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Nowadays, the use of a wide range of medicinal herbs such as saffron and its aromatic compounds is increasingly being regarded as natural sources of antioxidant properties. In addition to saffron stigma, saffron petal is a rich herbal source of antioxidant compounds. The present study was conducted in a completely randomized design with three replications to study some of the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants of two species of wild saffron in Guilan Province compared with agronomic saffron (C. sativus). The results of this study showed that total phenol, flavonoids and anthocyanins in agronomic saffron were significantly higher than those in the other two species. The amount of flavonel in C. speciosus and the level of antioxidant activity (DPPH) in C. caspius were significantly higher than other species. The level of PPO activity in C. sativus and C. speciosus was significantly higher than that in C. caspius. However, there was no significant difference in the level of POD activity among the three studied species. Therefore, according to the results of this study, petals of different species of saffron are good sources of non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants and can be used as an available natural antioxidant in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
 

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The purpose of this research was to identify the structural adaptations in three populations of Convolvulus persicus L. on coastal areas in Mazandaran Province, whose populations of which are severely reducing due to the intense environmental stresses of the coastal zone. In general, annular collenchyma, isobilateral mesophyll, amphiphloic siphonostele, abundant presence of laticiferous tubes, numerous druse crystals and the presence of periderm in rhizome can be introduced as the most important morpho-anatomical strategies utilized against harsh environmental conditions. Sari population was foud to have the most various structural toleration mechanisms in comparison with Babolsar and Nour populations. Few differences were observed in anatomical characteristics in the three populations of Convolvulus persicus as the evidence for high intra-specific phenotypic variability, leading to local adaptation and increase of the tolerability of plants against environmental changes.
 
 

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Malathion is one of the commonest type of organophosphate insecticide whose toxicity in human body is mainly considered to result from the induction of oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant effect of Quercetin, a flavonoid compound, on the spatial memory and oxidative stress parameters during Malathion poisoning in male Wistar rats. This study was performed on nine groups, each of which consisted of eight male rats. Three days after intra-peritoneal injection of Quercetin, Malathion or a combination of these two drugs, the Moris Water-Maze apparatus was used to measure spatial memory parameters. The hippocampus was sampled and the oxidative stress parameters were measured in this area. Intra-peritoneal injection of Malathion (100 and 200 mg/kg) significantly reduced spatial memory parameters (P<0.01) and induced oxidative stress (P<0.001), whereas intra-peritoneal injection of quercetin (50 mg/kg) improved spatial memory in Malathion-poisoned experimental rats (P<0.05). Also, oxidative stress parameters in Malathion-treated groups showed a significant reduction in quercetin treatment (P<0.01). Quercetin was observed to restore the function of spatial memory and the level of oxidative stress parameters of the treated groups with Malathion to the normal level.
 
 

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Long-term ethanol consumption leads to the destruction of neurons in the central nervous system and cells in the hippocampus by causing oxidative stress. Astaxanthin (ATX) is a carotenoid that serves as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. This study sought to examine the impacts of astaxanthin on learning and memory impairments and oxidative damage within the hippocampus of mice induced by ethanol. 35 mice were divided into five groups (n=7): the control group didn't receive any treatment. The positive control group received 20 mg/kg ATX. The ethanol group received 20% ethanol, and two ATX treatment groups received doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg, which first received 20% ethanol and then ATX. All treatments were done orally for 14 consecutive days. In this research, the novel object recognition test (NORT), malondialdehyde (MDA) and dopamine (DA) levels, and activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were analyzed in the hippocampus of mice. Ethanol consumption decreased the discrimination index in NORT, activities of CAT and SOD, and increased the levels of DA and MDA, compared to the control group. ATX treatment led to an increase in the discrimination index in NORT, activities of CAT and SOD, and a decrease in the levels of DA and MDA, compared to the ethanol group. Results showed astaxanthin's antioxidant properties can improve ethanol-induced cognitive defects and oxidative damage. Therefore, astaxanthin can be used as a potential food and drug supplement to reduce ethanol-induced disorders.