Abstract.A study on floristic composition and estimation of above ground biomass of trees was carried out in two areas of disturbed mangroves at Kisap Forest Reserve, Pulau Langkawi. Two compartments that were selected was based on the different types of disturbances, i.e. compartment 5 (C5) was disrupted by human harvesting activities of mangrove trees for charcoal production, while compartment 7 (C7) was naturally disturbed from lightning strikes. In C5, a total of 1,217 trees measuring 1 cm DBH and above were enumerated in the plots of 0.25 ha which included 7 species and 5 genera in 3 families, i.e. Rhizophoraceae, Meliaceae and Avicenniaceae. In C7, a total of 390 individual trees of 8 species, 5 genera and 3 families were recorded. The three families recorded in C7 were also common in C5. Rhizophoraceae was recorded as the family with highest density in both compartments. Ceriops tagal had the highest density in C5, while Rhizophora apiculata was the most prominent species in the C7. Total basal area that represents tree coverage showed C5 had a value of 7.767 m 2 /ha with C. tagal as the major contributor at 5.022m 2 /ha. Total coverage in C7 was 18.184 m 2 /ha that was mostly contributed by R. apiculata at 11.135 m 2 /ha. Ceriops tagal (22.41 t/ha) and R. apiculata (111.75 t/ha), were the main contributors to the total biomass in C5 (37.34 t/ha) and C7 (162.29 t/ha), respectively. The distribution of individuals of six tree size classes in C7 was homogenous compared to that of C5, which had more saplings. In this study, the total biomass indicated that anthropogenic activities resulted in lower productivity of forest compared to natural disturbance. Therefore, conservation efforts of mangrove forest should be enhance in the management of mangrove forest in Pulau Langkawi.

No abstract

The genus Etlingera is a tropical perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, and is commonly used as a natural healing remedy due to its medicinal properties including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and anticancer properties. This study has focused on the use of Etlingera corneri crude extract as a treatment to examine the effects on MCF-7 breast cancer cell growth and proliferation. The plant extracts from both the inflorescence and rhizome (0-2000 µg/mL) were screened for cytotoxicity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) profiles in these cells. Following treatments, responses were monitored for 24 hours by MTT and dihydroethidium (DHE) 96-well plate assays. Etlingera corneri concentrations of between 15.6 and 2000 µg/mL significantly reduced the viability of MCF-7 breast cancer cell growth and proliferation. However, there were no significant effects on cell viability when treated with the rhizome extract of E. corneri. In spite of the different responses for cell viability, dose dependent increases of ROS production were apparent for both extracts. This may suggest that cell death responses are not directly signalled by ROS production with the inflorescence extract from E. corneri, warranting further studies of the mechanisms involved.

No abstract

The Setiu Wetlands, a unique area with nine interconnected habitats, comprises a considerable fraction of the total Peninsular Malaysia’s wetland flora. Although botanical collecting in the area has been active in the past 10 years, only a few studies dealing with the wetland flora have been published. Thus, a detailed checklist of this area is urgently needed to ensure the continuity of its inter-relating flora and fauna, as well as the livelihood of the local people. In this work we conducted a survey of the vascular plant flora of Setiu Wetlands and investigated the most important plants used by the local communities. Our checklist accounts for 406 taxa from 277 genera and 106 families, including 24 (6%) species of ferns and lycophytes, three gymnosperms, 257 (64%) dicotyledons and 122 (30%) monocotyledons. This comprehensive plant checklist will be a primary reference for the management of the newly gazetted Setiu Wetlands State Park covering more than 400 hectares of lands and water bodies.