Orchid Tubers Research Articles

Nutritional, Phytochemical, and Functional Properties of Four Edible Orchid Species from Malawi.

Terrestrial orchid tubers are an important source of food in some parts of Africa and are traditionally included in the diets of most rural communities in Malawi. However, there is limited information on the nutritional and phytochemical content of the Malawian orchids to substantiate their traditional use. The present study evaluates the nutritional and phytochemical variation of four orchid species: Disa zombica, Satyrium buchananii, Satyrium carsonii, and Satyrium trinerve, collected from the same ecological zone of Malawi. The proximate content, minerals, phytochemicals, and functional properties were analysed using official procedures. Protein ranged from 2.19% to 4.65%, whereas carbohydrate ranged from 65.24% to 80.22%, with S. carsonii and S. trinerve registering the highest protein and carbohydrate contents, respectively. Iron and potassium were highest in D. zombica, while sodium and calcium were highest in S. buchananii. The total phenolics ranged from 228.56 to 500.00 mg GAE/100 g, with D. zombica registering the highest. The water absorption capacity ranged from 4.10 to 10.88 g/g. Despite variable levels, the study provides evidence that orchid species contain essential nutrients and phytochemicals important for human nutrition and health. Furthermore, the functional properties can be utilised in the development of food products, such as baked products.

Elemental compositions and stable isotope signatures for determining the geographical origin of salep orchids collected from different regions of Turkey

Salep is a highly valued natural food and medicinal commodity with strict regulations on its use and export. It is produced from tubers of orchids and consumed for its delectable and functional qualities in different parts of the world. This study aimed to identify and compare the elemental composition and isotope ratios of salep based on discrimination of geographical origins. The samples were collected from five different regions (North, Southwest, South, Southeast and East Anatolia) of Turkey. The 21 microelements (Li, Be, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Ga, Se, Rb, Sr, Mo, Sb, Cs, Ba, Tl and Bi) were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), while the isotope ratios (δ13C, δ15N, δ18O and δ2H) were determined using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). According to the ICP-MS results, Fe, Zn and Mn comprised around 77% of the elemental composition. North Anatolia samples had higher concentrations of Cr and Ni, while samples from Southeast and East Anatolia regions were enriched in Cs. Isotopic ratios varied significantly between samples and minimum and maximum ratios were determined as − 29.76 and − 26.63‰, 0 and 6.66‰, 28.09 and 37.31‰, − 144.86 and − 84.20‰ for the δ13C, δ15N, δ18O and δ2H, respectively. Collected isotopic data was also evaluated by multivariate statistical analyses to discriminate according to their geographical origins of salep tubers. According to the findings, the samples had a characteristic isotopic fingerprint and the isotope ratios can be important predictors for the discrimination of geographical origins. Results indicate the significant compositional variation between salep of different origins, which may be attributable to differences in environmental conditions such as climate and soil composition and intrinsic factors such as fungal associations of orchids.

Effects of Temperature on Asymbiotic Seed Germination of Himantoglossum robertianum (Loisel.) P.Delforge

Aim of study: Despite protection by international agreements, millions of orchid tubers are harvested from their natural distribution areas each year. Of these species, Himantoglossum robertianum is locally threatened due to overharvesting and requires precautionary measures to ensure its protection. Reproduction of the species in an asymbiotic environment is imperative for providing ex-situ protection. There are no studies on optimum germination temperature in H. robertianum. This study aimed to germinate H. robertianum seeds in-vitro under asymbiotic conditions. Area of study: The study was carried out at the Silviculture Laboratories of Bursa Technical University, Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forestry Engineering. Material and methods: H. robertianum seeds were used in the study. Seeds were germinated in five replications at four different temperatures (10, 15, 20, and 25°C (± 0.5°C). The study was conducted for 275 days under dark conditions with Sıgma-Phytamax P-6668 used as the medium. Main results: The highest germination was 23.8% at 20°C and germination was not obtained at 10°C. While germination was faster at 25°C in the first 18 weeks, germination accelerated at 20°C after 18 weeks. Highlights: These results indicate that temperature is an important factor in the germination of H. robertainum seeds.

Interaction With Fungi Promotes the Accumulation of Specific Defense Molecules in Orchid Tubers and May Increase the Value of Tubers for Biotechnological and Medicinal Applications: The Case Study of Interaction Between Dactylorhiza sp. and Tulasnella calospora

Terrestrial orchids can form tubers, organs modified to store energy reserves. Tubers are an attractive source of nutrients, and salep, a flour made from dried orchid tubers, is the source of traditional beverages. Tubers also contain valuable secondary metabolites and are used in traditional medicine. The extensive harvest of wild orchids is endangering their populations in nature; however, orchids can be cultivated and tubers mass-produced. This work illustrates the importance of plant-fungus interaction in shaping the content of orchid tubers in vitro. Orchid plants of Dactylorhiza sp. grown in asymbiotic culture were inoculated with a fungal isolate from Tulasnella calospora group and, after 3 months of co-cultivation, tubers were analyzed. The fungus adopted the saprotrophic mode of life, but no visible differences in the morphology and biomass of the tubers were detected compared to the mock-treated plants. To elucidate the mechanisms protecting the tubers against fungal infestation, proteome, metabolome, and lipidome of tubers were analyzed. In total, 1,526, 174, and 108 proteins, metabolites, and lipids were quantified, respectively, providing a detailed snapshot of the molecular process underlying plant-microbe interaction. The observed changes at the molecular level showed that the tubers of inoculated plants accumulated significantly higher amounts of antifungal compounds, including phenolics, alkaloid Calystegine B2, and dihydrophenanthrenes. The promoted antimicrobial effects were validated by observing transient inhibition of Phytophthora cactorum growth. The integration of omics data highlighted the promotion of flavonoid biosynthesis, the increase in the formation of lipid droplets and associated production of oxylipins, and the accumulation of auxin in response to T. calospora. Taken together, these results provide the first insights into the molecular mechanisms of defense priming in orchid tubers and highlight the possible use of fungal interactors in biotechnology for the production of orchid secondary metabolites.

Investigation of the effects of different extraction methods on some biological activities of Dactylorhiza romana subsp. georgica (Klinge) Soó ex Renz & Taubenheim

Dactylorhiza romana subsp. georgica is found in Anatolia and is traditionally used by local people both as food and to alleviate various ailments. Although various biological activities of the plant have been partially investigated, these properties have not been comprehensively revealed in the light of scientific data. In this study, it was aimed to elucidate the antioxidant, antimicrobial, enzyme inhibition (alpha amylase, alpha glucosidase, and tyrosinase) and DNA protective activity and phenolic content of the extracts obtained from orchid tubers using different extraction methods. For this, the fresh and dry tubers of the plant were extracted with ethanol at different times in an ultrasonic water bath, shaker and their combinations with each other. ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP methods were used to determine the antioxidant properties of plant tubers. In addition, the phosphomolybdate method was used to determine the total antioxidant capacity. The spectrophotometric method was preferred to reveal the enzyme inhibition activity. The antimicrobial activity of the extracts was investigated by microdilution method. In addition, the phenolic content of the plant was analysed by HPLC. The DNA protective activity of the extracts was determined by using the pUC 19 plasmid. According to the results obtained, it was revealed that each extract exhibited various biological activities. According to the HPLC results, the highest phenolic component in the extracts was determined as p-hydroxybenzoic acid. As a result, it was observed that the biological activities of orchid tubers changed according to different extraction methods. Accordingly, due to the high biological activities of orchid tubers, they have a high potential for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Application of Glucomannan

Glucomannan (GM) a water-soluble polysaccharide possesses mannose residues which are extracted from tubers, bulbs, softwoods and roots of many plants. Glucomannan is considered to be a dietary fibre which is actually present in some plant species in the form of hemicelluloses component in the cell wall. Its structure consists of linear chain of mixed residues of α-1,4 linked D-mannose and D-glucose monomers arranged in blocks. The molecular weight of native GM lies between 1×104– 2×106. Low molecular weight GM could be obtained by de-polymerization technique. The average molecular weight of Konjac Glucomannan (KGM) is 500,000 – 2,000,000 and varies with species, growing area, storage time and processing methods. The glucomannan from different sources vary in its mannose to glucose ratio. Konjac tuber glucomannan has a molar ratio of 1.6:1 or 1.4:1 (ratio differs with konjac breeds), Orchid tubers and Scotch pine have molar ratios of 3.6:1 and 2.1:1 respectively. Diversity of glucomannan also depends on degree of acetylation in GM chain. Values of degree of acetylation are 5to10% or every 19th sugar residue (attached randomly at C-6 position in KGM), is actually responsible to facilitate dispersion and solubility by inhibiting the intra-molecular hydrogen bonds. This solubility function is attractive for multiple pharmaceutical applications. However increase in acetylation degree in GM slows the gelation process. The intrinsic viscosity of KGM solution is highest among the polysaccharides that facilitate swelling behaviour and hence gel formation that finds application in food industry. Gels have good stability, films, hydrogel, beads, micro and nanoparticles of Glucomannan may have potential usage in therapeutic drug delivery systems without causing toxicity. It may also be useful in treatment of chronic constipation, decreasing serum cholesterol, and increasing insulin sensitivity. As a food supplement it could play a significant role in weight loss. Carboxymethylated glucomannan improves the properties of paper, such as burst index, dry tensile index, and wet tensile index. These diverse applications make Glucomannan a most sought after biomolecule. Keywords: Biomolecule, Glucomannan, Diverse application

Quantifying an online wildlife trade using a web crawler

Legally protected plants are illegally traded through online sales platforms and orchids are a significant component of this wildlife trade. This study focused on salep, a compound product made from wild collected orchid tubers from several genera—including Anacamptis, Dactylorhiza, Himantoglossum, Ophrys, Orchis, Serapias—whose harvest endangers some of the species used, despite their collection and sale being restricted by national and international legislation. Using a custom designed web crawler in combination with DNA barcoding of a subset of products over 18 months 1942 items of salep were detected as sold at a total value of US$ 37,775, estimated to be equivalent to 90,000 to 180,000 wild orchids being destructively harvested. Wild harvested tubers traded at a value of $0.21 and equivalent cultivated orchids have a market price of $16–28; cultivation is currently no viable alternative to wild harvesting. Using a web crawler on open trade sites contributes to knowledge on illegal wildlife trade, which can be used to address illegal plant trade at the national and international level.

Ex vitro symbiotic germination of the seeds of Anacamptis coriophora (L.) R.M. Bateman, Pritgeon & M.W. Chase and Orchis anatolica Boiss.

Rapid destruction of orchid habitats and over-collection of the tubers are the greatest threats to orchid diversity. To counter these threats, it is necessary to grow orchid tubers easily and quickly for economic reasons and to reintroduce populations in the habitats of species that are facing extinction. This study demonstrates a simple viability test for orchid seeds and the ex vitro symbiotic seed germination of temperate orchids. Viability of the seeds of two orchid species, Anacamptis coriophora and Orchis anatolica, was determined without any chemical treatment of the seed coat. Seeds were incubated in packs in moist cocopeats for five days during which seed viability tests being performed daily. The highest viability rate was found in the seeds that were incubated for five days (64.33% for O. coriophora; 67.19% for O. anatolica). The seeds of these orchids were sown non-axenically into a pre-inoculated soil mixture with a compatible fungus, Ceratobasidium sp. AG A. The seeds of both the orchids germinated 18days after sowing. Leafy and rooted seedlings developed two months after sowing and the first tubers of both the species developed seven months later.

An Overview of the Ethnobotanic, Ethnopharmacological and Medicinal Importance of Edible Wild Root Tuber Orchids in Cameroon

Orchids are well known for their beautiful exotic flowers, and food-flavoring products which make them a resource of great economic importance in the global horticultural and food industries. In Cameroon, orchids are particularly important for their tubers which are used for food and traditional medicine. Orchids are therefore of considerable economic importance, traded within and across the regions and out of the country. Few research works have reported for these orchids in Cameroon exploring mostly identification and taxonomy. It is therefore the responsibility and duty of the local population to valorize the tubers for national use based on their awareness of the hidden potentials for food and medicine. Many people will have eaten orchids without realizing, due to the countless products in international trade that contain the seeds of artificially propagated Vanilla orchids. However, this legal trade is only one example of orchids being used as ingredients in food and drink. One example is the trade in chikanda, a cake made from the ground tubers of terrestrial orchids and consumed in several countries in Central and East Africa. Another product made from the ground tubers of terrestrial species is salep, which is used as an ingredient in hot drinks and ice cream and consumed mainly in Turkey and neighboring countries.
 The high exploitation with no biodiversity and conservation strategic plan by indigenes is a call for concern about the sustainability as future existence of these wild edible orchids is highly threatened; reason why orchids are on the international red list. This paper reviews the ethnobotanical and medicinal uses of orchid roots and tubers with a focus on Cameroon. The review highlights some of the areas that require more focus in terms of research and policy interventions, namely identification of all edible orchids, domestication of edible orchids, and trade controls. Focusing on Cameroon, this paper reviews and examines the edible root and tuber orchids developments based on information from some of the work that has been done in Cameroon, the ethnobotanic, ethnopharmacological and medicinal uses of these orchids.

Identification of protease enzyme in salep orchid tubers, and investigation of the usability of the enzyme in casein and gluten hydrolysis

In recent years, due to many diseases transmitted from animals to humans (coronavirus disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome, mad cow, and bird and swine flu), consumers are concerned about the use of protease enzymes derived from animal sources in the production of food products. These concerns have increased the demand for protease enzymes of plant origin. The fact that very few of the protease enzymes used in the production of foodstuffs are produced from plant sources has led researchers to seek a new source of plant-based protease. In the present work, the protease enzyme was isolated from the tubers of the salep orchid (Dactylorhiza osmanica) by ammonium sulphate precipitation and size exclusion chromatography. The isolated protease had an optimal pH of 6.5 and an optimal temperature of 48°C. The Km value was 8.22 µM. The molecular mass of the enzyme was 31 kDa. The enzyme retained its 100% activity up to 21 h at 40°C. At 50°C, the enzyme maintained its 100% activity for up to 4 h. The isolated protease acquired from the salep orchid tubers hydrolysed α-, β-, and κ-casein, and formed new peptides larger than 15 kDa. The isolated enzyme is known to be effective in milk clotting, which is the first step of cheese making, and might also contribute to the production of cheese with specific flavours. However, the protease extracted from the salep orchid tubers cannot hydrolyse gluten at the same level.

Successful recruitment following translocation of a threatened terrestrial orchid (Diuris tricolor) into mining rehabilitation in the Hunter Valley of NSW

SummaryTranslocation of threatened terrestrial orchids is increasingly seen as a viable ameliorative conservation option when habitat is destroyed or modified through changing land use. Most orchid translocations reported in the literature detail nursery‐raised seedlings planted into intact and suitable habitat, and few involve translocation of entire plants and their mycorrhizal fungal associates. As part of a larger translocation study, soil cores containing 46 individuals of the threatened Painted Diuris (Diuris tricolor) were translocated into herbivore‐proof plots on restored and rehabilitated post‐mining lands in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. After 3 years of annual flowering and fruiting, new recruits (mature flowering plants) were observed within translocation plots but outside of original soil cores, and at 6 years following translocation 29 new individuals were observed. Two of these individuals germinated outside of fenced plots. At peak flowering in 2020, a search of rehabilitated lands outside of translocation plots failed to locate any orchids, discounting the unlikely possibility that orchid tubers may have survived the process of topsoil stockpiling and respreading. Successful recruitment of Painted Diuris into mining rehabilitation has the potential to significantly offset any losses of this species resulting from mining operations within the region.

The Advances of Plant Product Meat Alternatives as a Healthier and Environmentally Friendly Option for Animal Meat Protein Consumption

High protein from meat consumption has been associated recently to environmental depletion and health related issues despite the important contribution of meat and meat products in diet and growth development. This has motivated debates on a drastic shift from excessive meat consumption amongst stake holders, academics, animal rights activists and environmentalist as informed consumers are pushing food scientist for a more sustainable alternative protein source. Plant proteins are considered a suitable alternative protein. However, the nutritional, functional potential and the form of presentation have shown some technological difficulties which indicates that direct transformation of plant proteins to meat products is less feasible. Though meat alternative research is promising in developed countries, there are technological breakthroughs that have permitted to replace in part or fully certain sensory attributes of meat inspired by the technology behind the ancient east Asian traditionally structured products like tofu, seitan and tempeh. However, despite the global increase in meat consumption associated with high standard of living, the search for the meat protein alternative from plant products have been limited to the conventional sources of soybeans, beans, lentils, vegetables and pulses. Future research could be diversified and orientated towards improving the existing African foods produced endogenously from wild orchid tubers widely consumed in low middle income countries in the form of cakes, meat substitutes, fake meat, mock meat and/or meat replacements. The successful production of a convenient and acceptable plant-based meat replacement will go a long way to reduce or eliminate excessive meat consumption. This review is geared towards a wider data search concerning the advances in meat alternative research and particularly to illustrate on some neglected African endogenously processed products consumed as meat alternatives that needs further research on the wild tubers sources as ingredients for potential convenient and acceptable meat alternatives or extender.

Potentials of Neglected Wild Foods: Nutritional Composition of a ‘Plant Meat’ (Nyam Ngub) Prepared From Wild Edible Orchid Tubers

The powders of a traditional food (Nyam ngub) and two wild varieties of orchid tubers (Ateehteu and Lamsie) were studied for the chemical composition (proximate and mineral composition) and functional properties (water, oil, ethanol absorption capacities, solubility index and swelling power). The tubers were collected from Kedjom Ketingoh (5o 58’N and 10o 19E) in the Northwest Region of Cameroon from July to September 2017. The Nyam ngub was prepared following the traditional method used by local processors in the field. Nyam ngub and tubers were separately sliced, dried for 96 h at 45 °C, ground and sieved to obtain powders used for the analysis. For 100g DW, the mean crude protein, starch, total sugars, soluble sugars, total lipid, crude fibre, vitamin C, calcium, iron contents and energy values for Ateehteu, Lamsie and Nyam ngub were (1.93; 3.50; 2.59)mg, (6.51; 4.48; 4.26)g, (14.34; 15.07;13.08)g, (1.07; 1.06; 1.05)g, (2.45; 2.93; 2.41)g, (4.02; 5.22; 4.88)g, (8.38; 5.69; 5.93)mg, (58.02; 181.86; 693.03)mg, (2.78; 24.65; 16.02)mg and (60.58; 63.09; 53.73) Kcal. The mean water, oil and ethanol absorption capacities for Ateehteu and Lamsie were (7.29; 9.10) g/g, (2.60; 3.21) g/g and (1.91; 2.28) g/g and solubility index was (44.38; 59.63) %. The results showed that Nyam ngub could therefore represent a rich traditional food that can provide nutrient diversity in diets, served as food for diabetics and had a promising potential as nutraceuticals and functional foods.

Phytochemical profile and biological activity of a therapeutic orchid from Anatolia: Dactylorhiza romana subsp. georgica

In Anatolia, the tubers of Dactylorhiza romana subsp. georgica orchid are consumed as food and frequently used in folk medicine to alleviate the symptoms of some disorders. However, these properties have not been scientifically studied until the present day. In this research, we aimed to identify phenolic profile of the orchid tubers and determine their several features and functions. Among these, there are the antioxidant and antimicrobial effects and the inhibitory effect against diabetes related enzymes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase). In this sense, total phenolic content (Folin–Cicalteu assay), total antioxidant capacity (Phosphomolybdate method), antioxidant (ABTS and DPPH assays) and enzyme inhibition effects of tuber extracts obtained with different solvents (chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, ethanol, or hexane) were determined by using spectrophotometric methods, and the phenolic profile was also analysed by HPLC. In addition, antimicrobial activity of the extracts against 3 g (+) and 3 g (−) bacteria and 2 forms of yeasts was determined by disc diffusion and micro dilution methods. Based on our findings, the total phenolic content and antioxidant properties of ethyl acetate extract were considerably higher than the others. The most abundant among the screened phenolic standards was found to be benzoic acid. The highest α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition was measured in methanol and chloroform extracts, respectively. The highest antibacterial (B. cereus) and anticandidal (C. tropicalis and C. albicans) activities were detected in the chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts, respectively. In short, it was clearly seen that the D. romana subsp. georgica tuber had a great potential for being used in food and drug industries as a source of bioactive compounds.

Short-chain fatty acids production by Bifidobacterium species in the presence of salep

Abstract Background Salep is obtained by grinding dried orchid tubers and used as a valuable ingredient in the food industry. Because of the glucomannan content of salep, it is thought to have prebiotic potential. However, there is little information in studies concerning the fermentation characteristics and potential prebiotic properties of salep. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of salep on bifidobacterial growth by measuring the highest optical density (OD), calculating the specific growth rates, and determining the production of lactic acid and short-chain fatty acids (acetic, propionic, and butyric acid) as a result of bacterial fermentation. Result The OD and pH values obtained in this study showed that salep was utilized as a source of assimilable carbon and energy by the Bifidobacterium species (BS). All Bifidobacterium strains produced lactic, acetic, propionic, and butyric acid, indicating that salep is readily fermented by these bacteria. Salep at 1% (w/v) showed a similar effect on bifidobacterial growth as that promoted by 1% (w/v) glucose used as a traditional carbon source. Conclusions Bifidobacterium species can develop in media containing salep as well as in glucose and exhibit the potential to be used as new sources of prebiotics. How to cite: Usta-Gorgun B, Yilmaz-Ersan L. Short-chain fatty acid production by the Bifidobacterium species in the presence of salep. Electron J Biotechnol 2020;47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejbt.2020.06.004 .

Evaluation of phenotypic diversity of the endangered orchid (Orchis mascula): Emphasizing on breeding, conservation and development

The phenotypic diversity of the Iranian orchids has sharply decreased during the last 15 years and is currently threatened with local extinction and global climatic changes. Harvest of tuberous orchids has recently been raised in Iran owing to the high prices of orchid's tubers and international demand from neighboring countries. This has caused competition among orchid harvesters in the country so that the orchids are not even allowed to produce seeds. The present study was done aimed at protecting and identifying the phenotypic diversity within Orchis mascula genotypes in Abr forest, which is a natural habitat of Orchis mascula in Shahrood area, Northeast Iran. The morphological variability of 101 collected samples of early purple orchids was analyzed based on a total of 57 morphological traits. In terms of the quantitative traits, the highest and lowest coefficients of variation (CV%) were observed in the number of side tubers (200%) and petal length (14.43%), respectively. When it comes to the qualitative traits, the highest and lowest CVs were observed in lip color (70.90%) and the flower form on the stem (0%), respectively. Among the studied traits, 11 attributes showed a CV value of less than 20%. The highest positive correlations were observed between tuber fresh weight and tuber dry weight (r = 0.908). Applying principal component analysis (PCA) indicated three main components that explained 45.81% of the total variance. The clusters number four and seven could arguably be suitable sources of parents in breeding crosses for tuber fresh and dry weight traits. In summary, this study confirmed that Abr forest would be one of the rich diversity areas for Orchis mascula and our findings might be satisfactorily applied for breeding, conservation, domestication and development of new traits depending on different breeding purposes.

Physical Characterization of Two Wild Varieties of Edible Orchid Tubers

The physical properties of agricultural products are necessary for the design of equipment for post-harvest treatments and storage. The physical characteristics of two varieties (<i>Ateehteu</i> and <i>Lamsie</i>) of wild orchid tubers used for the production of an endogenously processed food eaten as a meat replacement were determined. Directly measured properties (tuber length, width, thickness, mass, true volume and bulk volume) and derived properties (sphericity, shape index, size, porosity, true and bulk density) were evaluated at 86.11% and 79.01% (wb) moisture contents of <i>Ateehteu</i> and <i>Lamsie</i> respectively. The mean ranges respectively recorded for <i>Ateehteu</i> and <i>Lamsie</i> were: mass (1.70 – 5.79) g; (1.24 – 7.65) g, length (18.94 – 32.01) mm; (9.84 – 27.54) mm, width (11.91 – 19.34) mm; (6.91 – 18.79) mm; thickness (5.07 – 24.50) mm; (1.09 – 22.77) mm, true volume (1.37 – 5.68) ml; (1.52 – 7.28), and bulk volume (29.67 – 30.58) ml; (31.50 – 32.84) ml. For the derived properties, <i>Ateehteu</i> and <i>Lamsie</i> respectively gave, sphericity (60.49 – 81.00)%; (62.72– 87.81)%, shape index (1.18 – 2.34)%; (1.08 – 2.19)%, true density (0.58 – 1.82) g/ml; (0.84 – 1.15) g/ml, bulk density (0.53 – 0.61) g/ml; (0.50 – 0.54) g/ml, porosity (0.76 – 1.00), (0.87 – 1.07); and bulk porosity (0.47 – 0.51); (0.45 – 0.47). The repose angle was (26.06 – 32.92)° and (28.28 – 32.86)° while the coefficient of static friction on four surfaces viz aluminium sheet, rubber, leather and plywood were (0.27 – 0.44); (0.13 – 0.63), (0.32 – 0.49); (0.88 – 0.95), (0.16 – 0.64); (0.31 – 0.55); (0.33 – 0.62); (0.48 – 2.75). There were significant variations in physical dimensions of <i>Lamsie</i>; larger mass and true volume, sphericity and repose angle compared to <i>Ateehteu</i>. There was significant variation in the coefficient of static friction on aluminium sheet, rubber, leather and plywood respectively for <i>Ateehteu</i> and <i>Lamsie</i> respectively with no variation in the coefficient of dynamic friction on the same surfaces for <i>Ateehteu</i> and <i>Lamsie</i> respectively. The negative values obtained for some derived shape parameters (flattening and ellipticity) which consequently affected the surface area is an indication that the shape assumption of the tubers as oblate or prolate requires verification. There is therefore need to correlated the directly measured properties to obtain an empirical formula to calculate each corresponding parameter and analyse to obtain the best fit. It is therefore promising to design a process plan to harvest, transports, handle, sort and separate, grade, convey stock and process the tubers into <i>Nyam ngub</i>.

Trade in Zambian Edible Orchids-DNA Barcoding Reveals the Use of Unexpected Orchid Taxa for Chikanda.

In Zambia, wild edible terrestrial orchids are used to produce a local delicacy called chikanda, which has become increasingly popular throughout the country. Commercialization puts orchid populations in Zambia and neighbouring countries at risk of overharvesting. Hitherto, no study has documented which orchid species are traded on local markets, as orchid tubers are difficult to identify morphologically. In this study, the core land-plant DNA barcoding markers rbcL and matK were used in combination with nrITS to determine which species were sold in Zambian markets. Eighty-two interviews were conducted to determine harvesting areas, as well as possible sustainability concerns. By using nrITS DNA barcoding, a total of 16 orchid species in six different genera could be identified. Both rbcL and matK proved suitable to identify the tubers up to the genus or family level. Disa robusta, Platycoryne crocea and Satyrium buchananii were identified most frequently and three previously undocumented species were encountered on the market. Few orchid species are currently listed on the global International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Local orchid populations and endemic species could be at risk of overharvesting due to the intensive and indiscriminate harvesting of chikanda orchids, and we therefore encourage increased conservation assessment of terrestrial African orchids.

The Physicochemical and Structural Characteristics of Cultivated Sahlep

Sahlep is obtained from tubers of orchids which grown in Mediterranean countries, especially in Turkey. As hydrocolloid, it is used for preparing hot drink and ice cream. However, orchid plants are damaged and sold with high priced. Therefore, searching of alternative production methods of sahlep are in progress. The products of the project, growing possibilities of sahlep orchids at farm conditions (cultivation) were researched in this study. The naturally grown sahlep which belongs to Serapias vomeracea and Orchis sancta species compared with that of cultivated products. Physicochemical and structural characterization analyses were performed for the samples. The tubers were obtained from Serapias vomeracea exhibited higher similarity in physicochemical properties with naturally grown one than Orchis sancta . Samples have Newtonian flow behavior. FTIR experiments which provide knowledge about chemicals bonds in structure revealed that cultivation studies have no effect on sahlep chemical structure. Amorph structure was determined with the XRD experiment for all samples. The variation of surface morphology of sahlep was observed with the cultivation by SEM. DSC and TGA analysis exhibited that samples had similar thermal stabilities. The results obtained showed that sahlep with the same physicochemical and structural characteristics with naturally grown could be achieved by cultivation. The development and widening in this production method provides both protection of wild orchids and cheaper sahlep production.

Effect of Different Harvest Times on Some Quality Characteristics of Cultivated Sahlep orchid Serapias vomeracea (Burm.fill.) Brig.

orchids are used as medicinal plants in Turkey to cure diarrheal, ulcers and respiratory ailments. Also, the main ingredient of traditional Turkish ice cream and sahlep drinks is obtained from the tubers of wild orchids. It is reported that sahlep is obtained from 38 different orchid plants belong to 10 different genera in Turkey. is not have standard chemical composition due to obtaining from different species of Orchidaceae in different regions. Also, the sahlep chemical composition shows a fairly large change depending on the period that collected. In order to protect the Orchidaceae species in Turkey, Sahlep export has prohibited since 1974. Although there was a ban on exports, still millions of tubers are removed from nature every year and exported to many countries, especially European countries. Continuously collected tubers do not have any chance the produce new seeds and even if it produces seeds, these seeds have some difficulties to germinate. Due to there is intense collection of some species of sahlep orchids from nature, necessary measures must be taken to prevent it without delay. The aim of this study investigates the effect of different harvest times on some quality characteristics of Serapias vomerace (Burm. fill.) Brig. species which one of the most collected species in the Aegean region. In this study, starch ratio (%), mucilage ratio (%), protein ratio (%), moisture ratio (%), dry matter ratio (%) and ash ratio (%) was investigated. According to the harvest time, mucilage ratio was found between 16-23%.