Ms Afsaneh Teymouri, Dr Atefe Amirahmadi, Dr Reza Naderi, Dr Fatemeh Salimi, Dr Reza Sheikhakbari-Mehr,
Volume 12, Issue 1 (3-2025)
Abstract
The identification and introduction of medicinal plants hold significant importance in modern life. The genus Pycnocycla, belonging to the Apiaceae family, includes eight endemic species in Iran. P. spinosa has attracted attention due to its medicinal properties. This study aims to investigate the effect of three habitats (the Damghan, Semnan, and Kerman city) on the antimicrobial properties of extracts obtained from Pycnocycla spinosa using different solvents. To examine the antimicrobial properties, methanolic, ethyl acetate, and hexane extracts at a concentration of 2 mg/ml were tested against two pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria, Yersinia enterocolitica and Salmonella enterica, using the agar disk diffusion method. The results indicated that the extracts had varying effects on the bacteria. Additionally, the different geographical regions of Iran, due to their distinct climatic conditions, exhibited varying effects on the bacteria. Extracts from Kerman, especially those using methanol and ethyl acetate as solvents, showed the highest antimicrobial activity against Salmonella enterica. Therefore, the type of solvent and habitat can significantly influence the antimicrobial properties of plants.
Dr. Maneezheh Pakravan, Mrs. Azam Javanbakht,
Volume 12, Issue 1 (3-2025)
Abstract
: Alcea species are valuable medicinal plants used in traditional medicine for a long time. The similarity between species and the diversity of traits have led scientists to use various biosystematics methods to identify species. In this study, the anatomical characteristics of the stem in 18 species of Alcea from Iran were examined. Hand sections in similar positions of the stem were studied and double staining with methyl green and carmine stain, and microscopic images were obtained. The most important traits analyzed in this study were the number of layers of collenchyma cells in the cortex, the thickness and number of layers of sclerenchyma fibers of the phloem, the number of vascular bundles, the ray parenchyma, the thickness of phloem and xylem vessels, and the structure of the pith. Then, cluster analysis using the Ward method was performed with SPSS software based on eight quantitative traits. The results showed that some of the stem's anatomical features, which are observed in closely related species, can only be useful for species identification but are not particularly helpful in grouping the species
Parissa Jonoubi, Majid Ghorbani Nohooji, Halimeh Hassanpour, Atefeh Ashourisheikhi,
Volume 12, Issue 2 (9-2025)
Abstract
Ferula gummosa Boiss. as a valuable pharmaceutical and industrial plant grows in Iran. In order to minimize seed dormancy period and micropropagation, callus induction and embryogenesis were evaluated. The plantlets of the seeds were separated and cultured in the 1/2 MS medium. After 14 days, root, hypocotyl, cotyledon and leaf explants were separated. Then they were transferred to the basal MS medium containing different concentrations of growth regulators. Different developmental stages of somatic embryos were evaluated. Seedlings 2-3 days after locating in 1/2 MS medium germinated and whole plantlets were obtained after 12 days. In the callus induction phase growth regulator composition 1.5 mgl-1 of NAA and 0.5 mgl-1 of BA with root explants had proper results. In the somatic embryogenesis phase MS medium containing 0.5 mgl-1 of 2,4-D accompanied by 1 mgl-1 of BA lead to desirable results. Via taken sections from the embryos, different developmental stages of somatic embryos including pre-embryo, globular, heart shaped, torpedo and cotyledonary embryo were observed. In vitro culture of embryo to accelerate germination and elimination of long dormancy period and using this optimized method are strongly suggested for micropropagation of this plant so this valuable endemic plant may survive from extinction, too.
Hamideh Ahmadian, Professor Azarnoosh Jafari, Professor Jamil Vaezi, Professor Ehsan Karimi,
Volume 12, Issue 2 (9-2025)
Abstract
Veronica is a species-rich genus of the Plantaginaceae, comprising over 500 annual and perennial herbs distributed across both hemispheres. We examined relationships within the Veronica hederifolia complex (V. hederifolia, V. cymbalaria, V. panormitana, and V. triloba), all belonging to V. subg. Cochlidiosperma. Overlapping morphological features complicate taxonomic delimitation in this group. To clarify species boundaries, we analysed 28 sequences from three regions: the nuclear low-copy CYCLOIDEA2 region, the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS), and the plastid DNA (trnL–trnF), in addition to morphological characters. Morphological variation was observed in leaf shape, calyx and pedicel orientation, corolla diameter and colour, sepal form, and seed features. Bayesian phylogenetic inference revealed that the CYC2 marker provided the highest resolution, confirming the monophyly of the complex and distinguishing V. triloba as a separate species. V. cymbalaria and V. panormitana formed sister lineages, with V. panormitana as the earliest-diverging taxon. Plastid trnL–trnF sequences showed limited variability, and ITS data displayed partial incongruence, likely due to hybridization, introgression, and polyploidy. Overall, integrating molecular and morphological evidence highlights the utility of low-copy nuclear markers in resolving recently diverged and reticulate lineages, supporting distinct evolutionary trajectories within the V. hederifolia complex.
Mehsa Arami, Jalal Gholamnezhad, Mostafa Shirmardi,
Volume 12, Issue 3 (9-2025)
Abstract
The water crisis in desert areas, including Ardakan city, has caused some industries to use industrial effluents and urban sewage as water sources to irrigate green spaces for the development of green spaces. Chadormello Industrial Complex is one of the industries that, in line with the management of this crisis, irrigates the green space created there with the water resources available at the factory site, i.e. industrial effluent and purified urban sewage. The purpose of this research is to investigate some morphological and physiological traits of a number of plants cultivated in this complex, which are irrigated with the mentioned water sources or gray water. This research is in the form of a complete randomized block design with three water treatments including three types of urban sewage treatment water, industrial wastewater and a mixture of both types of water in three replications for six plant species: olive, eucalyptus, pomegranate, Tehran pine, Egyptian silk and bitter elder. Investigating the morphological characteristics of height and diameter of the trunk and measuring the physiological characteristics including the amount of some elements including iron, zinc, manganese, copper, cadmium and lead were done. The results showed that among the three applied treatments.
Mrs Seyedeh Maryam Mousavian Kalat, Mrs Latifeh Pourakbar, Mr Majid Azizi,
Volume 12, Issue 3 (9-2025)
Abstract
Iranian black zira is an aromatic and medicinal plant from Apeaceae family. In order to investigate the effect of fertilization and tuber age on plant height, greening percentage, flowering percentage, and yield components, an experiment was conducted in field conditions in the form of 9 main plots including NPK fertilizer at three levels (control ), fertilizer 1(2.5 grams per liter), fertilizer 2 (with a concentration of 2 times and 5 grams per liter) and tuber age at two levels of three and four years (medium and three-year-old tubers ) was carried out in, fertilizer with 2 times concentration) and tuber age at two levels (three and four years old) was carried out in 1402-1403 in Kalat region of Khorasan Razavi.The results showed that tuber weight has a direct and positive effect on the percentage of germination, flowering, plant growth and yield. The highest percentage of greening (100%) and flowering (100%) was observed in large tubers and the lowest percentage of greening (51%) and flowering (16.93) was observed in medium tubers and 0 fertilizer (no fertilization).application of 20-20-20 fertilizer (NPK) and use of tubers with more age (weight) improved the growth and yield of Iranian black zira.
Naser Samsami, Jalal Jalilian, Esmaeil Gholinezhad, Raheleh Tahmasebi,
Volume 12, Issue 3 (9-2025)
Abstract
This study was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications with aimed to investigate the effects of different levels of salinity stress on root traits, allometric coefficient, and grain yield of Galega in three cultivation conditions (greenhouse, outdoor pots, and field) during 2024 cropping year. The results of variance analysis in greenhouse conditions showed that salinity stress had a significant effect on root diameter, root dry weight, and leaf dry weight. Specifically, salinity stress of 10 and 5 dS/m caused a 49 and 16 percent reduction in root diameter, 27 and 8 percent in root dry weight, and 49 and 10 percent in leaf dry weight, respectively. In outdoor pots, salinity stress had a significant effect on stem length, root volume, root diameter, root dry weight, stem dry weight and grain yield, and significant reductions were observed in these traits, reaching a maximum of 69% in stem dry weight. In field conditions, similar results were obtained, and salinity stress of 10 and 5 dS/m, respectively, caused a 78 and 67% reduction in grain yield and significant changes in other traits. Therefore, field cultivation conditions and lower salinity stress levels (below 5 dS/m) were superior for planting Galega.
Zahra Mahdavi, Behrooz Esmailpoor, Rasoul Azarmi,
Volume 12, Issue 3 (9-2025)
Abstract
The different treatments in this experiment were foliar spraying of salinity reducer at five levels (control, 15 and 30 mgL-1 glycine betaine without liquid fish waste fertilizer, 15 and 30 mgL-1 glycine betaine with 15% (v/v) liquid fish waste fertilizer) on stevia plants grown under salt stress conditions (0, 30, 60, 90 mM of NaCl). results showed that salinity negatively affected growth parameters, relative water content, a* and b* color and increased the activity of total phenol, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, and total carbohydrates compared with control samples. Salinity at 90 mM decreased the relative water content by 44.7% compared to the not stress. Salinity 90 mM salinity stress increased 70.46% total carbohydrates, 66.66% in H2O2 , MDA by 66.66% , Electrolyte leakage (EL) by 67.04 and 47.21% proline content by compared to the control. On the other hand, simultaneous application of glycine betaine and fish waste bio-fertilizer mitigated the effects of salinity stress by enhancing growth parameters especially at the highest salinity level (90 mM).
- Mojgan Habibi, Dr. Saeed Afsharzadeh, Dr. Shabnam Abbasi,
Volume 12, Issue 3 (9-2025)
Abstract
The flora of a region is a key indicator of various ecosystem factors across geological periods, and plant identification is crucial for assessing natural capacity and land use. This study aimed to conduct a floristic survey of the Basiran Protected Area in Eqlid County, Fars Province. Plant samples were collected using a survey method and linear transects. From 250 collected samples, 94 species across 70 genera and 34 families were identified. Dicotyledons constituted the majority, with 82 species and 59 genera, while monocotyledons included 12 species from 11 genera. Fabaceae was the largest family (13 species), and Astragalus the largest genus (7 species). Significantly, 16 species (17%) were endemic to Iran. Phytoecological analysis revealed that 47 species (50%) were hemicryptophytes, and 59 species (63%) belonged to the Irano-Turanian phytogeographic region. The findings also highlight the adverse impacts of recent droughts, rising temperatures, and grazing pressure on the area's flora. Consequently, the study emphasizes the urgent need to reconsider current management and conservation policies, particularly concerning livestock grazing, medicinal plant harvesting, and wood collection, to ensure the long-term sustainability of this protected ecosystem.
Dr Mahboobeh Ghasemi, Dr Zohreh Jafari,
Volume 12, Issue 4 (12-2025)
Abstract
Objective: “Broad bean (Vicia faba) is important in many countries as a source of high protein percentage, amino acid ratios, mineral salts, and calcium. The use of new scientific methods and modified traditional methods such as plasma water have helped a lot to achieve of improved plant growth. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of plasma-activated water on growth and anatomical features of Vicia faba.
Method: After preparation , seeds were first soaked for 24 hours with water that had been activated with plasma for 5 minutes and 20 minutes, and with control water without plasma application. After planting, the pots were watered twice a week for 40 to 50 days. After this period, the anatomical features were examined.
Results: The results showed that in plants treated with vascular bundle dispersion, the growth and development of xylem vessels and the growth of the vegetative apical meristem were greater than in the control And the treated plants entered the reproductive phase faster.
Conclusions: plasma-activated water can increase the growth of faba bean plants by causing changes in anatomical and developmental characteristics.
According to the article results, use of plasma water is recommended to improve the performance of this plant.
Mohabat Nadaf, Ali Malkeshi, Yasamin Nasseh,
Volume 12, Issue 4 (12-2025)
Abstract
In this article, a new record of Astragalus suffalcatus Bunge, from section Dissitiflori Bunge of the genus Astragalus, is presented. This species occurs in northeastern Iran, in North Khorasan Province, and has previously been reported from Afghanistan and southwestern Pakistan. A herbarium specimen image, distribution map, conservation status map, and a description of the species are provided.
Esmaeil Gholinezhad, Saiedeh Salavati, , Bakhtiar Lalehgani,
Volume 13, Issue 1 (4-2026)
Abstract
Objective: This research was conducted to investigate the effects of sowing date and different seed priming treatments on morpho-physiological traits and grain yield of Simin wheat cultivar under late spring cold stress conditions in West Azerbaijan province.
Methods: The experiment was carried out as a factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block design with three replications during the 2024-2025 growing season. The first factor included two sowing dates (November 21 and December 22) and the second factor consisted of seed priming treatments.
Results: The results indicated that the first sowing date showed significant superiority in all traits and led to a 38% increase in grain yield compared to the second sowing date. Among priming treatments, melatonin was identified as the most effective treatment with 37% and 42% increase in grain yield in the first and second sowing dates, respectively. In contrast, salicylic acid treatment in the second sowing date caused 92% reduction in grain yield ratio and 75% reduction in biomass production efficiency.
Conclusion: Optimal sowing date along with the application of priming treatments such as melatonin and gibberellic acid can be recommended as an effective strategy for improving grain yield and late spring cold stress tolerance in wheat.
Dr Laleh Malekmohammadi, Prof Masoud Sheidai, Prof Farrokh Ghahremaninejad, Prof Afshin Danehkar, Dr Fahimeh Koohdar,
Volume 13, Issue 2 (4-2026)
Abstract
Phylogenetic analyses of Avicennia species have been carried out using diverse molecular datasets, including chloroplast genome sequences and multilocus nuclear gene markers. These studies have contributed valuable insights into evolutionary relationships within the genus and clarified its placement in the Acanthaceae family. Concatenated sequence datasets provide broader genomic information and can enhance the resolution and reliability of phylogenetic trees. In parallel, the multispecies coalescent (MSC) model offers a robust framework for addressing evolutionary questions such as estimating species divergence times, population sizes, species tree topologies despite gene tree discordance, interspecific gene flow, and species delimitation.The genus Avicennia L., comprising approximately eight species, represents a key group of mangrove plants, some of which occur along the southern coasts of Iran. However, considerable uncertainty remains regarding the molecular phylogeny of these species. Therefore, this study applies both MSC-based and concatenation-based phylogenetic approaches to investigate species relationships within Avicennia, using molecular data from nuclear ITS and chloroplast psbA sequences. We constructed species trees using BEAST (StarBEAST), performed gene-based analyses in Mesquite, and generated maximum likelihood trees. The results revealed two major divergent clades, with evidence of deep coalescence, interspecific introgression, and structural DNA variations, suggesting a complex evolutionary history within the genus.
