Introduction: Green tea contains active polyphenols including catechins. The goal of the current study was to evaluate anti-cancer effects of Iranian green tea extract (IGTE) on 3 human cancer cell lines including A549, PC3, and MCF-7. Methods: First, Camellia sinensis was obtained from Lahijan, a city in the north of Iran and then IGTE was prepared. Next, catechins of IGTE were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Finally, the cell viability of different cancer cells was evaluated by treatment with IGTE at concentration between 100 and 1000 µg/mL for 72 hours using MTT assay. Cell death of treated cancer cells was assessed by DAPI staining and RT-PCR method. Results: Our results demonstrated the potential anti-tumor activity of IGTE on MCF-7 cells (IC50= 400 µM), A549 cells (IC50= 500 µM), and PC3 cells (IC50= 600 µM), respectively. Chromatin damages within the nucleus of the treated cancer cells were shown. In addition, we found that IGTE induced apoptosis by up-regulation of Bax (a pro-apoptotic protein) and down-regulation of Bcl2 (an anti-apoptotic protein). Conclusion: Herein, we showed that IGTE is a potent natural product with anti-tumor activity on breast, lung, and prostate cancer cells. The efficacy of current therapies against cancer is limited by a range of adverse effects, toxicity, and drug resistance; therefore, new therapeutic strategies and more effective agents, particularly with natural origin, are desired and green tea may be a potent candidate in the field of cancer therapy

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Environmental risks resulting from the increasing application of chemical herbicides have raised many concerns about human health and the safety of agro ecosystems and environment. Hence, it is very important to find practical and effective methods for reducing the use of pesticides in environment as well as the increasing the efficiency of these compounds. Addition of adjuvants to spray solutions could be considered as one of these methods. Greenhouse studies were conducted using a complete randomized design with a factorial arrangement during 2015-2016 to evaluate the impact of different adjuvants (citogate, canola oil, and castor oil) at concentrations of 0.1 and 0.2 (%v/v) with 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 g a.i. ha -1 of tribenuron methyl herbicide to control common lambsquarters. Results showed that all applied adjuvants enhanced the efficacy of tribenuron methyl in decreasing the biomass of common lambsquarters. Efficacy of this herbicide increased with enhancing its concentrations. The required dose of herbicide to give 50 per cent common lambsquarters control (ED50) for no adjuvant, citogate, castor oil, and canola oil application (0.2 (%v/v)) was 21.24, 11.48, 11.65, and 11.81 g a.i. ha -1 , respectively. Totally the application of citogate and canola oil had the highest and the lowest impact on tribenuron methyl performance to control of common lambsquarters respectively. Also, the Relative Potency values were significantly increased when adjuvants were added to this herbicide. The results revealed that the use of citogate and vegetable oils can increase the efficiency tribenuron methyl, and reduce the application rate of this herbicide in agro ecosystems.

Allergenic pollens are found in gardens, fields and green spaces around cities. In Kermanshah, located in the west of Iran, seven allergen pollen samples were collected directly from nature and studied according to the Erdtman acetolysis method by using Light Microscope (LM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). In this study, atmospheric pollens were also examined by the Durham method. The results showed that the pollen grains were small, medium, and large in terms of size, and Triporate, Pantoporate, Colpate and Tricolporate in terms of aperture. In addition, they were Striate, Perforate, Macroechinate, Microechinate, and Psilate with regard to exine ornamentation; however, the echinate type was more common. In general, Prolate to a spherical shape, mediumsized, perforate, and echinate pollen characteristics are popular in the important allergenic plants. Therefore, due to the human's manipulations in nature and also the extensive size of gardens and fields, there are many types of weeds in Kermanshah Province which are significant in terms of being allergenic.