Breadfruit ( Artocarpus altilis) is the fruit of the breadfruit tree, though it is often referred to as a vegetable when consumed before it is fully ripe. It comes from the same family as jackfruit and mulberry.
According to Dr Ina Vandebroek, co-author of the book Popular Medicinal Plants In Portland and Kingston, Jamaica and senior lecturer in the Department of Life Sciences at The University of the West Indies, Mona, the plants produce an array of phytochemicals, which are known as secondary metabolites, that help them as a defence against predators or attract pollinators.
The Musgrave Medals in Gold, Silver, Bronze, and the Youth Musgrave are awarded by the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) in recognition of notable contributions in literature, science, and art in Jamaica and the West Indies. The awards were founded in 1889 as a memorial to Sir Anthony Musgrave, governor of Jamaica, who founded the Institute of Jamaica in 1879.
In the Gold medal category, the awardees were Vivian Crawford, (Arts); Professor Marcia Roye (Science); and Professor Carolyn Cooper (Literature). Silver medal awardees were Dr Lenora Antoinette Stines, (Arts); Dr Conrad Douglas, (Science); and Barbara Blake-Hannah, (Literature). Awardees in the Bronze category were George ‘Fully’ Fullwood and Carlton ‘Santa’ Davis, for Arts; Merline Bardowell for Science; and Dr Sharma Taylor, for Literature.
Field Trip Natural Products works closely with the Natural Products Institute to explore the genetics, chemistry, and biology of psychedelic fungi. Current projects aim to examine the chemical differences between fungal species with the ultimate goal of understanding how these organisms might differentially affect humans. In addition, the team has uncovered unique methods promoting rapid fungal growth and production of psychoactive alkaloids. A deep fascination with the complexity of these understudied organisms drives this work.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks as the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the US and in Jamaica, and it is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both sexes in the US. While CRC is affected by modifiable factors such as environment, physical activity, Quetelet's index, diet, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption, it is of noteworthy concern that it ranks as the third leading cause of death among young cancer patients aged 20–49 in the US. Approximately 20% of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer in Jamaica between 2008 and 2012 were younger than 50 years old. A recent study on a murine model showed that moving away from a Western diet even after carcinogenesis may reduce tumor burden, demonstrating that incorporating dietary compounds containing anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties may have added benefits in treating and preventing colorectal cancer. Given that nature has inspired significant solutions to cancer therapy in the past four decades and the demonstrated reliance and confidence on ethnomedicines by cancer patients, it is imperative that nature’s sources be fully evaluated as novel therapeutic options for the treatment and prevention of CRC.
Read the full Scientific Report.
Jamaican root tonics are fermented beverages made with the roots, bark, vines (and dried leaves) of local (mostly) wild harvested plant species. They are very popular across the island and among the diaspora because of their reputed abilities to prevent or cure many illnesses and increase stamina and virility. Yet, though a powerful informal symbol of Jamaican biocultural heritage, root tonics lack official recognition and little is being done to develop a sustainable industry for the benefit of the local producers and vendors. In a recent study entitled “Root Tonics and Resilience: Building Strength, Health, and Heritage in Jamaica” published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, researchers from FST’s Natural Products Institute, The New York Botanical Garden (USA), The University of Gastronomic Sciences (Italy) and five community members from rural Jamaica, examine the oral history and cultural importance of Jamaican root tonics, with the aim of laying down a road map for their development...
Professor Delgoda, Director of the Natural Products Institute (UWI) has been recognized by the Anthony N. Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence for her contruibutuon to Science & Technology.
"Under her leadership and strategic direction the NPI grew from a concept to a full fledged dedicated research institution with graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and full-time researchers. Her vision and assiduous work played an instrumental role in the establishment and expansion of NPI’s laboratory facilities and she has steered it to become a highly successful collaborative research entity dedicated to the development of natural products"
Read the article on the Seeding Labs website.
Read the full article on the Jamaica Observer website.
Apart from being a favourite Caribbean fruit treat, a recent interdisciplinary study from a UWI team of scientists and international collaborators published in the highly respected journal Scientific Reports points out that there are potentially beneficial medicinal properties of the guinep.
Kingston, Jamaica. Wednesday, June 24, 2020. In an article just released in the journal Nature Plants, twenty-nine experts from around the world question the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on research in ethnobiology, a key discipline for biological and cultural conservation around the world. The pandemic triggered by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is shaking our world, and ethnobiological research - the authors conclude - is not excluded from its impacts.
Among the authors are Dr David Picking and Professor Rupika Delgoda from the Natural Products Institute (NPI) in the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), UWI Mona campus.
In their viewpoint article the researchers point to several issues: How will the pandemic affect indigenous communities, their traditional knowledge, their subsistence or the management of natural resources? And how will the global crisis affect interactions between researchers and local communities? They suggest that “given the role of ethnobiology in the conservation, sustainability and ethical use of bio-cultural diversity, the answers to these questions will be crucial".
Dr. Picking and Professor Delgoda note that the questions posed in the article are particularly significant for the Caribbean which faces health and food security threats and environmental degradation in the context of both COVID-19 resilience and climate change.
Ethnobiology is devoted to the study of past and present relationships between humans, cultures, and the biophysical environment, with a focus on knowledge, cognition and the traditional use of plants and animals. Transdisciplinary in nature, ethnobiology is also a field-based enterprise: researchers explore different biological and cultural landscapes around the world and interact with local and indigenous communities and their ecosystems.
The article was coordinated by Dr Ina Vandebroek of The New York Botanical Garden (USA) and can be accessed at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-020-0691-6.pdf
Our 7 faculties and 12 professional schools offer more than 200 programmes to some 18,000 graduate, undergraduate and continuing studies students.
The UWI, Mona ranks first in Jamaica among accredited tertiary-level programmes. In 2012, the University was again one of Jamaica’s Top 100 Employers.
