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Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most important crops and a known host of broomrapes. The species of genus Orobanche are biotic stress factors restricting plant growth and crop production. Some natural compounds and chemicals affect this biological relationship. Therefore, in the present study, the effect of gallic acid and kiwi fruit extract on the biological relationship between broomrape and tomato plant was investigated. To this end, first, the symbiotic effect of the broomrape species, Orobanche aegytica, on growth parameters of tomato plant and the amount of soluble sugar and photosynthetic pigments were evaluated. Then, the effect of concentrations of gallic acid and kiwi fruit extract at different levels on this biological relationship was investigated by measuring the growth parameters of tomato and broomrape, photosynthetic pigments and the amount of soluble sugar in tomatoes. The results demonstrated that the broomrapes reduced the fresh weight and dry weight of the stem, leaves and roots of tomato, diminished the leaf area of the host plant, and decreased the amount of photosynthetic pigments and its soluble sugar content. Gallic acid treatment and kiwi fruit extract lessened the growth parameters of the broomrape species and its overall growth, in addition to increasing the growth of tomato plants. This process could be associated with the constraint of the biological relationship between the parasite and the host, as the soluble sugar content as well as the amount of the photosynthetic pigments of tomato plants were increased and the tomato plants remained highly resistant.

 

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Atta Mouludi-Saleh¹, Soheil Eagderi¹, Keyvan Abbasi² & Manoochehr Nasri^3
1Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran; ²Inland Waters Aquaculture Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Sciences Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Bandar Anzali, Iran; ³Department of Fisheries Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
Correspondent author: Soheil Eagderi, soheil.eagderi@ut.ac.ir
 
Abstract: Due to the presence of taxonomic ambiguity regarding Petroleuciscus ulanus and Alburnus atropatenae and the tendency to treat them as synonyms of each other, this study was conducted to validate these two species by comparing their morphometric and meristic characters in the Mahabad-Chai River, Urmia Lake basin. A total of 64 specimens of P. ulanus and 68 specimens of A. atropatenae were sampled and were then investigated for 17 morphometric and 7 meristic characters. Measurements were standardized to eliminate the effects of size due to allometric growth pattern, then their normality and abnormality were examined. Standardized data were analyzed using t-test, Mann-Whitney, principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminative function analysis based on P-value of Hotelling's t-test (DFA/Hotelling's T-test) methods. The results showed that the two species were significantly different in 11 morphometric and 2 meristic traits (P<0.05). DFA analysis also showed significance differences between the two studied species. Our results refute the synonymy hypothesis of Petroleuciscus ulanus and Alburnus atropatenae on the basis of morphometric and meristic traits. Therefore, based on the results of this study, the taxonomic identities of these two species are valid.
 

 

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Peroxidase catalyzes different oxidation of substrates using hydrogen peroxide, a reactive oxygen specie (ROS). ROS, at low concentrations, act as messenger to regulate intracellular signaling, whereas, at high concentrations, they can overcome the immune system by creating oxidative stress. Some common beverages such as coffee, tea and soft drinks contain high levels of xanthine alkaloids including theophylline and theobromine. In this study, the effect of theophylline and theobromine on peroxidase activity was kinetically studied by measuring the absorption of 4-aminoantipyrine, oxidized in the presence and absence of theophylline and theobromine at 510 nm for 3 minutes. The results showed that theobromine and theophylline acted as inhibitors with IC₅₀ of 0.50 and 0.55 mM, respectively. K_m and V_max values showed that both compounds are non-competitive inhibitors. The values of K_i were calculated as 0.03 and 0.045 mM for theobromine and theophylline, respectively. Lower values of K_i and IC₅₀ for theobromine compared to theophylline indicates that theobromine has a higher inhibition strength and binding tendency to the enzyme-substrate complex. Hence, it is concluded that theobromine has a stronger inhibitory effect on POD activity.
 
 

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate phytochemical characterizations and the in vitro antifungal capacity of the aqueous and methanolic extracts of the flower of Tulipa biflora Pall., against various yeast and mold species. For this purpose, fresh flowers were grinded and then macerated in methanol and water overnight, the resulted extracts were then evaluated by various tests. The results indicated that the extracts had different phytochemical components such as terpenoids, tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, and phlobatannins. After the evaporation of solvents, antifungal activities of the concentrated extracts were evaluated by the well-diffusion method on Candida albicans, Trichosporon asahii, Yarrowia lipolytica, Aspergilus niger and Fusarium oxysporum. The results showed that the extracts were effective on yeasts and mold species studied except for Aspergilus niger. In order to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum biocidal concentration (MBC) of the extracts, anti-microbial tests were performed in micro-plates. The methanolic extract had more antifungal effectsthan that in the aqueous extract. Therefore, the extract of Tulipa biflora could be introduced as a source for antifungal agents.
 
 

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The status of sexual dimorphism patterns in human and various animal groups including some mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians have been studied, however, despite the fact that a growing number of studies were aimed to describe sexual dimorphism patterns in external morphological features such as the proportion of toes in animals, our knowledge of some basic issues, specially in some animal groups, is still limited. In this study, sexual dimorphism in terms of external morphological features as well as the ratio between finger lengths II to IV (2D: 3D, 2D: 4D, 3D: 4D) of the front and rear limbs in 30 specimens of Bufo eichwaldi toads (15 male and 15 female specimens) were in northern Iran. The results showed that females had higher mean body length (SVL) than males and this difference was statistically significant (90.50 mm in males vs. 114.93 mm in females and P = 0.00). In terms of other morphological traits, the results of T-test analysis (T test for independent samples) showed that the traits of diameter between two eyes (IOD), tympanum diameter (TD), length of the humerus (LHU), forearm length (FOL) and foot length (FL) had significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) between males and females. Also, the ratio of the size of the length of the fingers and toes on the left side of the body was examined in the species studied in terms of 2D:3D, 2D:4D, 3D:4D. The results showed that males and females were significantly different in two traits including 4^th toe length (D4) and 1^st finger length (F1). In addition, in terms of 2D:4D between males (0.4628) and females (0.4853) significant difference (P = 0.041) in the second and fourth toes of the hind limbs and in terms of 3D:4D between males (0.6233) and females (0.6787), there was a significant difference (P= 0.040) in the third and fourth fingers of the hind limbs. In this study, some habitat characteristics, ecology, threats and conservation measures related to Talysh toad species were also investigated.

 

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Gambusia holbrooki Girard, 1859 is considered as one of the non-native and invasive species in the inland waters of Iran. This species occurs in most inland basins and aquatic bodies of Iran and has even been found in brackish waters. Extensive adaptations of this species to its different habitats caused numerous changes in its biological characteristics and morphological traits. The present study was performed to investigate the sexual dimorphism of G. holbrooki in the Gamasiab River, Kermanshah Province, Iran. 59 fish specimens were collected from the river in September 2017. After taxonomic confirmation and sex determination, 29 morphological traits were measured in fish samples using a caliper and their meristic traits were recorded. In total, 37 characters (including 8 meristic traits and 29 morphometric traits) were examined. After obtaining morphological data, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) were utilized to compare morphological traits between male and female individuals. The results showed that the 59 specimens were comprised of 30 malea and 29 femalea. On the basis of the results, all morphological traits, except the caudal peduncle length, dorsal fin base length and a post-anal length, showed significant sexual dimorphism (p <0.05). The results of DFA and PCA analysis showed that males and females were completely different from each other in terms of morphometric traits. These findings indicate that there is a sexual dimorphism in G. holbrooki of the Gamasiab River. The sexual dimorphism observed in this fish species is due to the sexual selection and increase of reproductive success.

 

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The faunistic investigation of beetles has been of a great importance in Iran due to the impresive diversity of species, which is highly promoted by the climatic variation of the Country. Therefore, detection of the ingenious regions, such as Taleqan, is important. In this study, mite-related beetles which were sampled from different areas of Taleqan were investigated and 14 species belonging to 13 genera and 9 families, including Buprestidae, Carabidae, Cerambycidae, Cicindellidae, Lucanidae, Malachidae, Meloidae, Scarabaeidae and Tenebrionidae, were identified. In addition, mite specimens were found to be from different groups, including Mesostigmata, Heterostigmata, Trombidiformes and Sarcoptiformes. New records of mites and their corresponding hosts in Iran were as follows: Alliphis kargi on Scarabaeus pius and S. typhon (Scarabaeidae), Antennoseius sp. on Pterostichus sp. (Carabidae), Parasitengona species on Julodis andreae (Buprestidae) and Mylabris syrica (Meloidae), Prostigmata species on Aegosoma sabricorne and Cerambyx dux (Cerambycidae), Hypoaspis maryame on Pentodon idiota and Oryctes sp. (Scarabaeidae), and H. phyllognathi on Dorcus parallelipipedus (Lucanidae).

 

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Seaweed extract can improve the physicochemical properties of the soil and has a favorable effect on the plant growth and development due to having high nutrient content, high water holding capacity, plant growth regulators and beneficial microorganisms. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of Ascophyllum nodosum extract, a brown alga, on the morphophysiological characteristics of bean plant (Phaseolus vulgaris) under water stress. The experiment was performed in a Completely Randomized Factorial Design with three replications. Experimental treatments included 4 concentrations of foliar application of seaweed extract (0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6%) and 3 levels of water stress including no stress, mild stress and severe stress (irrigation at 75, 50 and 25% of field capacity, respectively). The results showed that the interaction effects of stress and algal extract on the evaluated traits were not significant. However, the seaweed extract significantly increased the leaf area, number of the leaves, leaf length, surface and length of the roots, root dry weight, the content of chlorophyll a and b and the total chlorophyll content. Application of algal extract at levels of 0.2 and 0.4% caused a significant increase in the evaluated parameters as compared with the control plants. The evaluation of water scarcity stress effects showed a significant reduction in the all studied characteristics in accordance with increasing water stress level from 75% to 25% of field capacity. The results of this study showed that foliar application of seaweed extract significantly increased some morphological and photosynthetic properties, while water stress significantly reduced the investigated parameters.

 

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 Piptatherum ferganense is recorded as a new grass species for the flora of Iran collected from Ghorkhod Protected Area and Aladagh Mountains in North Khorassan province. The core distribution range of the species is Eastern Irano-Turanian with a disjunction in northeastern Iran. The morphological characters of P. ferganense are illustrated and compared with the closely related P. latifolium. It can be distinguished from P. latifolium by its evenly arranged spikelets in the panicle, lanceolate fertile lemma, and shorter lemma awns. Notes on taxonomy, ecology, phytogeography, and conservation status of the recorded species are provided.

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Pollen respiratory allergies have been increasing in prevalence over the last two decades, partly as the result of the impact of climate change. For many allergenic trees, grass and weed species, increased pollen production and prolonged pollination period result in long-term increased abundance of pollen allergens in the atmosphere; earlier shifts of airborne pollen grains and prolonged exposure to respiratory allergens with important health effects on allergic individuals. The aim of this review paper was to investigate the impact of climate change and meteorological factors on pollen season indicators with a special focus on the main allergenic taxa worldwide. Main variables influencing flowering phenology such as location, climatic and meteorological parameters were identified, discussed and substantiated by published literature. Temperature, solar radiation, humidity, rainfall, wind speed and direction were identified among the most important meteorological parameters affecting the fluctuations of annual concentrations of allergenic airborne pollen grains. Although notable variations were observed according to allergenic species and studied geographical areas, temperature appeared to be the most important climatic parameter affecting flowering phenology and pollen season indicators, especially in tree species. Rising carbon dioxide levels also result in increased plant biomass, increased flowering intensity and pollen production in several tree, grass and weed allergenic species. In the light of this review, there is a growing body of evidence supporting the effect of climate change on the flowering phenology and pollen season indicators of a substantial number of allergenic ornamental and invasive plant species.
 

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Halimocnemis commixta is recorded as a new species for the flora of Iran from Pistacia vera woodland remnants in NE Iran. It grows on open salty soils with several typical halophytic plants. The new species record is illustrated and compared with the closely related species. It can be distinguished from H. gamocarpa by its clustered flowers and irregularly horned fruits and differs from H. pilosa by its entirely short and adpressed hairs. We provide some additional notes on the distribution, ecology, and conservation status of the newly recorded species.

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Two new species of Cousinia are described from Iran. Cousinia bornmulleriana from the west that can be placed in sect. Haussknechtii based on some key characters such as flower numbers, phyllary numbers and the inflorescence form traits. This species can be also compared with its closest relative C. haussknechtii. and C. karkasensis. The second new species, C. semnanensis, from North East of Iran, belongs to the sect. Stenocephalae for its flower numbers, winged stem, and phyllaries shape, and is compared to C. alexeenkoana and C. glaucopsis as its close relative. Natural photos and distribution maps are presented.

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High-quality DNA extraction plays an important role to make sharp bands in the gel electrophoresis and also produces clean chromatograms. Usually, DNA extract is delivered using the modified CTAB method but this method cannot obtain high-quality DNA for molecular analysis from old dried leaves of Bellevalia due to having different chemical compounds which inhibit to obtain a clear DNA extraction. To solve the problem, in different phases of a modified CTAB protocol, activated carbon, phenol, potassium acetate, RNase and deionized water (instead of TE) were applied to eliminate contaminants and improve obtained high-quality DNA. The DNA absorption data from the modified method were compared with CTAB method in 260 and 280 nm wavelengths. The results showed a 15-80-fold change in the DNA concentration. This study suggests the modified method of extraction is more efficient in the quality of DNA obtained from the little amount of herbarium old leaves of Bellevalia than that of the CTAB method.

 

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The genus Ulva L. (Sea lettuce), one of the most valuable marine macroalgae, is found in shallow coastal areas and in brackish and fresh water around the world. Ulva species have nutritional and medicinal values in addition to other applications, and contain various compounds such as lipids, proteins and carotenoids. These species have high phenotypic plasticity and varied in response to different environmental conditions. In this study, 38 populations of 10 species of Ulva from the coastal areas of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea, from different areas of Bushehr, Hormozgan and Sistan and Baluchestan provinces, were studied and identified on the basis of morphological and anatomical traits. Different populations showed variations in characteristics such as height, shape and color of thallus, number of pyrenoids and cell dimensions. Metabolites such as total protein, total oil, chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids contents were measured and compared among the different populations. The results should that the percentage of protein was highest in U. prolifera of Shif Island from Bushehr province as compared with the Ulva species studied, with about 26.5% of dry weight, and the percentage of total oil was lowest in U. flexuosa of Hakhamanesh region from Hormozgan province as compared with the species studied, with about 4.8% of dry weight. These results show that different environmental conditions affect the morphological and anatomical structure of species and the content of their metabolites. Due to the high-protein and low-calorie content of the Ulva genus and the importance of finding new and sustainable resources for food and pharmaceutical industries, the species of this genus have valuable potentials.
 

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Rhizospheric bacteria are among the beneficial soil microorganisms that improve plant growth. These bacteria increase plant growth through various mechanisms such as the production of various phytohormones and the ability to solubilize phosphate. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of rhizosphere bacteria on the growth of Carthamus tinctorius to improve its physiological and biochemical indicators. Carthamus tinctorius seeds were inoculated with five isolates of rhizosphere bacteria and were then planted the seeds in pots. Subsequently, the physiological and biochemical parameters of the plants, including the rates of auxin production, phosphate dissolving, photosynthetic pigments and the contents of proline and malondialdehyde were measured. For this purpose, a factorial experiment were conducted using a completely randomized design with three replications. The ANOVA was performed and a comparison of the means was carried out using Duncan’s multiple range test. The results indicated that the largest stem fresh weight, root fresh and dry weights observed in the treatments of using Pseudomonas fluorescens (auxin concentration of 23.55 μg/mL) and Bacillus muralis (auxin concentration of 22.27 μg/mL). In addition, all bacterial species increased the safflower seed germination rate compared to the control group. The largest malondialdehyde content was recorded in the treatment with Bacillus albus, and MDA content decreased in the treatments that produced larger amounts of auxin. In general, the finding of this research suggested that bacterial inoculation was capable to significantly affect the growth of safflower and improve its qualitative and quantitative growth parameters.
 

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Saline rhizospheric areas are untouched environments for isolating actinomycetes with the potential of valuable salt tolerant enzyme production. In this study, we isolated and evaluated a total number of of 26 actinomycete strains from plant rhizosphere of the periphery of Dasht-e-Kavir desert. Isolated actinomycetes produced different enzymes. Among them 50, 46, 39, 27, 10 and 7 % of the isolates produced amylase, lipase, protease, gelatinase, lecithinase and urease, respectively. The most frequently produced enzymes among the isolates were amylase, lipase and protease. Combined hydrolytic activity was also detected in some actinomycete strains. Among the isolates, strains Q1, Q4 and Q11 with the most diverse enzymes production, were identified and their 16s rRNA analysis showed that they are mostly similar to the Streptomyces scopiformis, Streptomyces argenteolus and Streptomyces manipurensis, respectively. Finally, due to the enzymatic diversity obtained and the valubility of the halophilic bacterial enzymes in industry, it seems that actinomycetes isolated from this saline habitat are potentially suitable for biotechnological applications.

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Basil is an important medicinal plant, belonging to the Lamiaceae family. Basil is used for the treatment of different diseases such as stomachache, headache, constipation, fever and infections, as well as to reduce and regulate the blood sugar. Moreover, Basil is known for its antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant properties. In this study, the impact of drought stress on phenols and flavonoids concentrations, as well as the antioxidant activities of leaf extract of three basil cultivars were investigated. Seeds of basil cultivars (mikhak, green, purple) were cultivated in sand-loamy soil and drought stresses (75%, 50% and 25% of the field capacity) were applied on six-leave plants. Experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design and three repeats. Total phenols, total flavonoids and flavonols concentrations of basil leaf extracts and their antioxidant activities were measured. The maximum values (with significant differences) of three groups of non-enzymatic antioxidants and the highest levels of antioxidant activities were observed for green cultivars under mild stresses (75% of the field capacity). It was observed that antioxidant activities were elevated by the increase of the concentration of the plant extract. Drought stress results in oxidative stress in basil plants. Phenols, flavonoids and flavonols are well-known as strong antioxidants have a role in the plant’s protection against the oxidative stress. In thrice cultivars of basil which were investigated, concentrations and abilities of these compounds to inhibit free radicals were decreased by the increase of the levels of drought stresses. It seems that both basil genotypes and drought stress levels affected the production of antioxidants studied and, consequently, have impacts on the plant inhibitory abilities against the oxidative stress.

 

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Cisplatin, as a chemotherapy drug, causes serious side effects in the advanced stages of the cancer. Recently, Artemisia has been considered for its bioactive compounds, anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-cancer and anti-metastatic effects of the methanolic extract of aerial organs of Artemisia and cisplatin, either alone or in combination, in human ovarian cancer cell line A2780. The viability of A2780 cells after treatment with Artemisia extract, cisplatin and their combination was evaluated by MTT assay and the alterations in the morphology of the cell nuclei were examined by DAPI staining. The induction of apoptosis was assessed by Annexin V test, cell migration and changes in expression levels of apoptotic genes (Bax and P53) and metastasis (MMP2 and MMP9) using real-time PCR. MTT test data showed that Artemisia extract, cisplatin and their combination decreased the viability of ovarian cancer cells. DAPI and Annexin V indicated the DNA fragmentation and increased percentage of cellular apoptosis in comparison with the control group. The migration and real-time PCR data showed a decline in thr cell invasion and expression of genes involved in metastasis (MMP2 and MMP9) in cancer cells while the expression of apoptotic genes (Bax and P53) was increased in the treated groups. The results of this study showed that while both Artemisia extract and cisplatin posses anti-proliferative effect, apoptotic and suitable anti-metastatic effects on their own in A2780 cell line, their combination have synergic effects and posses those desired properties in lower concentration of cisplatin, which can reduce the side effects of cisplatin in cancer treatment.

 

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S-layer proteins of Deinococcus radiodurans are the best self-assemble systems among other proteins that have an essential role in the fabrication of nanowires. Therefore, the purification of these proteins is necessary. The purpose of this research was to optimize the purification of s-layer protein from D. radiodurans with the response surface method. The three factors of SDS concentration, incubation time and mass percent in five levels were considered, and 20 runs were designed by Design-Expert software with a central composite method. Each run includes microbe culture, mass cell preparation, microbe incubation in specific SDS concentration and time and mass percent, separation of the bacteria from detergent with a centrifuge at 5000g, sedimentation of s-layer proteins from detergent solution with a centrifuge at 20000g, determination of protein concentration, and protein purity by Bradford and SDS-PAGE methods, respectively. Finally, the data obtained were analyzed.  Analysis of the results demonstrated that at the 95% confidence level, the effect of the detergent concentration factor on the purified protein percent was more than other factors. The optimization results of factors are 5.64% SDS concentration, 7.33% mass percent, and 3 hours incubation time. At optimized conditions the protein concentration and purity percent were obtained 0.584 mg/ml and 47.61% respectively.