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Exactly estimating of water requirement is essential for water balance studies, design and management of irrigation systems and water resources management. Because of limited soil and water resources in Iran, for optimal use of water resources in the agricultural sector, it is necessary to determine the amount of water requirement by different plants in different climatological conditions. In order to determine the water requirement and crop coefficients of Stevia, six lysimeter numbers were used in three replications for stevia and reference plant (grass). The reference Stevia plant evapotranspiration was measured on a daily basis. The results showed that during the 537 day period of Stevia cultivation, the maximum and minimum water requirement in the first and second year of cultivation was respectively 9.85 and 1.69 mm per day, and for the reference plant was obtained as 6.54 and 1.84 mm per day. In this study, the Kc coefficients in initial, development, intermediate and final stages of growth in 2016 were 0.76, 1.11, 1.46 and 1.05 and in 2017 at growth stages, were 0.76, 1.18, 1.52 and 1.29 respectively. The average of individual Stevia plant growth factors for four growth stages in two years of research was obtained as 0.76, 1.15, 1.49, and 1.17, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing rapidly worldwide and blood glucose tight control is essential for reducing mortality and morbidity. To date, several herbal medicines have been used in the management of diabetes. The present study evaluated the effect of a commercially available capsule in Iran, Viabet® in patients with type 2 diabetes. This randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on thirty diabetic patients who referred to the Ghaem Hospital endocrine clinic in Mashhad, Iran, who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The participants randomly received 500 mg Viabet® capsules containing Trigonella foenum-graecum, Urtica dioica Cinnamomum cassia, Stevia rebaudiana and Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub. (Fabaceae) or the placebo three times daily for three months. Fasting blood sugar (FBS) and weight were assessed monthly and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) and lipid profile at the beginning and the end of treatment. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 16 software. FBS did not significantly change within or between the groups whereas HbA1C reduced considerably in the treatment group after three months (P = 0.03). Also, noticeable weight loss was observed in the treatment group (P = 0.001), although it was not significant in the monthly evaluation in comparison with the controls. Furthermore, evaluation of lipid profile in both groups did not indicate meaningful variations. In case of safety, no considerable adverse reactions were reported. Using Viabet® thrice daily for three months was not significantly effective on FBS and HbA1C in comparison with the placebo group. Further studies on this supplement are needed for better judgment. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of synbiotic food consumption on glycemic status and serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels of Iranian pregnant women., Design: This randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed among 52 pregnant women, primigravida, aged 18-35 year old, in their third trimester. After a 2-wk run-in period, subjects were randomly assigned to consume either a synbiotic (n=26) or control food (n=26) for 9 weeks. The synbiotic food consisted of a probiotic Lactobacillus sporogenes (1×107 CFU), 0.04 g inulin as prebiotic with 0.38 g isomalt, 0.36 g sorbitol and 0.05 g stevia as sweetener per 1 g. Control food (the same substance without probiotic bacteria and inulin) was packed in identical 9-gram packages. Patients were asked to consume the synbiotic and control foods two times a day. Fasting blood samples were taken at baseline and after a 9-wk intervention for quantification of related factors., Results: Consumption of a synbiotic food did not show any significant change regarding the impact of insulin actions in the synbiotic group; nonetheless, compared to the control food, it resulted in a significant decrease in serum insulin levels (-0.26 vs. 6.34 µIU/mL, P=0.014) and HOMA-IR (-0.13 vs. 1.13, P=0.033), a significant difference in HOMA-B (5.30 vs. 34.22, P=0.040) and a significant rise in QUICKI score (0.002 vs. -0.02, P=0.022)., Conclusions: Consumption of a synbiotic food for 9 weeks by pregnant women had beneficial effects on insulin actions compared to the control food, but did not affect FPG and serum hs-CRP concentrations.