Mohammad Hossein Mirjalili

Shahid Beheshti University | SBU · Department of Agriculture

Triterpenic acids (TAs) such as betulinic acid (BA), oleanolic acid (OA), and ursolic acid (UA) are well-known natural compounds found in many plant taxa possessive a wide spectrum of biological activities and potential medicinal uses. Thymus persicus has been already reported as a rich source of TAs. Nowadays, long-term culture is an efficient tec...

Plant endophytes are known as one of the newest natural sources for producing secondary metabolites and novel antibiotics. In the present study, endophytic fungi isolated from the corms of Crocus caspius Fisch. & C.A.Mey. ex Hohen. (Iridaceae) were characterized for the first time. Six fungal endophytes were isolated and their antibacterial activit...

Taxus baccata L. cell culture is a promising commercial method for the production of taxanes with anti-cancer activities. In the present study, a T. baccata cell suspension culture was exposed to white light and 2-aminoindan-2-phosphonic acid (AIP), a phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) inhibitor, and the effects of this treatment on cell growth, PAL...

Background: Trigonella L. is a well-known worldwide growing genus of the Fabaceae family. In addition to food, the plants have various medicinal properties, including reducing fat and blood sugar, antibacterial, anti-ulcer, and analgesic. Objective: Variability in agro-morphological traits, phenolic compounds, and proximate composition of the aeria...

Background: Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dunal is a well-known medicinal plant due to its many healing properties. Objective: The aim of the present study was to induce friable callus and subsequently establish the plant cell suspension cultures for the production of two important withanolides i.e. withaferin A (WFA) and withanolide A (WNA). Methods...

Induced polyploidy is nowadays an important strategy in plant breeding and for the development of new crops. Salvia multicaulis Vahl is a valuable medicinal plant that produce precious bioactive metabolites including triterpenic acids (TAs) and phenolic compounds. Hence, at first, for selecting elite lines, both HPLC and GC-MC analyses were perform...

Background: Common horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.), is widely used in the bone and nail strengthen herbal products due to the presence of minerals, especially silica. Objective: Agro-morphological and phytochemical diversity, and the silica content of the E. arvense populations (EAPs) collected from Iran along with two commercial samples from Russ...

One of the greatest challenges in recent years is providing enough food to feed the increasing world population, while available freshwater resources become limited. However, effective fertilizer management has also a fundamental role to improve yield quality and quantity. A field experiment was conducted over 2 years, using a split-plot arrangemen...

Centella asiatica (L.) Urban (Apiaceae) is a commercial medicinal plant, which is rich in pentacyclic triterpenes (PTs) named centellosides including asiaticoside and madecassoside as triterpene saponins in addition to their corresponding sapogenins (asiatic acid and madecassic acid). These are well-known bioactive compounds in C. asiatica due to t...

The induction of polyploidy is an efficient technique for creating a diversity of genetic, phenotypic, and phytochemical novelties in plant taxa. Sage (Salvia officinalis L.) is a well-known medicinal plant rich of valuable bioactive molecules such as triterpenic and phenolic acids. In the present study, the effect of in vitro and in vivo polyploid...

African geranium (Pelargonium sidoides DC., Geraniaceae) is a herbaceous perennial plant with well-known medicinal properties. In the present study, the effect of elicitation by methyl jasmonate (MeJ) (25, 50, and 100 µM) and sucrose (15 and 30 g/L) on the fresh weight (FW), dry weight (DW) and the production of pharmaceutically active coumarin (um...

The genus Salvia L. belongs to the Lamiaceae family including several known species rich in natural compounds that are extensively used in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. Salvia multicaulis populations contain a broad diversity of flavonoids and phenolic acids. The present study aimed to explore biological and pharmacological effects...

Modern lifestyle factors, such as physical inactivity, obesity, smoking, and exposure to environmental pollution, induce excessive generation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the body. These by-products of oxygen metabolism play a key role in the development of various human diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart failure, bra...

Shirazi thyme (Zataria multiflora Boiss.) belongs to the Lamiaceae family, an aromatic perennial shrub native to Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. In the present study, diversity of thirty-one Zataria multiflora populations (ZMPs), collected from different geographical regions of Iran was studied based on total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoi...

The study of phytochemical variability and biological activity followed by selection are the main steps in the domestication and breeding of medicinal and aromatic plants. Zataria multiflora Boiss. is an aromatic perennial plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family which is native to southwestern Asia. In this study, chemical variability and antibacte...

The first step in introducing a medicinal plant into farming systems and industrial pharmacology is the realization of its metabolic profile and biological features. In the present study, ten Verbascum species including V. cheirantifolium, V. erianthum, V. macrocarpum, V. punalense, V. sinuatum, V. songaricum, V. speciosum, V. stachidiforme, V. tha...

Ruscus hyrcanus Woronow a commercially important ornamental and medicinal plant belonging to the Asparagaceae family, has various applications in Iranian traditional medicine due to its diuretic, appetizing, cathartic, vasoconstrictor, anti-hemorrhage, ant-nephritis, anti-infection, aperient and anti-varicose properties. In the present study, morph...

The metabolic stimulation induced by abiotic stress is an efficient strategy for the production of secondary metabolites in sterile and controlled plant cell, tissue, and organ cultures. Paclitaxel (taxol), one of the most widely used therapeutic compounds for the treatment of various cancers, is mainly produced through cell culture of the European...

In the present study, productivity, essential oil variability and antioxidant activity of Ferula assa-foetida oleo-gum-resin (OGR) collected at different collection times (July, August, September, and October) were studied by using GC-FID-MS and DPPH assay. The amount of OGR (g/plant) and its oil content significantly affected by the collection tim...

Narcissus tazetta L., a bulbous plant belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family, contains alkaloid galantamine (GAL) with acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity which has been recently considered to treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the current work, the effect of photoperiod (16/8 h light/dark and 24 h dark) and various concentrations of NAA, BAP, a...

Ruscus hyrcanus Woron., a valuable medicinal plant belongs to the Asparagaceae, is growing in the forests of Hyrcanian ecoregion in northern of Iran. In the present study, molecular authentication of the plant was studied. Four taxa of Ruscus L. along with some species from the genus Danae racemosa and Maianthemum japonicum were selected and the ph...

Bakhtiar, Z., Sonboli, A. & Mirjalili, M. H. 2019. 12.30: The anatomical and micromorphological characteristics of Thymus persicus (Lamiaceae).-Iran. J. Bot. 25 (2): 145-150. Tehran. Thymus persicus is an endemic wild species of the genus Thymus in the Lamiaceae, grows in the northwest of Iran. In this research micromorphological feature of trichom...

Triterpenic acids (TAs), a large group of natural compounds with diverse biological activity, are produced by several plant taxa. Betulinic, oleanolic, and ursolic acids are the most medicinally important TAs and are mainly found in plants of the mint family. Metabolic engineering is strongly dependent on identifying the key genes in biosynthetic p...

Remarkable quantitative variability of rosmarinic acid (RA) among and within wild populations of Satureja rechingeri has previously been investigated. In the following domestication process of the plant and in order to identify the superior varieties for the mass cultivation, the agro-morphological characteristics, total phenols, total flavonoids,...

The Verbascum L. genus (Scrophulariaceae) is rich in phenols, flavonoids, and iridoid glycosides, which have been used extensively in traditional medicine. This study aimed to examine the association between genetics and metabolomics of V. songaricum populations (VSPs), collected from different geographical regions of Iran for further breeding and...

Application of abiotic stress-inducing elicitors is one of the effective strategies in order to increase the production of secondary metabolites in plant tissues. Here, the effect of in vitro polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced drought stress on morphological and biochemical changes as well as the production of paclitaxel and 10-deacetyl baccatin III...

Thymus daenensis Celak is an endemic and thymol rich species growing in Iran. Due to the extensive use of thymol in the pharmaceutical, food, feed, as well as in the livestock and poultry industry, T. daenensis has recently been introduced into cultivation. In this study, morphological, phytochemical and ISSR markers were applied to evaluate the ge...

For prosperous domestication, breeding, and cultivation of a herbal species, it is important to screen its medicinally valuable compounds as well as its referred biological activity. Salvia L. species (Lamiaceae), distributed throughout the world, contain a wide range of secondary metabolites including terpenoids and phenolic derivatives. Betulinic...

Perovskia abrotanoides Karel. (Lamiaceae) is an aromatic herb that is mainly grown in the mountains of Northeastern Iran across Northern Pakistan and Northwestern India. Here, a suitable system for regenerating P. abrotanoides via direct organogenesis was performed for the first time. In vitro-grown shoot tips were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (...

This study investigated the effect of drying methods on the essential oil content and composition of Lavandula angustifolia for identification suitable drying method for post harvest processing. The drying methods tested were sun-drying (SD, 72 h under sunlight), closed shade-drying (CSD, 72 h under shade condition in a closed place), oven-drying (...

The monotypic Zhumeria majdae (Lamiaceae), an endangered medicinal and aromatic plant in the south part of Iran, has a low propagation rate in natural condition and therefore an efficient method for the in vitro-propagation is required. In the present study, the effects of source and position of the explants as well as various concentrations of 6-b...

The combined use of elicitors can be an effective way to increase the production of secondary metabolites (SMs) in plant cell, tissue and organ cultures. This study investigated the effects of a salicylic acid (SA) pretreatment and different glucose levels on the growth, biochemical traits and taxane production in a Taxus baccata callus culture. Fo...

Withanolides (WTDs), well-known medicinally important compounds of Withania somnifera, including the anticancer compound withaferin A (WFA), are biosynthesized from their dedicated precursor squalene. Condensation of farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) molecules to produce squalene is catalyzed by squalene synthase (SQS). In the present study, the Arabido...

The first step in achieving breeding goals is to be aware of the diversity of wild populations and the selection of superior individuals in terms of phytochemical characteristics. Changes in climatic conditions in different plant habitats, create a spectrum of chemotypes. The exploitation of the superior chemotypes has been recommended in the breed...

Rosmarinic acid (RA) is one of the most common and important caffeic esters in plant material. The effects of precursor feeding and carbon source concentration on biosynthesis of rosmarinic acid by S. khuzistanica cell suspension culture were evaluated. Different concentrations of sucrose (30, 45 and 60 g/l) and L-phenylalanine (0, 0.5, 1.5, 3 and...

Plant secondary metabolism evolved in the context of highly organized and differentiated cells and tissues, featuring massive chemical complexity operating under tight environmental, developmental and genetic control. Biotechnological demand for natural products has been continuously increasing because of their significant value and new application...

Background and Objectives Chemical variability among populations according to their geographical and bio climatic distribution imposes that conservation strategies of populations should be made appropriately, taking into account these factors. Perovskia, with the common Persian name of "Brazemble", a small genus from Lamiaceae family, is distribute...

Genetic and the essential oil composition variability among twelve Perovskia abrotanoides populations (PAbPs) growing wild in Iran were assessed by ISSR markers, GC–FID and GC–MS, respectively. Nine selected ISSR primers produced 119 discernible bands, of them 96 (80.7%) being polymorphic. Genetic similarity values among populations ranged between...

The word algae represent a large group of different organisms from different phylogenetic groups, representing many taxonomic divisions. They are distributed worldwide in the sea, in freshwater and in moist situations on land. Algae grow rapidly, produce useful products, and provide environmental benefits. Algae have potential as foods, and vitamin...

Quantification of galantamine in Narcissus tazzeta and Galanthus nivalis (Amaryllidaceae) populations growing wild in Iran– CORRIGENDUM - Majid Rahimi Khonakdari, Mohammad Hossein Mirjalili, Abbas Gholipour, Hassan Rezadoost, Mahdi Moridi Farimani

Taxanes are a family of diterpene alkaloids which is currently known as the most important anticancer compounds to suppress and inhibit cell growth, differentiation and proliferation in indefinitely known cancer cell lines. The most well recognized member of the taxane family is taxol (paclitaxel), a minor cytotoxic component derived originally fro...

Galantamine (GAL), a morphine-like alkaloid produced by some members of the Amaryllidaceae plant family, is a possible therapeutic agent in Alzheimer's disease because of its central cholinergic effects. GAL has been extracted from the plant sources or produced synthetically for pharmaceutical use. Limited supply of the natural source and high cost...

Salvia tebesana Bunge (Lamiaceae) is an endemic medicinal species which grows wild in center of Iran. In the present study, chemical composition of the essential oil of the plant at two developmental stages (vegetative and full flowering) was reported for the first time. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation from air-dried samples a...

Environmental contamination has become a concerning issue worldwide due to number of risks it poses to human health and ecosystem functioning. Contaminants present in soils or waters can go up through the trophic chain via microbial or plant incorporation. Bio/Phytoremediation is an emerging technology for large-scale removal or detoxification of c...

In the present study, variability in the essential oil content and composition of different plant organs (leaf, flower, stalk and root) of Salvia sahendica were studied. The hydrodistilled essential oils were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS to determine their chemical composition. The essential oil content (w/w %) was in the order of: leaf (1.2%)> flo...

Abstract Galantamine (GAL) is an important Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor that is obtained naturally from Amaryllidaceae family members such as Narcissus sp., Galanthus sp., Leucojum aestivum, and Lycoris sp. AChE, a key enzyme in the nervous system of animals, hydrolyzes the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine (ACh) at the cholinergic synapses,...

The growing interest in rosmarinic acid (RA), an ester of caffeic acid and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl lactic acid, is due to its biological activities, which include cognitive-enhancing effects, slowing the development of Alzheimer's disease, cancer chemoprotection, and anti-inflammatory activity. Inspired by the challenge of meeting the growing demand fo...

This is the first attempt towards an efficient regeneration protocol for an endangered and valuable medicinal plant, Thymus persicus using in vitro callus induction and indirect organogenesis. Callus induction was performed on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of NAA and 2,4-D, alone or in combination with BAP and KN. Maximum cal...

Environmental contamination has become a concerning issue worldwide due to number of risks it poses to human health and ecosystem functioning. Contaminants present in soils or waters can go up through the trophic chain via microbial or plant incorporation. Bio/Phytoremediation is an emerging technology for large-scale removal or detoxification of c...

Background and objectives: Betulinic acid (BA), oleanolic acid (OA) and ursolic acid (UA) are well-known pentacyclic triterpenoids (PTs), which are produced by plants. They possess a variety of beneficial effects including anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antitumor, anti-HIV, antimicrobial, gastroprotective, and antihyperlipidemic activities. I...

Thymus persicus, which grows in the northwest area of Iran, is a valuable natural source of medicinal pentacyclic triterpenoids (PTs), i.e. betulinic acid, oleanolic acid and ursolic acid. An in vitro approach to polyploidy induction in the plant was examined for the first time. Polyploidization was induced using in vitro-grown T. persicus shoot-ti...

An in vitro approach to the production of rosmarinic acid (RA), a medicinally important caffeic acid ester, in a cell suspension culture (CSC) of Satureja khuzistanica Jamzad (Lamiaceae) has been investigated for the first time. The CSC was established from friable calli derived from shoot tip explants in Gamborg's B5 liquid medium supplemented wit...

For successful conservation and breeding of a medicinal species, it is important to evaluate the genetic diversity among its indigenous populations as well as their diversity combination. Perovskia abrotanoides Karel (Lamiaceae) with the common Persian name of “Brazambel” is a medicinal plant which is growing wild in the mountains areas from the no...

In the present study, an efficient callus induction protocol has been performed for the establishment of Perovskia abrotanoides (Lamiaceae) callus culture, as a new in vitro source of anticancer tanshinons. In vitro seedling establishment and callus induction through their root segments were conducted on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented...

The hydro-distilled essential oils obtained from the different organs (roots, leaves, stalks, inflorescences and fruits) of Kelussia odoratissima, an endemic medicinal plant of Iran, were analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine their chemical composition. The essential oil cont...

The effect of five drying methods on the essential oil content and composition of Rosa foetida Herrm. was studied for incorporation into a post-harvesting program for medicinal and perfumery industries. The drying methods tested were sun drying (SD), closed shade drying (CSD), oven drying at 40°C (OD40) and 60°C (OD60) and microwave drying (MD). Th...

The genus Rosa L. belongs to the Rosaceae family and comprises approximately 190 shrubby species distributed widely throughout the temperate and subtropical habitats of the northern hemisphere [1-3]. Roses are economically the most important ornamental crop because of their popularity as garden, landscape and pot plants or cut flowers, and their us...

Abstract Amaryllidaceae family consists of bulbous plant species which besides ornamental and landscape applications, contain different active substances such as alkaloids and their various pharmacological effects including acetylcholinesterase inhibition and antitumor activity have been reported. In recent years, some members of this family, i.e....

In the present study, quantitative determination of betulinic acid (BA), oleanolic acid (OA) and ursolic acid (UA) as well-known medicinal pentacyclic triterpenoids was simultaneously carried out in wild and in vitro callus culture of Salvia sahendica Boiss. Buhse (Lamiaceae) by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The plant...

Rosmarinic acid (RA), an ester of caffeic acid and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl lactic acid, is widely distributed in the plant kingdom. Interest in it is growing due to its promising biological activities, including cognitive-enhancing effects and slowing the development of Alzheimer's disease, cancer chemoprotection or anti-inflammatory activity, among ot...

In the present study, an efficient protocol has been developed for callus induction and production of RA in callus culture of Satureja khuzistanica for the first time. In-vitro callus induction was achieved from young shoot tip explants cultured on MS and B5 media supplemented with different concentrations of IBA (0.1, 1.0, 2.0 and 5.0 mgL-1) solel...

In the present study, an efficient protocol has been developed for callus induction and production of RA in callus culture of Satureja khuzistanica for the first time. In-vitro callus induction was achieved from young shoot tip explants cultured on MS and B5 media supplemented with different concentrations of IBA (0.1, 1.0, 2.0 and 5.0 mgL -1) sole...

The biological activity and composition of the essential oil of Sclerorhachis leptoclada Rech. f. an endemic species from northeast of Iran was studied. The essential oil was isolated from the aerial flowering parts of the plant and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Fifty-four compounds accounting for 95.9% of the total oil were characterized. The main con...

Thymus persicus (Ronniger ex Rech. f.) Jalas is a valuable and endangered natural source of antitumor pentacyclic triterpenoids, i.e., betulinic acid, oleanolic acid and ursolic acid, which grows in northwest Iran. As the plant has a low propagation rate in nature, a suitable method for in vitro-propagation is needed. With the aim of identifying a...