In vitro activity of some essential oils against Penicillium digitatum

Natural plant essential oils (EOs) can be used instead of synthetic fungicides because of human health concerns and environmental protection. In this study, the in vitro activity of some plants EOs against Penicillium digitatum, the cause of citrus green mold was evaluated during 8 days of incubation at 25°C. The EOs extracted from sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), lemon (Citrus limon), lime (Citrus aurantifolia), and sour orange (Citrus aurantium) fruit peel (500, 1000 and 2000 µl l-1 concentrations), cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) bark and summer savory (Satureja hortensis) aerial parts (400, 500 and 600 µl l-1 concentrations) were used on Penicillium digitatum mycelium. None of the EOs extracted from tested citrus in this study could inhibit mycelial growth completely even at concentration of 2000 µl l-1. The best results were obtained with cinnamon and summer savory EOs at concentration of 500 and 600 µl l-1. So, based on the results, cinnamon and summer savory EOs can be ideal candidates to replace the synthetic fungicides to control postharvest green mold of citrus fruit. GC-MS analysis showed that the most abundant of all constituents in EO extracts were carvacrol and γ-terpinene in summer savory and (E)-cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon

Influence of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi, rice-husk-drived biochar and compost on dry matter yield, nutrients uptake and secondary metabolites responses of Iranian borage Echium amoenum Fisch & C. A. Mey

In einem Gewächshausversuch wurde der Einfluss von Bio-Düngern wie vesikulär-arbuskulärer Mykorrhiza, Biochar aus Reisspreu und Biokompost auf Ertrag, Nährstoffaufnahme und sekundäre Inhaltstoffe der Medizinalpflanze Echium amoneum; Fisch & C. A. Mey (iranisches Gurkenkraut) geprüft. Die Varianten waren komplett randomisiert. Alle Behandlungen zeigten signifikante Effekte auf Trockenmasse, Nährstoffaufnahme und Gehalte an Chlorophyll, Carotinoiden, Prolin, Anthocyanen, Flavonoiden, Schleimstoffen und Kohlenhydraten.This study was carried out to investigate the effect of bio-fertilizers including mycorrhiza (MY), rice husk compost (RHC), and biochar (RHB) on dry matter yield, nutrients uptake and some secondary metabolites of the medicinal plant Echium amoenum Fisch & C. A. Mey. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design and executed with six treatments and six replications. Treatments comprised of T1: control, T2: MY, T3: RHC, T4: RHB, T5: RHC+MY and T6: RHB+MY. The following parameters were studied: leaf dry weight, macro and micro nutrient uptake, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, proline, anthocyanin, flavonoid, mucilage and carbohydrate content. The results show that application of RHC, RHB and MY individually or in combination significantly affected the studied parameters in comparison with the control treatment. In all cases, combined appli­cation of bio-fertilizers together with mycorrhiza application (T5 and T6) had a more positive impact on the studied parameters compared to the application of each treatment alone

The effect of arbuscular mycorrhiza, rice husk compost and biochar on Iranian borage Echium amoenum Fisch & C. A. Mey and post-harvesting soil properties

In einem Gewächshausversuch wurde der Einfluss von Bio-Düngern, wie vesikulär-arbuskulärer Mykorrhiza, Compost und Biochar aus Azolla-Algen auf Ertrag, Ertragsstruktur sowie die Aufnahme an Haupt- und Spurenelementen von iranischem Gurkenkraut geprüft. Gegenstand der Untersuchung war auch der Nährstoffgehalt der Böden nach der Ernte, sowie deren biologische Aktivität. Alle geprüften Behandlungen zeigten im Vergleich zu den Kontrollen signifikante Effekte auf Ertrag und Nährstoffaufnahme. Höhere Bodenatmung und eine höhere mikrobielle Biomasse indizieren eine Steigerung der Fruchtbarkeit der Böden durch die Behandlungen. DOI: 10.5073/JfK.2019.01.02, https://doi.org/10.5073/JfK.2019.01.02This study was conducted to investigate the effect of rice husk compost (RHC), rice husk biochar (RHB) and mycorrhization (MY) on some properties of Iranian Echium amoenum Fisch & C. A. Mey and also on some selected post-harvesting soil properties. A completely randomized design experiment was conducted with six treatments and six replications. Treatments comprised T1: control, T2: MY, T3: RHC, T4: RHB, T5: RHC + MY and T6: RHB + MY. Studied parameters included; shoot and root fresh weights, root and leaf length, shrub height, leaf number, shoot and root NPK content, shoot and root Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn concentration, root colonization percentage, soil NPK status, soil micronutrients concentrations, soil respiration and microbial biomass. Results revealed that application of RHC, RHB and MY individually or in combination with other treatments significantly affected studied parameters. In all cases except for root colonization, combined application (T5 and T6) had more satisfied impacts compared with a single application of treatments. DOI: 10.5073/JfK.2019.01.02, https://doi.org/10.5073/JfK.2019.01.0

Impacts of PGPR, compost and biochar of Azolla on dry matter yield, nutrient uptake, physiological parameters and essential oil of Rosmarinus officinalis L.

In einem Gewächshausversuch wurde der Einfluss von Bio-Düngern wie PGPR, Compost und Biochar aus Azolla-Algen auf Ertrag, Nährstoffaufnahme und diverse Inhaltstoffe der Gewürzpflanze Rosmarin geprüft. Alle Behandlungen zeigten im Vergleich zu den Kontrollen sig­nifikante Effekte auf Ertrag, Nährstoffaufnahme und Gehalte an Chlorophyll, Carotinoiden, Flavonoiden, Kohlenhydraten, Prolin und essentielle Ölen. DOI: 10.5073/JfK.2019.01.01, https://doi.org/10.5073/JfK.2019.01.01Rosemary is one of the most important medicinal plants. In order to study the effect of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), Azolla compost and Azolla biochar on dry matter, nutrient uptake, physiological parameters and essential oil of rosemary, a greenhouse experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 6 replications. Treatments consisted of T1 (control), T2 (1% (1 g 100 g-1 dry soil) Azolla compost), T3 (1% Azolla biochar), T4 (PGPR (P. fluorescens)), T5 (1% compost + PGPR) and T6 (1% biochar + PGPR). Results indicated a significant enhancement of dry matter, nutrient uptake, photosynthetic pigments, carbohydrate, flavonoid and essential oil contents of rosemary influenced by organic fertilizers compared to control, particularly with co-appli­cation of PGPR + compost or biochar. Proline content decreased in all treatments in comparison with control. Results indicated positive impacts of PGPR, compost and boichar of Azolla on rosemary production by increasing nutrient uptake and protecting chlorophyll from degradation and enhancing its content in leaves. DOI: 10.5073/JfK.2019.01.01, https://doi.org/10.5073/JfK.2019.01.0

Ultrasound pretreatment impact on Prangos ferulacea Lindl. and Satureja macrosiphonia Bornm. essential oil extraction and comparing their physicochemical and biological properties

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of ultrasonic pretreatment (US + HD) of Prangos ferulacea Lindl. and Satureja macrosiphonia Bornm. leaves prior to hydrodistillation (HD). The two plants differed in their secretory structures, internal and external structures, respectively. Extraction kinetics, chemical composition, physical and biological properties of the essential oils was evaluated. Although applying ultrasound pretreatment resulted in a faster extraction process, no significant difference was observed between the yields. Similar main components in essential oils including p-cymene, limonene, (E)-beta-ocimene, terpinolene, and 2,3,6-trimethylbenzaldehyde for P. ferulacea and cis-sabinene hydrate, linalool, borneol, and terpinene-4-ol for S. macrosiphonia were observed, regardless of applying sonication or not. However, a selective extraction of limonene (P. ferulacea) and linalool (S. macrosiphonia) was a direct result of 15 min indirect sonicatin of plant materials prior to hydrodistillation. Ultrasonic pretreatment not only had no adverse effect on biological properties of extracted essential oils but also in case of pre-treated P. ferulacea improved antioxidant activity. Generally, this study indicates that ultrasonic pretreatment of plant materials resulted in accelerating the essential oil extraction process and producing an essential oil with superior characteristics. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Evaluating the effect of essential oil extraction method from Satureja macrosiphonia on its biological activities: ohmic- and microwave-assisted hydrodistillation

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of two newly introduced extraction methods, ohmic-assisted hydrodistillation (OAHD) and microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD), on the antioxidant and antibacterial activity of the Satureja macrosiphonia essential oil. The results were compared with conventional hydrodistillation (HD). The investigated essential oils were rich in monoterpenes, notably oxygenated monoterpenes, which were represented mainly by cis-sabinene hydrate, linalool, borneol and terpinen-4-ol. The antioxidant activity was determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical-scavenging assay, and the IC50 values of 13.78, 11.08 and 14.17mg/mL was obtained for HD, OAHD and MAHD essential oils, respectively. The essential oils were also investigated against gram-positive (Bacillus cereus, Listeria innocua, Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Enterobacter aerogenes) bacteria. The antibacterial activity was generally weak. In contrast to other Satureja species, Sat.macrosiphonia that was examined in this study did not exert strong biological activities.Practical ApplicationsApplication of emerging thermal technologies such as ohmic and microwave heating has been introduced to essential oil extraction and presented some desirable advantages over the conventional methods, such as effective heating, fast energy transfer, time saving and low operating costs, and no adverse alterations in chemical compositions have been observed. In this study, ohmic- and microwave-assisted hydrodistillation were used to extract the essential oils of Satureja macrosiphonia. The results of this study showed that using the emerging technologies that are considered as green technologies gives rise to a selective extraction of some components compared with hydrodistillation. Not only no adverse effect on the biological activity of the essential oils was observed, but also more extraction of particular components may result to a higher activity

Microwave and ohmic heating impact on the in situ hydrodistillation and selective extraction of Satureja macrosiphonia essential oil

The aerial parts of Satureja macrosiphonia were extracted through microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD) and ohmic-assisted hydrodistillation (OAHD) methods and compared to conventional hydrodistillation (HD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the essential oil extraction kinetics, chemical constituents, physical properties and leaves' structural changes for the three above processes. Relative energy consumption and CO2 emissions during various extraction methods were also compared. Significant differences were observed in rate and time for the extraction methods; however, the values of extraction yield were insignificant, with no adverse changes in the essential oil composition. The more selective extraction of cis-sabinene hydrate (29.65%) and linalool (22.38%), however, was obtained through MAHD and OAHD, respectively. The relative electrical energy consumption for the OAHD and MAHD were almost one half and one quarter of that recorded for HD, respectively. Based on equivalent CO2 emission, OAHD and MAHD may be considered as green technologies.Practical ApplicationsIn order to reduce the drawbacks of the conventional extraction techniques, emerging thermal technologies such as ohmic and microwave heating has been introduced to essential oil extraction. In this study, ohmic- and microwave-assisted hydrodistillation were used to extract the essential oils from Satureja macrosiphonia. There are some desirable advantages of the newly introduced extraction methods over the conventional methods, which were observed in the present study, such as effective heating and fast energy transfer, which in turn results in a faster extraction process along with time saving and low operating costs. Moreover, no adverse alterations in chemical compositions have been observed. According to the results of the present study, selective extraction of oxygenated and hydrated components were achieved by MAHD, compared to OAHD and HD, although OAHD presented a slightly better extraction of components in contrast to HD

Artificial Autotetraploidy Induction Possibility of Two Iranian Endemic Mint (<i>Mentha mozaffarianii</i>) Ecotypes

The present study was conducted to polyploidy possibility induction of two Iranian endemic mint (Mentha mozaffarianii) ecotypes. For this purpose, three experiments were done. The first experiment was factorial, based on completely randomized design with three factors and three replications that rhizomes were used for treatment. The first factor including different colchicine concentrations (0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2% that 0 as control). The second factor including two Mentha ecotypes (Ecotype A: Kamarej region and Ecotype B: Pirmohlat region) and the third factors consist of two soaking time (6 h and 12 h). In second experiment, apical meristem was treated. The factorial experiment based on randomized completely design with two factors and five replications. The factors including different colchicine concentrations (0, 0.035, 0.07, 0.15, 0.3 and 0.7%) and two ecotypes. In the third experiment, colchicine as combined with irrigation was applied. For this purpose, a factorial experiment in randomized complete design with two factors (colchicine concentrations: 0, 0.025, 0.012, 0.006% and two mint ecotypes) and three replications was conducted. At the end of all experiments, survival rate and tetraploidy percentage (by morphological change, stomata traits, flow cytometry and chromosome counts) were measured. The results showed that different treatment had significant effects on survival percent on all experiments and increasing of colchicine concentration caused decreasing plants survival. On the other hand, tetraploidy changes only in the first experiments were observed. Only in 0.025% colchicine treatment with 6 h soaking time on ecotype A, 12.66% tetraploidy was identified. Totally, it is seems that Mentha mozaffarianiihardly response to colchicine for tetraploidy induction

Adaptation of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. to water deficiency based on carbohydrate and fatty acid quantity and quality

Abstract Water deficit affects agricultural systems negatively globally. This research objective was to mitigate drought’s detrimental effects on plants metabolite profiling by utilizing biofertilizers and mineral nutrition. The carbohydrate content and fatty acid profile of Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) were assessed under Silicon (Si) nutrition, Claroiedoglomus etunicatum inoculation (F), and drought stress (100, 80, 60, 40, and 20% of field capacity (FC)). Results showed that Si application increased total sugar content under severe drought levels (20 and 40% FC) and made it reach 12.41 and 12.63 g/100 g DW, respectively. Sucrose, as the predominant sugar of licorice, was at its highest level (13.1 g/100 g DW) in response to integrated values of F and Si (60% FC). Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry showed that the majority of fatty acid components in plants were 9-Octadecenoic acid (8.72–71.27%), 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (0.1–56.43%), Hexadecanoic acid (12.84–30.59%), Octadecanoic acid (6.9–15.3%), Docosanoic acid (0.57–2.77%), Eicosanoic acid (1.07–2.64%), and 7-Hexadecenoic acid (0.26–2.62%). Since a lower omega6/omega3 ratio represents a healthier product, the lowest ratio (0.25%) was observed in well-watered inoculated plants. Also, severe drought-treated plants under integrated Si and F applications showed a low omega6/omega3 ratio (1.88%). In conclusion, Si and F improved synergistically the carbohydrate content and fatty acid profile in plants, despite the drought stress

Artificial Autotetraploidy Induction Possibility of Two Iranian Endemic Mint (<i>Mentha mozaffarianii</i>) Ecotypes

The present study was conducted to polyploidy possibility induction of two Iranian endemic mint (<i>Mentha mozaffarianii</i>) ecotypes. For this purpose, three experiments were done. The first experiment was factorial, based on completely randomized design with three factors and three replications that rhizomes were used for treatment. The first factor including different colchicine concentrations (0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2% that 0 as control). The second factor including two <i>Mentha</i> ecotypes (Ecotype A: Kamarej region and Ecotype B: Pirmohlat region) and the third factors consist of two soaking time (6 h and 12 h). In second experiment, apical meristem was treated. The factorial experiment based on randomized completely design with two factors and five replications. The factors including different colchicine concentrations (0, 0.035, 0.07, 0.15, 0.3 and 0.7%) and two ecotypes. In the third experiment, colchicine as combined with irrigation was applied. For this purpose, a factorial experiment in randomized complete design with two factors (colchicine concentrations: 0, 0.025, 0.012, 0.006% and two mint ecotypes) and three replications was conducted. At the end of all experiments, survival rate and tetraploidy percentage (by morphological change, stomata traits, flow cytometry and chromosome counts) were measured. The results showed that different treatment had significant effects on survival percent on all experiments and increasing of colchicine concentration caused decreasing plants survival. On the other hand, tetraploidy changes only in the first experiments were observed. Only in 0.025% colchicine treatment with 6 h soaking time on ecotype A, 12.66% tetraploidy was identified. Totally, it is seems that <i>Mentha mozaffarianii</i>hardly response to colchicine for tetraploidy induction