I am Yusuf Farrokhzad, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. My research centers on ornamental horticulture, with a focus on photobiology, micropropagation, tissue culture, and urban horticulture.
The emergence and application of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as an adjustable light source, developed our knowledge about the role of various light parameters in plant growth and development. Our aim was to evaluate the rooting of regenerated shoot tips and subsequent survival rate of Phalaenopsis tissue cultured plantlets by analyzing the monosaccharide profile and anatomical evaluation of regenerated roots under eight-light wavelengths including red (R), blue (B), green (G), red+blue (RB), red+green (RG), blue+green (BG), white (W), and Fluorescent (FL). The results revealed different responses depending on the type of light quality. Rooting traits were better under FL and G light; however, the maximum root length was obtained under white LED. In general, rooting was not suitable under RG light. Despite the high fresh and dry weight of roots under RB light, leaf length decreased. Leaf length was better under FL and G followed by R and W and decreased under spectra containing blue light. Also, the content of chlorophyll under FL and G was balanced and the levels of anthocyanins and carotenoids in FL and G were lower than in blue light and treatments containing blue. The highest content of monosaccharides (glucose, xylose, galactose, rhamnose, arabinose, and mannose) was obtained under RB and FL followed by the G light. The lowest content of monosaccharides was recorded under RG and BG. Analysis of the root showed that the size of the cells in this area was larger under fluorescent and green light. Expanded leaves, balanced monosaccharide and pigment levels, and large cells of the root cortex were common features of FL and G light, which also led to the highest ex vitro survival rate.
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is an annual plant belonging to the family Fabaceae and has fodder, medicinal and spice uses, and is also used as an organic fertilizer. A total of 18 treatments including the combination of two light environments (with and without supplementary blue light), three concentrations of potassium iodate (0, 2 and 4 mg L−1) and four concentrations of sodium selenate (0, 2 and 4 mg L−1) were organized in a three-way factorial experiment to evaluate the growth characteristics, pigments, trigonelline and seed yield of fenugreek in a greenhouse. The application of 4 mg L−1 of Se resulted in the highest carotenoid, anthocyanin, plant length, fresh weight, chlorophyll and relative water content. The fresh and dry weight of the shoot and the anthocyanin increased with the 2 h supplementation of sunlight with a blue spectrum; however, the fresh root decreased. The interaction of blue light with 0 mg L−1 of Se significantly reduced the plant length. The content of trigonelline was significantly improved with the application of blue light supplementation without negatively affecting the seed yield. In general, 2 h supplementing of sunlight with blue light and feeding with 4 mg L−1 of selenium and iodine are recommended to improve various traits, including trigonelline content.
Cuscuta campestris is a holoparasitic plant that depends on the host for water, nutrients, and photosynthetic substances. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effects of the host species on the content of bioactive and health-promoting substances in the Cuscuta seeds to test the following hypothesis: these substances are more induced if the hosts are herbs. The studied hosts were herbs (thyme, basil, and onion) and non-herbs (alfalfa and tomato). The results showed that the carotenoid accumulation in seeds developed on basil and thyme was the maximum. The extracts of seeds grown on thyme and onion had significantly more galactitol, total polysaccharide, and antioxidant activity than other hosts. Quercetin, kaempferol, and total flavonoids were higher in the seeds set on onion. The highest content of bergenin was recorded on thyme with no significant difference with onion. The extract of seeds grown on thyme had more total phenolics, followed by tomato and basil. Analysis of the phytosterol content of the seeds showed that campesterol was the minimum in seeds grown on alfalfa and stigmasterol was lowest in seeds grown on tomato than other hosts. Additionally, β-sitosterol increased in seeds developed on basil, onion, and thyme, and Δ7-avenasterol increased in seeds set on thyme and basil. Overall, the content of total phytosterols was higher in seeds developed on basil, onion, and thyme. The results were suggestive of the proper health-promoting levels of dodder seeds developed on medicinal plants such as onion and thyme for pharmaceutical and food applications.
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of various pre-treatments and drying methods on the quality and antioxidant properties of persimmon slices. The persimmon fruits were harvested at maturity stage and divided into three groups: control without any pre-treatments, pre-treatment with 2% sucrose after slicing, and treatment with CO2 before slicing in order to remove astringency. Afterwards, all groups were subjected to three drying methods including sun drying (21 days), conventional oven drying (65°C for 24 hours) and vacuum oven drying (65°C for 18 hours). Then, the dried slices were assessed for antioxidants. Results indicated that persimmons subjected to astringency removal pre-treatments and sun dried had the best sensory quality. However, the pre-treatments reduced antioxidant properties as compared to other pre-treatments. Results also showed that sun dried samples had the best quality overall.
The main superiority of taxol production in hazelnuts compared to the yew tree is that hazelnut is broadly accessible, grows much faster in nature, and is easier to establish in the in vitro systems. The aim of this experiment was to improve taxol production and evaluate other characteristics of cell suspension culture treated with 4 concentrations (0, 2, 4, 6 mg L-1) of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs), ultrasonication (30 and 60 seconds) in two sampling times (9 and 18 days after treatment). Interaction of all three factors was significant on fresh weight (FW), protein content, H2O2 generation, and taxol content. The highest fresh and dry weights (DW) and protein content were obtained from non-application treatments of CuO NPs. The content of anthocyanins, proline, antioxidant activity, and catalase and peroxidase enzymes increased with the application of silver nitrate nanoparticles. Comparing means for interaction effects showed that H2O2 and taxol content have nearly similar trend, indicating the stimulation of taxol production pathway by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Ultrasonication (US) enhanced most of the traits studied in this experiment and stimulated the antioxidant system without negatively affecting on cellular growth. The antioxidant response and taxol content evoked by stress treatments i.e. US and CuO NPs is partially relieved by increasing the duration after treatment (the 18th day after treatment).
Simultaneous biofortification of vegetable crops with selenium and iodine is necessary in areas where there is a lack of these two elements. The main reason for lack of selenium and iodine in humans is inadequate intake of these two elements from vegetable crops. Biofortification through various agricultural methods including artificial lighting is a pragmatic way of increasing the concentration of these elements in plants. This research was conducted as a three-factor factorial experiment arranged as completely randomized pots replicated thrice in the greenhouse during year 2022. Three levels of sodium selenate fertilizer (S1: 0, S2: 2, S3: 4 mg/l), three levels of potassium iodate (I1: 0, I2: 2, I3: 4 mg/L) and two additional blue light radiation levels (L1: radiation and L2: no blue light radiation) were applied and data was measured at two growth stages namely 40 and 80-days. The results showed that the highest (11.44 g) and the lowest (9.55 g) shoot dry weight values at the 40-day-stage were observed in the supplementary blue light and sunlight (control), respectively. Moreover,, under complementary blue light conditions, the highest and the lowest (5.85 and 3.38 mg/g leaf fresh weight) of leaf chlorophyll value at the 40-day-stage were recorded at sodium selenate 4 and 0 mg/l, respectively. The highest and the lowest (5.24 and 4.76 mg/g) fresh weight of leaf anthocyanin at the 40-day-growth stage were related to supplementary blue light and sunlight treatment (control), respectively. Under the supplementary blue light and 0 mg/l of selenium , the highest and the lowest value of shoot trigonelline (102.56 and 72.14 mg/100 g fresh weight) were obtained at 4 and 2 mg/L of iodine, respectively. Furthermore, in the same treatment, the highest and the lowest of seed trigonelline amounts (0.99 and 0.74 mg/g dry weight) corresponded with 4 and 0 mg/l of iodine, respectively.
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of various pre-treatments and drying methods on the quality and antioxidant properties of persimmon slices. The persimmon fruits were harvested at maturity stage and divided into three groups: control without any pre-treatments, pre-treatment with 2% sucrose after slicing, and treatment with CO2 before slicing in order to remove astringency. Afterwards, all groups were subjected to three drying methods including sun drying (21 days), conventional oven drying (65°C for 24 hours) and vacuum oven drying (65°C for 18 hours). Then, the dried slices were assessed for antioxidants. Results indicated that persimmons subjected to astringency removal pre-treatments and sun dried had the best sensory quality. However, the pre-treatments reduced antioxidant properties as compared to other pre-treatments. Results also showed that sun dried samples had the best quality overall.
Abstract In this study, the interaction between nanoparticles (0, 50, 100, and 150 mg L − 1 ) and light intensity (100, 200, and 400 µmol.m − 2 .s − 1 ) was evaluated for effectiveness in improving stevia shoot induction by measuring shoot and leaf number, shoot length, fresh and dry weight, nutrient uptake, steviol glycosides, total carbohydrates and DNA damage in both DNA sequence region (promoter and sequence of UGT76G1 gene). The data revealed the highest shoot number in the combination of 150 mg MWCNTs L − 1 and 400 µmol.m − 2 .s − 1 and highest leaf number and biomass accumulation (fresh and dry weight) in 50 mg MWCNTs L − 1 × 200 µmol.m − 2 .s − 1 . Shoot length was observed higher in 0 and 100 mg MWCNTs L − 1 × 100 µmol.m − 2 .s − 1 . The highest contents of N, P, K, Ca, Fe, and Mn were recorded under 50 mg MWCNTs L − 1 × 200 µmol.m − 2 .s − 1 and 50 mg MWCNTs L − 1 × 400 µmol.m − 2 .s − 1 . In contrast, the amount of Zn and Cu was not affected by the two-way interaction. The combination of 50 mg MWCNTs L − 1 × 200 µmol.m − 2 .s − 1 and 50 mg MWCNTs L − 1 × 400 µmol.m − 2 .s − 1 increased the total carbohydrate and rebaudioside A. Stevioside was also increased under the combination of 50 mg MWCNTs L − 1 and 200 µmol.m − 2 .s − 1 . DNA damage in both regions of the DNA sequence under light intensity at low concentrations of MWCNTs (0 and 50 mg L − 1 ) did not show a significant change but increased with increasing concentration at high light intensities (200 and 400 µmol.m − 2 .s − 1 ). Thus, Cross-talk 50 mg MWCNTs L − 1 and 200 µmol.m − 2 .s − 1 might be an optimal condition for stevia growth and metabolism.
Background: The damage to agricultural products caused by fungal diseases accounts for approximately 12% of global production, with a higher impact in developing countries. One particularly destructive disease that inflicts significant damage on vegetable crops and greenhouses annually is seedling death and bush dieback disease, caused by the Phytophthora fungus. Currently, producers often rely heavily on chemical fertilizers and pesticides to enhance productivity and product quality. However, the use of some synthetic pesticides has recently been banned due to their high toxicity and long preharvest interval (PHI) periods. Biological control of plant diseases and pests is the optimal solution to mitigate the damages caused by synthetic pesticides. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antifungal efficacy of different extracts derived from the aerial shoot of Indigofera tinctoria against plant pathogenic fungi. Methods: The aerial shoots of the Indigo plant were collected during the flowering stage from the medicinal plants collection of the Institute of Agricultural Research, Agriculture Institute Research, Institute of Zabol, Zabol, Iran. Ethanolic, methanolic, n-hexane, and acetone extracts were prepared by cold maceration with a ratio of 1:10. The antifungal effects of these extracts were investigated by measuring the diameter of halo growth inhibition under in vitro conditions. The LSD test was used to compare data means. Results: Our results showed that the best growth-inhibiting effect was observed with the ethanolic extract at a concentration of 300 μg/mL (2 mm) after 24 hours of incubation, whereas the diameter of colonies in the control was 27 mm, confirming a 92.5% inhibition of fungal growth. After 48 hours of incubation, the growth of Phytophthora drechsleri mycelium was clearly evident. In fact, the growth rate nearly doubled within 48 hours, but then at 73 hours, the mycelium grew at a slower rate. The inhibitory effect of the indigo extract was dose-dependent; as the extract concentration increased, the inhibitory effect became stronger. Conclusions: According to these results, the in vitro treatments were more significant when the plant extract concentration was higher. These findings could be promising for the production of natural fungicides.
I am currently preparing a comprehensive, research-based review article , focusing on: “From Static to Dynamic Lighting: Evolution of Ligh…
I am currently preparing a comprehensive, research-based review article , focusing on: “From Static to Dynamic Lighting: Evolution of Ligh…