Evaluation of antioxidant activity and phytochemicals of selected methanol rattan shoot extracts from Morong, Bataan

Background@#Rattan is a member of the Arecaceae family grown in the tropical or subtropical climates. These plants are used as raw materials for furniture-making. In some cases, its shoots are also used as food and may possess bioactive potentials. In this study, rattan root methanolic extracts were screened for phytochemicals and evaluated for antioxidant activities.@*Methodology@#Six (6) methanolic extracts of selected rattan shoots were subjected to in vitro antioxidant assays, which include DPPH, FRAP, metal chelation, superoxide, and nitric oxide. Qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analyses were also employed. @*Results@#Shoots of Calamus sp. 02 (Bangaw-Bangaw; 85.59±0.430%), C. usitatus (Talola; 82.45±2.215%), and C. spinifolius (Kurakling; 75.54±1.599%) showed the most effective DPP radical inhibition at 66.67μg/mL. Concentration-dependent reducing power (>30% scavenging at 6.64μg/mL) with no-to-low metal chelating activity was also observed in these plant food. C. sp 02 and C. usitatus demonstrated an effective scavenging activity against superoxide anions at 227.3μg/mL. Nitric oxide scavenging activity was observed in all shoots with C. merrilli (Palasan) exhibiting highest at 78.13μg/mL. Qualitative phytochemical analyses showed that rattan shoots all contained reducing sugars, phenolics, terpenoids, and quinone compounds. Quantitative phytochemical analyses revealed that C. sp. 02 (66.024±4.183mg GAE/g) and C. merrilli (1.767±0.056mg QE/g) contained the highest amounts of phenolic and flavonoids, respectively. These phytochemicals present may explain their behavior as antioxidants. @*Conclusion@#The study revealed that different rattan shoots showed different capacities to scavenge particular oxidants. Of these, C. sp. 02, C. spinifolius, and C. merrilli may be considered promising sources of natural antioxidants.

Genetic structure of the rattan Calamus thwaitesii in core, buffer and peripheral regions of three protected areas in central Western Ghats, India: do protected areas serve as refugia for genetic resources of economically important plants?

Given the increasing anthropogenic pressures on forests, the various protected areas--national parks, sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves--serve as the last footholds for conserving biological diversity. However, because protected areas are often targeted for the conservation of selected species, particularly charismatic animals, concerns have been raised about their effectiveness in conserving nontarget taxa and their genetic resources. In this paper, we evaluate whether protected areas can serve as refugia for genetic resources of economically important plants that are threatened due to extraction pressures. We examine the population structure and genetic diversity of an economically important rattan, Calamus thwaitesii, in the core, buffer and peripheral regions of three protected areas in the central Western Ghats, southern India. Our results indicate that in all the three protected areas, the core and buffer regions maintain a better population structure, as well as higher genetic diversity, than the peripheral regions of the protected area. Thus, despite the escalating pressures of extraction, the protected areas are effective in conserving the genetic resources of rattan. These results underscore the importance of protected areas in conservation of nontarget species and emphasize the need to further strengthen the protected-area network to offer refugia for economically important plant species.

Marcador KI-67 como índice preditivo da viabilidade de ovário criopreservado por congelamento lento e vitrificação em ratas / Ki-67 marker used as a predictive index of the viability of cryopreserved ovaries through slow freezing and vitrification in rats

Avaliar duas técnicas de criopreservação de tecido ovariano: congelamento lento e vitrificação, por meio de marcação imunohistoquímica com anticorpo primário anti ki 67 e verificar o tipo folicular mais resistente à criopreservação. 58 ratas foram submetidas à ooforectomia bilateral e divididas em dois grupos: A: 27 ratas cujos fragmentos ovarianos foram criopreservados com a técnica de congelamento lento e B: 31 ratas cujas secções ovarianas foram criopreservadas por vitrificação. Amostras do tecido foram submetidas à avaliação imunohistoquímica com e observaram-se células foliculares positivas para o marcador. Analisaram-se os fragmentos no momento 0 (dia da ooforectomia) como controle e no 43 dia após esse procedimento, momento 1. Na comparação significativa para marcação em folículos primário e secundário, para ambos os grupos. Na comparação entre os grupos não foi observada diferença significativa no momentoO. No momento 1, o Grupo B apresentou diferença significativa para a marcação em folículos primordiais (p=0,026), ou seja, houve um número maior de amostras Ki67 positivas nesse grupo. A marcação com Ki67 demonstrou que, embora ambos os métodos de congelamento ovariano resultem em tecidos potencialmente viáveis, a vitrificação manteve maior número de folículos primordiais potencialmente funcionantes, podendo ser considerada melhor técnica de criopreservação de tecido ovariano do que o congelamento lento, em ratas. Os folículos primordiais são os que melhor resistem ao processo de criopreservação, tanto por congelamento lento como por vitrificação.