Journal articles on the topic 'Folklore (Swiss)'

In our paper, we discuss how the digital domain extends the sustainability of analogue archives through communication with the public. Our interdisciplinary research project “Participatory Knowledge Practices in Analogue and Digital Image Archives” (PIA) is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (2021–2025) and developed in cooperation with the photographic archives of the Swiss Society for Folklore Studies (SSFS). It aims to increase the use of image-based research data by developing participatory tools and deploying shared application programming interfaces (APIs) such as standards that adhere to the Linked Open Usable Data (LOUD) design principles. By involving the public, the project aims to increase the overall use of image-based research data. This makes data more sustainable in interaction with the analogue archive and increases the attractiveness of digital infrastructures.

Background. Withaniasomnifera is an important medicinal plant for the treatment of diarrhea in Ethiopian folklore medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antidiarrheal activity of Withania somnifera leaves in Swiss albino mice. Materials and Methods. Hydromethanolic crude extraction and solvent fractionation were done using cold maceration technique. 80% methanol was used as a solvent in crude extraction, while distilled water, n-butanol, and chloroform were employed during fractionation. Castor oil-induced diarrhea, enteropooling, and gastrointestinal motility models were employed to evaluate antidiarrheal activity. Mice were randomly divided into five groups (six mice per group): negative control, which received 2% Tween 80 in distilled water; positive control, which received 3 mg/kg loperamide; and three test groups (III, IV, and V), which were treated with 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, and 400 mg/kg of crude extract and solvent fractions, respectively. Results. The crude extract, aqueous, and n-butanol fractions significantly delayed the onset of diarrhea at 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg dose. There was a significant reduction in the number and weight of stools at all tested doses of the crude extract and aqueous fraction, and at 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of n-butanol fraction. Significant reduction in volume and weight of intestinal contents was observed at all tested doses of the crude extract, and at 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of aqueous and n-butanol fractions. All tested doses of the crude extract and 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of the aqueous and n-butanol fractions significantly reduced the motility of charcoal meal. Conclusion. This study demonstrated that the crude extract and solvent fractions of the Withania somnifera leaves have antidiarrheal activity and supported the folklore use of the plant.

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Motivation</p><p>In 2015/2016 the Zentralbibliothek Zürich (ZB, Zurich Central Library) and the Swiss Society of Cartography (SSC) presented a map blog to mark the 2015/16 International Map Year. In this weekly blog, cartographer and map librarian Markus Oehrli described and commented on 70 known and less-known Swiss map documents. In 2017, the map history journal Cartographica Helvetica published 58 of these 70 map documents in a special issue. In 2019, SSC will translate the blog into English, which will be published in its publication series to mark the 50th anniversary of the society.</p><p>During the 2015/16 International Map Year, which was initiated and proclaimed by the ICA, national cartographic societies were encouraged to organise various kinds of public activities and events as part of this worldwide celebration of maps. The SSC coordinated and organised more than 20 of these events within Switzerland. The “Karte der Woche” (Map of the week) blog, which was offered an in-depth and sometimes surprising look at Swiss cartography, was received with much enthusiasm by the general public and experts alike. During the 70-week map year (between August 2015 and December 2016), the blog provided a comprehensive profile of Swiss map-making on the website http://cartography.ch.</p><p>Map year blog: 70 maps in 70 weeks</p><p>The documents presented in the blog cover both current and historical productions evenly. The oldest map dates from before the year 900 and the most recent from 2016. The exhibits include traditional maps for which Swiss cartography is widely known and world-renowned, i.e. topographical maps, hiking maps, city maps, road maps, bird’s-eye views, statistical maps, and school maps. A relief model, a horizontal panorama, a pictorial map, an infographic and numerous thematic maps relating to folklore, navigation, archaeology, sport, etc. are also to be found. Furthermore, geo-media is also represented and includes such as maps produced by means of geographical information systems and web map mashups. In contrast, techniques that have almost been forgotten today, such as typometry and map printing on silk, are also presented. A very special historic piece is the 16th century globe by Abraham Gessner which can also be used as a drinking cup. There are even maps of subterranean and lunar worlds or maps of imaginary places. Some of the authors or producers of the presented documents are well-known cartographic publishers and federal institutions, but some are little known individuals working away on their own. Besides trained cartographers, the blog also features work by a priest, a spy and an artist.</p><p>For the purpose of this blog, only maps created by Swiss authors or published by a Swiss publishing house were selected. Another selection criterion was the fair balance among the different regions in Switzerland. All parts of the country and almost all cantons feature at least once. In order to document the global network of Swiss cartography, about a third of the presented documents also show areas outside of the country’s borders.</p><p>The blog offers plenty of background information and is spiced with a pinch of humour, without ever losing sight of the central theme – Swiss cartography. The individual blog texts were researched and written by Markus Oehrli who is a long-standing SSC member. The pictures have been published with the consent of the copyright holders. Where possible, a link within the blog refers to a high-resolution image or to an interactive map application on the Internet. The first blog entry was published on 4 September 2015 and each further blog was released every Friday until 30 December 2016.</p><p>Special issue – Kaleidoskop der Schweizer Kartografie (Kaleidoscope of Swiss Cartography) in German</p><p>In 2017, Cartographica Helvetica, the leading German-language journal for map history, devoted a 64-page special issue to the map blog. Under the title “Kaleidoskop der Schweizer Kartografie” (“Kaleidoscope of Swiss Cartography”), a selection of 58 documents from the blog were printed in the issue in a new, innovative way, both in terms of graphics and content. In addition, this edition of Cartographica Helvetica was published in digitized form on the Swiss journal repository e-periodica.ch. It is free to access and offers features such as full text search, an advanced search using various filters, the ability to browse page by page, the enlargement of pages up to about 600%, download possibility for all pages and all articles as PDF documents. The repository navigation is trilingual, in German, English and French.</p><p>English edition part of SSC’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2019</p><p>In order to meet the great demand for the widely acclaimed map blog and the “Kaleidoskop der Schweizer Kartografie” special issue – which sold very well – SSC decided to publish the blog also in English to help commemorate its 50th anniversary in 2019. This will make the content accessible to an even wider public. With this contribution we propose to announce and publish the English version during a presentation to an international audience of experts at ICC 2019 in Tokyo. We will give insight how the 70 artefacts were chosen according to the scientific, geographic and thematic selection criteria. The composition of the accompanying texts is based upon the thorough scientific research especially carried out for this project. We hope that this approach may serve as a model for similar projects showing the richness of excellent cartographic artefacts all over the world!</p>

The methanol extract of Acacia ferruginea (Family- Mimosaceae) was studied for possible antidiabetic activity on normoglycaemic, OGTT and alloxan induced diabetic rats at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, p.o. The acute toxicity studies were carried out on Swiss albino mice to determine the LD50 values. The experiments were performed as per OECD guidelines. The results of the normoglycaemic, OGTT and hyperglycaemic studies revealed that the extract exhibited reduction in blood glucose concentration in a dose dependant manner as compared to the standard drug metformin (250 mg/kg, p.o.). The acute toxicity studies revealed no signs of mortality in animals treated with a single dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight. Preliminary phytochemical studies of the methanol extract revealed presence of alkaloids, steroids, triterpenoids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins and phenolic compounds, carbohydrates, gums and mucilages, proteins and amino acids. The present study justifies the use of the plant for treating diabetes as suggested in folklore remedies.

Abstract Background Wound healing has being extensively investigated over the world. Healing impairment is caused by many reasons including increasing of free-radicals-mediated damage, delaying in granulation tissue formation, reducing in angiogenesis and decreasing in collagen reorganization. These facts consequently lead to chronic wound healing. Piper betle Linn (Betle) leaves have been folklore used as an ingredient of drugs for cutaneous wound treatment. However, the effect of betle leaf on wound healing is not yet well elucidated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the healing efficacy of methanol leaf extract of Piper betle Linn on proliferation of fibroblast NIH3T3 cells as well as full-thickness burn and excision wounds in swiss mice. Methods Scratch wound healing assays were conducted to examine the effects of betle leaf extract on healing activity of fibroblast cells. Burn and excision wounds on swiss mouse skins were created for investigating the wound healing progress caused by the betle leaf extract. Malondialdehyde (MDA) was also evaluated to examine the products of lipid hydroperoxide (LPO) under conditions of with or without betle leaf extract treatment. Results The results of this study showed that Piper betle Linn leaf extract in methanol increased proliferation of NIH3T3 cells and promoted wound healing in vitro and in vivo with both burn wound and excision wound models. In addition, this extract significant decreased level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver of treated-mice compared with that in non-treated mice. Conclusions Our results suggest that Piper betle Linn can be used as an ingredient in developing natural origin drugs for treatment of cutaneous wounds.

Urtica massaica (Urticaceae) and Croton megalocarpus are used either as vegetables or as food additives and as medicine in traditional African societies. However, in spite of the widespread consumption of these plants as folklore remedies and for diet, there is a scarcity of scientific data on their teratogenicity. Hence this study sought to assess the teratogenic effects of these plant extracts in an animal model. The study was conducted using Swiss albino mice. The extracts of these plants were administered orally in mice which were then euthanized. The weights of the gravid uterus and pups, as well as the number of pups, were determined. The pups were examined for gross malformations. The data set was analysed using one-way analysis of variance and Tukey as the post-Anova test. P < 0.05 was the limit of significance. U. massaica and C. megalocarpus caused 40% and 20% fetal partial resorption respectively. The latter also caused microcephaly and polyhydramnios. Hence, U. massaica leaves and C. megalocarpus stem extracts exhibited teratogenic activity and should be used with care during pregnancy

Background: In Indian traditional medicine, the flowers of Jasminum grandiflorum L. (Oleaceae) are claimed to possess powerful central nervous system (CNS) depressant activity. Despite these traditional claims, no in-depth scientific study has been performed on the CNS depressant activity of the flowers of J. grandiflorum. Therefore, the present study was aimed at evaluating the CNS depressant activity of an ethanolic extract of the flowers of J. grandiflorum in Swiss albino mice. Methods: Acute oral toxicity tests were done at doses of 550, 1750, and 5000 mg/kg. The extract was also subjected to phytochemical tests and TLC tests. The CNS depressant activity of the EEJG was evaluated by various models, such as the forced swimming test, tail suspension test, thiopental sodium-induced sleeping time test, locomotor activity test, and muscle co-ordination test, at two different doses (500 and 1000 mg/kg) in Swiss albino mice. Diazepam (1 mg/kg) was used as a standard drug. Results: In acute oral toxicity studies, the extract was found to be safe up to a dose level of 5000 mg/kg body weight. EEJG at both doses (500 and 1000 mg/kg) showed significantly (p<0.05, p<0.01) increase in immobility time in the forced swimming test and tail suspension test. In the thiopental-induced sleeping time test, EEJG at 1000 mg/kg showed a significant (p<0.05) effect on the onset of action time and also significantly (p<0.01) increase the duration of sleeping time. EEJG at 1000 mg/kg showed a significant (p<0.01) decrease in locomotor activity, and the EEJG at both doses (500 and 1000 mg/kg) showed a significantly (p<0.05, p<0.01) decreased in muscle co-ordination activity when compared to control group. Conclusions: The present study confirms the significant CNS depressant activity of the ethanolic extract of the flowers of J. grandiflorum, which may be due to flavonoids and steroids present in the extract as phytoconstituents confirmed by TLC. This study supports the plant's traditional use as a CNS depressant.

Tinospora cordifolia (TC), a medicinal plant deeply integrated into India's folklore and Ayurvedic medical tradition, has been a reliable remedy for addressing various health concerns. Despite its proven efficacy in managing diseases, it is essential to exercise prudence regarding its dosage, as excessive consumption may result in undesirable consequences. This present study seeks to ascertain if the methanolic extract of TC triggers any adverse effects on organ function, haematological parameters, or biochemical profiles. The extract was administered intra peritoneally (IP) into the Swiss albino mice at a concentration of 300mg/kg body weight and observations were taken on 7th and 14th day. In comparison to control groups, the levels of haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PVC), red blood corpuscles (RBC), red cell distribution width (RCW), and platelet count increase. However, significant decrease was also observed in the levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and lymphocytes. Blood biochemical analysis reveals a significant increase in urea but a subsequent decrease in blood sugar levels. The findings unequivocally illustrate the disruption in the seminiferous tubules of the testis, accompanied by a decrease in spermatid count. Furthermore, observable damage to kidney tissues was noted. Based on these observations, it can be inferred that, despite its multifaceted therapeutic applications, TC extract may exert toxic effects in mice.

Terminalia brownii is widely used in folklore medicine and has diverse biological activities. However, its effect on the immune system is yet to be studied. Therefore, our study evaluated the immunomodulatory effect of T. brownii on nonspecific immunity. Innate immunity is the initial defence phase against pathogens or injuries. Dichloromethane plant extracts were tested on female Swiss albino mice and Wister rats. The effect of the extract on innate immunity was assessed via total and differential leukocyte counts, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and nitric oxide production by mouse macrophages. The 3-(4, 5-dimethyl thiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was employed for viability testing. Phytochemical profiling was carried out using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, while toxicity studies were carried out following the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development guidelines. Our results demonstrated that administration of T. brownii stem bark dichloromethane extract to pyrogallol-immuno compromised mice significantly ( p < 0.05 ) increased total and differential leukocyte counts compared with the control. The extract showed no adverse effect on the viability of Vero cells and macrophages and significantly ( p < 0.05 ) augmented tumor necrosis factor-alpha and nitric oxide production. Hexadecanoic acid, linoleic acid, octadecanoic acid, squalene, campesterol, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol, all of which stimulate, were identified in the extract. The extract did not cause any death or toxic signs in rats. In conclusion, T. brownii dichloromethane extract has an immunoenhancing effect on innate immune responses and is not toxic. The observed immunoenhancing impact of the extract was attributed to the presence of the identified compounds. The results of this study provide crucial ethnopharmacological leads towards the development of novel immunomodulators for managing immune-related disorders.

Background. The study of Beethoven’s arrangements of folk songs touches upon the corpus of theoretical and methodological issues related to the problem “a composer and folklore”, and, accordingly, with the re-intonation of folklore in composer creativity, with the dialogue of “national and international”, “folk and professional”, “traditional and modern”. These phenomena contemporary musicology considers more often in relation to new and newest directions in the musical art, defining them in terms of “folklore”, “neo-folklorizm”, “new folklore wave”; they represent by various forms of direct or indirect appealing to folklore sources. Studying the classical legacy in the genre of folk song arrangement, theoretical musicology significantly deepens the understanding of this area of the professional composer creativity, revealing the genesis of the phenomena mentioned above. Such a range of issues is considered by A. Gnatyshin (2014), G. Golovinsky (1981), A. Derevianchenko (2005), B. Zabuta (2018), I. Zemtsovsky (1978), I. Konovalova (2007), A. Protopopova and others. Beethoven’s creativity in the context of the chosen theoretical concept is highlighted in the works of L. Kirillina, Ya. Soroker (2012) and others. The purpose of the article is to identify and characterize the principles of re-intonation of multinational folklore in the genre of arrangement a folk song in Beethoven’s creativity (on the example of the collection “Songs of Different Nations”). There are represented the structural-functional, genre, style, intonation types of analysis among the used methods of studying. Results. The main tool of dialogue between the author and the folk music is the method of re-intonation, which in L. van Beethoven’s creativity is implemented in samples of ethnically different folk song (sometimes dance) sources arrangements. The certain logics is observed in the principle of the collection assembly. So, by ethnicity, the composer alternates songs of different peoples, following the logic of contrast and unity. Within the loop, you can also find the manifestations of several more cyclization layers by different traits and the nature of the combination – mini-cycles where the national style is the principle of the choice. Songs of the same nation that are naturally related in intonation, in particular, in melodic-harmonic content, in figurative and genre traits, alternate with one another or dispersed in the collection, forming monocycles and arches (Nos. 1–3, 5–6, 8, 14, 15–16, 24, 17–18). The binary method of connection by the above criteria differs from the first type of cyclization, although it also represented by songs of same nation, but by genre and figurative characteristics these songs contrast sharply with one another, forming “unity of opposites” (Nos. 4, 22; 5, 7, 6–7; 9–10, 11–12). Such a “mini-cyclization” does not exceed more than three ethnically homogeneous songs in a row. The largest part of the collection is the five Tyrolean songs (Nos. 4, 15, 16, 22, 24), and their distribution throughout the collection is like to the principle of “a refrain”. The Songs nos. 15–16 go in succession and united by common features – the type of melody that is similar to the shepherd songs in the yodel genre, by the piano and string accompaniment texture, by the triple meter, the F major tonal basis and by the general content and character of music. The Song № 24 also adjoins by the listed characteristics to the songs nos. 15–16. The mini-cyclization one can also traces in the combination of songs of different ethnicity. Single samples of songs of different ethnicities – Nos. 13 (Swiss), 19 (Ukrainian), 20 (Danish), 21 (Swedish), 23 (Hungarian) correlate dialogically, creating affinity or contrast with their surroundings and with each other at the macro-level of the cycle. The lyrically dramatic Ukrainian song is preceded by a dance Polish song, followed by a knightly Danish song with the chorus, the next is a Swedish lullaby, and the pastoral Hungarian song is framed by two Tyrolean songs. Thus, the tendency to cyclization, based on the principles of contrast and unity, operates in the collection of both micro- and macro-level, which is responsible for the composition of the whole. Interesting for the researcher is the genre content of the collection. Some of the songs are mono-genre - these are those that have the characteristics of the song genre (name, content, melody, harmony, rhythm, texture): nos. 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22. The poly genres are those that combine the features of song and dance (conventionally - dance song or song dance): nos.1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 15, 17, 18, 23, 24. The composer’s creative dialogue with the folklore tradition takes place at other levels of the musical text. Beethoven adds instrumental accompaniment to the song tune in the composition of piano, violin and cello (piano trio). The function of “cementing” the form belongs to the piano, which is a constant participant of the ensemble throughout the song, as well as in the additional parts of the form created by the composer – introductory and closing ritornellоs. In addition, the piano performs the function of harmonious accompaniment, development of thematic material, is responsible for the dynamics of development on a whole scale. Indicative for the Beethoven method of folklore processing is the circle of tonalities to which the composer refers. These are the most convenient for the artist sound systems (do not exceed 1–3 key signatures) designed for a wide «consumer» and ease of performance (both vocal and instrumental). The most active dialogue of the composer with the folklore source takes place in the intonational and harmonic spheres. Obviously, Beethoven tried to be adjusting to the unknown and unusual for him musical-theoretical systems. Analyzing samples of the author’s harmonization of folk melodies, we can conclude that the German classic «spoke» with a broad international circle of songs in same language. The key decisions of the German master show a subtle understanding of the folk songs harmony: harmonizing various folk sources, the composer does not burden them with complicated harmonic sequences, in agreement with that, which is supposed in folk melody. In addition, the choice of tonality was very responsible, emphasizing the clarity and simplicity of these songs, their democratic orientation, both in relation to the performer and the listener. Conclusions. Beethoven’s principles of thinking are manifested at all levels of organization of the musical whole. The re-intonation of folklore material occurs both at the level of the form of each individual song (micro level), and at the composition level of the entire collection (macro level), which translates into a tendency toward cyclization, the formation of mini- and macrocycles, and a tendency to build holistic dramaturgy. At the genre level in “Songs of Different Nations”, re-intonation occurs due to the combination of “pure” (song) and synthetic genres (synthesis of song and dance genres in one sample). The instrumental trio accompaniment performs certain functions in the structure of the musical text (thematic development, dubbing of the vocal part, timbre saturation, harmonious component, the introduction of classical performing traditions) and is an active stylistic, genre, and dramatic factor in the сomposition. The composer, as a whole, subdues folk music material to the classical type of musical thinking.

Solanum incanum (Solanaceae) is a common perennial shrub-like herb that grows up to 0.9-1.2 m high which is a widely used as folklore remedy for ailments such as stomach-ache, headache, painful menstruation, angina, fever, sore throat and other painful conditions, sexually transmitted diseases, skin infections, burns wounds, pneumonia and rheumatism by various African communities. Crude root extracts of the herb were shown to exhibit antinociceptive and ant-inflammatory effect. In spite of all these uses of S. incanum, there’s no enough science-based information on the effect of purified extracts of the herb on these signs and symptoms. Hence the main objective of the study was to evaluating the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects flavonoids rich fraction from S. incanum root in mice. In this study 6.5, 12.5 and 25 mg of flavonoids rich fraction S. incanum roots extract, diclofenac and the normal saline (vehicle) was injected subcutaneously in Swiss Albino mice 30 minutes prior to induction of pain and inflammation. Pain and inflammation were induced using dilute formalin solution that was injected in the animal’s left hind paw. The time spent in pain behavior (lifting, leaking and biting the injured paw) was measured and recorded for the first 5 minutes and between 15-30 minutes after formalin injection. Acute edema was used as an acute inflammatory model. The paw diameter was measured prior to injection with formalin and then after two hours. Significant analgesic and antiinflammatory activities (p < 0.05) were exhibited by 6.5 and 12.5 mg doses. These findings indicated S. incanum root extracts contains flavonoids with antinociceptive and inflammation effects

Данный материал вводит в широкий научный обиход переписку Игоря Стравинского с крупнейшим швейцарским писателем первой половины XX века Шарлем Фердинандом Рамю: 42 письма, снабженные развернутыми научными комментариями, впервые публикуются на русском языке; перевод выполнен искусствоведом и лингвистом В. М. Клеваевым в 1970-е годы по инициативе дирижера И. И. Блажкова. Французские оригиналы писем Стравинского были опубликованы в собрании Ж. Гизана «C.-F. Ramuz, ses amis et son temps» (1967-1970), письма Рамю - в двухтомнике его эпистолярного наследия, вышедшем в Швейцарии более полувека назад (1956, 1959). В переводе на английский язык переписка воспроизводилась Р. Крафтом в третьем томе «Stravinsky: Selected Correspondence» (1985). Упомянутые издания являются в настоящий момент библиографической редкостью, кроме того, в изложении Р. Крафта ряд эпистолярных документов содержит существенные отклонения от первоисточников. Переписка, охватывающая 17 лет с перерывами (1918-1935), позволяет по-новому взглянуть на творческие и дружеские взаимоотношения русского композитора и швейцарского литератора. Ш.-Ф. Рамю в музыкальном мире известен прежде всего как автор французских переводов всех неофольклорных сочинений Стравинского, но главным плодом их сотрудничества стала «Сказка о беглом солдате и чёрте» / «Histoire du soldat» (1918). Именно «Солдат» образует центральный сюжет эпистолярного диалога двух мастеров на разных его временных фазах - от сочинения «читаемой, играемой и танцуемой» пьесы, подготовки к премьере и издания - до борьбы за другие постановки и обсуждения проекта киноэкранизации. Богатая фактами корреспонденция высвечивает универсальную роль Рамю в истории «Солдата», далеко не ограничивавшуюся созданием французского либретто сочинения. This article introduces the Igor Stravinsky’s correspondence with an outstanding Swiss writer of the first half of the 20th century, Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz. 42 letters accompanying with detailed scientific commentaries are published for the first time in Russian: the translation was made by art critic and linguist Vadim Klevayev in the 1970s at the initiative of conductor Igor Blazhkov. The French originals of Stravinsky’s letters were published in the collection of Gilbert Guisan “C.-F. Ramuz, ses amis et son temps” (1967-1970), the letters of Ramuz - in a two-volume edition of his epistolary heritage printed in Switzerland more than half a century ago (1956, 1959). The correspondence was translated into English by Robert Kraft in the third volume of “Stravinsky: Selected Correspondence” (1985). The mentioned editions are currently a bibliographic rarity, in addition, in the presentation of R. Kraft, a number of epistolary documents contain significant discrepancies with originals. The correspondence spanning 17 years (1918-1935) intermittently, provides a new look at the creative and friendly relationship between the Russian composer and the Swiss writer. In the music community Ch.-F. Ramuz is known primarily as an author of French translations of neo-folklore works by Stravinsky, but the main result of their collaboration became “The Soldier’s Tale” / “Histoire du soldat” (1918). It is “The Soldier” that forms the central subject of the epistolary dialogue between the two masters at the different time phases - from the composition of the work “to be read, played, and danced”, its preparation for the premiere and publication - to the struggle for other productions and discussion of the film adaptation project. Correspondence rich in facts highlights the universal role of Ramuz in the history of “The Soldier”, far from being limited to the creation of a French libretto for the work.

Ziziphus mauritiana(Lamk.) is a fruit tree that has folkloric implications against many ailments and diseases. In the present study, anticancer potential of seed extract ofZiziphus mauritiana in vitroagainst different cell lines (HL-60, Molt-4, HeLa, and normal cell line HGF) by MTT assay as well asin vivoagainst Ehrich ascites carcinoma bearing Swiss albino mice was investigated. The extract was found to markedly inhibit the proliferation of HL-60 cells. Annexin and PI binding of treated HL-60 cells indicated apoptosis induction by extract in a dose-dependent manner. The cell cycle analysis revealed a prominent increase in sub Go population at concentration of 20 μg/ml and above. Agarose gel electrophoresis confirmed DNA fragmentation in HL-60 cells after 3 h incubation with extract. The extract also exhibited potent anticancer potentialin vivo. Treatment of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma bearing Swiss albino mice with varied doses (100–800 mg/kg b.wt.) of plant extract significantly reduced tumor volume and viable tumor cell count and improved haemoglobin content, RBC count, mean survival time, tumor inhibition, and percentage life span. The enhanced antioxidant status in extract-treated animals was evident from decline in levels of lipid peroxidation and increased levels of glutathione, catalase, and superoxide dismutase.

In the article, based on the material of the texts of modern Ukrainian songs, the main means of activating folklore sources are considered: 1) performance of folk songs in a new musical design, accompanied by video clips (e.g. some texts of such bands as “VV”(“ВВ”), “VIP”, “Boombox” (“Бумбокс”), “Made in Ukraine” and others); 2) filling traditional texts with relevant content (“Пливе кача по Тисині…” (“A duck swims along the Tisin...”), “Ой у лузі червона калина…” (“Oh, a red viburnum is in the meadow...”), “Гей, соколи!” (“Hey, falcons!”, rebel songs from the album “Our Partisans”, performed by Taras Chubai and the bands “Plach Jeremiah” and “Skryabin”, etc.); 3) current adaptations of well-known folk songs (“Горіла шина, палала…” (“The tire was burning, it was burning...”) during Euromaidan, “Летіла зозуля…” (“The cuckoo was flying...”), performed by singers Alyona Alyona and Jeri Hale, «Ніч яка місячна…» (“What a moonlit night...”), «Їхали укропи…» (“Ukrops were riding...” etc.); 4) actualization of the texts of certain folklore genres («Колискова для коханої» (“Lullaby for a Beloved”), «Колискова для ворога» (“Lullaby for an Enemy”), “Бандерштатівські коломийки” (“Banderstatt Kolomyiki”) performed by the band “Skryabin”, “Коломийки про москалів” (“Kolomyiki about Muscovites”), “Повстанська колядка” (“Rebel Carol”), etc.); 5) transformation of a different folk genre form into a song (“Буде тобі, враже, так, як відьма скаже” (“For you, the enemy, things will be like the witch will say”) with elements of bewitching orders, performed by Ainge Kreyda); 6) creation of new song texts, using folklore units (e.g: “Ой у лузі під Донбасом…” (“Oh, there in the meadow near Donbas...”), “Гей, сивий вітер плаче…” (“Hey, the gray wind is crying...”), “Там, де є море і гори…” (“There, where there is sea and mountains...”) etc.). In modern songs, authors use such typical means as semantic-syntactic parallelism, constant epithets, metaphors, key words, anaphora, which contributes to the maximum stylization of the folk poetic text. A conclusion was made about the activation of folklore sources, in particular, the appeal to Cossack, recruit, rifle and rebel songs, the use of set folk poetic expressive means, language images of Україна, рідна земля, козак, хлопець, мати (Ukraine, native land, Cossack, boy, mother, etc.) in the author’s texts, which reflect the linguistic thinking of Ukrainians, their struggle for freedom and independence during the Russian military aggression.

Diarrheal infections remain a public health problem. The mainstays of pharmacological therapy for infectious diarrhea include probiotics, antibacterial, and intestinal adsorbents. Nevertheless, these clinical treatments are not devoid of shortcomings including prohibitive costs and adverse effects. Medicinal plants including Plectranthus barbatus(P. barbatus) have folkloric remedies against diarrhea. However, there is paucity of knowledge to scientifically validate the efficacy of P. barbatus on diarrheal infections. This study was undertaken to ascertain antidiarrheal efficacy, bioactive composition, and toxicity profiles of P. barbatus extracts. Antidiarrheal activity and acute toxicity were carried out on Swiss albino mice. Quantitative phytocompound analysis was evaluated using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LCMS). Results indicated that P. barbatus extract has antidiarrheal activity whereby it prolonged the start of diarrhea, causing a decline in the occurrence of wet feces and intestinal transit significantly. Additionally, the extract reduced the accumulation of intraluminal fluid resulting in the decrease in distension, intestinal overload, and water content in the fecal drops. Acute toxicity assay on mice showed that P. barbatus extract was non-toxic at the dosage level of 2000mg/kgbw(milligram/kilogram body weight). LCMS analysis detected presence of phytocompounds associated with antidiarrheal effects including forskolin, gallic, kaempferol, and quercetin. Findings from the current study offer a scientific validation for the folkloric utilization of P. barbatus in the management of diarrhea.

Background. Different parts of Brucea antidysenterica are used in traditional and alternative medicine in Ethiopia for the treatment of different health problems including malaria and have good in vitro antimalarial activity. However, no in vivo study was conducted to substantiate the claim. Our study planned to determine the antimalarial effect of B. antidysenterica extract. Methods. Swiss albino mice (6–8 weeks old, 20–28 g) were inoculated with Plasmodium berghei. Different doses of both hydromethanolic extract and chloroform fraction were orally given at 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg/day. Results. The parasitemia suppression percent of hydromethanolic crude extract and chloroform fraction in chemosuppressive tests ranged between 33.48 and 75.93% and 38.32 and 76.64%, respectively. The hydromethanolic crude extract and chloroform fraction exhibited the curative effect of 46.75–70.91% and 50.30–80.06% parasitemia suppression, respectively ( p < 0.001), compared with negative control. Conclusion. From our study, it is concluded that the hydromethanolic crude extract and chloroform fraction of B. antidysenterica leaves showed promising antiplasmodial effects against Plasmodium berghei. This upholds the folkloric use of B. antidysenterica leaves and the thought of as a possible source to develop new antimalarial agents.

Our studies were performed to investigate the effects of the aqueous extracts of Cecropia pachystachya and Larrea divaricata. These plants are used in folkloric medicine in infusion and were administered orally (0.76 g/kg) to male Albino Swiss mice for 16 days, on drink intake, organ weight/body weight (OW/BW × 100) ratio, histology, broqueoalveolar fluid (BALF) and elevated plus-maze (EPM). Feeding as well as body weight were unaffected by the consumption of these extracts. There were no signs of toxicity in BALF, morbidity or mortality during the study. C. pachystachya caused an increase in relative kidney OW/BW (p ≤ .05 vs control). The macroscopic and microscopic morphologic analyses of the organs were not altered by administration of these plants. A non-anxiolytic-like activity of an aqueous extract prepared from the leaves of C. pachystachya and L. divaricata in EPM was observed. We conclude that the crude aqueous extracts of leaves tested on mice orally did not produce signs of toxicity or behavioral changes in routine histological and clinical evaluation. However, knowledge of the biological activity of many herbal medicine used in Latin American is still deficient and more studies will be needed to elucidate the possible toxic effects.

The emergence and resurgence of P. falciparum resistance to generations of antimalarial drugs have prompted the search for new, effective, and safe antimalarial agents. This study aimed at investigating the in vivo antiplasmodial activity of the 70% hydroethanolic extract and constituents of the stem bark of Myrianthus libericus based on its ethnomedicinal use as an antimalarial agent. The antiplasmodial activity was assessed in Swiss albino mice employing the 4-day suppressive and Rane’s tests. MLB significantly (p<0.0001) suppressed parasitaemia by 52.26%, 65.40%, and 77.11% at 50, 100, and 200 mg·kg−1 doses, respectively, in the 4-day suppressive test. In Rane’s test, the highest parasitaemia suppression of 72.50% was recorded at a dose of 200 mg·kg−1 of the extract. Fractionation of the bioactive ethyl acetate fraction by solvent-solvent partitioning and column chromatography led to the isolation of friedelan-3-one and stigmasterol being reported for the first time from this species. The compounds demonstrated remarkable antiplasmodial activity by suppressing parasitaemia by 65–72% in the suppressive test and 61–70% in the curative test at doses of 10–30 mg·kg−1. Both the extract and the isolated compounds significantly prolonged the survival time of infected mice and averted the cardinal signs associated with P. berghei-induced malaria including weight loss, hypothermia, and haemolysis. The results obtained confirm the prospect of M. libericus as an important source of new antimalarial compounds and justifies its folkloric use as an antimalarial agent.

Background: The herb Neptunia prostrata Linn. belonging to the family Mimosaceae has been used in folkloric medicine in the North-eastern states of India of Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya by indigenous herbal healers since time immemorial but there is a scarcity of any background study documenting its use as an antimicrobial herb. For the same, plants were collected and authenticated. Methods: Following identification of these herbs methanolic, ethanolic, pet ether and chloroform extracts were prepared using soxhlation. Acute toxicity study as per OECD guidelines 420 was assessed in wistar albino rats and in swiss albino mice (n=5) of both sexes at doses of 2000 mg/kg body weight and did not reveal any morbidity or mortality in the animals within the stipulated period. Phytochemical screening was performed on all four extracts of Neptunia prostrata. Results: Phytochemical constituents depicted presence of glycoside, flavonoids in only ethanolic, methanolic and chloroform extracts. Alkaloids were present in the chloroform extract. The antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic activity was performed by HFD-STZ models in rats. The herbs showed antioxidant activity comparable to standard antioxidants in-vitro such as Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) with comparable IC50 values. Conclusions: Results of the antidiabetic shows immense potential in animal models and therapeutics and the antibacterial screening suggests conspicuous and potent putative role in the therapeutics of a vast plethora bacterial infections that need to be corroborated for the expansion of future prospective in vivo studies with larger sample size.

Helicteres isora L. is a medicinal plant which is used in several diseases, such as snake-bite, dog-bite, diarrhoea and constipation in a new born baby, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, cancer, and infections. This plant has also been used in the management of liver damage through traditional medicine. However, the hepatoprotective activity of H. isora L. ethanolic extract has not been reported so much. The present work was carried to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of H. isora L. against paracetamol-induced liver injury in Swiss mice. Paracetamol (PCM) is widely used as an analgesic and antipyretic drug which at high dose can lead to undesirable side effects, such as hepatotoxicity. Paracetamol induce hepatotoxicity was evaluated by an increase (P<0.05) in AST and ALT serum activity. Paracetamol hepatotoxicity was also manifested by an increase in (P<0.05) lipid peroxidation and depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH) in liver tissue. Ethanol extract of H. isora L. (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg bw/day) significantly restored the PCM-induced alterations in the biochemical activities of blood and liver tissues. The hepatoprotective effect of H. isora L. was also confirmed by the histopathological examination of liver tissue. Histopathological examination of liver sections in mice administered with 1000 mg/kg bw/day doses of the extract were perfectly protected almost similar to those of untreated mice. The results indicated the hepatoprotective nature of studied plants extract against paracetamol induced toxicity. Our study scientifically validates the folkloric claim as well as traditional uses of H. isora L. as hepatoactive medicine. The results of this study suggests a new direction in the treatment of liver disease in future.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is an heterogenous, endocrine, metabolic, and multidisciplinary disorder of reproductive-aged females that aggravates insulin resistance, hyperandrogenism, obesity, menstrual irregularities, and infertility. Bitter melon is consumed as vegetable in various parts of the world. The purpose of this study was to provide the rationale for the folkloric uses of bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.) in reproductive abnormalities. HPLC analysis of standardized aqueous methanolic extract of bitter melon revealed the presence of various phytochemicals such as quercetin, gallic acid, benzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and cinnamic acid. Twenty-five Swiss albino adult female rats (120–130 g) were acquired and divided into two groups (5 + 20). Letrozole (1 mg/kg p.o.) was used for four weeks to induce PCOS in twenty rats. Disease induction was confirmed by vaginal smear cytology analysis under the microscope. Animals were further divided into four groups, with one group as PCOS group, and the remaining three are treated with standardized extract of bitter melon (500 mg/kg p.o.), bitter melon plus metformin (500 mg/kg p.o.), and metformin alone for the period of next four weeks. After four weeks, the rats were euthanized at diestrus stage. Ovaries of the experimental animals were removed and fixed in 10% buffered formalin, and blood samples were obtained from direct cardiac puncture and stored. Ovaries histopathological analysis showed cystic follicles (9–10) in PCOS group, while, in all the treatment groups, we found developing and mature follicles. Similarly, hormone analysis showed significant ( p < 0.001 ) reduction of LH surge, insulin, and testosterone levels and improvement in FSH levels. Lipid profile and antioxidant enzymes status were also significantly ( p < 0.001 ) improved. In conclusion, the study validates the bitter melon potential as an insulin sensitizer and ovulation enhancer and authenticates its potential in PCOS management.

Introduction. In Ethiopia, different medicinal plants have been claimed and used to treat diarrheal diseases. However, these claimed effects for most medicinal plants have not been scientifically verified. One of such plants in Ethiopian folkloric medicine is Moringa stenopetala, which is usually consumed as a vegetable in southern Ethiopia. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the antidiarrheal and antisecretory effects of 80% methanolic leaf extract of Moringa stenopetala in different mice models. Method. Using Swiss albino mice, castor oil-induced diarrhea, charcoal meal-based gastrointestinal motility, and castor oil-induced secretion models were employed to assess antidiarrheal activity. In all of the test models, animals were randomly assigned into five groups consisting of six animals in each group. Group I received 0.5 ml of the vehicle (2% tween-80), while group II was treated with standard drug (3 mg/kg loperamide) in the respective models, whereas groups III to V received 150, 300, and 450 mg/kg of the methanolic leaf extracts of Moringa stenopetala. Onset, frequency, consistency, and weight of stool (diarrhea) were recorded, and different parameters and percentage proportions were calculated. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant at 95% confidence of interval. Result. In the castor oil-induced diarrheal model, the percentage inhibition of diarrhea was 48.5, 58.6, and 60% for the respective doses of 150, 300, and 450 mg/kg of the extract. And, the extract showed a 36.8, 54.4, and 55.9% reduction of peristalsis in charcoal meal-based gastrointestinal motility test compared to the negative control group. Moreover, in the antisecretory assay, the 150, 300, and 450 mg/kg doses of MEMS inhibited fluid contents of the stool by 11.5, 54.54, and 61.82%, respectively, relative to the vehicle-treated group. Conclusion. The findings revealed that the 80% methanolic leaf extract of Moringa stenopetala extract has shown antidiarrheal activity.

Plants are a significant source for the development of new phytomedicines due to their great clinical benefits, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, fewer side effects, and more affordable therapies. Numerous plants used in traditional treatments, such as Cotinus coggygria Scop., have been effective in the treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM). Therefore, the study is aimed at assessing the phytochemical, antioxidant, and antidiabetic properties of C. coggygria. The hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activity was evaluated in Swiss male Albino mice by administering an oral dose of 150-250 mg/kg of C. coggygria extracts in alloxan-induced diabetic mice for 15 days. The antioxidant activity and phytochemical composition of the extracts were assessed by using α, α diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays and through standard chemical procedures. The effects of extracts on blood glucose, body weight, lipid profile, and biochemical parameters like total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipids (LDL), high-density lipids (HDL), plasma insulin, liver glycogen, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), urea, and creatinine were determined according to standard procedures. The activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide-dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) were also analyzed spectrophotometrically. The hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects with chloroform extracts of 250 mg/kg were found significant in the treatment of diabetes in alloxanised mice compared to the diabetic group. The haematological parameters such as TC, TG, HDL, LDL, creatinine, urea, AST, ALT, and ALP were significantly improved ( p < 0.01 ) by the chloroform extract of 250 mg/kg compared to the diabetic group. Treatment for 15 days showed significant elevation ( p < 0.01 ) of antioxidant enzymes. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic (FTIR) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), column chromatography (CC), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses tentatively identified different phytoconstitutents and metabolites in C. coggygria leaves, which have been reported to possess antihyperglycemic properties. In conclusion, the chloroform extract of 250 mg/kg of C. coggygria possesses significant hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic potential which may prove the claimed use of the plant in amelioration of diabetes and associated complications in folkloric medicine. Additional studies are required for the purification, characterization, and structural elucidation of bioactive compounds.

Storytelling-based arts projects offer a universal and inclusive pedagogy; challenging prejudices, celebrating diversity and promoting tolerance and resilience in participants. In addition they assist in the development of receptive and expressive language skills, provide a credible basis for understanding folklore, cultural traditions and social values, as well as offering a sound foundation for the pursuit of, and competency in, reading and writing. The contention that art and storytelling are global languages, lies at the heart of the storytelling based arts projects conducted by Australian storyteller, author and musician, Morgan Schatz Blackrose and Swiss Australian artist Roman W. Schatz.

The objective of the study was to Studies on the hypoglycaemic activity of the different extracts of Solanum torvum (Solanaceae) root extracts on Wister albino rats. Solanum torvum roots were shade dried, powdered, and extracted by the Soxhlet extraction procedure using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethanol, and water. Swiss albino mice were chosen for the acute toxicity studies and follow the OECD guidelines 423. The hypoglycemic activity on adult Wistar albino rats at dose levels of 100, 200, and 400mg/kg p.o. respectively each using normoglycaemic, glucose loaded, and streptozotocin-induced hyperglycaemic rats. For activity comparison standard drug Metformin (150mg/kg) was used. Promising results were produced by the ethanol extract among all the tested extracts that are comparable to the reference standard metformin. The study entrenched the scientific foundation of the benefits of this plant in the medication of diabetes and asserts the use of the root of the plant for treating diabetes as demonstrate in folklore remedies.

Objective: Tectona grandis which is well known as teak possesses a wide range of applications in Indian and African folklore medicine. All the plant parts are having diverse bioactivities, especially the seeds, having hair growth-promoting activity, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activity. Xanthones, proteins, amino acids, and fatty acids have been isolated from the oil and seeds of T. grandis. Methods: The present study was to explore the antinociceptive properties of methanolic seed extract of T. grandis. Dried seeds of the plant were defatted with non-polar solvents such as petroleum ether and extracted with methanol. Acetic acid-induced writhing test, tail flick test, and tail immersion test were employed for the extract using Swiss albino mice. Results: From the results, it is clear that the methanolic teak seed extract is safe at 1000 mg/kg and having a potent analgesic property (at a dose of 200–250 mg/kg body weight) by inhibiting pain response time. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the methanolic seed extract of T. grandis is analgesic in nature. It is considered as safe and the activity may be due to the presence of various bioactive chemicals such as flavonoids, xanthones, and glycosides.

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the glucose-lowering efficacy of the Acacia suma Roxb. (Family: Fabaceae) root extracts on Wister albino rats. Methods: A. suma roots were shade dried, powdered, and extracted by Soxhlet extraction procedure using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethanol, and water. The acute toxicity studies were conducted on Swiss albino mice as per the OECD guidelines 423. The antidiabetic activity of extracts was evaluated on adult Wistar rats at dose levels of 100,200, and 400 mg/kg P.O, respectively each using normoglycemic,glucose-loaded and Streptozotocin-induced rats. Metformin (50 mg/kg) was used as a reference standard for activity comparison. Results: Among the tested extracts, the ethanol extract was found to produce promising results that are comparable to that of the reference standard metformin. Conclusion: The study established the scientific basis for the utility of this plant in the treatment of diabetes and justifies the use of the root of the plant for treating diabetes as suggested in folklore remedies.

We reflect on some of the preliminary findings of the Participatory Knowledge Practices in Analogue and Digital Image Archives (PIA) research project around annotations of photographic archives from the Swiss Society for Folklore Studies (SSFS) as knowledge practices, the underlying technological decisions, and their impact. The aim is not only to seek more information but to find new approaches of understanding the way in which people’s memory relate to the collective, public form of archival memory and ultimately how users figure in and shape the digital archive. We provide a proof-of-concept workflow based on automatically generated annotations comprising 53,481 photos that were subjected to object detection using Faster R-CNN Inception ResNet V2. Of the detected objects, 184,609 have a detection score greater than 0.5, 123,529 have a score greater than 0.75, and 88,442 have a score greater than 0.9. A threshold of 0.75 was set for the dissemination of our annotations, compatible with the W3C Web Annotation Data Model (WADM) and embedded in our IIIF Manifests. In the near future, the workflow will be upgraded to allow for the co-existence of various, and occasionally conflicting, assertions made by both human and machine users. We believe that Linked Open Usable Data (LOUD) standards should be used to improve the sustainability of such an ecosystem and to foster collaboration between actors in cultural heritage.

Context: Psychosis is a mental disorder, which is characterized as the reducing association with certainty and conviction. Around 1-2% of the world's population suffers from psychosis. The people affected by psychosis have hallucinations, delusions, forgetfulness, abolition, and anhedonia. Currently existing most of the anti- psychotic medications express the adverse drug reactions. Thus for the management of psychosis, satisfactory and adequate remedies are not available. Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley (LS) (Cucurbitaceae) fruits, popularly known as “bottle gourd” (English) and “Lauki” (Hindi), exhibit numerous intrinsic therapeutic properties and actions. However limited scientific investigations have been performed to determine the neuroprotective potential of LS fruits. With this background, the present study was intended to investigate LS fruits for the assessment of anti-psychotic activity. Aims and Objectives: The rationale of this study was to evaluate the anti-psychotic activity of the phytocompound rich fractions of the methanolic extract of LS i.e., chloroform fraction of the methanolic extract (CFME), and acetone fraction of the methanolic extract (AFME) by using experimental models of cataleptic and stereotypic behavior in Swiss Albino mice. Materials and Methods: Haloperidol-induced catalepsy and apomorphine-induced stereotypy were the experimental screening tests performed for the assessment of anti-psychotic activity of the phytocompound rich fractions of methanolic extract of LS fruits at the doses of 100, 200, and 400mg/kg, p.o. in mice. Results: CFME and AFME, 100-400 mg/kg, significantly reduced cataleptic score and stereotypic behavior in mice, in dose-dependent manner. At doses of 200 and 400mg/ kg, AFME (P<0.001) exhibited more significant effect than CFME. In addition CFME and AFME did not generate motor dysfunction in mice. Preliminary phytochemical screening on CFME revealed the presence of saponins, phytosterols, and terpenoids, while phytochemical investigations on AFME indicated the presence of saponins, phenolic compounds, flavonoids and tannins. This was the first scientific report, which indicates that the LS fruits exhibit anti-psychotic action, confirming the folklore claims. Future investigations and studies should emphasize separation, characterization, and identification of the bioactive phytoconstituents and also on evaluating the precise mechanism involved in the anti-psychotic activity of both the fractions.

Background and Objective: The fruits of the plant, Choerospondias axillaris are one of the richest sources of flavonoids phenol and vitamin C that have been shown to possess a variety of biological activities. The present study was aimed to study the potential anti-cancer activity of the methanolic extract of fruit of Choerospondias axillaris using the in-vivo model to scientifically validate the folkloric use of the Choerospondias axillaris. Study Design: In-vivo model. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of pharmacology, Karnataka College of pharmacy, Bangalore India, between October 2021 to June 2022. Methods: Anti-cancer property of Choerospondias axillaris was evaluated against DMBA/croton oil induced skin tumorigenesis in Swiss albino mice. A single topical application of DMBA (100g/100l of acetone), followed 2 weeks later by repeated application of croton oil (1% in acetone three times a week) for 16 weeks. In contrast, animals treated orally with Choerospondias axillaris 200mg/kg/b.w. (group IV) and orally with Choerospondias axillaris 400mg/kg/b.w. (group V) and 5 Flu 10mg/kg (group III). The following parameters like; body weight, tumor incidence, cumulative number of tumors, tumor yield, average latency period, number of papillomas, haematological parameters, Serum Zinc and C-Reactive Protein, anti-oxidants enzyme, pro-inflammatory cytokines & Histopathological of Tumor skin studies were observed. Results: 100 percent tumor incidence exhibited in group II (DMBA/croton oil) whereas the group IV (Choerospondias axillaris 200mg/kg) and group V (Choerospondias axillaris 400mg/kg) and group III (5 Flu 10mg/kg) exhibited 50, 33.7 and 42.5% tumor incidence, which significantly lesser when compared to than group II (Toxic control). The cumulative number of papillomas during the observation period of 16 weeks was significantly decreased in the Choerospondias axillaris treated groups IV, V and III (9, 4 and 6 no’s tumor respectively) in comparison to 18 cumulative numbers of papillomas in carcinogen control group. The average latent period significantly increased in the Toxic control group to 3.2, 4.3, 6.5 and 5.4 in group II, IV, V and III respectively. Tumor yield were significantly lesser (1.5, 0.66 and 1.0) as compared to DMBA/Croton oil treated control. Furthermore, the level of LPO was significantly increased whereas, the activity of CAT level were significantly decreased in skin tissue of DMBA/Croton oil treated animals compared Choerospondias axillaris treated animals. Similarly, NLR (< 3.0), ESR, Serum Zinc and CRP have got improved in treated with Choerospondias axillaris. Protein expression of TGF-beta, IFN-G, TNF-alpha and IL-6 have shown Improvement in markers indicating a reduction in inflammation and immune imbalance in treated with Choerospondias axillaris compared with DMBA/Croton oil where shown moderate immune suppression. Conclusion: Based on the results it can be concluded that the test drug Choerospondias axillaris could be a potential candidate for the treatment of skin cancer.

Merremia vitifolia (Burm.f.) Hallier f., an ethnomedicinally important plant, used in the tribal areas to treat various ailments including fever, headache, eye inflammation, rheumatism, dysentery, jaundice and urinary diseases. The present study explored the biological efficacy of the aqueous fraction of M. vitifolia leaves (AFMV) through in vitro and in vivo experimental models. The thrombolytic and anti-arthritic effects of AFMV were evaluated by using the clot lysis technique and inhibition of protein denaturation technique, respectively. The anti-nociceptive activity of AFMV was investigated in Swiss Albino mice by acetic acid-induced writhing test and formalin-induced paw licking test. The antioxidant activities of AFMV, including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical and total reducing power, were also tested. The qualitative phytochemical assays exhibited AFMV contains secondary metabolites such as alkaloid, carbohydrate, flavonoid, tannin, triterpenoids and phenols. In addition, AFMV showed strong antioxidant effects with the highest scavenging activity (IC50 146.61 µg/mL) and reducing power was increased with a dose-dependent manner. AFMV also revealed notable clot lysis effect and substantial anti-arthritic activity at higher doses (500 µg/mL) as compared to the control. The results demonstrated a promising reduction of the number of writhing and duration of paw licking in acetic acid-induced writhing test and formalin-induced paw licking test in a dose-dependent manner, respectively. In conclusion, AFMV provides the scientific basis of its folkloric usage, suggesting it as the vital source of dietary supplement.

The herb Neptunia prostrata Linn. Is belonging to the family Mimosaceae have been used in folkloric medicine in the North-eastern states of Indiaof Assam and Tripura by indigenous herbal healers since time immemorial but there is a scarcity of any background study documenting its use as an antimicrobial herb. For the same, plants were collected and authenticated. Following identification of these herbs methanolic, ethanolic, pet ether and chloroform extracts were prepared using soxhletion. Acute toxicity study as per OECD guidelines 420 was assessed in wistar albino rats and in swiss albino mice (n=5) of both sexes at doses of 2000mg/kg body weight and did not reveal any morbidity or mortality in the animals within the stipulated period.Phytochemical screening was performed on all four extracts of Neptunia prostrata. Phytochemical constituents depicted presence of glycoside, flavonoids in only ethanolic, methanolic and chloroform extracts. Alkaloids were present in the chloroform extract. The antimicrobial activity was performed by disc agar diffusion method with respect to amoxicillin at standard doses against ATCC strains of Gram positive Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Gram negative Salmonella typhi. The herbs showed antioxidant activity comparable to standard antioxidants in-vitro such as Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) with comparable IC 50 values. Results of the antibacterial assay on the basis of zone of inhibition (mm) and MIC values of extracts of the extract (NPHE) under study to suggest these two indigenous herb have conspicuous and potent putative role in the therapeutics of a vast plethora bacterial infections that need to be corroborated for the expansion of future prospective in-vivo studies with larger sample size.

Plants are well known in traditional herbal medicines for their hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities and are often used due to their accessibility, affordability, and corollary effects. Leptopus cordifolius has been reported to control diabetes in folkloric medicine, but no known scientific research has been conducted to assess the plausibility of this assertion. Therefore, the current study is aimed to investigate the antidiabetic and hypolipidemic effects of Leptopus cordifolius leaves in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. The antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic evaluation was conducted in Swiss albino mice at doses of 150–250°mg/kg for 15°days. The blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, HDL, creatinine, ALP, SGPT, and SGOT levels were estimated according to standard procedures. Phytochemicals of leaves were analyzed using GC-MS analysis. Enzymatic antioxidant activity of the plant was investigated spectrophotometrically by carrying out superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase assays. The membrane stabilization potential of L. cordifolius leaf extracts was carried out using an in vitro haemolytic assay. The results revealed a dose response effect with the methanolic extract of L. cordifolius which had significant antihyperglycemic effects at 150–250°mg/kg in alloxan treated mice, although less than the positive control (glibenclamide). Hyperlipidemic activity was significant at 250 mg/kg. The biochemical parameters, such as total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, HDL, creatinine, ALP, SGPT, and SGOT, were significantly improved (p &lt; 0.01) by the methanolic extract of 250 mg/kg compared to the diabetic group. Treatment for 15 days showed significant elevation (p &lt; 0.01) of antioxidant enzymes. GC-MS analysis provided tentative identifications of 52 compounds in the methanolic extract of L. cordifolius, of which 12 compounds have reported antidiabetic activity. In conclusion, methanolic extract of L. cordifolius of 150 and 250°mg/kg body weight showed significant antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic activities in alloxan-induced diabetic mice and, with further work, has the potential to be used to manage blood glucose and cholesterol levels.

Introduction: From Trifle to Tiramisu Tiramisu is an Italian dessert cake, usually comprising sponge finger biscuits soaked in coffee and liquor, layered with a mixture of egg yolk, mascarpone and cream, and topped with sifted cocoa. Once a gourmet dish, tiramisu, which means “pick me up” in Italian (Volpi), is today very popular in Australia where it is available for purchase not only in restaurants and cafés, but also from fast food chains and supermarkets. Recipes abound in cookery books and magazines and online. It is certainly more widely available and written about in Australia than the once ubiquitous English trifle which, comprising variations on the theme of sherry soaked sponge cake, custard and cream, it closely resembles. It could be asserted that its strong coffee taste has enabled the tiramisu to triumph over the trifle in contemporary Australia, yet coffee is also a recurrent ingredient in cakes and icings in nineteenth and early twentieth century Australian cookbooks. Acknowledging that coffee consumption in Australia doubled during the years of the Second World War and maintained high rates of growth afterwards (Khamis; Adams), this article draws on examples of culinary writing during this period of increasing popularity to investigate the use of coffee in cookery as well as a beverage in these mid-twentieth century decades. In doing so, it engages with a lively scholarly discussion on what has driven this change—whether the American glamour and sophistication associated with coffee, post-war immigration from the Mediterranean and other parts of Europe, or the influence of the media and developments in technology (see, for discussion, Adams; Collins et al.; Khamis; Symons). Coffee in Australian Mid-century Epicurean Writing In Australian epicurean writing in the 1950s and 1960s, freshly brewed coffee is clearly identified as the beverage of choice for those with gourmet tastes. In 1952, The West Australian reported that Johnnie Walker, then president of the Sydney Gourmet Society had “sweated over an ordinary kitchen stove to give 12 Melbourne women a perfect meal” (“A Gourmet” 8). Walker prepared a menu comprising: savoury biscuits; pumpkin soup made with a beef, ham, and veal stock; duck braised with “26 ounces of dry red wine, a bottle and a half of curacao and orange juice;” Spanish fried rice; a “French lettuce salad with the Italian influence of garlic;” and, strawberries with strawberry brandy and whipped cream. He served sherry with the biscuits, red wine with the duck, champagne with the sweet, and coffee to finish. It is, however, the adjectives that matter here—that the sherry and wine were dry, not sweet, and the coffee was percolated and black, not instant and milky. Other examples of epicurean writing suggested that fresh coffee should also be unadulterated. In 1951, American food writer William Wallace Irwin who travelled to, and published in, Australia as “The Garrulous Gourmet,” wrote scathingly of the practice of adding chicory to coffee in France and elsewhere (104). This castigation of the French for their coffee was unusual, with most articles at this time praising Gallic gastronomy. Indicative of this is Nancy Cashmore’s travel article for Adelaide’s Advertiser in 1954. Titled “In Dordogne and Burgundy the Gourmet Will Find … A Gastronomic Paradise,” Cashmore details the purchasing, preparation, presentation, and, of course, consumption of excellent food and wine. Good coffee is an integral part of every meal and every day: “from these parts come exquisite pate de fois, truffles, delicious little cakes, conserved meats, wild mushrooms, walnuts and plums. … The day begins with new bread and coffee … nothing is imported, nothing is stale” (6). Memorable luncheons of “hors-d’oeuvre … a meat course, followed by a salad, cheese and possibly a sweet” (6) always ended with black coffee and sometimes a sugar lump soaked in liqueur. In Australian Wines and Food (AW&F), a quarterly epicurean magazine that was published from 1956 to 1960, coffee was regularly featured as a gourmet kitchen staple alongside wine and cheese. Articles on the history, growing, marketing, blending, roasting, purchase, and brewing of coffee during these years were accompanied with full-page advertisements for Bushell’s vacuum packed pure “roaster fresh” coffee, Robert Timms’s “Royal Special” blend for “coffee connoisseurs,” and the Masterfoods range of “superior” imported and locally produced foodstuffs, which included vacuum packed coffee alongside such items as paprika, bay leaves and canned asparagus. AW&F believed Australia’s growing coffee consumption the result of increased participation in quality dining experiences whether in restaurants, the “scores of colourful coffee shops opening their doors to a new generation” (“Coffee” 39) or at home. With regard to domestic coffee drinking, AW&F reported a revived interest in “the long neglected art of brewing good coffee in the home” (“Coffee” 39). Instructions given range from boiling in a pot to percolating and “expresso” (Bancroft 10; “Coffee” 37-9). Coffee was also mentioned in every issue as the only fitting ending to a fine meal, when port, other fortified wines or liqueurs usually accompanied a small demi-tasse of (strong) black coffee. Coffee was also identified as one of the locally produced speciality foods that were flown into the USA for a consulate dinner: “more than a ton of carefully selected foodstuffs was flown to New York by Qantas in three separate airlifts … beef fillet steaks, kangaroo tails, Sydney rock oysters, King prawns, crayfish tails, tropical fruits and passion fruit, New Guinea coffee, chocolates, muscatels and almonds” (“Australian” 16). It is noteworthy that tea is not profiled in the entire run of the magazine. A decade later, in the second half of the 1960s, the new Australian gourmet magazine Epicurean included a number of similar articles on coffee. In 1966 and 1969, celebrity chef and regular Epicurean columnist Graham Kerr also included an illustrated guide to making coffee in two of the books produced alongside his television series, The Graham Kerr Cookbook (125) and The Graham Kerr Cookbook by the Galloping Gourmet (266-67). These included advice to buy freshly roasted beans at least once a week and to invest in an electric coffee grinder. Kerr uses a glass percolator in each and makes an iced (milk) coffee based on double strength cooled brewed coffee. Entertaining with Margaret Fulton (1971) is the first Margaret Fulton cookery book to include detailed information on making coffee from ground beans at home. In this volume, which was clearly aimed at the gourmet-inclined end of the domestic market, Fulton, then cookery editor for popular magazine Woman’s Day, provides a morning coffee menu and proclaims that “Good hot coffee will never taste so good as it does at this time of the day” (90). With the stress on the “good,” Fulton, like Kerr, advises that beans be purchased and ground as they are needed or that only a small amounts of freshly ground coffee be obtained at one time. For Fulton, quality is clearly linked to price—“buy the best you can afford” (90)—but while advising that “Mocha coffee, which comes from Aden and Mocha, is generally considered the best” (90), she also concedes that consumers will “find by experience” (90) which blends they prefer. She includes detailed information on storage and preparation, noting that there are also “dozens of pieces of coffee making equipment to choose from” (90). Fulton includes instructions on how to make coffee for guests at a wedding breakfast or other large event, gently heating home sewn muslin bags filled with finely ground coffee in urns of barely boiling water (64). Alongside these instructions, Fulton also provides recipes for a sophisticated selection of coffee-flavoured desserts such as an iced coffee soufflé and coffee biscuits and meringues that would be perfect accompaniments to her brewed coffees. Cooking with Coffee A prominent and popular advocate of Continental and Asian cookery in Melbourne in the 1950s, Maria Kozslik Donovan wrote and illustrated five cookery books and had a successful international career as a food writer in the 1960s and 1970s. Maria Kozslik was Hungarian by birth and education and was also educated in the USA before marrying Patrick Donovan, an Australian, and migrating to Sydney with him in 1950. After a brief stay there and in Adelaide, they relocated to Melbourne in 1953 where she ran a cookery school and wrote for prominent daily newspaper The Age, penning hundreds of her weekly “Epicure’s Corner: Continental Recipes with Maria Kozslik” column from 1954 to 1961. Her groundbreaking Continental Cookery in Australia (1955) collects some 140 recipes, many of which would appear in her column—predominantly featuring French, Italian, Viennese, and Hungarian dishes, as well as some from the Middle East and the Balkans—each with an informative paragraph or two regarding European cooking and dining practices that set the recipes in context. Continental Cookery in Australia includes one recipe for Mocha Torte (162), which she translates as Coffee Cream Cake and identifies as “the favourite of the gay and party-loving Viennese … [in] the many cafés and sweet shops of Salzburg and Vienna” (162). In this recipe, a plain sponge is cut into four thin layers and filled and covered with a rich mocha cream custard made from egg yolks, sugar and a good measure of coffee, which, when cooled, is beaten into creamed butter. In her recipe for Mocha Cream, Donovan identifies the type of coffee to be used and its strength, specifying that “strong Mocha” be used, and pleading, “please, no essence!” She also suggests that the cake’s top can be decorated with shavings of the then quite exotic “coffee bean chocolate,” which she notes can be found at “most continental confectioners” (162), but which would have been difficult to obtain outside the main urban centres. Coffee also appears in her Café Frappe, where cooled strong black coffee is poured into iced-filled glasses, and dressed with a touch of sugar and whipped cream (165). For this recipe the only other direction that Donovan gives regarding coffee is to “prepare and cool” strong black coffee (165) but it is obvious—from her eschewing of other convenience foods throughout the volume—that she means freshly brewed ground coffee. In contrast, less adventurous cookery books paint a different picture of coffee use in the home at this time. Thus, the more concise Selected Continental Recipes for the Australian Home (1955) by the Australian-born Zelmear M. Deutsch—who, stating that upon marrying a Viennese husband, she became aware of “the fascinating ways of Continental Cuisine” (back cover)—includes three recipes that include coffee. Deutsch’s Mocha Creams (chocolate truffles with a hint of coffee) (76-77), almond meringues filled with coffee whipped cream (89-90), and Mocha Cream Filling comprising butter beaten with chocolate, vanilla, sugar, and coffee (95), all use “powdered” instant coffee, which is, moreover, used extremely sparingly. Her Almond Coffee Torte, for example, requires only half a teaspoon of powdered coffee to a quarter of a pint (300 mls) of cream, which is also sweetened with vanilla sugar (89-90). In contrast to the examples from Fulton and Donovan above (but in common with many cookbooks before and after) Deutsch uses the term “mocha” to describe a mix of coffee and chocolate, rather than to refer to a fine-quality coffee. The term itself is also used to describe a soft, rich brown color and, therefore, at times, the resulting hue of these dishes. The word itself is of late eighteenth century origin, and comes from the eponymous name of a Red Sea port from where coffee was shipped. While Selected Continental Recipes appears to be Deutsch’s first and only book, Anne Mason was a prolific food, wine and travel writer. Before migrating to England in 1958, she was well known in Australia as the presenter of a live weekly television program, Anne Mason’s Home-Tested Recipes, which aired from 1957. She also wrote a number of popular cookery books and had a long-standing weekly column in The Age. Her ‘Home-Tested Recipes’ feature published recipes contributed by readers, which she selected and tested. A number of these were collected in her Treasury of Australian Cookery, published in London in 1962, and included those influenced by “the country cooking of England […] Continental influence […] and oriental ideas” (11). Mason includes numerous recipes featuring coffee, but (as in Deutsch above) almost all are described as mocha-flavoured and listed as such in the detailed index. In Mason’s book, this mocha taste is, in fact, featured more frequently in sweet dishes than any of the other popular flavours (vanilla, honey, lemon, apple, banana, coconut, or passionfruit) except for chocolate. These mocha recipes include cakes: Chocolate-Mocha Refrigerator cake—plain sponge layered with a coffee-chocolate mousse (134), Mocha Gateau Ring—plain sponge and choux pastry puffs filled with cream or ice cream and thickly iced with mocha icing (136) and Mocha Nut Cake—a coffee and cocoa butter cake filled and iced with mocha icing and almonds (166). There are also recipes for Mocha Meringues—small coffee/cocoa-flavoured meringue rosettes joined together in pairs with whipped cream (168), a dessert Mocha Omelette featuring the addition of instant coffee and sugar to the eggs and which is filled with grated chocolate (181) and Mocha-Crunch Ice Cream—a coffee essence-scented ice cream with chocolate biscuit crumbs (144) that was also featured in an ice cream bombe layered with chocolate-rum and vanilla ice creams (152). Mason’s coffee recipes are also given prominence in the accompanying illustrations. Although the book contains only nine pages in full colour, the Mocha Gateau Ring is featured on both the cover and opposite the title page of the book and the Mocha Nut Cake is given an entire coloured page. The coffee component of Mason’s recipes is almost always sourced from either instant coffee (granules or powdered) or liquid coffee essence, however, while the cake for the Mocha Nut Cake uses instant coffee, its mocha icing and filling calls for “3 dessertspoons [of] hot black coffee” (167). The recipe does not, however, describe if this is made from instant, essence, or ground beans. The two other mocha icings both use instant coffee mixed with cocoa, icing sugar and hot water, while one also includes margarine for softness. The recipe for Mocha Cup (202) in the chapter for Children’s Party Fare (198-203), listed alongside clown-shaped biscuits and directions to decorate cakes with sweets, plastic spaceships and dolls, surprisingly comprises a sophisticated mix of grated dark chocolate melted in a pint of “hot black coffee” lightened with milk, sugar and vanilla essence, and topped with cream. There are no instructions for brewing or otherwise making fresh coffee in the volume. The Australian culinary masterwork of the 1960s, The Margaret Fulton Cookbook, which was published in 1968 and sold out its first (record) print run of 100,000 copies in record time, is still in print, with a revised 2004 edition bringing the number of copies sold to over 1.5 million (Brien). The first edition’s cake section of the book includes a Coffee Sponge sandwich using coffee essence in both the cake and its creamy filling and topping (166) and Iced Coffee Cakes that also use coffee essence in the cupcakes and instant coffee powder in the glacé icing (166). A Hazelnut Swiss Roll is filled with a coffee butter cream called Coffee Creme au Beurre, with instant coffee flavouring an egg custard which is beaten into creamed butter (167)—similar to Koszlik’s Mocha Cream but a little lighter, using milk instead of cream and fewer eggs. Fulton also includes an Austrian Chocolate Cake in her Continental Cakes section that uses “black coffee” in a mocha ganache that is used as a frosting (175), and her sweet hot coffee soufflé calls for “1/2 cup strong coffee” (36). Fulton also features a recipe for Irish Coffee—sweetened hot black coffee with (Irish) whiskey added, and cream floated on top (205). Nowhere is fresh or brewed coffee specified, and on the page dedicated to weights, measures, and oven temperatures, instant coffee powder appears on the list of commonly used ingredients alongside flour, sugar, icing sugar, golden syrup, and butter (242). American Influence While the influence of American habits such as supermarket shopping and fast food on Australian foodways is reported in many venues, recognition of its influence on Australian coffee culture is more muted (see, for exceptions, Khamis; Adams). Yet American modes of making and utilising coffee also influenced the Australian use of coffee, whether drunk as beverage or employed as a flavouring agent. In 1956, the Australian Women’s Weekly published a full colour Wade’s Cornflour advertorial of biscuit recipes under the banner, “Dione Lucas’s Manhattan Mochas: The New Coffee Cookie All America Loves, and Now It’s Here” (56). The use of the American “cookie” instead of the Australian “biscuit” is telling here, the popularity of all things American sure to ensure, the advert suggested, that the Mochas (coffee biscuits topped with chocolate icing) would be so popular as to be “More than a recipe—a craze” (56). This American influence can also been seen in cakes and other baked goods made specifically to serve with coffee, but not necessarily containing it. The recipe for Zulu Boys published in The Argus in 1945, a small chocolate and cinnamon cake with peanuts and cornflakes added, is a good example. Reported to “keep moist for some time,” these were “not too sweet, and are especially useful to serve with a glass of wine or a cup of black coffee” (Vesta Junior 9), the recipe a precursor to many in the 1950s and 1960s. Margaret Fulton includes a Spicy Coffee Cake in The Margaret Fulton Cookbook. This is similar to her Cinnamon Tea Cake in being an easy to mix cake topped with cinnamon sugar, but is more robust in flavour and texture with the addition of whole bran cereal, raisins and spices (163). Her “Morning Coffee” section in Entertaining with Margaret Fulton similarly includes a selection of quite strongly flavoured and substantially textured cakes and biscuits (90-92), while her recipes for Afternoon Tea are lighter and more delicate in taste and appearance (85-89). Concluding Remarks: Integration and Evolution, Not Revolution Trusted Tasmanian writer on all matters domestic, Marjorie Bligh, published six books on cookery, craft, home economics, and gardening, and produced four editions of her much-loved household manual under all three of her married names: Blackwell, Cooper and Bligh (Wood). The second edition of At Home with Marjorie Bligh: A Household Manual (published c.1965-71) provides more evidence of how, rather than jettisoning one form in favour of another, Australian housewives were adept at integrating both ground and other more instant forms of coffee into their culinary repertoires. She thus includes instructions on both how to efficiently clean a coffee percolator (percolating with a detergent and borax solution) (312) as well as how to make coffee essence at home by simmering one cup of ground coffee with three cups of water and one cup of sugar for one hour, straining and bottling (281). She also includes recipes for cakes, icings, and drinks that use both brewed and instant coffee as well as coffee essence. In Entertaining with Margaret Fulton, Fulton similarly allows consumer choice, urging that “If you like your coffee with a strong flavour, choose one to which a little chicory has been added” (90). Bligh’s volume similarly reveals how the path from trifle to tiramisu was meandering and one which added recipes to Australian foodways, rather than deleted them. Her recipe for Coffee Trifle has strong similarities to tiramisu, with sponge cake soaked in strong milk coffee and sherry layered with a rich custard made from butter, sugar, egg yolks, and black coffee, and then decorated with whipped cream, glace cherries, and walnuts (169). This recipe precedes published references to tiramisu as, although the origins of tiramisu are debated (Black), references to the dessert only began to appear in the 1980s, and there is no mention of the dish in such authoritative sources as Elizabeth David’s 1954 Italian Food, which features a number of traditional Italian coffee-based desserts including granita, ice cream and those made with cream cheese and rice. By the 1990s, however, respected Australian chef and food researcher, the late Mietta O’Donnell, wrote that if pizza was “the most travelled of Italian dishes, then tiramisu is the country’s most famous dessert” and, today, Australian home cooks are using the dish as a basis for a series of variations that even include replacing the coffee with fruit juices and other flavouring agents. Long-lived Australian coffee recipes are similarly being re-made in line with current taste and habits, with celebrated chef Neil Perry’s recent Simple Coffee and Cream Sponge Cake comprising a classic cream-filled vanilla sponge topped with an icing made with “strong espresso”. To “glam up” the cake, Perry suggests sprinkling the top with chocolate-covered roasted coffee beans—cycling back to Maria Koszlik’s “coffee bean chocolate” (162) and showing just how resilient good taste can be. Acknowledgements The research for this article was completed while I was the recipient of a Research Fellowship in the Special Collections at the William Angliss Institute (WAI) of TAFE in Melbourne, where I utilised their culinary collections. Thank you to the staff of the WAI Special Collections for their generous assistance, as well as to the Faculty of Arts, Business, Informatics and Education at Central Queensland University for supporting this research. Thank you to Jill Adams for her assistance with this article and for sharing her “Manhattan Mocha” file with me, and also to the peer reviewers for their generous and helpful feedback. All errors are, of course, my own.References “A Gourmet Makes a Perfect Meal.” The West Australian 4 Jul. 1952: 8.Adams, Jill. “Australia’s American Coffee Culture.” Australasian Journal of Popular Culture (2012): forthcoming. “Australian Wines Served at New York Dinner.” Australian Wines and Food 1.5 (1958): 16. Bancroft, P. 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