Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is an important root crop in the humid tropics and a valuable source of essential mineral nutrients. In the presented study, we compared the mineral compositions of four main parts of taro corm: the upper, marginal, central and lower (basal) parts. The freeze-dried taro samples were analysed for eleven minerals (K, P, Mg, Ca, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, Cd, Pb and Cr). The upper ...

Multidisciplinary investigations at Kuk Swamp in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea show that agriculture arose independently in New Guinea by at least 6950 to 6440 calibrated years before the present (cal yr B.P.). Plant exploitation and some cultivation occurred on the wetland margin at 10,220 to 9910 cal yr B.P. (phase 1), mounding cultivation began by 6950 to 6440 cal yr B.P. (phase 2), and ...

In this paper the antipyretic effect of Hydroalcoholic extract leaves Colocasia esculenta against Brewer yeast induced pyrexia model in Wistar rats either sex was investigated. (Apiaceae) is a tropical perennial plant. It contain flavonoids, alkaloids, apigenin, anthocyanin, carbohydrates, fiber, minerals, protein, fat, calcium and iron, Fever animal (rats) by injection 15%w/v brewer’s suspensi...

Worldwide, several studies have shown that adaptation to different host plants in phytophagous insects can promote speciation. The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae: Aphidini), is a highly polyphagous species, but its populations increase by parthenogenetic reproduction alone in Indian subcontinent. This study showed that genotypes living in wild plants of taro, Colocasi...

Emerging records of plant distributions and domestications for three carbohydrate-rich plants indicate highly complex histories of social interaction between New Guinea and Island Southeast Asia during the early and mid-Holocene. Phytogeographic, morphological, molecular and archaeobotanical evidence suggests variable histories of domestication: for Musa bananas is complex and involved inter-re...

The adsorptive capability of superheated steam activated biochar (SSAB) produced from Colocasia esculenta was investigated for removal of Cu(2+), Fe(2+) and As(5+) from simulated coal mine wastewater. SSAB was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analyser. Adsorption isotherm indicated monolayer adsorption which fitted...

Two proteins (A-1 and B-2) with -amylase inhibitor activity were extracted and partially purified from Colocasia esculenta tubers through 80% ammonium sulphate fractionation, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE -Sephacel and gel-chromatography on Sephadex G-100. The molecular weight of A-1 and B-2 were estimated to be about 17000 and 19000 daltons, respectively. The inhibitors inactivated -am...

Introduction There are many analytical challenges encountered with the extraction and quantification of pesticide residues in difficult sample matrices such as tuber crops, like yam (Dioscorea spp.), taro (Colocasia esculenta) and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.). In our experience, a workflow solution based on extraction using the accelerated solvent extraction technique, followed by determin...