Abstract
This book continues as volume 3 of a multi-compendium on Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants. It covers edible fruits/seeds used fresh or processed, as vegetables, spices, stimulants, edible oils and beverages. It encompasses species from the following families: Ginkgoaceae, Gnetaceae, Juglandaceae, Lauraceae, Lecythidaceae, Magnoliaceae, Malpighiaceae, Malvaceae, Marantaceae, Meliaceae, Moraceae, Moringaceae, Muntigiaceae, Musaceae, Myristicaceae and Myrtaceae. This work will be of significant interest to scientists, researchers, medical practitioners, pharmacologists, ethnobotanists, horticulturists, food nutritionists, agriculturists, botanists, conservationists, lecturers, students and the general public. Topics covered include: taxonomy; common/English and vernacular names; origin and distribution; agroecology; edible plant parts and uses; botany; nutritive and pharmacological properties, medicinal uses and research findings; nonedible uses; and selected references. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012. All rights reserved.
Chapters (100)
Ginkgo is native to Far East Asia – China, Japan and Korea. It is commonly planted in Buddhist and Taoist temples in East Asia. It has been introduced to other temperate areas in both hemispheres.
Daeking Tree, Gnetum Nut, Gnemon Tree, Jointfir, Joint-Fir Spinach, Melinjo Nut, Paddy Oats, Spanish Jointfir, Tulip Tree, Two Leaf
Pecan is native to south-central North America, in Mexico from Coahuila south to Jalisco and Veracruz, in north America from southern Iowa, Illinois and Indiana east to western Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and western Tennessee, south through Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Florida, and west into New Mexico.
Walnut is indigenous to the region stretching from the Balkans eastward across Persia to the Himalayas and southwest China. The largest forests are found in Kyrgyzstan, where trees occur in extensive, nearly pure walnut forests at 1,000–2,000 m altitude.
The species is native to the Sarawak and south-west Sabah regions in Malaysia, Kalimantan in Indonesia and the Philippines. In Borneo, it is found throughout the island. It has also been described from Taiwan. It is cultivated in Indonesia (Java and Bangka).
Ginkgo is native to Far East Asia – China, Japan and Korea. It is commonly planted in Buddhist and Taoist temples in East Asia. It has been introduced to other temperate areas in both hemispheres.
Barringtonia asiatica is indigenous to the mangrove habitats in the tropics from Madagascar, to Malesia, Taiwan, Philippines, northern Australia and Polynesia.
B. edulis is indigenous to Melanesia – Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. It is cultivated in villages and home-gardens in its native areas and in Fiji.
The species is native to Melanesia – Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
Cutnut is indigenous to the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea. It is cultivated in Micronesia and Polynesia.
Barringtonia racemosa is found in the coastal areas of eastern Africa from Somalia to South Africa, through Madagascar and other Indian Ocean islands to tropical south Asia, southeast Asia, southern China, the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, northern Australia, Micronesia and Polynesia.
The species is native to Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo (Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah, West- and East-Kalimantan) and the Philippines.
Bertholletia excelsa is indigenous to tropical Amazonia – French Guiana, Surinam, Guyana, Bolivia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, and Amazonian Colombia. It forms large forests on the banks of the Amazons and Rio Negro, and likewise about Esmeraldas, on the Orinoco. It is most prevalent in the Brazilian states of Marahao, Mato Grosso, Acre, Para, Rondonia, and the Amazonas. Brazil nuts are harvested almost entirely from wild trees. Brazil nuts have been harvested from plantations but production is low and it is currently not economically viable.
Cannonball tree is indigenous to the tropical rainforest of north-eastern South America, especially in the Amazon Basin. The tree is planted in gardens elsewhere in the tropics such as in India and Thailand Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Panama, Peru, United States, Venezuela. The species is frequently planted as a botanical curiosity in other tropical and subtropical botanical gardens in many parts of the world.
The species is native to north-central Venezuela. It is cultivated in northern South America and tropical Central America and in trial plantings in SE Asia.
L. zabucaja is indigenous to the equatorial rainforests of the Guianas, E Venezuela, central and W Amazonia.
The species is native to Cambodia, Vietnam, Southern China (Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou).
Bunchosia armeniaca is native to the Andean countries of Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia. It is exotic to Brazil but is commonly cultivated there and other south American countries (Lorenzi et al. 2006). It also has been introduced to elsewhere in the tropics.
Acerola is indigenous to the Lesser Antilles from St. Croix to Trinidad, also Curacao and Margarita and neighbouring Central America including Mexico and southern Texas and northern South America as far south as Bahia in Brazil. It has become naturalized in Cuba, Jamaica and Puerto Rico after cultivation, and is commonly grown in house yards in the Bahamas and Bermuda, and to a lesser extent in Central and South America. It is now cultivated globally in the tropics and subtropics in Australia, Brazil, Canary Islands, Cuba, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Ghana, Hawaii, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Madagascar, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Sri Lanka, Surinam, Taiwan, Thailand, Myanmar, Venezuela, Vietnam and Zanzibar.
There is mixed views on okra’s origin. One view is that it is native to Asia from North India. Another view is that it originated from Africa – Egypt, Ethiopia or West Africa. In Egypt okra has been cultivated since 2,000 BC. Okra is now much cultivated throughout the tropical and subtropical regions mainly for culinary purposes. Today, okra is mainly cultivated in India, Turkey and Greece and also in Southeast Asia.
According to Opeke (1992), southern Nigeria is considered the center of occurrence of C. acuminata, with its original area of distribution stretching from Nigeria to Gabon. C. acuminata is also found spontaneously in the mountainous areas of Angola, Zaïre and Cameroon. It has been cultivated for a long time in the islands of Principe and São Tomé. It was introduced to central and south America during the slave trade. It has also spread eastwards to Mauritius and Malaysia (Purseglove 1968; Russell 1955a, b).
This species was originally distributed along the west coast of Africa from Sierra Leone to the Republic of Benin with the highest frequency and variability occurring in the forest areas of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana (Opeke 1992). It is cultivated in Angola, Brazil, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe and introduced elsewhere into the tropics and subtritropics.
Phalsa is native to tropical southern Asia from Pakistan east to India and Nepal, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. It has become naturalised and locally invasive in Australia and the Philippines.
Its natural distribution is found in Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo (throughout the island).
The species is found from East Africa to north Queensland, Australia – Australia, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Kampuchea, Kenya, Malaysia, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Yemen, Vietnam, Zanzibar. It is also cultivated elsewhere in the tropics including south China.
The species is found from South China (southeast Fujian, south Guangdong, Guangxi and south Yunnan), Taiwan to Malaysia. The tree occurs mostly in the state of Perak in Malaysia.
Its origin is still uncertain. One view believed that the species is native to Central America, another believed that it is indigenous to south America. The species is found in Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. It also has been introduced to other tropical areas.
Recent studies of Theobroma cacao genetics indicated that the plant originated in the upper basin of the Amazon and its headwaters in Peru, Ecuador, Columbia and Brazil. It was distributed by humans throughout Central America and Mesoamerica. Wild cocoa population are also present in the lower Amazon basin as well as along the Orinoco river basin in Venezuela and in the Guyanas. The Amazon cocoa population form the Forastero group and are distinct from the population in Central America that form the Criollo group. The latter also has its roots in the Amazon basin. The Amelonado Forastero cocoa in Bahia has its origin in the lower Amazon basin while the Trinatrio cocoa is a natural hybrid between Criollo and the Venezuelan Forastero. Besides Latin America, cocoa is grown extensively in West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and Cote D’Ivoire) based on the Trinitario, Amelonado and Forastero cocoa materials; and in Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea Trinitario and Forastero materials were introduced from the Caribbean and south America.
Cupuassu is indigenous to the Amazon basin in the southern and eastern Pará, covering the areas of the middle Tapajós, Xingu and Guamá, and reaching the northeast of Maranhão in Brazil (Cuatrecasas 1964). It is widely cultivated in the north of Brazil, with the largest production in Pará, followed by Amazonas, Rondônia and Acre. It is also cultivated in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Costa Rica.
The species is a native of tropical west Africa – Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Cameroon, Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Democratic Republic of the Congo Ghana. It has been introduced elsewhere into the tropics and naturalised in many countries including Australia.
Duku is indigenous to southeast Asia, throughout the Malay archipelago from Peninsular Thailand, Malaysia and in Indonesia. It is widely cultivated in southern Peninsular Malaysia.
The species is indigenous to southeast Asia, throughout the Malay archipelago from Peninsular Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia to the island of Luzon in the Philippines. In Indonesia, langsat is found in Banyuwangi, Bangka, Palembang, West Kalimantan and in Sulawesi. Langsat is cultivated in a small scale in Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, Hawaii, Australia, Surinam and Puerto Rico. It is common wild, naturalised and cultivated in these areas. Longkong is a major fruit crop in Thailand and is also widely cultivated in Peninsular Malaysia.
The santol is probably native to Indochina and Peninsular Malaysia, and has been introduced into India, Borneo, Indonesia, Mauritius, the Andaman Islands, and the Philippines where it has become naturalized. It is commonly cultivated throughout these regions and the fruits are seasonally abundant in the local markets. It has also been introduced into China, Taiwan, Australia and into a few locations in Central America and Southern Florida.
Kwai Muk is native to Sothern China, in Hong Kong, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, South Hunan, Jiangxi and southeast Yunnan.
The species is native to Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo (throughout the island), and the Philippines.
Breadnut is indigenous to New Guinea and Moluccas, and probably naturalized in the Philippines. Cultivated in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Caribbean Islands, Pacific Islands, tropical Central and South America, and coastal West Africa. It is now found only in cultivation in the Philippines, where it is typically grown as a backyard tree. It is infrequently grown in the Pacific islands outside of its native range. A few trees can be found in New Caledonia, Pohnpei, the Marquesas, Tahiti, Palau, and Hawai‘i, mainly introduced by immigrants from the Philippines.
The species is indigenous to Malaysia and Indonesia. The species was also found in four large islands (Tarutao, Adang, Rawi and Lipe) part of Satun Province off the southwest coast of Thailand (Congdon et al. 1981).
The species is indigenous to Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Borneo (throughout the island) and the Philippines.
The species occurs in Malesia - Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Borneo (Sarawak, Sabah, West-, Central- and East-Kalimantan), Moluccas, and the Northern Territory of Australia.
Jackfruit is native to south Asia – India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It was introduced to and has become naturalized in Malaysia and Indonesia. It is commercially grown and sold in South Asia, Southeast Asia and northern Australia.
Chempedak is indigenous to Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo (throughout the island), Sulawesi, Maluku, New Guinea. It is widely cultivated in these areas and introduced elsewhere in the tropics.
Marang is indigenous to Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands and Borneo (throughout the island).
Monkey Jack is native to Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Lesser Sunda Islands, Borneo (throughout the island). The tree is cultivated in parts of Southeast Asia.
The pedalai is indigenous to Malaysia (Sarawak), the Philippines and Indonesia (Kalimantan, Sulawesi and the Moluccas (Maluku).
It is a strictly tropical tree; found in evergreen tropical forests up to 650 m altitude.
Artocarpus cannonii W. Bull ex Van Houtte, Ficus cannonii (W. Bull ex Van Houtte) N. E. Br., Ficus parcellii hort.
Leaves clustered towards the stem tip. Very large, broadly ovate-cordate leaves. Cauliflorous fruit arising close to the trunk base
Cluster of immature globose fruit and very large leaves. Axillary fruit with overlapping bracts. Young leaves tied in bundle for sale as vegetables
Juvenile and older leaves. Immature, pear-shaped fruit. Fruit whole and halved to show the flowers inside
Ripe (orangey-red) and unripe fruits of Ficus racemosa. Ficus racemosa fruits on sale in a local market in Vietnam
Ficus australis Willd. nom. illeg., Ficus baileyana Domin, Ficus leichhardtii (Miq.) Miq., Ficus macrophylla var. pubescens F.M.Bailey, Ficus muelleri (Miq.) Miq., Ficus obliqua var. petiolaris (Benth.) Corner, Ficus platypoda var. angustata (Miq.) Corner, Ficus platypoda var. leichhardtii (Miq.) R.J.F.Hend., Ficus platypoda var. mollis Benth., Ficus platypoda var. petiolaris Benth., Ficus platypoda var. subacuminata Benth., Ficus rubiginosa Desf. ex Vent. var. rubiginosa, Ficus rubiginosa var. lucida Maiden, Ficus rubiginosa var. variegata Guilf. nom. inval., Ficus shirleyana Domin, Ficus sp. A, Mastosuke rubiginosa (Vent.) Raf., Urostigma rubiginosum (Vent.) Gasp. Urostigma muelleri Miq.
Morus alba with pink fruits and broadly ovate, serrated leaves, Whited fruited Morus alba cultivar, Close-up of white fruited Morus alba and leaves.
Leaves of black mulberry, Plate 2 Black mulberry seedling Plate 3 Immature black mulberries Plate 4 Ripe black mulberries
Immature red mulberries and irregularly lobed, toothed leaves, Broadly ovate, unlobed, toothed leaves, Immature and ripe red mulberries
Female head globose with ripe fruiting perianths Globose male (upper) and female head with unripe protruding fruiting perianths, Large, coriaceous and penni-veined leaves
Leaves and globose, immature fruit of Treculia africana Close-view of the globose immature fruit Close view of leaves, Treculia africana
Desc. var.
africana.
Muntingiaceae, also placed in Elaeocarpaceae, Tiliaceae Calabur-Tree, Calabura, Capulin, Cotton Candy Tree, Jamaican Cherry, Jamfruit,, Jamfruit Tree, Ornamental Cherry, Panama Berry, Silkwood Tree, Singapore Cherry, Strawberry Tree, West Indian Cherry, Yumansa.
Musa acuminata L. A. Colla subsp. zebrina (Van Houtte) R.E. Nasution. Musa acuminata subsp. rubrobracteata M.Hotta, Musa acuminata var. alasensis Nasution, Musa acuminata var. bantamensis Nasution, Musa acuminata var. breviformis Nasution, Musa acuminata var.
(a) and (b) Ripe pisang berangan fruits Musa acuminata Colla (AA Group) ‘Lakatan’.
Unripe bunch of Pisang lempung Ripe bunch of Pisang lempung Ripe hand of Pisang lempung Ripe hands of pisang mas (top view and bottom view), Musa acuminata Colla (AA Group) ‘Sucrier’.
Bunch of Williams Cavendish, Kluai Hom Kiau bananas on sale in a Thai market, Hand of pisang masak hijau, Ripe ‘fingers’ of Williams banana, Musa acuminata Colla (AAA Group) ‘Dwarf Cavendish’.
Fruit bunch of ripe Pisang Ambon Putih bananas, Hand of unripe Pisang Ambon Putih bananas, Hand of semi-ripe Pisang embun, Musa acuminata Colla (AAA Group) ‘Gros Michel’.
Red Dacca bananas, Pisang Udang, Pisang Tembaga in Sabah, Musa acuminata Colla (AAA Group) ‘Red’, Musa acuminata Colla (AAA Group) ‘Red Dacca’.
(a, b) Ripe horn plantain ‘Pisang tanduk’, (a, b) Unripe horn plantains, (a, b) Near ripe horn plantains, Musa acuminata
×
balbisiana
(AAB Group) ‘Horn Plantain’.
Maoli plantains – plum with rounded ends
Pisang Raja Bulu, Indonesia (unripe ripe and half-ripe bananas)
Musa acuminata × babisiana Colla, Musa berteri Colla, Musa berteroi Colla, Musa berteroniana von Steudel, Musa cliffortiana L., Musa dacca P.F. Horaninow, Musa × sapientum L., Musa paradisiaca L. ssp. sapientum (L.) C.E.O Kuntze, Musa × paradisiaca, Kuntze var. cubensis, Musa × paradisiaca var. dacca (P. F. Horaninow) J. G. Baker ex K. M. Schumann, Musa rosacea N.J. von Jacquin.
Musa acuminata × balbisiana Colla (ABB Group) ‘Bluggoe’.
Okinawa Torch, Red Flowering Banana, Red Flowering Thai Banana, Red Torch Banana, Scarlet Banana.
Musa fehi Bertero ex Vieill., Musa × paradisiaca subsp. troglodytarum (L.) K.Schum., Musa × paradisiaca var. dorsata G.Forst., Musa rectispica Nakai, Musa × sapientum subsp. troglodytarum (L.) Baker, Musa × sapientum var. troglodytarum (L.) Baker nom. illeg., Musa seemannii F.Muell., Musa troglodytarum var. acutibracteata MacDan., Musa uranoscopos Colla nom illeg., Musa uranoscopos Lour.
Baby Pink Banana, Fuzzy Banana, Pink Banana, Pink Fruiting Banana, Pink Velvet Banana, Red Banana, Self-Peeling Banana
Horsfieldia australiana S.T. Blake. None Myristicaceae Bush Nutmeg, Cape Nutmeg, Horsfieldia None The species is native to Papua New Guinea and Australia.
Myristica affinis Warb., Myristica finschii Warb., Myristica incetilis Rich. ex. A. Gray, Myristica macrophylla Roxb., Myristica magnifica Bedd., Myristica masculas Reinw. ex de Vrise, Myristica mindanensis Warb., Myristica morindaefolia Blume, Myristica nivea Merr., Myristica platyphylla A.C. Sm., Myristica plumeriifolia Elmer, Myristica sericea Warb., Myristica spadicea Blume, Myristica spanogheana Miq., Myristica subcordata Blume, Myristica tomentosa Thunb., Myristica wallaceana Warb., Myristica wenzellii Merr.
Myristica aromatica Sw., Myristica laurifolia var. lanceolata Hook.f., Myristica moschata Thunb., Myristica officinalis L. f.
Eugenia bracteolaris Lam. ex DC., Eugenia brasiliensis var. erythrocarpa Cambess., Eugenia brasiliensis var. leucocarpa Cambess., Eugenia dombeyi Skeels nom. illeg, Eugenia filipes Baill., Eugenia ubensis Cambess., Eugenia dombeyi Skeels nom. illeg., Myrtus grumixama Vell., Stenocalyx brasiliensis (Lam.) O.Berg, Stenocalyx brasiliensis var. erythrocarpa (Cambess.) O.Berg, Stenocalyx brasiliensis var. iocarpa O.Berg, Stenocalyx brasiliensis var. leucocarpa (Cambess.) O.Berg, Stenocalyx brasiliensis var. silvestris O.Berg, Stenocalyx ubensis (Cambess.) O.Berg.
Eugenia coronata var. macrophylla A.Chev., Eugenia littorea Engl. & Brehmer, Eugenia myrtoides G.Don.
Eugenia divaricata Benth., Eugenia grandiglandulosa Kiaersk., Marlierea macedoi D. Legrand, Myrciaria caurensis Steyerm., Myrciaria divaricata (Benth.) O. Berg, Myrciaria lanceolata O. Berg, Myrciaria lanceolata var. angustifolia O. Berg, Myrciaria lanceolata var. glomerata O. Berg, Myrciaria lanceolata var. laxa O. Berg, Myrciaria obscura O. Berg, Myrciaria paraensis O. Berg, Myrciaria phillyraeoides O. Berg, Myrciaria riedeliana O. Berg, Myrciaria spruceana O. Berg, Myrtus phillyraeoides (O. Berg) Willd. ex O. Berg, Psidium dubium Kunth (basionym).
Eugenia palmarum Standl. & L.O. Williams ex P.H. Allen, Myrciaria pittieri Burret ex Badillo.
Comprised of: Myrtus communis L. subsp. communis and Myrtus communis subsp. tarentina (L.) Nyman
Caryophyllus pimenta (L.) Mill., Eugenia micrantha Bertol., Eugenia pimenta (L.) DC., Eugenia pimenta var. longifolia DC., Eugenia pimenta var. ovalifolia DC., Evanesca crassifolia Raf. nom. illeg., Myrtus aromatica Salisb. nom. superfl., Myrtus aromatica Poir. nom. illeg., Myrtus dioica L. (basionym), Myrtus pimenta L., Myrtus pimenta var. brevifolia Hayne, Myrtus pimenta var. longifolia Sims, Myrtus piperita Sessé & Moc., Myrtus tabasco Willd. ex Schltdl. & Cham., Pimenta aromatica Kostel., Pimenta communis Benth. & Hook.f., Pimenta dioica var. tabasco (Willd. ex Schltdl. & Cham.) Standl., Pimenta officinalis Lindl., Pimenta officinalis var. cumanensis Schiede & Deppe, Pimenta officinalis var. longifolia (Sims) O.Berg, Pimenta officinalis var. ovalifolia (DC.) O.Berg, Pimenta officinalis var. tabasco (Willd. ex Schltdl. & Cham.) O.Berg, Pimenta pimenta (L.) H.Karst., nom. inval. Pimenta vulgaris Lindl., Pimenta vulgaris Bello, Pimentus aromatica Raf. nom. superfl., Pimentus geminata Raf., Pimentus vera Raf. nom. superfl.
Eugenia cauliflora (Mart.) DC., Eugenia jaboticaba (Vell.) Kiaersk., Myrcia jaboticaba (Vell.) Ball., Myrciaria cauliflora (Mart.) O. Berg, Myrciaria jaboticaba (Vell.) O.Berg, Myrtus cauliflora Mart., Myrtus jaboticaba Vell., Plinia jaboticaba (Vell.) Kausel.
Britoa acida (DC.) O. Berg, Guajava acutangula (Mart. ex DC.) Kuntze, Psidium acidum Mart. ex O.Berg nom invalid., Psidium acutangulum DC. var. acidum C. Mart. ex DC., Psidium acutangulum var. crassirame O.Berg, Psidium acutangulum var. oblongatum Mattos, Psidium acutangulum var. tenuirame O. Berg, Psidium grandiflorum Ruiz & Pav. nom. illeg., Psidium persoonii McVaugh.
Episyzygium oahuense Suess. & A. Ludw., Eugenia ferruginea Sieber ex C.Presl, Eugenia oxygona Koidz., Eugenia pseudovenosa H.Perrier, Eugenia urceolata Cordem., Guajava cattleiana (Afzel. ex Sabine) Kuntze, Guajava obovata (Mart. ex DC.) Kuntze, Psidium cattleianum f. lucidum O.Deg., Psidium cattleianum var. littorale (Raddi) Fosberg, Psidium cattleianum var. littorale (Raddi) Mattos, nom. illeg., Psidium cattleianum var. purpureum Mattos, Psidium cattleianum var. pyriformis Mattos, Psidium coriaceum var. grandifolium O.Berg, Psidium coriaceum var. longipes O.Berg, Psidium coriaceum var. obovatum O.Berg, Psidium ferrugineum C.Presl, Psidium indicum Bojer nom. inval., Psidium littorale Raddi, Psidium littorale var. longipes (O.Berg) Fosberg, Psidium obovatum Mart. ex DC., Psidium variabile O.Berg.
Psidium cattleianum Afzel. ex Sabine ‘Yellow Strawberry Guava’. See Psidium cattleianum. Lemon Guava, Yellow Strawberry Guava, Yellow Cattley Guava Brazil: Araçá, Araçá-De-Coroa, Araçazeiro (Portuguese);
Immature fruits and young bronze-coloured and mature green leaves (upper surface) Immature fruits and leaves (lower surface)
Guajava pumila (Vahl) Kuntze, Guajava pyrifera (L.) Kuntze, Myrtus guajava (L.) Kuntze, Myrtus guajava var. pyrifera (L.) Kuntze, Psidium angustifolium Lam., Psidium aromaticum Blanco nom. illeg., Psidium cujavillus Burm.f., Psidium cujavus L., Psidium fragrans Macfad., Psidium guajava var. cujavillum (Burm.f.) Krug & Urb., Psidium guajava var. minor Mattos, Psidium igatemyense Barb.Rodr., Psidium intermedium Zipp. ex Blume, Psidium pomiferum L., Psidium prostratum O.Berg, Psidium pumilum Vahl, Psidium pumilum var. guadalupense DC., Psidium pyriferum L., Psidium pyriferum var. glabrum Benth., Psidium sapidissimum Jacq., Psidium vulgare Rich., Syzygium ellipticum K.Schum. & Lauterb
Campomanesia multiflora (Cambess.) O.Berg, Campomanesia tomentosa Kunth, Eugenia hauthalii (Kuntze) K.Schum., Guajava albida (Cambess.) Kuntze, Guajava benthamiana (O.Berg) Kuntze, Guajava costa-ricensis (O.Berg) Kuntze, Guajava guineensis (Sw.) Kuntze, Guajava laurifolia (O.Berg) Kuntze, Guajava mollis (Bertol.) Kuntze, Guajava multiflora (Cambess.) Kuntze, Guajava ooidea (O.Berg) Kuntze, Guajava polycarpa (Lamb.) Kuntze, Guajava schiedeana (O.Berg) Kuntze, Guajava ypanemensis (O.Berg) Kuntze, Mosiera guineensis (Sw.) Bisse, Myrcianthes irregularis McVaugh, Myrtus guineensis (Sw.) Kuntze, Myrtus hauthalii Kuntze, Psidium albidum Cambess., Psidium araca Raddi, Psidium araca var. sampaionis Herter, Psidium benthamianum O.Berg, Psidium campicolum Barb.Rodr., Psidium chrysobalanoides Standl., Psidium costa-ricense O.Berg, Psidium dichotomum Weinm., Psidium laurifolium O.Berg, Psidium lehmannii Diels, Psidium minus Mart. ex DC. nom. inval.
Australia Murta, Ceylon Hill Cherry, Ceylon Hill Gooseberry, Downy Myrtle, Downy Rose Myrtle, Fluffy Blueberry, Hill Guava, Isenberg Bush, Rhodomyrtus, Rose Myrtle, Tomentose Rose Myrtle
Eugenia australis J.C.Wendl. ex Link (basionym), Eugenia myrtifolia Sims nom. illeg., Eugenia simmondsiae F.M.Bailey, Jambosa australis (J.C.Wendl. ex Link) DC., Jambosa myrtifolia Heynh., Jambosa thozetiana F.Muell., Myrtus australis (J.C.Wendl. ex Link) Spreng.
Calyptranthes capitellata Buch.-Ham. ex Wall. nom. nud., Calyptranthes caryophyllifolia Willd., Calyptranthes cumini (L.) Pers., Calyptranthes cuminodora Stokes, Calyptranthes jambolana (Lam.) Willd., Calyptranthes jambolifera Stokes, Calyptranthes oneillii Lundell, Caryophyllus corticosus Stokes, Caryophyllus jambos Stokes, Eugenia calyptrata Roxb. ex Wight & Arn., Eugenia caryophyllifolia Lam., Eugenia cumini (L.) Druce, Eugenia jambolana Lam., Eugenia jambolana var.
The species is indigenous to New Guinea (Goodenough Island) and Australia – sub-tropical New South Wales and Queensland.
Malay apple is indigenous from southeast Asia to Vanuatu, but its exact origin is uncertain, probably in the lowland rainforests of Peninsular Malaysia, Java and Sumatra. It is now cultivated and naturalized in many countries throughout the tropics, especially in Indo-Malaysia, southeast Asia, East Africa, Central and South America, Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia.
Gowok is indigenous to West and Central Malesia. It is common in Java and Kalimantan in Indonesia.
Java apple is indigenous in Bangladesh to the Solomon Islands. It has naturalized in the Philippines since prehistoric times. It is commonly and widely cultivated in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Taiwan. It is frequently cultivated in India and in Africa (Zanzibar and Pemba) and also in the Antilles, Suriname and northern Australia.
Lilly Pilly is native to eastern Australia, main distribution occurs in New South Wales, Queensland and eastern Victoria.
Lady apple occurs naturally in northern Australia on Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, the north of the Northern Territory and the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It is also found in southern Papua New Guinea. The latitudinal range in Australia is 10–17°S and the altitudinal range is from near sea level to 220 m. in Queensland, Northern Territory and northern Western Australia.
... S. koetjape is possibly indigenous plants of Indochina and Peninsular Malaysia, and later the plant has been introduced and naturalized in the Philippines, Borneo, Indonesia, India, the Andaman Islands, Mauritius, Australia, Taiwan, China, and also into a few other locations in Southern Florida and Central America (Lim, 2012). S. koetjape is locally called kechapi, lolly fruit, santol, sentol, wild mangosteen (English), faux mangostan, and sandorique mangousteiner savage (French). ...
... S. koetjape is locally called kechapi, lolly fruit, santol, sentol, wild mangosteen (English), faux mangostan, and sandorique mangousteiner savage (French). This plant is classified into the genus Sandoricum, of the Meliaceae family, order Sapindales, and division Tracheophyta (Barstow, 2018 (Lim, 2012;Mabberley, 1985). ...
... Distribution of S. koetjape is mainly in primary and secondary rain forests below 1000 m which are characterized by deciduous, small to large tree, up to 50 m tall with a straight trunk, flaky or fissured, lenticillate, greyish to pale pinkish-brown bark (Orwa et al. 2009;Lim, 2012). The tree bole morphology of S. koetjape is straight but often crooked or fluted, branchless for up to 18-21 m and with a trunk diameter up to 100 cm (Lim, 2012). ...
Sentul (Sandoricum koetjape) is a tropical plant that has been used as traditional medicine in some Asian countries for decades. Research on phytochemicals and pharmacological activities of this plant extracts has been conducted and shows promising medicinal properties. This review aims to integrate knowledge about S. koetjape focusing on three main aspects namely ethnomedicinal, phytochemicals, and pharmacological, in order to encourage further research on this plant for future drug development. Traditionally, all plant parts of S. koetjape have been used for treating various health problems and diseases such as diarrhea, fever, colic, and leucorrhoea. More than 30 chemicals have been identified from S. koetjape, which the most important compounds are ring-A secotriterpene, oleane-type triterpene, secomultiflorane-type triterpene, hydroxymultiflorane triterpene, and limonoids. In vitro studies showed pharmacological potential of the extracts and phytochemicals constituents of S. koetjape including antibacterial, antifungal, antitumoral, anticancer, insecticide, and antioxidant.
... The plant, named by native Amazonian people 'ayauma', is traditionally used for several medical purposes, preparing a remedy by decoction alone or in mixture with other plants. Containers and tools are produced from the woody capsule of the fruit; incense is derived from the tree wood; perfumes and cosmetics are obtained from the most aromatic flowers, which can be smoked like tobacco after drying (Lim, 2012). Couroupita guianensis find large application in ethnomedicine: the younger leaves are used against toothache, the leaves juice to treat skin diseases and tumours, while the fruit pulp is spread to disinfect cuts and wounds, heal headache, and solve skin infections in dogs (Sanz-Biset et al., 2009). ...
... On the other hand, sulphated polyphenols are biosynthesized in plants growing in aquatic habitats, such as mangrove species, or in slow draining soils where water is in abundance providing a store of excess sulphate ions (Harborne, 1975;Manurung et al., 2021;Owczarek et al., 2017). In this perspective Couroupita guianensis is a tree found in wet areas and river banks subjected to periodic flooding (Lim, 2012) and this observation suggests the close correlation between the place of the plant species growing and its metabolite profile. In the present research, a new natural molecule (compound 19) corresponding to an ellagic acid glycosylated with a moiety of sulphated glucuronide acid was isolated and identified by NMR from Couroupita guianensis bark. ...
Ethnopharmacological relevance:
In the Amazon rainforest, the shamans of the Mayantuyacu site use the healing virtues of decoctions and teas from different parts of the Couroupita guianensis Aubl. (Lecythidaceae) trees as remedies in Ashaninka medicine. However, composition of the remedy and the underlying mechanism remain unclear.
Aim of the study:
This study was designed to compare the metabolite profile of Couroupita guianensis bark decoction produced by Amazonian shamans with that obtained under standardised laboratory conditions and to investigate biological properties of both decoction and isolated constituents in skin wound healing process and inflammation.
Materials and methods:
The chemical analyses were carried out by Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with UV and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry detectors (UHPLC-UV-HRMS). 1D- and 2D-NMR experiments were performed to identify the main decoction constituents. The decoction and pure compound effect on keratinocyte migration was determined by the in vitro wound healing model; the mechanism of action was elucidated by western blot analysis.
Results:
UHPLC-UV-HRMS analysis revealed the occurrence of polyphenolic compounds as catechins, ellagitannins and, notably, of unusual sulphated derivatives of ellagic acid isolated for the first time from Couroupita guianensis bark. A new natural sulphated molecule [4-(2″-O-sulphate- β-D-glucuronopyranosyl) ellagic acid] was identified as the potential active compound responsible for the efficacy of bark decoction stimulating wound healing in human HaCaT keratinocytes. The molecular mechanism involved the induction of pro-migratory pathways mediated by ERK and AKT phosphorylation and the increase of MMP2 expression in HaCaT cells. At the same time, the treatment inhibited inflammation interfering with NFkB activation.
Conclusion:
Beyond identifying a new bioactive compound, the overall results scientifically validate the traditional use of Couroupita guianensis bark decoction as an anti-inflammatory remedy. Moreover, the beneficial effects on keratinocytes suggest promising therapeutic applications in skin diseases.
... The cocoa cultivation phase is the start of a multi-phased process that is known as the chocolate production process. The chocolate producing process reveals the existence of four distinct species of cocoa that are distributed throughout various regions worldwide (Alves et al., 2007;Bekele et al., 2020;Elwers et al., 2009;Lachenaud and Motamayor 2017;Lim 2012). Subsequently, Fig. 8 will provide a comprehensive depiction of the global distribution and ancestral origins of several cocoa species. ...
Consumer buying behavior can be defined as all the different steps that consumers follow before purchasing agood or service. Web browser research, involvement in online networking discussions, and a range of other activities might be a part of this process. Despite the negative effects of its production chain on the environment, andon the socio-economical condition of local farmers, chocolate products are among the most distributed food andbeverage items in the world. In this review, the consumer responsibility for sustainable cocoa production is described. This study determines the consumer opinions and attitudes on the different operations pursued in theproduction chain of chocolate, from the collection of cocoa beans to their processing into different final products. For this, data on life cycle assessment from some studies was gathered to identify and investigate links betweenthe production chain of different types of chocolate (dark, white, milk) and its impact on natural resources sothat the sensitivity of consumers to purchase more sustainable products can be evaluated. This approach revealedthat consumers will not only purchase chocolate because of its good quality or health benefits, but they also consider it the most sustainable product.
... The use of NSAIDs is highly recommended in dysmenorrhea [21], with several randomized studies supporting this practice [46,47]. Similarly, the efficacy of herbal remedies such as fennel, thyme, and anise is based on their anti-inflammatory action [15,23]. The topics related to menstrual cycle practices are under-represented in the literature and are poorly practiced in developing countries' communities, especially among refugees where access to private clean sanitary facilities could be difficult [44]. ...
Background
Dysmenorrhea is wide spread gynecological disorder among that affect the quality of life of women world wide. The current study aims to examine whether war displacement, mental health symptoms, and other clinical factors are associated with dysmenorrhea severity.
Methods
This is a cross-sectional case-control study recruiting two groups: displaced Syrian women and un-displaced local Jordanian women. Demographics and clinical details were recorded. The severity of dysmenorrhea was assessed using WaLIDD scale, the PHQ-9 scale was emplyed to assess depressive symptoms, anxiety was assessed using the GAD-7 scale, and insomnia was assessed using the ISI-A scale. Predictors of severe dysmenorrhea in females using multivariate binary logistic regression.
Results
Out of 808 of the total participants, 396 (49%) were Syrian displaced war refugees, 424 (42.5%) reported using paracetamol, 232 (23.2%) were using NSAIDs, and 257 (25.9%) using herbal remedies. Severe dysmenorrhea was associated with war displacement (OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.49–3.08, p < 0.001), not using NSAIDs (OR = 2.75, 95% CI = 1.91–3.95, p < 0.001), not using herbal remedies (OR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.13–3.60, p = 0.01), depression (OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.40–3.29, p < 0.001), and insomnia (OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.14–2.42, p = 0.009).
Conclusions
War displacement, type of analgesic, depression, and insomnia are risk factors for severe dysmenorrhea.
... Protein pada alpukat termasuk yang tertinggi di antara tanaman buah lainnya (Zanariah & Rehan, 1987;Lim, 2012). Selain sebagai asupan langsung, alpukat dapat ditambahkan pada makanan olahan untuk meningkatkan kadar protein seperti pada pembuatan nata de coco (Wahyuni, 2011 ...
The aim of this study was to determine flowering behavior, fruit harvesting age and proximate levels of the flesh of the four West Sumatera superior avocado varieties, i.e: Mega Gagauan, Mega Murapi, Mega Paninggahan and Tongar. The research was conducted in Indonesian Tropical Fruit Research Institute from October 2020 to August 2022. The plant materials was used Mega Gagagauan, Mega Murapi, Mega Paninggahan and Tongar which 2 trees each variety. Parameters observed i.e: flower type, blooming time, fruit age, fruit character, and proximate content of flesh. Data were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that Mega Gagauan, Mega Murapi and Mega Paninggahan had type B flowers, while Tongar had type A flowers. The time difference between the first and second blooms on the same day for Mega Gagauan and Mega Murapi was 1 and 2 hours, while there is no time difference in Mega Paninggahan and Tongar. The fruits harvesting age of Mega Gagauan, Mega Murapi, Mega Paninggahan, and Tongar are i.e: 161; 232; 160; and 170.42 days. Tongar had the lowest water content (73.83%) and the highest fat (15.30%), Mega Murapi had the lowest crude fiber content (2.82%), and Mega Paninggahan had the highest protein content (1.87%). Mega Paninggahan was considered the best variety based on the observed character and this research data can be used as the basic for determining actions of cultivating avocado plant.
... The results of chromatogram separation using GC-MS are shown in Figures 2 and 3, with 35-and 60-minutes separation times for the ethyl acetate fraction and residue. The most significant chemical compound, according to the percentage of the highest peak value, was germacrene D. This is in line with previous studies 3, 14 , which stated that germacrene D is the most abundant compound obtained from L. domesticum. Germacrene is a terpenoid compound, and the sesquiterpene group is volatile. ...
Langsat (Lansium domesticum) is a plant that thrives in the tropics. The search for photoprotective compounds derived from natural ingredients has been intensively conducted to develop cosmetic formulations to obtain safe and protective products against UV rays. This study aims to identify chemical compounds in the ethyl acetate fraction and residues of ethanol extract from L. domesticum bark using tube and gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry tests. At the same time, the antioxidant activity and SPF values were assessed with the DPPH and FRAP methods. The qualitative GC-MS test obtained the percentage peak value and molecular weight. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity was tested using the compound DPPH measured with an ELISA reader at a wavelength of 515.5 nm with UV/vis spectrophotometer and FRAP method using FeCl3 and TPTZ compounds at 615 nm. The SPF value was assessed using Mansur's formula with UV/Vis spectrophotometer at 290 to 320 nm. The results obtained in the ethyl acetate fraction showed terpenoids, while the residue contains phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, and saponins. The GC-MS tests found that the ethyl acetate fraction had 47 types of chemical compounds, including terpenoids and fatty acids group; in the residue, four classes were found, with terpenoid and fatty acid groups being more predominant. Based on the results, the ethyl acetate fraction has an IC50 value of 341.25±26.45 µg/ml and 436.3±10.8 µg/ml; the residue was 94.72±34.22 µg/ml and 2602.79±11.8 µg/ml. Additionally, the SPF values for both were 2.87 and 3.9.
... Moringa Próstata, regula diabetes Estimulante cardíaco y circulatorio, problemas de riñón, hígado, anemia (Lim, 2012), antidiabético, anticatarral, bronquitis, disfunción sexual (Gonzalez, 2018) Moringa oleifera Moringacea ...
The use of medicinal plants has been an ancestral custom that, despite advances in science and medical advances, continues to be part of popular culture in many cities of Latin America. The present work seeks to publicize the popular use of medicinal plants by the population of the city of Guayaquil. The municipal markets in which medicinal plants are sold were identified, then a semi-structured survey was applied to gather information on the use of medicinal plants. It was determined that of the 34 public markets in the city, the study product is sold in 10 of them, the largest amount in the north and center of the city. Most of the vendors only have primary education and all of them are native to the Ecuadorian highlands, while the most cited plants are horsetail, and boldo, followed by rue and dandelion. It was determined that in urban areas the consumption of medicinal plants is maintained at a certain percentage, in addition, the ancestral knowledge about the use of medicinal plants is evidenced, it is an oral tradition without physical record for its disclosure, for which it is in danger of disappearing over time
... The first-year dosage of fertilizer is Sodium (20 g), Phosphorus pentoxide (18 g) and Potassium oxide (50 g). Then its dosage increases to 300 g, 250 g and 750 g respectively (18). Vegetative propagation of pimenta is grafting, budding or sprouting, approach grafting and top working (19). ...
Allspice (Pimenta dioica L.) has been used since time immemorial for its culinary and medicinal qualities. Its unique characteristics are flavor conglomerates of cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. Eugenol (60–90% in the berries, >90% in the leaves) is the key component followed by 1,8-cineole, α-humulene, β-caryophyllene and cadinene derivatives of pimenta essential oil that imparts health and wellness. Recent studies represent eugenol and gallic acid as selective antitumor and anti-proliferative agents besides excellent antioxidants, anticancerous agents, antimicrobial molecules. Currently, pimenta has received considerable attention in developed countries due to its promising pharmaceutical properties and culinary consumption. Thus, the need with emphasis for explorations of active packaging using the biomolecule from pimenta in developing flavor biofilms, micro and nano delivery systems in extending biomedical applications, food and beverage industries is indicated. This review emphasizes the processing, chemistry, applications of pimenta and impending modes of green and sustainable technologies besides the development of value-added products.
... The moisture content of the 2 coffee substitutes meets the quality standards for ground coffee in SNI 01-3542-2004, where the maximum moisture content for ground coffee is 7% (BSN, 2004). The ash content in the coffee substitutes powder are minerals such as calcium, potassium, iron, sodium and phosphorus which is not losable (Lim, 2012). The quality standards required for ash content according to SNI 01-3542-2004 is a maximum of 5% (BSN, 2004). ...
Durian seeds are known for their ability to produce the same flavour and aroma as regular coffee beans if it goes through the roasting process. Hence, in this research, optimization of roasting treatment will be carried out at a certain temperature (200-240oC) and roasting time (30-60 mins) to obtain a comparable aroma and taste with the Robusta and Arabica coffee. The optimization was done by using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) method from the program Design Expert 11.1.0.1Ò . The optimization results showed that the optimum temperature and roasting time for durian seeds are 240oC and 47.63 mins for it to be comparable with the Robusta coffee and 229.48oC for 52.27 mins for it to be comparable with the Arabica coffee, both having a similarity level of 69%. The flavour profile from the optimized product was then determined using the Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) consisting of 6 attributes (sweet, bitter, sour, fruity aroma, fruity flavour, and roasted flavour). The Robusta coffee substitute has low caffeine content (0.26±0.00%), lightness value of 34.05±0.43, oHue value of 38.01±0.10, pH of 6.40±0.02, moisture content of 2.18%±0.05, ash content of 3.84±0.10%, fat content of 1.41±0.07%, protein content of 9.71±0.06%, and carbohydrate content of 85.04±0.30%, while the substitute for the Arabica coffee also has a low caffeine content of 0.24±0.00%, a lightness value of 35.23±0.17, oHue value of 39.88±0.60, pH of 5.67±0.01, moisture content of 2.22±0.05%, an ash content of 3.75±0.07%, a fat content of 1.34±0.09%, protein content of 9.63±0.00%, and a carbohydrate content of 85.28±0.23%.
Background/Objectives: The rose myrtle Rhodomyrtus tomentosa is a medicinal plant used in traditional Asian medicine. The active compound in R. tomentosa leaf extracts is rhodomyrtone, a chiral acylphloroglucinol. Rhodomyrtone exhibits an impressive breadth of activities, including antibacterial, antiviral, antiplasmodial, immunomodulatory, and anticancer properties. Its antibacterial properties have been extensively studied. Methods: We performed a comprehensive literature review on rhodomyrtone and summarized the current knowledge about this promising acylphloroglucinol antibiotic and its diverse functions in this review. Results: Rhodomyrtone shows nano to micromolar activities against a broad range of Gram-positive pathogens, including multidrug-resistant clinical isolates, and possesses a unique mechanism of action. It increases membrane fluidity and creates hyperfluid domains that attract membrane proteins prior to forming large membrane vesicles, effectively acting as a membrane protein trap. This mechanism affects a multitude of cellular processes, including cell division and cell wall synthesis. Additionally, rhodomyrtone reduces the expression of inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-17A, IL1β, and IL8. Generally showing low toxicity against mammalian cells, rhodomyrtone does inhibit the proliferation of cancer cell lines, such as epidermal carcinoma cells. The primary mechanism behind this activity appears to be the downregulation of adhesion kinases and growth factors. Furthermore, rhodomyrtone has shown antioxidant activity and displays cognitive effects, such as decreasing depressive symptoms in mice. Conclusions: Rhodomyrtone shows great promise as therapeutic agent, mostly for antibacterial but also for diverse other applications. Yet, bottlenecks such as resistance development and a better understanding of mammalian cell toxictiy demand careful assessment.
Recently, neglected and underutilized species (NUS) have deservedly come to the forefront of scientific interest because they can contribute to the human nutrition, due to the content of bioactive substances such as antioxidants. Despite the great diversity and rich tradition in the use of Philippine NUS, the nutritional properties of many edible plants remain unexplored. The main objective of this study was to evaluate various parts of eleven NUS fruits and vegetables traditionally consumed in the Philippines, namely Allaeanthus luzonicus, Canarium ovatum, Dillenia philippinensis, Ficus pseudopalma, Flacourtia indica, Flacourtia inermis, Garcinia intermedia, Heliotropium arboreum, Posoqueria latifolia, Stelechocarpus burahol, and Sterculia quadrifida for their total phenolic content (TPC) and in vitro antioxidant activity (DPPH and ORAC assays). Inflorescence of A. luzonicus (DPPH IC50 = 91.0 μg/mL, ORAC IC50 = 37.9 μg/mL) and fruit of S. burahol (DPPH IC50 = 253.7 μg/mL, ORAC IC50 = 32.2 μg/mL) showed the strongest antioxidant activity in both assays. These two species also had the highest TPC (202.1 and 133.0 µg GAE/mg extract, respectively). For all samples tested, a strong correlation was found between TPC and antioxidant activity. Based on our results, A. luzonicus and S. burahol have promising potential as novel antioxidant rich food.
The current research was conducted to explore, for the first time, Tagetes erecta L. (family Asteraceae) fruits from northwest Iran in terms of the chemical composition of essential and fixed oils, their cytotoxic activities, and the inhibitory effect of essential oil on the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. The volatile oil was obtained through hydrodistillation (Clevenger apparatus). According to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis, the essential oil was rich in cyclic monoterpenoids, 2-isopropyl-5-methyl-3-cyclohexen-1-one (19.99%), d-limonene (12.75%), terpinolene (11.64%) and also the saturated fatty acid palmitic acid (19.09%). Furthermore, the seeds of T. erecta were extracted using hexane by the maceration method. The analysis of fatty acid profile of the fixed oil by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) demonstrated that the most predominant fatty acids in fixed oil were linoleic acid (59.53%), palmitic acid (13.70%), stearic acid (10.20%), and oleic acid (9.20%). The cytotoxic activity of essential oil, crude oil, and fraction A (obtained from fixed oil) were evaluated by using the MTT assay on MCF7 (human breast cancer cell line), PC3 (human prostate cancer cell line), and U87MG (human glioblastoma cell line). Finally, the effect of essential oil on inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway was evaluated using real-time PCR. The essential oil exhibited vigorous cytotoxic activity on the U87MG cell line, with an IC50 value of 32.65 μg/mL. Interestingly, the essential oil significantly inhibited the PI3K/AKT/mTOR cascade compared to the non-treated group. Our results suggest that the essential oil holds promise as an anticancer agent for glioblastoma cell lines. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report on the profile of the essential oil of T. erecta fruits and its implications for targeting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.
Piper nigrum L., commonly known as black pepper, belongs to the family Piperaceae. The pepper seed is a very well-known spice with valuable medicinal properties. Piper nigrum grows in many tropical regions. The black and white peppers both are grains of the same plant species, known as P. nigrum. The former consists of dried immature berries whereas the latter is the fully ripened berries. In addition to its wide usage as a spice, it has been used traditionally for the treatment of several health problems in different systems of traditional medicine. Moreover, preclinical and clinical studies show that it has several pharmacological activities and clinical efficacies. Piperine, as a piperamide derivative, is one of the most important constituent and biomarker of P. nigrum. In the recent years, this valuable natural product has attracted much attention for their diverse and potent pharmacological activities. Thus, the aim of the present chapter is having a glance at P. nigrum and its main alkaloid, piperine, traditionally, phytochemically, and pharmacologically.
Gnetum gnemon L. is an evergreen tree that belongs to the Gnetaceae family and is commonly used as a vegetable and medicinal plant among indigenous people. The key goal of this study was to assess the antibacterial efficacy of ethanolic G. gnemon leaf extract (EGLE) against six food-borne pathogens. The antimicrobial activity of EGLE was evaluated using multiple methods, including the well diffusion assay (WDA), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and time-kill assay. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was used to identify active volatile compounds responsible for EGLE's antibacterial activities. Total plate count (TPC) was conducted to measure microbial populations and evaluate the efficacy of EGLE as a natural preservative in raw quail eggs. 100 g of dried and powdered sample yielded an average of 11.58 ± 0.38 % post-extraction. The inhibition zone in WDA ranged from 11.00 ± 0.57–13.50 ± 0.58 mm, MIC ranged from 6.25 to 50.00 mg/mL, and MBC values were between 12.5 and >50 mg/mL. Results from the time-kill study showed that at 4 × MIC Bacillus pumilus and B. megaterium were completely killed in 1 h incubation time and other bacteria were killed within 2–4 h. Findings from TPC demonstrated that at the highest tested concentration of EGLE, there was no significant bacterial growth for a 30-day observation period. Thereby, suggesting that it had the potential to function as a natural preservative for raw quail eggs. EGLE may be a viable alternative to synthetic preservatives in combating food-borne pathogens.
Background
As one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, Indonesia contains over 25,000 plant species, including unconventional food plants (UFPs). These plants are integral to the dietary practices of rural communities, providing essential nutrients often overlooked in modern diets. However, the use of UFP is declining, with both their dietary and cultural values being undermined. In rural West Java, this decline in UFP biodiversity coincides with public health challenges related to malnutrition. This study aims to document the diversity of UFPs used by local communities in rural West Java, assess their nutritional value, and explore their consumption practices.
Methods
Data were collected using mixed methods, including interviews with 20 key informants and food frequency questionnaire administered to 107 women in three villages in the area. The nutritional compositions of documented UFPs were obtained from literature and analysis. Bivariate correlation was used to analyze the relationships between UFP consumption frequency and potential correlates.
Results
The study documented 52 species of UFPs from 29 families, many of which are rich in nutritional value. About half of respondents (56%) consumed UFPs moderately (2–3 times a week). UFP consumption frequency had a strong correlation (r = 0.70) with associated knowledge (r = 0.70, p < 0.01) and a weak correlation with age (r = 0.240, p = 0.015), livestock possession (r = 0.260, p = 0.008), and family size (r = − 0.220, p = 0.02). Motivations for UFP consumption included availability as free food (33%), medicinal value (26%), nostalgic value (23%), and preferred taste (18%). Most respondents (92%) agreed that consumption has declined compared to the past, with perceived reduced availability and lack of knowledge cited as the primary reasons for the declining trend.
Conclusions
UFP use is common in the study area, where local communities value these plants for their critical roles in diet, medicine, and culture. Given their significant potential to meet dietary needs, educating and raising awareness about UFPs can enhance their consumption and contribute to food and nutrition security.
Purpose of Review
The Amazon region has a high biodiversity of flora, with an elevated variety of fruits, such as Camu-Camu (Myrciaria dúbia), Açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.), Tucumã (Astrocaryum aculeatum and Astrocaryum vulgare), Fruta-do-conde (Annona squamosa L.), Cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum), Graviola (Annona muricata L.), Guarana (Paullinia cupana Kunth var. sorbilis), and Pitanga (Eugenia uniflora), among many others, that are rich in phytochemicals, minerals and vitamins with prominent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential.
Recent Findings
Studies evaluating the chemical composition of these fruits have observed a high content of nutrients and bioactive compounds. Such components are associated with significant biological effects in treating various non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and related complications.
Summary
Regular intake of these fruits from Amazonas emerges as a potential therapeutic approach to preventing and treating NCDs as a nutritional strategy to reduce the incidence or mitigate common complications in these patients, which are the leading global causes of death. As studies remain largely unexplored, this narrative review discusses the possible health-beneficial effects for patients with NCDs.
Zanthoxylum simulans Hance, commonly known as Sichuan pepper, is a well-known medicinal plant recognized for its potential as a source of bioactive specialized metabolites. As part of our interest in natural antifungal compounds, the present study describes the discovery of an unreported N-alcoxycarbonylbenzo[c]phenanthridinium salt, N-methoxycarbonyl-9,12-dimethoxy-norchelerythrine 1 (a type-III benzo[c]phenanthridine), isolated from Z. simulans seedlings, which were propagated under controlled greenhouse conditions. Six-month seedlings were harvested and subjected to cold acid–base extraction. Chromatographic techniques achieved the isolation of 1 from raw alkaloid extract. The structural elucidation of 1 was accomplished through comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, including nuclear magnetic resonance and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Fusarium oxysporum, a fungal pathogen responsible for substantial agricultural losses, was exposed to different concentrations of the novel compound, exhibiting potent antifungal efficacy (IC50 < 3 µM) and fungicide effects. These findings highlight the potential of benzophenanthridines as antifungal leads and underscore the importance of exploring natural products for agricultural applications.
The Ecuadorian Amazon harbors numerous wild and cultivated species used as food, many of which are underutilized. This review explores the bioactive potential of five such fruits—Borojó (Alibertia patinoi); Chonta (Bactris gasipaes); Arazá (Eugenia stipitata); Amazon grape (Pourouma cecropiifolia), a wild edible plant; and Cocona (Solanum sessiliflorum)—and their applications against metabolic syndrome. This study highlights their health-promoting ingredients and validates traditional medicinal properties, emphasizing their significance in improving health and mitigating the effects of the Western diet. These fruits, integral to Ecuadorian cuisine, are consumed fresh and processed. Chonta is widely cultivated but less prominent than in pre-Hispanic times, Borojó is known for its aphrodisiac properties, Cocona is traditional in northern provinces, Arazá is economically significant in food products, and Amazon grape is the least utilized and researched. The fruits are rich in phenolics (A. patinoi, E. stipitata) and carotenoids (B. gasipaes, E. stipitata), which are beneficial in controlling metabolic syndrome. This study advocates for more research and product development, especially for lesser-known species with high phenolic and anthocyanin content. This research underscores the economic, cultural, and nutritional value of these fruits, promoting their integration into modern diets and contributing to sustainable agriculture, cultural preservation, and public health through functional foods and nutraceuticals.
Vigna mungo is a member of the family Fabaceae and important medicinal plant that is widely consumed as food in South Asia. It is commonly referred as Black Gram, Urad daal and Maash. It is traditionally used for strangulated bowel syndrome, dyspepsia, constipation, neuropathy, hepatopathy, gastritis, diarrhea, rheumatism, diabetes, etc. This review article provides up-to-date information on V. mungo, including its reported ethnopharmacology, pharmacological activities, phytochemistry and nutritious composition. Articles were screened from databases such as Web of Science, SpringerLink, Google Scholar, PubMed, Medline Plus, Elsevier, and Science Direct. V. mungo contains phytochemical including alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, steroids, tannins, phenolic compounds, fatty acids, carbohydrates, amino acids, vitamins, and carotenoids. These compounds exert pharmacological activities both in-vitro and in-vivo including antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-hyperlipidemic, immunostimulatory, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, antibacterial, anthelmintic, thrombolytic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, ulcerogenic, anticonvulsant, nootropic, anti-osteoarthritic, aphrodisiac, spermatogenic and anticancer activities. Currently, scientific data in supports of the biological activities are scarce. We suggest more in-depth to determine its clinical efficacy.
Naturally derived essential oils and their active components are known to possess various properties, ranging from anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-cancer activities. Numerous types of essential oils and active components have been discovered, and their permissive roles have been addressed in various fields. In this comprehensive review, we focused on the roles of essential oils and active components in skin diseases and cancers as discovered over the past three decades. In particular, we opted to highlight the effectiveness of essential oils and their active components in developing strategies against various skin diseases and skin cancers and to describe the effects of the identified essential-oil-derived major components from physiological and pathological perspectives. Overall, this review provides a basis for the development of novel therapies for skin diseases and cancers, especially melanoma.
Durian (Durio zibethinus L.), a tropical fruit celebrated in Southeast Asia for its distinct flavor, is the focus of this comprehensive review. The fruit’s pulp is rich in high-value bioactive compounds, including gamma-glutamylcysteine, a precursor to the essential antioxidant glutathione. With durian cultivation gaining prominence in Southeast Asia due to its economic potential through cultivar enhancement, an in-depth examination of durian-related research becomes crucial. This review explores the health benefits of durian, analyzing the nutritional compositions and bioactive compounds present in the pulp, peel, and seed. It also underscores durian-based food products and the potential for valorizing durian waste. This review encapsulates the significant advancements made in omics-based research, aimed at deciphering the molecular complexities of durian fruit post-harvest ripening and the metabolic shifts impacting its sensory attributes. It is the first to summarize studies across genome, transcriptome, and metabolome levels. Future research should prioritize the development of molecular markers to accelerate the breeding of elite cultivars with preferred traits. It also proposes the exploration of durian waste valorization, including underexplored parts like flowers and leaves for their bioactive compounds, to promote a sustainable bioeconomy. Finally, it suggests the development of innovative durian products catering to the tastes of health-conscious consumers.
Piper retrofractum Vahl contains piperine compounds that, once extracted, have the disadvantages of low solubility and bioavailability. The enhanced solubility will significantly impact the absorption of medications in the body, resulting in rapid and noticeable results. Nanoparticle technology was developed to overcome this problem. The research aims to obtain optimum conditions for synthesizing Javanese long pepper extract nanoparticles under optimal particle size, Polydispersity Index (PDI), and piperine content. The research employed the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) method utilizing Central Composite Design (CCD) with a ratio factor of chitosan:STTP and the stirring speed. The utilization of RSM facilitated the optimization of nanoparticle manufacturing by considering various treatment parameters. RMS was selected due to its relevance as a tool for optimizing the manufacturing process of nanoparticles. The RMS result represents the optimal state of the nanoparticle manufacturing process, effectively addressing the study objectives. The research findings indicated that the most favorable circumstances for producing nanoparticles from Javanese long pepper extract were achieved with a chitosan:STTP ratio of 3,241:1 and a stirring speed of 826,133 rpm. The nanoparticles were obtained under these specific conditions, resulting in an optimal particle size of 33,884 nm, an optimal Polydispersity Index (PDI) of 0.675, and an optimal piperine content of 26,936%. This research provides valuable insights for the community and the pharmaceutical/herbal sector regarding using piperine compounds as therapeutic substances. Specifically, it highlights their potential to enhance bioavailability and absorption in the body.
Scientists have been compelled to search for alternative treatments due to the increasing prevalence of chemoresistance as well as the agonising and distressing side effects of both chemotherapy and radiation. Plant extracts have been exploited to treat various medical conditions for ages. Considering this fact, the main focus of various recent studies that are being conducted to find new and potent anticancer drugs involves the identification and utilisation of potential therapeutic chemicals present in plant extracts. Koetjapic acid (KJA), which belongs to the family of triterpenes, is primarily isolated from Sandoricum koetjape. Ongoing investigations into its therapeutic applications have revealed its tendency to impede the growth and proliferation of cancer cells. Koetjapic acid activates the intrinsic apoptotic pathway and promotes the death of cancer cells. Moreover, it inhibits angiogenesis and the dissemination of tumour (metastasis) by targeting the VEGF signalling cascade. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the underlying mechanism of anticancer activity of koetjapic acid, providing significant insight into the compound’s potential as an anticancer agent.
The plant kingdom has plenty of plants with herbal activities. Amongst them Mesua ferrea, also known as “Nagakesar”, is a species with several medicinal properties. M. ferrea is a rare plant species, typically found in the tropical region. Possesses various medicinal properties such as anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, analgesic, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, cardioprotective etc. Due to its pharmacological potential, Mesua ferrea is traditionally used by tribal people. This chapter summarizes knowledge about its traditional use, phytoconstituents and pharmacological properties.
In the last few years, a paradigm shift has been observed in the eating habits and food choices of the population. People are getting more concerned about their diet’s health impact and have started adapting simple food products rather than processed ones. Therefore, people include seed sprouts and products derived from sprouts in their daily diet. Moreover, mung and adzuki bean sprouts are of high nutritive value, and people in countries like China, Japan, India etc., have been consuming them for centuries, as in their traditional food products. The physicochemical changes during sprouting can reduce the antinutritional factors like phytic acid in beans; additionally, the adzuki bean sprouting process helps soften the outer layer. Therefore, the overall nutritive value of sprouted mung and adzuki beans is increased along with improved digestibility. However, careless handling during the sprouting process led to various microorganisms’ growth, increasing the risk of health hazards. Therefore, proper care and improved methods for sprouting will aid in producing high-quality mung and adzuki bean sprouts, which can be further utilized in the production of various traditional and new food product development with a superior nutritive profile.
Post-dispersal seed removal is crucial for maintaining plant recruitment by influencing secondary dispersal and the mortality of seeds. However, data on seed removal in the northern savanna of Ghana is scarce. In this study, we applied a rapid assessment method to examine the effect of three habitat types (conventional farmland, agroforestry parkland, and woodland) and two seed species (Leucaena leucocephala and Faidherbia albida) on seed removal by invertebrates and vertebrates in an agricultural landscape using selective exclosures in Nyankpala, a town located in the northern savanna of Ghana. The exclosures, closed and open, were designed to impose restrictions that allow either invertebrates or both invertebrates and vertebrates access to seeds. Using a generalized linear mixed modelling approach, we showed that habitat type and seed species significantly influenced the rate of seed removal, with the woodland habitat and F. albida seeds recording the highest removal rates. Our results suggest that invertebrates often dominated seed removal events compared to vertebrates, possibly due to differences in allometry and morphological traits and their effect on seed preference. This study adds to the growing evidence that savanna habitats and fauna play a critical role in maintaining plant population dynamics through seed predation and dispersal events.
The present study deals with the comparison of traditional fruit processing methods on medlar fruits and their effects on sugar content, organic acids, and phenolic composition in the medlar fruit variety ‘Domača nešplja’. The study aimed to analyze which processing methods can be used to make technologically mature medlar fruits that are not yet suitable for consumption edible and to maintain their good chemical quality. The two major sugars in medlars are fructose (59.30 g/kg FW) and glucose (54.43 g/kg FW), and the most abundant organic acids present are malic (8.44 g/kg FW) and quinic acid (8.77 g/kg FW). A total of 38 different phenolic compounds were identified in the medlar fruits: 13 phenolic acids, 9 flavanols, 1 flavone, 3 flavanones, and 12 flavonol glycosides. To explicate: phenolic acids (532.85 mg/kg FW) and flavanols (375.21 mg/kg FW) predominated; neochlorogenic acid had the highest content among phenolic acids; and procyanidins were the most abundant flavanols. The analysis observed statistical differences in metabolite content amongst fruits treated differently (technologically ripe fruits (harvested from the three fruits), edible fruits (technologically ripe fruits stored at 8 °C for 25 days), fruits exposed to the hoarfrost (temperature −1 °C to −4 °C), fruits heated at 60 °C (3 h), and frozen fruits (at −20 °C for 2 months). The lowest levels of fructose (191.77–195.1 g/kg DW) and sorbitol (29.35–31.3 g/kg DW) were detected in the heated and edible fruits. Edible fruits had a 30% lower content of organic acids than technologically ripe fruits and a five times lower content of flavanols, whereas flavonols had an 18.7 times lower content of phenolic acids than technologically ripe fruits. Heating the fruits to 60 °C resulted in a 40% increase in total phenolic compounds in medlars. The results of the study indicate that exposure of medlar fruit to hoarfrost does not significantly affect the chemical quality of the fruit and only minimally alters the composition of sugars, acids, and phenolic compounds. The processing of medlar fruit with hoarfrost, therefore, remains the most suitable method of fruit bletting.
Understanding tourists’ perceptions and appreciation of traditional food products (TFPs) is crucial for developing effective marketing and development strategies for poor economies with tourism potential, such as Cambodia. Lots of TFPs are derived from underutilised plant species, which are generally undervalued in economic terms. The aim of the study was to analyse tourists’ familiarity with both conventional (i.e., wider known and used) and underutilised Cambodian TFPs. A total of 1271 international tourists were interviewed in the country’s three most visited regions. A pairwise matrix was used to document tourists’ preferences, χ2 test to determine associations between respondents’ preferences and socio-demographic characteristics, a bivariate probit model to examine factors influencing these attitudes, and an ordered probit model to analyse factors influencing willingness-to-pay for TFPs. A total of 923 respondents (72.6%) were familiar with at least one TFP. Kampot pepper, palm sugar and Rumduol rice were the best-known conventional TFPs, while Maprang, Kramsang and Ma-om were the better-known underutilised TFPs. Willingness-to-buy a TFP increased with prior knowledge of and familiarity with TFPs, education, religion and available budget. Low awareness, a short stay in Cambodia and possible health problems associated with their use were the main barriers to trying a TFP. Greater awareness, better organised distribution, improved packaging and labelling will be needed to increase TFP success among tourists, especially of those defined as underutilised.
Elephant apple (Dillenia indica L.) grows wild in Southeast Asia’s forests, including in China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Elephant apples are considered essential fruit crops because of their high nutritional value, which includes high levels of vitamin C, carbohydrates, fats, fibre, protein, minerals, and fatty acids. It is important to understand the nutritional value and health benefits of elephant apples in order to increase fruit intake in people’s daily diets. The present review paper focuses on elephant apple’s phytochemistry, bioactive compounds, therapeutic value, and medicinal capabilities for designing and developing a wide range of food formulations. Proteins, minerals, fats, crude fibre, carbohydrates, vitamin C, tannins, malic acid, and glucose are abundant in the leaves, bark, and fruit of the elephant apple. In addition to nutritional components, many phytochemicals found in elephant apples have been identified as bioactive compounds with a broad range of biological activities, the most prominent of which are antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Overall, elephant apple is a rich, natural source of bioactive compounds with potential applications in the production of value-added foods and nutraceuticals for disease prevention and management.
Underutilized legumes are common crops in developing countries with superior dietary potentials that could be useful sources of protein as well as some phytoconstituents. They are more tolerant of abiotic environmental conditions like drought than the major legumes. This makes them more adapted to harsh soil and climatic conditions, which helps to minimize the pressure brought on by climate change. However, despite their potential, underutilized legumes have been greatly overlooked compared to the major legumes due to supply constraints. Underutilized legumes in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae are better suited for use as animal feeds with little or no value as food for humans, and the extracts and infusions of the different parts of plant species in this subfamily are traditionally used for the treatment of different diseases. In addition, underutilized legumes in this subfamily contain phytoconstituents that are of pharmacological relevance, some of which have been isolated, characterized and evaluated for use in the treatment of a variety of disorders. Therefore, this review describes the medicinal activities of some selected underutilized legumes from five genera in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae as well as their phytoconstituents, which could be exploited as lead compounds for drug discovery.
Practice and Re-emergence of Herbal Medicine focuses on current research in Indian traditional medicine. Chapters cover many facets of herbal medicine, including quality control and experimental validation, intellectual property issues, pharmacovigilance and the therapeutic use of herbal medicine. The book informs readers about the effectiveness of traditional medicine systems, like Ayurveda and Siddha, in the region with reference to specific communities. The book also highlights herbal medications for diseases such as COVID-19, cancer and erectile dysfunction. The book is a timely reference for researchers interested in ethnobotany, alternative medicine and the practice of herbal medicine in indigenous communities.
Series Introduction:
Natural Medicine is a series of edited volumes that aims to be a repository of knowledge on herbal and traditional medicine with the goal of attracting a global audience. Contributions to the series will present evidence of the efficacy of plant-based medicine against disease. The series will also highlight issues in herbal medicine practice and research.
Myristica argentea Warb. 1891 and M. fatua Houtt. 1774 are two South-East Asian food tree species. They are harvested from the wild or cultivated for local uses as a condiment (nutmeg and mace), medicine, and source of wood. In this study, we reconstructed the complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of these two species from whole genome sequencing data using the Illumina NovaSeq platform. The genome sizes of M. argentea and M. fatua were respectively 155,871 base pairs (bp) and 155,898 bp, including 126 genes and an overall GC content of 39.20% in both species. Our study provides useful resources for future evolutionary research and diversity analysis of Myristica species.
The Philippines as a tropical country is home to several indigenous berries that offer enough supply of health-promoting bioactive compounds like vitamin C. Vitamin C is an important micronutrient in the human diet that is usually supplied by fruits and vegetables. The amount of this vitamin in different products varies depending on the species, variety, maturity, processing, and other conditions. In this study, the vitamin C contents of selected Philippine indigenous berries such as bignay and lipote were evaluated as affected by fruit maturity and processing treatment. Fruits of two bignay ( Antidesma bunius (Linn.) Spreng), varieties, ‘Common’ and ‘Kalabaw’, as well as of lipote ( Syzygium polycephaloides (C. B. Rob.) Merr.), at three maturity stages (unripe, half-ripe, and fully ripe) were acquired in Laguna, Philippines. Samples were subjected to two processing treatments: blanched (90 ± 5 °C, 2 minutes) and steamed (105 ± 5 °C, 5 minutes), while control samples did not undergo processing treatment. The flesh and seeds were separated, lyophilized, extracted, and subjected to quantification of vitamin C using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Results showed that the vitamin C levels of both fruits were significantly affected by maturity, processing, and their interaction ( P < .05). In general, a concomitant increase in vitamin C content was noted as fruit maturity progressed for both flesh and seeds (0.3 to 1.7-fold increase). Lipote seeds on the other hand, had decreased vitamin C content as maturity progresses (0.6-fold decrease). Moreover, blanching the fruits resulted in the highest retention of vitamin C in the fruit samples (247% at most). The general findings of this study indicated that the utilization of these indigenous berries for future functional product development must be accompanied by the blanching - as a pretreatment process, of the fully ripe fruits to attain enhanced vitamin C contents.
Graphical Abstract
Iris germanica rhizome known as orris root, has been used as flavoring, tea, spice and also herbal drug, around the world. The more terpenoid irone structures considered as the better quality in orris aroma. In this research, a multivariate analysis showed a high diversity in the essential oil (EO), total content of phenol (TPC), flavonoid (TFC), tannin (TTC) and carotenoid (TCC) and antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP assays) of 33 samples of Iris germanica, released in a breeding project including parents and hybrids, along with one commercial sample. Based on the results of GC-MS analysis, 59 compounds were identified, 17 of which were major compounds. Among the studied samples, the highest amount of α-irone (25.52%) and β-irone (37.98%) compounds was observed in P5, one of the parent sample. Mean comparison of phytochemical characteristics showed that OPRC104, a hybrid sample which is the richest source of TPC (173.29 mg GAE/g DW) and TTC (6.12 mg TA/g DW) and antioxidant activity (DPPH: 282.20 mg TBHQ/g DW) among all samples. The results of the present study showed that in breeding programs of Iris germanica, parent 5 (P5) can be used to increase irone structures and hybrid 104 (OPRC104) can be used to achieve the highest amount of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity.
Food is an important commodity for the survival of the people. In many areas worldwide, food insecurity and a poor supply threaten people and their survival. In developing countries, the primary goal should be to promote the development and use of underutilized legumes that can strengthen food and nutritional security while also satisfying global food demands. Many underutilized legume vegetables are rich in minerals, protein, and vitamins to achieve nutritional security. Exploration and promotion of these neglected legume vegetables are dependent on several factors, including coordinated research, production, and global awareness to rekindle interest in the underutilized legumes. The benefits of underutilized legume vegetables capable of growing on marginal lands, such as the adzuki bean, African locust bean, African yam bean, agathi, ground bean, horse gram, jack bean, marama bean, moth bean, potato bean, scarlet runner bean, sword bean, tepary bean, velvet bean, winged bean, yam bean, and yard long bean are discussed in this chapter. The importance of nutrition and medicine, as well as agronomic practices, are underlined and explored.KeywordsLegumePodProteinSeedStakingTuberUnderutilized, etc.
In this study, the anti-inflammatory effects of the methanolic extract (TE) of Plumeria obtusa L. (aerial parts) and its fractions were evaluated in vitro, and active fraction was evaluated in vivo. Among tested extracts, dichloromethane fraction (DCM-F) exhibited the strongest inhibition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) in RAW 264.7 macrophages. The effect of DCM-F on LPS-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice was studied. The animals were divided into five groups (n = 7) randomly; Gp I: negative control, GP II: positive control (LPS group), GP III: standard (dexamethasone, 2 mg/kg b.wt), GP IV and V: DCM-F (100 mg/kg), and DEM-F (200 mg/kg), respectively. DCM-F at a dose of 200 mg/kg suppressed the ability of LPS to increase the levels of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), NO, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and inter-leukin 6 (IL-6), as measured by ELISA. In addition, the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was reduced (determined by immunohistochemistry) and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) was decreased while that of catalase was restored to the normal values. Furthermore, the histopathological scores of inflammation induced by LPS were reduced. Twenty-two compounds were tentatively identified in DCM-F using LC/ESI-QToF with iridoids, phenolic derivatives and flavonoids as major constituents. Identified compounds were subjected to two different molecular docking processes against iNOS and prostaglandin E synthase-1 target receptors. Notably, protoplumericin A and 13-O-coumaroyl plumeride were the most promising members compared to the co-crystallized inhibitor in each case. These findings suggested that DCM-F attenuates the LPS-induced ALI in experimental animals through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential.
Differences between seven authentic samples of Citrus sinensis var. Valencia peel (albedo and flavedo) and juices from Spain and Uruguay, in addition to a concentrate obtained from Brazil, were investigated by untargeted metabolic profiling. Sixty-six metabolites were detected by nano-liquid chromatography coupled to a high-resolution electrospray-ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (nLC-ESI-qTOF-MS) belonging to phenolic acids, coumarins, flavonoid glycosides, limonoids, terpenes, and fatty acids. Eleven metabolites were detected for the first time in Citrus sinensis and identified as citroside A, sinapic acid pentoside, apigenin-C-hexosyl-O-pentoside, chrysoeriol-C-hexoside, di-hexosyl-diosmetin, perilloside A, gingerol, ionone epoxide hydroxy-sphingenine, xanthomicrol, and coumaryl alcohol-O-hexoside. Some flavonoids were completely absent from the juice, while present most prominently in the Citrus peel, conveying more industrial and economic prospects to the latter. Multivariate data analyses clarified that the differences among orange parts overweighed the geographical source. PCA analysis of ESI-(−)-mode data revealed for hydroxylinoleic acid abundance in flavedo peel from Uruguay the most distant cluster from all others. The PCA analysis of ESI-(+)-mode data provided a clear segregation of the different Citrus sinensis parts primarily due to the large diversity of flavonoids and coumarins among the studied samples.
The high diversity of plant species in homegardens contributes to the provision of a range of goods and services, as well as considerably benefiting the environment and boosting ecological sustainability. Despite their importance, homegardens in Malaysia have not been systematically studied. This paper explores the diversity of useful plant species in Malaysian homegardens, as well as their vertical structure. The effect of the size of homegardens and socioeconomic variables on the diversity of plants species were also investigated by using Self Organizing Map, a type of machine learning method. In total, 207 species of useful plants distributed among 169 genera and 78 families were recorded. At the species level, Musa paradisiaca L. had the highest frequency, while Euphorbiaceae had the highest at the family level. The vertical structure of homegardens was divided into five distinct layers: herbaceous layer, shrub layer, understory layer, canopy layer and emergent layer. Plant diversity is influenced by the size of homegardens and socioeconomic variables. As the size of the homegardens increased, as such increased the diversity of plant species. Lower-income households and worked in agriculture sectors that rely on homegrown food and medicinal plants are increasing the diversity of plant species in homegardens, highlighting the importance of these agroecosystems as a food security approach.
This datasheet on Morus nigra covers Identity, Overview, Associated Diseases, Pests or Pathogens, Distribution, Dispersal, Biology & Ecology, Environmental Requirements, Natural Enemies, Impacts, Uses, Management, Genetics and Breeding, Food Quality, Food Safety, Economics, Further Information.
This datasheet on Adonidia merrillii covers Identity, Overview, Distribution, Dispersal, Biology & Ecology, Environmental Requirements, Natural Enemies, Impacts, Uses, Further Information.
Garcinia atriviridis Griff ex T. Anders (G. atroviridis) is one of the well-known species of the genus Garicinia that is native to Thailand, Myanmar, Peninsular Malaysia, and India. G. atroviridis is a perennial medium-sized tree that has a wide range of values, from food to medicinal use. Different parts of G. atroviridis are a great source of bioactive substances that have a positive impact on health. The extracts or bioactive constituents from G. atroviridis have demonstrated various therapeutic functions, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antihyper-lipidemic, and anti-diabetic. In this paper, we provide a critical review of G. atroviridis and its bio-active constituents in the prevention and treatment of different diseases, which will provide new insight to explore its putative domains of research.
Chayote leaves are known for culinary and traditional medicine applications. This work intended to recover carotenoids and phenolic compounds from chayote leaves using the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). A Box–Behnken design was employed to investigate the impact of extraction time, temperature, and ultrasonic power on the recovery of total carotenoids, total phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activities. For comparative purposes, chayote leaf extracts were prepared by maceration (ME) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), using the same time and temperature conditions optimized by UAE. Extraction at 50 °C and 170 Watts for 30 min provided the optimal UAE conditions. UAE showed better extraction efficacy than ME and MAE. The HPLC analysis of the extracts showed that the xanthophyll class was the main class of carotenoids, which constituted 42–85% of the total carotenoid content, followed by β-carotene and tocopherol. Moreover, 26 compounds, classified as phenolic acids, flavonols, flavonoids and other polar compounds, were identified in the chayote leaf extracts. Flavonols accounted for 55% of the total compounds quantified (the major compound was myricetin) and phenolic acids represented around 35%, mostly represented by ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid and (+)-catechin. This study revealed the potential of UAE as an effective green extraction technique to recover bioactive compounds from chayote leaves, for food, and for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications.
Among European countries, Italy is the most exposed to the risk of biological invasions, principally for its numerous entry points (ports and airports) and for climatic conditions favorable for the acclimatization of several invasive species. Here it was assessed that the greatest threats to our agro-ecosystems come mainly from the passenger baggage in which a variety of fruits and vegetables are carried. From 2016 to 2021, large quantities of plant products were found in the luggage of passengers travelling from outside the EU and seized at the BCPs (border control posts) in the Campania region. Inspections and the following laboratory analyses were conducted on the plant material to assess the presence of exotic pests. Inspections led to several non-native species being recorded, and among the intercepted organisms, some should be considered “alarming”, such as Bactrocera dorsalis, Anastrepha obliqua, and Leucinodes africensis. Despite a well-organized border inspection system, travelers transporting infested material unknowingly contribute to increasing the risk of the introduction of exotic species. Given the current situation, it is necessary to impose stricter controls and greater attention, ensuring compliance with the requirements of the new phytosanitary regulations by the actors involved in the transport of plant material. Finally, it is essential to improve awareness through a phytosanitary campaign on plant health risks, especially for people wishing to transport fruits and vegetables in their luggage.
Though countless possible bioenergy feedstocks are available, the lack of information on their characteristics has made them unusable for industrial purposes. This study revealed the bioenergy potential of seed and pod of Adenanthera pavonine by analyzing their physicochemical, ultimate, proximate, kinetic, thermodynamic, thermal, and higher heat value. The seed presented 19.90%, 2.12%, 24.40% and 14.73% cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and extractive respectively, while the pod has 21.35%, 25.15%, 23.50% and 11.63%. From the proximate analysis the pod has higher volatile matter (92.79%), and fixed carbon (1.40%), while the seed has higher moisture (6.36%), ash (0.84%), and higher heat value (18.63 MJ kg-1). The kinetic and thermodynamics results present the seed with Ea 23.73 kJmol-1, ?H 14.06 kJmol-1, ?G 10.74 kJmol-1 and ?S -78 Jmol-1, while the pod has 21.3 kJmol-1, ?H 12.20 kJmol-1, ?G 10.98 kJmol-1 and ?S -83 Jmol-1. The probable energy blockade between Ea and ?H for the seed and pod was 9.72. The high value of H: C and low O: C, with the higher heating values recorded for the pod and seed, presented them as better biofuel candidates. The study results have supplied necessary information for the industrial utilization of Adenanthera pavonine seed and pod as valuable feedstocks for bioenergy conversion.
The family Tuckerellidae, or peacock mites, is a monogeneric group comprising approximately 32 species, which are usually collected from the fruits or woody parts of their host plants. Fruits and branchlets of mamey, Mammea americana L. (Calophyllaceae) trees in north-western Peru were sampled for peacock mites throughout spring and summer for two consecutive years. This is the first record of Tuckerella pavoniformis (Ewing) (Acari: Tuckerellidae) feeding on mamey. Aggregations of mites were much higher and more common on the fruit epicarps than on branchlets. Recommendations for the development of an Integrated Pest Management strategy for this peacock mite are included.
For over a thousand years, cellulose has been known as a polysaccharide that is readily
available in nature. It is branded as a main constituent of the cell wall. Since the cell wall is produced by all plants, it is probably the amplest organic compound on Earth. The extraction of cellulose from medicinal plants is becoming a topic of interest. This is because compounds extracted from medicinal plants including cellulose are used as additives in pharmaceutical, neutraceutical, toxicology, and other chemical industries, for treating syphilis, kidney disorders, wound healing, ulcers, skin rash, gonorrhoea, and piles. Also, cellulose has been identified as useful for reinforcement and load-bearing purposes in composite materials due to its intrinsic stiffness and a high degree of crystallinity. However, the process of extracting cellulose, as well as the extent of the needed purity strongly depends on the application of the used polymers. This contribution focuses on medicinal plants as potential sources of bioactive cellulose.