No abstract

Higher floral and faunal biodiversity is expected in multi-species-covered mountainous forests than in mono-typic agricultural plantations. To verify this supposition for cryptogamic species like the plasmodial slime molds, a rapid field survey was conducted for myxomycetes and substrates in forest floor litter and agricultural plantation were collected in Negros Occidental, Philippines. Morphological characterization identified a total of 28 species belonging to the genera Arcyria, Ceratiomyxa, Collaria, Comatricha, Craterium, Cribraria, Diderma, Didymium, Hemitrichia, Lamproderma, Physarum, Stemonitis, Trichia and Tubifera. The myxomycete species Arcyria cinerea was the only abundant species found both in the agricultural and forested areas. The majority of collected species were rarely occurring. In terms of species composition, more myxomycetes were recorded in the mountainous forest (27) compared to agricultural sites. Furthermore, aerial leaf litter collected in the forests had the highest number of records for fruiting bodies but in terms of species diversity, twigs yielded higher value based on Shannon index. Findings in this study verify that a habitat with more heterogenous plant communities yields higher species of myxomycete assemblages. This research is the first study to report myxomycetes from Negros Occidental.

No abstract

Canarium ovatum Engl. (Pili), a locally grown plant in the Philippines, bears highly pigmented fruits. In this research study, the deeply pigmented fruit exocarp was evaluated for phytochemical contents, functional properties and possible application to yogurt as a colorant. Spectrophotometric analysis of the extract revealed high phenolic and flavonoid content, particularly anthocyanins (17.5 mg CE/g DW of the sample). The pigment extract also exhibited potential antioxidant activities as determined by DPPH and FRAP assays and did not show any inhibitory activity against gut normal flora, Escherichia coli, but also failed to express cytotoxic activity against HCT116 colon cancer cell line. Stability tests showed decreased redness with increasing temperature or pH. The pigment exhibited excellent color retention in yogurt during the two-week storage at 4 o C. Sensory evaluation showed a slight difference in over-all acceptability between natural and synthetic-colored yogurt. Thus, Pili exocarp extract can be used as a functional food colorant in yogurt.

The use of graphical illustration in lecture presentations can make a seemingly boring lesson more attractive and enticing to students. Creating science-themed illustrations and science-based narratives can also lead to creative and critical thinking among students. We used writing editorials and creating editorial cartoons as a learning activity to promote critical thinking and creative skills that are essential in communicating scientific information. This activity can be used with a range of audiences, at various educational levels and in basic to advanced courses.