The genusACANTHOPHYLLUM in Iran has been revised. According to the results of the present study three species i.e., A. gracileBunge ex Boiss., A. pachycephalum Schiman-Czeika & A. kandaharicum Gilli are reduced to the rank of variety underA. bracteatum Boiss. In addition, following nine synonymies are made: A. leucostegium Schiman-Czeika andA. khuzistanicum Rech.f. as synonimies of A. bracteatum Boiss., A. kurdicum Boiss. & Hausskn. is treated as a synonym of A. crassifolium Boiss., A. microcephalum Boiss. as a synonym of A. mucronatum C.A.Mey., A. crassinodum Yukhan. & Edmondson and A. chloroleucum Rech.f. & Aell. as synonymies of A. glandulosumBunge ex Boiss., A. borsczowii Litw. as a synonym of A. elatius Bunge ex Boiss., A. heterophyllum Reach.f. as a synonym of A. stocksianum Boiss. and finally A. heratense Schiman-Czeika as a synonym of A. laxiusculumSchiman-Czeika. Identification keys, descriptions and geographical distribution of all consisting taxa are included.

Shampoos are products which remove surface grease and dirt from the hair shaft and scalp. The cleansing or detergent action of a shampoo is a primary function. However, the foaming characteristic of a shampoo has an important role in its acceptability. Often alkanolamides are used for the formation of stable foam; but because of producing nitrosamines, they are potentially carcinogenic compounds. Hence, the main goal of this study was the elimination of these materials from shampoo formulations. ACANTHOPHYLLUM squarrosum is one of the 23 species of the genus ACANTHOPHYLLUM endemic in Iran. Due to the presence of saponin in its root, chubak, has been used traditionally as a detergent. In this study, total saponins of ACANTHOPHYLLUM squarrosum roots were extracted, using several solvents. A clear liquid shampoo base was formulated using Texapon as surfactant, sodium chloride as thickener, glycerin as viscosity modifier, methyl paraben as preservative and EDTA as sequestering agent. Then, a fixed amount of Texapon was substituted by 1, 2.5 and 5 percent of total herbal saponins. Foaming ability of the shampoos prepared was evaluated by the Ross-Miles method and the cleansing power by Thompson test. The best result was found with the formula containing 20% Texapon and 5% total herbal saponins. Therefore, this formulation was selected as the best formula and evaluated for other characteristics. In addition to possessing the properties of a liquid shampoo, the unique characteristics of the formula containing 5% total herbal saponins was that it produced a stable foam without the use of foam stabilizers. Evaluation of the cleansing power by Thompson test showed that the final formula is a shampoo for normal hair, with very good cleansing ability. Rheological studies showed that the final formula had a pseudoplastic behavior. Organoleptic and physicochemical characteristics of the final formula were all found to be acceptable. 

Palynological and anatomical features of 11 species from NE Iran belonging to ACANTHOPHYLLUM sect. Oligosperma were carried out and evaluated by numerical methods to determine the taxonomic value of endomorphic characters.The cross section of stems, peduncles and leaves were prepared and stained with Safranin and Fast-green and pollen morphology has been examined by light and scanning electron microscope. The principal component analysis and Cluster Analysis results showed that the type of stomata, shape and size of epidermal cells, trichomes, the number of epidermal cells and stomata, the shape of stem cross section, arrangment of xylem elements in peduncle, arrangment of mesophyll in leaf and the number of sclerenchymatous layers are significant to separating species. The pollen grains were spheroid, pantoporate, ornamentation was scabrate-punctate and exine structure was spinulose-punctate.

A new water-soluble polysaccharide with molecular weight of 35. 2 KDa and a specific optical rotation of +178. 5° was extract by hot water (80° C) from the roots of ACANTHOPHYLLUM glandulosum. The polysaccharide purified through DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G-50 columns and the main fraction was collected and freeze-dried. Total yields of purified polysaccharide were 3. 4% and %2. 3 respectively. The purified polysaccharide had no absorption at 280 nm (Detected by UV spectrum), indicating the absence of protein and nucleic acid. Total carbohydrate content of purified polysaccharide was 98. 2%. Monosaccharide analysis by GC revealed that polysaccharide was composed of Glucose, Galactose, Arabinose and Mannose with a relative molar ratio of 2. 9: 6. 1: 0. 9: 1. 0 respectively. Its structural features were elucidated by a combination of chemical and analytical methods such as Methylation, Periodate Oxidation and Smith degradation, Partial acid hydrolysis, FT-IR and 13C and 1H NMR Spectroscopy. The data obtained indicate that purified polysaccharide possessed a backbone of α-(1→ 6)-linked Galactose with branched attached to O-2 by α-1→ linked Mannose and at O-3 by α-(1→ 3)-linked Glucose and α-(1→ 3)-linked Arabinose.

Background and objectives: Plants have been used to treat diseases like cancer for many years and today the trend towards their use is increasing. One of the most effective mechanisms of plants against cancer is inducing apoptosis. Apoptosis is a programmed cell death which acts opposite to cell division. It starts in response to some stimuli. Despite the effectiveness of apoptosis inducing agents, their use has been limited due to side effects and resistance to these treatments; so, applying medicinal herbs due to their lower cost and toxicity has drawn attentions. Recent research at the Traditional Medicine and Materia Medica Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences on two medicinal plants ACANTHOPHYLLUM bracteatum and A. microcephalum has shown cytotoxic effects of these two species, but the mechanism of their toxicity has remained unknown; thus, the present study was designed to evaluate the apoptotic potential of ACANTHOPHYLLUM bracteatum and A. microcephalum. Methods: In the present study, the cytotoxic effects of the methanol extract of ACANTHOPHYLLUM bracteatum and A. microcephalum was evaluated against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468 cells by MTT assay; furthermore, their apoptosis potential has been evaluated by annexin-V/propidium iodide assay and Hoechst 33258 staining in the same cell lines. Results: The methanol extract of A. microcephalum and A. bracteatum showed cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468 cell lines with IC50 values of 64, 159 and 102, 250 μ g/mL, respectively. The results of the apoptosis assays confirmed the potential of the two plants extracts to induce apoptosis in both cell lines while A. microcephalum demonstrated more considerable results. Conclusion: A. microcephalum could be a suitable choice for further breast cancer studies.

ACANTHOPHYLLUM ejtehadii (sect. Oligosperma) is described as a new species to the science from Khorassan, NE Iran, which is closely related to A. diezianum. ACANTHOPHYLLUM maimanense, hitherto known only from NW Afghanistan, is a new record for the flora of Iran. These species are compared with the closely related species of sect. Oligospermaand their distribution data and pictures are provided.

The effects of salinity on some growth parameters, protein content and antioxidant enzymes were studied in three ACANTHOPHYLLUM species of different ploidy levels including A. laxiusculum Shiman-Czeika (diploid species with 2n = 30), A. sordidum Bunge ex Boiss. (tetraploid species with 2n = 60) and A. glandulosum Bunge ex Boiss. (hexaploid species with 2n = 90). Seedlings of the species were subjected to NaCl stress (50, 100, 150 and 200 mM) for 40 days. Salinity affected the growth parameters and caused a reduction in germination percentage, relative growth rate (RGR) and relative water content (RWC) with a greater reduction in A. laxiusculum. However, salinity stress caused only slight decrease in RGR and RWC of A. glandulosum and A. sordidum. Protein content in both A. laxiusculum and A. sordidum increased up to 150 mM NaCl, but this increase in A. glandulosum occurred at 150 and 200 mM NaCl. A. laxiusculum exhibited a decrease in peroxidase (POX) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) under NaCl stress; while A. glandulosum showed a remarkable increase in POX and PPO between 50 to 200 mM NaCl. In A. sordidum, POX and PPO activities increased at 50 mM NaCl and then decreased at higher salinities. The obtained results showed that the differences in the antioxidant enzyme activities of seedling may, at least in part explain the greater tolerance of A. glandulosum comparing to A. sordidum and A. laxiusculum. According to our results, A. glandulosum (hexaploid species) showed a better protection mechanism against salinity induced oxidative damage than A. sordidum (tetraploid species).

Objective: To compare the effect on insulin absorption intra-nasally of ACANTHOPHYLLUM squarrosum (ASQ) compared with ACANTHOPHYLLUM saponaria (ASA) and sodium cholate (NAC), which have proven pro-absorptive effects. Methods: The formulation used in this study contained 2IU insulin (per rat), 1% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and a pro-absorptive agent at the same concentration. We assessed the hypoglycaemic effect of each formulation in 5 rats in the fasting state. Results: There was no significant difference in the pro-absorptive effects of ASQ, ASA, and NAC. Blood glucose levels 2 hours after administration of insulin, given as a percentage of baseline glucose concentration, were as follows for the three formulations used: ASQ: 36.78±11.06%, ASA: 27.46±2.39%, and NAC: 39.94±14.93%. Conclusion: ACANTHOPHYLLUM squarrosum has a significant pro-absorptive effect, comparable to that to ACANTHOPHYLLUM saponaria.

Chubak plant root has abundant amount of saponin. Saponins act as emulsifier agents and produce stable foam in water. The main purpose of the present research is to achieve a kind of extract with high saponin content in shorter time with lower solvent consumption for use in food processing. For this purpose extraction was done with soxhlet method using ultrasound and then extraction yield was evaluated through determination of the index of emulsification and foam formation ability. Results showed that ultrasound-assisted extraction reduced achievement time for optimum extract about 12 times in comparison with soxhlet method. Also effect of different parameters on extraction yield during ultrasound-assisted extraction studied and the optimum conditions were determined: Time 40min, Temperature 75oC, ultrasound waves intensity 80%, particle size 0.1-0.4mm, solvent to sample ratio 25 ml/g and solvent concentration 60%. The creation of such conditions led to increases in index of emulsification to 0.764 and foam formation ability to 7.033 cm.

Chubak extract having emulsification ability because of the presence of saponin and hydrocolloid components. The purpose of the current research is utilizing this extract ability to improve the quality of a kind of cake using Chubak alone and in combination with mono and diglyceride (E471) emulsifiers at three levels including 0, 0.5 and 1%. The effect of these additives was carried out by evaluating physiochemical and rheological properties of batter, and physical and sensorial properties of the cake. The results revealed that extract addition led to a decrease in specific gravity and increase in batter viscosity, and also an increase in L* index of crust and crumb, specific volume, porosity, moisture content, sensory characteristic score of texture and chewiness of cake and a decrease in cake firmness as it had a more effective role than E471. The similar results were obtained in utilizing E471 but it was preferred to Chubak extract in staling retardation during storage. Applying these two additives, in combination with each other enhanced the product quality which confirmed synergistic effect of emulsifiers. Practically, emulsifier mixture containing 1% chubak extract and 0.5% E471 was recognized as the best choice.