Current Progress of Jatropha Curcas Commoditisation as Biodiesel Feedstock: A Comprehensive Review

This article looks at the national and global actors, social networks, and narratives that have influenced Jatropha’s worldwide acceptability as a biofuel crop. Jatropha Curcas is a genus of around 175 succulent shrubs and trees in the Euphorbiaceae family (some of which are deciduous, such as Jatropha Curcas L.). It’s a drought-tolerant perennial that thrives in poor or marginal soil and produces a large amount of oil per hectare. It is easy to grow, has a fast growth rate, and can generate seeds for up to 50 years. Jatropha Curcas has been developed as a unique and promising tropical plant for augmenting renewable energy sources due to its various benefits. It is deserving of being recognised as the only competitor in terms of concrete and intangible environmental advantages. Jatropha Curcas is a low-cost biodiesel feedstock with good fuel properties and more oil than other species. It is a non-edible oilseed feedstock. Thus it will have no impact on food prices or the food vs fuel debate. Jatropha Curcas emits fewer pollutants than diesel and may be used in diesel engines with equivalent performance. Jatropha Curcas also makes a substantial contribution to the betterment of rural life. The plant may also provide up to 40% oil yield per seed based on weight. This study looks at the features characteristics of Jatropha Curcas as biodiesel feedstock and performance, and emissions of internal combustion engine that operates on this biodiesel fuel.

The Chromosome-Level Genome of Miracle Fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) Provides New Insights Into the Evolution and Function of Miraculin

Miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) is a rare valuable tropical plant famous for a miraculous sweetening glycoprotein, miraculin, which can modify sour flavors to sweet flavors tasted by humans. Here, we present a chromosome-level high-quality genome of S. dulcificum with an assembly genome size of ∼550 Mb, contig N50 of ∼14.14 Mb, and 37,911 annotated protein-coding genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that S. dulcificum was most closely related to Camellia sinensis and Diospyros oleifera, and that S. dulcificum diverged from the Diospyros genus ∼75.8 million years ago (MYA), and that C. sinensis diverged from Synsepalum ∼63.5 MYA. Ks assessment and collinearity analysis with S. dulcificum and other species suggested that a whole-genome duplication (WGD) event occurred in S. dulcificum and that there was good collinearity between S. dulcificum and Vitis vinifera. On the other hand, transcriptome and metabolism analysis with six tissues containing three developmental stages of fleshes and seeds of miracle fruit revealed that Gene Ontology (GO) terms and metabolic pathways of “cellular response to chitin,” “plant–pathogen interaction,” and “plant hormone signal transduction” were significantly enriched during fruit development. Interestingly, the expression of miraculin (Chr10G0299340) progressively increased from vegetative organs to reproductive organs and reached an incredible level in mature fruit flesh, with an fragments per kilobase of transcript per million (FPKM) value of ∼113,515, which was the most highly expressed gene among all detected genes. Combining the unique signal peptide and the presence of the histidine-30 residue together composed the main potential factors impacting miraculin’s unique properties in S. dulcificum. Furthermore, integrated analysis of weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), enrichment and metabolite correlation suggested that miraculin plays potential roles in regulating plant growth, seed germination and maturation, resisting pathogen infection, and environmental pressure. In summary, valuable genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolic resources provided in this study will promote the utilization of S. dulcificum and in-depth research on species in the Sapotaceae family.

In vivo study of Centella asiatica (L.) Urban as a drug gel for diabetes wounds

Background: Centella asiatica L. Urban is a tropical plant whose spread is quite broad as Indonesia. One of the ingredients of Centella asiatica L. Urban is asiaticoside which has excellent wound healing abilities. However, research on diabetic wound healing with Centella asiatica L. Urban extract formulation in the form of a gel has not been found. Therefore, it is necessary to look at the healing activity of diabetic wounds using Centella asiatica L. Urban extract in the form of a gel.Objective: This experimental study aims to explore the effect of gel extract derived from the Centella asiatica L. Urban on the length of time for wound healing.Methods: The subjects in this study were eight weeks old Balb-C mice conditioned to hyperglycemia and were divided into five groups. The Centella asiatica L. Urban extract is provided in three concentration levels, with 3%, 5%, and 7%. As a form of negative control, used gel without Centella asiatica L. Urban extract and positive control without gel, only hydrocolloid dressing.Results: Centella asiatica L. Urban at concentrations of 3% (with the value of Sig. > 0.05), 5%, and 7% showed the ability to heal wounds.Conclusions: Centella asiatica L. Urban gel extract with a concentration of 3% had a significant effect on wound healing compared to other preparations.

Color and antibacterial activity of annatto extracts at various pH of distilled water solvent and extraction temperature

Annato (Bixa orrelana L.) has been renowned as a tropical plant rich in carotenoid pigments such as nonpolar bixin and polar norbixin. This study was aimed to obtain natural colorant and antimicrobials from annatto extracts. The extraction was carried out by maceration for 10 mins using distilled water as the extraction solvent at various pH and extraction temperatures. The variations of solvent pH used in this research were 4, 7, and 9, while that of extraction temperatures were 70, 80, and 90oC. The potential of annatto extract as an antimicrobial agent was tested by analyzing the extract's ability to inhibit pathogens and its phytochemical compounds. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were used as the pathogenic bacteria by using the agar diffusion method. The color of annatto extracts was measured using Munsel Chard to determine the level of hue (color), value (brightness), and chroma (intensity), as well as maximum absorbance. The results showed that all extracts have the potential to inhibit E. coli and S aureus (weak-moderate). The observed annatto extracts had different color intensities as indicated by the hue, value, and chroma and a maximum absorbance at a wavelength of 400 nm.

LC-MS/HRMS Analysis, Anti-Cancer, Anti-Enzymatic and Anti-Oxidant Effects of Boerhavia diffusa Extracts: A Potential Raw Material for Functional Applications

Boerhavia diffusa is a great tropical plant and is widely used for various traditional purposes. In the present study, we examined the influence of solvents (dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol and infusion (water)) on chemical composition and biological capabilities of B. diffusa. An UHPLC-HRMS method was used to determine the chemical characterization. The biological ability was examined for antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory and anti-cancer effects. To evaluate antioxidant effects, different chemical methods (ABTS, DPPH, CUPRAC, FRAP, metal chelating and phosphomolybdenum) were applied. With regard to enzyme inhibitory properties, cholinesterases, amylase, glucosidase and tyrosinase were used. The MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line was chosen to determine anticancer activity. Based on the UHPLC-HRMS analysis, 37 specialized metabolites were dereplicated and identified in the studied extracts. Results revealed the presence of 15 hydroxybenzoic, hydroxycinnamic, acylquinic acids, and their glycosides, one rotenoid, seven flavonoids, 12 fatty acids and two other glycosides. Among the tested extracts, the methanol extract showed a stronger antioxidant ability compared with other extracts. The methanol extract also showed the best inhibitory effects on tyrosinase and glucosidase. In the anti-cancer evaluation, the methanol extract showed stronger anticancer effects compared with water extract. In summary, our observations can contribute to the establishment of B. diffusa as a potential candidate for functional applications in the preparation.

A review of common diseases of pineapple: the causal pathogens, disease symptoms, and available control measures

Pineapple is a perennial fruit-bearing tropical plant that belongs to the Bromeliaceae family, which has more than 2500 species. Pineapple is known excellent source of minerals and vitamins. It produces substantial calcium, potassium, glucose, the proteindigesting enzyme bromelain, fibre, vitamin A, B and C. In Malaysia, twelve registered varieties of pineapple have been introduced and commercially planted such as Moris (AC1), Sarawak (AC2), Gandul (AC3), Maspine (AC4), Josapine (AC5) Yankee (AC6) Moris Gajah (AC7), N36 (AC8), MD2 (AC9), View of Sunset (AC10), Madu Kaca (AC11), and Keningau Diamond (AC12). The disease is one of the important factors that can contribute to the huge losses of pineapple yield worldwide. This review paper aimed to discuss the main diseases of pineapple and their control management, particularly in Malaysia. The common diseases of pineapple that cause significant yield losses in the farms such as mealybug wilt-associated virus, bacterial heart rot, fruit collapse, butt rot, fruitlet core rot, black rot, yeasty and fusariosis are highlighted and discussed in detail on the causal pathogens, disease symptoms and signs, disease infection and development. The available control measures for managing pineapple diseases were also included in this paper.

Cabe Jawa (Piper retrofractum Vahl.) : PENGGUNAAN TRADISIONAL, FITOKIMIA dan AKTIVITAS FARMAKOLOGI Piper retrofractum Vahl. : Traditional Uses, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Activities

<em><em><em> </em></em></em><p align="center">ABSTRAK</p><p align="center"><strong> </strong></p><p>Cabe jawa<strong><em> (</em></strong><em>Piper</em><em> retrofractum</em> Vahl.) adalah tanaman daerah tropis asli Indonesia yang dijumpai juga di negara Asia Tenggara seperti Thailand dan Malaysia, dan sejak dahulu telah digunakan secara turun-temurun sebagai bahan tambahan makanan ataupun obat tradisional. Secara tradisional di masyarakat, buah cabe jawa<strong><em> </em></strong>dapat digunakan dalam ramuan untuk mengobati demam, perut kembung, mulas, muntah, mengatasi gangguan pencernaan, merangsang nafsu makan, dan lemah syahwat. Akarnya sering digunakan untuk mengobati sakit gigi, luka dan kejang, serta bagian daunnya digunakan juga untuk obat kumur. Beberapa penelitian menyebutkan aktivitas farmakologi cabe Jawa<strong><em> </em></strong>memiliki efek afrodisiaka, antipiretik, antihiperurisemia, antikanker, dan antimikroba. Pengujian klinis terhadap cabe jawa telah dilakukan dan potensial dikembangkan menjadi obat tradisional golongan fitofarmaka. Cabe jawa<strong><em> </em></strong>memiliki aktivitas sebagai imunostimulan, lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan kelompok imunostimulan fitofarmaka. Cabe jawa<strong><em> </em></strong>mempunyai potensi sebagai anti-<em>photoaging</em>, aktivitas antituberkular, antiproliferasi, aktivitas larvasida, dan aktivitas sitotoksik. Studi fitokimia senyawa metabolit sekunder utama yang terkandung dalam cabe jawa<strong><em> </em></strong>antara lain beberapa jenis alkaloid seperti <em>piperine</em>, <em>pipernonaline</em>, <em>guineensine</em>, <em>piperoctadecalidine,</em> minyak atsiri buah cabe jawa mengandung tiga komponen utama yaitu yaitu <em>β</em>-<em>caryophyllene</em> (17%), <em>pentadecane</em> (17,8%) dan <em>β</em>- <em>bisabollene</em> (11,2%) . Selain senyawa utama tersebut, terdapat senyawa baru pada buah cabe jawa, diantaranya; senyawa amida, amida glikosida, fenilpropanoid glikosida, dan alkaloid. Sebagai afrodisiaka bagian yang digunakan adalah buahnya dan senyawa piperin yang diduga bertanggung jawab terhadap aktivitas tersebut. Piperin merupakan senyawa utama dan zat berkhasiat yang terkandung dalam buah<em> </em>cabe jawa dan berfungsi sebagai penurun demam, mengurangi rasa sakit, antioksidan, mengurangi peradangan, antitumor, dan sebagai imunomodulator. Berdasarkan aktifitas farmakologi yang baik dari cabe jawa maka studi atau penelitian-penelitian pada tanaman ini harus terus dilakukan seperti pengembangan formulasi dan upaya perbanyakan tanaman karena populasi cabe jawa jumlahnya terbatas. Media terbaik dalam induksi kalus tanaman cabe jawa adalah <em>Murrashige Skoog</em> (MS) yang ditambah 6-<em>Benzil Amino Purin</em> (BAP) dan <em>Naphtalene</em> <em>Acetic</em> <em>Acid</em> (NAA).</p><p align="center">ABSTRACT</p><p align="center"><strong><em> </em></strong></p><p><em>Piper retrofractum</em> vahl. is a tropical plant native to Indonesia which is also found in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Malaysia, and has been used for generations as a food additive or traditional medicine. Traditionally in the community, <em>P. retrofractum </em> fruit can be used in potions to treat fever, flatulence, heartburn, vomiting, overcome digestive disorders, stimulate appetite, and impotence. The roots are often used to treat toothaches, wounds, and seizures, and the leaves are also used for mouthwash. Several studies have stated that the pharmacological activity of <em>P. retrofractum </em> has aphrodisiac, antipyretic, anticancer, and antimicrobial effects. Clinical testing on <em>P. retrofractum </em> has been carried out and has the potential to be developed into a traditional medicine of the phytopharmaceutical class. <em>P. retrofractum </em> has activity as an immunostimulant, which is higher than the phytopharmaceutical immunostimulant group. <em>P. retrofractum </em>has potential as anti-photoaging, antitubercular, antiproliferative, larvicidal activity, and cytotoxic activity. Phytochemical studies of the main secondary metabolites contained in P. rectofractum include several types of alkaloids such as piperine, pipernonaline, guineensine, piperoctadecalidine, fruit essential oils. Javanese chili contains three main components, namely-caryophyllene (17%), pentadecane (17.8%) and -bisabollene (11.2%). In addition to these main compounds, there are new compounds in <em>P. retrofractum </em> fruit, including; amide compounds, amide glucosides, phenylpropanoid glucosides, and alkaloids. As an aphrodisiac, the part used is the fruit and the piperine compound which is thought to be responsible for this activity. Piperine is the main compound and efficacious substance contained in <em>P. retrofractum </em> fruit and functions as a fever reducer, pain reliever, antioxidant, reducing inflammation, antitumor, and immunomodulator. Based on the good pharmacological activity of <em>P. retrofractum </em>, studies or researches on this plant must continue to be carried out such as formulation development and plant propagation efforts because the population of <em>P. retrofractum </em> is limited. The best medium for callus induction of cabe jawa was Murashige Skoog (MS) with 6-Benzyl Amino Purine (BAP) and Naphtalene acetic (NAA) added.</p><p> </p>

Extraction And Phytochemical Screening of Ethanol Extract And Simplicia of Moringa Leaf (Moringa Oleifera Lam.) From Sidikalang, North Sumatera

Moringa leaf is a plant that has many uses that comes from the family Moringaceae and it is a tropical plant that is familiar to Indonesian people. Pharmacologically, this plant extract is reported to have antimicrobial and fungicide and it is rich in antioxidants. This metabolite compound contained in Moringa leaves has the potential as an antioxidant, antibacterial, functional and others. This study aims to determine the simplicia characterization of Moringa leaves and to determine the secondary metabolites contained in Moringa leaves, both Moringa leaf powder and Moringa leaf extract. The method of this research is experimental including the simplicia making and ethanol extract of Moringa leaves by maceration method, simplicia characterization and phytochemical screening. The results of the simplicia characterization of Moringa leaves for ethanol soluble extract content was 10,9% and water-soluble extract content was 15,8%, ash content was 9,6% and acid insoluble ash content was 0,6% and water content was 8%. The results of this study also showed that the simplicia powder and ethanol extract of Moringa leaves contained flavonoid, tannin, alkaloid, steroid and saponin.