Candlenut Research Articles

Tool Use by the New Caledonian Crow Corvus moneduloides to Obtain Cerambycidae from Dead Wood

SummaryFrom a successful effort in late 1997 to film crow tool-use with the BBC Natural History Unit, I present the first detailed description of New Caledonian Crows Corvus moneduloides using tools to extract larvae of an endemic Cerambycidae:Prioninae from dead wood. I observed birds over a six-week period at Sarraméa where fallen Aleurites moluccana logs were ‘salted’ with the larvae. Crows habitually used mostly A. moluccana leaf-stems to extract larvae from holes and manufacture was also common when birds removed leaves from leaf-stems before using tools. The techniques of adult crows varied but were more proficient than those of a juvenile crow that frequented the site. Tool-use to extract Cerambycidae from dead wood was probably an important part of the foraging behaviour of the crows year-round. My observations here and elsewhere show that crows in different localities can have distinctly different traditions in their tool behaviour.

Isolation of aC-Glycoside Flavonoid with Antinociceptive Action fromAleurites moluccanaLeaves

Isolation of a<i>C</i>-Glycoside Flavonoid with Antinociceptive Action from<i>Aleurites moluccana</i>Leaves

Preliminary phytochemical and pharmacological studies of Aleurites moluccana leaves [L.] Willd

In the present work we have investigated the analgesic activity of various extracts prepared from Aleurites moluccana leaves by using the writhing test in mice. The results showed that the hydroalcoholic extract and the hexane fraction exhibit potent antinociceptive action. We have also isolated and identified some chemical constituents from the hexane fraction. In addition, the nature of substances present in ethyl acetate and butanol fractions were evaluated by TLC. Such fractions revealed the presence of phenolic compounds. Chromatographic procedures carried out with hexane fraction revealed the presence of n-hentriacontane, α-amyrin, β-amyrin, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol and campesterol, which were identified by spectroscopic data and HRGC or HRGC/MS techniques. The compounds considerably inhibited acetic acid-induced abdominal constrictions, being more efficacious than aspirin and paracetamol. In addition, preliminary HPLC analysis indicated, using a UV detector, one main constituent in alcoholic extract.

The use of kemiri seed meal (Aleurites mollucana Willd.) in native chickens diet

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the optimum level of kemiri seed meal for native chickens. One hundred unsexed day-old native chickens were reared in 20 cages with five birds per cage. Five dietary treatments were formulated to contain different levels of kemiri seed meal: 0% (R0), 5% (R5), 10% (R10), 15% (R15) and 20% (R20). All diets were formulated to be isoprotein and isoenergy with 14% crude protein and 2,850 kcal ME/ kg diet. The experiment was arrangedin a completely randomized design with five treatments and four replicates. Feed consumption, body weight gain and intestinal weight were significantly (P<0.01) affected by inclusion of kemiri seed meal in the diet. But the feed conversion, carcass weight and liver weight were not affected significantly. It was concluded that kemiri seed meal can be added until 5% in the diet of growing native chickens. Key words : Native chickens, kemiri seed meal, growth

Antiviral activity of Hawaiian medicinal plants against human immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 (HIV-1)

Hawaiian medicinal plants commonly used for the treatment of a variety of infections were screened for antiviral activity against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Sixty-one extracts derived from seventeen plants were tested for selective viral growth inhibition using the LAI (HTLV-IIIB) isolate. The greatest degree of antiviral activity was observed with aqueous extracts made from the bark of Eugenia malaccensis (L.) and the leaves of Pluchea indica (Less.) which had antiviral selectivity indices (50% cytotoxic concentration/50% effective antiviral concentration) of 109 and 94, respectively. These and other extracts conferred 100% cell protection against viral cytopathic effect when compared with control samples. Methanol and water extracts made from the Pipturus albidus (Gray) leaves and bark also achieved a high selective inhibition of virus replication with very low cytotoxicity. Plant extracts made from Aleurites moluccana (Willd.), Psychotria hawaiiensis (Gray), Clermontia aborescens (Mann), and Scaevola sericea (Forst.) also showed antiviral activity. These data provide a rationale for the characterization of antiviral natural products from these plants and related plant species.

Anti-microbial activity and anti-complement activity of extracts obtained from selected Hawaiian medicinal plants

Selected plants having a history of use in Polynesian traditional medicine for the treatment of infectious disease were investigated for anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial activity in vitro. Extracts from Scaevola sericea, Psychotria hawaiiensis, Pipturus albidus and Eugenia malaccensis showed selective anti-viral activity against Herpes Simplex Virus-1 and 2 and Vesicular Stomatitis Virus. Aleurites moluccana extracts showed anti-bacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while Pipturus albidus and Eugenia malaccensis extracts showed growth inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Psychotria hawaiiensis and Solanum niger inhibited growth of the fungi Microsporum canis, Trichophyton rubrum and Epidermophyton floccosum, while Ipomoea sp., Pipturus albidus, Scaevola sericea, Eugenia malaccensis, Piper methysticum, Barringtonia asiatica and Adansonia digitata extracts showed anti-fungal activity to a lesser extent. Eugenia malaccensis was also found to inhibit the classical pathway of complement suggesting that an immunological basis for its in vivo activity was identified. This study has confirmed some of the ethnobotanical reports of Hawaiian medicinal plants having curative properties against infections using biological assays in vitro.

Ind

The objective of this research is to study the processing of candle nut oils by using solvent extraction and pressing techniques. In a solvent extraction technique, several solvents were applied in the experiment. The choice solvent was used to extract the treated candle nut seeds. In a pressing technique, five levels of pressing temperature were applied to extract untreated candle nut seeds. The effect of the temperatures was calculated by a complete randomized design. Relationship between the pressing temperature and oil properties was analysed with a polynomial orthogonal method. Results showed that a hexane solvent with pure analytical grade was the best solvent to extract candle nut oils as indicated by the highest yield of oils. Using this solvent, a dry-frying treatment on candle nut seeds gave the highest yield of oils, compared boiling and control treatments. In a pressing technique, the increasing of pressing temperature gave a highly significant effect on yields, specific gravity, peroxide and iodine numbers. It also gave a significant effecr on saponifiable number. A polynomial orthogonal analysis showed that pressing temperatures had a highly significant quadratic relationship to oil yields or iodine number, a linear relationship to peroxide number or spesific gravity, and a significant cubic relationship to saponification number. Based on the regression equation for iodine number, the optimum value of iodine number was obtained at a 93° C pressing temperature. At this temperature, the oil yield which could be produced was 59, 79 %. The candle ma oil produced at this temperature was the best oil quality, as indicated by the highest value of iodine number, 97.28.

Ind

The obje c tiv e of t h i s r esea r c h is t o st u dy the effect of treatments on seed a n d pressi n g t empe r at u res on candle n ut oil p r oper t ies. The treatm e nts co n siste d of s t eaming, dry-fry i ng and co ntr o l . The candle n ut seed having been t r eated was pressed at t e m pe ratu r e s of 65and 135°c. The data ob t a i ned were analysed by u sing fac . torial design and the difference between means were tested with the LSD procedure , c al c u late d wit h SAS p r ogram. Vie results s how e d th a t a n i ncrease in a pressing temperature caused a decrease in a peroxide number and an increase i n an iod nu mber . The dry fryin g tr eatment on seed before pressing activities produced a few deterioration on candle nut oil, denoted by a hig h val u e of i o d numb e r a n d a s m all value of peroxide and saponification numbers. Compared to a steaming treatme n t or a co nt rol, th e dry frying treatm e nt g a ve a be t ter q u ality o n candle n u t oil indicated by a higher va l ue of iod number. .

5213798 Antiviral agent derived from the hull of the kukui nut: John Manikas, Lawrence R Manning

5213798 Antiviral agent derived from the hull of the kukui nut: John Manikas, Lawrence R Manning

Ind

The purpose of this research is to study the pretreatment effects of candle nut seed oil on oil yield and its properties. Pretreatments consisted of dry-frying steaming and unpretreatment. The dry-frying was carried out at 100°C for 15 minutes, and steaming was carried out for 30 minutes at the same temperature. Each pretreatment was pressed at 110 kg/cm2 and the difference between means were tested with the LSD procedure. The results showed that pretreatment gave a highly significant effect on oil yield, specific gravity, saponification number and unsaponifiable matter. It also provided a significant effect on acid number and acid content caloulated as oleic acid. The dry-frying produced the highest of oil yield, a higher specific gravity, and a lower acid number, acid content and unsaponifiable matter based on the oil yield, specific gravity and acid number, the dry-frying method is the best pretreatment compared to the others.

Sailing to levuka: The cultural significance of the island schooners in the late 19th century

the increased tempo of economic exploitation to which these communities gave rise, was a function of the small fore and aft rigged sailing vessel.l Such craft reached their highest degree of efficiency and versatility as a means of deep water transport of both goods and people in the last third of the 19th century, and it was in the decade between the end of the alluvial gold rushes in Australia and the establishment of regular trans-Pacific steam services in 1874, that the Southwest Pacific provided an environment which gave maximum encourage ment to the development of what was to become an icon of Pacific culture and literature: the Island Schooner. Winds had always been steady, but now both Islanders and settlers were on the move in large numbers. Settler societies produced bulk cargoes of cotton and copra in addition to the staples of the island trade such as coconut oil, candle nuts, turtle shell and beche-de-mer. They also provided markets for liquor, hardware, timber, firearms and groceries so that holds were rarely empty either way between the Australasian colonies and the islands. In the islands themselves, the absence of port development created a need for craft which combined the seaworthiness of the ocean passage-maker with the handiness required for nego tiating reef passages and shallow lagoons and the windward ability to keep off a lee shore or to tack out of an exposed anchorage. It was a combination of opportunity and challenge to which colonial ship builders (and their island contemporaries and successors) responded by devel oping vessels which were a highly successful combination of beauty and efficiency. Their role in the labour trade and the copra trade has been amply documented, but if we ignore the aesthetics and the romance of the schooners, cutters, ketches and brigantines (but mostly schooners) of the islands, we ignore a central aspect of contemporary experience. It is as difficult to comprehend 19th century life in the Southwest Pacific without an appreciation of the small sailing vessel as it would be to understand modern urban society without an appreciation of the motor car.

Concentrações de alguns macro e micronutrientes em essências florestais do parque da Escola Superior de Agricultura «Luiz de Queiroz»

Em cinco árvores do parque da Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", pertencentes às espécies, Aspidospernia polyneuron Müell, Cariniana estrellensis Raddi, Paratecoma peroba Record, Aleurites moluccana Wield e Piptadenia rígida, foram coletadas três amostras constituídas de folhas consideradas novas, medianas e velhas, aparentemente. As 15 amostras obtidas foram lavadas para micronutrientes, secadas em estufa a aproximadamente 70ºC, moídas e analisadas sob três repetições, quanto a seus teores em N, R, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn e Zn. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, e as diferenças estatísticas significativas entre as médias dos vários tratamentos, detectadas pela análise de variância, foram comparadas através do teste Tukey. Os seguintes contrastes puderam ser observados : a) Pelo menos uma árvore dentre as cinco, diferiu das demais quanto à concentração relativa de cada um dos nutrientes considerados . b) Em todas as árvores estudadas, com exceção da pertencente à espécie Aleurites moluccana (nogueira de Iguape), os nutrientes constatados em maior concentração foram o N e o Ca, enquanto que, na nogueira detectou-se maior concentração de N e K. c) Piptadenia rígida (angico branco) e Cariniana estrellensis (jequitibá branco) mostraram concentrações particularmente elevadas de Fe. d) Genericamente, as folhas novas das essências observadas apresentaram tendência de possuírem maiores concentrações de N, R, K e Cu, enquanto as folhas velhas mostraram maiores concentrações de Ca e Mn.

Proposing local trees diversity for rehabilitation of degraded lowland areas surrounding springs

Soejono, Budiharta S, Arisoesilaningsih E. 2013. Proposing local trees diversity for rehabilitation of degraded lowland areas surrounding water spring. Biodiversitas 14: 37-42. This study was aimed to propose alternative trees diversity for rehabilitation of degraded lowland area surrounding spring. Data were collected by vegetation analysis of three sampling sites (1st Gajahrejo, 2nd Cowek, 3rd Parerejo) to determine density, frequency, dominancy, diversity index and Important Value Index (IVI). The lists of plants in three sites were then compiled into an integrated list and used as reference for developing questionnaire. The questionnaire was then distributed to respondents who were chosen randomly. We recorded their preferences of tree species in rehabilitation program based on socio-economical and ecological aspects. Selected species were then proposed as alternative plants for rehabilitation of degraded spring area based on landscape topography and remaining vegetation coverage. The results showed that species diversity of Moraceae family was the highest than other families. In term of ecological aspect, Ficus racemosa, Artocarpus elasticus, Bambusa blumeana, Dendrocalamus asper, Gigantochloa atter, Ficus benjamina, Syzygium samarangense and Ficus virens showed high Important Value Index. On the other hand, based on socio-economic aspects, Ficus benjamina, Artocarpus elasticus, Artocarpus altilis, Artocarpus altilis “Seedless”, Durio zibethinus, Ficus drupacea, Pangium edule, Ficus variegata, Michelia champaca, Aleurites moluccana and Ficus racemosa were the most preferred species by local community. Based on topography and vegetation coverage, spring surrounding areas were classified into four: steep and open, flat and open, steep and dense, and flat and dense. Therefore among of 120 species found in all sampling sites, there were respectively 63.3%, 95%, 25% and 44.16% species to be proposed and planted for rehabilitation in the four classified areas.

Traditional spices of Dayak Kenyah society in East Kalimantan

The diversity of plant in Indonesia is high, including variety of spices, which have been known by Indonesian society since long time ago. Several very popular plants are clove (Syzygium aromaticum), pepper (Piper nigrum), cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmanii), and nutmeg (Myristica fragrans). Variety of spices has connection with cultures. In each region and society, they have a special spices in their traditional food. The research was conducted in villages in Pujungan district and other places in East Kalimantan Province and commonly Dayak Kenyah society. The methods used for this study was by interviewing of local society and direct observation in the fields where plant spices occurred. The results indicated that traditional Dayak in East Kalimantan used bekai (Albertisia papuana Becc.), payang aka (Hodgsonia macrocarpa (Bl.) Cogn.), payang kurek (Aleurites moluccana (L.) Willd.), payang kayu (Pangium edule Reinw.), payang lengu (Ricinus communis L.), and payang salap (Sumbaviopsis albicans (Blume) J.J.Sm.) for preparing their food with certain method.Key words: traditional spices, Dayak Kenyah, East Kalimantan.

USE OF OIL OF ALEURITES TRILOBA OR ALEURITES MOLUCCANA IN THE TREATMENT OF LEPROSY

To the Editor:— I would like very much, as a matter of record, to put before your readers the possibility of the fatty acid derivatives of the oil of Aleurites triloba or A. moluccana , being of great value in the treatment of leprosy and other skin diseases. The tree is more commonly known as the kukui tree and is distributed throughout Polynesia, the Philippines, India and especially Hawaii. The fatty acid group of this tree, to my mind, will prove to have equally as good a therapeutic action as that obtained by the fatty acid derivatives of chaulmoogra oil. I have been able to combine this group of fatty acids with iodin, thus producing an ideal iodin compound which, I believe, may be given subcutaneously or by intramuscular injections. The oil is obtained from the kukui nut and may be had in sufficient quantity to supply the need of the