Valuable Medicinal Species Research Articles

Exploration of Genetic Variation and Population Structure in Bergenia ciliata for its Conservation Implications.

Bergenia ciliata (Haw.)Sternb. is a perennial medicinal herb distributed in Indian Himalayan Region(IHR). A total of eight populations of B.ciliata were collected from diverse locales of IHR, and 17 EST-SSR markers were used in this study. The present study revealed moderate genetic diversity at the locus level with the mean number of alleles (Na = 7.823), mean number effective of alleles (Ne = 3.375), mean expected heterozygosity (He = 0.570), and meanShannon's diversity index (I = 1.264). The MSR (He = 0.543, I = 1.067) and DRJ populations (He = 0.309, I = 0.519) revealed the highest and lowest genetic diversity at the population level, respectively. AMOVA analysis showed that 81.76% of genetic variation was within populations, 10.55% was among populations, and 7.69% was among the regions. In addition, a moderate to high level of differentiation was found among the populations (FST = 0.182), which could be indicative of low to moderate gene flow (Nm = 0.669) in the B. ciliata populations. UPGMA and PCoA analysis revealed that eight populations could be differentiated into two groups, while the structure analysis of the 96 individuals differentiated into three groups. The Mantel test showed a positive relationship between genetic and geographical distance. The findings of this study will provide the development of conservation and germplasm management strategies for this valuable medicinal species.

A preliminary inventory of angiospermic flora of bagatipara upazila, natore, bangladesh

Preparation of the country's flora is very challenging until baseline information on the flora of all district or upazila is available. The purpose of this inventory was to record angiosperm plant species available in the different habitats of Bagatipara upazila, which is located in the eastern part of Rajshahi district. The traditional taxonomic method was applied for plant sample collection in different seasons of the year 2022 and the identification of the collected samples. This research resulted in the recording of a total of 377 species in 92 families. Among them, 310 species were from Magnoliopsida, and 67 were from Liliopsida. Asteraceae and Poaceae were the leading families of Magnoliopsida and Liliopsida, respectively. One-fourth of the total plant species were exotic, and more than half were valuable medicinal species. Artocarpus lacucha, Bridelia stipularis, Callicarpa longifolia, Eranthemum pulchellum, Oroxylum indicum, Potentilla supina, Sterculia foetida, and Terminalia arjuna were locally found rare. Threats such as climate change, expansion of arable land and pisciculture, use of herbicides, over exploitation, clearing brushwood, and unplanned construction activities have been identified. The present study concludes that the floristic composition of this area is still rich, though the area is facing some threats. Therefore, we strongly recommend adopting effective and adequate measures for sustainable conservation and monitoring of the biodiversity of this area. Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 31(1): 155-172, 2024 (June)

Benzyl-isoquinoline alkaloids rich extract of Coptis teeta Wall., exhibit potential efficacy in calcium-oxalate and uric-acid linked metabolic disorders

Coptis teeta Wall., an endangered but valuable medicinal species having various folklore uses in Indian and Chinese Traditional system of medicine. Its distribution is restricted to India, China and Tibet. In India, C. teeta is traditionally used in joint disorders, urinary infections and inflammatory diseases, however the scientific validation is missing. Thus, the present study aims to validate the anti-lithiatic and anti-gout activity of C. teeta rhizome extract (CTME) through in-vitro biological assays. The metabolic fingerprinting of CTME through reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array (RP-HPLC-PDA) showed the presence of five benzyl-isoquinoline alkaloids, namely berberine (2.59%), coptisine (0.746%) jatrorrhizine (0.133%), palmatine (0.03%) and tetrahydropalmatine (0.003%). The anti-gout potency analysed via in-vitro xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibition assay, followed by HPTLC (High performance thin layer chromatography) mediated bio-autographic inhibition of XOD signifies that CTME exhibit strong inhibition of XOD (IC50: 3.014 μg/ml), insignificantly different (p > 0.05) from allopurinol (IC50: 2.47 μg/ml). The XOD bioautographic assay advocates that the efficacy is primarily due to berberine and coptisine alkaloids. The CTME has significant anti-lithiatic activity, and thereby limiting the progression of crystal nidus formation, mediated via inhibition of calcium oxalate crystals nucleation and aggregation. Additionally, the extract also exhibits potential effect on inhibition of oxidative stress associated inflammation, which plays crucial role in alleviating urolithiasis and gouty conditions. Validating the traditional claims of C. teeta will not only confirm its medicinal benefits for targeted pathological conditions but also enhance its industrial demand.

The mitochondrial genomes of Panax notoginseng reveal recombination mediated by repeats associated with DNA replication

Panax notoginseng is one of the most valuable medicinal species. However, its mitochondrial genome has not been reported yet. We aimed to determine the mitogenome sequence of P. notoginseng. We de novo assembled the mitogenome with Illumina short reads and Nanopore long reads. The mitochondrial genome of P. notoginseng has a multipartite structure consisting of interconversion between a “master circle” and numerous “subgenomic circles” through recombinations mediated by 64 pairs of repetitive sequences. Among the multipartite structure, seven subgenomic circles were best supported. Six of the seven subgenomic circles shared an 852 bp conserved fragment. The complete mitogenome of P. notoginseng was 662,479 bp long including 34 mitochondrial protein-coding genes (PCGs), three rRNA, and 19 tRNA genes. We identified 166 microsatellite repeats and 26 long-tandem repeats. Phylogenetic analysis resolved a tree that was mostly congruent with the phylogeny of Apiales species described in the APG IV system and the tree built with the chloroplast genome sequences. A total of 12 mitochondrial plastid DNA fragments were identified. Lastly, we predicted 591C-to-U RNA editing sites in the coding regions of mitochondrial PCGs. The mitochondrial genome will lay the foundation for understanding the evolution of Panax species.

Pharmacognostical evaluation and physiochemical analysis of Salsola Kali as medicinal plant.

One of the largest genera Salsola include halophytic plants with therapeutic potential. For the treatment of various ailments, plants of the genus are acclaimed. Salsola kali is an important medicinal plant exhibiting specific phytochemical and biological makeup that is frequently overlooked. The current study aimed at the pharmacognostical evaluation of leaves and stem of Salsola kali to ensure the purity, quality, and efficacy of this valuable medicinal species. For the identification, evaluation and standardization of diagnostic attributes of intact and powdered material of Salsola kali leaves and stem, various methods including organoleptic, macroscopic, microscopic, and physicochemical analysis were employed. The plant was identified to possess significant characteristics with a view to authenticate drug. Light Microscopy (LM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) of aerial parts of Salsola kali manifested specialized anatomical features essential for the adaptability in dry-saline environment. Upon quantitative pharmacognostic analysis of powder of leaves and stem, the moisture content of 1.3% and 11.1%, respectively was found. The total ash (%) in leaves and stem was computed to be 65.95 and 85.3, respectively. The water soluble and alcohol soluble extractive values (%) were computed to be 79.38 and 75.4 in leaves and 78.0 and 76.8 in stem, respectively. The swelling index (cm) in leaves and stem was enumerated to be 0.8 and 0.5. The current study will be helpful in the quality check and authentication of various parts of Salsola kali that can be used as principal component of herbal medicine formulation. Based on various microscopic analyses, that is, Light Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy, the detailed description and valuable information on Salsola kali, a medicinal plant, has been provided. The present study can make a significant contribution in the literature as the findings may contribute to the determination of purity of Salsola kali for future perspectives.

Flavonoids from Sacred Lotus Stamen Extract Slows Chronological Aging in Yeast Model by Reducing Oxidative Stress and Maintaining Cellular Metabolism.

Nelumbo nucifera is one of the most valuable medicinal species of the Nelumbonaceae family that has been consumed since the ancient historic period. Its stamen is an indispensable ingredient for many recipes of traditional medicines, and has been proved as a rich source of flavonoids that may provide an antiaging action for pharmaceutical or medicinal applications. However, there is no intense study on antiaging potential and molecular mechanisms. This present study was designed to fill in this important research gap by: (1) investigating the effects of sacred lotus stamen extract (LSE) on yeast lifespan extension; and (2) determining their effects on oxidative stress and metabolism to understand the potential antiaging action of its flavonoids. A validated ultrasound-assisted extraction method was also employed in this current work. The results confirmed that LSE is rich in flavonoids, and myricetin-3-O-glucose, quercetin-3-O-glucuronic acid, kaempferol-3-O-glucuronic acid, and isorhamnetin-3-O-glucose are the most abundant ones. In addition, LSE offers a high antioxidant capacity, as evidenced by different in vitro antioxidant assays. This present study also indicated that LSE delayed yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, wild-type strain DBY746) chronological aging compared with untreated control yeast and a positive control (resveratrol) cells. Moreover, LSE acted on central metabolism, gene expressions (SIR2 and SOD2), and enzyme regulation (SIRT and SOD enzymatic activities). These findings are helpful to open the door for the pharmaceutical and medical sectors to employ this potential lotus raw material in their future pharmaceutical product development.

Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (pal) and chalcone synthase (chs) genes in some Iranian endemic species of Apiaceae

The Apiaceae family includes many valuable medicinal species. The Phenyl propanoid pathway is a source of many of critical secondary metabolites. Hence, the identification of involved genes will improve a better understanding of their medicinal properties. The purpose of this research was to obtain a genomic DNA sequence of two important genes including phenylalanine ammonia lyase 2 (pal2) and chalcone synthase (chs) in some Iranian endemic species of Apiaceae viz. Dorema aucheri, Ferula assa-foetida, Prangos ferulaceae, Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff., Ferulago angulata, Heracleum persicum, and Ducrosia anethifolia. For this purpose, conserved regions of each gene were sequenced. Multiple alignments revealed that studied sequences shared a high degree of similarity based on genes pal2 (78%) and chs (66.9%). The results from the neighbor-joining analysis produced different topologies with moderately to high support. The genera of Ferula and Dorema were the closest, while Ferulago and Ducrosia possessed a greater genetic distance to each other based on the pal2 gene. Moreover, the two genera (Ferulago and Prangos) were grouped based on genes pal2 and chs. The NJ analysis revealed that the four Apiaceae genera did not form a monophyletic group based on the chs gene, which showed a higher level of diversity in the chs family alongside the expansion of Apiaceae. Partial-length genomic DNA sequence of these genes helped realize their evolutionary relationships and led to a better understanding of antioxidant and medicinal properties.

The Impact of Cultivation of Medicinal Plants on the Economic Income of Rural Settlements Case study of Kalat city villages

Medicinal plants, as part of natural resources, have been one of the most important sources of human food and medicine for generations. Diversification of the rural economy is considered as a tool to accelerate economic development at various levels¸ this approach is considered as one of the most important strategies for the development and economic sustainability of rural settlements in Iran¸ because it has a great effect on promoting the welfare and security of the region's economy. According to the economic policies of the country based on the development of non-oil exports, it is necessary to pay attention to the export of agricultural products¸ therefore, by planting valuable medicinal species, it is possible to plan the texts, while developing the economy and provision the needs of domestic industries, and it also earned significant foreign exchange earnings from the export of medicinal plant products. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cultivation of medicinal plants on the economic development of rural settlements (case study of villages in Kalat city). The present research is applied in terms of purpose and is descriptive-analytical in terms of method. The sample population includes 7 villages of Kalat city (Abgarm, Aghdash, Qara Tikan, Garou, Qoleh Zoo, Sini and Soroud) with 1589 families, which amount to 5283 people. According to the research results, planting medicinal plants, on average, generates 523.6 more in revenue generation than planting crops.

In vitro Regeneration and Callogenesis of Libidibia ferrea

Libidibia ferrea (Fabaceae) is a valuable medicinal species in the Amazon, but as it is a protected plant, collection from natural populations is forbidden. Therefore, establishing an efficient system for in vitro regeneration and to improve callogenesis of this species is desirable. To determine the optimal nutritional factors needed for shoot multiplication and callus induction, different culture media, plant growth regulators and LED light sources were tested. The data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and means compared by Tukey’s test at p < 0.05. We observe that explants inoculated in the Murashige and Skoog (MS) media with 0.05 mg L-1 of 6-benzilaminopurine (BAP) and cultivated under red-blue LED induced the highest number of shoots (3.67), number of buds (3.13), multiplication rate (15.67) and shoots length (22.03 mm) when compared with other treatments. MS and B5 media supplemented with 2.21 and 4.42 mg L-1 of 2,4-D induced 100% formation of friable callus cultivated under red-blue LED, demonstrating that the light quality significantly influenced callogenesis. Obtained results confirmed that in vitro regeneration and callogenesis is a useful strategy in the protection of endangered species. In this way, a new renewable source of biomass with high quality plant material is presented aiming at the bioprospecting of seedling extracts and friable callus to obtain secondary metabolites of this medicinal plant.

Genetic diversity of medicinal plants

Aim. To study accessions of new medicinal plants, to form and augment collections, to use valuable accessions of the gene pool in breeding and collections for educational and outreach activities. Results and Discussion. We present results of multi-year research work on creating collections of medicinal and essential-oil-bearing plants, their using in breeding, training and educational activities. The collection of the Botanical Nursery of the Experimental Station totals 990 samples belonging to 436 species of 254 genera of 69 families. The following genera are most fully represented: Mentha – 13 species (263 samples), Thymus L. – 11 species, Salvia L. – 6, Echinacea Moench – 6 (29 samples), etc. The collection consists of accessions from 22 countries: 605 from Ukraine, 29 from Russia, 22 from Germany, 12 from Bulgaria, 11 from the USA, 5 from France, etc. Training collections of mint and medicinal plants, trait collections of calendula, thyme, and echinacea and the basic collection of mint were formed and registered with the NCPGRU. Collections are dynamically being formed, and accessions of tree/shrub medicinal species belonging to the genera Sambucus L., Berberis L. and Crataegus L. are being studied. Selected accessions and sources of economically valuable traits are constantly involved in breeding. Ten new varieties of medicinal plants were originated from the gene pool accessions variety Yuvileina (2018) – from Dalmatian chamomile , variety Poltavka (2018) – from blessed milk thistle, variety Berezotitska Soniachna (2020) – from pot marigold, variety Struminka (2020) – from dyer's-madder. Acquisition companies in 14 regions of Ukraine resulted in gathering the gene pool accessions of valuable medicinal species for breeding and investigating: 720 seed samples, 62 planting material samples, 42 raw material samples and 691 herbarium specimens. Conclusions. The exploratory research at the Experimental Station of Medicinal Plants of IAEM NAAS allowed building up unique collections of medicinal and aromatic plants, accessions of which are used in breeding, training and educational activities, as well as to preserve the biodiversity of domestic and wild plants.

Genetic resources of Tunisian Artemisia arborescens L. (Asteraceae), pattern of volatile metabolites concentration and bioactivity and implication for conservation

Artemisia arborescens L. (Asteraceae) is an endemic and a valuable medicinal and ornamental species in the Mediterranean regions. Despite the interest given to A. arborescens L. as promising medicinal crop, this species is becoming threatened of extinction in Tunisia as a result of the fragmentation of its habitat and the absence of any specific measures for its conservation and valorisation. Based on the last considerations, extent information about their volatile metabolites profiling, contents and antimicrobial potential were undertaken based on fourteen populations originated from various geographical and bioclimatic habitats of Tunisia. The obtained results reveal an essential oil content mean value of 1.47%. The leaves of Tunisian tree wormwood populations were dominated by camphor (15.05–58.05%), chamazulene (11.72–45.26%) and β-thujone (0–36.53%). Based on the three first major compounds detected for each population, four different oil types were defined (Oil type I: camphor-chamazulene-β-thujone; Oil type II: camphor-chamazulene-terpinen-4-ol; Oil type III: camphor-chamazulene-bornyl acetate; Oil type IV: camphor-chamazulene-linalool). PCA, HCA and Heatmap chemometric analyses revealed three classification clusters defined mainly by minor compounds. These minor volatile metabolites succeed to discriminate among the fourteen studied populations which promote their chemotaxonomic interest. Our findings confirm previous reports concerning this species in the world and show chamazulene, camphor and β-thujone as the major compounds of this species which define their well known chemotypes independently of the geographical, bioclimatic and genotypic factors. This makes of these three components promising chemosystematic tool for the discrimination of A. arborescens L. in the genus Artemisia. The results showed that the four tested oils were effective against the nine tested microbial strains. The highest antimicrobial potential was revealed for the population AAr_MB characterized by camphor, chamazulene and β-thujone as the dominant components. The pattern of essential oils concentration offers wide range of possibilities for the initiation of breeding programs according to the desired bioactive compounds. Both in situ and ex situ conservation strategies were suggested for the maintenance of the highest chemical polymorphism of this valuable medicinal species.

تأثیر کودهای دامی، بیولوژیک و شیمیایی بر شاخصهای رشد گیاه آلوئهورا (Aloe barbadensis Miller.) در استان بوشهر

آلوئه‌ورا (Aloe barbadensis Miller. ) جزء گیاهان با فتوسنتز متابولیسم اسید کراسولاسه می‌باشد. با توجه به اهمیت آلوئه‌ورا به عنوان یک گیاه دارویی سازگار با اقلیم ایران و به‌خصوص استان بوشهر و عدم وجود اطلاعات کافی در خصوص واکنش‌های رشدی و عملکردی این گیاه به کودهای غیرشیمیایی، این مطالعه با هدف ارزیابی اثر کودهای دامی، بیولوژیک و شیمیایی بر خصوصیات رشدی آلوئه‌ورا انجام شد. آزمایش به‌صورت کرت‏های خرد شده در قالب طرح بلوک‌های کامل تصادفی با سه تکرار در مزرعه تحقیقاتی مرکز تحقیقات کشاورزی استان بوشهر در سال زراعی 92-1391 به اجرا درآمد. عامل اصلی شامل کاربرد و عدم کاربرد کود گوسفندی (20 تن در هکتار) و عامل فرعی شامل کودهای بیولوژیک و شیمیایی در پنج سطح (1- کود شیمیایی (80 کیلوگرم در هکتار سوپرفسفات تریپل و 200 کیلوگرم در هکتار اوره)، 2- کود بیولوژیک میکوریزا (خاک حاوی قارچ‌هایی از گونه موسه‌آ)، 3- کود بیولوژیک نیتراژین شامل باکتری‌های ازتوباکتر، سدوموناس و آزسپیریلیوم.، 4- ترکیب دو کود بیولوژیک میکوریزا و نیتراژین و 5- شاهد (بدون مصرف کود)) بودند. شاخص سطح برگ، حداکثر ماده خشک، سرعت رشد محصول، سرعت رشد نسبی، سرعت آسیمیلاسیون خالص و نسبت سطح برگ اندازه‌گیری و محاسبه شدند. نتایج نشان داد برهمکنش بین کود دامی و کودهای بیولوژیک و شیمیایی بر شاخص سطح برگ و حداکثر ماده خشک آلوئه‌ورا معنی‌دار بود. کاربرد کود دامی در مقایسه با عدم کاربرد آن باعث بهبود شاخص‏های رشد گردید. تلفیق کود دامی با کود شیمیایی بیشترین تأثیر را بر رشد آلوئه‌ورا داشت. به‌طوری که تیمار تلفیقی کود دامی با کود شیمیایی دارای بیشترین شاخص سطح برگ (1/6)، سرعت رشد محصول (79/0 گرم در مترمربع در روز) و حداکثر ماده خشک (57/111 گرم در متر‌مربع) بود. در نهایت نتایج این تحقیق نشان داد که برای تولید عملکرد بالا و با کیفیت آلوئه‌ورا می‏توان از تلفیق کودهای دامی و بیولوژیک به جای کودهای شیمیایی سود برد.

Cosmetic and Skincare Benefits of Cultivated Mycelia from the Chinese Caterpillar Mushroom, Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Ascomycetes).

Mushrooms are potential sources of novel natural cosmeceutical ingredients. This study was conducted to evaluate the cosmetic (skincare) benefits of the valuable medicinal species Ophiocordyceps sinensis (=Cordyceps sinensis). The mycelial extracts of 2 O. sinensis strains, Cs-HK1 and Cs-4, prepared sequentially with ethyl acetate, ethanol, and hot water were tested with in vitro assays for tyrosinase-, collagenase-, and elastase-inhibitory activity. The ethyl acetate extracts of both fungal strains showed potent antityrosinase and antielastase activity, with low half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (0.14-0.47 mg/mL) comparable to those of the respective reference compounds (arbutin and epigallocatechin gallate). All mycelial extracts exhibited moderate or significant anticollagenase activity; most extracts showed a significant photoprotective effect with a sun protection factor up to 25. The results from this study show the potential use of O. sinensis as a source of cosmetic ingredients for skincare applications.

CHANGES IN SPECIES COMPOSITION AND ECOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES OF PLANT SPECIES IN THE BRACHIARIA RAMOSA (STAPF.) DOMINATED GRASSLAND AS INFLUENCED BY DISTURBANCE

The present study on the influence of disturbance in the dominated grassland near Bharathiar University, Coimbatore was studied over a period of one year from September, 2014 to August, 2015. The study was made during three seasons such as winter, summer and rainy so as to find out the seasonal changes as influenced by disturbance. The studied grassland is a semi-arid community containing most number of mesophytes with few xerophytes. To study the impact of disturbance, two sites such as undisturbed and disturbed ones spread over an area of 10 and 12 ha respectively were selected in the grassland. The floristic analysis showed that the undisturbed community was registered with 71 species and the disturbed community with 51 species. The family, Poaceae was represented by the high number of 14 and 13 species respectively in undisturbed and disturbed communities. Of the 71 species encounted, a sizablenumber of 66 species (92 %) harbour medicinal uses. It indicates that the study site was a potential habitat of medicinal plants with wide diversity. The quantitative ecological characters have been varied widely between the two sites due to the influence of disturbance. The resource apportionment for various species present in both study sites indicates that the grass, Brachiaria ramosa shared higher amount of resources than any other species present in the communities. The study suggested that the studied Brachiaria ramosa dominated grassland near Bharathiar University must be given conservation priority to protect the valuable medicinal species.

Standardization of Clonal Macropropagation Protocol of Dillenia pentagyna Roxb an Important and Endangered Medicinal Tree Species through Stem Branch Cuttings

Dillenia pentagyna belongs to family Dilleniaceae, is commonly known as Karkat. It is small deciduous tree reaching up to the height of 10-12 m with a straight bole. The species is distributed throughout in India including Andaman & Nicobar. It is highly important medicinal tree species. Its leaves, fruits and bark show antibacterial, antialpha glucosidase and antioxidant property. Due to its high medicinal value the natural occurrence of this species is declining day by day and gradually the species comes under the threat condition. The species is highly recalcitrant in nature, because it very difficult to propagate by conventional propagation methods. Now there is an urgent need to develop an appropriate technology for its conservation and clonal propagation. An attempt has been made for standardizing the clonal propagation technique of this valuable medicinal species through stem branch cuttings under intermittent misting conditions in mist chamber. The optimum rooting response has been standardized by various parts per million (ppm) concentrations and treatment timings of root promoting hormones Indol-3 butyric acid-(IBA) and α-Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). The optimum rooting response >60 percent was observed when the cutting were treated up to 20 minute with 500 ppm concentration of Indol-3 butyric acid. On an average 6 roots with10-15 cm length were induced from the cuttings after 30-35 days. Α-Naphthalene acetic acid was failed to induce roots from the cuttings.

The Effect of Nutritional Factors and Plant Growth Regulators on Micropropagation and Production of Phenolic Acids and Saponins from Plantlets and Adventitious Root Cultures of Eryngium maritimum L.

Eryngium maritimum L. is a valuable medicinal species, but since it is protected plant, collection from natural populations is forbidden. Therefore, establishing an efficient system for micropropagation of this species is desirable. To determine the optimal nutritional factors needed for shoot multiplication, root development and secondary metabolites accumulation, different media and plant growth regulators were tested. The highest plant regeneration efficiency (over 96 %), with 4.4 shoots per explant was induced on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 1.0 mg L−1 benzyladenine (BA) and 0.1 mg L−1 indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The in vitro-regenerated shoots were rooted (83.3–100 %) and transferred to an experimental plot with 62 % efficiency. Flow cytometric analysis revealed no variation in nuclear DNA content in field- and in vitro-delivered plant material. Ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) indicated that multiple shoots and roots from in vitro-regenerated plantlets and adventitious root cultures maintained the production of rosmarinic (RA) and chlorogenic (CGA) acids and triterpenoid saponins found in the rosette leaves and roots of E. maritimum intact plants. UHPLC revealed a 12-fold increase of RA and CGA and 3.2-fold higher accumulation of triterpenoid saponins in roots of in vitro-derived plantlets in comparison to roots from field-grown plants. Adventitious root cultures allowed continuous growth of excised root in liquid media with or without exogenous auxins. The roots grown in liquid medium supplemented with 0.1 mg L−1 IAA showed higher (227-fold) phenolic acids accumulation than those without auxin. Obtained results confirmed that micropropagation is a useful strategy in the protection of endangered species and a renewable source of a high quality plant material for secondary metabolites production.

Quantification of verbascoside in medicinal species of Phlomis and their genetic relationships

BackgroundThe genus Phlomis (Lamiaceae) is introduced by its valuable medicinal species, of which 17 species are growing wildly and ten of them are exclusively endemic of Iran. The main phytochemical characteristic of this genus is presence of iridoid glycosides including ipolamide, auroside, lamiide and also phenylethanoids such as verbascoside (acetoside) found in Lamiales order.Due to the broad range of biological and pharmacological activities of verbascoside and lack of any report on quantification of this compound within Iranian species of Phlomis, we conducted a research to achieve two main goals, finding a genetic biodiversity by RAPD (Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA), as well as detecting and quantifying verbascoside in nine species of Phlomis growing wildly in Iran.ResultsThe results showed that various samples of P.olivieri possess different genetic distances from each other. Also, various species of P.olivieri display close relationships to P.anisodonta and P. persica. Phytoanalysis of Phlomis species by means of TLC scanner using verbascoside as a phytochemical marker showed that the highest concentration of verbascoside was found in P. anisodonta, however, P. bruguieri and P. olivieri (from Mazandaran) were in the second and third places. Interestingly, the lowest concentration of verbascoside was detected in P. olivieri (from Azerbayjan), exhibiting the effect of various growing areas and conditions on the measured levels of this compound.Conclusionsverbascoside can be found in various species of Iranian Phlomis, of which P. anisodonta, P. bruguieri and P. olivieri might be the best choices. In addition, although the concentration of verbascoside in these plants may be affected by the growing areas and conditions, there are a good agreement between genetic relations and verbascoside levels.

Ecological and geographic variability of Hedysarum theinum and features of its propagation in vitro

The relationship between the morphological variability of the productivity characteristics and the genetic variability of the electrophoretic spectra of seed polypeptides in the valuable medicinal species Hedysarum theinum Krasnob was established based on analyzing six cenopopulations. The protocols for the microclonal propagation of advanced samples were developed. The most efficient multiplication was achieved in an MS medium supplemented with 5 μM BAP, 200 mg/L−1 glutathione, and 200 mg/L−1 casein hydrolyzate. The shoots were successfully rooted on the half-strength MS basal medium supplemented with 7 μM NAA.

Webportal for Showcasing Diversity of Phytoene Synthase Genes in Some Higher Plants

Webportal for Showcasing Diversity of Phytoene Synthase Genes in Some Higher Plants We attempted to develop an improved and efficient regeneration protocol for this valuable medicinal species. Nodal explants cultured on MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of different growth hormone i.e. 2, 4-D, NAA and BAP alone or in combinations showed shoot induction or direct plantlet proliferation from the axillary buds. Highest multiplication rate (100 per cent) was obtained from nodal explants when MS medium supplemented with IBA (0.1 and 0.2 mg/l) along with BAP (2.0 mg/l), showed maximum number of plantlets 18.0±1.16 and 19.67±0.88 respectively. The in vitro raised plantlets were transplanted to mixture of sterile dune sand and FYM (3:1) with 70 % success in hardening and acclimatization under natural humidity conditions..

Rapid and Efficient Regeneration Protocol inDioscorea alataL.

Rapid and Efficient Regeneration Protocol in Dioscorea alata L. We attempted to develop an improved and efficient regeneration protocol for this valuable medicinal species. Nodal explants cultured on MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of different growth hormone i.e. 2, 4-D, NAA and BAP alone or in combinations showed shoot induction or direct plantlet proliferation from the axillary buds. Highest multiplication rate (100 per cent) was obtained from nodal explants when MS medium supplemented with IBA (0.1 and 0.2 mg/l) along with BAP (2.0 mg/l), showed maximum number of plantlets 18.0±1.16 and 19.67±0.88 respectively. The in vitro raised plantlets were transplanted to mixture of sterile dune sand and FYM (3:1) with 70 % success in hardening and acclimatization under natural humidity conditions ..