Spatio-temporal variations of extract produced and fatty acid compounds identified of Gundelia tournefortii L. seeds in central Zagros, Iran.

This study was performed to fulfill two aims. The first aim was to isolate the seed extract of Gundelia tournefortii L. at two phenological stages of seed production (the beginning and end of seed production); the second one was to identify the fatty acid compounds of G. tournefortii L. seeds in its major habitats located in the Central Zagros region, Iran. Among them, some of the major environmental factors on the reproductive growth stage i.e., physiography, soil and climate were studied. Extraction was performed using the Soxhlet apparatus, and the fatty acid compounds were identified by The GC-FID analysis. As a result, site No. 5 with the values of 6.06 and 7.21 g had the highest amount of extract produced, while sites number 7 and 8 had the least one which was 2.86 and 3.84 g at two phenological stages of seed production. There was a strong correlation among the major environmental variables and the amount of extract produced in the phenological stages of seed production; this was also confirmed in relation to the fatty acid compounds and some of their characteristics. Overall, the efficacy of environmental factors on the synthesis process of secondary metabolites is undeniable.

Inter- and intra-specific genetic diversity of Iranian yarrow species Achillea santolina and Achillea tenuifolia based on ISSR and RAPD markers.

Cultivation and preservation of yarrow has recently attracted wide attention due to its beneficial properties; however, genetic variation of Achillea species is still relatively unknown. We used RAPD and ISSR markers to assess genetic diversity in 16 accessions of yarrow belonging to two species native to Iran. Seven ISSR and nine RAPD primers generated 187 amplified fragments, of which 159 were polymorphic. The similarity coefficient among Achillea tenuifolia accessions ranged from 61 to 86%, and from 40 to 84% among A. santolina accessions. A low similarity was observed between these two species (mean similarity = 0.36%). This low similarity is consistent with their geographical distribution. According to the results of cluster and PCA analyses, the two species completely separated from each other. These markers will aid in the identification of elite genotypes for domestication and breeding programs.