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This study aimed to assess the antibacterial and antibiotic potentiating property of Vangueria madagascariensis (VM) (fruit and leaf extracts) against 10 clinical isolates. A microdilution broth susceptibility assay for bacteria was used for the determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and associated with antibiotics to evaluate any synergistic effect. VM extracts were found to potentiate the activity of 3 conventional antibiotics. Chloramphenicol and Ciprofloxacin showed no activity against Acinetobacter spp. but when mixed with VM (in a ratio of 50% VM extracts: 30% antibiotic), showed potentiating effect. The methanolic fruit extract at lower concentration of Chloramphenicol (30%) gave better synergistic effect (MIC = 3.75 μg/mL) as compared to 50% (MIC = 12.5 μg/mL). With Gentamicin, no activity was detected with leaf decoction but other extracts (methanolic leaf/fruit extract and fruit decoction) showed enhancement (MIC- 0.47, 7.5 and 15 μg/mL respectively). Interestingly, Chloramphenicol showed no activity against MRSA, but when mixed with VM, produced low MICs (, Graphical abstract

A total of 29 species of frugivorous birds were recorded from the Madhupur National Park during July 2007 to December 2008. Among the frugivorous birds, 16 (55.2%) were absolutely seed gulpers, 2 (6.9%) seed gulpers as well as seed discarders and 5 (17.2%) were fully seed predators. The frugivorous birds were observed more active during early morning (23 species, 79.3%) and late afternoon (20 species, 69%), of which 16 (55.2%) were common in both time frames. Frugivorous birds mainly preferred fruit followed by nectars, seeds and buds. Ficus benghalensis was the top most preferred food plant to the birds. Berries were highly preferred (29.7%) by the birds. The preferred fruit diameter ranged from 16.5 to 19.6 mm (18.1 ± 0.8). Black colour and mild sweet fruit was highly preferred by the birds.Bangladesh J. Zool. 43(2): 173-187, 2015

The Euro-Siberian Scarce Fritillary Euphydryas maturna is considered a vulnerable species in the European Union and is listed in Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive. The butterfly shows a complex pattern of larval plant use throughout its range. In central Europe females oviposit on some trees and bushes, especially Fraxinus spp., on which hatched larvae spend their pre-diapause phase of development feeding gregariously in conspicuous webs. However, some herbal plants are also reported in the north and east. During a study performed in the Natura 2000 area “Dolina Biebrzy” (Biebrza Valley) in NE Poland we recorded populations showing a unique mixture of ecological characteristics. Both Fraxinus excelsior and Veronica longifolia were used as larval food plants before hibernation, and some local populations seemed to be completely dependent on the latter plant. Moreover, in the spring, at one site, we observed larvae feeding on Salix rosmarinifolia - the first host record for this plant species. The importance of our findings for conservation, as well as for the monitoring of the butterfly, is discussed.

Muga the golden-yellow silk produced by ‘Antheraea assama’ is found only in the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam-India. This species of silkworm is semi-domesticated in that the rearers collect the worms that crawl down at the end of their larval period. They are allowed to spin cocoons in the rearer's houses. The gleaming golden yellow silk is referred to in literature from as long as 1662 BC. The ‘Antheraea assamensis’ is cultivated especially in Brahmaputra valley because it’s characteristic ecological requirements are found only in its natural abode. The declines of Som (Machilus bombycina), Soalu (Litsaea ppolyantha) plantation areas in rearing and sericulture farms have pushed Muga silk towards the verge of extinction. Encroachment in government Som plantation (host plant) areas is one of the prime causes of decreasing food availability of Muga silk worm. If measures are not taken the Muga (Antheria assamensis) heritage of Assam may face extinction in the near future. Considering the ecological conditions, food plant distribution, presence of eco-types and species of diverse nature in co-existence, it is speculated that this region is a possible home of origin of Antheraea. In this paper the researcher emphasizes the possibility of sustaining community livelihood in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam, India.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. or Milk thistle is a medicinal plant native to Northern Africa, Southern Europe, Southern Russia and Anatolia. It also grows in South Australia, North and South America. In traditional knowledge, people have used S. marianum for liver disorders such as hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and gallbladder diseases. The main active compound of the plant seeds is silymarin, which is the most commonly used herbal supplement in the United States for liver problems. Nowadays, S. marianum products are available as capsules, powders, and extracts. Aim of study The aim of our study is to draw a more comprehensive overview of the traditional heritage, pharmacological benefits and chemical fingerprint of S. marianum extracts and metabolites; as well as their metabolism and bioavailability. Materials and methods An extensive literature search has been conducted using relavant keywords and papers with rationale methodology and robust data were selected and discussed. Studies involving S. marianum or its main active ingredients with regards to hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, cardiovascular protection, anticancer and antimicrobial activities as well as the clinical trials performed on the plant, were discussed here. Results S. marianum was subjected to thousands of ethnopharmacological, experimental and clinical investigations. Although, the plant is available for use as a dietary supplement, the FDA did not yet approve its use for cancer therapy. Nowadays, clinical investigations are in progress where a global evidence of its real efficiency is needed. Conclusion S. marianum is a worldwide used herb with unlimited number of investigations focusing on its benefits and properties, however, little is known about its clinical efficiency. Moreover, few studies have discussed its metabolism, pharmacokinetics and bioavailability, so that all future studies on S. marianum should focus on such areas.

The documentation of local food resources among linguistic/cultural minorities is essential for fostering measures aimed at sustaining food biocultural heritage. Moreover, interdisciplinary studies on food cultural heritage represent a vital aspect of promoting environmental and social sustainability. The current study aimed to record the traditional foraging of wild food plants (WFPs) among three minority groups (Kalasha, Muslim Ismaili Yidgha, and Muslim Sunni Kamkata-vari speakers) as well as the dominant (Sunni Muslim) Kho/Chitrali people in the Kalasha and Lotkoh valleys, Chitral, NW Pakistan. A field survey recorded fifty-five locally gathered wild food plants and three mycological taxa. Most of the WFPs were used raw as snacks or as cooked vegetables, and Yidgha speakers reported the highest number of WFPs. Although the wild food plant uses of the four considered groups were quite similar, Yidgha speakers exclusively reported the use of Heracleum candicans, Matricaria chamomilla, Seriphidium brevifolium, and Sisymbrium irio. Similarly, Kalasha speakers reported the highest number of use reports, and along with Yidgha speakers they quoted a few WFPs that were frequently used only by them. The results of the study showed a remarkable degree of cultural adaptation of the minority groups to the dominant Kho/Chitrali culture, but also some signs of cultural resilience among those linguistic and religious minorities that were historically more marginalized (Kalasha and Yidgha speakers). The recorded food biocultural heritage should be seriously considered in future development programs aimed at fostering social cohesion and sustainability.

The article considers the heat treating process of edible vegetable raw materials in the system “emitter - material” as the simplest case of heating and drying a homogeneous and isotropic body. It is accepted that the cooling conditions, the ambient temperature and the heat transfer coefficient in time remain constant, and there are no internal heat sources. Based on the study of the fundamental works of famous scientists in the field of food drying, the problem of determining the time constant of raw material heat treatment is solved. This parameter during heat treatment directly depends only on the physical properties of the material, the cooling process on its surface, geometric shape and body size. Knowing the values of the heating time constant, it is possible to determine the time and speed of heating the material to a given temperature.

Background Ethnobotanical field studies concerning migrant groups are crucial for understanding temporal changes of folk plant knowledge as well as for analyzing adaptation processes. Italy still lacks in-depth studies on migrant food habits that also evaluate the ingredients which newcomers use in their domestic culinary and herbal practices. Methods Semi-structured and open in-depth interviews were conducted with 104 first- and second-generation migrants belonging to the Albanian and Moroccan communities living in Turin and Bra, NW Italy. The sample included both ethnic groups and genders equally. Results While the number of plant ingredients was similar in the two communities (44 plant items among Albanians vs 47 plant items among Moroccans), data diverged remarkably on three trajectories: (a) frequency of quotation (a large majority of the ingredients were frequently or moderately mentioned by Moroccan migrants whereas Albanians rarely mentioned them as still in use in Italy); (b) ways through which the home country plant ingredients were acquired (while most of the ingredients were purchased by Moroccans in local markets and shops, ingredients used by Albanians were for the most part informally “imported” during family visits from Albania); (c) quantitative and qualitative differences in the plant reports mentioned by the two communities, with plant reports recorded in the domestic arena of Moroccans nearly doubling the reports recorded among Albanians and most of the plant ingredients mentioned by Moroccans representing “medicinal foods”. Conclusion A large portion of the differences shown by the two communities are linked to different methods of procurement of home country gastronomic botanical ingredients, the different transnational informal exchanges that exist between Italy and migrants’ home countries, the presence of markets and ethnic shops in Italy selling these items, and the different degree of difficulty in accessing public health services. The observed divergences were also clearly related to very diverse adaptation strategies, i.e., processes of negotiating and elaborating Albanian and Moroccan cultural identities.

Tran, Van Bang, Hoang, Minh Duc, Luu, Hong Truong, Workman, Catherine, Covert, Herbert (2019): Diet of the Annamese langur (Trachypithecus margarita) (Elliot, 1909) at Takou Nature Reserve, Binh Thuan Province, Vietnam. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 67: 352-362, DOI: 10.26107/RBZ-2019-0026

Dioscorea species, known as “Yams,” belong to family Dioscoreaceae. This genus consists of more than 600 species distributed from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean’s South America, and the South Pacific islands. Their organoleptic properties make them the most widely used carbohydrate food and dietary supplements. The underground and/or aerial tubers represent valuable sources of proteins, fats, and vitamins for millions of people in West Africa. This review gives a shot of secondary metabolites of Dioscorea plants, including steroids, clerodane diterpenes, quinones, cyanidins, phenolics, diarylheptanoids, and nitrogen-containing compounds. This review collected the evidence on biological properties of description Dioscorea, including in-vitro and in-vivo studies. Dioscorea species contain promising bioactive molecules i.e. diosgenin that support their different biological properties, including antioxidant, hypoglycaemic, hypolipidemic, anti- antimicrobial, inflammatory, antiproliferative, androgenic, estrogenic, and contraceptive drugs. Indeed, besides its nutrient values, Dioscorea is a potential source of bioactive substances of interest in the prevention/ treatment of several diseases, and thus represents a great challenge in developing countries. However, ethnomedicinal potential should be validated and further researches on pharmacological properties and phytochemical composition should be carried out. Particularly, doing some studies to convert the preclinical results to clinical efficacy should be guaranteed.

Methods of water steam treatment of disperse food raw materials at various pressures have become widely used in the processing industry. Humidity and temperature conditioning, drying and blanching are typical non-stationary processes progressing at a uniform or non-uniform (decreasing) rate. This article describes an analytical solution to the system of differential equations of joint heat and mass transfer outlining distribution of heat and moisture fields at the material heating stage. The following peculiarities of the food raw materials processing have been considered to set the appropriate boundary value problem: some of the processed food quality horticultural products (harvested potatoes to be dried, washed fruits or pretreated sunflower seeds prior to vegetable oil expression) were included with the group of products characterized by a tight-fitting subspherical fruit (seed) coat, which is why we consider them a single, homogenous, and isotropic particle with averaged thermophysical properties. The difference in temperatures of the heated air and the treated material results in condensation and formation of a liquid film on the surface of the objects, which is why heat is spontaneously transferred from the condensate film to the body primarily on account of heat conductivity and moisture distribution from the periphery to the center. The issues of storing agricultural plant products closely related to the discussed ones are no less important. Rational natural resource management globally acknowledged as the dominant economic development trend presumes the fullest possible use of processed human-consumed plant products. For instance, vegetable proteins prevail over meat ones in food patterns in most countries. In Japan, this ratio is 78.3/21.7, in Ukraine - 72.3/27.7, in the USA - 65.3/32.9, in the United Kingdom - 61.?/32.4, in Germany - 65.3/34.7, in France - 60/40, in Canada - 68.4/31.6, in China - 87.3/12.7, in Italy - 74.6/25.4. Adequate storage of the harvested plant products prepared for processing significantly contributes to the solution of this problem. Given the considerable amount of root vegetables, grain and seeds in food plant products, it is clear why foodstuff manufacturers show interest to conditions and modes of storage thereof. Modern warehouses used for these purposes are equipped with various means to ensure required hygrothermal modes and even to control composition of the environment within the units intended to store preserved bulk root vegetables, grain and seeds. That is why the discussed problems of analytical evaluation of storage conditions for various steam-treated bulk agricultural raw materials are of genuine interest.

A Pereskia aculeata Miller, popularmente conhecida no Brasil como ora-pro-nóbis (OPN), é considerada uma planta alimentícia não convencional (PANC), rica em compostos bioativos e utilizada no tratamento de doenças e suplementação. O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a atividade antioxidante in vitro (IC50(DPPH)), o conteúdo total de compostos fenólicos (CTF) e flavonoides (CTFL) de chás (extratos aquosos) produzidos a partir da farinha do caule da Pereskia aculeata Miller, avaliando a influência do armazenamento sob congelamento nesses parâmetros. Destaca-se que os resultados apresentados neste estudo são inéditos na literatura. Os valores médios encontrados para IC50(DPPH), CTF e CTFL foram (589,34 ± 69,48 μg mL-1); (86,06 ± 16,37 mg EAG g-1) e (13,18 ± 3,56 mg ER g-1), respectivamente. Esses compostos fenólicos parecem ter grande participação no potencial antioxidante moderado desse tipo de chá. O congelamento dos extratos durante um período de três semanas não produziu alterações estatisticamente significativas. Entretanto, é provável que o armazenamento desse chá por um período superior provoque tais mudanças.

Case Studies Editor's Note: We at the Journal of Heat Transfer Engineering (HTE) are happy to announce the introduction of a new section entitled “Case Studies.” The first case study was published in vol. 37(3–4) and the second case was published in vol. 37(7–8). This is the third case study in this series. We are asking authors to contribute their practical experiences in the form of real-world case studies. The goal is to disseminate practical information especially to young engineers who are stepping into the real world. The format of such articles will be a full-length paper or a short brief. It does not have to entail a typical research-type paper format with details about measurement accuracies, references, and so on. The article could have a brief introduction with the problem description, remedy, lessons learned, and recommendations. The review process will be simple and less involved than with typical research papers. The goal is not to discredit a person or a company but to share experiences. We...

This paper uses the case of the Batswana people to demonstrate the use of indigenous knowledge (IK) on plant species for medicine and food. The study showed that traditionally the Batswana have a r...

Cirsium japonicum DC is a perennial plant that is widely distributed throughout China. Flavonoids are the major active constituents of C. japonicum, which has been reported to possess many bioactivities. This study was designed to investigate the protective effects of flavonoids from C. japonicum against liver injury using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatocyte injury, with silymarin as a positive control. Silymarin is a mixture of flavonoids from Silybum marianum, a traditional European food plant with clear hepatoprotective effects. The results indicated that the pretreatment with C. japonicum flavonoids could significantly reverse CCl4-induced L02 cell viability decrease similarly to silymarin. Analysis of flavonoids of C. japonicum and silymarin by HPLC showed that these two mixtures may contain one common component, which may be the major active ingredient responsible for their hepatoprotective effects. It is concluded that C. japonicum could be developed into functional foods with hepatoprotective efficacy, similarly to S. marianum.

En este trabajo se presenta una síntesis de la información macrobotánica disponible para el lapso 2100–1550 años AP en la Quebrada de Los Corrales (QDLC, El Infiernillo, Tucumán, Argentina). QDLC está situada por encima de los 3000 msnm en el sector norte del sistema montañoso del Aconquija, en el noroeste de la provincia de Tucumán. El objetivo es evaluar cómo se relacionaron las comunidades que vivieron durante el 1° milenio D.C. en QDLC con los recursos vegetales alimenticios. Las evidencias proceden de un sitio bajo reparo y de contextos domésticos a cielo abierto. El conjunto de plantas alimenticias habría estado constituido por distintos taxones silvestres y domésticos de aprovisionamiento o producción, tanto local como alóctona: algarrobo, chañar, zapallo criollo silvestre, soldaque, poroto común silvestre y doméstico, tubérculos microtérmicos, quinoa y maíz. This paper summarizes macrobotanical information available between 2100-1550 years BP from Quebrada Los Corrales (QDLC, El Infiernillo, Tucumán, Argentina). QDLC is located above 3000 masl in the northern sector of the Aconquija mountain range in the northwestern province of Tucumán. The aim of this paper is to assess how communities that lived during the 1° millennium AD in QDLC related to food plant resources. The evidence comes from a rockshelter and from openair domestic contexts. The set of food plants would have included various wild and domestic taxa that were either procured or produced locally or non-locally: algarrobo, chañar, wild creole squash, soldaque, wild and domestic common bean, microthermal tubers, quinoa and corn. Fil: Oliszewski, Nurit. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentina Fil: Arreguez, Guillermo Anibal. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto Superior de Estudios Sociales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentina

Attacin gene exists as paralogous conversion and is being used for identification of strain variations in insects based on the sequence variation. Hence, a study was undertaken to analyze the sequence variation of the attacin gene isoforms in the tasar silkworm Anthereae mylitta that exists in the form of different ecoraces depending upon the environment, food plant and location. Comparison of the previously reported attacin sequences with the DNA sequences of attacin A and B genes revealed six amino acid substitutions among the sequences of the ecoraces which however did not affect the functional domain of Attacin. The generated dendrogram clearly indicated unique branches for each ecorace with two separate gene clusters for attacin A and B. The Sarihan ecorace formed a separate sub-group under both the gene clusters. The present study also revealed the presence of Attacin_N Superfamily domain exclusively in Exon I separated from the Attacin_C Superfamily domain that was present in Exon II and part of Exon III, a prominent character of attacin gene. The phylogenetic reconstruction analysis of attacin gene in A.mylitta supported the common evolutionary origin of attacin genes belonging to the Lepidoteran and Dipteran families that formed two separate clusters.

Wild food and fungi use in the countryside has always been an important part of human-nature relationships. Due to social changes in most rural areas of Europe this part of traditional ecological knowledge is shrinking. The aim of our study was to record the use of wild foods and plants among the Ukrainian (Carpatho-Rusyns) minority in the western part of Romanian Maramureş. We carried out 64 interviews in two villages. Voucher specimens were collected and DNA barcoding was used to identify most fungi taxa. We recorded the use of 44 taxa of plants altogether (including 8 taxa used only for herbal teas) and 24 taxa of fungi. On average 7.7 species of plants and 9.7 species of fungi were listed per interview. Edible fungi are thus an important part of local cuisine and they are eagerly gathered by everyone. The use of a few woodland bracket fungi is worth pointing out. No signs of degeneration of this knowledge were observed. Wild fruits are less collected now and wild greens are rarely collected nowadays. This pattern is typical of many places in Central Europe.

Despite the extensive bio-scientific literature concerning the Mediterranean diet, which emerged in the last three decades, systematic ethnography-centered investigations on a crucial portion of this food system, linked to the traditional consumption of non-cultivated vegetables, are still largely lacking in many areas of the Mediterranean Basin.In this research, an ethnobotanical field study focusing on wild vegetables traditionally gathered and consumed locally, was conducted in a few centers and villages located in the Gargano area, northern Apulia, SE Italy, by interviewing twenty-five elderly informants. The folk culinary uses of seventy-nine botanical taxa of wild vascular plants, belonging to nineteen families, were recorded, thus showing a remarkable resilience of traditional environmental knowledge (TEK) related to wild food plants. In particular, approximately one-fourth of the recorded wild vegetables are still very commonly gathered and consumed nowadays, while ten taxa have never been reported in previous ethnobotanical studies conducted in Southern Italy. These findings demonstrate the crucial cultural role played by folk cuisines in preserving TEK, despite significant socio-economic changes that have affected the study area during the past four decades.

Reformulation of existing processed food or formulation of new foods using natural products (plant-based) will inherently confer to new products with less calories, fat, salt, phosphates and other synthetic components, and higher amounts of fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and other beneficial components. Plant ingredients, such as food plant powders, are currently being used in food manufacturing, predominantly for flavouring and colouring purposes. To expand their use as a food ingredient, freeze-dried powders representing major vegetable groups were characterised by targeted LC-MS/MS analysis of their phytochemicals. All the plant powders were found to be rich in flavonoids, phenolic acids and derivatives; total content in these compounds varied from around 130 mg kg(-1) (green pea) to around 930 mg kg(-1) (spinach). The food plant powders' phytochemical content represents valuable information for the food industry in the development of healthier novel foods and for the reformulation of existing food products in relation to antioxidants, food preservatives and alternatives to nitrite use.

An experimental rearing of tropical tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta Drury was conducted to study silkworm-food plant-interaction and thereby to search for an alternate silkworm food plant. The silkworm-food-plant-interaction was studied with six different food plant species viz. Terminalia tomentosa, Terminalia arjuna, Terminalia belerica, Terminalia chebula of Combretaceae family and Lagerstroemia speciosa, Lagerstroemia parviflora of Lythraceae family. The rearing performance of silkworm on Lagerstroemia speciosa in terms of cocoons per DFL and silk ratio was found comparable with Terminalia tomentosa and Termonalia arjuna, the primary tasar silkworm food plant species. These three plant species also possessed better results in terms of physiological (leaf moisture content and net photosynthesis rate) and biochemical (Chlorophyll, protein, carbohydrate and crude fibre contents) characteristics to support silkworm rearing than Terminalia belerica, Terminalia chebula and Lagerstroemia parviflora. The correlation study between silkworm rearing performance and food plant`s constituents indicates commercial perspective of Lagerstroemia speciosa as an alternate food plant for tasar silkworm rearing.

Aristobia reticulator (F., 1781), originally described from an unknown location in “British India”, is redescribed and illustrated based on specimens from northeastern India. This is the first detailed account of the external morphology of both sexes of the species, which includes external sexually dimorphic characters. A new food plant, Microcos paniculata L. (Malvaceae), for adults is reported.

Using archaeobotanical data and examining them with a novel combination of density interpolation surfaces and social and spatial network analyses, this study has brought together exotic food plants in Roman London to outline the changing ‘face’ of its flavourscape, and contextualise it within the broader exotics commerce in Britannia. Consumption of a variety of exotics appeared to be widespread since the very first stages of London's establishment and their presence was maintained throughout although later on, as life in the town developed and its character changed, the focus of their distribution also changed. The emphasis shifted from the core of the city in its early days towards its outer zones, such as the upper Walbrook valley and Southwark in the Middle Roman, and the western and eastern sectors in the Late Roman phase. These changes appeared to largely reflect the changes in the overall commerce network of exotics in Britannia. In this network London starts as a mainly consumption place in the Early Roman phase to become the main redistribution centre in the Middle Roman and the necessary intermediate node in the transport system that had been established by the Late Roman phase, connecting the south to the north.

Numerical modelling has gained popularity in many science and engineering streams due to the economic feasibility and advanced analytical features compared to conventional experimental and theoretical models. Food drying is one of the areas where numerical modelling is increasingly applied to improve drying process performance and product quality. This investigation applies a three dimensional (3-D) Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) and Coarse-Grained (CG) numerical approach to predict the morphological changes of different categories of food-plant cells such as apple, grape, potato and carrot during drying. To validate the model predictions, experimental findings from in-house experimental procedures (for apple) and sources of literature (for grape, potato and carrot) have been utilised. The subsequent comaprison indicate that the model predictions demonstrate a reasonable agreement with the experimental findings, both qualitatively and quantitatively. In this numerical model, a higher computational accuracy has been maintained by limiting the consistency error below 1% for all four cell types. The proposed meshfree-based approach is well-equipped to predict the morphological changes of plant cellular structure over a wide range of moisture contents (10% to 100% dry basis). Compared to the previous 2-D meshfree-based models developed for plant cell drying, the proposed model can draw more useful insights on the morphological behaviour due to the 3-D nature of the model. In addition, the proposed computational modelling approach has a high potential to be used as a comprehensive tool in many other tissue morphology related investigations.

Throughout the world, people’s diet is generally quite restricted regarding the variety of plants used in their daily regime. The Unconventional Food Plant (UFP) Lactuca canadensis L. is an edible species of wild lettuce sparsely described in literature and considered to be native from the eastern and central parts of North America. To valorize this species as potential alternative food, an analysis of its nutritional, chemical, and bioactive properties was performed. The results specify the occurrence of organic acids, mainly quinic acid (127.9 ± 0.6 g/kg dry weight (dw)), polyunsaturated fatty acids (65.3%), among which are linolenic acid (44.4 ± 0.4 %), and tocopherols, mostly α-tocopherol (61.2 ± 0.7 mg/kg dw). Additionally, eight phenolic compounds were also identified, among which luteolin-O-glucuronide was found in larger amounts in both infusion and hydroethanolic extracts (5.46 ± 0.09 and 4.6 ± 0.1 mg/g dw, respectively). Carbohydrates and proteins were the main macronutrients (603 ± 1 and 177.5 ± 0.3 g/kg dw, respectively), followed by ashes (166.5 ± 0.9), indicative of a great amount of minerals. Additionally, good antioxidant and antibacterial activities were detected in the analyzed extracts. In general, our results contribute to extend the range of different, unexploited, and nutritionally balanced plant foods, such as Lactuca canadensis, that can and should be included in the daily diet. The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support by national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020) and national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for L.B., A.F. and M.I.D., and through the individual scientific employment program-contract for J.P. (CEECIND/01011/2018). The authors are also grateful to the project TRANSCoLAB (0612_TRANS_CO_LAB_2_P), to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Regional Operational Program North 2020, within the scope of Project GreenHealth, Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000042. The authors C.T.P.C. and V.G.P.S. are grateful to the international mobility departments of the Federal University of Goiás and the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança for the opportunity for student exchange of C.T.P.C. and developing of the research with L. canadensis species. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Elaeocarpus floribundus Blume belongs to the Elaeocarpaceae family which is widely distributed across warm regions like Madagascar, Mauritius, India, Southeast Asia, and Hawaii. In recent years, there has been a drive to unveil unique pharmacological activities and new bioactive compounds that could be prophylactic in nature. This food plant has been used for traditional purposes to treat/manage diseases like diabetes, hypertension, dysentery, and rheumatism. Though the fruit is well used by men as pickles and chutney, there is lack of an integrated research and critical appraisal of the existing literature on the use of Elaeocarpus floribundus. One element to consider that has attracted researchers to this plant is the wide array of pharmacological potential that the Elaeocarpaceae family has been highlighted for. The Eleocarpaceae is well known for the presence of indolizidine alkaloid and inhibitory properties against glucosidases. Another facet of interest is potentially of multitude cucurbitacin in the Elaeocarpaceae family which has documented to possess a diversity of health benefits. Various compounds have been isolated from different species of the genus Elaeocarpus such as the cucurbitacins D and F, 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-b-d-glucose, and rudrakine that has been associated with therapeutic effects on many diseases. The aim is to bring to light this highly undocumented plant and existing pharmacological activities that have been expressed by parts of the plant. Current findings on E. floribundus have shown a plethora of phytochemicals especially phenolic compounds. It has also been reported to exhibit antibacterial, inhibitory action against glucosidases and also interesting inhibitory effect against HeLa cancer cell as well as strong cytotoxic activities on the proliferation of four human cancer cells. Thus, this plant has realm of possibility to be used in treatment of diabetes, cancer, and infectious diseases. This amalgamation of ethnobotanical and pharmacological data would enable a well-rounded understanding of Elaeocarpus floribundus and its wider potential. The highlights so far have been attractive and promise potential outlets with different pharmacological properties.

A study of the conservation of food plants was undertaken on settlements, rivers, and fields of the Cibeo community. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diversity of food plants known and utilized by the Cibeo community. This research was conducted from September 2017 to January 2018. Data collection was performed through semi-structured, close-ended and open-ended questions, vegetation analysis and free-roaming interviews. Data were analyzed descriptively. This study revealed that from 138 plant species spread among the three landscape units, 43 species were classified as food plant species, of which eight species were found in settlements, 23 species on the river and 12 species in the fields. These food plants are acknowledged and utilized by the Cibeo community.

Present and future health care systems are more demanding on the discovery and usage of novel drugs, which should have a potent target system with the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. Available drugs used currently are chemically synthesized and some of them are yet to be studied for their toxicity assessment. Bioorganic phase can be an indispensable field on isolating and identifying the metabolites from the food sources has become trend in recent days. Indian food systems are embedded with the Indian system of medicine. Indian food plants and Indian spices are highly enriched with the medicinal properties. Their applications are vital in industrial and pharmaceuticals. Hence, isolation of the novel compounds is one of the goal in bioorganic phase by various methods, it may be either traditional (decoction, maceration and solvent extraction) or by recent (ultra-sonication, microwave assisted and enzymatic extraction) methods. Identification and characterization of compounds can be done through chromatographic techniques and spectroscopic methods. This chapter deliberates with phyto-constituents from the common food plant products such as vegetables, spices and condiments. Their important phyto-compounds having pharmacological actions and how they were isolated, identified and characterized using different methods were discussed. This could help in gaining knowledge on the important compounds and their properties present in food products.

Submitted by MARISA AIDA DIOGO MATSINHE null (matsinhemariza@yahoo.com.br) on 2017-07-12T20:04:08Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao final PDF.pdf: 1292345 bytes, checksum: 1f952736843ecae57e522f429c52141b (MD5) Approved for entry into archive by LUIZA DE MENEZES ROMANETTO (luizamenezes@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2017-07-13T14:26:12Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 matsinhe_mad_me_bot.pdf: 1292345 bytes, checksum: 1f952736843ecae57e522f429c52141b (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-13T14:26:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 matsinhe_mad_me_bot.pdf: 1292345 bytes, checksum: 1f952736843ecae57e522f429c52141b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-07-03 Outra A espécie Hibiscus acetocella Welw. Ex Hiern popularmente conhecida por vinagreira roxa é um arbusto de caule semi-lenhoso pertencente à família das malváceas. Usada tradicionalmente como alimentícia e medicinal sendo as partes usadas, folhas, flores e seus cálices jovens, possui propriedades antioxidantes, antifúngicas, antibacterianas e entre outras. Existem poucos estudos realizados ou quase nenhum disponível sobre estudos agronômicos nesta espécie. Assim, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar o comportamento fitotécnico da vinagreira roxa no que se refere à fenologia, desenvolvimento vegetativo e melhor época de colheita de frutos, adubação orgânica, bem o teor de compostos fenólicos totais e atividade antioxidante. O estudo foi conduzido no Departamento de Horticultura, da Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio De Mesquita Filho, localizada no município de Botucatu, estado de São Paulo. Em casa de sombra foram conduzidos dois experimentos, sendo dois nos períodos de janeiro a Julho (adubação e época de colheita). O experimento de análise fitoquímica foi realizado no laboratório de plantas medicinais e em campo foi conduzido o experimento de fenologia com recurso a 36 indivíduos dos quais usouse 30 . Foi verificada uma alta sincronia da planta em relação as fenofases e pouca correlação com os fatores climáticos. A época com maior número de frutos não coincidiu com frutos de maior peso. O estudo de adubação demostrou que a vinagreira roxa responde positivamente a adubação orgânica. Observou-se que a dose testemunha proporcionou maior quantidade de compostos fenólicos totais e maior atividade antioxidante para folhas e fruto. As flores e folhas de H. acetosella mostraram ter maior quantidade de compostos fenólicos totais e maior atividade antioxidante em relação aos frutos. A pranta de H.acetosella mostrou ser uma boa fonte natural de antioxidante. The Hibiscus acetocella Welw. Ex Hiern species popularly known as purple vinegar is a semi-woody shrub belonging to the malvaceous family. Traditionally used as food and medicine being the used parts, leaves, flowers and their young calyces, it has antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial and other properties. There are few or almost none studies available on agronomic studies in this species. The objective of this work was to evaluate the phytotechnical behavior of the purple vinegar with regard to phenology, vegetative development and better fruit harvesting season, organic fertilization, as well as total phenolic compounds content and antioxidant activity. The study was conducted at the Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agronomic Sciences, State University Paulista Júlio De Mesquita Filho, located in the city of Botucatu, state of São Paulo. In the shade house, two experiments were conducted, two in the periods from January to July (fertilization and harvesting season). The experiment of phytochemical analysis was carried out in the laboratory of medicinal plants and in the field was conducted the experiment of phenology with recourse to 36 individuals of whom 30 were used. It was verified a high synchrony of the plant in relation to the phenophases and little correlation with the climatic factors. The time with the greatest number of fruits did not coincide with fruits of greater weight. The fertilizer study showed that the purple vinegar respond positively to organic fertilization. It was observed that the control dose provided higher amount of total phenolic compounds and greater antioxidant activity for leaves and fruit. The flowers and leaves of H. acetosella showed to have greater amount of total phenolic compounds and greater antioxidant activity in relation to the fruits. The H.acetosella pranta proved to be a good natural source of antioxidant.

Food allergy (FA) is an important health problem. Every child faces with food allergens since birth and continues to meet them while growing up. Many foods do not affect the health during childhood, but they may provoke the development of sensitisation in older ages. The objective of this research was to study the characteristics of sensitisation to vegetables allergens in children depending on their ages. patients and methods: The study included 682 children with FA. Among them there was evaluated the prevalence of sensitisation to most commonly used vegetables (potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, beets, squash, cabbage), and banana. All children were divided into groups according to age: 2–5 months, 6–18 months, 1.5–4 years, 4–10 years, 10 years and older. Sensitisation was assessed by the level of specific IgE antibodies. Results There were detected the obvious age dynamics of the number of IgE-positive responses. In the first six months of a child’s life the most frequent sensitisation among the studied allergens was caused by potato (14%), while the response to other allergens was found not more than in 5% of children. In later life potato still have an importance as a sensitising agent, but the prevalence of a positive response slightly varies in different age ranges and remain within 18%–24%. The maximum prevalence detected until 1.5 years and then it gradually decreases to 18%. There is a difference between potato and the other studied allergens sensitisation (banana, carrots, tomatoes, beets, squash, cabbage). There was steady increase of the number of sensitised patients since the introduction of these foods in the ration and during subsequent life. The leading role in the structure of the sensitisation belongs to carrot; the prevalence of this sensitisation progressively increases in children after one year of life (from 5% to 47%). There were similar trends for the banana and tomato allergens: sensitisation observed in 5% and 1% of children in the first six months of life, and then 37% and 30% of children in 10 years are sensitised respectively. A less pronounced increase in the frequency of sensitisation were revealed in relation to pumpkin, beets and cabbage allergens. So children in first half of life had IgE-antibodies in 1%–3% of cases, and 15%–21% of children by the age of 10 years were sensitised to those allergens. It should be noted a marked association between the frequency of patients sensitisation to allergens of banana, carrots, tomatoes, and pumpkins, beets, cabbage, and broccoli and the patient‘s age periods was observed Sensitisation to the potato prevails in children the first year of life. Sensitisation to banana take a prominent place in children aged 1.5–4 years. Children of 4–10 years old in equal number of cases have a positive response to the potatoes and carrots allergens, but the leading trigger of IgE-mediated allergy among the vegetables in children of over 10 years becomes the carrot. Change of the leading trigger factors and increasing of positive responses to the carrot, tomato, banana allergens more than three times in children older than 1.5 years could be explained by active introduction of these food in children diet, and the consistency of the antibody response to these allergens could be explained by a high cross-reactivity of food plant allergens. Conclusions Vegetables as a source of allergens take an important place in the children sensitising. There is a change of major triggers in children of different age ranges: from the leading role of potatoes to the predominance of patients which are sensitised to carrot, banana, and tomatoes. The frequency of sensitisation to all allergens in this study (except a potatoes) increases more than 3 times to 10 years old. Revealed the age characteristics of children sensitisation require a differentiated approach to the appointment of diagnostic tests and assays with the larger number of allergens at the subsequent age periods.

The role of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) for livelihood improvement among local communities and to support forest management has nowadays received increased attention. Although knowledge about the importance of NTFPs is not new, their consideration in the management plans of several protected forests in Benin has been poor. This study aimed at assessing the socio-cultural importance of NTFPs in sustaining livelihood of adjacent local communities to the Dogo-Ketou forest in order to help forest managers to enhance strategies for NTFPs valorisation in this forest management. Data on popular NTFPs were collected through structured interviews administered to 254 households. A total of 78 plant species were harvested by the local people. About 66.53% of households were mostly dependent on Dogo-Ketou forest for medicine, food, firewood and construction. Food use was the NTFPs category of high consensus (ICFFood = 0.98). Khaya senegalensis (RFC = 0.73) represented the most important local plant species used for medicinal purposes. High cultural significant index was recorded for Elaeis guineensis (CSI = 33.81). NTFPs harvest was significantly influenced by households’ size, average monthly income, gender and distance to forest and households’ home (p

XYZ company is a manufacturing company engaged in the field of medicines, food, and natural products. One of the problems found in the machine delay, called “outstanding”. An outstanding occurs is mostly caused by the unavailability of the spare parts. Based on the downtime losses data, the highest downtime, as well as unavailability spare parts, was owned by Rovema’s machine, one of the packaging machines in food plant division. Therefore in this research, the Reliability Centered Spare (RCS) method was applied to calculate the optimal critical spare part policy using the Poisson process and Min-Max stock analysis. The analysis result shows that the critical component of Rovema’s machine is steel band and brass insert are must be stored in a technical warehouse for one year ahead with optimal inventory quantity is 18 and 15 pieces with minimum stock is 10 pieces each

The object of this study is to investigate the relationship between the air dilution sensory test and the threshold odor number (TON) method for evaluating the odor of domestic wastewater, plating plant wastewater, food plant wastewater and lake water. The dilution factor of raw wastewater evaluated by the air dilution sensory test was in the order of food plant > plating plant > domestic > lake, and that evaluated by the threshold odor number method was in the order of food plant > domestic > plating plant > lake. The same results were obtained when the raw wastewater and lake water were diluted 2 and 5 times with pure water. The relative geometric standard deviation determined from the threshold values of each panel on the air dilution sensory test was much larger than that calculated from results derived from the threshold odor number method. The relative geometric standard deviation obtained from samples with a low dilution factor was greater. There was a very good linear correlation (correlation coefficient = 0.968~1.000) between the air dilution sensory test and the threshold odor number method. But, the reduction in odor intensity (the slopes of regression curves) by dilution was dependent on the types of the odor-emission sources.

Mucuna is a well-known medicinal and food plant widely exploited for its seed pods and leaves in many tropical countries. The drug L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) extracted from seeds of Mucuna plant has been commonly used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. In the present study, a new species of Mucuna, M. sanjappae Aitawade et Yadav from north-Western Ghats of India, has been analyzed for the presence of L-DOPA and a reasonable level of this drug (7.3 %) was detected. The necessary biochemical characterization of the seeds extract of this plant showed nutritional and anti-nutritional components. Simultaneously, moisture, ash, dietary fiber, calorific value, nitrate and mineral contents of seeds were also determined. This new plant species will be a potential candidate for extraction of L-DOPA and will be a good addition to the existing natural sources of anti-Parkinson’s drug since demand for L-DOPA is continuously escalating.

Evidence of castor plant R. communis, L. is recovered from the Early Holocene archaeological site of Kabbashi Haitah in the Central Sudan and dated to c. 7700 - 7200 bp. This evidence represents the earliest botanical evidence recovered –so far- from the Central Sudan and elsewhere in Eastern Tropical Africa and the World. No evidence is found in the material culture remains which might indicate the likelihood of its being imported. Most of the ancient and traditional utilizations of castor plant are strikingly similar despite their being practised at different times in different and far apart regions in the World. This modest contribution stands to show that the wide spread and utilizations of castor plant strongly accentuate its significant and indispensable role since ancient times. It also reflects that inedible plants, as seen in the case of castor plant, were (and still are) not less important than food plant, hence stresses the need for attending to their study in a fashion equal to that of studying foodplants since prehistoric and early historic times.

The objectives of this research were to identify agriculture subsectors that can be the sector basis for the region development, and give information about priority scale of agriculture subsectors development in Bengkulu region development planning. This research used the secondary data gained from time series data from year 2000-2011. Analysis methods used in this research were sector contribution, location quotient, and shift share analysis. The results of the research showed that fishery subsector gave significant contribution for Bengkulu City PDRB. Fishery subsector became the basis and main priority of the agriculture development in year 2000-2011. This was shown from the biggest contribution value, location quotient value was greater than 1, and positive shift share value. The main priority of agriculture sector development is fishery, livestock, food plant, and estate subsector. Keywords: Basic sector, agricultural sector, regional development.

Farmers from around the world manage, gather and eat wild food plants from anthropogenic ecosystems. Research conducted in Northeast Thailand among rice farmers documents the pattern of this management related to the distribution of edible species. Interviews with 40 farm households yielded a total of 165 transplanting cases involving 32 species. Flows of transplanting material were unidirectional and bidirectional involving different anthropogenic ecosystems. Evidence of farmers' extensive transplanting of species in their gardens and fields indicates that they are ensuring availability and stability of the wild food plant supply for domestic consumption, which is crucial for local food security. We recorded 2,196 household gathering events for domestic consumption for one week a month over 12 months, showing that most species that are transplanted are actually gathered by local farmers. We conclude that conventional dichotomies of wild versus domesticated underlying conventional thinking and re...

The development of population increases every year, causing food needs to expand to meet food needs by increasing food crop productivity so that food availability can be sufficient. Food crops consist of rice, corn, green beans, peanuts, cassava, and sweet potatoes. Productivity in each region has different characteristics, and therefore it is necessary to group the areas so that solution can be implemented by each of the components of the region. The purpose of this study is to group districts/cities in North Sumatera Province based on food crop productivity using the k-means clustering method. Clustering k-means is a method of grouping non-hierarchical data that attempts to partition existing data into one or more clusters or groups so that data that has the same characteristics are grouped into one same characteristic are grouped into other groups. The result of this study is the formation of 3 city district clusters, namely, cluster 1 amounting to 1 regency/city, cluster 2 totaling seven districts/cities, and cluster 3 totaling 25 districts/cities.

Bean is a valuable food plant. According to the sown area in the world, bean takes the second place after the soybeans among the cereals (about 24 million hectares). In Russia the area for it is about 53 thousand hectares. The average yield of the varieties of garden bean seeds in the South Transurals on the average for 3 years of study formed at a good level and amounted to the following varieties: Rubin – 2.31, Snezhana (Krasnodar) – 2.54, Oran – 2.12 t/ha. Vegetable bean varieties formed a good crop for the climatic zone, respectively: Moscow White (standard) – 2.75, Sobrat (Krasnodar) – 1.53, Amalthea (Krasnodar) – 1.79 t/ha; Novosibirsk vegetable bean varieties: Darina – 1.53, Solnyshko – 1.47, Viola – 1.40, Yantarnaya – 1.47 t/ha. It is established that there are varietal differences, i.e. the reaction of varieties on the accumulation of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the seeds.

L’objectif de cette etude a ete d’etablir des bases scientifiques de l’activite antibacterienne des fruits de Solanum torvum (Solanaceae), une plante alimentaire utilisee en medecine traditionnelle contre les infections bacteriennes. Les extraits issus de cette plante ont ete testes sur la croissance in vitro des souches resistantes de E. coli, de K. pneumoniae, de E. aerogenes et de C. koseri , et des souches sensibles de Morganella morganii en milieu liquide et solide de Mueller-Hinton. Les resultats ont revele que ces extraits ont une activite antibacterienne dose-dependante sur les souches bacteriennes etudiees. Cependant, l’action de l’extrait Sf100Et a donne les meilleures valeurs de parametres antibacteriens sur les souches bacteriennes utilisees. Ainsi, cet extrait peut etre une ressource indeniable pour la mise au point de phytomedicaments contre les gastroenterites. Mots cles: Activite antibacterienne, extraits, Solanum torvum, in vitro. English Title : Evaluation of the antibacterial activity of fruit extracts of Solanum torvum Swartz (Solanaceae) on the in vitro growth of seven (07) enterobacteria strains of different profiles (resistant or susceptible) The objective of this study was to establish a scientific basis for the antibacterial activity of the fruits of Solanum torvum (Solanaceae), a food plant used in traditional medicine against bacterial infections. Extracts from this plant were tested on the in vitro growth of resistant strains of E. coli, K. pneumoniae, E. aerogenes and C. koseri , and susceptible strains of Morganella morganii in Mueller-Hinton broth and Mueller-Hinton naehrboden agar. The results revealed that these extracts have a dose-dependent antibacterial activity on the bacterial strains studied. However, the action of the Sf100Et extract gave the best values of antibacterial parameters on the bacterial strains used. Thus, this extract can be an undeniable resource for the development of phytomedicines against gastroenteritis. Keywords : Antibacterial activity, extracts, Solanum torvum, in vitro.

To date, only the three syntipic specimens of the Iberian endemism Strophosoma (Neliocarus) burdigalense (Escalera, 1928), were known, from Burgos (without more data). The species has been found again in the neighbouring province of Soria (Castilla and Leon), permitting the finding that its biological cycle is completed in Helianthemum hirtum (Cistaceae). The differential characters of the species are commented and biometrical data, images of the adult, aedeagus, its habitat and food plant are provided.

The folklore of 43 species of ‘medicinal plants’ belonging to 27 families was recorded form Leepa Valley, Muzaffarabad. Out of 43 medicinal plants, 4 gymnosperms, 38 angiosperms and 01 fern species were used against different diseases. The major problems cured by ‘medicinal plants’ were digestive problems (24 spp), dermal system problems (13 sp), hepatic problems (11 spp) and respiratory problems (7 spp). Further, 4 species were used as spices and vegetables and six species recorded have biological activities; whereas joint problems and cardiac problems were treated by 3 species each. Most of the medicinal plants were uprooted by the inhabitants for selling or for local use. The results also indicated that among the recorded species, 44% were used as ‘medicinal food plant’, 23% as ‘medicinal gathered food plant’ and ‘orally administrated medicinal plant’ were 32.56%. The utility of these plants for different purposes posses a great threat to the plant resourses in the area. Huge quantities of MPs were lost every year owing to lack of proper collection, over exploitation and deforestation. Key words: Medicinal plants, folk uses, over exploitation, local residents, cure.

Parasitoid foraging decisions are often affected by community characteristics such as community diversity and complexity. As part of a complex habitat, the presence of unsuitable hosts may affect foraging behaviour of parasitoids. First, unsuitable herbivores may affect the localization of patches where hosts are present. Second, encounters with unsuitable herbivores in the food plant patch may affect parasitoid decisions during their searching behaviour in the patch. In this review, we outline the importance of the presence of unsuitable herbivores on the behavioural responses of parasitoids during both these foraging phases. Nonhosts feeding on a neighbouring plant or on the same plant individual the host is feeding from may affect odour-based searching by parasitoids in a way specific for the species combination studied. Feeding by specific host and nonhost-herbivore combinations may induce volatiles that are more, less or equally attractive compared to those from plants infested by the host only. Within the food patch, mixed presence of host and nonhost may reduce the number of hosts parasitized per time unit and reduce parasitoid foraging efficiency. Importantly, we show that a single nonhost species may have contrasting effects in terms of its effects on odour-based searching and patch residence decisions. We conclude that studying host searching behaviour at both phases of foraging is essential for our understanding of parasitoid foraging behaviour in natural and agricultural settings. We further speculate on the ecological context in which unsuitable herbivores affect either of the two phases of parasitoid foraging.