An early Little Ice Age brackish water invasion along the south coast of the Caspian Sea (sediment of Langarud wetland) and its wider impacts on environment and people

Caspian Sea level has undergone significant changes through time with major impacts not only on the surrounding coasts, but also offshore. This study reports a brackish water invasion on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea constructed from a multi-proxy analysis of sediment retrieved from the Langarud wetland. The ground surface level of wetland is >6 m higher than the current Caspian Sea level (at -27.41 m in 2014) and located >11 km far from the coast. A sequence covering the last millennium was dated by three radiocarbon dates. The results from this new study suggest that Caspian Sea level rose up to at least -21.44 m (i.e. >6 m above the present water level) during the early Little Ice Age. Although previous studies in the southern coast of the Caspian Sea have detected a high-stand during the Little Ice Age period, this study presents the first evidence that this high-stand reached so far inland and at such a high altitude. Moreover, it confirms one of the very few earlier estimates of a high-stand at -21 m for the second half of the 14th century. The effects of this large-scale brackish water invasion on soil properties would have caused severe disruption to regional agriculture, thereby destabilizing local dynasties and facilitating a rapid Turko-Mongol expansion of Tamerlane’s armies from the east.N Ghasemi (INIOAS), V Jahani (Gilan Province Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organisation) and A Naqinezhad (University of Mazandaran), INQUA QuickLakeH project (no. 1227) and to the European project Marie Curie, CLIMSEAS-PIRSES-GA-2009-24751

Alien and exotic Azolla in northern Iran

Azolla filiculoides a planktonic fern found floating on the surface of wetlands, ponds and rivers. Because of its ability to fix nitrogen through symbiotic cyanobacteria, it causes more rice production inpaddy fields and is used as a green fertilizer. A. filiculoides was introduced from Philippine as a green fertilizer for rice crop to Iran, at 1986. The climatic condition of paddy fields, ponds and rivers of northof Iran was the best habitats for its regeneration and growth. Azolla has been distributed and has grown very fast in three Northern provinces of Iran, over 20 years. Now, this useful exotic plant, is a harmful weed in waters of the northern region of Iran because its fast regeneration, fast growth and high distribution

Abnormal plantlets regeneration through direct somatic embryogenesis on immature seeds of Vinca herbacea Waldst. and Kit

A protocol of plant regeneration through direct somatic embryogenesis was established for the first time on Vinca herbacea using immature seed explants. Frequency of embryogenesis was significantlyinfluenced by size of the seeds and growth regulators supplemented to the medium. Seeds isolated from the immature fruits between 15 and 20 days after flowering were superior in the induction of somatic embryos. Only 35% of seeds induced somatic embryos. Somatic embryos developed best on N2 medium with 0.5 mg l-1 2,4-D and 0.5 mg l-1 Kin. An increase in competence for somatic embryogenesis was found with the cotyledons, while the hypocotyls part completely lost theircompetence. The minor seeds never initiated somatic embryo, even after 2 months of culture. Somatic embryo formation principally occurred with the major seeds. Maturation embryos developed intoplantlets at a frequency of 100% when planted in free MS medium for a further 5 - 6 week period. After 5 or 6 weeks, plantlets developed in small plants. The growth rates, genotype and morphologicalcharacteristics of plantlets were different but 55% of the embryos have normal shape and 45% were abnormal

High in vitro production of ant-canceric indole alkaloids from periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) tissue culture

Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) is one of the most important medical and ornamental plants in the world. In this investigation, periwinkle seeds, after sterilization were cultured on MS medium. Petiolesegments of seedlings (4 day old) were subcultured to medium containing various concentrations of NAA accompanied with Kin and subcultured to regenerate the callus and root. Callus and roots wereobtained from petioles in some of treatments. The extracts of callus and roots from different treatments were analyzed by spectrophotometer, TLC and HPLC with respect to the indole alkaloids producingcapacity. Alkaloids were produced callus and roots from petiole of C. roseus in the presence of 0.1, 5, 10 and 20 mg/l Kin and NAA. MS with 0.1 mg/l NAA + 0.1 mg/l Kin had the highest vindoline, catharanthine, vincristine and root organogenesis capacity. But the level of these alkaloids and ajmalicine were very low compared to that in petiole of intact plant, and the level of serpentine was similar. New roots, callus roots, and callus from MS medium containing 0.1 mg/l NAA + 0.1 mg/l Kin were subcultured in hormone-free and 0.1 mg/l NAA + 0.1 mg/l Kin media and for organogenesis and growth. The most alkaloids amount was produced in new roots and callus roots. The indole alkaloidlevels of new roots in new media were higher than in petioles of intact plants. In this study, 10-fold catharanthine, 125-fold serpentine, 0.5-fold vindoline and 0.34-fold ajmalicine were produced by newroots. The most interesting result was presentation of two important ant-cancer dimeric alkaloids, vinblastine and vincristine with amounts of 20-fold vinblastine and 6-fold vincristine to compare that inthe petioles of intact plants