Zingiber zerumbet flower stem postharvest characterization

About the Zingiber zerumbet little is known about its cut flower postharvest and market, despite its high ornamental potential. The inflorescences, which resemble a compact cone, emerge from the base of the plants and start with green color changing to red with the age. This study objective was to characterize floral stem of ornamental ginger in two cultivate conditions and to evaluate the longevity of those submitted to post-harvest treatments. Flower stems were harvest from clumps cultivated under full sun and partial shade area, and were submitted to the postharvest treatments: complete flower immersion in tap water (CFI) or only the base stem immersion (BSI). The flower stems harvested from clumps at partial shade presented higher fresh weight, length and diameter of the inflorescences compared to flower stems harvested from clumps at full sun area. The flower stem bracts cultivated in full sun area changed the color from green to red 10.69 and 11.94 days after BSI and CFI postharvest treatments, and the vase life were 22.94 and 28.19 days, respectively. Flower stem harvest in partial shade area change the color only after 18.94 and 18.43 days and the vase life durability was 27.56 and 31.81, respectively. The complete immersion of the flower stem increase the vase life durability in 5.25 and 4.25 days compared to flowers kept with the stem base immersed only, in flower stems harvested from clumps cultivated in full sun area and partial shade area, respectively. Flower stems harvested from clumps cultivated in partial shade area and completely immerse in tap water during 3 hours increase the vase life durability in 8.87 days compared to flowers harvested from clumps cultivated in full sun area and base immersed only

Types and concentrations of cytokinins in the micropropagation of Anthurium maricense

Faced with the demand for plants potted for their foliage, Anthurium maricense is seen as a viable option. However, most of the studies on obtaining micropropagated plantlets are for A. andraeanum, with nothing yet reported for A. maricense. The aim of this study therefore, was to evaluate the effect of four cytokinins in different concentrations, on the in vitro induction of shoots from nodal segments of A. maricense. The experimental design was completely randomised in a 4 x 4 factorial scheme, with four cytokinins (BAP, ZEA, CIN and 2iP) and 4 concentrations (0, 2.22, 4.44 and 6.66 μM), for a total of 16 treatments, with 6 replications of five test tubes, and using one nodal segment. Cultures were kept in a growth room at 25 ± 2°C, a photoperiod of 16 h and a light intensity of 30 μmolm-2 s-1 for 60 days. After this period, the number of shoots formed per node was evaluated. The addition of a cytokinin to the culture medium was determinant for the in vitro regeneration of shoots in A. maricense. The greatest estimated number of shoot formations in A. maricense were obtained in the culture media containing ZEA (3.87) and BAP (3.30), both at concentration of 6.66 μM

Zingiber: synonymy, accepted and excluded species

Among the species of the Zingiberaceae family, ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is the best known and studied species, with several reported ornamental, medicinal and culinary properties. Many ornamental species of the genus Zingiber are commonly treated as gingers by analogy. This study provides a list of species of the genus Zingiber, information on synonyms and comments on ornamental aspects

Flower stems postharvest characteristics of heliconia under macronutrients deficiency

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar características pós-colheita da primeira haste floral de plantas de Heliconia psittacorum x H. spathocircinata Aristeguieta, cultivar Golden Torch, sob deficiência de macronutrientes. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação, mediante técnica do elemento faltante. As inflorescências produzidas do tratamento sob omissão de N apresentaram coloração laranja-pálido e deformação nas hastes florais. O comprimento e o diâmetro da haste floral e o comprimento da inflorescência foram reduzidos nos tratamentos com omissão de N, P ou K em até 31,23%, em relação ao tratamento completo. A massa de matéria seca e a durabilidade pós-colheita das hastes florais foram reduzidas em 67 e 38,46%, respectivamente, em ambos os tratamentos com omissão de N ou K. As deficiências desses macronutrientes reduziram, ainda, a produção de hastes florais, a partir do segundo perfilho emitido. Hastes florais com maior massa de matéria seca e diâmetro apresentaram maior durabilidade pós-colheita. O teor de carboidrato na parte subterrânea mostrou correlação positiva (0,90) com a massa de matéria seca das hastes florais. Hastes florais com maior teor de carboidratos solúveis nas folhas retardaram a emissão da inflorescência.The objective of this work was to evaluate Heliconia psittacorum x H. spathocircinata Aristeguieta 'Golden Torch' first flower stem morphological and physiological characteristics as well as postharvest longevity, under macronutrients omissions. A greenhouse experiment was conducted under the technique of the lacking element. Inflorescences produced under N omission treatment showed a pale orange color and floral stem deformation. Stem length and diameter as well as inflorescence length were reduced under omission of N, P or K, down to 31.23% when compared to the complete solution treatment. Floral stem dry matter and postharvest longevity were reduced on 67% and 38.46%, respectively, on either N or K omission treatments. These nutrients omission treatments reduced floral stem production from the second shoot emitted. Greater postharvest longevity is to be found at higher floral stem diameter and dry matter. Carbohydrate ratio in underground parts presents positive correlation (0.90) with floral stem dry matter. Floral stems showing greater carbohydrate ratio on the leaves withdraw inflorescence appearance

A novel vasorelaxant lectin purified from seeds of Clathrotropis nitida: Partial characterization and immobilization in chitosan beads

A novel lectin from seeds of Clathrotropis nitida (CNA) was purified and characterized. CNA is a glycoprotein containing approximately 3.3% carbohydrates in its structure. CNA promoted intense agglutination of rabbit erythrocytes, which was inhibited by galactosides and porcine stomach mucin (PSM). The lectin maintained its hemagglutinating activity after incubation in a wide range of temperatures (30-60 °C) and pH (6.0-7.0), and its binding activity was dependent on divalent cations (Ca+2 and Mg+2). SDS-PAGE showed an electrophoretic profile consisting of a single band of 28 kDa, as confirmed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, which indicated an average molecular mass of 27,406 ± 2 Da and the possible presence of isoforms and glycoforms. In addition, CNA exhibited no toxicity to Artemia sp. nauplii and elicited reversible and dose-dependent vasorelaxation in precontracted aortic rings. CNA was successfully immobilized on chitosan beads and was able to capture PSM in solution. This study demonstrated that CNA is a lectin that has potential as a biotechnological tool in glycomics and glycoproteomics applications. © 2015 Elsevier Inc

O Serviço de documentação textual e iconografia do Museu Paulista

The essay compares the curatorship's works realized during the decade of 1990 by the actual Department of Textual and Iconographical Documentation of Museu Paulista, responsible for the MP Fund / Permanent File (Fundo MP/Arquivo Permanente), hundreds of collections and textual funds and 50.000 iconography pieces, great part of which are gathered in photographic collections. It shows how the documentation work extrapolates the limits of SVDHICO in order to integrate itself with the group activities of the museum and with other research groups. It also points towards new work methodologies which allow to perform the curatorship in an integrated way with the interdisciplinary research and the culture diffusion.O artigo faz um balanço dos trabalhos de curadoria realizados durante a década de 1990 pelo atual Serviço de Documentação Textual e Iconografia do Museu Paulista, responsável pelo Fundo MP/Arquivo Permanente, centenas de coleções e fundos textuais e 50.000 peças de iconografia, grande parte delas reunidas em coleções fotográficas. Mostra como o trabalho de documentação extrapola os limites do SVDHICO para integrar-se com as atividades de conjunto do Museu e com outros grupos de pesquisa. Aponta também para novas metodologias de trabalho com imagens que permitem realizar a curadoria de forma integrada à pesquisa interdisciplinar e à difusão cultural