Planchonia Careya Research Articles

The Therapeutic Properties of Plants Used Traditionally to Treat Gastrointestinal Disorders on Groote Eylandt, Australia.

The First Australians had well-developed healing systems. Groote Eylandt inhabitants used a variety of plant species to treat diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal illnesses. This study was undertaken to test, identify, and evaluate traditional medicines to treat these conditions against gastrointestinal bacterial, protozoal, and viral pathogens, as well as against cancer cell proliferation. Six plant species (Buchanania obovata Engl., Casuarina equisetifolia L., Eucalyptus tetrodonta F. Muell., Planchonia careya (F. Muell.) R. Knuth, Terminalia carpentariae C. T. White, and Vigna vexillata (L.) A. Rich.) were selected from a survey of a panel of elders from the Warnindhilyagwa tribe and compared with the published literature. Decoctions prepared according to traditional methods were screened for growth inhibitory activity of a panel of diarrhoea-causing bacterial pathogens by disc diffusion and liquid dilution MIC assays. Inhibitory activity against the gastrointestinal protozoal parasite Giardia duodenalis and antiproliferative activity against human colorectal (Caco2) and cervical (HeLa) cancer cell lines were evaluated using MTS-based colorimetric cell proliferation assays. Preliminary antiviral screening was accomplished using an MS2 bacteriophage plaque reduction assay. Toxicity was evaluated using Artemia franciscana nauplii mortality and HDF cell viability bioassays. All traditional medicines tested inhibited bacterial growth, often with MIC values substantially <1000 μg/mL. T. carpentariae was particularly noteworthy, with MIC values of 230–350 μg/mL against Citrobacter freundii, Salmonella newport, Shigella sonnei, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. This species also had MICs 450–950 μg/mL against all other bacterial pathogens. B. obovata Engl. and E. tetrodonta were also good inhibitors of bacterial growth, albeit with substantially higher MIC values than determined for T. carpentariae. The T. carpentariae decoction was also the best inhibitor of MS2 phage replication (IC50 = 427 μg/mL) and Caco2 and HeLa proliferation (IC50 values of 885 and 85 μg/mL, respectively). None of the extracts were particularly strong inhibitors of Giardia duodenalis growth. All decoctions were nontoxic in the Artemia nauplii and HDF cell viability bioassays, indicating their suitability for therapeutic use.

Acylated flavonoid tetraglycoside from Planchonia careya leaves

Phytochemical investigations of the aqueous extract of Planchonia careya leaves revealed two known flavonol glycosides, kaempferol 3- O-gentiobioside ( 1) and quercetin 3- O-glucoside (isoquercitrin) ( 2), and a novel acylated kaempferol tetraglycoside, kaempferol 3- O-[α-rhamnopyranosyl(1 → 3)-(2- O- p-coumaroyl)]-β-glucopyranoside, 7- O-[α-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-(4- O- p-coumaroyl)]-α-rhamnopyranoside ( 3). Structural elucidation was achieved using UV, NMR, and mass spectrometry.

A review of Planchonia (Lecythidaceae) in Australia

The genus Planchonia Blume is reviewed for Australia with two species recognised. Planchonia rupestris R.L. Barrett is described as a new species apparently endemic to the sandstone plateaux of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Lectotypes are designated for Cumbia australis Britten, Planchonia crenata Miers and Planchonia arborea var. australis Benth., each of which are synonyms of Planchonia careya (F.Muell.) Kunth. Illustrations, distribution maps and a key to the Australian species are presented.

Effects of individual fire events on the flower production of fruit-bearing tree species, with reference to Aboriginal people's management and use, at Kalumburu, North Kimberley, Australia

This study used a number of landscape-scale natural experiments to investigate the influence of individual fire events on the reproductive output of key fruit-bearing woody species [Buchanania obovata Engl. (two leaf forms), Persoonia falcata R.Br., Planchonia careya (F.Muell.) Knuth, Syzygium eucalyptoides (F.Muell.) B.Hyland, Syzygium suborbiculare (Benth.) T.Hartley &amp; Perry. and Terminalia cunninghamii C.Gardner] around Kalumburu, North Kimberley, Australia. Flowering level was used as an estimate of reproductive success as sampling was done prior to fruit development.Terminalia cunninghamii was found to flower earlier and more prolifically in areas burnt in the early dry season of 1999 than in areas left unburnt; however, there was no significant difference between these treatments in 2000. Flowering levels were significantly reduced in burnt treatments (from early to mid-dry season fires) for Buchanania obovata (large-leafed form), Persoonia falcata, Planchonia careya, Syzygium eucalyptoides and Syzygium suborbiculare. Positive correlations occurred between the minimum foliage height and total tree height of Buchanania obovata small-leafed form (r = 0.78, y = 0.61x + 0.003), large-leafed form (r = 0.87, y = 0.59x + 0.10) and Syzygium suborbiculare (r = 0.76, y = 0.43x + 0.54). Above a height of 2 m, most trees have the majority of their foliage located in the top half of the tree. In all cases, flowering levels increased with foliage height intervals.The results indicate that fire events and their timing can have an impact on the reproductive cycle of fruit-tree species. Indigenous people have managed these resources through the careful use of fire. The conservation of fruit-tree species and frugivorous-animal species could benefit from (i) the careful management of areas with high densities of fruit-bearing species, and (ii) spatially and temporally diverse fire regimes across broader landscape units.

Effects of fire history on the structure and floristic composition of woody vegetation around Kalumburu, North Kimberley, Australia: a landscape-scale natural experiment

Indigenous landscape burning is practiced around remote communities in the Kimberleys but has been replaced by wildfires across uninhabited areas. A landscape-scale natural experiment was established to investigate the effects of these different fire histories (derived from a 10-year Landsat remote-sensing sequence) on the floristic structure and composition of woody vegetation within and among three of the major vegetation types on three landscape types (sandplain, sandstone and volcanics) near Kalumburu in the North Kimberley bioregion.Substrate factors determine vegetation and associated fire patterns within the landscape such that each landscape type needs to be examined independently. Basalt soils are dominated by an open savanna and tend to have very high fire frequencies. Basalt vegetation showed few significant response variables to fire-history parameters. The total density of woody stems showed no significant relationship to fire-history variables, regardless of size class. The 0–2.0-m size class of Erythrophleum chlorostachys (F.Muell.) Baillon showed significant (P &lt; 0.005) responses to the various interactions involving all three fire-history variables, indicating that seedling density is sensitive to fire.Sandplain is dominated by open woodland, with relatively low fire frequency. Total stem density, shrub density and the densities of Grevillea agrifolia Cunn. Ex R.Br., Canthium sp. A and Stenocarpus cunninghamii R.Br. showed strong positive (P &lt; 0.005) relationships with the total number of fire-free months. In sandstone, the density of all woody stems, acacias and a range of mid-storey trees showed significant positive relationships with the total number of fire-free months. Other species showed strong relationships with the number of late dry season fires. Vegetation thickening was evident in sand environments through the accumulation of woody stems in fire-free years and in sandstone through the promotion of 'fireweeds' such as Acacia gonocarpa F.Muell. after fire events.Mid-storey tree species capable of resprouting after fire showed some evidence of structural suppression in response to frequent fire events, including Planchonia careya (F.Muell.) Knuth, Persoonia falcata R.Br. and Buchanania obovata Engl.Results are discussed in the context of indigenous landscape burning and biodiversity conservation.

A witches’ broom of cocky apple (Planchonia careya) in north Queensland

A phytoplasma from Planchonia careya trees is a new variant in an Australian / south-east Asian group. This is a new world record for the host family Lecythidaceae.

Seasonal changes in photosynthesis of eight savanna tree species.

Seasonal variations in carbon assimilation of eight tree species of a north Australian tropical savanna were examined over two wet seasons and one dry season (18 months). Assimilation rates (A) in the two evergreen species, Eucalyptus tetrodonta F. Muell. and E. miniata A. Cunn. ex Schauer, were high throughout the study although there was a 10-20% decline in the dry season compared with the wet season. The three semi-deciduous species (Erythrophleum chlorostachys (F. Muell.) Baillon, Eucalyptus clavigera A. Cunn. ex Schauer, and Xanthostemon paradoxus F. Muell.) showed a 25-75% decline in A in the dry season compared with the wet season, and the deciduous species (Terminalia ferdinandiana Excell, Planchonia careya (F. Muell.) Kunth, and Cochlospermum fraseri Planchon) were leafless for several months in the dry season. Generally, the ratio of intercellular CO(2) concentration to ambient CO(2) concentration (C(i):C(a)) was larger in the wet season than in the dry season, indicating a smaller stomatal limitation of photosynthesis in the wet season compared with the dry season. In all species, the C(i):C(a) ratio and A were essentially independent of leaf-to-air vapor pressure difference (LAVPD) during the wet season, but both parameters generally declined with increasing LAVPD in the dry season. The slope of the positive correlation between A and transpiration rate (E) was less in the wet season than in the dry season. There was no evidence that high E inhibited A. Instantaneous transpiration efficiency was lowest in the wet season and highest during the dry season. Nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) was higher in the wet season than in the dry season because the decline in A in the dry season was proportionally larger than the decline in foliar nitrogen content. In the wet season, evergreen species exhibited higher NUE than semi-deciduous and deciduous species. In all species, A was linearly correlated with specific leaf area (SLA) and foliar N content. Foliar N content increased with increasing SLA. All species showed a decline in midday leaf water potential as the dry season progressed. Dry season midday water potentials were lowest in semi-deciduous species and highest in the deciduous species, with evergreen species exhibiting intermediate values.

Seasonal Variation in Water Relations of Trees of Differing Leaf Phenology in a Wet - Dry Tropical Savanna near Darwin, Northern Australia

The seasonal variation in leaf xylem pressure potential at dawn (ψdawn), leaf tissue water characteristics and daily maximum leaf conductance was measured in eight woody species in a wet–dry tropical savanna near Darwin, northern Australia, between October 1992 and October 1993. The species were Eucalyptus miniata, E. tetrodonta, E. clavigera, Xanthostemon paradoxus, Erythrophleum chlorostachys, Planchonia careya, Terminalia ferdinandiana and Cochlospermum fraseri. The species represented the major leaf phenological types, evergreen, semi-deciduous and fully deciduous. The climate of the region is characterised by annual drought during the winter months, when virtually no rain falls and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) in the afternoon reaches 3 kPa for 5 consecutive months each year. Despite this drought, ψdawn remained high (–1.3 to –1.5 MPa in evergreen species and –0.5 to –1.5 MPa in deciduous species) relative to those trees that experience summer drought in temperate and arid Australia. There was a tendency for evergreen and semi-deciduous species to maintain positive turgor to lower xylem pressure potentials (mean osmotic potential at incipient plasmolysis, π0 = –2.15 MPa) than the fully deciduous species (π0 = –2.03 MPa). For all species, the daily maximum leaf conductance (gmax) was maximal in the wet and decreased during the dry season. Diurnally, (gmax occurred near midday in the wet season, but at about 0800–1000 hours during the dry season and the ‘buildup’, the transitional period between the dry and wet seasons. There was substantial decrease in (gmax (from 650–1000 mmol m-2 s-1 in March to 200 mmol m-2 s-1 in May) early in the dry season in two of the three fully deciduous species (Planchonia careya and Cochlospermum fraseri). The dominant evergreen species Eucalyptus miniata, by contrast, had high gmax (&gt; 400 mmol m-2 s-1) throughout the dry season, suggesting it had access to groundwater. For each species, gmax declined with decreasing dawn water potential in a log-linear manner; the slope of this relationship tended to increase with increasing degree of deciduousness.

Distribution of the green ant, Oecophylla smaragdina (F.) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in relation to native vegetation and the insect pests in cashew plantations in Australia

The effect of native vegetation on the distribution of the green ant, Oecophylla smaragdina, and the main insect pests in cashew, Anacardium occidentale, plantations in tropical northern Australia was studied by field surveys and by observations. O. smaragdina was an efficient predator and the most abundant ant species in cashew plantations. Infestations of the main insect pests in the trees lacking ant nests were significantly higher than in those with ant nests. Although O. smaragdina were abundant on a wider range of native tree species, they preferred Acacia aulacocarpa and Planchonia careya, and they also thrived on cashew trees after dispersing into cashew plantations. In cashew plantations, O. smaragdina preferentially colonized trees with thick canopies irrespective of tree height. Fierce fights between O. smaragdina colonies were a major factor responsible for changes in population sizes, colonization and distribution of O. smaragdina in cashew plantations. The availability of preferred native trees and the distance between the native vegetation and the cashew plantation appear to play important roles in both the rate and the pattern of initial colonization of cashew plantations by O. smaragdina . These factors also indirectly influence the distribution and abundance of the insect pests of cashews. We suggest that, in the management of modern cashew crops, managers cannot rely on the natural dispersal of O. smaragdina to control insect pests. We recommend the use of native trees to enhance O. smaragdina populations in controlling cashew insect pests.

The influence of a shortage of hosts on the specificity of oviposition behaviour in species of Dacus (Diptera, Tephritidae)

ABSTRACT. When deprived of their preferred hosts for up to 16 days prior to behaviour assays, three relatively specialized tephritid flies, D. cacuminatus (Hering), D. cucumis French and D. jarvisi (Tryon), retain strong preferences for their particular hosts. Moreover, in the absence of the preferred hosts, D. cacuminatus, and to a lesser extent D. cucumis, will not accept fruits that are outside their normal host range. D. jarvisi readily accepts other fruits in the absence of its preferred host, Planchonia careya, but in common with the other two shows no increase in the number of eggs laid with increasing periods of deprivation. None of these species accumulate oocytes when deprived of fruits.In contrast, the highly polyphagous D. tryoni Frogg. lays more eggs and oviposits readily into a previously unacceptable fruit after 4 days without access to hosts. This change in behaviour is associated with a marked increase in the number of mature eggs carried by females.These results suggest an important difference between the generalist and more specialized species in the physiological control of oocyte maturation. In D. tryoni there appears to be no inhibition of oocyte development once the primary follicle has matured, whereas in the other species each ovariole contains no more than one mature egg.In D. tryoni, the change in behaviour which accompanies this increase in egg load, may influence its propensity to accept unusual fruits, and may help to explain its rapid acceptance of most cultivated fruits introduced to Australia.

New chemical constituents of Planchonia careya

From the ether extract of the bark of Planchonia careya there have been isolated 16-deoxybarring-togenol C, barringtogenol C and the previously unreported 16α,21β,22α,28-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-3-one. The methanol extract, after mild acid hydrolysis, gave the same three compounds together with three new esterified triterpene glycosides, the structures of which have been elucidated.