Cyclopia subternata growth, yield, proline and relative water content in response to water deficit stress

Cyclopia, generally known as honeybush, and belonging to the Fabaceae family, originates from the Cape Floristic Region of the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces of South Africa. Currently, 6 honeybush species are commercially cultivated but, to date, there have been limited trials attempting to study their agronomic water demand. A pot trial was conducted where Cyclopia subternata plants were cultivated on different soil types (Stellenbosch granite, Stellenbosch shale and Stellenbosch clovelly) and subjected to three different water-deficit stress levels (well-watered, semi-stressed and stressed). Remarkably, irrigation treatments and soil types did not significantly affect the growth of the plants. However, the well-watered treatment consistently had higher yields compared to the other two treatments. The water-stressed (semi-stressed and stressed) treatments had lower relative water contents (RWC) with higher concentrations of proline, which signify water stress, compared to the control treatment. Higher proline and lower RWC contents found in this study are indications of water stress

Comparative evaluation of the germination capability of three morphologically different wild genotypes of Corchorus olitorius L. from Northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Corchorus olitorius L. is a wild plant utilised as a vegetable in many parts of Africa. Wild indigenous vegetables have been recommended to alleviate nutritional deficiencies and household food insecurity. Efforts to domesticate and cultivate wild C. olitorius and other wild vegetables are being hampered by seed dormancy. The main cause of dormancy in C. olitorius has been suggested to be an impermeable seed coat. This study evaluates the response of wild genotypes of C. olitorius with different seed sizes to various dry heat and hot water treatments. Steeping seeds in boiling water (95°C) for 10 s and soaking seeds in a hot water bath at 80°C for 10 min resulted in a highest response to germination in the tested genotypes of this species. The study also recorded significant interactions between heat treatment and seed sizes. It was therefore concluded that genotypes of C. olitorius with different sizes require diverse durations of exposure to heat treatment methods to break dormancy caused by an impermeable seed coat.Key words: Corchorus olitorius, genotypes, germination, heat treatment, wild vegetables species

Micromineral Content of Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris L. var. cicla) Leaves Grown on Zeolite-Amended Sandy Soil

Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L. var. cicla), a popular leafy vegetable grown mainly for its ease of production and nutritional content, is normally used as a good source of microminerals iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn). Improving plant uptake of Fe and Zn could assist in reducing micromineral deficiencies in humans, which are a global problem. A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research Council, Stellenbosch to assess the response in micromineral and soil trace elements uptake in Swiss chard grown under zeolite and sandy soil. The experiment consisted of four treatments, with six replicates arranged in a randomized complete block design. Zeolite was applied at 0%; 10%; 20% and 30% in combination with sandy soil. Swiss chard was harvested for micromineral analysis 143 days after transplanting. Soil samples were also collected at the end of each growing season. Swiss chard leaves were analysed for Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu content with soil samples also analysed for the same elements. The study found that zeolite did not improve Swiss chard uptake of Fe, Zn and Mn. Soil Fe also had an inverse relationship to zeolite application while the residual effect of zeolite showed the same trend, but only in the second season. This study indicated that zeolite cannot be used to improve micromineral uptake by Swiss chard but can be used to rectify heavy metal-infested soils

Clonal propagation of Pelargonium sidoides: A threatened medicinal plant of South Africa

Pelargonium sidoides is used in herbal medicine for the treatment of various infections. Apart from the local uses, the roots are being indiscriminately harvested for local and export trade. A study was conducted to determine the appropriate plant part and the minimum vine length suitable for the clonal propagation of P. sidoides in two separate experiments. In the first experiment, three vine tip cuttings (2, 4 and 6 cm) of the species were rooted in potted experiment in a green house. In the second experiment, ten days old petioles were excised from their mother plants and rooted along side 6 cm vines length to assess suitable plant part for vegetative propagation of the species. Data were collected and analyzed on various growth and development indices. In the first experiment, the 6 cm vine length exhibited best result for different parameters measured. Petioles gave significant yield difference over 6 cm vine length and generally showed high potential for vegetative propagation in terms of rooting ability and survival rate. The importance of these findings on the propagation and conservation of P. sidoides is discussed.Keywords: Clonal propagation, ex situ conservation, medicinal plant, Pelargonium sidoides, stem cuttin

Effect of cooking on the proximate composition of the leaves of some accessions of Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott in KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa

The effect of cooking on the proximate composition of the leaves of seven accessions (UFCe1 - UFCe7) of Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott growing in KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa was investigated. Cooking significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the ash, carbohydrate and caloric contents of all the accessions tested in the study. In contrast, there was significant increase in the levels of moisture, crude protein, crude fibre and crude lipid in all the accessions except UFCe5 and UFCe6 where there was reduction in the crude lipid content. The results showed that cooking may improve the crude fibre contents as well as the levels of protein in the accessions. The accessions may be used in the management of obesity, diabetes, cancer and gastrointestinal disorders because of the high fibre content. The accessions can also serve as good candidates for proteins in cereal-based diets

LEMBAGA KEMAHASISWAAN DALAM KEMELUT UNIVERSITAS KRISTEN SATYA WACANA 1993-1995

Penelitian ini membahas terkait keberadaan Lembaga Kemahasiswaan (LK) sebagai organisasi yang menjadi wadah bagi mahasiswa dalam sebuah lembaga pendidikan yang sedang mengalami konflik internal yaitu ketika dilaksanakannya pemilihan rektor Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana (UKSW) selama awal sampai dengan pertengahan tahun 1990-an yang di mana masa tersebut juga merupakan masa-masa pra reformasi. Metode penelitian dilakukan dengan mengumpulkan sumber-sumber yang relevan yaitu berupa wawancara, arsip serta literatur buku. Kemudian dilakukan analisis terhadap sumber-sumber berupa hasil wawancara kepada individu yang terlibat sebagai bagian dari LK, arsip-arsip berupa surat kabar yang terbit pada masa tersebut serta surat-surat resmi yang dikeluarkan oleh pihak-pihak yang bersangkutan pada peristiwa tersebut yang diperlengkapi dengan beberapa sumber buku. Hasil analisis terhadap sumber kemudian diinterpretasikan menjadi sebuah kesimpulan yang akan menunjukan gambaran umum terkait kemelut UKSW serta keberadaan dan peran LK sebagai wahana organisasi mahasiswa yang harus menghadapi gejolak baik dari internal maupun eksternal organisasi serta pasang surutnya kepercayaan mahasiswa kepada organisasi yang menjadi wadah berekspresi dalam lingkup istitusi pendidikan

Respon Pemberian Pupuk Kandang Feses Kambing Dengan Dosis yang Berbeda Terhadap Pertumbuhan Dan Hasil Tanaman Bawang Merah (Alium ascalonicum L.)

Bawang merah merupakan tanaman yang memiliki manfaat sangat tinggi, baik sebagai bumbu masakan maupun digunakan sebagai bahan obat-obatan tradisional. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di Kelurahan Lambanapu, Kecamatan Kambera Kabupaten Sumba Timur penelitian ini dilakukan karena masyarakat petani di kelurahan Lambanapu masih banyak yang belum dapat memanfaatkan pupuk feses kandang kambing pada tanaman bawang merah, Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui respon pemberian pupuk kandang feses kambing dengan dosis yang berbeda terhadap pertumbuhan dan hasil tanaman bawang merah. Penelitian ini menggunakan rancangan acak lngkap dengan 4 perlakuan dan 5 ulangan yakni P0 tanpa pemberian pupuk, P1, pemberian pupuk kandang kambing sebanyak 123.75 g/lobang tanam, P2, pemberian pupuk kandang kambing sebanyak 247.5 g/lobang tanam, P3, pemberian pupuk kandang kambing sebanyak 375.25 g/lobang tanam dan P4, pemberian pupuk kandang kambing sebanyak 495 g/lobang tanam. Variabel yang di ukur adalah tinggi Tanaman (cm), jumlah umbi, berat kering umbi (gram), berat kering brangkasan (g). Hasil penelitian menujukan bahwa dosis pupuk kendang kambing 20 ton/ha memberikan pertumbuhan bawang merah terbaik, sedang dosis pupuk kendang kambing 20 ton/ha membemberikan bobot umbi bawang merah terbera

Kadar Klorofil Daun Berbagai Genotip Jagung Pulut (Zea mays ceratina) Lokal Pada Beberapa Perlakuan Dosis Pupuk Kandang Sapi

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendapat informasi tentang kadar klorofil daun beberapa genotip jagung pulut (Zea mays ceratina)lokal pada beberapa perlakuan dosis pupuk kandang sapi. Penelitian dilakukan dua tahap, pertama yaitu kegiatan budidaya di Kelurahan Wangga Kecamatan Kambera Kabupaten Sumba Timur kemudian dilanjutkan dengan pengukuran kadar klorofil daun di Laboratorium Terpadu Universitas Kristen Wira Wacana Sumba. Penelitian ini menggunakan Rancangan Acak Lengkap (RAL) faktorial yang terdiri dari dua faktor yaitu : Faktor I Varietas jagung pulut lokal terdiri dari 3 level yaitu: G1= Nggaha Ori Angu, G2= Haharu, G3= Pahunga Lodu dan Faktor II dosis pupuk kandang terdiri dari 3 level yaitu: D0= tanpa pupuk kandang (kontrol), D1= 5 ton/Ha, D2= 10 ton/Ha. Kombinasi perlakuan diulang sebanyak 2 kali sehingga diperoleh 18 satuan percobaan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa dosis pupuk kandang berpengaruh nyata (p0,05) terhadap kandungan klorofil a, klorofil b dan klorofil total tanaman jagung. Genotip jagung dan interaksi genotipe jagung dengan dosis pupuk kandang tidak berpengaruh nyata terhadap kandungan klorofil a, klorofil b dan klorofil total tanaman jagung pulut

Medicinal plants used in the management of diabetes mellitus 2015

Diabetes mellitus is one of the common endocrine disorders prevalent in almost all of the countries. This chronic pathology is characterized by hyperglycemia caused by defective insulin action, insulin secretion, or the combination of both. Prolonged persistence of elevated blood glucose level consequently caused a series of complications such as nephropathy, retinopathy, and cardiomyopathy. Currently available synthetic drugs for treating this disease are found to be associated with many adverse effects. The use of plants in medicine is an age-long practice in various parts of the globe for both preventive and curative purposes. Several warnings have been issued over lack of quality control, scientific evidence for the efficacy, and potential adverse effects of herbal remedies including hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity among others. Despite all of these, reliance on herbs as medicine for the management of diabetes mellitus is still much practiced by a large proportion of the world population because they are readily available and affordable with perceived reduced toxicity. Therefore, with the upsurge of interests in medicinal plants, there is a need for thorough scientific investigations of these plants for both efficacy and potential toxicity. In this issue, we present some recent advances in the use of medicinal plants for treating diabetes mellitus. B. Pang et al. (“Innovative Thoughts of Treating Diabetes from the Perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine”)presented a review article on the contribution of traditional Chinese medicine to the development of alternative and complementary medicine for the treatment and prevention of diabetes mellitus. In another paper (“Effect of Rhizoma Coptidis (Huang Lian) on Treating Diabetes Mellitus”), B. Pang et al. discussed the efficacy and safety of Rhizoma Coptidis in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. In another study (“Evaluation of the Effects of Cornus mas L. Fruit Extract on Glycemic Control and Insulin Level in Type 2 Diabetic Adult Patients: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial”), R. Soltani et al. reported the results of a clinical trial on the effect of Cornus mas L. fruit extract on hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetic patients. In addition, W. Liu et al. (“The Effects of Chinese Medicine on Activation of Wnt/β-Catenin Signal Pathway under High Glucose Condition”) present a valuable review on some compounds implicated in the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway as a mechanism of action involved in the antihyperglycemic activity from Chinese medicine. Furthermore, A. O. T. Ashafa and M. I. Kazeem (“Toxicopathological Evaluation of Hydroethanol Extract of Dianthus basuticus in Wistar Rats”) reported on the effects of Dianthus basuticus (a Basotho plant with acclaimed antidiabetic activity) on some biochemical parameters and histology of Wistar rats. Finally, X.-J. Li et al. (“TCM Formula Xiaoyaosan Decoction Improves Depressive-Like Behaviors in Rats with Type 2 Diabetes”) evaluated the effect of traditional medicine formula, Xiaoyaosan, on the cognitive function of diabetic rats. After the first volume of this special issue that was published in 2014, we hope that this issue will present additional valuable information for scientists and clinicians