Non enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant activities in aqueous extract of different Ficus deltoidea accessions

Ficus deltoidea was used in this study due to its reputation in reducing risk of cancer, diabetes and heart diseases. In this study 13 accessions of F. deltoidea were selected and they were divided into two groups, generally named as, female and male plants based on leaf sizes and the spots present. The signature of F. deltoidea is that this plant has black spots representing the female leaf while red spots for the male leaf. For non enzymatic antioxidants, several methods were used, they were 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay for total antioxidant content. In addition, total polyphenol, flavonoid, phenolic acid and vitamin C content were also analyzed. Enzymatic antioxidants of F. deltoidea leaf extracts were assayed; ascorbate oxidase, peroxidase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase. For DPPH assay, F1 has 99.87% of inhibition while the lowest is in M10 (32.86 %). F13 has the highest total percentage of antioxidant for FRAP method and the lowest is in M4. Total polyphenol content showed F13 has the highest (1.30 mg/g FW) and M10 the lowest (0.49 mg/g FW). Similar trend was observed for total phenolic acid and flavonoid content. For both assays, F1 has the highest content while M10 is the lowest. For total vitamin C content, F8 and F7 have the highest and lowest content with 6.78 and 0.61 mg/g FW, respectively. Ascorbate oxidase, peroxidase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase were calculated using respective coefficient extinction and expressed as mg/g FW protein content. This study suggested that the extracts of the female leaves are better than male leaves in most of the assays. This is the first documented report on the antioxidants of F. deltoidea

Optimization of biolistic bombardment parameters for Dendrobium sonia 17 calluses using GFP and GUS as the reporter system

Genetic transformation system of Dendrobium Sonia 17 was optimized using green fluorescent protein (GFP) and β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene as the reporter systems. The 35S-sgfp-TYG-nos (p35S) and pSMDFR, carrying sgfp and gusA gene, respectively, were co-bombarded into the calluses. Parameters optimized were acceleration pressure, target distance, gold particle size, pre-bombardment cultured time, plasmid DNA precipitation, total plasmid DNA and the ratio of the plasmids co-bombarded. Both reporter systems responded similarly to the bombardment parameters investigated. Based on the GUS/GFP spot counts, the GFP expression rate was higher than that for GUS under the control of the same promoter, CaMV 35S. GFP could be used as the reporter system for the co-bombardment as it was rapid and non-destructive system to monitor the transformed tissues. A combination of GFP and antibiotic resistance gene was used to select stable putative transformants. © Springer 2005

Antioxidative properties of leaf extracts of a popular Malaysian herb, Labisia pumila.

A study was undertaken to examine the presence of antioxidative activities of two varieties of Labisia pumila; L. pumila var. Alata and L. pumila var. Pumila using DPPH, FRAP and β-carotene bleaching methods. In addition, ascorbic acid, β-carotene, anthocyanin, total flavonoid and total phenolic content were also analyzed. In eight methods studied, six of them showed high activities of antioxidant in L. pumila var. Alata compared to that of L. pumila var. Pumila. The results obtained showed that L. pumila var. Alata contained higher antioxidative activities in all three methods applied compared to var. Pumila. In DPPH, FRAP and β-carotene bleaching methods, L. pumila var. Alata had high antioxidant activities with 299.84 µM trolox/g db, 164.16 µM trolox/g db and 89.22%,respectively. The same pattern of antioxidant activities also can be observed in ascorbic acid, β-carotene and anthocyanin in L. pumila var. Alata compared to var. Pumila with 0.022, 3.175 and 0.328 mg/g FW, respectively. L. pumila var. Pumila had higher total flavonoid content than L. pumila var. Alata with 1.281 mg/g FW. For total phenolic content, no significant different was observed because the amount of total phenolic content ranging from 2.53 to 2.55 mg/g FW. There is a positive correlation between antioxidant capacities and individual antioxidative compounds in the following order β-carotene>flavonoid>vitamin C>total anthocyanins >phenolics

Distribution of 9-methoxycanthin-6-one from the intact plant parts and callus cultures of Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali)

Study was carried out to determine 9-methoxycanthin-6-one distribution in intact plants and callus cultures of Eurycoma longifolia. Qualitative analysis using TLC revealed that the compound 9-methoxycanthin-6-one was present in leaves, petioles, stem, rachis, tap roots, fibrous roots, cotyledons and embryo of the in vivo plants. The quantitative analysis using HPLC showed that the highest concentration of 9-methoxycanthin-6-one content was found in tap roots (4.10 mg.g -1 dry weight (DW) followed by fibrous roots (3.91 mg.g -1 DW), rachis (2.10 mg.g -1 DW), cotyledons (1.44 mg.g -1 DW) and embryo (0.84 mg.g -1 DW). Petioles stem and leaves had relatively low concentrations compared to other intact plant parts, with 0.15 mg.g -1 DW, 0.12 mg.g -1 DW and 0.08 mg.g -1 DW, respectively. Compound 9-methoxycanthin-6-one was also present in callus tissues derived from different explants. The highest concentration was detected in fibrous root-derived callus (7.12 mg.g -1 DW tissues), followed by stem-derived callus (4.18 mg.g -1 DW tissues), leaf-derived callus (2.17 mg.g -1 DW tissues), embryo-derived callus (2.03 mg.g -1 DW tissues), rachis-derived callus (1.25 mg.g -1 DW tissues), tap root-derived callus (0.96 mg.g -1 DW tissues), petiole-derived callus (0.61 mg.g -1 DW tissues) and cotyledon-derived callus (0.18 mg.g -1 DW tissues). From the comparison between the data of using callus tissues and intact plant parts, it has shown that the higher concentration of 9-methoxycanthin-6-one of more than 73.7 % was detected in callus tissues

Optimization of suitable auxin application in a recalcitrant woody forest plant of Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali) for callus induction

A study was carried out to determine and optimize suitable auxin for callus induction in Eurycoma longifolia. The induction of callus cultures using leaf, petiole, rachis, stem, tap root, fibrous root, cotyledon and embryo segments were successfully achieved by using various auxins such as 2,4-D, IAA, NAA, picloram and dicamba. The cultures were observed daily for one month. The overall results from the experiments showed that the presence of 2,4-D was the most suitable auxin for the highest callus induction and growth performance rate by using various explants types of E. longifolia. The callus initiation in leaf explant was the highest using 1.0 mgL-1 of 2,4-D  (81.67%), followed by picloram (78.33% at 3.0 mgL-1), dicamba (73.33% at 2.0 mgL-1) and NAA (61.67% at 4.0 mgL-1). Auxin, 2,4-D and picloram at 4.0 mgL-1 were found to be the most effective for callus induction (78.33%) using petiole explant. It was followed by using dicamba (73.33% at 2.0 mgL-1), NAA (73.33% at 3.0 mgL-1) and IAA (61.67 % at 3.0 mgL-1), respectively. In addition, the percentage of callus induction from rachis was obtained at highest rate by using picloram (86.67 % at 4.0 mgL-1), followed by 2,4-D (81.67% at 4.0 mgL-1), dicamba (78.33% at 2.0 mgL-1), NAA (58.33% at 2.0 mgL-1) and IAA (45% at 3.0 mgL-1). Meanwhile, for stem explant, it has been noticed that highest callus induction at 88.33% could be obtained from medium containing 2,4-D at 2.0 mgL-1, followed by picloram (80% at 5.0 mgL-1), dicamba (85% at 5.0 mgL-1), NAA (76.67% at 1.0 mgL-1) and IAA (63.33% at 4.0 mgL-1). For tap root explant, the highest amount of callus was formed at 3.0 mgL-1 2,4-D and 1.0 mgL-1 picloram (81.67%), followed by dicamba (78.33% at 1.0 mgL-1). For fibrous root explant, the highest callus was produced in 2,4-D at 4.0 mgL-1 (86.67%), picloram (78.33% at 1.0 mgL-1) and dicamba (78.33% at 2.0 mgL-1). The highest scoring of callus induction from cotyledon was determined by using 2,4-D at 4.0 mgL-1 (85%), followed by picloram (83.33% at 1.0 mgL-1), dicamba (78.33% at 2.0 mgL-1), NAA (56.67% at 1.0 mgL-1) and IAA (36.67% at 3.0 mgL-1). Finally, the highest scoring for callus induction from embryo was produced in 2, 4-D and picloram at 2.0 and 5.0 mgL-1 (both 85%) followed by NAA and IAA 83.33% at 1.0 and 4.0 mgL-1, respectively, and dicamba, 81.67% at 5.0 mgL-1. The percentages of callus induction  using various types of explants were found to be increased significantly by using selected types of auxins in E. longifolia plants.Key words: Eurycoma longifolia, Callus induction, auxin

Assessment of total phenolic compounds and in vitro free radical scavenging potentials of water extracts of ten selected species of Zingiberaceae rhizomes use in folkloric medicine

The use of herbal medicine and traditional healing practices for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of illness and ailment continue to have more awareness among the scientific community due to their safety and also as a source of alternatives to synthetic products. This research assessed the total phenolic compounds and in vitro total antioxidant potentials of water extracts in selected species of Zingiberaceae rhizomes use as spice, drinks and medicine. DPPH and FRAP were used to determine the antioxidant capacity, total flavonoid, phenolic acids and polyphenol contents assays to evaluate the quality of the antioxidant activity and the control was ascorbic acid. The results showed that all extracts contain significant antioxidant activity with Zingiber officinale having the highest activity in all assays. DPPH (222.30mg/TE/g DW), FRAP (98.04mg/TE/g DW), Flavonoid (38.58mg/NGN/g DW) phenolic acid (10.78mg/GAE/g DW) and polyphenols (22.84mg/GAE/g DW). Significant and positive linear correlation were found in DPPH, FRAP and total flavonoid, phenolic acids and polyphenol contents. This study reveals some phytochemicals present in Zingiberaceae species, which might be responsible for their biological activities and reason for it use in folkloric medicine in Southeast Asia

Glasshouse acclimatization of tissue-cultured Melastoma malabathricum plantlets

Tissue-cultured Melastoma malabathricum plants were acclimatized to glasshouse conditions by leaving them for 7 or 14 days in open jars in distilled water or washed and kept in a covered aquarium. Plants in the aquarium had a higher survival rate than those open jars and grew to greater heights

Effects of deficit irrigation and partial rootzone drying on growth, dry matter partitioning and water use efficiency in young coffee plants(Coffea arabica L.) plants

The effects of three irrigation regimes (partial root zone drying, PRD; normal deficit irrigation, NDI and full irrigation or well watering, WW) on vegetative growth, dry matter yield and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) of Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L. cv. F-59) were studied under a rain shelter in Ethiopia. Relative water content (RWC) of leaves and stomatal conductance decreased by NDI and PRD treatments, but plants grown in PRD had leaf RWC values closer to those of WW plants on some measurement occasions. Shoot growth and total dry matter yield were significantly reduced by NDI and PRD. Root: shoot ratio was higher for plants in the PRD compared with WW or NDI. PRD also saved 50% of the water required for full irrigation and resulted in significantly (21 to 43%) higher IWUE compared to NDI and WW treatments. Therefore, it was concluded that PRD could be practically advantageous for the production of coffee seedlings in areas where water is scarce for irrigation and dry spells are prolonged

Use of Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria in Banana: A New Insight for Sustainable Banana Production

Banana, an important fruit crop, requires high amounts of chemical fertilizers for commercial cultivation, which is costly and can be hazardous to the environment, when used excessively. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) could be used for growth promotion, nutrient uptake and some time as an alternative source of N-fertilizer of non-leguminous crops. Recently, research on PGPR for crop improvements are gaining prominence and thousands of research works have been published so far. However, use of this noble technique in banana production system is limited. Nevertheless, reports from various experimental findings suggested that PGPR strains could successfully formed colonies on the root surface of bananas, where more bacterial cells were found in the root hair proliferation zone. Application of PGPR alone could not produce significant benefits that require minimal or reduced levels of fertilizer-N consequently could produce a synergistic effect on root growth and development. The inoculation also increased the N yield and fixed N2 in association with banana roots subsequently increased the yield, improved the physical attributes of fruit quality and initiated early flowering. The summarized review suggested that PGPR are effective as a bioenhancer and biofertilizer for banana cultivation. For consistent and precise results extensive field experiments of bananas inoculated with PGPR strains should be continued