Hakimeh Oloumi, Fatemeh Nasibi, Hossein Mozaffari,
Volume 5, Issue 2 (9-2018)
Abstract
Medicinal plants are rich sources of secondary metabolites. Lepidium sativum possess active compounds and secondary metabolites, including polyphenol, anthocyanin, flavonoid compounds, which are of special pharmaceutical and economic importance. Melatonin as bio-stimulator compound has a regulatory role on the amount of secondary metabolites and plant tolerance to environmental stresses. In this study, the effect of exogenous melatonin on secondary metabolites production on Lepidium sativum plants was carried out in a completely randomized design with 5 melatonin treatments (0, 5, 10, 50 and 100 μM) and 3 replications. After applying the treatment, the growth rate and content of the photosynthetic pigments, the leaf water content, as well as the content of flavonoids, anthocyanins and total phenolic compounds were investigated. Seed treatment with melatonin, especially at concentrations of 50 and 100 μM, improved the growth parameters and content of photosynthetic pigments. High levels of melatonin also increased the plant's secondary metabolites, including anthocyanins, carotenoids, and plant phenolic compounds. These effects can confirm the role of melatonin as a growth regulator and its impact on plant growth and resistance.
Khadijeh Mahmoodi, Maneezheh Pakravan, Valiollah Mozaffarian,
Volume 5, Issue 3 (12-2018)
Abstract
The genus Zoegea L. belongs to Asteraceae family and has about 10 species in the world. This genus is considered to be an Irano-Turanian and Mediterranean element and is distributed in south-western and central Asia and in the central, southern, north-western and south-western parts of Iran as well. The subspecies classification of the genus is not consensus and various classifications could be found in different taxonomy resources. In this study various specimens from different regions of Iran were studied. In addition, anatomical and palynological characters were used to perform a cluster analysis in order to determine species groups. In the end, our results confirmed that Z. baldschuanica and Z. glabricaulis were distinct species.
Farideh Attar, Valiollah Mozaffarian, Mansour Mirtadzadini,
Volume 5, Issue 3 (12-2018)
Abstract
Cousinia elymaitica, which has been collected from western Iran, is described in this paper as a new species. This new species has been assigned to the sect. Pugioniferae on the basis of its habit, purple corolla and decurrent leaves. Its closest related species is C. macroptera. A distribution map and an illustration of the related specimens have also been provided.
Behnam Hamzeh’ee, Mostafa Koshnevis, Parvaneh Ashouri, Vailolah Mozaffarian, Hooman Ravanbakhsh,
Volume 7, Issue 1 (4-2020)
Abstract
Fire affects vegetation and changes plant succession. In this paper, the vegetation of Sirachal Research Station, which burned in the summer of 2014, was studied and compared with the unburnt areas, based on biodiversity indices. The research was implemented as a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design. First, on the basis of physiognomy, the area was divided into three parts: shrubland, shrubland-rangeland, and rangeland. Each part was, then, divided into two sections, including a burnt area and an adjacent unburnt area (control area). In each area (burnt and unburnt), three sampling units were randomly assigned using PNP method, and vegetation measurements were subsequently performed. Based on data analysis, a total of 141 taxa were identified, belonging to 28 families and 95 genera, including one species of Gymnosperm, 19 monocotyledons and 121 dicotyledons in two burnt and unburnt areas of Sirachal Station. Based on the statistical analysis, using Past3 and SPSS softwares, there was no significant difference in the number of taxa between the vegetation of the burnt and unburnt areas. Of the indicators analyzed in Past3, the number of individual, the index of Menhinick's richness and the Shannon diversity index were significantly different in the treatments sampled from the burnt and unburnt areas. According to the Duncan test average, the number of individuals in the unburnt area, with a canopy cover below 25%, was greater than that in the burnt area, with the same canopy cover, however, no significant difference was observed between the individuals in the burnt area and unburnt area, with the same canopy cover of more than 25%. Also, the richness of the burnt area with a canopy of less than 5% is significantly higher than that in the unburnt area with the same canopy cover.
