Extraction and processing of Bast fibres from Ficus glomerata- A new source for non- conventional fibres

Extraction of High Quality RNA from Cannabis sativa Bast Fibres: A Vademecum for Molecular Biologists

In plants there is no universal protocol for RNA extraction, since optimizations are required depending on the species, tissues and developmental stages. Some plants/tissues are rich in secondary metabolites or synthesize thick cell walls, which hinder an efficient RNA extraction. One such example is bast fibres, long extraxylary cells characterized by a thick cellulosic cell wall. Given the ec...

Mechanical processing of bast fibres: the occurrence of damage and implication for fibre structure

Not Only Delicious: Papaya Bast Fibres in Biocomposites

Previous studies have shown favourable properties for papaya bast fibres, with a Young's modulus of up to 10 GPa and a tensile strength of up to 100 MPa. Because the fibres remain as residues on papaya plantations across the tropics in large quantities, their use in the making of green composites would seem to be worthy of consideration. This study aims to show that such composites can have ver...

Bioactive components from Ficus glomerata

Different parts of the plant Ficus glomerata Roxob was extracted with water and organic solvents. The effects of these extracts on blood sugar level of streptozotocin induced diabetic rats were studied. The pet ether extract of the stem bark of the plant reduced the blood sugar level significantly. Extracts from fruit and latex of the plant did not have any significant effect on blood sugar lev...

Extraction of lotus fibres from lotus stems under microwave irradiation

An efficient technology for preparing lotus fibres under microwave irradiation was developed. The lotus fibres were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetry. Lotus fibres prepared are a kind of hollow fibres which are composed of a superfine fibre and an external shell. The effect of the treatment time with hy...