Mini-cutting technique for Khaya anthotheca: selection of suitable IBA concentration and nutrient solution for its vegetative propagation

Khaya anthotheca is a hardwood species from Africa and recently introduced to Brazil. This species yields high-quality wood for diverse applications, but little has been done toward an effective propagation method for large-scale production in nurseries. We evaluated the effects of different concentrations of macro and micronutrients（i.e., 100, 50 and 25% of the concentration of a referenced solution） combined with indole-3-butyric acid（IBA） at 0 and 2 g L-1 on the survival rate of mini-stumps and the survival and adventitious rooting of K. anthotheca mini-cuttings. The mini-stumps were grown from a source of seeds imported from Ghana, West Africa. The ministumps survived at a high rate（97%）. Consistently high shoot yields were obtained from the mini-stumps（average of 1.8 per mini-stump）. High survival percentage of minicuttings and adventitious rooting were observed when solutions with 100 and 50% of the nutrients concentration were combined with 2 g L-1 IBA. Histological sections analyzed through optical microscopy indicated the tissues from mini-cutting stems were juvenile, which might have stimulated adventitious rooting. These results have important implications for further work aimed at establishing propagation strategies for K. anthotheca, which are of prime importance for assisting breeding programs of this species.

31 Plant Species against Blood Feeding and Disease Vectors Insects: Beyond Anti-Insect Properties, Unvalued Opportunities and Challenges for Health and Sustainability

Plants with bioactive properties are greatly useful in preventing and controlling blood-sucking and disease-vector invertebrates, particularly in developing countries and low-income communities. Their application is a promising alternative to synthetic compounds whose use remains a health, environmental, and economic challenge. However, many are still unknown and unvalued, while others are becoming ignored and threatened. The main objective of this ethnobotanical study is to identify and characterize indigenous and locally grown plants against blood-sucking and disease-vector insects. Salient opportunities and challenges of using these plants are documented and discussed. Semi-structured interviews, using a prepared questionnaire, were conducted with 228 informants. The consensus index (CI) was calculated to analyze the reliability of the collected information. The identified 31 anti-insect plant species belong to 20 botanical families, four morphological categories, and six habitat types. They can be categorized as insecticidal plants (42% of the total), insect repellent (42% of the total), and both insecticidal and insect repellent (16% of the total). More than 54% of these are still abundant in the study area, while about 35.5% have become rare and difficultly accessible. Based on the numerical importance of related anti-insect plant species, the seven targeted blood-sucking insects range in the following decreasing order: Jiggers (16 species) > Fire Ants (9 species) > Flies (8 plants) > Mosquitoes (4 species) > Fleas (2 species) > Bedbugs (1 species) > lice (0 species). The three most commonly used plants, with the highest confirmation indices, are Tetradenia riparia (ICs = 0.712), Eucalyptus globulus subsp. maidenii (ICs = 0.302), and Solanum aculeastrum (ICs = 0.288). The antimicrobial role of many locally grown anti-insect plants and the multiple other associated valorization possibilities are ignored by most informants. Domesticating, propagating, protecting, and promoting the sustainable use of these plants would be an appropriate route for their conservation and continued availability.

Lycopen’s Stability in Watermelon Juice (<i>Citrullus lanatus</i>) Regarding to Technological Routes

Highly prized by consumers, watermelon is rich in water, but also in micronutrients including lycopene, pigment responsible for the red color. It is also a powerful antioxidant which has many virtues including the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. The transformation into nectar of watermelons combined with treatment could cause several modifications including the alteration of coloring. It is in this context that this study focuses on the variation of the lycopene content in nectars. Thus, nectars of 12°Brix and 15°Brix were prepared from three varieties of watermelon (Sugar Baby, Crimson Sweet and Charleston Gray). To study the stability, two pasteurization scales (85°C/15min and 95°C/15min) and one sterilization scale (105°C/15min) were applied to the different nectars produced. The results obtained showed that the Sugar Baby variety is richer in lycopene (24.39 mg·kg-1) with a higher pH (5.80). In addition, the study showed, for the Sugar Baby variety, an increase of lycopene with the addition of sugar and the heat treatment (a maximum of 42.83 mg·kg-1 for SbF12T105). On the other hand, for the Crimson Sweet and Charleston varieties, the highest rate of lycopene, except the heat-treated ones, are those formulated at 12°B (10.46 mg·kg-1 for CrF12T105 and 18.40 mg·kg-1 for ChF12T105). Without any health consequences, the formulation combined with heat treatment would preserve the lycopene content of watermelon nectars.