Family Moraceae Research Articles

Preliminary phytochemical analysis of Ficus johanis Subsp. afghanistanica from Moraceae family

The present research communication represents the preliminary phytochemical screening of the crude extract of leaves of Ficus johannis Boiss. Sub sp. Afghanistanica (Warb.) Browicz from Moraceae family exposed to find out the occurrence of various bioactive components. The specimen shows the occurrence of carbohydrates, phenolic compounds and tannins mostly.

Dut meyvesinin fitokimyasal profili ve farmakolojik özellikleri

The fruits of Morus species from the Mulberry family (Moraceae) are traditionally consumed widely due to their positive effects on health. The interest about its health effect are increasing due to its rich content of bioactive components (flavonol, anthocyanin, flavanonol, phenolic acids, alkaloids), minerals (potassium, calcium, sodium, and magnesium), vitamins (vitamin B1 and folic acid), oils (linoleic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid) and melatonin. In vitro and in vivo studies indicated that the fruits have positive health effects such as anti-diabetic, antioxidant, neuroprotective, hypolipidemic, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antiparkinsonian, anti-tumor/anti-cancer, antimicrobial and immune-enhancing effects due to the bioactive components. In addition, mulberry fruit are traditionally consumed for their diabetes, hypertension, liver, kidney damage, and eye improvement effects. However, there is only limited clinical studies about the pharmacological properties of mulberry fruits whereas more in vitro research are present. In this review, the phytochemical profile, in vitro and in vivo pharmacological properties of Morus alba, Morus rubra, and Morus nigra fruits were investigated.

Morus nigra L. (Black mulberry): A plant with potent medicinal value

The goal of growing mulberry plants, which are members of the Moraceae family, is to provide food for silk worms. Black mulberry or Morus nigra L. is an extensively used ancient traditional medicine that is native to Southwestern Asia. Its components and extract have a variety of bioactivities. Morus nigra's fruits, leaves, and root bark have a long and rich history of use in traditional medicine across the globe for a variety of therapeutic purposes. Antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-melanogenic, antidiabetic, anti-obesity, anti-hyperlipidemic, and anticancer actions are a few of the biological and pharmacological therapeutic effects exhibited by M. nigra. Mainly based on its antioxidant capability, M. nigra also exhibits protective effects against a number of human organs and systems. M. nigra is a promising nutraceutical resource that can be used to treat and avoid a number of chronic illnesses. It exhibits antifungal, skin-whitening, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-platelet, hepatoprotective, anxiolytic, anti-asthmatic, anthelmintic, antidepressant and immunomodulatory properties. Fruits from M. nigra contain anthocyanin and flavonoids. Additionally, M. nigra exhibits therapeutic and protective benefits on the female reproductive system, liver, kidney, gastrointestinal tract, and central nervous system. The majority of these qualities are ascribed to its high concentration of phytochemical components like polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, which act as antioxidants.

Anatomical and Molecular Identification of Ornamental Plant Ficus L. Species

This present study includes twelve species that represent the Ficus genus, namely; aspera, carica, tinctoria subsp. gibbosa, hirta, hispida, neriifolia, palmata, pumila, racemosa, septica, sur, and sycomorus, belonging to the Moraceae family. The species samples were collected from various locations in Egypt. The study focused on the anatomical and molecular characteristics of mature foliage leaves. Since the identification and classification of taxa are highly dependent on the anatomical features of leaves, the anatomical characteristics were recorded in the form of a comparison between the examined plants in the data matrix. This study aims to contribute to the identification of the studied species based on the anatomical details of the matured leaves. Anatomical characterization includes the variations in upper and lower epidermal layers that are covered by a thin or thick cuticle; the number of palisade and spongy layers; crystals; secretory elements; lithocysts; the midrib zone has parenchyma associated with mechanical tissue, vascular system, and investigation of trichomes; on the other hand, in the current study, the phylogenetic analysis was conducted by using the ITS and 5.8 S sequences. From the analysis of all the available data, it could be stated that there is an overall agreement with the anatomical character dendrogram.

Assessment of Tree Species Diversity, Family Composition and Diameter Size Class of Tree Species in Igbo-Olua Sacred Groove, Ondo State, Nigeria

This study was carried out to assess the tree species diversity, family composition and diameter size distribution of the tree species in Igbo-Olua sacred groove, Ondo state, Nigeria using appropriate standard techniques. A total of 34 tree species distributed in 23 families were recorded. Sterculiaceae family (66) had the highest number of individual stem per ha while Moraceae family had the highest number in terms of tree species per hectare (7). The distribution of the diameter structure is typical of the natural forest type with high number of tree species in the smaller size classes or interval (12.5) and the number of tree species decreases with increasing size class or interval. Diversity measures obtained included Shannon-Weiner index (3.09), Evenness (0.64) and Margalef index (6.36). Awakening the consciousness of people towards the protection of sacred groves has practical implications on their survival. Hence government and other allied institutions should gear efforts towards grove conservation.

Exploration of the Diversity of Trees and Its Implementation in the Plant Morphology Course

The campus as an educational facility is always designed to create comfort that can support the quality of learning in it so the concept of green open space has long been part of the development of the campus environment. This study aims to determine tree species on the FKIP Universitas Cenderawasih (UNCEN) Abepura Campus and their implementation in learning plant morphology in the Biology Education Study Program. This research uses an exploratory method. The results of research on the Uncen Abepura FKIP Campus environment found 13 species with 10 families in the category of trees with a diameter of 20 cm and above. These trees are scattered in various environments on the FKIP UNCEN Abepura Campus. The Arecaceae family consists of two tree species, namely Cocos nucifera L and Livistona saribus (Lour.) Marr. The Cupressaceae family consists of one type of tree, namely Cryptomeria japonica. The Sapindaceae family consists of two types of trees, namely Filicium decipiens (Wight & Arn.) and Pometia pinnata. The Fabaceae family consists of two tree species, Albizia saman (Jacq.) Merr, and Tamarindus indica L. The Moraceae family consists of one tree species, namely Ficus benjamina. The Lecythidaceae family consists of one tree species, namely Barringtonia asiatica (L.) Kurz. The Combretaceae family consists of one type of tree, namely Terminalia catappa L. The Anacardiaceae family consists of one type of tree, namely Mangifera indica L. The Oxalidaceae family consists of one type of tree, namely Averrhoa carambola L. The Clusiaceae family consists of one type of tree, namely Calophyllum inophyllum L. Implementation of This research is in the form of learning media in the form of a plant morphology practicum guide

The Incorporation of Coconut Water and Banana Homogenate in The Regeneration of Fig (Ficus carica L.) cv. Violette de Solliès

The common fig (Ficus carica L.) is from the family of Moraceae and is commonly cultivated for its fruits, which are well-known for their exceptional nutritional and medicinal properties. The addition of organic additives functions to supply carbon sources and other essential vitamins, minerals, and natural growth regulators to support the growth of explants. The present study aims to assess the effects of coconut water and banana homogenate in the regeneration of Ficus carica cv. Violette de Solliès (VDS). In vitro shoot, explants were cultured in full-strength MS medium without sucrose but with 1.0 mg/L BAP and different concentrations of coconut water and banana homogenate. Results indicated that MS media with 200 mL/L coconut water resulted in the highest number of induced shoots (3.03 ± 0.122) and shoot height (1.005 ± 0.022 cm) compared to other treatments with coconut water, whereas MS media supplemented with 200 g/L banana homogenate produced the highest number of induced shoots (3.00 ± 0.144) and the highest shoot height (0.958 ± 0.020 cm) of all the banana homogenate treatments. In conclusion, coconut water and banana homogenate are suitable alternatives for carbon sources and other organic growth factors contributing to the regeneration of Ficus carica cv. VDS.

A new ceramide and other constituents from the fruits of Ficus lutea Vahl (Moraceae) and their chemotaxonomic significance

A new ceramide named luteaceramide (1), along with sixteen known compounds including 3α-hydroxy-27-p-(E)-coumaroyloxyursan-12-en-28-oic acid (2), 3α-hydroxy-27-p-(Z)-coumaroyloxyursan-12-en-28-oic acid (3), 3-O-acetyl-α-amyrin (4), lupeol (5), a mixture of β-sitosterol (6) and stigmasterol (7), 24-methylenecycloartenol (8), hexacosanol (9), ergosterol 5α,8α-endoperoxide (10), hexatriacontan-1-ol (11), 3β-acetoxy-1β,11α-dihydroxyolean-12-ene (12), palmitic acid (13), tormentic acid (14), alphitolic acid (15), β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D glucopyranoside (16), and ursolazuroside 1 (17) were obtained after phytochemical investigation of the methanol extract of the fruits of Ficus lutea. The structure of the new compound was elucidated by analyses of their spectroscopic data including 1D and 2D-NMR, HREI-MS and chemical conversions. The MeOH crude extract had weak activity against Proteus mirabilis (MIC 2.5 mg/mL). Luteaceramide (1), lupeol (5) and hexacosanol (9) showed a moderate antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli with MIC ranging from 31 to 63 μg/mL while 1 was weakly active against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and P. mirabilis with MIC between 125 and 250 μg/mL. Compounds 2, 3, 12, 14, 15, and 17 are also reported for the first time from the genus Ficus. The chemotaxonomic significance of the isolated compounds was summarized. Our results on the isolation of a new ceramide (1), triterpenoids of ursan (2–4, 14 and 17)-, lupan (5 and 15)-, oleanan (12)-, and cycloartan (8)-types, steroids (6, 7, 10 and 16), alcohols (9 and 11), and a fatty acid (13) from F. lutea Vahl are in good agreement with the classification and the chemotaxonomy of this species for the genus Ficus and for the family Moraceae. The phytochemical analyses of plant species of the genus Ficus in most of the cases provided the isolation of ceramides. This class of secondary metabolites could be considered as one of the markers of the genus Ficus.

Screening and Structure-Activity Relationship for Selective and Potent Anti-Melanogenesis Agents Derived from Species of Mulberry (Genus Morus).

Tyrosinase is a multifunctional, copper-containing and rate-limiting oxidase that catalyses crucial steps in the melanogenesis pathway and is responsible for skin-pigmentation abnormalities in mammals. Numerous tyrosinase inhibitors derived from natural and synthetic sources have been identified as an objective for the development of anti-melanogenesis agents. However, due to side effects and lack of expected efficiency, only a small percentage of them are used for medical and cosmetic purposes. This critical review focuses on searching for novel active substances and recently discovered plant-derived anti-tyrosinase inhibitors from the Morus genus (Moraceae family). A detailed analysis of their structure-activity relationships is discussed. The information contained in this article is crucial for the cosmetics and medical industries, in order to show new directions for the effective search for natural anti-melanogenesis products (with satisfactory efficiency and safety) to treat and cure hyperpigmentation.

Genetic architecture of morin (pentahydroxyflavone) biosynthetic pathway in mulberry (Morus notabilis): an in silico approach

BACKGROUND: Morin, (3,5,7,2′,4′-pentahydroxyflavone), is a polyphenolic compound belonging to bio-flavonoids and is predominantly isolated from the family Moraceae. Previous studies demonstrated the health benefits of morin using human and animal models. Despite its importance as a bioactive compound, the genetic architecture of the morin biosynthetic pathway is still unclear. OBJECTIVE: To understand the genetic architecture of the morin biosynthetic pathway, the following components were analyzed: (1) cis-responsive element (CRE)-mediated regulation, (2) microRNAs (miRNA)-mediated post-transcriptional silencing, and (3) tissue-specific in silico gene expression. METHODS: To understand the genetic architecture of morin biosynthetic pathway, in silico survey was carried out using different web servers (MorusDB, MEME suite, NCBI database, PlantCARE, and psRNATarget) and collected mRNA, protein sequences, and expressed microarray data. TBtools was employed for depicting protein and promoter motifs and the heatmap preparation of tissue-specific expression of genes involved in the morin biosynthesis. RESULTS: The current data mining study highlighted the morin biosynthetic pathway associated genes, namely, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (MnPAL), chalcone synthase A (MnCSA), chalcone-flavonone isomerase (MnCFI), and flavonoid 3′,5′-hydroxylase (MnFH) are transcriptionally regulated by different growth, development, and stress-responsive CREs. Differential expression profiles shown MnPAL (L484_024373) and MnCFI (L484_011241) genes were upregulated across selected tissues. Moreover, miRNA-mediated post-transcriptional silencing was identified. CONCLUSIONS: This study will improve our understanding of morin biosynthesis, and it can improve production via metabolic engineering.

Analysis of habitat canopy cover for bird’s family bucerotidae with canopy capture in pocut meurah intan forest park, aceh besar

Pocut Meurah Intan Grand Forest Park (Tahura) is a form of nature conservation area which is overgrown by various types of plants that are widely used by bird species such as forage trees and nesting trees. Bird species from the Bucerotidae family are one of the fauna that take advantage of the presence of various types of plants in the area. When the existence of plants that function as feeding trees or nesting trees is threatened, the impact will be experienced by various bird species due to habitat changes such as a shortage of life-supporting plants. One of the factors that influence the use of trees in their habitat by birds is the density and canopy cover. The purpose of this study was to analyze the percentage of canopy cover for forage trees and bird nesting trees in the Bucerotidae family in Tahura Pocut Meurah Intan. Descriptive method is the method chosen in this study. The research location stations were determined using purposive sampling. To determine the canopy cover of forage trees and nesting trees, Canopycapture ver.1.0.2 software was used with the Hemispherical Photography method. Hemispherical Photography is a method by calculating the area of the canopy cover using a camera from under the tree canopy. This method produces more accurate data because the area captured by the camera is more specific so that it describes the actual tree canopy cover. Tree canopy cover data collection using Hemispherical Photography using the front camera of the XIAOMI Redmi Note 6 Pro mobile phone with a dual camera resolution of 20 and 2 megapixels with HD resolution (1,280 x 720) at a point of taking photos. This technique is used in a 10 mx 10 m plot and analyzed using Microsoft office 2021 software. This research was conducted in January – February 2021 with a total of 2 stations. The results of this study found 14 species of forage trees and 13 species of nesting trees. The Moraceae family is more dominant in the use of birds from the Bucerotidae family as feed trees, while the Lauraceae family and also the Moraceae family are dominant as nesting trees. The value of tree canopy cover in Tahura Pocut Meurah Intan is 84.00% which belongs to the solid category.

Sacred groves and nakshatravan trees - A comparative analysis for their medicinal properties and volatile compounds for human health

• List of 27 specific nakshatravan trees associated with nakshatra/constellation. • Common and unique medicinal properties of 27 pharmaceutically important trees. • Comparative analysis of volatile and non-volatile compounds of 27 trees. • Potential role of specific trees on human health and benefits of therapeutic landscape in sacred grooves. • Conservation of scared/nakshatravan trees and its pharmacological values. Sacred natural sites are considered part of human beings and communities, consisting of unique medicinal plant species with specific therapeutic properties. Among the sacred trees, Nakshatravan comprises an impressive range of medicinal and aromatic plants, mainly trees, which may help as a source of readily available raw materials from temple premises for traditional medicine. Therefore, the review aims to analyze and compare the medicinal properties and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of nakshatravan trees, which are associated with 27 nakshatras/constellations used in Vedic tradition since 2nd Century. Various scientific databases, such as Pubmed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, were used. The keywords such as constellation, nakshatravan trees, human health, sacred groves, volatile oil, essential oil, and influence on human diseases were used. The 27 nakshatravan trees belong to 20 families, of which the Moraceae family contributes five trees; Fabaceae, Papilonaceae, and Sapotaceae contribute two trees, whereas the remaining 16 family consists of 1 tree each. There are 92 different medicinal properties, and 132 Volatile Compounds (VCs) and 36 non-volatile compounds (NVCs) noted from 27 trees, which are reported from nakshatravan trees and used for the treatment and prevention of various human diseases. An innovative approach to conserving these plants diversity has been emerging as ‘Star Garden’ comprising imperative medicinal trees with several unique or common medicinal properties. This approach will facilitate establishing and maintaining important, unique medicinal tree species. In the present study, we have analyzed common and unique medicinal properties, volatile and non-volatile compounds of 27 nakshatravan trees, and their potential pharmacological values.

Amelioration in the Therapeutic Uses of Ficus carica Linn

Ficus carica, also known as ‘Anjeer’ is a lactiferous, perennial, deciduous small tree that belongs to the Moraceae family spread across the tropical and subtropical region. It contains various phytochemicals such as flavonoids, triterpenoids, coumarins, volatile oil, and psoralen which can fight many diseases. Ficus carica is used in the treatment of asthma, scabies, toothache, diarrhea, chest pain, nose bleeding, gout, leprosy, spasmodic, cancer, piles, cough, leukoderma, diabetes, etc. This review was prepared by a detailed literature survey on its pharmacognostic profile and transformation of traditional medicinal activities into modernity. For this review, we have collected the literature that has been published since 2022 in the following databases: Pubmed, Scopus, Science direct, SciFinder, Google Scholar, and regional traditional herbal literature.

The influence of planting orientation and ecotype on sprouting and survival of stem cuttings of African teak (Milicia excelsa (Welw.) in Kenya

African teak (Milicia excelsa (Welw.) is a giant deciduous forest tree which belongs to the Moraceae family and is now threatened by extinction due to over exploitation. This study determines the influence of planting orientation and ecotype on sprouting and survival of cuttings of African teak. The cuttings were collected from the Coastal and Western regions of Kenya. A Randomized Complete Block Design was used. The cuttings were planted in three positions (horizontal, vertical, and slanting angle) in the nursery containers covered with the polyethene sheet and the planting medium was composed of river sand. Data were collected monthly on the number and height of sprouts while the cutting survival was done at the end of the experiment which was five months). Data were subjected to analysis of variance using GENSTAT 15th Edition while separation of means was performed using the Standard Error of Difference (SED). The results showed that planting orientation was significant on the sprouting of cuttings df=2, F=117.93, p-value=0.001 as well as the survival of cuttings at the end of the experiment, the cuttings which were planted vertically and slanting were higher compared with those planted in horizontal orientation. The ecotypes had a significant effect on the number of sprouts obtained by stem cuttings df=1, F=6.99, p-value=0.012 and the cuttings from the Western region were performed better than those from Coast. It was concluded that vertical or slanting orientations and Western ecotype should be considered before planting this species.

"Cytotoxic Test of Ethyl Acetate Extract of Breadfruit Leaves (Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson's ex F.A. Zorn) Fosberg) by Brine Shrimp Lethality Test Method"

Breadfruit leaves (Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson ex F.A. Zorn) Fosberg) belonging to the Moraceae family are one of the plants that can be used as traditional medicine that is found near all regions in Indonesia. Breadfruit leaves (Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson's ex F.A. Zorn) Fosberg) have a high antioxidant activity that can be used as an alternative therapy in the treatment of cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine the cytotoxic activity of ethyl acetate extract of breadfruit leaves (Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson's ex F.A. Zorn) Fosberg). Observation of cytotoxic activity using the Brine Shrimp Lethality Test method with various test concentrations of 1000 μg / ml, 100 μg / ml, 10 μg / ml. The results of the study found that the percentage of death from each test concentration was different, namely 100%, 83.33% and 56.66%. Ethyl acetate extract from breadfruit leaves (Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson's ex F.A.Zorn) Fosberg) has cytotoxic activity with a value of ,LC-50. 11,180 μg/ml belongs to the category of highly toxic. Research can be concluded that breadfruit leaves (Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson's ex F.A. Zorn) Fosberg) have the potential to have cytotoxic activity.

Artocarpus hirsutus Lam Leaf Extract-Evaluation of Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Activity.

The study involved extraction, identification, and evaluation of pharmacological activities of the phytochemicals present. Artocarpus hirsutus Lam, commonly known as Wild jack is a greatly valued medicinal plant, which belongs to the plant family Moraceae. Preliminary phytochemical screening studies indicated the presence of flavonoids, saponins, tannins, glycosides, and alkaloids. This study estimated the analgesic and anti-inflammatory prospective of ethanolic leaf extract of Artocarpus hirsutus Lam. The findings showed that at various doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg body weight when administered orally to rats, analgesic effects were produced, also the anti-inflammatory effect studied by carrageenan-induced rat paw edema test showed major anti-inflammatory action. The result indicates that the leaf extract of Artocarpus hirsutus Lam possesses major analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity and therefore requires further investigations to better understand the mechanism of action.

Phytochemical, Antimicrobial, Antidiabetic, Thrombolytic, anticancer Activities, and in silico studies of Ficus palmata Forssk

Ficus palmata Forssk. (Moraceae family) is medicinally valuable plant that is mostly used as folk medicine for the treatment of differentdiseases. Phytochemical composition was evaluated by preliminary phytochemical investigation, GCMS analysis, and total bioactive contents (TPC and TFC). The antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, antimicrobial, thrombolytic and anticancer activities were performed for biological evaluation. The extract exhibited the maximum total phenolic (49.24 ± 1.21 mg GAE/g) and total flavonoid contents (29.9 ± 1.13 mg QE/g) which may be correlated to higher antioxidant potential of extract. The GCMS investigation identified the presence of 27 phytocompounds of different classes related to aldehydes, esters of fatty acids, triterpenes, steroids, triterpenoid. The extract possessed the strong α-glucosidase (73.4 ± 4.65 %) and moderate α-amylase inhibition activity (47.1 ± 3.29 %). Significant results were observed in case of antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial activities. F. palmata extract inhibited the growth of HepG2 cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. The extract also exhibited moderate in vitro thrombolytic activity. In addition, the phytocompounds identified by GCMS were subjected to in silico molecular docking studies to analyze the binding affinity between phytocompounds and enzymes (α-glucosidase and α-amylase). Moreover, the best docked compounds were selected for ADMET studies which provide information about pharmacokinetics, physicochemical properties, drug-likeness, and toxicity of identified phytocompounds. The outcome of our research revealed that ethanolic extract of F. palmata possessed good antidiabetic, antimicrobial, thrombolytic and anticancer potential. This plant should be further explored to isolate the bioactive compounds for new drug development.

Morus alba fruits attenuates atopic dermatitis symptoms and pathology in vivo and in vitro via the regulation of barrier function, immune response and pruritus

BackgroundMorus alba fruits (MAF) belong to the Moraceae family, which are known to be effective in treating diabetic, autoimmune, and hormonal diseases owing to its low toxicity. MAF, as excerpted from Donguibogam, a representative Korean medical encyclopedia protected by UNESCO, has been widely used to treat lumbago, arthritis, and diabetes. Based on these effects, MAF is investigated for unidentified effects of atopic dermatitis, characterized by complex etiology of skin barrier dysfunction, inflammation, and chronic pruritus. MethodsThe antioxidant, inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties of MAF and its bioactive compounds have been widely reported. According to an examination of 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene-induced AD-like skin lesions in NC/Nga mice, AD symptoms, such as increased dermatitis score, scratching frequency, immunoglobulin E, trans-epidermal water loss, epidermal thickness, and infiltration of mast cells, were relieved by topical MAF administration. They effectively attenuated cytokines and chemokines, such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-13, IL-17A, IL-22, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), thymic- and activation-regulated chemokine, normal T cell expression, and macrophage-derived chemokine secretion at the mRNA level in TNF-α/IFN-γ induced HaCaT (human immortalized keratinocyte) cells. ResultsBoth in vivo and in vitro models, MAF increased the expression of filaggrin, involucrin, and loricrin, as well as inhibited the activation of Janus kinase 2, signal transducer and activator of transcription proteins 1, and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, including extracellular signal-regulated kinase, c-jun N-terminal kinase, and p38. Moreover, MAF reduced the expression of TSLP and periostin, which play important roles in skin pruritus as chronic pruritogenic factors. ConclusionThese data indicate that MAF could be used as a potential treatment for AD-like skin lesions by regulating the inflammatory response, improving physical skin barriers, and relieving symptomatic pruritus.

HPLC-HRESI-MSn Characterization of Polyphenolic Compounds in the Stem Bark of Chlorophora regia A. Chev (Moraceae)

Isolation and identification of secondary metabolites from medicinal plants could be tedious and time consuming. Therefore, any technique that could be used to confirm the identity of medicinal plant constituents without isolating them will save time and resources. Chlorophora similar to many genera in the Moraceae family have been demonstrated to be rich sources of polyphenolic compounds with important biological activities. The current study was designed to employ HRESI-MSn analyses to qualitatively examine isolated polyphenolic compounds from the stem bark of Chlorophora regia. Based on the HRESI-MSn data obtained, the fragmentation patterns of the compounds under study will be proposed and could be used in their identification in a matrix. Five polyphenolic compounds were successfully isolated and purified using various chromatographic techniques including column chromatography, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and preparative HPLC. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by in-depth analyses of their 1D and 2D NMR and mass spectroscopic data. HRESI-MS/MS was further used to characterize the isolated compounds. Five polyphenolic compounds including three Diels-Alder type adducts: sanggenon C, kuwanol E and chalcomoracin; two stilbene derivatives: chlorophorin and isochlorophorin were isolated from the stem bark. The tandem MS fragmentation patterns of the compounds in positive mode, were successfully proposed. The fragments obtained and proposed fragmentation patterns of the isolated compounds could be employed qualitatively in the identification of the studied polyphenolic compounds in a matrix.

Species Distribution Model for the Asian Tapir and Vegetation Characteristics of Batang Gadis National Park, North Sumatra, Indonesia.

The Asian tapir is a primitive mammal whose habitat is heavily fragmented due to human activities. Studies on the Asian tapirs in Sumatra are very few, thereby basic information for developing tapir conservation programmes is limited. This study aimed to develop the species distribution model to map the potential distribution of tapirs in Batang Gadis National Park (BGNP), investigate the characteristic of tapir habitat, and identify tapir feed plants around BGNP. The model was developed using the Maximum Entropy (Maxent) approach, based on the existing information on tapir occurrence in BGNP and environmental variables. Vegetation characteristics in different land cover (primary forests, secondary forests, and open fields) were investigated using the strip transect method. This study found that zonal classification, temperature and precipitation have the greatest percentage contribution to the model. The model estimated that around 24.45% of BGNP areas are suitable for tapir habitat, and tapirs distribute near community gardens. Our results also showed that plant diversity at study sites was categorised as moderate-high. About 23 plant species dominated by the Moraceae family were identified as feed plants for tapirs. In developing tapir conservation programmes, BGNP management needs to consider tapir distribution that is closed to community gardens. We propose BGNP to enrich feed plants in open fields of the wilderness and traditional zones; reduce the canopy cover in the wilderness and utilisation zones to stimulate the growth of feed plants; facilitate local people to live harmoniously with tapirs; involve local communities in tapir conservation programmes; encourage local communities to plant non-palatable crops for tapirs; and provide a compensation scheme.