Cheilanthes persica (Bory) Mett. ex Kuhn. (Pteridaceae) is one of the resurrection ferns that fully dries during drought stress and after re-watering will be revived. Fresh material obtained from Kermanshah province, west of Iran (Tagh-e-bostan) and cultured in growth chamber and its developmental stages and life cycle were examined. The spore morphology was studied. The spore had tetrahedral tetrad with discontinuous microreticulate ornamentation.

Adiantum capillus-veneris L. (Pare-siavashan) is a plant from the Pteridaceae family with many uses in traditional and folk medicine. This plant grows in different parts of the world. According to the references of Persian medicine, it has many positive effects on the digestive system, urogenital system, integumentary system, eyes, spleen, edema, and respiratory system (e. g., dyspnea). It is used in folk medicine in parts of the world to cure menstrual disorders, cold, cough, abdominal pain, fever, headache, bronchitis, hair loss, and diabetes. Contemporary researchers have proven the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects of this plant. The clinical studies conducted on the effects of this plant on respiratory diseases are few and more research is necessary. According to the properties mentioned for this plant, its use in the treatment of asthma and inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract and its infections can be considered.

Miocene miospores in the Upper Red Formation, Zanjan, northwestern IranAbstractThe Upper Red Formation has extensive outcrops in the southern and western parts of the Zanjan province, northwestern Iran. Here, we studied a sequence of lowermost part of this formation near Mehr-Abad village, northwestern Zanjan. Lithostratigraphy, sedimentology and ichnology of the URF have been studied in recent decades but palynology of this formation has not been investigated. This article is a preliminary report of miospores. The palynofloras comprise thirty species including three algae spores (in three genera), seven fern species (in seven genera), various type of gymnosperm (thirteen species designated to nine genera), and angiosperm pollen species (seven species designated to six genera); for example, Botryococcus sp., Closteritetrapidites magnus, and Diagonalites diagonalis of algal spores; Echinatisporis muelleri, Magnastriatites sp. cf. M. grandiosus, and Polyapodiaceoisporites potoniei of fern; Cathayapollis scheuringii, Cedripites sp., Ephedripites tertiarius, Pinuspollenites lobatus, P. minimus, Cupressacites spp., Tsugapollenites spp. of gymnosperm, and Acidanthera brevicollis, Calliandra spp., Fagopsis longifolia, Monoporopollenites sp., and Retitricolporites sp. of angiosperm evidenced herein. Moreover, botanical affinity of miospores considered. Therefore, Botryococcaceae/ Dictyosphaeriaceae, Closteriaceae, Zygnemataceae (algae); Marattiaceae, Pteridaceae, Polypodiaceae (fern); Cupressaceae, Ephedraceae, Pinaceae (gymnosperm), and Fagaceae, Fabaceae, Iridaceae, and Poaceae (angiosperm) identified.Keywords: Miocene, Upper Red Formation, spore, pollen, Zanjan, NW Iran.

Background: Adiantum capillus-veneris Linn (Maidenhair fern) is an herb belonging to the family Pteridaceae. It is named as “ Pare-siavashan” in medical and pharmaceutical textbooks of Iranian Traditional Medicine. The fronds of Maidenhair fern were mainly administrated by ancient physicians as single medicine or in combination with other plants in multi-herbal formulations for curing different diseases. Because of different chemical composi-tions, the herb fronds were also assessed for its numerous pharmacological effects. Therefore, the current study was done to review the traditional usage and modern pharmacological and toxicological effects of Maidenhair fern. Methods: Scientific databases and publications including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Science direct, Cochrane Library, SID (for Persian papers) and medical and pharmaceutical textbooks of traditional medicine as well were searched for “ Adiantum capillus-veneris” , “ Maidenhair fern” and “ Pare-siavashan” without limitation up to 2016. Results: Maidenhair fern exhibited to possess anti-diabetic, anticonvulsant, analgesic, hypocholesterolemic, goitrogenic, anti-thyroidal, antibacterial, antifungal, wound healing, antiobesity, anti hair loss, anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal and antispasmodic, antioxidant as well as diuretic, anti-urolithiatic and detoxify-ing effects in modern medicine. Ancient physicians declared some of the confirmed pharmacological effects. Conclusion: Maidenhair fern frond can be a good candidate for clinical purpose. Therefore, future researches on the other mentioned effects in traditional medicine are recommended.

The plant Adiantum capillus-veneris, which is known by the native name “Paresiavashan” in Iran, is a species of Pteridaceae dark ferns that have pinnatifid-shaped compound fronds, fan-shaped pinnaes, and brown stipe. Different parts of this plant such as fronds and rhizome have medicinal properties and are used as decoctions, infusions, etc. to treat diseases such as cough, asthma, bronchitis, and jaundice. In this study, 33 samples belonging to 21 provinces of Iran were collected in the summer and autumn of 202 to identify and investigate suspected adulterated in the supply and sale of this herbal product in Iran's herbal markets, then the samples were studied with the help of Floras and articles were identified macroscopically. In addition to the laboratory procedures, articles related to the ethnobotany of the mentioned species were studied and important materials were extracted by referring to databases such as Google Scholar. The results of the studies showed that out of 33 studied samples, 6 samples belonged to the Asplenium adiantum-nigrum species and were wrongly offered in the herbal markets. Also, all the collected samples had sori on the surface of the fronds, which increases the possibility of allergies and side effects in consumers. For this reason, it is more important to investigate and study this species as an important medicinal plant in the stages of collection, packaging, and supply in local markets. In addition, the wrong sale of alternative plants of this species endangers the health of customers and requires morphological, anatomical, and molecular investigations.

Pterisfern belongs to Pteridaceae family and Pteris cretica is one of the existing types in Iran. At the outset of the reproduction cycle, the fern creates the sores on the back side and margins of folioles.In this research, the fern’s spore underwent the process of culture in the soil and the stages of germination till the formation of protonema, the heart-shaped prothalli and distinction of sexual organs were evaluated. The growth of spore in the appropriate environment initially takes place in a single direction and forms the multi-cellular protonema through cellular division and later the protonema creates a broad and green cellular plain called prothalli. The asymmetrical division in the apical cells of prothalli leads to the formation of the sexual notch and the heart-shaped prothalli. The male sexual organs (antheridia) and later the female sexual organs (archegonium) are differentiated on the heartshapedprothalli.Arsenic is a toxic pollutant of the environment. The purification of water and soil that have been contaminated with arsenic can take place by using the existing engineering methods that are difficult and costly. Identification of Pteris fern and its species and the accumulation of arsenic in its frond led to the creation of phyto-remediation technology for decontaminating arsenic-contaminated places.By adding 0.001 gr/lit of arsenic, its impacts on the growth of spores and the distinction of the fern’s sexual organs were studied. Spores treated with arsenic grew slowly and the germination of protonema, prothalli and the distinction of the sexual organs took place with a delay.The result of the research indicated thatPteris fern can considerably absorb arsenic and prothallis exposed to arsenic are small and have a few sexual notches with low depth leading to the formation of several lobes. Part of the changes can be due to the increasing number of cells and their irregular divisions caused by arsenic.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Geothermal zones, famous for their extreme temperatures and exceptional environmental features, offer captivating locations for exploring. These areas are also known to harbor a variety of medicinal plants, historically used for therapeutic properties. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of information concerning the precise chemical compounds present in plants originating from geothermal regions, especially in relation to their diversity and potential medicinal uses. This study aims to fill this gap by clustering and analyzing the similarity of samples from medicinal plants in three geothermal areas in Aceh Province, Indonesia.METHODS: The collection of medicinal plants was conducted in three geothermal regions within Aceh Province, Indonesia, specifically Ie-Brôuk, Ie-Jue, and Ie-Seu’um. Gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy were conducted to determine chemical compounds from medicinal plants. Clustering analysis and similarity cliff were assessed by employing the simplified molecular input line-entry system and fragment-based fingerprint.FINDINGS: Fifteen different plant species from diverse families—Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Moraceae, Pteridaceae, Rhamnaceae, and Verbenaceae were found in this study. A total of 343 chemical compounds were discovered in medicinal plants from the geothermal areas through the use of gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, indicating a significant diversity. Hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester found in each plant of samples as indiciated as core in flower plot. Clustering analysis identified 98 distinct clusters across the three geothermal areas, with a significant concentration of compounds in the fatty acid group, particularly in cluster 2. The analysis of flexophore similarity revealed 23 neighbor counts, signifying a significant abundance of fatty acids as a predominant. These findings suggest that the chemical compositions of plants in geothermal regions are influenced by the unique environmental conditions, leading to distinct chemical fingerprints for each area.CONCLUSION: This study illustrates that medicinal plants found in geothermal regions contain a broad range of chemical compounds, showcasing a notable diversity in their chemical compositions. The comparison of three geothermal areas in Aceh Province showed that each area has unique characteristics based on the chemical properties of the plants. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the chemical diversity in geothermal regions and emphasize the possibility of uncovering new medicinal compounds. Subsequent studies should increase the sample size and investigate the functional implications of these compounds to maximize their medicinal benefits.