Mature leaves fully expanded, undamaged were used in this study for leaf anatomy (blade, midrib and petiole) for 12 taxa of subgenera Prunus and Cerasus (P. cerasifera Ehrh., P. domestica subsp. domestica L., P. domestica subsp. syriaca (Borkh.) Janchen ex Mansfeld, P. domestica subsp. insititia (L.) C. K. Schneid, P. domestica subsp. italica (Borkh.) Gams ex Hegi, P. armeniaca var. armeniaca, P. armeniaca cv. Saeede Meraime, P. microcarpa var. pubescens (Bornm.) Meikle, P. microcarpa var. microcarpa, P. brachypetala (Boiss.) Walp., P. mahaleb L. and P. cerasus L.). Also trichome length and frequency on areole part of leaf blade for each taxon were measured. All taxa were characterized by bifacial mesophylls which consist of palisade parenchyma in the upper side and spongy layer in the lower side. The investigated taxa divided according to the number of palisade parenchyma layers in three groups. The shape of midrib, petiole transverse section and shape of the vascular bundles were important diagnostic values used for identifications of taxa. The leaves of all investigated taxa of subgenera Prunus and Cerasus have unicellular trichomes with different shapes kinds present on leaves blade of all studied taxa. Mostly the trichomes in abaxial side areole longer than the trichomes in the adaxial side, also the frequency of trichoms in the abaxial face was significantly higher than in the adaxial face.

This investigation was aimed to study pollen grains of subgenera Prunus and Cerasus. The polleniferous materials were collected from different places of Kurdistan region of Iraq living specimens. Pollen grains of all investigated taxa of subgenera Prunus and Cerasus were isopolar, monad, symmetric, tricolporate, dicolporate and tetracolporate pollens also observed, but very rarely. The pollen grains shape of taxa of subgenera Prunus and Cecasus divided in two groups subprolate and prolate depending on P/E value. While, the size were medium with the exception of P. domestica subsp. italica grains were found to be small in size. The percentage of repeat morphological shape of pollen grains in polar view showed that the triangular outlines shapes of pollen grains were the most repeated, while, in the equatorial view the elliptic outline shapes was dominant in all taxa. Pollen grains surface of studied taxa was showed striate pattern with perforations in the grooves except P. domestica subsp. insititia which appeared striate-reticulate type of exine sculpture. Principal component analysis can recognize 67.7 % of the total variability thus can help prediction of taxa.

Pollen morphology provides essential diagnostic traits for species delimitation in the genus Trigonella (Fabaceae) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Pollen grains of eight species were examined using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and quantitative traits were analyzed with ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD tests. Equatorial diameter showed the highest interspecific variation (P < 0.0001), confirming its strong diagnostic value, with colpus length and mesocolpium width also showing significant interspecific differentiation. Grains were predominantly tricolporate with triangular polar outlines. Significant variations were observed in colpus length (16.99 µm in T. monspeliaca to 22.34 µm in T. filipes) and mesocolpium width (12.97 µm in T. monspeliaca to 18.32 µm in T. uncinata). Exine ornamentation varied from finely reticulate to coarse. These pollen characters provide reliable taxonomic markers for distinguishing Trigonella species in the region and contribute valuable baseline data for future systematic and phylogenetic studies.

Polleniferous materials of four Onobrychis species were used in this study. Two different microscopes and one-way ANOVA analysis were applied. The pollen grains were tricolpate, isopolar, and consistently radially symmetrical. The value of the polar axis/equatorial diameter ranged from prolate to perprolate, which were categorized as tiny or medium in size. Exine sculpture patterns varied significantly when scanning electron microscopy was used: Onobrychis megataphora, O. crista-galli, and O. caput-galli have reticulate patterns; O. galegifolia has micro-reticulate perforates. The pollen morphology of O. caput-galli was noticeably perprolate due to its maximum polar axis/equatorial diameter value (2.02 µm). The O. crista-galli had the lowest polar axis/equatorial diameter value (1.37 µm), showing its prolate pollen morphology. A one-way ANOVA analysis revealed significant differences (P< 0.05) in the morphological features of polar length and equatorial diameter. The O. megataphros was primarily circular to ovoid-triangular in form, and O. caput-galli had a triangular outline. The two remaining species had circular shapes in polar view. In equatorial view, two species had elliptic-elongated shapes, while others had rectangular-obtuse outlines. Thus, these micromorphological dissimilarities indicate variations among taxa, and they can be used as taxonomic characters to identify and delimit Onobrychis species

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer are significant contributors to morbidity and mortality globally. Plant therapeutics has gained attention due to their potential to treat and alleviate symptoms of these diseases. The extensive array of phytochemicals present in medicinal plants, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenoids, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer activities. This mini-review reviews the latest developments in plant-based therapeutics, and how plant compounds deliver their positive effects through molecular mechanisms. The review also reviews how biotechnological advances can improve the efficacy and yield of plant-derived therapies. Although full of promise, several challenges confront the development of plant-based therapeutics, such as standardization, toxicity, and regulation. But clinical trials and research in recent years have proven the effectiveness of plant-derived compounds in the treatment of chronic diseases, suggesting a promising future for their application in combination with conventional treatment regimens. This review points to the need for continued efforts to fill the gaps and define the potential of plant-based compounds as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of chronic diseases further.

The pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) has a rich history of cultivation and is renowned for its beneficial properties and nutrient-dense fruits. Kurdistan Iraq's agricultural, medical, and cultural traditions are the foundation of the pomegranate’s historical significance. The distribution of pomegranates in Kurdistan Iraq, particularly in the Duhok Province, reveals the great importance of genetic diversity among its cultivars. Punica granatum has spread to various parts of the world, including Mediterranean countries, Russia, Japan, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, California, Iraq, and China. The pomegranate has garnered increasing global interest due to its high nutritional value, and its ornamental, industrial, and medicinal benefits. Identifying molecular markers less affected by environmental conditions is crucial for measuring genetic diversity among pomegranate cultivars and assisting breeders in selecting …

Synthetic food dyes have garnered significant attention due to potential health risks, including cytotoxicity, allergenicity, and even carcinogenicity observed in animal models. Given the widespread use of artificial food dyes in the food industry and potential concerns regarding their safety, this investigation could explore the influence of a lemon-flavored food dye on Allium cepa L.. Onion root tip meristems were exposed to various concentrations (0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2%) of food dye in aqueous solutions for 24 hours at room temperature. A concentration-dependent detrimental effect was observed on all evaluated morphological parameters, including root number, root length, dry weight, and wet weight, with the control group exhibiting the highest values and the 2% treatment group displaying the lowest. Mitotic analysis revealed normal cell division in the control group, but increasing food dye concentrations induced a spectrum of chromosomal aberrations, suggesting disruption of spindle fibers and chromosome cohesion defects. The control group displayed the highest mitotic index (MI) of 9.2, with a positive correlation observed between increasing food dye concentration and the frequency of mitotic abnormalities (0.3 in control vs. 16.8 at 2% treatment). The most prevalent abnormality was multipolar anaphase (5.4 at 2% treatment), while anaphase bridge displayed the lowest incidence (1.7 at 2% treatment). This is evidenced by the significant decrease in root growth parameters (length and number) and (MI), a key indicator of cell division activity. Furthermore, the observed chromosomal aberrations, including sticky metaphase, C-mitosis …

Prunus species are known as model species for the family Rosaceae and other woody plants with their small genome size and relatively small life cycle as woody plants. Also Prunus species are economically important plants in the subfamily Amygdaloideae of the Rosaceae have a controversial taxonomic history due to the lack of a phylogenetic framework. Therefore, mapping, classification, determination the genetic structure and characterization of genes as a spesific chemical and fuctional units of nucleic acids and making phylogenetic analysis in these species have important implications. The aim of this study to find any gene markers as a bioorganic – chemical structure profiling to determine genetic diversity of different Prunus species from Iraq by using nuclear and chloroplast DNA markers to evaluate the phylogeny of Prunus. A total of 12 species Prunus subgenus amygdalus were collected from Iraq. Ten gene region markers on both nuclear DNA and chloroplast DNA have been tested to evaluate the genetic variation at their molecular levels by using multiplex PCR with 10 gene region primers and sequence analysis for matK. The name of the gene regions using in this study are ITS (ITS1+ITS2+5.8S coding region), rbcL, matK, rpl16, trnL-trnF, atpB-rbcL, rp136-infA-rps8, trnK-rps16, pbsM-trnD, psbA-trnH. As a result, five different phylogenetic trees were obtained from the gene sequences of the samples and the base sequences were close to each other. The estimated value of the shape parameter for the discrete Gamma Distribution is 0.05. The nucleotide frequencies are A = 29.41%, T/U = 37.37%, C = 17.52%, and G = 15.67%. The nucleotide diversity of the sequence was low with the 0.004113 value. There were 14 different informative base site between the samples. The polymorphism observed was less in agreement with higher level of conservation of the gene regions. The Prunus species from Iraq region were grouped on two closed clusters on the phylogenetic trees.

In this study, we report the synthesis and application of a nanocomposite comprising metal–organic framework MIL-101(Cr) and graphene nanopowder (GNP) as a promising sorbent for the extraction of organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) in juices, water, vegetables and honey samples. A syringe filter, for the first time, was used to host the synthesized nanocomposite and extract the OPPs followed by GC–MS analysis. Different characterization methods including XRD, FTIR, TGA, BET and SEM were employed to confirm the formation of studied nanocomposite. The results indicated that the GNP/MIL-101(Cr) could provide higher capacity for adsorption of OPPs and lower detection limit compared to pristine MIL-101(Cr). The detection limits were 0.005 to 15.0 µg/Kg and the linear range found between 0.05 and 400 µg/Kg. The proposed method showed very good repeatability with the RSD values ranging from 2.9 …

Prunus longispinosa S.E. Shahbaz and S.S, Abdulrahman (Rosaceae), a new species from Kurdistan-Iraq, is described and illustrated. It differs from all Iraqi taxa of the subgenus Amygdalus by the dark reddish color of their one-year-old twigs and the very whitish thorny branches. The new species is closely related to P. spinosissima but can be easily separated by its green drupes vs. reddish drupes from one side and green from the other. The new species also shows close resemblance to Prunus lycioides but the later differs from it in having one reddish side and pale green side of their one-year-old twigs and glabrous drupes vs. dark reddish color of their one-year-old twigs and pubescent drupes for the new species.

The polleniferous material of Prunus subg amygdalus taxa growing in Kurdistan-Iraq was collected. Samples were tested using scanning electron and light microscope. Taxa are symmetric, isopolar, monad, colporate, and trizonocolpate. The main exine sculpture is striate with or without micro-perforations. Tetracolporates are present in P. dulcis, P. persica, and P. carduchorum var. glabra, absent from all other taxa. Among pollen grain characters, shape is very useful for separating taxa at the specific level. Pollen grains of all taxa are of small rank but on average pollens of P. argental var. argentea are the smallest, and of P. argentea var. elaeagnifolia are the largest of all. Principal component analysis and discriminant analysis can recogniz77.976% and 70.98% of the total variability respectively, thus can help prediction of taxa. KEYWORDS: Prunus subg amygdalus, Prunus longispenosa, Prunus argentea var. argentea, olporate, P. argentea var. elaeagnifolia, pollen morphology

Palynological and chromosomal characters were systematically used to compare between species of Salix growing in Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The investigation revealed that pollen colpi length, exine thickness and surface sculpturing contribute none significantly in species delimitation, while size and shape classes of Erdtman (1945, 1971) respectively, in addition to the occurrence of Parasyncolpate pollen grains are highly valuable characters for distinguishing of the species. The chromosome counting of the pollen grain mother cells was 2n= 38 for S. acmophylla and S. purpurea, while 2n= 76 for tetraploids of S. alba, S. babylonica and S. aegyptiaca. According to the results of chromosome counting, S. acmophylla, which is closely related to S. alba is easily recognized by their differences in chromosome numbers.

Rhus coriaria var. zebaria from Duhok/Aqrae, Kurdistan, Iraq is described as a variety new to science. Field expeditions started in spring 2011, continued during 2012 and 2013 with the aim of collecting sumac specimens from different physiographic regions of Kurdistan, Iraq. A total of ten plants for each variety were sampled. An equal number of tagged herbarium specimens were prepared. The holotype was designated and deposited together with other herbarium specimens in the herbarium of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Univ. of Duhok. Morphological characters of the leaf, inflorescence, flowers, infructescence, and fruit were studied. The pH value of the pericarp in addition to the hilum length was measured. Results were compared with Rhus coriaria L. var. coriaria. The most distinctive feature of the new variety is the dull whitish brown color of the drupe pericarp of var. zebaria as compared to the reddish brown color of the drupe pericarp of var. coriaria. The whitish color of the drupes of var. zebaria, in combination with their larger size, represents diagnostic characters for distinguishing this variety. In contrast, most leaf characters are of little or no taxonomic value in this species. Only shape, apex and marginal teeths of the leaflets show minor differences for separating the two varieties. Female and male inflorescences and flowers characters show no significant differences. Both hilum length and pH value characters may be useful for

Anatomical features of the leaves of Quercus L. species are presented in this study for the first time. Leaves are bifacial and the palisade parenchyma of Q. aegilops and Q. libani is stratified into two layers, of nearly equal width, while that of Q. infectoria and Q.macranthera composed of only one layer. The cortex of both midrib and petiole is well developed with collenchyma starting just beneath the epidermis. The collenchyma of Q. aegilops is extremly thick compared with that of other species. Vascular bundles of the midrib and petiole are completely enclosed by the two pericycle layers of fibers and sclerenchyma. While the number of vascular bundles and sclerenchyma groups cupping them is 3 and 2 for midribs of Q. aegilops and Q. libani respectively, the number turns into 2 vascular elements of different appearance in their petioles. Petiole secondary vascular bundles are well developed and their sclerenchyma groups more lignified in Q. infectoria but less developed and reduced in Q. macranthera. From the results, it is concluded that the leaf blade and petiole anatomical features can provide diagnostic characters for distinguishing Quercus species of Iraq. Results also strongly support placing Q. aegilops and Q. libani in the section Cerris but Q. infectoria is more reliable in the section Mesobalanus.