4.5%), Trichoderma (3.25%) and Nodulisporium (2.0%). Analyses of different diversity indices indicated significant correlations with tissue type, sampling locations and season of recovery. Almost 43% of fungal endophytes were recovered at Mazandaran, Kojur; 35.4% at Qazvin, Barajin Forest Park; 30.1% at Alborz, Taleqan; and 21% at Alborz, Mahdasht. The highest overall endophyte recovery was in summer (36.8%), followed by spring (31.6%), autumn (21%), and winter (10.5%). In total, the number of endophytes recovered from roots (91) was higher than those of stems (32) and leaves (30), especially during autumn and winter. Accordingly, we conclude that Ascomycota are the major endophytic fungi colonizing S. multicaulis, and that sampling location, tissue type and season can affect the fungal endophyte composition of this medicinal plant. This knowledge could be further applied in protection and health management of this endangered species.

Medicinal Plants Effective in the Prevention and Control of Coronaviruses

Objective: Coronaviruses often cause acute complications in the respiratory system with cold-like symptoms. A number of them, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have killed thousands of people and have caused epidemics and pandemics. This review study aims to investigate the most common medicinal plants in Iran and introduce their natural products with antiviral effects on coronaviruses and strengthening the immune system in order to prevent and control them. Methods: In this review study, a search was conducted in national and international databases such as Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, SID, MagIran and IranMedex by using keywords such as COVID-19, Coronaviruses, SARS, MERS, SARS-CoV-2, PEDV in both Persian and English for studies published until 2020, and finally 51 articles were selected. Results: There are 10 plants with antiviral effects on members of the family Coronaviridae among which Ginger, Galangal, Cinnamon, Fennel flower, Grapefruit (peel), and Purple coneflower were effective on COVID-19. Elder, Ginseng, Aloe vera, Milkvetch, and Shirazi Thyme plants were effective in boosting the immune system and preventing viral diseases. Conclusion: Inhibiting the replication of viruses is the common mechanism in antiviral drugs, but natural compounds usually counteract it by disrupting key proteins and virulence factors of viruses. Therefore, the use of the antiviral components of reported plants can be useful in producing drugs for these viruses, especially the one causing COVID-19.

Study of monoamine oxidase inhibitory effects of seven Iranian medicinal plant extracts

Study of monoamine oxidase inhibitory effects of seven Iranian medicinal plant extracts

LC-MS based identification of stylosin and tschimgine from fungal endophytes associated with Ferula ovina.

Objective(s): Ferula ovina is an Iranian medicinal plant. Tschimgine and stylosin are two of its major monoterpene derivatives. In this study, we proceeded to investigate some fungal endophytes from F. ovina that can produce plant secondary metabolites.Materials and Methods:The isolated endophytic fungi were fermented in potato dextrose broth (PDB) medium and their extracts were screened for the presence of the plant compounds by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Endophytes identification was performed by morphological and molecular methods. Three markers (ITS, LSU, and TEF1) were used for accurate molecular identification. Results:Forty isolates from 9 different genera of endophytic fungi were identified, of which two recently reported species of O. ferulica and Pithoascus persicus were able to produce tschimgine and stylosin. Conclusion:These fungi can be used as a substitute for the production of plant’s medicinal compounds independent of wild populations of the source plant.

In Vitro Anti-diabetic Activity of Free Amino Acid and Protein Amino Acid Extracts from Four Iranian Medicinal Plants

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder which is mainly correlated to hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, oxidative stress, and protein glycation. Bioactive compounds from herbal resources suggest a dietary approach for diabetes management by inhibiting carbohydrate-degrading enzymes and biomolecules oxidation. The anti-diabetic activities and amino acids composition of four medicinal plants, including Oliveria decumbens, Thymus kotschyanus, Trachyspermum ammi, and Zataria multiflora, were investigated. Free and protein amino acid extracts are mainly composed of amino acid and lower levels of monosaccharide, fatty acid, phenol compound, flavonoid, and tannins. The ratio of phenol/amino acid, flavonoid/amino acid, and tannins/amino acid in free amino acid extract was higher than protein amino acid extract. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry characterization showed that the main free amino acids among the plants analyzed in this study were asparagine (0.12–3.67 g/100 g), arginine (0.42–1.31 g/100 g), beta-aminoisobutyric acid (0.33–0.94 g/100 g), glutamine (0.20–0.54 g/100 g), aspartic acid (0.05–0.91 g/100 g), glutamic acid (0.07–0.49 g/100 g), proline (0.05–0.49 g/100 g), alanine (0.20–0.33 g/100 g), phenylalanine (0.04–0.32 g/100 g), valine (0.05–0.24 g/100 g), leucine (0.05–0.23 g/100 g), and serine (0.03–0.24 g/100 g). The main amino acids from plant-derived protein hydrolysate were aspartic acid (1.4–5.39 g/100 g), glycine (1.64–4.25 g/100 g), glutamic acid (1.37–3.93 g/100 g), leucine (1.35–2.92 g/100 g), alanine (1.45–2.79 g/100 g), lysine (1.38–2.67 g/100 g), arginine (1.33–2.97 g/100 g), serine (1.47–1.90 g/100 g), phenylalanine (0.79–1.96 g/100 g), valine (0.69–1.47 g/100 g), proline (0.84–1.25 g/100 g), and histidine (0.68–1.46 g/100 g). Free amino acid extract and protein amino acid extract exhibited moderate anti-glucose oxidation, anti-lipid oxidation, anti-protein oxidation, and anti-protein glycation, and anti-amylase, and anti-glucosidase activities. Antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties of free amino acids were considerably higher than the protein-hydrolyzed amino acids that may be attributed to higher phenol/amino acid, flavonoid/amino acid, and tannins/amino acid ratios.

Phytotherapy for Wound Healing: The Most Important Herbal Plants in Wound Healing Based on Iranian Ethnobotanical Documents.

Wound healing is a process that starts with the inflammatory response after the occurrence of any damage. This process initiates by restoring the wound surface coating tissue, migrating fibroblasts to form the required collagen, forming a healing tissue and finally, leading to contortion and extraction of the wound. Today, various drugs are used to heal wounds. However, the drugs used to repair wounds have some defects and side effects. In spite of all attempts to accelerate wound healing definitely, no safe drug has been introduced for this purpose. Therefore, the necessity to identify herbal plants in ethnopharmacology and ethnobotany documents with healing effects is essential. In this article, we tried to review and present effective Iranian medicinal plants and herbal compounds used for wound healing. Searching was performed on databases, including ISI Web of Science, PubMed, PubMed Central, Scopus, ISC, SID, Magiran and some other databases. The keywords used included wound healing, skin treatment, medicinal plants, ethnobotany, and phytotherapy. In this regard, 139 medicinal plants effective on wound healing were identified based on ethnopharmacology and ethnobotanical sources of Iran. Plants such as Salvia officinalis, Echium amoenum, Verbascum spp., G1ycyrrhiza glabra, Medicago sativa, Mentha pulegium, Datura stramonium L., Alhagi spp., Aloe vera, Hypericum perforatum, Pistacia atlantica and Prosopis cineraria are the most important and useful medicinal plants used for wound healing in Iran. These native Iranian medicinal plants are rich in antioxidants and biological compounds and might be used for wound healing and preparation of new drugs.

Research Article: Antifungal activity and chemical composition of Iranian medicinal herbs against fish pathogenic fungus,Saprolegnia parasitica

This study aimed to identify the chemical composition of essential oil of some Iranian medicinal plants and their antifungal activity against Saprolegnia parasitica in comparison to formalin as positive control under in vitro conditions. The essential oils of Eryngium campestre, Pimpinella affinis, Mentha piperita, Achillea wilhelmsii and Cuminum cyminum were analyzed for their activity by disk diffusion, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) methods. Also, the oil constituents of investigated plants were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The major constituent of the surveyed essential oils was bornyl acetate (17.9%) in E. campestre, Pregeijene (27.3%)in P. affinis, menthol (48.5%) in M. piperita, 1,8-cineol (25.2%) in A. wilhelmsii, and α-Pinene (29.1%)in C. cyminum. The MIC values for the surveyed essential oil were was 0.5 µg ml-1 for C. cyminum followed by M piperita and E. campestre both having 1 µg ml-1, for P. affinis 2 µg ml-1 and was 4 µg/mL for A. wilhelmsii. The MFC for the mentioned essential oil were with 0.5 µg ml-1 again lowest for C. cyminum, followed by M. piperita and E. campestre with 2 µg ml-1, for P. affinis MFC was 4 µg ml-1 while it was with 8 µg ml-1 highest for essential oils from A. wilhelmsii. The results indicate that the essential oils of C. cyminun, E. campestre and M. piperita could be potential candidates for new plant based antifungal components in aquaculture against S. parasitica.

Investigation of Phytochemical Variability, Antioxidant Activity and Ecological Conditions of Native Iranian Glycyrrhiza glabra L.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) as a strategic and highly valuable medicinal plant in Iran with numerous beneficial pharmaceutical properties contributes substantially to Iranian herbs exports. In the present study, a variation on the phytochemical and antioxidant activity of 25 populations of valuable and profitable medicinal plant of G. glabra was investigated. The climate variables and soil properties were evaluated in various habitates of G. glabra. Total phenol (Folin–Ciocalteu method), total flavonoid (Aluminum Chloride method), anthocyanin (pH difference method) and antioxidant activity (DPPH method) were studied. Glycyrrhizic acid, glabridin, liquiritigenin and liquiritin content of root were evaluated by liquid chromatography. The content of major components in G. glabra varied in different regions. Outstanding quantitative variability of glycyrrhizic acid, glabridin, liquiritin and liquiritigenin content were observed in roots of licorice from different regions of Iran. Glycyrrhizic acid content was varied from 93.89 (mg/g dry weight) for the Sepidan population to 20.68 (mg/g dry weight) for the Ahar population. The maximum and minimum amounts of glabridin were recorded in Kashmar and Bajgah populations, respectively. The highest levels of liquritin and liquiritigenin were in the population of Kazerun and Yasuj, respectively, and the lowest was observed in Kashmar. Also, the highest antioxidant activity (the lowest IC50) for licorice root was associated with Semirom population. In conclusion, The populations with high amount of each active ingredient in licorice root and those with considerable antioxidant activity can be exploited depending on the purpose of breeding and cultivation.

How do essential oil composition and phenolic acid profile of Heracleum persicum fluctuate at different phenological stages?

Heracleum persicum, commonly named Persian hogweed, is a principal native medicinal plant in Iran. Collecting H. persicum at the most appropriate growing stage is the key factor to achieve the high phytochemical quality to meet consumer's needs. In the present experiment, the aerial parts of this plant were harvested at up to six different developmental stages during the growing season to determine the phytochemical profiles. Our results indicated that the highest essential oil content was obtained in the mid‐mature seed stage (3.5%). The most elevated extract content was recorded in the floral budding stage (10.4%). In the vegetative stage, limonene (18.1%), in floral budding stage, caryophyllene (14.1%), anethole (14.6%), and β‐bisabolene (12.7%), in the full flowering stage, myristicin (15.0%), and hexyl butyrate (9.1%), in the early development of seeds stage, hexyl butyrate (32.1%), and octyl acetate (11.7%), in the mid‐mature seeds stage hexyl butyrate (38.8%), octyl acetate (14.5%), in the late‐mature/ripe seeds stage, hexyl butyrate (23.6%), and octyl acetate (10.5%) are recorded as the main components. The highest phenolic acids content was obtained in the floral budding stage (287.40 mg/g dried extract). The analysis of phenolic acids demonstrated cinnamic acid (8.0–225.3 mg/g extract), p‐coumaric acid (1.7–39.2 mg/g extract), p‐hydroxybenzoic acid (0.8–16.8 mg/g extract), and ferulic acid (2.4–15.8 mg/g extract) as the main phenolic acids. Cinnamic acid was found as the major phenolic compound in the vegetative stage following by floral budding, the full flowering stage, the early development of seeds, and late‐mature/ripe seeds stages. P‐coumaric acid was the most abundant phenolic compounds in the mid‐mature seeds stage. In this regard, the harvest time of H. persicum aerial parts can be selected to achieve the highest secondary metabolites of interest. The results of this study can be used as a guideline for grower to obtain the highest possible amount of desirable metabolites, beneficial in both food and pharmaceutical industries as well as their undeniable economical benefits.