Wild species of vaccinium composition, nutritional value and utilization

There are still, in many parts of the globe, some edible fruit collects from the wild for human feeding and other uses. These fruits are utilised either in their raw nature or after some form of processing. One of these wild fruits are Vaccinium species such as Vaccinium myrtoides (Blume) Miq., Vaccinium cylindraceum, Vaccinium padifolium, Vaccinium corymbosum, Vaccinium myrtillus and others from the plant family Ericaceae. The term wild infers non-cultivated plants found in plantation felids or the forest. The species Vaccinium myrtoides and the others are small trees (shrubs) that are well known in Southeast Asian countries such as Philippines, Indonesia and other neighbouring islands. The plants classified as wild growing shrubs. However, the locals have made it be fully utilized in some areas as the wood that are used in grafting utensils and cutleries, or as fuel and fruits. The small-sized berry-like fruits with an average diameter of about 4–5 mm turn black when ripe. They have a delicious flavour that makes it edible and used in the making of other delicacies such as tart and pies to add flavour and as preservatives as well. A few published researches were done on Vaccinium myrtoides showing that it is still used in folkloric medicine. Leaves and fruits extracts showed strong antioxidant activity when tested in-vitro using DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging activity as part of a preliminary phytochemical screening for V. myrtoides. The study revealed that the antioxidant activity is due to the presence of flavonoids and other phenolic compounds in the plant leaves and fruit extracts

Anthocyanins under drought and drought-related stresses in bilberry (<em>Vaccinium myrtillus</em> L.)

Abstract The aim was to study the effects of drought and indirect drought-related stresses on anthocyanin content in bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.). Anthocyanin content was also studied in relation to developmental stage (juvenile vs. mature leaves, previous vs. current-year stems). It was hypothesised that drought-stressed plants accumulate anthocyanins, but their direct role in osmotic regulation was questioned. Direct drought was created by preventing water supply. Freezing-induced dehydration was accomplished by removal of snow. Effects of summertime chilling (+2 °C during active growth, +5/0 °C during frost hardening) on water status were tested. The trace metal Nickel (Ni) was applied to the soil, as Ni may interfere with plant water relations at the rhizospheric level. Salt (Na+) was added to the soil to observe salt-induced disturbance in osmotic balance and ion homeostasis. Tissue water content (TWC) decreased and anthocyanin level increased under direct drought, especially in the mature leaves. The freezing-stressed plants contained the same TWC and anthocyanin levels in mid-winter compared to plants that overwintered below snow. The freezing-stressed plants had lower TWC and a similar anthocyanin level in early spring, and lower TWC and anthocyanin level in late spring than plants that overwintered below snow. In the summer and autumn following snow removal, current-year stems of freezing-stressed plants had the same TWC, but higher levels of anthocyanins than current-year stems of plants that overwintered below snow. New growth was thus affected by the freezing stress experienced by previous-year stems. Chilling had no effect on anthocyanins. Although TWC decreased and anthocyanin level increased from active growth to the beginning of frost hardening, no increase was observed during frost hardening. Ni did not cause drought stress in the aboveground shoots, but anthocyanin level decreased in the aboveground shoots along with Ni accumulation in the belowground stems. Na+ increased TWC in the belowground stems, but decreased TWC and anthocyanin level in the aboveground stems. It is proposed that anthocyanins do not have direct role in osmotic regulation, or in the development of freezing tolerance. It is suggested that the increase in anthocyanin level under direct drought stress is mainly due to the photoprotection of chlorophylls by anthocyanins. This is supported by two facts: (1) At increased anthocyanin level in the juvenile leaves, chlorophyll a was stabilized despite continuing drought stress, and (2) after the initial peak in the mature leaves, the accumulation of anthocyanins ceased although the drought became more severe. As chlorophyll a decreased in the mature leaves due to senescence, there was less demand for such high levels of anthocyanins

Techno-economic evaluation of narrowband and broadband access network alternatives and evolution scenario assessment

The paper presents the main results obtained within the Research in Advanced Communications in Europe (RACE) project: 2087 TITAN (Tool for Introduction Scenarios and Techno-Economic Evaluation of The Access Network) regarding minimum-risk introductory routes for new narrowband and broadband services in the residential and small business market. The project developed a methodology and a tool for technoeconomic evaluation of advanced narrowband and broadband telecommunications networks and services. Results from four extensive access network studies are presented. For the narrowband services, optical access and radio in the local loop have been assessed and compared to conventional copper layout in a greenfield environment. Access network upgrade strategies for emerging new broadband services have been evaluated in three studies, with technological options ranging from enhanced copper to hybrid-fiber-coax (HFC) and broadband passive optical networks. An extensive study on different broadband access network upgrade alternatives for public network operators (PNO&apos;s) were carried out, taking into account the diversity of conditions met today by European countries. In another study, the effect of competition in the access network was modeled assuming two main operators sharing the market. Broadband upgrade alternatives were evaluated for a new cable operator, competing with the dominant public network operator. In addition, video-on-demand (VoD) and Internet access upgrades have been analyzed. The paper demonstrates the viability of techno-economic studies for the access network, including in-depth analysis of the time-dependence of component cost, tariffs, service-penetrations and market shares. This work intends to support establishing guidelines for strategic decisions regarding the development of the access network alternatives of different operators