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Datura stramonium L. (jimsonweed) from the Solanaceae family is widely used in traditional medicine due to its medicinal properties. This paper investigated the effect of three levels of urea fertilizer (60, 120, and 180 kg ha–1) and three levels of planting density (6, 10, and 14 plants m−2) on the grain alkaloids, chlorophylls a and b content, carotenoids, anthocyanins, and grain and biological yields. A factorial experiment as a randomized complete block design was carried out at the Research and Education farm of Isfahan Agricultural and Natural Resources and Training Center in IRAN in 2018 and 2019. Significant differences were detected between urea levels and plant density for leaf chlorophyll content, carotenoids, and anthocyanins at the 1% probability. Also, hyoscyamine alkaloid levels and scopolamine content are affected by the urea levels at the 1% probability. Moreover, the relationship between phytochemical characteristics and alkaloids with the grain and biological yields in D. stramonium is investigated by path analysis. The results showed that grain yield, hyoscyamine alkaloid levels and scopolamine content is significantly improved by 6 plants m−2planting density and 180 kg ha–1 urea. Core Ideas: The effect of plant density and urea levels on the content of tropane alkaloids in Datura stramonium L. was investigated.The effect of physiological traits and tropane alkaloids on grain and biological yields were further studied by path analysis.Grain yield is significantly improved by 6 plants m−2 planting density and 180 kg ha−1 urea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction is presented to the article "The effect of different levels of urea and planting density on the phytochemical characteristics, alkaloids, and yield of the medicinal plant jimsonweed (Datura stramonium L.)."

Satureja hortensis L. (summer savory) is among the most important medicinal plants, grown in different parts of the world including Iran. The objective was to enhance the morphological properties of different genotypes of summer savory in temperature (warm, mild and cold) stress by fertilization and plant growth regulators (PGRs), as it has not been previously investigated, to our knowledge. The effects of fertilization (F1) (MI, 2 g L−1), and PGRs (sprayed four times during the season) including amino acid (F2) (A, 2 g L−1), gibberellic acid (F3) (GA, 2 mM), and control (F4) (using water) were examined on plant growth. The summer savory genotypes (Khuzestani, Mutika and Bakhtiari) were planted on the 8th of April (13.0 °C), May (20.8 °C), and June (26.0 °C), and a wide range of plant growth parameters were determined. Genotype Mutika was the most responsive one with significantly higher growth under all temperature conditions. Even under the cold stress Mutika root fresh weight was significantly higher than that of the other genotypes. However, fertilization and PGRs significantly increased the fresh weight of aerial part in all genotypes. All treatments significantly increased the flower number in cold stress. MI, compared with the PGRs, significantly increased side stem height, in different temperatures. The highest effects of treatments were observed on root volume, aerial part and total fresh weights, stem height and flower number. It is possible to plant and improve S. hortenesis morphological properties in different climatic conditions using the tested treatments and the appropriate genotype affecting plant physiological metabolisms. [Display omitted] • S. hortensis growth affected by genotype, cold, fertilization and plant growth regulators. • Root fresh weight of stressed Mutika was significantly higher than the other genotypes. • Biochemicals significantly increased aerial fresh weight in all genotypes. • Genotype Mutika was the most responsive one with significantly higher growth. • The use of proper genotype treated with biochemicals is recommendable under stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical composition of the essential oils in 11 populations of Thymus daenensis subsp. daenensis Cleak was evaluated using GC and GC/MS. Carvacrol, thymol and geraniol were found as the main constituents in the oils of the tested populations. Variation of the oils in populations was subjected to cluster analysis and three different chemotypes including carvacrol (47.3-80.1%), thymol (53.1-72.2%) and geraniol (65.6-75.7%) were identified. Other important components were β-caryophyllene (1.7-9%), p-cymene (0.1-10.9%) and γ-terpinene (0.1-7.8%). Although Thymus is known as having high thymol content in its oil, it is revealed that T. daenensis subsp. daenensis has also a high potential for carvacrol and geraniol constituents in the oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Water is considered as one of the limited and important resources for agricultural production in arid and semi-arid regions such as Iran. Coneflower has been introduced to Iran in the recent decades. In Iran, coneflower is cultivated in dried and semi-dried regions and used as a medicinal plant in the pharmaceutical industry and as a decorative plant as well. This research was aimed to evaluate the effect of chemical and biological nitrogen on biomass production, water and nitrogen use efficiency and nutrients uptake in coneflower under different irrigation regimes. Field experiment was conducted as split plots in randomized complete blocks with three replications during 2015–2016 in Lordegan, Iran. The experimental treatments included irrigation after 25%, 50% and 75% soil water depletion as the main factor, and non-nitrogen levels (control), nitroxin (contains Azotobacter and Azosperillium bacteria), 40 kg N ha−1 nitrogen, combination of nitroxin and nitrogen and 80 kg N ha−1 were considered as the sub-factor. The use of different levels of nitrogen increased the concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, nitrate and biological yield in different irrigation levels. The highest nitrogen use efficiency was obtained in the first and second years at irrigation levels following 50% of available water depletion. Moreover, use of 40 kg N ha−1 in the first year and the nitroxin and 40 kg N ha−1 use in the second year resulted in the highest nitrogen use efficiency. The highest water use efficiency in the first year was obtained from irrigation after 25% and 50% of available water depletion and in the second year from irrigation after 50% of soil water depletion. The highest water use efficiency was obtained from use of 80 kg N ha−1 in irrigation after 25% of soil water depletion and use of 80 kg ha−1 N and nitroxin and nitrogen combination in irrigation after 50% of soil water depletion. In general, the results showed that the highest bioyield with less nitrate, higher water and nitrogen use efficiency were obtained using nitrogen and nitroxin combination at irrigation levels after 50% of soil water depletion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four abietane-type terpenoids, including two known royleanones and two new, rearranged 20-norabietanes, were isolated from the roots of the Iranian medicinal plant Salvia hydrangea DC. ex Bentham (Lamiaceae), which is used as an anthelmintic and antileishmanial remedy. Their structures were established using COSY, NOESY, HSQC, and HMBC spectral data. The possible identity of one of the 20-norabietanes with demethylmulticauline, previously reported from a different Salvia species, is discussed. A moderate in vitro antiplasmodial effect of the extract of S. hydrangea flowers was found to be associated with the presence of large amounts of pentacyclic triterpenes, mainly oleanolic acid. The observed antiplasmodial activity of oleanolic acid is apparently due to its incorporation into the erythrocyte membrane, which adversely affects the growth of Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Thus, oleanolic acid caused transformation of erythrocytes into stomatocytes in the concentration range where the in vitro antiplasmodial activity was observed.