Letteratura scientifica selezionata sul tema "Banana from Guinea"

Banana is one of the most consumed fruits in the world. Musa cavendish and Musa paradisiaca cultivars differential nutrition-health properties and more specifically their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential are poorly known. The objective of the present study was to compare the hydroalcoholic dry extracts nutrition-health properties of these two types of Guinea bananas. Total polyphenols contents were evaluated by Folin Ciocalteu method, antioxidant capacity by DPPH, ORAC and Mito-tracker assays. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated in vitro on inflammatory macrophages. NO scavenging, NO and cytokines production (TNF-α and IL-6) were assessed. At 1 mg/mL, the extracts showed moderate total polyphenol content. Antioxidant activity potential was depended on the type of extracts. Banana pulps anti-inflammatory effects were demonstrated by the inhibition of NO cell production and NO scavenging suggesting that pulps have moderate anti-inflammatory effect as a function of doses (100, 50 and 25 µg/mL). However, none of the extracts inhibited the production of cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6). The present study indicates that Guinea bananas may be considered as an interesting food source of antioxidants associated to a moderate anti-inflammatory potential on specific inflammation markers. Keywords: Banana pulp; Banana peel; Antioxidant activity; Anti-inflammatory activity; Polyphenols.

This review of the evidence for early agriculture in New Guinea supported by new data from Kuk Swamp demonstrates that cultivation had begun there by at least 6950–6440 cal BP and probably much earlier. Contrary to previous ideas, the first farming in New Guinea was not owed to SouthEast Asia, but emerged independently in the Highlands. Indeed plants such as the banana were probably first domesticated in New Guinea and later diffused into the Asian continent.

Dwarf off-types recovered from a tissue cultured line of banana cultivar New Guinea Cavendish (Mum sp., AAA Group, Cavendish subgroup) were used to quantify some of the changes associated with dwarfism, the most common off-type associated with tissue-cultured Cavendish bananas, and to determine the relative stability of the trait. The off-types were significantly (P<0.01) shorter than true-to-type plants and retained their dwarf stature over 5 generations. The dwarfs were characterised by small fruit with closer packing of the hands on the bunch. Choking, when the bunch fails to emerge fully from the plant, was a characteristic of the dwarfs but not observed in true-to-type plants. Dwarfism appears to be a relatively stable genetic trait and not a transient (epigenetic) change produced in vitro. By contrast, a thin-leafed off-type reverted to normal morphological characteristics 3-4 months after field establishment.

In banana, the maternal transmission of chloroplast DNA and paternal transmission of the mitochondrial DNA provides an exceptional opportunity for studying the maternal and paternal lineage of clones. In the present study, RFLP combined with hybridization of heterologous mitochondrial and chloroplastic probes have been used to characterize 71 wild accessions and 131 diploid and 103 triploid cultivated clones. In additon to Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana, other species from the four Musa sections were studied to investigate their contribution to the origin of cultivated bananas. These molecular analyses enable the classification of the Musa complex to be discussed. Results ascertain relationships among and between the wild accessions and the mono- and interspecific diploid and triploid bananas, particularly for the acuminata genome. Parthenocarpic varieties are shown to be linked to M. acuminata banksii and M. acuminata errans, thus suggesting that the first center of domestication was in the Philippines – New Guinea area.Key words: Musa, RFLP, cpDNA, mtDNA, lineage.

Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV; genus Babuvirus, family Nanoviridae) is a serious pathogen of banana (AAA genome) and plantain (AAB genome) (Musa sp.). It is transmitted by the banana aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa) in a persistent manner (1). In recent years, BBTV has emerged as a major constraint to banana and plantain production in several countries of Africa and had been previously confirmed in viz., Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Malawi, and Rwanda (1) and more recently in Mozambique and Zambia (2) and Angola (3). To assess the potential threat of BBTV in West-Central Africa, we conducted surveys in August and September 2008 in 36 major banana- and plantain-producing regions of Littoral, South, Southwest, and Western Provinces of Cameroon. DNA was extracted from 520 plants and tested by PCR with primers specific for a conserved domain of BBTV DNA-R segment (4). A 240-bp DNA fragment specific to the virus was amplified in 31 samples from 18 plantain and 13 banana plants from Southwest, Western, and Southern Cameroon. Among virus-positive samples, symptoms (upright leaf growth, small leaves with pale chlorotic margins that choked the throat of the plant creating the bunchy appearance at the top) typical of bunchy top disease were observed only in banana (cv. Cavendish Williams) from Muea in the Southwest Province. PCR products obtained from the symptomatic and asymptomatic banana (Cavendish Williams) from Muea and Abang, respectively, were cloned into pCR2.1 (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) and two independent clones from each isolate were sequenced in both directions. Pairwise comparison of these sequences showed 100% sequence homology. A comparison of these sequences (Accession No. F580970) with corresponding sequences in GenBank showed 99% nt sequence identity with a BBTV isolate from Angola (Accession No. EU851977) and 96 to 98% identity with BBTV isolates belonging to the South Pacific group (Australia, Africa, South Asia, and South Pacific). However, the BBTV isolate from Cameroon showed 85 to 90% sequence identity with isolates belonging to the Asian group (China, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, and Vietnam). To further confirm the virus identity, complete nucleotide sequence of the DNA-SCP segment that encodes for the virus coat protein was determined using PCR amplification of viral DNA (1), cloning of products into pCR2.1 vector, and sequencing. The derived sequence (1,075 nt; Accession No. GQ249344) in BLAST search at NCBI database revealed 98% nt sequence identity with coat protein gene of BBTV isolate from Burundi (Accession No. AF148943). These results, together with phylogenetic analysis, indicate that BBTV isolates from Cameroon have greater affinity to the South Pacific group. To our knowledge, this is the first report of BBTV in West-Central Africa. The occurrence of BBTV in the Western and Southern provinces of Cameroon, neighboring north of Gabon, suggests a possible spread of the virus from Gabon. This report also underscores the need to monitor other countries of West Africa for BBTV and enforce quarantine measures to prevent further spread through infected suckers from endemic areas of West and Central Africa. References: (1) I. Amin et al. Virus Genes 36:191, 2008. (2) W. T. Gondwe et al. InfoMusa 16:38, 2007. (3) P. L. Kumar et al. Plant Pathol. 58:402, 2009. (4) S. Mansoor et al. Mol. Biotechnol. 30:167, 2005.

Did the banana, yam and taro arrive in Australia at the hands of Europeans or come across the Torres Strait 2000 years before? Reviewing the evidence from herbaria histories and anthropology, the authors propose a ‘hierarchy of hypotheses’ and consider a still earlier option, that these food plants were potentially grown in Australia at least 8000 years ago, while it was still joined to New Guinea. This hypothesis, first proposed by Jones and Meehan in 1989, locates early horticultural experiments among peoples too often seen as inveterate hunter-gatherers.

Patterns of diversity among thirty diploid clones of banana (Musa acuminata Colla.), collected in Papua New Guinea and the surrounding islands between 1987 and 1989, were examined genetically using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and random primers, to detect random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPDs). PCR products were visualized on ethidium bromide stained agarose gels. Twenty of 60 random primers examined detected RAPDS in CTAB-extracted genomic DNA. Banding patterns ranged from very simple (1 or 2 bands/gel) to very complex (more than 20 bands/gel). All 30 Musa clones were distinguishable from each other based on their unique RAPD banding pattern. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed several clusters of closely related clones within the materials examined. However, these clusterings were not correlated with either the geographic origin or the morphological characteristics of the clones. A role of the use of RAPDs in germplasm characterization is discussed.

Field performance is described for tissue cultured plants and conventional propagules of planting material of banana cultivar 'New Guinea Cavendish' (Musa sp., AAA group, Cavendish subgroup). Tissuecultured plants were produced by either regeneration of plants from callus culture or by micropropagation of plants following the release of dormant buds at the leaf axils of explants. The conventional material consisted of suckers and 'bits' (lateral buds and associated corm material). Tissue-cultured plants established more quickly, were taller, and had a shorter time to bunch emergence and harvest of plant crop than conventional planting material. They had significantly (P<0.05) higher yields in terms of bunch weight, which was a function of greater numbers of fingers and hands. These advantages did not extend to the ratoon crop. Sucker production on tissue-cultured plants was significantly (P<0.01) higher up to 8 months after planting, equal to conventional material from 8 months to harvest, and then significantly lower. Twenty-two per cent of the plants derived from callus were off-types compared with 3% in the line produced by axillary bud proliferation. No off-types were observed in conventional planting material.

While a large proportion of the population in Papua New Guinea (PNG) maintain a subsistence lifestyle, exposure to modernisation and industrialisation since European contact has influenced a transition towards Western diets. This review aimed to scope and summarise the published research on dietary intake among Pacific Islander adults in PNG. Four electronic databases and grey literature were searched. Two reviewers completed the screening and data extraction. Fourteen studies were included from the Highlands (n = 7), Southern (n = 5), Momase (n = 1) and both the Highlands/Southern region (n = 1). No studies were from the Islands region. The majority of the studies were published prior to the year 2000 (n = 9). Geographical region and degree of urbanisation had an impact on dietary intake. Urban areas reported higher intakes of energy, protein and fat compared to rural areas. In the Southern region, a variety of foods, including sago, taro, kaukau, cooked banana, coconut and cassava contributed to energy intake, while kaukau was the main energy and protein source in the Highlands. The main foods contributing to protein in the Southern region were fresh fish, land animals and purchased animals. This review highlights an evidence gap regarding dietary intake research. Within the context of international initiatives, there is an urgent call for research aimed at understanding the social and cultural contextualisation of dietary behaviours in PNG.

La banane fait partir des fruits les plus cultivés et consommés dans le monde. Parmi ses nombreuses variétés, le cultivar Musa cavendish et Musa paradisiaca seraient parmi les plus répandues. Malgré ce statut, la littérature scientifique sur les effets nutritionnels et santé est très réduite. Pourtant les données disponibles signalent un potentiel santé intéressant, en particulier sur les dérives métaboliques liées au changement de mode de vie comme le stress oxydant, l’inflammation, l’obésité, l’hypertension, associées à leurs complications. L’objectif de notre recherche a été d’évaluer les effets santé des bananes de Guinée (Cavendish et plantain) en liaison avec le type d’extrait sec obtenu par lyophilisation, broyage, délipidation et macération dans un solvant mixte (eau, alcool et acide). Après l’obtention de l’extrait sec des 2 bananes, nous avons procédé au dosage des polyphénols totaux (TPC) par le réactif de Folin Ciocalteu. La capacité anti-oxydante a été évaluée en combinant les méthodes suivantes: DPPH, ORAC et Mito-tracker. L’activité anti-inflammatoire des extraits secs hydroalcooliques a été évaluée in vitro sur un modèle de macrophages inflammatoires par le dosage du NO (Oxyde nitrique).Le dosage de TPC (Contenu en polyphénols totaux) a révélé que les épluchures de banane renferment un peu plus de polyphénols que la pulpe. Ce qui serait bien en relation avec les activités biologiques de la banane à l’image de divers fruits tropicaux.A 1 mg/ml, tous les extraits ont présenté une activité antioxydante modérée avec un potentiel anti-oxydant un peu plus élevé dans les extraits de peau de banane (cavendish et plantain). La méthode de Mitosox red a effectivement prouvé que les bananes de Guinée protégeaient les membranes mitochondriales contre les ROS.L’évaluation de la capacité anti-inflammatoire a prouvé que nos extraits de bananes de Guinée (cavendish et plantain) ne produisaient aucun effet anti-inflammatoire aux différentes doses testées (100 µg/ml, 50 µg/ml et 25 µg/ml) avec un prétraitement de 4 heures et pendant 24 h de stimulation par le LPS/IFNγ. Par contre, les extraits hydroalcoolique des pulpes a donné un effet anti-inflammatoire à toutes les doses ci-dessus indiquées même si cela reste modéré. L’inhibition du NO était observée au fur et à mesure qu’on augmentait la dose d’extrait sec de banane. Cette étude préliminaire prouve que les bananes de Guinée possède bien un potentiel anti-oxydant inexploité et une capacité anti-inflammatoire des pulpes corrélée à la dose d’essai. Par ailleurs, elle démontre également que la peau de bananes de Guinée n’aurait pas d’effet anti-inflammatoire à 25, 50 et 100 µg/ml.Mots clés: Banane, activités biologiques
The banana is one of the most cultivated and consumed fruits in the world. Among its many varieties, the cultivar Musa cavendish and Musa paradisiaca are among the most widespread. Despite this status, the scientific literature on the nutritional and health effects is very limited. However, the available data indicate an interesting health potential, in particular on metabolic drifts related to lifestyle changes such as oxidative stress, inflammation, obesity, hypertension, associated with their complications. The objective of our research was to evaluate the health effects of Guinea bananas (Cavendish and plantain) in relation to the type of dry extract obtained by freeze-drying, grinding, delipidation and maceration in a mixed solvent (water, alcohol and acid). After obtaining the dry extract of the two bananas, we proceeded to the determination of total polyphenols (TPC) by the Folin Ciocalteu reagent. The antioxidant capacity was evaluated by combining the following methods: DPPH, ORAC and Mito-tracker. The anti-inflammatory activity of the hydroalcoholic dry extracts was evaluated in vitro on a model of inflammatory macrophages by the NO (Nitric Oxide) assay.The TPC (Total Polyphenol Content) assay revealed that banana peels contain slightly more polyphenols than the pulp. This would be well related to the biological activities of banana as well as various tropical fruits.At 1 mg/ml, all extracts showed moderate antioxidant activity with a slightly higher antioxidant potential in banana peel extracts (cavendish and plantain). The Mitosox red method has indeed proven that bananas from Guinea protect mitochondrial membranes against ROS in a moderate way.Evaluation of anti-inflammatory capacity proved that our Guinea banana extracts (cavendish and plantain) did not produce any anti-inflammatory effect at the different doses tested (100 µg/ml, 50 µg/ml and 25 µg/ml) with 4 h pretreatment and during 24 h of LPS/IFNγ stimulation. On the other hand, hydroalcoholic extracts of the pulps gave an anti-inflammatory effect at all of the above doses, although this remained moderate. NO inhibition was observed as the dose of banana dry extract was increased.This preliminary study proves that Guinea bananas have an unexploited antioxidant potential and an anti-inflammatory capacity of the pulps correlated to the test dose. Furthermore, it also demonstrates that Guinea banana peel would not have any anti-inflammatory effect at 25, 50 and 100 µg/ml.Key words: Banana, biological activities

Phytoplasmas are obligatory bacteria associated with diseases in over 1,000 plant species, which live in phloem tissues and are transmitted between plants by sap-sucking insects. Phytoplasmas have been recorded from banana plants in different parts of the world, but they are still considered a pathogen of minor importance in most banana producing countries. However, an emerging phytoplasma-associated disease is devastating banana production in regions of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Surveillance data shows it is spreading within the country and has reached the neighbouring country of Solomon Islands. This chapter describes the main characteristics of phytoplasmas, the disease cycle, symptoms, epidemiology, and available diagnostic methods. The latest information on diversity, occurrence, impact, and management is provided for banana phytoplasmas occurring in PNG and Solomon Islands, known collectively as banana wilt associated phytoplasmas (BWAP). The chapter also highlights hurdles encountered for disease management and suggest possible strategies to prevent further losses.

This chapter outlines the management of bacterial and fungal diseases on banana fruit from a practical and real-life banana farmers perspective and can be used as a guide to identifying diseases occurring on banana fruit. Different options for control and prevention are outlined and discussed from a grower’s perspective, experienced in dealing with the day-to-day diseases in bananas. This chapter is focused on diseases affecting fruit quality, market acceptance and overall farm profitability, while other diseases controlled by normal crop husbandry and of low significant impact will be briefly discussed. Banana growers, from large plantation owners and managers to smallholder farmers throughout the world may benefit from the practical information in this chapter. Starting with the selection of soil type, water availability, and usage, affecting disease pressure and ability to increase sustainability and adapt to climate change. Changes in plantation management, which increase productivity and profitability, are introduced in this chapter and discussed enabling growers to reduce their reliance on chemical solutions. Insights into crop hygiene, plant and bunch care are discussed aimed to reduce the impact of diseases on the fruit.

Abstract An extraordinary number of Islamic intellectuals from the Islamic strategic triangle and beyond were profoundly influenced by the pioneering work of the Muslim Brothers. The Brotherhood founder Hassan al Banna modeled an influential course forward in efforts to renew and reform the Islamic legacy. Banna expressed his genius in organizational terms. He made the Muslim Brotherhood the most effective Islamic social and political movement of the modern era. Banna's practical work was complemented by the very different gifts of Sayyid Qutb, the most important movement intellectual to emerge from the Brotherhood. Qutb produced a massive commentary on the Qur'an, still widely read today. He also wrote highly influential political and social tracts that have guided activists across the Islamic world. Both men were murdered, Banna by assassination, Qutb by hanging after an official show trial.

Abstract This chapter demonstrates how collectors, traders, or missionaries benefited from colonial contexts. It argues that market labels, such as purchase or the idea of a ‘gift’ do not necessarily reflect the context of colonial transactions. It also traces forms of resistance to colonial narratives and the social transformation of objects. It demonstrates entanglements through object histories from different colonial contexts (settler colonialism, extractive colonialism, and colonial occupation), namely: (1) the Māori ancestral house from Tūranga; (2) Moai Hoa Hakananai (1868); (3) the ‘Great Zimbabwe Birds’; (4) the Bangwa ‘Queen’ and the Ngonnso statue; (5) the grand canoe from Luf in German New Guinea; (6) missionary collecting of minkisi power figures in the Congo; (7) the gifting of King Nsangu’s throne; (8) the ‘sale’ and return of the Olokun head from Ife; (9) the removal of Nefertiti from British occupied Egypt; and (10) the Venus of Cyrene and the Axum Obkelisk.

Abstract THIS field guide includes all birds recorded from the Greater Sunda Islands—Sumatra, Borneo, Java, and Bali together with their offshore satellites (the Mentaur Islands off western Sumatra, Riau and Lingga archipelagos, Bangka and Belitung off eastern Sumatra, Natunas, Anambas, Tambelan, Karimata, Karimunjawa, Madura, Bawean, Kangean, Nusa Penida, and the islands off the north and east coasts of Borneo). The book does not include Palawan and Andaman which, although faunistically related to the Greater Sundas, are generally not included under that term and are ornithologically included in guides for India and Philippines respectively. Bali, which some geographers include in the Lesser Sundas, is included in this book because it is faunistically and geologically an offshore island of Java. The endpaper map (also shown opposite) shows the region covered. This area consists of the following political territories: the whole of East Malaysia including Sarawak and Sabah, the whole of Brunei and large areas of Indonesia including the eight provinces of Sumatra, three provinces of Java, the province of Bali, and the four provinces of Kalimantan.

Racism in football has, evidently, quite a long history. Whether in the form of mimicking monkey sounds, throwing bananas at Black players or generally abusing non-White footballers, racism has almost become common practice in and around football stadiums in many countries across the world. Better known today as ‘hate crime’, and certainly a part of national legislation and international statutes, the many different shapes and forms of racial discrimination that continue to blemish the popular game of football are often easily identifiable, whether they be actions carried out within the anonymity that characterizes a crowd of football supporters or the result of racist stereotypes held by the game’s senior officials. While national and international governing bodies, along with football clubs, officials and players, often condemn the phenomenon of racism in football, and the pertinent governing bodies all maintain regulations that stipulate specific penalties when relevant incidents occur, too little has been achieved. Since racial discrimination varies from one cultural setting to another, this chapter first assesses the official position of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the Union of European Football Associations and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football vis-à-vis racism in football. Then it examines race-related cases in English, American and Italian football. Our point of departure is FIFA’s Good Practice Guide on Diversity and Anti-Discrimination, for it explicitly states that ‘one racist comment … does not necessarily make a person racist’ (FIFA, nd: 91).

Soil is an essential component of all terrestrial ecosystems and is under increasing threat from human activity. Techniques available for removing radioactive contamination from soil and aquatic substrates are limited and often costly to implement; particularly over large areas. Frequently, bulk soil removal, with its attendant consequences, is a significant component of the majority of contamination incidents. Alternative techniques capable of removing contamination or exposure pathways without damaging or removing the soil are therefore of significant interest. An increasing number of old nuclear facilities are entering ‘care and maintenance’, with significant ground contamination issues. Phytoremediation — the use of plants’ natural metabolic processes to remediate contaminated sites is one possible solution. Its key mechanisms include phytoextraction and phytostabilisation. These are analogues of existing remedial techniques. Further, phytoremediation can improve soil quality and stability and restore functionality. Information on the application of phytoremediation in the nuclear industry is widely distributed over an extended period of time and sources. It is therefore difficult to quickly and effectively identify which plants would be most suitable for phytoremediation on a site by site basis. In response, a phytoremediation tool has been developed to address this issue. Existing research and case studies were reviewed to understand the mechanisms of phytoremediation, its effectiveness and the benefits and limitations of implementation. The potential for cost recovery from a phytoremediation system is also briefly considered. An overview of this information is provided here. From this data, a set of matrices was developed to guide potential users through the plant selection process. The matrices take the user through a preliminary screening process to determine whether the contamination present at their site is amenable to phytoremediation, and to give a rough indication as to what plants might be suitable. The second two allow the user to target specific plant species that would be most likely to successfully establish based on prevailing site conditions. The outcome of this study is a phytoremediation tool that can facilitate the development of phytoremediation projects, avoiding the need for in-depth research to identify optimal plant species on a case-by-case basis.

For pressing and complex spatial or social urban agendas, understanding and interpreting place has always been an important issue. In-depth and close explorative reading of a site—in which drawing, modeling and writing (the basic tools of architecture) become instruments to open up new perspectives—is vital for imagining site-specific architectural possibilities. We thus see creative imagination, related to and emerging from place, as a crucial source of innovation. As educators, therefore, we need to examine how to guide students explore their imaginative faculties. Our pedagogi-cal approach is founded upon the philosophical thought of phenomenology, theory on place, findings from neurosci-ence, and examination of architectural precedents. Based on these underpinnings we developed a course that focused on enhancing students’ spatial imagination and challenged them to think how the tools of architectural analysis and design can offer new imaginative ways to approach the local, social and historical aspects of a place. The paper illustrates how this framework is brought into architectural education by engaging the example of “Methods of Analysis and Imagination,” a master level elective course we taught in 2019. It presents the course’s overarching structure, as it unfolded over three intensive workshops on drawing, modeling and writing respectively. Investigating a selected site—through readings, conversations, exercises, hands-on and in situ assignments—the three workshops explored the way imagination can help us look at a place, and discover new and unique spatial or architectural relationships lurking in the banal and the ordinary. Through selected students’ work the paper concludes situating the course in an educational context that cares to expand spatial and architectural imagination, trusting imagination to be the productive and valuable answer to the many critical contemporary conditions we face as architects.