Large variation in availability of Maya food plant sources during ancient droughts

Paleoclimatic evidence indicating a series of droughts in the Yucatan Peninsula during the Terminal Classic period suggests that climate change may have contributed to the disruption or collapse of Classic Maya polities. Although climate change cannot fully account for the multifaceted, political turmoil of the period, it is clear that droughts of strong magnitude could have limited food availability, potentially causing famine, migration, and societal decline. Maize was undoubtedly an important staple food of the ancient Maya, but a complete analysis of other food resources that would have been available during drought remains unresolved. Here, we assess drought resistance of all 497 indigenous food plant species documented in ethnographic, ethnobotanical, and botanical studies as having been used by the lowland Maya and classify the availability of these plant species and their edible components under various drought scenarios. Our analysis indicates availability of 83% of food plant species in short-term drought, but this percentage drops to 22% of food plant species available in moderate drought up to 1 y. During extreme drought, lasting several years, our analysis indicates availability of 11% of food plant species. Our results demonstrate a greater diversity of food sources beyond maize that would have been available to the Maya during climate disruption of the Terminal Classic period than has been previously acknowledged. While drought would have necessitated shifts in dietary patterns, the range of physiological drought responses for the available food plants would have allowed a continuing food supply under all but the most dire conditions.

Fermentation Affects the Antioxidant Activity of Plant-Based Food Material through the Release and Production of Bioactive Components

This review reports on the effects of fermentation on the chemical constituents and antioxidant activity of plant-based food materials. Fermentation involves a series of reactions that modify the chemical components of the substrate. It could be considered a tool to increase the bioactive compounds and functional properties of food plant materials. Oxidative damage is key to the progression of many human diseases, and the production of antioxidant compounds by fermentation will be helpful to reduce the risk of these diseases. Fermentation also can improve antioxidant activity given its association with increased phytochemicals, antioxidant polysaccharides, and antioxidant peptides produced by microbial hydrolysis or biotransformation. Additionally, fermentation can encourage the breakdown of plant cell walls, which helps to liberate or produce various antioxidant compounds. Overall, results indicated that fermentation in many cases contributed to enhancing antioxidants’ content and antioxidant capacity, supporting the fermentation use in the production of value-added functional food. This review provides an overview of the factors that impact the effects of fermentation on bioactive compound composition and antioxidant activity. The impacts of fermentation are summarized as a reference to its effects on food plant material.

Addendum to a minimalist revision of Costa Rican Braconidae: 28 new species and 23 host records

Twenty-nine species are treated, most of which have host caterpillar and food plant records, and all but one are new to science. The first host record for the agathidine genus Amputoearinus is given. Gnathopleura josequesadai Sharkey, sp. nov. is reported as a hyperparasitoid of fly larvae, the first such record for the genus. The following new species are diagnosed primarily using COI barcode data; Sharkey is the authority for all: Agathidinae: Aerophilus davidwagneri, Aerophilus fundacionbandorum, Aerophilus nicklaphami, Lytopylus davidstopaki, Lytopylus davidschindeli; Alysiinae: Gnathopleura josequesadai; Braconinae: Bracon andreamezae, Bracon franklinpaniaguai, Bracon rafagutierrezi, Bracon guillermoblancoi, Bracon oscarmasisi, Bracon pauldimaurai, Bracon shebadimaurae, Sacirema karendimaurae; Cheloninae: Chelonus minorzunigai; Homolobinae: Homolobus stevestroudi; Macrocentrinae: Macrocentrus michaelstroudi; Orgilinae: Stantonia gilbertfuentesi; Rhysipolinae: Rhysipolis stevearonsoni; Rogadinae: Aleiodes kaydodgeae, Aleiodes kerrydresslerae, Aleiodes josesolanoi, Aleiodes juniorporrasi, Aleiodes rocioecheverri, Aleiodes ronaldzunigai, Choreborogas jesseausubeli, Triraphis doncombi, and Yelicones mayrabonillae.

Unity in diversity—food plants and fungi of Sakartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus

Background The Republic of Georgia is part of the Caucasus biodiversity hotspot, and human agricultural plant use dates back at least 6000 years. Over the last years, lots of ethnobotanical research on the area has been published. In this paper, we analyze the use of food plants in the 80% of Georgia not occupied by Russian forces. We hypothesized that (1) given the long tradition of plant use, and the isolation under Soviet rule, plant use both based on home gardens and wild harvesting would be more pronounced in Georgia than in the wider region, (2) food plant use knowledge would be widely and equally spread in most of Georgia, (3) there would still be incidence of knowledge loss despite wide plant use, especially in climatically favored agricultural regions in Western and Eastern Georgia. Methods From 2013 to 2019, we interviewed over 380 participants in all regions of Georgia not occupied by Russian forces and recorded over 19,800 mentions of food plants. All interviews were carried out in the participants’ homes and gardens by native speakers of Georgian and its dialects (Imeretian, Rachian, Lechkhumian, Tush, Khevsurian, Psavian, Kakhetian), other Kartvelian languages (Megrelian, Svan) and minority languages (Ossetian, Ude, Azeri, Armenian, Greek). Results The regional division was based primarily on historic provinces of Georgia, which often coincides with the current administrative borders. The total number of taxa, mostly identified to species, including their varieties, was 527. Taxonomically, the difference between two food plant groups—garden versus wild—was strongly pronounced even at family level. The richness of plant families was 65 versus 97 families in garden versus wild plants, respectively, and the difference was highly significant. Other diversity indices also unequivocally pointed to considerably more diverse family composition of wild collected versus garden plants as the differences between all the tested diversity indices appeared to be highly significant. The wide use of leaves for herb pies and lactofermented is of particular interest. Some of the ingredients are toxic in larger quantities, and the participants pointed out that careful preparation was needed. The authors explicitly decided to not give any recipes, given that many of the species are widespread, and compound composition—and with it possible toxic effects—might vary across the distribution range, so that a preparation method that sufficiently reduces toxicity in the Caucasus might not necessary be applicable in other areas. Conclusions Relationships among the regions in the case of wild food plants show a different and clearer pattern. Adjacent regions cluster together (Kvemo Zemo Racha, and Zemo Imereti; Samegrelo, Guria, Adjara, Lechkhumi and Kvemo and Zemo Svaneti; Meskheti, Javakheti, Kvemo Kartli; Mtianeti, Kakheti, Khevsureti, Tusheti. Like in the case of the garden food plants, species diversity of wild food plants mentioned varied strongly. Climate severity and traditions of the use of wild food plants might play role in this variation. Overall food plant knowledge is widely spread all-across Georgia, and broadly maintained.

Effect of INM Practices on the Leaves Parameters of Terminalia tomentosa Food Plant of Antheraea mylitta Drury

Background: Terminalia tomentosa is a primary food plant of Antheraea mylitta Drury a polyphagous insect of Saturniidae family which is exploited commercially for the production of silk. Good quality of silk production depend on the nutrient of leaf. So, to optimize the nutrient of leaf integrated nutrient management practices has been used to increase soil fertility and to supply plant nutrient at an optimum. Methods: In order to evaluate the effect of INM practices on the leaves parameters of Terminalia tomentosa food plant of Antheraea mylitta Drury. An experiment based on randomised complete block design with 21 treatments and three replication was conducted at Central Tasar Research and Training Institute, Nagri, Ranchi in the year 2019-20. Result: Results revealed that the application of INM treatments are significant on various leaf parameters. Highest single leaf length and breadth mean was observed in T19 (23.29 cm; 11.96 cm) was applied with 75% RDF through fertilizer+25% through vermicompost+ Azotobacter + PSB, weight of single leaf was found to be highest in T13 (5.19 g). The number of leaf was recorded highest in T19 (1892). The fresh leave yield ranged from 1617.317-5208.224 g with average mean of 4085.72 g, T19 (5032.1 g) recorded the highest fresh leaf yield. The dry matter content was found highest in T19 (340.56 g). The moisture content was recorded higher in T4 (71%) followed by T15 (69%).

Hitching a Ride: Examining the Ability of a Specialist Baculovirus to Translocate through Its Insect Host’s Food Plant

Plant vascular systems can translocate the entomopathogen Bacillus thuringiensis from the soil into plant tissues. However, whether other soil dwelling entomopathogens utilize plant vascular tissue for movement has not yet been fully explored. We used Spodoptera frugiperda multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SfMNPV) to evaluate whether baculoviruses, a common entomopathogen and bioinsecticide, can be transported through the plant vascular pathways of Zea mays. We found that our treatments did not allow a sufficient virus translocation into the plant to induce a lethal infection in insects, which was confirmed by a molecular analysis. While other entomopathogens translocate, baculoviruses may not be one of them.

Chronic migraine reversal and prevention with the LIFE diet: a nutrient dense whole food plant-based diet (WFPBD)

We report a case of a 60-year-old man who struggled with frequent migraines for 12.5 years, which were refractory to all conventional therapies. Six months before initial consultation, these migraines become chronic. The patient was then advised to follow the Low Inflammatory Foods Everyday (LIFE) diet, a nutrient-dense, dark green leafy vegetable-rich, whole food plant-based diet. Within 2 months, his headache frequency declined from 18 to 24 headache days per month to 1, and he discontinued his preventive and abortive migraine medications. After 3 months, the patient had no headaches. These results far exceed the goal of migraine treatment with medication, which is to reduce migraine frequency by >50% per month. In addition, the results were durable; this patient has been migraine-free for 7.5 years. Serum beta-carotene more than tripled after the patient started the LIFE diet, consistent with its high content of dark green leafy vegetables. Weight, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), complete blood count (CBC), hydration status, sodium and other electrolytes remained constant throughout the study.

Medicines in the Kitchen: Gender Roles Shape Ethnobotanical Knowledge in Marrakshi Households

Differences in gendered knowledge about plants are contingent on specific cultural domains. Yet the boundaries between these domains, for example food and medicine, are sometimes blurred, and it is unclear if and how gender plays a role in creating a continuum between them. Here, we present an in-depth evaluation of the links between gender, medicinal plant knowledge, and culinary culture in Marrakech, Morocco. We interviewed 30 women and 27 men with different socio-demographic characteristics and evaluated how gender and cooking frequency shape their food and medicinal plant knowledge. We documented 171 ethno-taxa used in Marrakshi households as food, medicine, or both, corresponding to 148 botanical taxa and three mixtures. While no clear differences appear in food plant knowledge by gender, women have a three-fold greater knowledge of medicinal plants, as well as plants with both uses as food and medicine. Women’s medicinal and food plant knowledge increases with their reported frequency of cooking, whereas the opposite trend is observed among men. Men who cook more are often single, have university-level degrees, and may be isolated from the channels of knowledge transmission. This demonstrates that the profound relations between the culinary and health domains are mediated through gender.