Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants最新文献

Fritillaria taipaiensis P. Y. Li is one of the original species of Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus (FCB), namely “Chuanbeimu”. It is difficult to identify the cultivated provenance of the FCB based on morphology, because of complexity of its original species. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an efficient molecular method to discriminate these species. In the present study, nine plastid genomes from cultivated F. taipaiensis and its related species were newly obtained using Next-generation sequencing, in addition to ITS sequences from Sanger sequencing. Then, DNA super, universal, and specific barcodes were compared in identifying these cultivation provenances using P-distance, Tree-building, and Online-blast methods. For the Tree-building, all individuals of F. taipaiensis could be successfully identified and DNA super barcode showed the highest success rate (91.67%) and reliability. Moreover, the super barcode could discriminate 88.88% of the individuals of these species except that of F. sichuanica using the Online-blast method in the NCBI database; however, only two individuals of F. taipaiensis were successfully identified using ITS sequences. This study further demonstrated that DNA super barcode based on plastid genome possesses a perfect ability of species discrimination on cultivation provenance of FCB.

The aim of this study was to develop five empirical and three mass-transfer based models for fitting the T. serpyllum SFE process. Additionally, the determination of the effect of SFE parameters (pressure, temperature, CO₂ flow rate and mean particle size) on kinetic curves and model parameters was investigated. Among the selected models, all empirical and mass-transfer models provided adequate fit with experimental data. However, mass-transfer model VIII has proved to fit the experimental results accordingly and has shown that the most influential parameters were pressure and CO₂ flow rate. The pressure and CO₂ flow rate exhibited positive effect, while the temperature had rather negative impact on Y. In addition, the initial slopes of Model VIII were calculated in order to increase the efficiency and reduce unnecessary process costs.

The phytochemical composition and antioxidant activities of tropical Ficus trees: Ficus benjamina (FB), Ficus racemosa (FRa) and Ficus religiosa (FRe) were analysed in this study. The bark and leaf samples of these species were subjected to solvent extraction using absolute methanol and analysed for their total chlorophyll (TCC), total carotenoid (TXc) and total anthocyanin (TAC) contents. The TPC, TFC and antioxidant potential of the extracts were also determined. The stability of the extracts during storage at different temperatures (4 °C, − 20 °C and − 80 °C) was investigated at weeks 0, 4 and 8. The results showed that the bark of F. racemosa and leaves of F. benjamina contained the highest amounts of phenolic content, with significantly higher antioxidant properties. PLSR analysis revealed that the secondary metabolite composition strongly influenced the antioxidant activities differently with Ficus trees. VIP scores were also computed to determine the most important factors that contributed to the ABTS and FRAP activities in the extracts from each species. Specifically, TPC, TFC, TXc, TCC, chlorophyll a, and chlorophyll b contents were the most important variables for F. benjamina. Meanwhile, TPC, TAC, TFC and chlorophyll b were the most important factors for F. racemosa, and only TAC, TPC and chlorophyll b were the most important factors for F. religiosa. Long term storage (8 weeks) of the extracts at 4 °C was observed to cause the highest percentage of metabolite degradation (up to 88.56% in TXc, 66.86% in TPC and 81.93% in TFC). Storage at − 80 °C was found to be the most suitable for retaining the secondary metabolites content and bioactivities of the samples. Taken together, F. religiosa leaf was identified as the best source of pigments and antioxidants. The findings of this study highlight the huge potential of plant extracts as both natural pigments and antioxidants in the food industry. These extracts can serve as a source of colorants while also improving the nutritional quality of food products, which aligns with the growing demand for clean-label and sustainable food options that can replace synthetic food additives.

The medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) industries generate a substantial amount of waste and residues during the production of many important and useful products. If not effectively managed, these wastes can lead to environmental pollution and economic challenges. In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on the use of these waste materials to create value-added products. One such method is vermicomposting which converts MAP wastes into vermicompost and offers numerous benefits for agricultural applications. Vermicompost serves as an organic fertilizer that improves soil health and fertility while reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. This comprehensive review explores the management of residual waste released from the MAPs industries, focusing on their conversion into vermicompost and their subsequent application in the agriculture sector. The waste generated during the extraction of essential oils from MAPs is also discussed along with the importance of implementing eco-friendly waste management solutions. Overall, this review sheds light on the production of MAP wastes, problems generated and the possible solutions for their environmental friendly management.

More than 1000 species of Salvia genus are reported all over the world, some of which have high pharmaceutical values for use in food-pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In order to domesticate and breed some endemic Salvia species of Iran, the seeds of 14 species were collected from North, West, Central, and Northeast of Iran, in an altitude ranging from 580 m to 2269 m. To evaluate the diversity of the studied Salvia species without environmental influences, the seeds of the collected species were planted under similar environmental and soil conditions. At flowering stage, the morphological and essential oil content of the grown plants were determined. The assayed species were phenotypically diverse, and there were considerable variations among the species in terms of plant growth and flower characteristics. Furthermore, significant differences were observed among the studied species regarding the quantity of essential oil. The mean essential oil content and yield of different Salvia species were 0.06–1.24% v/w and 0.02–0.19 g per plant, respectively. Among the species, Salvia officinalis and Salvia sclarea showed the highest essential oil content and yield, respectively. Correlation analysis showed a weak relationship between the morphological characteristics and essential oil content. Moreover, the results of Principal Compound Analysis (PCA) based on the assayed traits were partially accordance with the species categorizing by Hierarchical Custer Analysis (HCA). Generally according to the obtained results, Salvia sclarea, Salvia reuterana, Salvia officinalis, and Salvia spinosa can be suggested for further domestication and breeding programs.

This study aimed to identify the appropriate extraction solvent and investigate the effect of temperature (20–70 °C), time (5–60 min), solvent/solid ratio (5−40), ethanol/water concentration (10–90%) and ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions (ultrasound power of 10–90% and ultrasound cycle of 1–9) on total phenolic content (TPC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of galangal extracts. All extraction conditions studied had significant effect (p ≤ 0.05) on TPC, DPPH, ABTS and TFC. Ethanol/water (50%) binary solution was found as the most appropriate extraction solvent. Temperature of 25 °C, extraction time of 20 min, ethanol/water concentration of 50%, solvent/solid ratio of 10, ultrasound power of 50% and ultrasound cycle of 5 were determined to be the most efficient extraction conditions which yielded TPC of 66.89 mg GAE/g, DPPH of 49.01% inhibition, ABTS of 147.43 mM TE/ml and TFC of 148.22 QE/g. Significantly positive or negative, very high, strong and moderate Pearson correlation coefficients were obtained among TPC, DPPH, ABTS and TFC values. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that very high correlations (r ≥ 0.90) existed between DPPH and ABTS (r = 0.907, p ≤ 0.01), and TPC and TFC (r = 0.939, p ≤ 0.01) for the ethanol/water concentration, and between DPPH and ABTS (r = 0.944, p ≤ 0.01) for the ultrasound power. The current study showed that phenolic compounds with high antioxidant activity could be extracted from galangal using the ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions determined.

Artemisia afra is an aromatic shrub used as a herbal remedy in southern Africa for various disorders, including coughs, colds, influenza, and, most notably, for the prophylaxis and treatment of Plasmodium falciparum infections. Modern high-throughput genotyping by sequencing, which combines next generation sequencing and diversity array technology (DArTseq) complexity reduction methods, allows for the generation of high-quality whole-genome profiles without any previous organismal genetic information that may hamper the diversity analyses. This study investigated the feasibility of incorporating DArTseq-derived single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and bioactive compounds into a geographic information system to predict the spatial distribution of A. afra gene diversity in selected southern African environs. DNA extraction, sequencing, and SNP calling mineral analyses (using R Studio) were performed on a total of 80 genotypes collected around Roma and Mohale’s Hoek, Lesotho, and Wepener and Hobhouse, South Africa. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) and neighbour-joining dendrograms revealed three clusters of variation among genotypes; however, geographic distribution did not influence A. afra genetic diversity. The mean heterozygosity among genotypes was 7.7%. Genotypes collected in Roma and Mohale’s Hoek exhibited high levels of genetic diversity. Local A. afra genetic diversity was relatively low, indicating uniformity of subspecies per locality. The diversity among genotypes indicated that A. afra SNPs may occur despite the location. Given that genetic diversity enhances crop performance, our findings can be useful in germplasm management, industries producing by-products of A. afra, and plant breeding programs. For the long-term conservation of medicinal plants in South Africa, significant sampling and regional data are required. In addition to evaluating qualitative and quantitative assessments of phytochemicals, it is necessary to evaluate foliar mineral composition, as well as the agronomic and morphological characteristics of collected specimens from studied locations.

Thymus satureioides Cosson is an endemic medicinal and aromatic plant species of both Morocco and Algeria, holds significant cultural and economic importance. It is used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases and also as a culinary spice herb. T. satureioides has become a key export for Morocco. However, increasing market demand and the effects of climate change have led to a decline in its wild populations, raising concerns about the scarcity of this valuable natural resource. To address these challenges, a comprehensive understanding of the environmental requirements for the germination of T. satureioides is essential for planning and prioritizing conservation efforts in its native habitats. In this context, the aim of this study was to assess the combined effects of various pretreatments and temperature and of salinity, drought stress, and gibberellin on the germination parameters of T. satureioides. Seeds were collected from a wild plant population in the Anti-Atlas Mountains. The tests included five pretreatments (mechanical scarification, sulfuric acid (95%), dry heat, boiling water and hydrogen peroxide) in conjunction with five temperature conditions (10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 °C). Additionally, six concentrations of sodium chloride (0, 25, 50, 100, 150 and a 200 mM), six water potential levels of polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) (0, −0.07, −0.14, −0.22, −0.32 and - 0.53 MPa) and six concentrations of gibberellin (0, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 2000 ppm) were tested. Results showed that seeds can germinate without any treatment. However, seeds treated with dry heat followed by incubation at 20 °C improved all the germination parameters. In addition, germination parameters progressively decreased and delayed with increasing levels of both salt and water stress. Without stress, the germination percentage was 100%, with increasing salt stress to 200 mM germination was completely inhibited. Although, seeds showed a low germination percentage (5,67%) at the highest osmotic potential (−0.53 MPa).

Dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica L.), an endangered herb, faces significant threats due to the loss of biodiversity driven by land-use change. The seeds of seven landraces of D. moldavica were collected from various native populations in different regions of Northwest Iran. Subsequently, they were cultivated in 10 replications, spanning a total of 70 plots. This cultivation took place at the Ekbatan station of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center in Hamadan province. This study aimed to assess the morphological traits, essential oil (EO) content, and genetic diversity within seven populations of Dracocephalum moldavica. Significant variations in morphological traits were observed among populations, indicating phenotypic diversity and potential for selective breeding programs. The EO content ranged from 0.03 % to 0.13 % (w/w), with the highest in the HO population and the lowest in the KE population. EO yield varied from 1.97 in the KE populations to 13.97 Kg/ha in the HO populations. The chemical composition of the EOs varied among populations and consisted of 18–24 components, with geranyl acetate being the dominant component. PCA analysis identified population differences primarily related to geranyl acetate, nerol, geraniol, neryl acetate, and neral. The observed variation in EO composition may result from genetic and environmental factors. ISSR analysis revealed high genetic diversity, with 84 out of 94 scorable bands being polymorphic. Cluster and PCoA analysis revealed distinct genetic clusters among populations, although some diversities did not align with geographical origin, suggesting seed transfer or high heterozygosity. The study highlights the effectiveness of ISSR markers in assessing genetic diversity and provides insights into the genetic structure and variability of D. moldavica populations. Furthermore, the correlation between ISSR markers and phytochemical traits suggests their potential for breeding programs to enhance important traits in D. moldavica. Considering both phytochemical and morphological properties is crucial in breeding programs due to pleiotropic effects of genetic loci.

The performance of a specially designed rotating drum for processing medicinal leaves was evaluated for air drying Schinus terebinthifolius leaves. The study is aimed at investigating the influence of air temperature, air velocity, leaf mass load, and drum rotation speed on leaf drying. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the drying conditions. Second-order polynomial equations were used to assess the effects of drying conditions on drying time, color degradation, and energy consumption. Based on the analysis, the optimum drying conditions were determined to be an air temperature of 52.5 °C, air velocity of 0.3 m/s, and a mass load of 200 g. The predicted values of drying time, specific power input and the chromatic parameter a*/b* at this optimal condition were 499 min, 14.4 kWh/kg and − 0.063, respectively. Furthermore, a comparison between ethanolic extracts obtained from fresh leaves and those from dried leaves revealed a significant decrease in total phenolic compounds (TPC) and antioxidant activity (AA) in the extracts from the dried leaves. Among the tested conditions, the best result for both TPC and AA was observed in the extracts of leaves air dried under 50 °C and 0.60 m/s, in which the TPC and AA dropped respectively from 75 mg GAE/mg dry matter and 90 % to approximately 22 mg GAE/mg dry matter and 88 %. The air temperature was identified as the most influential factor affecting the quality attributes of dried leaves and their extracts. The rotating drum proved to be an effective alternative for drying herbs and medicinal leaves.