Effects of ecological factors on the antioxidant potential and total phenol content of Scrophularia striata Boiss

Abstract

Scrophularia striata, commonly known as figwort, is one of the most important medicinal plants that mainly grows in cold regions of the Zagros Mountains (West of Iran). Although the chemical composition of this plant species has not yet been explored, people living in Ilam province (W Iran) have used it for many years to treat different illnesses. The present study aims to analyze the effect of some ecological factors on the antioxidant potential and the amount of phenol present in this plant species, using a random factorial design with two factors (elevation and region) and three replicates. The fruits of the plant were gathered from three different elevations. They were collected from three regions of the Ilam province (Badreh, Dareshahr, and Dehloran) in June 2016, when the fruits appear. Moreover, to analyze different soil chemical and physical features, soil samples were gathered from a depth of 0.5 m under the shrubs. The antioxidant action of the methanol extract from the plant samples and the total amount of phenol compounds were measured using 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and the Folin-Ciocalteu method, respectively. The results showed that the effects of site and elevation, and the interaction between these factors, on the antioxidant potential and total phenol amount were significant with a probability of error of 1%. The maximum extract efficiency (19.37 ± 3.07%), antioxidant potential (126.5656 ± 0.96 µg/mL), and total amount of phenol (55.7689 ± 3.17 µg/mL) were obtained from Dareshahr at an elevation of 600 m above mean sea level. The minimum amount of total phenol (24.6544 ± 3.21 µg/ml) was recorded at the lowest elevation of Badreh, at which phosphorus, potassium, organic carbon, organic material, nitrogen, acidity, lime, and silt were present at the lowest amount. However, the antioxidant activity and total amount of phenol had a strong direct correlation in the two districts of Dareshahr and Badreh, but were reversely and strongly correlated in Dehloran. Therefore, it can be stated that Scrophularia striata has the potential for antioxidant activity, however, the complexity of the effect of ecological factors on one hand, and the emergence of different chemical processes in the plant under such effects on the other hand, has led to the synthesis of different compounds with antioxidant potential in the plant in different regions.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oils obtained from leaves and flowers of Salvia hydrangea DC. ex Benth.

“…Differently, it was the second main bioactive detected in the essential oil obtained by Ebrahimi et al 29 ; in particular, the amount was higher (12.06%) when the plant was cultivated at 1100 m above sea level and lower (5.71%) when cultivated at 2000 m above sea level. These differences confirm the key role of the environment (soil chemical composition and physiographic factors such as altitude) on the www.nature.com/scientificreports/ genetic and non-genetic variations of plants along with the production of secondary metabolites 35,36,48 . Camphor is a monoterpene, widely used in traditional and modern medicine thanks to its antimicrobial properties and beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system.…”

“…The yield from leaves was ~ 0.25% and that from flowers was ~ 0.28%, lower than those obtained in previous studies based on extraction of the aerial parts of this plant, but it can be connected to both the species used and climatic growth conditions 28 – 31 . Indeed, secondary metabolites are generally synthetized in plants as they represent the most important defense mechanisms against pathogens; the amount produced along with the quality may vary as a function of habitat, the organ in which they are produced and climate conditions 35 , 36 . These differences are most likely due to differences in chemotype, which are also connected to environmental and climate conditions 37 .…”

Prediction of Antioxidant Activity of Cherry Fruits from UAS Multispectral Imagery Using Machine Learning

“…Results shown in Figure 4 show that immature fruits harvested from Sevastiana had lower FCR and DPPH levels compared to immature fruits harvested from Karydia, which was not an expected finding, as it is known that phenolic compounds have antioxidant activity [70]. Zargoosh et al [71] observed the same positive correlation between DPPH and phenolic content for one out of the three regions, where they conducted their experiments for figwort (Scrophularia striata) antioxidant potential. They attributed this positive correlation to the formation of other compounds that affect the antioxidant potential of plants; however, further research is necessary for the identification of these compounds.…”

Genotypic differences in reaction of barley root system on Mn and Fe toxicity

“…Although genetic processes guide the production of antioxidant compounds in plants, it is also strongly influenced by external factors. Therefore, such factors as heavy metals cause changes in the growth of plants, as well as the quantity of their antioxidant substances [15]. For example, [16] shown significant increase in antioxidant activity when plant were exposed to toxic levels of Mn.…”