Herbal
Maryam Ghannadnia; Behvar Asghari
Abstract
Introduction: Savory, a medicinal and aromatic plant from the mint family (Lamiaceae), has economic importance and is used in various industries such as food and cosmetics. Low doses of gamma radiation can have beneficial effects on the germination process and biochemical composition of plants, especially ...
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Introduction: Savory, a medicinal and aromatic plant from the mint family (Lamiaceae), has economic importance and is used in various industries such as food and cosmetics. Low doses of gamma radiation can have beneficial effects on the germination process and biochemical composition of plants, especially the medicinal types. Methods: In this study, irradiation of Satureja hortensis seeds with different doses of gamma ray (0, 15, 30, 60 and 90 Gray) was performed at the Nuclear Agriculture Research School, Karaj, Iran. Afterwards, some seed germination factors, morphological and biochemical characteristics of the plants were studied. Phytochemical content of the extracts such as total phenol and flavonoid were investigated using Folin-Ciocalteu and Aluminum Chloride colorimetric methods, respectively. Results and discussion: The results showed that the highest germination percentage and the lowest seed vigour index were obtained in 90 Gray treatment. By increasing the radiation dose up to 30 Gray, the amount of total phenol and flavonoid compounds (antioxidant molecules) as well as inhibitory property of DPPH free radicals raised, but the further enhancement of radiation dose, up to 90 Gray had a negative effect on the values of the mentioned factors. According to the obtained results, irradiation with a dose of 30 Gray on savory seeds can be suggested, due to obtain a useful crop for health, with maximum valuable metabolites, like phenols and flavonoids.
biochemistry
Saeed Mollaei; Hadiseh Abbasi Holasu; Behvar Asghari; Mostafa Ebadi; Hossein Hashempour
Abstract
Introduction: Phenolic acids are secondary metabolites which have many biological activates, which are found at different organs of plants and have an important role in human health. Methods: In this study, the extraction from different organs of Nepeta macrosiphon was done using ethanol 80% as solvent, ...
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Introduction: Phenolic acids are secondary metabolites which have many biological activates, which are found at different organs of plants and have an important role in human health. Methods: In this study, the extraction from different organs of Nepeta macrosiphon was done using ethanol 80% as solvent, and divided into free and esterified phenolic acids. Then, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant activity and inhibition of alpha-glucosidase enzyme of the extracts and their fractions were evaluated by using Folin-Ciocalteu, aluminum chloride, DPPH and spectrophotometric methods, and finally their compounds were analyzed by HPLC. Results: The results indicated that the ethanolic extract of flower had the highest total phenolic and flavonoid, respectively. Also, this extract showed the highest antioxidant activity. Moreover, the flower extract had a greater ability to inhibit the alpha-glucosidase enzyme. The results of phenolic acids analysis showed that among the studied organs, flower had the highest amount of phenolic acids, and rosmarinic acid and para-coumaric acid were the main free phenolic acid, respectively, and caffeic acid was the main compound in the flower extract of esterified phenolic acids. Also, the flower extract containing free phenolic acids had the highest antioxidant activity and inhibition of alpha-glucosidase enzyme in comparison with the extracts containing esterified phenolic acids and other organs. Conclusion: Based on the results, the flower have the highest phenolic compounds, including rosmarinic, para-coumaric, and caffeic acids and due to its high antioxidant potential and inhibition of alpha-glucosidase enzyme, it can be used in the pharmaceutical and food industries.
