Speakers

Biography

My name is Pegah Rahbar, and I completed my Ph.D. degree in Pharmacy at Shiraz University, Iran. Recently, I have become interested in medicinal plants and the use of hyperaccumulator plants that grow on soils rich in elements and important metal deposits. For this reason, Dr. Rasti from Shiraz University, who works on nickel-rich soils, and we did a project together, and the results were compiled in the form of an article that I will present at this international conference. Reciprocally, I believe that it would be most helpful for me to gain advanced insights into my major and interdisciplinary majors. As a young researcher, I would like to pursue this topic in the future. I enjoy all aspects of research and am very much interested in carrying out my research in such a cutting-edge field.

Abstract

Ni-bearing soils occur discontinuously between the Sedimentary Zagros Orogenic (SZO) and Metamorphic Sanandaj-Sirjan (MSS) belts in Fars province, Iran. These are the only known Ni-bearing regoliths in southwest Iran that were derived from serpentinized harzburgite in ultramafic rock complexes. Plants were collected, identified, and analyzed for serpentine-associated metals including Ni, Cr, Cu, Mn, and Fe. The maximum Mn concentration of the studied soils is 6972 μg g^-1. Many soil characteristics in the study area were investigated, such as Mg/Ca ratio, exchangeable metal fraction, extraction efficiency (EF), pH, organic content (OM), texture, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and metal transfer to plants. Vegetation types of the area mainly include open shrublands and semi-desert steppes. The highest concentrations of Mn measured in Berberis integerrima leaves were up to 2547 μg g^-1. Investigating the indices for different elements demonstrated that these species had a bioconcentration factor (BCF) value greater than 10, for example, the BCF for Mn in this plant is more than 10. Then, biogeochemical studies on the predominant plant species indicated that Berberis integerrima can be introduced as an Mn hyperaccumulator. Mn-hyperaccumulator plants growing on nickel (Ni)-laterite deposits represent a potential resource for medicinal Mn production. This study investigates the feasibility of utilizing these plants for this purpose. The suitability of Mn derived from these plants for medicinal applications was investigated by considering factors like purity, elemental composition, and potential Ni contamination. By evaluating the feasibility of this approach, we can contribute to the development of sustainable and efficient methods for producing high-quality medicinal Mn.