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The aim of this study was to establish and optimise a simplified method of halved grain culture, in order to utilise it to evaluate the ability of isolated sinks (developing wheat grains) in sucrose uptake and conversion (defined by sink strength) under unlimited source conditions. Both sucrose uptake and starch synthesis increased linearly over the incubation periods used in this study. A biphasic pattern of sucrose uptake in response to external sucrose concentrations was evident. Starch synthesis also increased curvilinearly with respect to external sucrose concentration. 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP)) inhibited both sucrose uptake and starch synthesis. An increase in pH from 6.5 to 8 reduced both sucrose uptake and, to a lesser extent, starch synthesis. From these observations, a metabolically active uptake of sucrose by endosperm cells concomitant with a diffusional influx of sucrose into the endosperm cells were both evident. The relative importance of both the active and diffusional movement of sucrose and the importance of transport across the plasma membrane is discussed in the text.

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In order to determine the most effective hormones on the in vitro oocyte maturation (germinal vesicle breakdown - GVBD) in a hybrid sturgeon bester, ovarian follicles were incubated at the migratory nucleus stage in the presence of several steroids, gonadotropin preparations and forskolin. Occurrence of GVBD and 17,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3 -one (DHP) production were followed during an experimental period of one year of germinal vesicle (GV) migration. From all the steroids tested, three progesterone derivatives-17α- hydroxyprogesterone (17αOHP), 17, 20β, 21-trihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17, 20 β, 21- triol), and DHP-were the most potent steroid inducers of GVBD, followed closely by deoxycorticosterone (DOC). No GVBD responses were found in ovarian follicles in July when the GV was still central. The responsiveness increased gradually from then and reached its peak in November when the GV had migrated fully towards the oocyte periphery. Their potencys gradually declined later from December and the oocytes lost their ability to mature the next July when degeneration set in. DHP production by ovarian follicle during successive months of nucleus migration demonstrated a relatively similar pattern of GVBD frequencies. These results indicated again a relevant role for DHP on oocyte maturation in the bester and also suggested that GV localization along with in vitro oocyte maturation assay can be used as practical tools for selecting the appropriate individuals in exogenous induced spawning in bester.

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Three types of composts (T1, T2, and T3) composed of variable percents of bovine, ovine, fowl manures, green waste and olive pomace were used in this study. Composts were effective in controlling Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solani associated with peach decline. In vitro evaluation of four doses of the three composts extracts against mycelium growth of F. solani and F. oxysporum showed that the compost extracts have a significant effect on mycelial growth. The highest inhibition percent was obtained with 10% dose for the three compost extracts, with values more than 48.8% and 50% of F. solani and F. oxysporum, respectively. However, the filtration of the tea composts revealed to be ineffective against the hyphal reduction for both pathogens. The in- vivo experiments exhibited the efficacy of these composts in reducing the seedlings root rot. In fact, T1, T2 and T3 reduced the root rot and browning of plants inoculated with F. solani by 50.19% and plants inoculated with F. oxysporum by 41.86%, 46.45% and 48.3%, respectively. Furthermore, these composts seemed to improve the sanitary state of peach seedlings inoculated with F. oxysporum. However, the improvement of sanitary state of peach inoculated with F. solani was just noted in case of the composts T1 and T2. The treatment of peach seedlings with these improved plant growth by increasing height and root weight of seedlings inoculated with F. oxysporum. However, none of these composts was able to stimulate growth of plants inoculated with F. solani. Root weight of plants inoculated with F. solani was negatively correlated with bovine manure in the compost, positively with fowl (r = 0.69) and sheep manure content (r = 0.69). Besides, a significant negative correlation among sanitary state index of plants inoculated with F. oxysporum in the case of olive pomace (r = -0.92) and the polyphenols content (r = -0.74) of compost was found.

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Backgrounds: Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite of increasing concern to humans and animals. Considering the side effects of drugs used to treat toxoplasmosis, it is essential to find alternative drugs.
Materials & Methods: In this study, colchicine and propranolol at four concentrations (1, 5, 10, and 15 µg/mL) were added to the RPMI medium containing peritoneal macrophages and incubated for 60 min, Then tachyzoites were added to the medium, and the efficacy rates of colchicine and propranolol in inhibiting tachyzoites entry into macrophages were evaluated after 30 and 60 min. For in vivo assay, one group received no drugs, and the second group was treated with colchicine and propranolol at different concentrations for different durations.
Findings: The in vitro experiment showed that treatment with 15 mg/mL of colchicine and propranolol for 60 min following tachyzoites addition was the most efficient method to inhibit tachyzoites penetration, indicating the efficacy rates of 80.20%±1.20 and 89.97%±1.30, respectively (p< .05). Based on the in vivo test, pretreatment with 2 mg/kg of colchicine one hour before tachyzoites injection had the best inhibitory effect (70.32%±4.07). Also, pretreatment with 2 mg/kg of propranolol 90 min before tachyzoites injection (78.54%±1.99) induced the best inhibitory effect (p< .05).
Conclusion: According to the results, colchicine and propranolol could inhibit tachyzoites entrance into nucleated cells in vitro and in vivo. In this study, the most efficient concentrations and times for using these substances were determined.
 

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By taking into account the importance of the family and its role in the establishment of human society and the emphasis placed by Islam on its protection and stability, neglecting and failing to deal with the new issues appearing in this filed is unjustifiable. One of these issues is artificial insemination. Which needs to be examined from different angles: legally, morally, psychologically, etc. the right to have children, in cases where the spouses or one of them is infertile, should not be an excuse for ignoring moral principles and for having children through unnatural means or out of wedlock. In the last century vitro fertilization and other artificial insemination techniques were examined by Western scientists in detail. The birth of Louis Brown in 1978 was the positive result of these examinations and researches. In this paper, the Islamic view on artificial insemination, based on Shiite law, from the point of view of legality or illegality, lineage, inheritance and marriage is discussed. This paper highlights different aspects of artificial insemination and clarifies some controversial questions in this respect. The criterion for the legality and illegality of artificial insemination, according to the majority of Islamic jurisits, depend on the existence or non-existence of a lawful relationship between a man and a woman. A child born from an unmarried couple, or born through artificial insemination enjoys certain rights, such as lineage, inheritance, maintenance, etc. .

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Periwinkle (Vinca minor L.) is an evergreen perennial herbaceous plant that belongs to the family Apocynaceae. The aerial part of this plant contains certain alkaloids such as vincamine, isovincamine and vincine. The most important of these is vincamine that re-duces blood pressure and promotes memory and the ability for mental concentration. Mi-cropropagation could be a good alternative for the mass propagation of Vinca minor. For direct shoot regeneration, single node explants of field-grown Vinca minor cv. Budakalasz were aseptically cultured on a medium consisting of WPM salts, MS vitamins, 3% su-crose, 0.8% agar and 25 different combinations of BAP and NAA. After one month, ex-plants were subcultured to the same medium. The number of shoots (taller than 3 mm), average shoot length, height of the longest shoot, callus amount, number of roots, and av-erage root length per explant were measured two months after culture. The maximum shoot regeneration (5.6 shoots per explant) was obtained using 7.21 mg l-1 BAP and 0.0186 mg l-1 NAA.

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Root and foliar application of exogenous salicylic acid (SA), a critical plant defense hormone, has enhanced adult host resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB), one of the most devastating fungal wheat diseases. In contrast, information on the direct effects of FHB pathogens on in vitro growth has been hardly available. To elucidate this, the antifungal activity of different concentrations of SA was investigated on four Fusarium pathogens with diverse pathogenicity under in vitro conditions. SA inhibited mycelial growth and conidial germination of all pathogens in potato dextrose agar medium in a concentration-dependent manner, with the greatest inhibition achieved using the highest SA concentrations. The antifungal activity of SA on mycelial growth was found to be pH-dependent and more efficient in acidic conditions than in alkaline conditions. However, the inhibitory effect of SA on conidia germination is not due to acidification of the medium. Microscopic observations reveal that mycelium from inhibition zones showed a morphological alteration compared to normal mycelium from the untreated control. Our results demonstrate for the first time that, although the inhibitory effect of SA required acidic growth conditions to be observed, SA has a significant and direct impact on F. culmorum, F. solani, F. verticillioides and F. equiseti through a reduction in efficiency of germination and growth at higher concentrations. This study has shown that SA could be considered a potent and promising antifungal to FHB infection that is safe for the environment.


 

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The aim of this study was to assess the effect of several doses of spearmint essential oil (SEO; 0, 250, 500, 750 or 1,000 µg ml-1 buffered rumen fluid) on the fermentation kinetic and digestibility using in vitro gas production technique. A total mixed ration (30% roughage: 70% concentrate) was incubated with buffered rumen fluid. In vitro gas production, asymptotic gas production (A), rate of gas production (µ), partitioning factor (PF), microbial biomass (MB), ammonia concentration and digestibility were determined. Increasing the dose of SEO decreased the parameters A and µ. Adding SEO, however, increased PF, ammonia concentration, apparent in vitro dry matter digestibility and true in vitro organic matter digestibility at the lower levels of SEO (250 and 500 µg ml-1). But, at the level of 1,000 µg ml-1, a decrease was observed for these parameters. The increment in PF and digestibility illustrate that SEO has a potential to modulate the rumen fermentation, which may be beneficial (at low doses) for improving nutrient utilization.

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Objective: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an endemic infectious disease considered to be a crucial health problem in many countries, including Iran. As such, there is a need for new medications with few side effects. In the present research we have studied the effect of artimisinin on  Leishmania major (L. major) and cell death in vitro. Methods: A specific number of promastigotes of L. major were grown in the presence of different concentration of artimisinin to achieve IC50 of the drug. The MTT method was applied to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of the artiminisinin on L. major. Various densities of this drug were applied to study the induction of apoptosis by flow cytometry on L. major promastigotes. Results: We calculated the IC50 of artimisinin to be 25 μg/mlby promastigote assay. Promastigotes were incubated at 72 hours incubation with various doses of artimisinin (10, 25, 50 and 100 μg/ml). The dose 100 μg/ml showed the most apoptosis (68.16%) by Annexin-V FITC. Whereas the 10 μg/ml dose had the least apoptosis (12.78%). There was no change in the control group. According to MTT, the toxic effect of artiminisinin on L. major promastigotes increased with increasing drug concentration. Conclusions: This study revealed that artimisinin has a little toxic effect on macrophages. According to the flow cytometry and MTT results, artimisinin can be suggested as an appropriate drug for in vivo antileishmanial study.

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Production of lignocellulolytic enzymes by the thermotolerant Fomes sp. EUM1 was determined in solid cultures using corn stover (CS) as a sole substrate or supplemented with 20 % wheat bran (CS+WB). This supplementation increased (P< 0.05) enzymatic activity per gram of initial dry matter (gdm) for xylanases and cellulases: 160 IU g dm^-1 and 37 IU g dm^-1, respectively; while laccases reached a similar yield (3.3 IU g dm^-1) for both cultures. Nevertheless, laccases showed different stability patterns at 39°C and pH 6: half-life time (t_½) was doubled in extracts from CS+WB (23.5 h); whereas t_½ for the other enzymes from both cultures showed no difference. Both extracts by Fomes sp. EUM1 and a commercial enzymatic product were used on forages: corn stover, (CS), sugarcane bagasse (SCB), and alfalfa hay (AH). The fractional rate of gas production (FR; ml g^-1 h^-1) increased (P< 0.05) at 9 hours in CS compared to the sample without enzymes. The use of any enzymes favoured higher maximum gas volume (Vm; h^-1) on SCB. The in vitro digestibility (IVD) of CS after using the commercial product was 12% higher, while our extracts from CS and CS+WB showed 16 and 21% improvements (P< 0.05), respectively, suggesting a higher specificity of these enzymes produced on the same substrate (CS). In addition to the proven stability, the versatility of extracts from CS and CS+WB was confirmed by the increase in IVD values for SCB (up to 100%) in relation to the control without enzymes.

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The production of secondary metabolites of medicinal plant

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 Two experiments were performed for in vitro establishment, proliferation and shoot growth in axillary bud explants of Sebri pear cultivar. In the first experiment, the effect of different concentrations of IBA(Indole-3-butyric acid) on explants’ establishment was evaluated. In a second experiment, the influence of several combinations of PGRs (Plant growth regulators)on shoot proliferation and shoot growth was investigated. IBA at 0 and 0.1 mg L^-1 concentration led to successful bud establishment. At higher IBA concentrations, callus was induced, but fewer explants were successfully initiated. BAP increased shoot proliferation, while TDZ(Phenyl-N'-(1, 2, 3-thiadiazol-5-yl) urea) did not show any effect on shoot proliferation. BAP, at 3 mg L^-1 was more effective than 2 mg L^-1 on the number of proliferated shoots. Maximum shoot length was obtained for the medium containing BAP(6-benzylaminopurine) (2.0 and 3.0 mg L^-1)+IBA (0.1 mg L^-1) and BAP (2.0 and 3.0 mg L^-1)+IBA (0.1 mg L^-1)+GA₃ (0.5 mg L^-1). IBA in BAP combinations induced lateral bud swelling, while GA₃ (Gibberelic acid) inhibited it. Maximum leaf number was obtained for MS medium with 2.0 mg L^-1 TDZ and 0.5 mg L^-1 GA₃. Moreover, medium supplemented with 2.0 mg L^-1 BAP+IBA (0.1 mg L^-1)+GA₃ (0.5 mg L^-1) and 2.0 mg L^-1 TDZ+GA₃ (0.5 mg L^-1)produced maximum shoot length. Vegetative growth habit varied with different combinations and BAP concentrations, being the highest in BAP (2.0 mg L^-1)+IBA (0.1 mg L^-1) treatment. The combination of BAP at 2 mg L^-1 and 0.5 mg L^-1 of GA₃ is finally recommended for a proliferation of Sebri pear cultivar.

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Dendrobium chrysanthum (Orchidaceae) is highly valued in the ornamental industry and has important medicinal properties used in the preparation of herbal medicines in different parts of the world. However, this orchid species is getting depleted from its natural habitats due to unsystematic collections. Therefore, in the present study, an efficient mass propagation protocol through direct shoot bud formation from axenic nodal segments of D. chrysanthum has been developed. The synergistic action between thidiazuron (TDZ) and 6-benzyl amino purine (BAP) was applied to enhance proliferation and elongation of shoots from the nodal segments. The explants were inoculated in MS medium fortified with different plant growth regulators viz., 2, 4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2, 4-D), BAP, and TDZ, separately and in combinations. The maximum frequency of explants forming buds (100%), highest number of shoots/explant (14.33±0.14), the bud forming capacity (BFC) index of 14.33, and the maximum length of shoots (1.97±0.04) were obtained in MS medium supplemented with 5 µM each of TDZ and BAP. Hundred percent rooting of regenerated shoots with an average number of 11.26 roots/shoot and having average root length of around 2.45 cm was obtained in MS medium fortified with 10 µM a-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). Sixty days after transfer to the greenhouse following in vitro acclimatization for 30 days, 79% survival was recorded. The protocol developed will not only help to alleviate the pressure on the natural population under stress, but will also help in meeting its demands in pharmaceutical and ornamental industries, and also form the basis for conservation.

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The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of steam treatment on nutritive value of date (Phoenix dactylifera) leaves. Date leaves were chopped and mixed with water or sulfuric acid solution to contain 50% moisture with or without 1% sulfuric acid. Steam treatment of the date leaves was carried out using three levels of steam pressure (14, 17 and 20 bar), three reaction times (120, 180, and 240 seconds) and two levels of acid (0 and 1 percent). The treated samples were analyzed for chemical composition including: cell wall components, ash, total extractable phenolics, water soluble sugars, and reducing sugars. Dry matter loss (DML), enzymic hydrolysis, and in vitro gas production of the samples were also measured. Results showed that steam treatment significantly affected (P< 0.05) cell wall components. An increasing trend was observed in DML by increasing harshness of treatment conditions. The lowest DML (12.7 g kg^-1) was observed in the auto-hydrolyzed (steam treatment without addition of exogenous acid) sample treated at 14 bar pressure and 120 seconds reaction time and the highest DML (78.8 g kg^-1) was observed in the acid-hydrolyzed (addition of 10 g kg^-1acid prior to treatment) samples treated at 20 bar pressure and 180 and 240 seconds reaction times. Steam treatment significantly (P< 0.05) decreased neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content but increased acid detergent lignin (ADL). Maximum changes in hemicellulose and water soluble sugars were observed in acid-hydrolyzed samples, in which hemicellulose decreased from 264.6 g kg^-1 in control to 72.2 g kg^-1 in the sample treated at 20 bar and 240 seconds and water soluble sugars increased from 14.0 g kg^-1 in the control to 101.8 g kg^-1 in the sample treated at 17 bar and 240 seconds. Enzymic hydrolysis of date leaves was improved after steam treatment and higher improvement was observed in acid-hydrolyzed samples. Gas production was significantly increased (P< 0.05) in all incubation times after steam treatment. The maximum increase in metabolizable energy (ME) estimated by gas production was from acid-hydrolyzed sample treated at 20 bar and 240 seconds. In auto-hydrolyzed samples, the biggest increase in ME was observed in the sample treated at 20 bar and 180 seconds. The results suggest that steam treatment could be used for upgrading the nutritive value of date leaves in the regions where date is grown and animals are encountered with severe feed shortage.

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Taxus chinensis var. mairei is a rare and endangered medicinal plant species distributed in China. In order to promote fast propagation and preserve the natural resources, conditions for in vitro germination and seedling development of embryos of T. chinensis var. mairei from Anhui or Zhejiang were investigated. Results showed that in vitro germination rate of excised embryos cultured under 14 hours photoperiod was higher than that in darkness. But, nearly all embryos germinated under 14 hours photoperiod failed to develop into seedlings. Comparatively, 23.3 and 36.3% of embryos from Anhui and Zhejiang, respectively, which germinated in darkness, developed into full seedlings. Addition of plant growth regulators [gibberellic acid(GA₃), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), 6-benzylaminopurine (BA)] and organic additives (casein hydrolysate and yeast extract) in mediums promoted germination and seedling development. (Woody plant medium) WPM  medium supplemented with 0.5 mg L^-1 GA₃, 0.5 mg L^-1 IAA, 0.5 mg L^-1 BA and 1 g L^-1 activated charcoal was optimal for the culture of embryos from Anhui, while WPM medium supplemented with 0.5 mg L^-1 GA₃, 500 mg L^-1 casein hydrolysate and 1 g L^-1 activated charcoal was optimum for embryos from Zhejiang. Moreover, the germination and seedling survival rate of embryos of T. chinensis var. mairei decreased with increasing maturity of the seeds. In conclusion, darkness during germination is necessary for subsequent seedling development and immature seeds are optimal for embryo culture of this species.

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The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of different doses of some 7 natural semi-arid medicinal plants’ essential oils on in vitro ruminal digestion and fermentation patterns of a mid-forage (alfalfa hay: concentrates, 1:1) diet. Treatments consisted of either basal diet alone (control) or added with 35, 70, 140 or 280 µl L^-1 of coriander, oregano, caraway, cumin, cinnamon, pistachio hull and thyme essential oils, incubated for 24 hours at 38.7ºC. The essential oils of cinnamon and pistachio applied as 280 µl L^-1 and thyme applied at 140 and 280 µl L^-1 caused a decrease in DM disappearance as compared with control. Thyme and pistachio essential oils (used at 280 µl L^-1) resulted in a decrease of NDF disappearance, while caraway (70 µl L^-1) and cumin (140 µl L^-1) resulted in an increase in it (14.8% and +18.2%, respectively). Relative to control, the essential oils applied, did not significantly affect the medium N-NH₃ concentration (except thyme at 140 and 280 µl L^-1), pH (except thyme and cumin essential oils, 6.41 and 6.22 vs. 6.3, respectively), gas produced (except thyme at 280 µl L^-1) and Feed Fermentation Efficiency (FFE). Relative to control, addition of all the essential oils resulted in a decrease of CP disappearance and CH₄ (except for cumin) production as Mm^-1 incubated. Findings revealed that these essential oils may allow manipulation of rumen microbial fermentation.

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Recently, the use of chemical and synthetic preservatives for the control of microbial pathogenesis growth has been remarkably decreased. Today, essential oils (EOs) have been considered to be natural preservatives. Fennel is among the aromatic medicinal plant that can be used as a natural preservative. In this study, to investigate the antimicrobial activity of fennel essential oil on some pathogenic microorganisms causing infection and food poisoning (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans) were used disk diffusion agar (Kirby-Bauer), well diffusion agar, minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration methods. The interaction of fennel essential oil (FEO) with kanamycin antibiotic was investigated. The results disc diffusion agar and well diffusion agar antimicrobial assays showed that S. aureus was the most sensitive bacteria with the highest inhibition zone compared to the other microorganisms. The effects of interaction of FEO with kanamycin antibiotic on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus showed synergistic status. In general, FEO was able to prevent the growth of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans “in vitro”.

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In this investigation, the Cordia myxa fruit mucilage (CMFM) was extracted by water to seed ratio 1:6, extraction temperature 58 ᵒC, and pH 4. After sterilization of extracted mucilage, its antibacterial activity was assessed on pathogenic bacteria including Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria innocua, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus epidermidis under laboratory conditions. Antimicrobial potential of mucilage, at the different CMFM levels: 37.5, 75, 150 and 300 mg/ml was evaluated using disk diffusion agar and well diffusion agar methods. Furthermore, the interaction of CMFM with gentamicin and chloramphenicol antibiotics was assessed. Results shown that by increasing the CMFM concentrations, the inhibition zone diameter around the discs were noticeably increased. In the disk diffusion agar method, the highest inhibition zone diameter was observed at the concentration of 300 mg/ml CMFM for Staphylococcus epidermidis with 11.10 mm. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria innocua, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus epidermidis was 64, 64, 16, 32, 128, 64, 256 and 64 mg/ml, respectively. Results shown that the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of CMFM for the all tested bacterial strains was greater than their MIC.