summarize knowledge about useful plants for workers in education, research, extension and industry. The following institutions are reponsible for the coordination of the Prosea Programme and the handbook: Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), Karung Berkunci 201, Jalan FRI Kepong, 52109 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Widya Graha, Jalan Gatot Subroto 10, J akar ta 12710, Indonesia Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (IEBR), Nghia Do, Tu Liem, Hanoi, Vietnam Papua New Guinea University of Technology (UNITECH), Private Mail Bag, Lae, Papua New Guinea Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research & Development (PCARRD), Los Bahos, Laguna, the Philippines Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR), 196 Phahonyothin Road, Bank Khen, Bangkok 10900, Thailand Wageningen Agricultural University (WAU), Costerweg 50, 6701 BH Wageningen, the Netherlands

Plant Resources of South-East Asia

- Inhibition of α-amylase, enzyme that plays a role in digestion of starch and glycogen, is considered a strategy for the treatment of disorders in carbohydrate uptake, such as diabetes and obesity, as well as, dental caries and periodontal diseases. Plants are an important source of chemical constituents with potential for inhibition of α-amylase and can be used as therapeutic or functional food sources. A review about crude extracts and isolated compounds from plant source that have been tested for α-amylase inhibitory activity has been done. The analysis of the results shows a variety of crude extracts that present α-amylase inhibitory activity and some of them had relevant activity when compared with controls used in the studies. Amongst the phyto-constituents that have been investigated, flavonoids are one of them that demonstrated the highest inhibitory activities with the potential of inhibition related to number of hydroxyl groups in the molecule of the compound. Several phyto-constituents and plant species as α-amylase inhibitors are being reported in this article. Majority of studies have focused on the anti-amylase phenolic compounds.

This article is open to POST-PUBLICATION REVIEW. Registered readers (see “For Readers”) may comment by clicking on on the issue’s contents page.

/pdf/a-amylase-inhibitors-a-review-of-raw-material-and-isolated-4xj6aqk02y.pdf

α-Amylase inhibitors: a review of raw material and isolated compounds from plant source.

Forests with nitrogen-fixing trees (N‐fixers) typically accumulate more carbon (C) in soils than similar forests without N‐fixing trees. This difference may develop from fundamentally different processes, with either greater accumulation of recently fixed C or reduced decomposition of older soil C. We compared the soil C pools under N‐fixers with Eucalyptus (non‐N‐fixers) at four tropical sites: two sites on Andisol soils in Hawaii and two sites on Vertisol and Entisol soils in Puerto Rico. Using stable carbon isotope techniques, we tracked the loss of the old soil organic C from the previous C4 land use (SOC4) and the gain of new soil organic C from the C3, N‐fixer, and non‐N‐fixer plantations (SOC3). Soils beneath N‐fixing trees sequestered 0.11 0.07 kg m 2 y 1 (mean one standard error) of total soil organic carbon (SOCT) compared with no change under Eucalyptus (0.00 0.07 kg m 2 y 1 ; P 0.02). About 55% of the greater SOC T sequestration under the N‐fixers resulted from greater retention of old SOC4, and 45% resulted from greater accretion of new SOC3. Soil N accretion under the N‐fixers explained 62% of the variability of the greater retention of old SOC4 under the N‐fixers. The greater retention of older soil C under N‐fixing trees is a novel finding and may be important for strategies that use reforestation or afforestation to offset C emissions.

https://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/pubs/ja_iitf_2002_resh001.pdf

Greater Soil Carbon Sequestration under Nitrogen-fixing Trees Compared with Eucalyptus Species

Traditional medicine has remained as the most affordable and easily accessible source of treatment in the primary healthcare system of resource poor communities in Zimbabwe. The local people have a long history of traditional plant usage for medicinal purposes. Despite the increasing acceptance of traditional medicine in Zimbabwe, this rich indigenous knowledge is not adequately documented. Documentation of plants used as traditional medicines is needed so that the knowledge can be preserved and the utilized plants conserved and used sustainably. The primary objective of this paper is to summarize information on traditional uses of medicinal plants in south-central Zimbabwe, identifying research gaps and suggesting perspectives for future research. This study is based on a review of the literature published in scientific journals, books, reports from national, regional and international organizations, theses, conference papers and other grey materials. A total of 93 medicinal plant species representing 41 families and 77 genera are used in south-central Zimbabwe. These plant species are used to treat 18 diseases and disorder categories, with the highest number of species used for gastro-intestinal disorders, followed by sexually transmitted infections, cold, cough and sore throat and gynaecological problems. Shrubs and trees (38% each) were the primary sources of medicinal plants, followed by herbs (21%) and climbers (3%). The therapeutic claims made on medicinal plants documented in south-central Zimbabwe are well supported by literature, with 82.8% of the plant species having similar applications in other regions of Zimbabwe as well as other parts of the world and 89.2% having documented biological and pharmacological properties. This study illustrates the importance of traditional medicines in the treatment and management of human diseases and ailments in south-central Zimbabwe. Traditional medicines still play an important role in meeting basic health care of local communities in Zimbabwe.

/pdf/traditional-use-of-medicinal-plants-in-south-central-59iy4yc1j3.pdf

Traditional use of medicinal plants in south-central Zimbabwe: review and perspectives

Preliminary comparative analysis of medicinal plants used in the traditional medicine of Bulgaria and Italy.

Tamarindus indica L.

Cedrela odorata L.

Acacia mangium Willd.

1.1.1 Restauración y protección Es especie prioritaria en la reforestación de áreas muy degradadas, soporta sequías, heladas, suelos ligeramente salinos y no se la come el ganado (5), además es una de las pocas especies que prospera en pedregales y tiene la capacidad de formar suelo. Se utiliza como barrera rompevientos y en el control de la erosión del suelo (6). No obstante lo anterior, su utilización debe realizar con cuidado pues tiene tendencias a tomar un comportamiento malezoide, ya que invade numerosos ambientes y desplaza eficientemente a otras especies, además inhibe el crecimiento y/o desarrollo de las plantas vecinas, esto debido a que presenta alelopatía, produce felandreno, alcohol terpenoide y carbacol que se eliminan a través de las hojas y frutos (1). 1.1.2 Agroforestal 1.1.3 Urbano Se utiliza como árbol de ornato en calles, parques y jardines, no obstante presenta desventajas pues sus flores y frutos resinosos ensucian bastante (1). 1.1.4 Comercial 1.1.5 Otros

D. Jøker

Papers

Tamarindus indica L.

Cedrela odorata L.

Acacia mangium Willd.

Schinus molle L.

Casuarina equisetifolia L.