[Isolation and identification of four sterols from Oud]

The English common name of Aqularia sinensis [Lour.] Gilg. IV. [Thymelaeaceae] is Incense Tree, which is known as Oud in Persian. Aquilaria species produce a resin-deposited part of the trunk. The species was once widely planted in Hong Kong as the raw material of incense exported to China, Southeast Asia and places as far away as Arabia. Investigation of the chemical constituents of the injured or uninjured wood of the plant can offers valuable information in order to know the bioorganic process of resin formation. Methanolic extracts of the uninjured wood of plant was used in order to isolation of sterols components. Separation and purification of the compounds was carried on silica gel column chromatography and gel permeation chromatography [GPC]. Structural elucidation of the constituents was based on the data obtained from H-NMR, 13C-NMR, HMBC, HMQC, DEPT and H-H COSY. Four sterols, stigmast-4-ene-3-one, stigmast-4-ene-3,6-dione, beta-daucosterol and beta-sitosterol were identified based on spectral data which have never been reported from this plant until now. Methanol extract of Aqularia sinensis consists of sterols, of which stigmast-4-ene-3-one, stigmast-4-ene-3, 6-dione, beta-daucosterol and beta-sitosterol [with Stigmastan skeleton] are the main compounds and is reported for the first time

[Phylogenetic analysis of badrashbu species using DNA polymorphism]

The name "badrashbu" has been applied to some species of Dracocephalum [Labiatae] in Iran. Dracocephalum kotschyi is an indigenous herbaceous plant, used in folk medicine as a flavor in Iran. D. subcapitatum grows in both Iran and Turkmenistan. D. arguense is another species of Badrashbu found in Japan. In this study we aimed to examine the phylogenetic relationship between some Dracocephalum species. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis [RAPD], a molecular biological method, and analysis of volatile extracts [GC] were used. Genetic distances were calculated to construct phylogenetic dendrograms of closely related samples. Based on the results the genetic distance between two samples of D. kotschyi was fond to be short and their RAPD banding patterns were quite similar, also there was a close relationship between two samples of D. arguense. Gas chromatography analysis supported the taxonomic classification. Iranian samples of D. subcapitatum and D. kotschyi contained of limonene- 10- al which could not be detected in Japanese samples of D. arguense. D. subcapitatum show very close relationship to D. kotschyi rather than D. arguense in both phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic aspects