Application of plant biostimulants as new approach to improve the biological responses of medicinal plants- a critical review

The aim of this review was to represent a category of applied plant biostimulants and to highlight the effect of their application on morphological and phytochemical properties of medicinal plants in in vivo and in vitro conditions and their mechanism of action. Plant biostimulants, safe for both human beings and the environment, are substances or materials, except for nutrients and pesticides, which have the ability to beneficially modify plant growth and have been accepted over the past decade. Plant biostimulants have natural and synthetic origin. The natural biostimulants contain amino acids, bacteria, seaweed, yeast, chitosan, phytohormones, and also plant growth regulators [synthetic hormones], phenolic compounds, inorganic salts, essential elements, and other different substances are some examples of synthetic biostimulants. The plant biostimulants through different mechanisms of action [such as nitrogen assimilation] are sustainable management practice for production of medicinal plants, increasing biomass production, and enhancing secondary metabolites synthesis and it is investigated and shown in many studies in recent years. Furthermore, there are many reports on positive effects of biostimulants and elicitors application on medicinal plants in in vitro culture condition. Some products of companies active in the formulation of biostimulants in Iran are mentioned in this review. In conclusion, yield response in medicinal plants to biostimulants application showed that each medicinal plant responds in a different way based on the chemical composition and components of biostimulants, the timing and rate of application

[Determination of yield components of trigonelline in fenugreek [trigonella foenum-graceum L.] seed based on path analysis and regression]

Trigonelline in fenugreek seed is a valuable medicinal metabolite in reducing blood cholesterol and blood. Determine the most important components of seed yield, percent and yield of seed trigonelline in fenugreek under foliar application and non-application of methanol. The experiment was done a randomized complete block design with two treatments as foliar application of methanol [0 and 30 v/v%] and four replications. Path analysis and stepwise regression were used in order to denote the most important effective traits on seed yield, percent and yield of seed trigonelline in fenugreek. The results showed that 1000-seeds weight and number of branches per plant for seed yield; total dry weight and number of pods per plant for percent of seed trigonelline; seed yield and percent of seed trigonelline for yield of seed trigonelline in the non-application of methanol, and also, the number of seeds per pod, percent of seed oil, number of pods per plant and plant height for seed yield; leaf dry weight, shoot trigonelline and geometric mean diameter of seed for percent of seed trigonelline and seed yield; percent of seed trigonelline and pod length for yield of seed trigonelline in foliar application of methanol [30 v/v%] treatment significantly justified changes related to the dependent variables. Path analysis of dependent variables showed that the yield of seed trigonelline by direct positive effect of seed yield and the percent of seed trigonelline were the most important yield components of seed trigonelline. Generally, the results indicate that seed yield and percent of seed trigonelline can be used for increasing of yield of seed trigonelline in the breeding of fenugreek

Physico-chemical properties of seeds in valuable medicinal species of the genus salvia l.

The seeds of some medicinal plants and their compounds have long been valued for their numerous health benefits. To investigate some physical and chemical properties of Salvia spp. Some physico-chemical properties in five species of Salvia seeds [consisted of S. officinalis L., S. macrosiphon L., S. hypoleuca L., S. sclarea L. and S. nemorosa L.] were measured at 8.73 +/- 0.09% moisture content [d.b.] in four categories of large, medium, small size and ungraded lots with replication. The largest major diameter [L[1]] value was recorded in S. hypoleuca L. The highest intermediate [L[2]] and minor diameters [L[3]], seed weight, volume, surface area, sphericity, arithmetic, geometric and square mean diameters, equivalent diameter and mucilage content were obtained in S. officinalis L. seeds. Also, the most percentage of oils content was observed in S. sclarea seeds. Maximum kurtosis index was obtained in S. officinalis L. for major and minor diameter, surface area, sphericity, arithmetic, geometric and square mean diameters and equinalant diameter, in S. hypoleuca L. for intermediate diameter and seed volume, and in S. nemorosa L. for seed weight. The highest skewness index was observed in S. hypoleuca L. for minor diameter, seed volume, surface area, arithmetic and square mean diameter and equivalent diameter, in S. nemorosa L. for major diameter and seed weight, in S. officinalis L. for intermediate diameter and sphericity, and in S. sclarea L. for geometric mean diameter. Conclusion: The maximum content of mucilage and oils were found in S. officinalis and S. sclarea, respectively. The mucilage content was significantly correlated to minor diameter and sphericity, while there was not significant correlation between content of seed oils and measured parameters

review on biology, cultivation and biotechnology of fenugreek [trigonella foenum-graecum L.] as a valuable medicinal plant and multipurpose

Fenugreek [Trigonella foenum-graecum L.], wild or cultivated, is widely distributed throughout the world and belongs to the Fabacecae family. It is an old medicinal plant and has been commonly used as a traditional food and medicine. Fenugreek is known to have hypoglycemic, and hypocholesterolaemic, effects. Recent research has identified fenugreek as a valuable medicinal plant with potential for multipurpose uses and also as a source for preparing raw materials of pharmaceutical industry, especially steroidal hormones. A significant increase in quantity and quality yields through the suitable management of cultivation, breeding and biotechnology practices could make an immediate and important contribution to farm and pharmaceutical industry income. To achieve these goals with regard to sustainable production, we reviewed a summary of biology, cultivation and biotechnology of fenugreek in this paper

Bioengineering of important secondary metabolites and metabolic pathways in fenugreek [Trigonella foenum-graecum L.]

Fenugreek [Trigonella foenum-graecum L.] has a long and respected history of medicinal uses in Middle East and Persian medicine. The hypocholesterolaemic and hypoglycaemic effects of fenugreek were attributed to its major steroidal sapogenin, diosgenin and its major alkaloid, trigonelline. The knowledge of diosgenin and trigonelline biosynthesis is derived from studies of cholesterol and nicotinic acid production through acetyl-CoA [Right Arrow] mevalonate [Right Arrow] isopentenyl pyrophosphate [Right Arrow] squalene [Right Arrow] lanosterol [Right Arrow] cholesterol [Right Arrow] diosgenin and quinolinic acid [Right Arrow] nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide [Right Arrow] nicotinamide [Right Arrow] nicotinic acid [Right Arrow] trigonelline pathways, respectively. This paper reviews the secondary metabolites and metabolic pathways of diosgenin and trigonelline production in fenugreek as a medicinal plant and economical crop