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Effect of the temperature and relative humidity in stored sotol (Dasylirion cedrosanum Trel.) seeds on fungi biodiversity
Get PDFThe objective of the research was to identify the fungi in sotol seeds at different conditions of temperature and relative humidity. Seeds were collected at Buñuelos, municipality, and taken to the Laboratory of the Center for Training and Development in Seed Technology (CCDTS) at Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro. The seed was stored for a period of 90 days, whit conditions of 60, 75, 80 and 85% of relative humidity kept at 5, 15 and 25 °C. Fungi identifying by morphological criteria. A completely randomized experiment using R software, with factorial arrangement whit two replications. Pathogens identified were: Aspergillus glaucus, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium sp., Penicillium sp., Aspergillus candidus, Cladosporiun sp., Alternaria sp. and Aspergillus chraceus, the results showed that the higher the humidity, temperature and storage time, the incidence of fungi tends to be higher. Fungi with a higher presence in sotol seeds were: Aspergillus glaucus and Penicillium sp. Safe storage environments for sotol seeds reported in this work are 5 °C and a relative humidity of 60-75%. Sotol seeds tolerates conditions of 15 °C and a relative humidity up to 75%. 
Morphological characterization and nutrient assessment of wild pepper, Piper umbellatum L. (Piperaceae) grown in Sarawak, Malaysia
Get PDFWild pepper, Piper umbellatum L. is traditionally consumed as a leafy vegetable by the indigenous Kenyah tribesmen of Belaga, Sarawak, Malaysia. The shoots are normally harvested from secondary forest floors. The present study was carried out to determine the morphological and nutritional characteristics of P. umbellatum, i.e., proximate, mineral, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), vitamin C, and anti-nutrients, i.e., oxalate and phytate. The results showed that P. umbellatum possesses an ovate, alternate, entire and non-glandular trichome on its leaf surface. The inflorescence comprises an oblongoid spike attached to a peduncle and the ripened berries were orange and red in color. The results also revealed that the leaves of P. umbellatum had a high moisture content (63.27%), other recorded nutrient values were ash (8.62%), crude fiber (19.32%), K (1280.20 mg/100 g), Ca (570.60 mg/100 g), Mg (323.80 mg/100 g) and P (291.14 mg/100 g), TPC (510.63 mg/100 g), TFC (377.82 mg/100 g) and phytate (411.67 mg/100 g). Thus the consumption of the P. umbellatum as a leafy vegetable supplies a good dose of various essential nutrients
Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Indigofera cordifolia leaf extract and their pharmacological potential
Get PDFBiologically the silver nanoparticles were synthesized from Indigofera cordifolia leaves extract. The absorbance of the silver nanoparticles centered at four hundred and twenty nm, with respect to the surface plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles wavelength. XRD method proves, biosynthesized NPs would retain the face centered cubic (fcc) structure. In TEM image analysis, silver NPs morphology was spherical in shape. The composition of the silver nanoparticles was obtained by EDAX analysis method. FTIR analysis concluded that biosynthesis Ag NPs was observed at 1384 cm-1, with respect to –NO3 stretching arises from AgNO3. Ten types of bands are present in the broad emission because of organic matrix bound to silver nanoparticles, which reveals as the result of photoluminescence measurements. The silver NPs possess more antibacterial activity as compared to the standard drug, Amoxicillin
Accumulation of total nutrients, dry matter and phytochrome content in Boesenbergia stenophylla R.M Smith as affected by different light conditions
Get PDFA study was conducted to determine the best agronomic practices for the cultivation of jerangau merah as a new medicinal crop. Jerangau merah is scientifically known as Boesenbergia stenophylla is a ginger plants that is highly endemic to the Borneo Highland. This understorey herb grows in cluster and under the heavy shades of forest canopies and perceived only the sunflecks that pass through the forest canopies. Jerangau Merah has been consumed by the locals for its medicinal values since decades ago. Generally, B. stenophylla is well known for its function as antidote for alcohol. Moreover, the B. stenophylla is also beneficial for rheumatic pains, remedies for stomach ache and toothache and as antiseptic wash as well. This herb is not propagate by the locals due to its sensitivity to sunlight and lack of agronomic information for B. stenophylla. Harvesting it from their natural habitat, however, seen the decline it its population size hence cultivation is essential. This paper aimed to determine the total nutrients, dry matter yield and phytochrome content of Bosenbergia stenophylla R.M. Smith under different light regimes. A study for determining suitable planting media for B. stenophylla was conducted at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). The treatments are: i) (M1) with the ratio of 3:2:1 top soil: sand: organic matter, media ii) (M2) consists of soil mixture 3:2:1 placed in water-logged polyethylene bags and media iii) (M3) contained only leaf litters. The results showed that the herbs showed significantly higher number of shoots and leaves in the common soil mixture. But, better root development in media containing leaf litters. The study proceeded with field experiment at Ba’Kelalan to determine the effect of different shade levels and fertilizing regimes on growth. B. stenophylla was cultivated under two different levels of shade cloths: 70% and 90% level of shade and different fertilizing regimes (T1 as control, no fertilizer applied to the plants; T2, chicken dung; T3, NPKMg and T4, mixed of chicken dung and NPKMg). The study for determining the effects of different shade level and fertilizing regimes on seedling’s growth which conducted at Ba’Kelalan in factorial randomized completely blocked design (RCBD). The data collected for 9 weeks of planting which include nutrient content in soil, leaf, PAR and phytochrome content and growth parameters. Regarding the nutrient uptake, the results showed no interactions between fertilizing regimes and shade levels. There were no significant different in nutrient elements except for magnesium and potassium. Magnesium is essential for the formation of chlorophyll which ensure efficiency of photosynthesis when under higher light intensity. Among all the fertilizer treatment, it was showed that chicken dung amendment has higher nutrient uptake. Thus, it is recommended chicken dung should be added into the NPKMg for better nutrient uptake. Further study on suitable fertilizer rates apply to B. stenophylla should be taken into consideration. Moreover, plants cultivated under 70% have been higher and have higher dry matter yield than those plants cultivated under 90%. The result also revealed that there was significant different in chlorophyll content of B. stenophylla cultivated under 70% which treated either with chicken dung and NPKMG respectively. However, plants under 90% have higher chlorophyll content than those under 70%. Based on the results, plants under 70% shade was taller than those under 90% and there were significant difference in height among treatments under 70%. It was observed plant treated with NPKMg was taller. This study showed that shade and fertilizers significantly affected the dry matter yield of B. stenophylla. Moreover, adding NPKMg to the treatments yields more dry matter content of jerangau merah. As for phytochrome content, there was no significant effect of fertilizer on phytochrome content. However, there was significant difference among the shade levels. 90% shade showed higher phytochrome content than those under 70%. In overall, both shade and fertilizer is important in cultivation of Jerangau Merah. 70% shade was observed to have significant effects on growth of jerangau merah and also more economical compared to 90%. Moreover, combination of organic matter and NPKMg also promote the growth of jerangau merah enhance the nutrient uptake efficiency of jerangau merah. However, further investigation of suitable fertilizer and application rate are required to determine suitable fertilizer for jerangau merah and application rate for optimum growth of jerangau merah
Consumer Acceptance and Preference for Winter Rose® Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima L.) Used as Cut Flowers
No full textThe Winter Rose® family of poinsettias (Paul Ecke Poinsettia Ranch) has been identified as a suitable poinsettia for use as a cut flower. With curly bracts that resemble rose petals, they may add welcome variety to florists’ holiday repertoire. Winter Rose® poinsettias are now available in cultivars of varying color. They are considered late season poinsettias, requiring nine and a half weeks to mature and come into full color from cuttings. The objective of this study was to determine consumer preference for Winter Rose® poinsettia as a cut flower. Consumers preferred the cultivar Winter Rose® ‘Dark Red’ over ‘Deep Pink’, ‘White’, and ‘Marble’ in order of preference. Consumers indicated a willingness to pay approximately $14.00 for an arrangement consisting of six poinsettia stems
Ethnomedicinal knowledge among the Malayali tribal of Chitteri hills, Eastern Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India
Get PDFThe present study was aimed to document the ethnomedicinal knowledge among the Malayali tribal of Chitteri hills Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India. Field visits were made to the Chitteri hills every month covering all seasons. Interviews with traditional healers and other knowledgeable inhabitants and farmers were conducted. The Malayali tribal people of Chitteri hills use 320 plant species for their day-to-day life, this ethnobotanical exploration revealed they were the habit of using around 216 species of medicinal plants belonging to 200 genera under 45 families. Malayali tribes use morphological characters such as bark surface, leaf colour, leaf taste and exudates, underground plant parts and ecology of species as criteria for identification of 135 species belongs to 105 genera under 46 families. The documentation of the knowledge of Malayali tribal identification of plants of Chitteri hills is to be accorded top priority in the preservation of our ancient traditional knowledge
Analysis of volatile compounds from three species of Atractylodes by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Get PDFA total of 99 different volatile compounds were detected through Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) from three species of Atractylodes, namely Atractylodes lancea, Atractylodes japonica, and Atractylodes chinensis. Thirteen-volatile flavor compounds i.e., acid, alcohol, aldehyde, alkane, alkene, alkyne, ester, ketone, monoterpene, oxygenated monoterpene, sesquiterpene, oxygenated sesquiterpene, and oxygenated triterpenoid detected from different species of Atractylodes. It was observed that all the species contained 38 common compounds, while A. lancea contained 7 unique compounds, A. japonica has 4 unique compounds, and A. chinensis hold 6 compounds not detected in the other extracts. In addition, essential oils from A. lancea and A. japonica possessed 11 compounds in common, and A. lancea and A. chinensis possessed 19 compounds in common. The remaining 14 compounds were detected only in A. japonica and A. chinensis. The total content of all components in the species was comparable, with 82.528%, 81.766%, and 81.799% of volatile components being detected for A. lancea, A. japonica, and A. chinensis, respectively. Curzerene was found to be the most predominant compound in both A. lancea (14.1%) and A. chinensis (16.7%), while murolan-3,9(11)-diene-10-peroxy was found predominantly in A. japonica (16.8%). The present study suggests that the identified volatile compounds may possess important biological properties, and could be suitable for application in both oriental medicines and the pharmaceutical industry
Irrigation with municipal wastewater as a suitable solution for safflower cultivation in arid regions
Get PDFIn order to study the effect of different manure and chemical fertilizer levels on qualitative and quantitative characteristics of safflower in the condition of irrigation with municipal wastewater, an experiment was conducted as split plot basis of randomized complete design in Lakhshah region locate in Zahedan city, Iran. The treatments were comprised of two levels of irrigation, W1= Well water and W2= Treated wastewater, in main plots and sub plots consisted of F1: control (without consumption of manure and chemical fertilizer), F2: Recommended manure, F3: Half of recommended manure and chemical fertilizer (N, P and K), and F4: Recommended chemical fertilizer (N, P and K). The results showed that Treatment of treated wastewater had a positive and significant influence on all yield components, and the most influence was shown on 1000 seed weight. Also, irrigation with wastewater significantly increases the dry and fresh yield and grain yield of safflower than ordinary water. Among the fertilizer treatments, complete treatment of chemical fertilizer N, P and K had the greatest effect on increase of yield and grain yield components. In this experiment, water treatment hadn’t significant effect on accumulation of Cr, pb, Fe and Mn in safflower grain, and soil. While, fertilizer treatment had only a significant influence on the accumulation of Fe and Mn in safflower grain, but between these treatments wasn’t saw any significant difference on the accumulation of Cr and pb. In general, the results of this experiment showed that irrigation with wastewater and application of complete fertilizer with manure is recommended
The interdependence of coffee futures and spot markets - An econometric analysis
Get PDFCoffee is an export-oriented commodity for producing countries, and it is actively traded at international commodity exchange platforms viz., Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), New York and ICE, Europe. This study examines the interdependence of futures and spot markets for coffee in the price discovery mechanism, particularly in the Indian context. The study has considered both the International Coffee Organization (ICO) indicator prices and producers’ prices in India’s spot prices. The study confirms the existence of a stable long-run relationship between ICE coffee futures and ICO spot prices, implying that both prices react to the same set of market information. While there is an indication of equilibrium or long-run relationship between ICE Coffee futures (New York) and Arabica producer prices (at farm gate level) in India, the same was not true for Robusta coffee. The absence of co-integration between ICE futures prices (London) and Robusta producer prices in India suggested only a short-run relationship between them. The findings of the study conclude with strong evidence that the farm gate prices in India have been caused by the ICE futures markets, declining the contrary
Soil fertility status of coconut and arecanut growing soils
Get PDFThe present study was undertaken to assess the soil fertility status of major coconut and arecanut growing soils in different agro-climatic conditions of Karnataka. Based on the agro-climate variability, thirty typical soil pedons representing five different agro-climatic zones (ACZs) of Karnataka, namely, eastern dry zone (EDZ), southern dry zone (SDZ), southern transitional zone (STZ), hilly zone (HZ), and coastal zone (CZ) were studied for their physicochemical properties. The study revealed that soils of semi-arid (EDZ and SDZ) and sub-humid (STZ) zones have near neutral to moderately alkaline reaction and humid region soils (coastal and hilly zones) have high acidity. The soils are non-saline with low cation exchange capacity. Greater soil organic carbon was recorded in arecanut soils than coconut under all ACZs except coastal zone. The major nutrients status of the soil samples indicated that the available nitrogen is low in all the pedons; the pooled data of available nitrogen content was higher in arecanut (166.3 kg ha-1) than coconut (152.6 kg ha-1), and hilly zone soils recorded higher available nitrogen. A wide range of available P2O5 was noticed in coconut and arecanut soils, ranging from 1.0 to 64.2 kg ha-1. The coconut soils (11.5 kg ha-1) recorded higher available P2O5 than arecanut soils (9.62 kg ha-1) when data were pooled. The soils were low to medium in available potassium, and a higher available K2O content was recorded in arecanut soils (151.7 kg ha-1) compared to coconut (110.1 kg ha-1). The available K2O ranged from 66.8 to 511.7 kg ha-1 in the surface and 37.6 to 461.2 kg ha-1 in sub-surface soils