BACKGROUND AND AIMS Cultivated flax (Linum usitatissimum) is known to have undergone a whole-genome duplication around 5-9 million years ago. The aim of this study was to investigate whether other whole-genome duplication events have occurred in the evolutionary history of cultivated flax. Knowledge of such whole-genome duplications will be important in understanding the biology and genomics of...

BACKGROUND Plant extracts and oils may act as alternatives to conventional pesticides for malaria vector control. The aim of this study was to evaluate the larvicidal activity of essential oils of three plants of Apiaceae family against Anopheles stephensi, the main malaria vector in Iran. METHODS Essential oils from Heracleum persicum, Foeniculum vulgare and Coriandrum sativum seeds were hyd...

The Czech botanist František Nábělek (1884-1965) explored the Middle East in 1909-1910, visiting what are now Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Bahrain, Iran and Turkey. He described four new genera, 78 species, 69 varieties and 38 forms of vascular plants, most of these in his work Iter Turcico-Persicum (1923-1929). The main herbarium collection of Iter Turcico-Persicum comprise...

BACKGROUND The key enzyme in the process of melanin biosynthesis is tyrosinase. Skin hyperpigmentation and browning of foods are undesirable phenomena which tyrosinase represents. Therefore, tyrosinase inhibitors have been used increasingly for medicinal and cosmetic products. OBJECTIVES In this study, inhibitory effects of four plants including: physalis alkekengi L., Alcea rosea L., Bunium ...

Several pre-germination treatments were given to Cyclamen persicum Mill. seed with the objective of improving germination percentage, speed, and uniformity. Soaking seed in water and in gibberellic acid improved germination speed, but the latter reduced survival. Etridiozole, benomyl, thiram, and sodium hypochlorite treatments did not reduce or delay germination as has been reported elsewhere, ...

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is being evaluated as a crop platform for the production of bio-industrial and nutraceutical products. An important consideration for the release of any novel trait is the potential for gene fl ow to wild or weedy relatives and the impact it may have on their populations. The potential for gene introgression from transgenic fl ax to wild relatives, the occurrence, ...

Received: June 30, 2009 Revised: November 04, 2009 Accepted: November 21, 2009

The fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) technique has been applied to somatic chromosomes in the medicinally important species, Bunium persicum, to elucidate its karyotypes. The bicolour FISH technique involving 18S-5.8S-26S and 5S ribosomal RNA genes as probes was used to assign physical localization and measurement of rDNA sites on homologous pairs of chromosomes. The two 18S-5.8S-26S rR...

BACKGROUND Heracleum persicum was introduced to Norway as an ornamental in the 1830's. Towards the end of the 19th century, it started spreading outside gardens, later to become a frequent sight in the major towns and settlements of North Norway - and a veritable pest plant. During the last 100 years or so, a substantial ethnobotanical tradition related to the species has evolved, demonstrating...