Fresh Tender Research Articles

Carbon dots prepared from ginger exhibiting efficient inhibition of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Fluorescent carbon nanodots (C-dots; 4.3 ± 0.8 nm) from fresh tender ginger juice provide high suppression of the growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2), with low toxicity to normal mammary epithelial cells (MCF-10A) and normal liver cells (FL83B). The inhibition is selective to HepG2 over other tested cancer cells, including human lung cancer cell line (A549), human breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231), and human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). Western blot results reveal that the C-dots up-regulate the expression of p53 protein only in the HepG2 cell line. The 50% inhibiting concentration (IC50) value of the C-dots on HepG2 cells is 0.35 mg mL-1. Image cytometry results show significant uptake of C-dots by HepG2 cells that induce intracellular production of reactive oxygen species (ROS, 18.2-fold increased), while other cells remain almost the same in ROS levels after treatment with C-dots (1.11 mg mL-1). The C-dots trigger the pro-apoptotic factor to promote HepG2 cell apoptosis. The C-dots effectively inhibit the growth of tumors in nude mice (104 ± 14 vs. 3.7 ± 0.2 mg with and without treatment within 14 days).

OA01. 33. High-yielding, medicinal and multi-purpose chenopods (Chenopodium species) for multistorey cropping

Purpose: In an effort to develop crop ideotypes for multi-storey cropping under the conditions of eastern Uttar Pradesh, India, a few locally well-adapted chenopods (Chenopodium species) were examined for high yields and their compatibility with many other crops. A few genotypes were identified, selected and recommended as a sole crop as well as along with many other crops. The medicinal value of these chenopods in increasing haemoglobin content in anaemic patient was also evaluated. Method: Available chenopods were evaluated for yield and compatibility in a completely randomized design. About 200 grammes of fresh tender shoots were cooked and fed every day to an anaemic patient having his initial haemoglobin content at 5.2 units. Result: These chenopods produced 13125 to 22688 kgs/ha of edible grade biomass as a sole crop as well as in various crop combinations. The average land equivalent ratio for intercropping with Phaseolus vulgaris was 1.20 indicating 20 per cent yield advantage over sole cropping. These plants were also used as mulch, fuel-wood, walking sticks and live standards for pole type rajma and many other climber crops. After nine days feeding to the anaemic patient, the haemoglobin content increased from 5.2 to 10.0 units. Conclusion: High-density sowing/transplanting coupled with frequent uprooting/picking is trapping solar radiation very efficiently right from its early life stage. A concerted research effort would make it a successful industrial crop. These genotypes are high yielding, input responsive and amenable to scaling up for large scale cultivation. These chenopods are also amenable to the spirit of intensification in the sense that they are responding well to transplanting, spacing and canopy management. A temporally staggered sowing/transplanting, frequent picking/harvesting and high input and high density agriculture would generate a large amount of edible grade biomass that could be used as food, medicine, fodder and feed.

Chemical Compositions and Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oil from Green Tea Produced from Camellia taliensis (Theaceae) in Yuanjiang, Southwestern China

Camellia taliensis belonging to Camellia sect. Thea (Theaceae) is distributed from the western and southwestern areas of Yunnan Province, China to the north of Myanmar. Known as the "wild" tea plant, it has been commonly used for making tea by the local people of its growing area. It is the first investigation of the volatile constituents of the fresh tender leaves of C.taliensis and green teas produced from its tender and older leaves. The volatile constituents were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Ninety-one compounds were identified. The results showed that the main compositions of volatile oil of the fresh tender leaves were hexadecanoic acid (30.52%), linoleic acid (19.82%), phytol (8.75%), and geraniol (2.54%), while monoterpenoids (58.51%) composing of linalool (28.43%), hotrienol (1.13%), α-terpineol (11.68%), nerol (4.92%) and geraniol (12.34%) were the major volatile components of its green tea product. From the fresh leaves to the green tea products, 28 aroma components were formed. Among then, the content of (Z, Z, Z)-9, 12, 15-octadecatrien-1-ol (peak 77) was up to 1.21% (from tender leaves) and 11.2% (from older leaves), respectively. The DPPH and ABTS+ radical scavenging assays demonstrated a moderate activity of essential oil from the three essential oils of C.taliensis.

Effect of the leaves of Psidium guajava Linn. on experimentally induced colitis in animal models

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the ethanolic extract of the leaves of Psidium guajava (PGE) on experimentally induced colitis in animal models. Fresh tender leaves of the plant were collected, air-dried, powdered and percolated in 95% ethanol. Acute toxicity test was done according to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development guidelines. Five groups of animals of the species Rattus norvegicus, of either sex, weighing 150–200 g, were taken for the study (n=6). Group A and Group B consisted of normal and experimental control animals (3% gum acacia, 10 ml/kg body weight), respectively. Group C and Group D were test groups (PGE 250 mg/kg body weight and PGE 500 mg/kg body weight, respectively) and Group E was administered standard [5-amino salicylic acid (5-ASA) 100 mg/kg body weight]. All animals were pretreated with the respective drugs for 5 days. Colitis was induced next morning in Groups B, C, D and E by administration of 1 ml of 4% acetic acid transrectally. All the animals were sacrificed 48 hours after colitis induction and distal 10 cm of the colon was resected. Colon was weighed for Disease Activity Index (DAI), and scored macroscopically and microscopically. Biochemical assessment included myeloperoxidase (MPO), tissue catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) estimation. Statistical analysis was done by one way analysis of variance, followed by multiple comparison tests. Groups C, D, and E showed a significant (P<0.05) decrease in DAI, and macroscopic and microscopic lesion score, as well as a significant improvement (P<0.05) in MPO, CAT, GSH and SOD levels as compared to Group B. The ethanolic extract of P. guajava leaves showed significant amelioration of experimentally induced colitis, which may be attributed to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant property. Key words: Acetic acid, antioxidant, colitis, Psidium guajava

BIOMASS ACCUMULATION IN OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA (L.) MILL PLANTS GROWN IN A CLOSED HYDROPONIC SYSTEM

The research was carried out at the Hydroponic Station of the Agronomy School of the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, in Marin, NL Mexico. Tender pad cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill.) cultivar 'Villanueva' was planted at a density of 16 plants m -2 . The aims of this study were: a) to estimate the tender pad cactus yield and, b) to determinate the increment of the fresh weight, dry matter, and nitrogen accumulation rate as a function of the air temperature (degree-days). Total cactus yield at 56 days after plantation, based on the fresh weight and dry matter production was 4.265 kg m -2 and 0.2252 kg m -2 , respectively, while the total nitrogen uptake in the same period was 4.36 kg m -2 . The relationship of fresh weight, dry matter and nitrogen uptake to degree-days was a first degree polynomial with R 2 0.9924, 0.9948, and 0.9887 (p<0.001) determination coefficient per research parameter, respectively. The increased production rate of fresh tender pad cactus and dry matter content was 0.004 and 0.0002 kg m -2 (degree-days) -1 , respectively while the nitrogen accumulation rate was estimated to be 0.0228 g m -2 (degree-days) -1 .

EAG and behavioral responses of the wingless tea aphid Toxoptera aurantii (Homoptera: Aphididae) to tea plant volatiles

Electrophysiological and behavioral responses of the wingless tea aphid, Toxoptera aurantii (Boyer), to 14 synthetic volatiles identified from tea shoots, their partial (GLV mixture) and full (ACB mixture) blends, and fresh young tea leaves, buds, tender stems, adult tea leaves and tea aphid-damaged young leaves (ADYL) were studied by using an electroantennography (EAG) and a four-arm olfactometer. ACB elicited the largest EAG responses. Major volatile components, Z-3-hexen-1-ol, E-2-hexenal, n-hexanol, methyl salicylate and benzylalcohol, from the tea shoots were strongly EAG active. All the 4 tested tea shoot tissues also elicited significant EAG responses, with the young tea leaves being the strongest, followed by buds, tender stems and adult tea leaves. Surprisingly, ADYL elicited a weakly negative EAG response. In the olfactory assays, the fresh and tender tea leaves, as well as the individual major volatile components, e.g. Z-3-hexenyl acetate, methyl salicylate, E-2-hexen-1-ol and Z-3-hexen-1-ol, from the tender shoots (EAG-active) were all attractive. This result might indicate that the wingless tea aphids may use tea shoot volatiles as kairomone to find their optimal feeding sites, e.g. fresh tender tea shoots.

EVALUATION OF POD CHARACTERISTICS AND NUTRITIVE VALUE OF OKRA GENETIC RESOURCES

EVALUATION OF POD CHARACTERISTICS AND NUTRITIVE VALUE OF OKRA GENETIC RESOURCES