Efficacy of Althaea officinalis leaf extract in controlling Alternaria spp. pathogenic on Citrus

European Journal of Plant Pathology - In this study, inhibitory effects of the aqueous and ethanolic leaf extracts obtained from marshmallow (A. officinalis) were evaluated against Alternaria spp.,...     

Phosphorus balance and risk assessment in the rice–canola cropping system under different drainage strategies

This research was conducted to quantify total phosphorus (TP) losses in poorly drained-consolidated paddy fields equipped with different surface and shallow subsurface drainage systems including drain depth of 0.9 m and drain spacing of 30 m (D_0.9L₃₀), drain depth of 0.65 m and drain spacing of 30 m (D_0.65L₃₀), drain depth of 0.65 m and drain spacing of 15 m (D_0.65L₁₅), drain spacing of 15 m and drain depths of 0.65 and 0.9 m as alternate depths (Bilevel). Typical surface drainage system of consolidated paddy fields was also considered as conventional practice of the study area (control). The subsurface drained fields were under year-round crop production of rice-canola, while the surface drained fields experienced only rice cropping once a year. During three rice-canola-rice growing seasons, TP losses through drainage and leaching in the D_0.9L₃₀, Bilevel, D_0.65L₃₀, D_0.65L₁₅ and control treatments were respectively, 1.12, 0.98, 1.44, 1.53 and 24.48 kg ha^?1, equivalent to about 3.9%, 3.4%, 5.1%, 5.3% and 85.7% of applied triple superphosphate fertilizer. In the rice growing seasons, TP losses through surface runoff were higher than those through subsurface drainage effluents. Shallow subsurface drainage systems were promising for the study area compared surface drainage as phosphorus risks were reduced by 79%, 77%, 64% and 57% through D_0.9L₃₀, Bilevel, D_0.65L₃₀ and D_0.65L₁₅, respectively. These results demonstrated that, by providing suitable condition for winter cropping, subsurface drainage systems can diminish concerns related to phosphorus losses from poorly drained paddy fields in the north of Iran.     

Investigating the cytotoxic and apoptosis inducing effects of monoterpenoid stylosin in vitro

The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic and anticancer activities of stylosin, a monoterpene extracted from an edible plant, Ferula ovina, on 5637 and HFF3 cells using MTT and comet assays and DAPI staining.To assess stylosin effects, cells were cultured in the presence of various concentrations of stylosin during three days; the IC₅₀ of stylosin on cancerous 5637 cells was less than its value on HFF3 normal cells, indicating that it might have anticancer properties. Investigating the mechanism of stylosin action revealed that it quickly induced DNA lesions and increased the number of apoptotic cells.     

Deforestation and the Environmental Kuznets Curve in Iran

Property rights, the agricultural price index, forest area, population, income and timber price are important factors in the deforestation process. The aim of this study was to test the impact of these factors on deforestation in Iran using an environmental Kuznets curve (EKC). The autoregressive distributed lag approach was also used to estimate the deforestation function. The existence of an inverted U-shaped EKC for deforestation in Iran was confirmed. In addition, there is evidence of a relationship between deforestation and property rights, forest area, agricultural price index and terms of trade. It is concluded that improvement of secure property rights and environmental policies can improve compliance regarding forest land use and reduce the deforestation rate in Iran.     

In vitro plant regeneration from cotyledon-derived callus cultures of leguminous tree Gleditsia caspica Desf.

An in vitro regeneration system was developed using organogenic callus derived from in vitro grown cotyledonary explants of Gleditsia caspica Desf., an important leguminous tree. Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium augmented with 0.2 g L^?1 myo-inositol and various concentrations of either 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), naphthaleneacetic acid, or indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) alone as well as combined with cytokinins was used for callus induction. The highest frequency of organogenic yellowish-white and nodular callus (93 %) was obtained from explants grown on medium supplemented with 13.5 μM 2,4-D and 4.4 μM benzyladenine (BA). The yellowish-white and nodular callus when transferred to MS medium supplemented with BA (2.2–17.7 μM) or kinetin (KT; 2.3–18.8 μM) solely or in combination with 2.3 μM 2,4-D produced several microshoots after 5 weeks culture. The calli cultured on MS medium with 4.4 μM BA singly showed superior growth response and produced both maximum shoot regeneration (94 %) and the highest mean number (4.3) of microshoots per callus. Transfer of regenerated microshoots onto modified MS basal medium fortified with 5.8 μM gibberellic acid and 4.4 μM BA resulted in the maximum number of internodes per shoot and the highest shoot elongation after a period of 6 weeks. Optimum rooting of 90 %, an average 6.1 roots per shoot, and a mean root length of 3.6 cm was observed when half-strength MS medium was supplemented with 9.8 μM IBA and 0.92 μM KT. The regenerated healthy plants with well-developed shoots and roots showed a survival rate of 77 % after acclimatization and transplanting to garden soil for a 10-week hardening period under ex vitro conditions.     

Zearalenone is bioactivated in the river Buffalo (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bubalus bubalis</Emphasis>): hepatic biotransformation

Zearalenone (ZEA) as a mycoestrogen is found frequently in human foods and animal feeds. Its estrogenic effects depend on its biotransformation fate including both first- and second-phase reactions, which are predominantly governed by hydroxylation and glucuronidation, respectively. In this study, we investigate the hepatic biotransformation of ZEA in river buffalo. To evaluate the hepatic biotransformation of ZEA, both subcellular fractions of the liver were prepared. ZEA was incubated with intracellular subfractions in the presence of nicotinamide dinucleotide phosphate, and the products were determined by means of high-performance liquid chromatography. Moreover, in the same frame of experiment and in the presence of uridine diphosphate glucuronic acid, the rate of glucuronidation for substrate and products were estimated as well. We found that α-zearalenol (α-ZOL) is the major hydroxylated hepatic metabolite of ZEA produced by both studied subcellular fractions. The enzymatic kinetics analyses indicated that the α-ZOL and β-ZOL production by microsomal fraction were two- and three-fold higher than those by postmitochondrial fraction, respectively. The calculated data showed that α-ZOL is conjugated with glucuronic acid more than ZEA and β-ZOL, especially at the lower concentrations, which seems to be more applicable. Our data suggest that unlike other domestic ruminants including cattle and sheep, the hepatic biotransformation of ZEA in river buffalo results in bioactivation and formation of potent estrogenic metabolite. Moreover, at the relevant concentrations, the produced potent estrogenic metabolite is entirely conjugated with glucuronic acid and, consequently, may cause the prolongation of presence of the compound in the body due to enterohepatic cycle.     

Detection of QTL for greasy fleece weight in sheep using a 50 K single nucleotide polymorphism chip

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have introduced an influential tool in the search for quantitative trait loci (QTL) influencing economically important traits in sheep. To identify QTL associated with greasy fleece weight, a GWAS with 50 K single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was performed in a Baluchi sheep population. Association with greasy fleece weights was tested using the software Plink. The results of our GWAS provided three novel SNP markers and candidate genes associated with greasy fleece weight. A total of three chromosome-wide significant associations were detected for SNP on chromosomes 17 and 20 affecting greasy fleece weight across the four shearing. One of the significant SNP markers was located within ovine known genes namely FAM101A. Further investigation of these identified regions in validation studies will facilitate the identification of strong candidate genes for wool production in sheep.     

Gibbsiella quercinecans and Brenneria roseae subsp. roseae associated to the canker disease of walnut trees in northwestern Iran

European Journal of Plant Pathology - A bacterial disease of walnut (Juglans regia) has been observed in northwestern Iran during the summer of 2018 with symptoms similar to the shallow bark canker...     

Association of allelic polymorphisms of IGFALS gene with growth traits in Makouei and Ghezel sheep breeds

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein acid-labile subunit (IGFALS) encodes a protein which binds to IGF1 and IGFBP-3 to regulate the growth, differentiation, and other physiological processes. The aim of this study was the identification of allelic polymorphisms of the IGFALS gene using the PCR-RFLP technique and evaluation of their association with growth traits. For this end, 120 blood samples were randomly collected from each breed. Following amplification of an 1113-bp fragment of exon 1 and a part of intron 1 of the IGFLAS gene, genotyping was conducted by three restriction enzymes including HinfI, MscI, and PvuII. The results showed that only one allele was observed in IGFALS-PvuII site, while in IGFLAS-MscI site, three AA, AB, and BB genotypes with the frequencies of 17.5%, 32%, and 50.5% and 11%, 37.5%, and 51.5% were observed in Makouei and Ghezel sheep breeds, respectively. Additionally, in the IGFLAS-HinfI site, two AB and BB genotypes with the frequency of 34.2% and 65.8% were observed in Makouei sheep and AA, AB, and BB genotypes with the frequency of 9%, 21%, and 70% were observed in Ghezel sheep. So that, Makouei sheep with AB genotype had more chest girth (CG) compared with other genotypes. Furthermore, a significant association was observed between the genotypes of IGFLAS-HinfI with birth weight (BW) in Ghezel and BW, weaning weight (BW3), and CG in Makouei sheep. Haplotype analysis revealed an association between paternal haplotypes and BW in both Ghezel and Makouei breeds. So that, AAB and ABB haplotypes showed more BW than others in Makouei and Ghezel sheep, respectively.

     

Study of genetic diversity in safflower genotypes using agro-morphological traits and RAPD markers

This research was conducted to study the genetic diversity in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) using agro-morphological traits and RAPD markers. Sixteen selected lines derived from landraces growing in various agro-climatic regions of Iran along with four exotic genotypes were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replications under field conditions. Days to emergence, days to initial flowering, days to flowering, days to maturity, plant height, branches per plant, capitula per plant, seeds per capitulum, 1,000-seed weight, seed yield per plant, seed yield, and reaction to powdery mildew (Leveillula taurica Arnaud) were evaluated in this study. Genetic diversity of the genotypes was assessed by RAPD markers. The results indicated significant differences among genotypes for the agro-morphological traits and clustering based on these traits classified the genotypes into five groups. Analysis of the RAPD markers revealed 15 polymorphic primers out of 50 used primers. Based on RAPD data, the highest genetic similarity was observed between the cultivars of “AC Sunset,” “AC Sterling” from Canada and the lowest relatedness observed between a local breeding line “E₂₄₂₈” and genotype “GE₆₂₉₂₃” from Germany. Cluster analysis based on RAPD markers and 54% coefficient of similarity divided the genotypes into five distinct groups. Comparing the clusters based on agro-morphological traits with those from molecular markers showed slight similarities. The finding of high genetic variation for agro-morphological traits and polymorphism at DNA level reveal that agronomic traits can be improved by selection programs.