Search

In the restoration of drained and degraded tropical peat swamp forest (PSF) it is not well understood whether fire suppression on its own is sufficient to facilitate regeneration, or if rewetting plays a key role. We attempt to answer this question in the Merang area, a 23,000-ha peatland located in South Sumatra province, Indonesia. As with more than 90 % of PSF in Southeast Asia, the area has been largely degraded by logging and drainage canals, along with multiple fires. It has been designated and managed as an ecosystem restoration area since 2016, by which time only a single 254 ha patch of original PSF habitat remained. However, scattered remnant PSF trees (< 1 % cover) occurred throughout the area, along with seedlings of pioneer woody species in a landscape otherwise dominated by sedges and ferns. Peatland rehabilitation began with installation of 84 box dams in 2017, followed by 212 peat compaction dams mainly between late 2019 and early 2020. Since installation of the latter, the average water table depth (WTD) has decreased by 20-120 cm. In parallel with reduced WTD and fire prevention, regrowth has been vigorous, with total cover of woody plants increasing by almost a third, from 28.6 % in 2016 to 39.4 % in 2021. At the same time, changes in normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) indicate a doubling in increase of woody vegetation cover between 2017-2020 and 2020-2021. Reduced WTD supports the recovery of woody vegetation cover, but Principal Component Analysis (PCA) strongly suggests that fire history determines the species composition of regenerated woody pioneer vegetation. Melaleuca cajuputi dominates where fires have been most frequent (on average > 4 fires), while Macaranga pruinosa, Melicope glabra and Melicope lunu-ankenda dominate in regenerating areas that have experienced 1-2 fires. While fire suppression is essential to prevent further loss of vegetation, effective rewetting is required before woody vegetation can recover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The present study describes the antioxidant effect, glucose uptake activity and cytotoxicity of Melicope lunu-ankenda (ML) leaf extract using cell lines. Results of the study revealed that 60% ethanolic ML extract demonstrated the highest antioxidant activity with total phenolics and flavonoid contents of 354 mg GAE/g DW and 313 mg rutin equivalent (RE)/g DW, respectively. Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) was found to be 294.3 mM Fe (II) /g. The study showed that, ML leaf extract stimulated fluorescent d-glucose analog 2-[N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1, 3-diazol-4-yl) amino]-2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-NBDG) uptakes by both 3t3-L1 adipocytes and HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells, showing significant increase in a dose dependent way. Interestingly, cytotoxic activity of the extract conducted against 3t3-L1 adipocytes and HepG2 using the 3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, showed high activity against HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells with IC 50 of 20.33 ± 1.5 μg/mL and 13.7 ± 2.1 μg/mL after exposure of 48 h and 72 h, respectively. However, ML extract was inactive against 3t3-L1 cell line with IC 50 values of 93 ± 3 μg/mL and 81 ± 2 μg/mL. The results ascertained the significance of ML as a medicinal plant with prodigious applications as an anti-diabetic as well as anti-cancer agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand of herbal medicine has been increasing for the purpose of reducing the side effects of modern medicine. Melicope ptelefolia ( M. ptelefolia ) is a local Malaysian plant claimed to have many benefits for health. This study was performed to evaluate the potential of M. ptelefolia root extract as anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory agents in rats. The anti-nociceptive activity of M. ptelefolia root extracts (50 and 100 mg/kg) was evaluated using acetic acid-induced writhing and tail immersion test, while the anti-inflammatory activity was studied using carrageenan-induced paw edema test. M. ptelefolia root extract significantly inhibited the pain stimulant in acetic acid-induced writhing test, however it did not exert any significant change in the tail immersion test. Nevertheless, the mean reaction time in tail immersion test of M. ptelefolia root extract increased as the doses of extract increased. Furthermore, M. ptelefolia root extract at both doses showed significant anti-inflammatory activity by reducing paw edema volume ( p < 0.05). In conclusion, methanol root extract of M. ptelefolia possesses anti-inflammatory effects and anti-nociceptive effects in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Four novel geminally dialkylated, non-aromatic acetophenone derivatives 1–4 were isolated from Melicope coodeana. The compounds, related to hop bitter acids, were named Coodeanones A–C, where Coodeanone B was found in both E and Z configuration of the 6′‴–7′‴ double bond. Antibacterial, antifungal and antimalarial activities of the acetophenone derivaties were investigated, and Coodeanone C (4) was found to have activity toward Plasmodium falciparum (malaria) (IC50 =42.8μM). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]