Somatic embryogenesis from young inflorescences of the giant bamboo Dendrocalamus asper (Schult f.) Backer ex Heyne

Bamboos are an important worldwide non-timber forest product with current rising interest due to their environmentally friendly applications. Besides the consolidated uses of the sweet shoots and culms for structural uses, Dendrocalamus asper is an imposing ornamental bamboo for horticulture. The present work aimed to establish in vitro calli culture and plant regeneration through somatic embryogenesis starting from young inflorescences of the giant bamboo, D. asper. Pre-anthesis inflorescences were collected, disinfested, and subjected to callus induction on MS basal medium supplemented by 0 µM, 9 µM, 18 µM, 27 µM, and 36 µM of 2,4-D in combination with 9 µM of 2-iP or 9 µM Kin. The different obtained calli types were characterized and subcultured in 0 µM, 4.5 µM, 9 µM, and 18 µM of 2,4-D in combination with 9 µM of both cytokinins for multiplication and differentiation. Additionally, the explant incision and its inoculation orientation onto culture media were tested for callus induction improvement. The 2,4-D was essential for callus induction, and its combination with both cytokinins resulted in embryogenic callus induction and further somatic embryos regeneration. The subsequent reduction of this auxin to 4.5 µM resulted in somatic embryo maturation. Somatic embryos transferred to a plant growth regulator-free medium resulted in plantlet conversion. The present work showed the feasibility of using inflorescences as explants and the efficiency of using the 2-iP in combination with 2,4-D to callus induction and in vitro bamboo plant regeneration through somatic embryogenesis.

Bamboos: From Bioresource to Sustainable Materials and Chemicals

Nature is a master engineer. From the bones of the tiniest bird to the sophisticated bioproduction of a spider’s web, the works of nature are an enigma to the scientific mind. In the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics, studying, understanding, and harnessing the intricacies of nature’s designs for the benefit of mankind is the bedrock of science and technology. One such exceptionally engineered natural material is the bamboo plant. This ancient vegetation has, over dozens of generations, reinvented itself as a legendary, resilient, ubiquitous, and impressive bioresource that is not just sustainable, but also ecologically and cheaply cultivatable, and invaluable for soil erosion control, while holding the enormous potential to be transmuted into various useful chemicals and materials. With the increasing concerns and obligations in rethinking the future of the environment, sequestration of carbon dioxide, reduction in timber usage, and preservation of already depleted non-renewable resources, it has become vital for environmentalists, governments, scientists, and other stakeholders to identify alternatives to fossil-based chemicals and their derivable materials that are sustainable without compromising efficiency. By coalescing engineering-, chemical-, and materials science-based approaches, including results from over 100 reports, we demonstrate that the bamboo plant presents enormous opportunities for sustainable chemicals and materials. In addition, we highlight the current challenges involving the optimization of bamboo-based technologies and provide recommendations for future studies.

DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF BAMBOO HANDICRAFT DRYER MACHINE BASED ON LPG GAS

Bamboo plant is one of Indonesia's natural resources. People use bamboo to make household furniture, fences, frames, and handicrafts. Bamboo plant is a special commodity that can be used as various kinds of handicraft products in DIY, precisely in Brajan area, Sleman Regency. Based on observations that have been conducted on one of the bamboo craftsmen in the Brajan area, bamboo handicraft is in great demand due to they have a unique and ethnic appearance, but the production process is quite complicated and takes a long time. According to the literature, this is due to bamboo plants are classified as herbaceous plants, namely plants with watery or wet stems. So far, the method used is drying bamboo handicrafts under the hot sun, and using a dryer that can only be used for one type of handicraft. This method is not optimal and not effective for producing bamboo handicrafts. Therefore, it is necessary to apply appropriate technology to optimize the production of bamboo crafts, the solution is to manufacture bamboo dryers to facilitate bamboo handicraft producers in the bamboo drying process. In general, the appearance of this tool resembles a cupboard. This tool has a size of 1200x800x1800 mm with three chambers. This tool works by utilizing the heat from the LPG gas stove. As a temperature controller, this tool is equipped with a blower that has been programmed with Arduino Uno and functions to stabilize the temperature if the heat generated exceeds the maximum limit. The dryer machine can dry bamboo handicrafts to a water content of 2.5% in just 40 minutes, very efficient compared to conventional methods. This tool can facilitate and optimize the production of bamboo handicrafts in the ​​Brajan area, Sleman, Special Region of Yogyakarta.

Identification of the Active Principle Conferring Anti-Inflammatory and Antinociceptive Properties in Bamboo Plant

Early plants began colonizing earth about 450 million years ago. During the process of coevolution, their metabolic cellular pathways produced a myriad of natural chemicals, many of which remain uncharacterized biologically. Popular preparations containing some of these molecules have been used medicinally for thousands of years. In Brazilian folk medicine, plant extracts from the bamboo plant Guadua paniculata Munro have been used for the treatment of infections and pain. However, the chemical basis of these therapeutic effects has not yet been identified. Here, we performed protein biochemistry and downstream pharmacological assays to determine the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of an aqueous extract of the G. paniculata rhizome, which we termed AqGP. The anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of AqGP were assessed in mice. We identified and purified a protein (AgGP), with an amino acid sequence similar to that of thaumatins (~20 kDa), capable of repressing inflammation through downregulation of neutrophil recruitment and of decreasing hyperalgesia in mice. In conclusion, we have identified the molecule and the molecular mechanism responsible for the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties of a plant commonly used in Brazilian folk medicine.

KAMPUNG ANGKLUNG DI CIAMIS: PENJAGA EKOSISTEM BUDAYA ANGKLUNG

Kampung Angklung merupakan perkampungan penghasil angklung yang berada di Kabupaten Ciamis, Jawa Barat. Sejak tahun 2010 angklung telah menjadi warisan budaya yang diakui dunia melalui konvensi yang digelar UNESCO di Nairobi, Kenya. Oleh Karena itulah diperlukan upaya-upaya untuk terus memajukannya melalui kegiatan pelindungan, pengembangan, pemanfaatan, dan pembinaan sumberdaya kebudayaan yang berkelanjutan sebagaimana diamanatkan dalam Undang-undang Pemajuan Kebudayaan No.5 Tahun 2017. Artikel ini melihat masyarakat di Kampung Angklung dalam upaya menghidupkan dan menjaga ekosistem kebudayaan angklung yang berkelanjutan. Penelitian kualitatif dengan melakukan wawancara secara mendalam terhadap para pengrajin angklung di Kampung angklung serta stakeholder pemerintah yang mendukungnya. Ekosistem kebudayaan angklung di Kampung Angklung yang di dalamnya terdapat berbagai subsistem seperti ekosistem tanaman bambu, pengrajin angklung, seniman angklung, sistem produksi dan distribusi, serta kelembagaan masyarakat, telah berkontribusi terhadap upaya menghidupkan dan menjaga ekosistem kebudayaan yang berkelanjutan. Ekosistem kebudayaan angklung mampu menjaga kelestarian ekosistem lingkungan, pada saat yang sama mereka juga dapat mengambil manfaat ekonomis daripadanya sekaligus melestarikan kebudayaan angklung. Kampung Angklung in Ciamis Regency, West Java is a well-known producer of angklung. Since 2010, angklung has officially become a world-recognized cultural heritage as a result of the UNESCO convention held in Nairobi, Kenya. As a consequence, further steps are needed to continue to advance angklung by providing the activities of protecting, developing, utilizing, and fostering the sustainable resource culture referring to the Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 5 of 2017 concerning Cultural Advancement. This article describes how the efforts of the people of Kampung Angklung to preserve and conserve the sustainable ecosystem of angklung culture. This research used the qualitative research methods, such as conducting the in-depth interviews with angklung craftsmen in Kampung Angklung, and the government stakeholders who supported the craftsmen. The ecosystem of angklung culture in Kampung Angklung, in which there are various subsystems such as bamboo plant ecosystem, angklung craftsmen, angklung artists, production and distribution systems, and community institutions, has contributed to preserve and conserve the sustainable ecosystem of angklung culture. The ecosystem of angklung culture assured to preserve the environmental ecosystem and, at the same time, to provide the economic benefits while preserving the angklung culture.

Sebaran Tanaman Bambu Di Blok Pemanfaatan Taman Hutan Raya Wan Abdul Rachman Provinsi Lampung

Wan Abdul Rachman Forest Park (Tahura WAR) is one of the forest areas in Lampung Province. Tahura WAR has a fairly high diversity of flora, one of which is the bamboo plant. There is not much data related to the diversity of bamboo plant species found in Tahura WAR, especially in the Utilization Block. As an effort to develop the potential of bamboo, it is necessary to conduct research on the diversity of types and distribution patterns of bamboo plants. The purpose of this study was to analyze the diversity of bamboo plants and their distribution patterns in the Tahura WAR Utilization Block. This research was conducted in May 2020 in the Tahura WAR Utilization Block, using the river transect method along the 720 m length and 4 m width. The results showed that there were four types of bamboo plants in the Tahura WAR Utilization Block, namely Gombong bamboo (Gigantochloa pseudoarundinaceae) and Tali bamboo (Gigantochloa apus), Ater Batu bamboo (Gigantochloa atter) and Betung bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper. These four species showed a level of diversity bamboo plants that are categorized as low and the distribution pattern is random.

Bamboo Plant (foreground), Sunrise over the Blue Mountains, Jamaica

A photograph depicting the image of a bamboo plant silhouetted against a sunrise over the Blue Mountains in Jamaica.