Musa sp. Leaves Extract Ameliorates the Hepato-Renal Toxicities Induced by Cadmium in Mice

Heavy metals intoxication causes several health problems that necessitate finding new protective and therapeutic approaches. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Musa sp. leaves extract (MLE) on hepato-renal toxicities induced by cadmium (Cd) in male mice. The phytochemical screening, metal chelating activity (MCA), and the median lethal dose (LD50) of MLE were determined. Fifty CD-1 male mice were used and intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected with MLE (1000 to 5000 mg/kg b.wt) for MLE LD50 determination. Another 50 mice were used for evaluating the effect of MLE on Cd toxicity. Blood samples were collected for hematological, liver, and kidney functions assessments. Liver tissue homogenates were used for determination of oxidant/antioxidant parameters. Liver and kidney tissues were harvested for histopathological and molecular investigations. MLE showed potent in vitro antioxidant activities. The MCA and LD50 of the MLE were 75 µg/mL and 3000 mg/kg b.wt, respectively. MLE showed beneficial therapeutic activity against hepato-renal toxicities in Cd-intoxicated mice, evidenced by improving the hematological, biochemical, histopathological, and molecular alterations.

Evaluation of soils with average potassium content summation for implantation of Musa sp in the municipality of Teotônio Vilela, Alagoas

Soil fertility is one of the crucial factors for agriculture, whose main objective is to increase production. Therefore it is extremely important to know the nutritional requirement of cultivars. Fertility-focused studies are essential for fertilization recommendations in all regions, especially in banana cultivation which is a very demanding plant in fertility. Thus, the present work aimed to evaluate soil fertility, emphasizing the quantification of nutrients necessary to ensure the agricultural productivity of musa sp. The research was developed at laudelino farm, municipality of Teotônio Vilela/Alagoas, between 2019 and 2020, where soil amotragens were performed, randomly collected in the 0-20 cm depth layer, removing 1 kg of soil and sent to the soil laboratory of the Campus of Engineering and Agrarian Sciences (CECA) of the Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL) located in the municipality of Rio Largo-AL, for chemical analysis. The hydrogenic potential (pH), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K+) accessible were analyzed; calcium (Ca+2) and tradable magnesium (Mg+2); saturation by exchangeable aluminum (m%), cation exchange capacity CTC at pH 7.0 (T); base saturation (V%) and; organic matter (OM). As a result of the analysis, the following results were obtained: pH content (5.6); OM (14.1 g/kg) P (5.0 mg/dm³) K (110 mg/dm³), Ca2+ (3.42 cmolc/dm³), Mg2+ (2.53 cmolc/dm³); Al3+ (0.00 cmolc/dm³), H (4.41 cmolc/dm³), and CTC (T) (10.73 cmolc/dm³); m (0.0 %) and V (59 %). Based on the above results, it is suggested the application of 1,103 kg of limestone in order to increase the base saturation to 70%, in addition to the addition of 50 kg/ha of N and 343.5 kg/ha of P2O5 and 96.7 kg/ha of K2O. It is worth mentioning that their applications in the soil must be carried out through sources of 837.8 kg/ha of triple superphosphate; 161.2 kg/ha of potassium chloride and 111 kg/ha of urea. It is also essential to add 30 to 50 t/ha of organic matter, such as bovine manure to the soil, aiming at better utilization of the material by crops.

Variações na Vazão do Rio Santo Antônio, Relação com o Pantanal Marimbus e a Importância para a Biodiversidade na Região do Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina/BA

O rio Santo Antônio é um afluente da margem esquerda do rio Paraguaçu, e forma, em seu baixo curso, a área alagada chamada Marimbus. Há relatos de que a vazão desse rio estaria sendo reduzida. Neste trabalho, realizou-se uma análise qualiquantitativa da variação da vazão (DQ) no rio Santo Antônio ao longo de 57 anos e oito meses, com dados de uma estação fluviométrica em Andaraí. Os dados foram sistematizados e analisados com correlações de Pearson (α = 0,05), comparando-as com a variação na pluviometria (DP) em uma estação meteorológica da sub-bacia do rio Santo Antônio. Os valores de DQ entre 1950 e 1970 apresentaram amplitudes que foram de -0,8036 a 4,8386, com 57,92% dos registros DQ < 0. Entre 1971 até 2018, DQ variou de -0,9591 a 2,5644, com 74,31% dos registros DQ < 0. A comparação DQ e DP entre 1950 e 2018 mostrou-se estatisticamente significativa (r = 0,341; R² = 0,1163; p = 0,0116). Dados bibliográficos mostraram um aumento da área ocupada por culturas que utilizam intensamente água do rio, como banana (Musa sp). A revisão da bibliografia publicada sobre o Marimbus mostra cinco trabalhos botânicos na região, além de dez espécies, como Moenkhausia diamantina Benine et al., 2007; Parotocinclus adamanteus Pereira et al. (2019) e Astyanax lorien Zanata et al. (2018), por exemplo, e uma subfamília de peixes (Copionodontinae), endêmicas da região e áreas vizinhas. A fauna local é diferenciada em relação ao que existe nas regiões circunvizinhas. Desta forma, é necessário que a captação de água do rio Santo Antônio seja gerenciada de modo a evitar que a vazão deste curso d’água continue a diminuir.

DEVELOPMENT OF IN VITRO PLANT REGENERATION PROTOCOL OF BANANA (MUSA SP.) CV. GRAND NAINE USING SUCKER EXPLANT

Banana is an important fruit crop belongs to the family Musaceae. This has more demand for it multifarious uses like food, medicinal as well as industrial values. The present study was carried out to develop micropropagation protocol for large scale production of banana cv. Grand naine using sucker explant. Sucker explants were inoculated on Murashige and Skoog’s (1962) (MS) basal medium and MS basal medium supplemented with different types and concentrations and combination of plant growth regulators. Highest mean number of shoots (10.2) per explant having mean shoot length 5.2 cm was observed on MS medium supplemented with 4.0 mg/L BA, 2.0 mg/L Z, 1.0 mg/L NAA, and 3.0 mg/L ADS. For large scale production of shoot, in vitro regenerated shoots were harvested, cut into small pieces and inoculated on the optimum medium for multiple shoot proliferation. In this way, more than thousand numbers of in vitro shoots were regenerated from a single explant at six month of culture. In vitro regenerated shoots were excised and rooted on ½ MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/L IBA. Finally in vitro regenerated plants were acclimatized and subsequently transferred to field with zero mortality. This protocol helps to meet the demand of the farmers.

In vitro Plant Regeneration in Banana (Musa sp.) cv. Grand Nain

This study was conducted at the tissue culture laboratory in Pakistan. Suckers obtained from the banana cv. Grand Nain to explore the effects of different concentrations of BAP and IAA. After inoculation with Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations of 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) and the Indole-3- acetic acid (IAA) the suckers first turn into the brown after 5-10 days then turned into a green mass-like structure after 30 days. From this mass-like structure shoots and roots were developed. Among the different concentrations, BAP 7.5 mg/l and IAA 0.5 mg/l showed the highest number of shoots 0.75, 2.75 and 6.25 per explant and shows the highest shoot lengths which 1.03 cm, 2.45 cm and 3.40 cm respectively. IAA is essential for only roots proliferation. The roots of different lengths were produced when the concentration of IAA 0.5 mg/l was used and 2.93 cm, 4.63 cm and 5.88 cm roots length produced at 15, 30 and 45 days after occultation respectively. Then these plants were transferred to the greenhouse for hardening acclimatization with the environment, the hardening process took place, and the established plantlets are ready for planting.

Ancient West-Coastal Bantu Banana Vocabulary: Testing Linguistic Method for Reconstructing Musa History in Africa

Lexical data has been key in attempts to reconstruct the early history of the banana (Musa sp.) in Africa. Previous language-based approaches to the introduction and dispersal of this staple crop of Asian origin have suffered from the absence of well-established genealogical classifications and inadequate historical-linguistic analysis. We therefore focus in this article on West-Coastal Bantu (WCB), one specific branch within the Bantu family whose genealogy and diachronic phonology are well established. We reconstruct three distinct banana terms to Proto-West-Coastal Bantu (PWCB), i.e. *dɪ̀‑ŋkòndò/*mà‑ŋkòndò ‘plantain’, *dɪ̀‑ŋkò/*mà‑ŋkò ‘plantain’ and *kɪ̀‑túká/*bì‑túká ‘bunch of bananas’. From this new historical-linguistic evidence we infer that AAB Plantains, one of Africa’s two major cultivar subgroups, already played a key role in the subsistence economy of the first Bantu speakers who assumedly migrated south of the rainforest around 2500 years ago. We furthermore analyze four innovations that emerged after WCB started to spread from its interior homeland in the Kasai-Kamtsha region of Congo-Kinshasa towards the Atlantic coast, i.e. dɪ̀‑kòndè ‘plantain’, kɪ̀‑tébè ‘starchy banana’, banga ‘False Horn plantain’, and dɪ̀‑tòtò ‘sweet banana’. Finally, we assess the historical implications of these lexical retentions and innovations both within and beyond WCB and sketch some perspectives for future lexicon-based banana research.