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Jatropha curcas L. has been cultivated in many countries for biodiesel production, and defatted kernel is generated in huge quantities as a by-product in the production. This study investigated the phenolic content and antioxidative activity of the defatted kernel of Jatropha. Four extracts, EtOAc-organic, EtOAc-water, MeOH-organic, and MeOH-water fractions, were tested for phenolic content and antioxidative activity using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and the DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) method, respectively. The MeOH-organic fraction showed a high content of phenolic compounds and exhibited a relatively strong antioxidative activity. Eight compounds were isolated from the MeOH-organic fraction, and identified as a catechol-type lignan (3,3 0 -bisdemethylpinoresinol), five neolignans (isoamericanol A, americanol A, 9 0 -O-methylisoamericanol A, 9 0 -O-methylamericanol A, and isoamericanin A), and two sesquineolignans (isoprincepin, princepin). The antioxidative activities of 3,3 0 -bisdemethylpinoresinol (IC 50 : 16.0 lL), isoprincepin (9.12 lL), and princepin (11.7 lL), which have two catechol groups were higher than that of Trolox (21.5 lL). The isoamericanol A inhibited the oxidation of biodiesel. These results indicate that the defatted kernel of Jatropha is a source of natural antioxidants that would applicable for stabilizers in Jatropha biodiesel industries.

The current revision to Thailand’s Narcotics Act (B.E. 2563) permits Thai corporations to produce cannabis (ganja) for therapeutic purposes, as well as conduct beneficial research and development in science and agriculture. While ganja possession, distribution, and use are still illegal in Thailand, the law removes certain elements of Cannabis sativa (including hemp) from the narcotic lists as of December 2020 and Thailand's narcotics board plans to remove them totally from the lists before the last quarter of 2022. The Thai Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA) board maintains the exclusive licensing authority to assess applications and provide authorization due to the complexity of the registration process. In this view, we analyzed the guidelines for obtaining cannabis production license, and it was apparent that the announced law was in-line with regulations set-out by many countries in terms of security and prevention of misuse. The other criteria however fall merely onto the government gains, rather than public interests. To avoid the claimed state monopoly, several types of licensing should be issued in the future, depending on the genuine purpose of the farmers. The complete regulation process and conditions for obtaining a ganja growing license in Thailand are highlighted and discussed in this review.

This research is aimed to investigate the physiochemical properties of Tabtim fish fillets [pH, moisture content, water holding capacity (WHC) and texture profile analysis] during storage at 0, 5, and 10ºC for up to 18 days. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) was used as a nondestructive measurement and kinetics was also applied for determining the quality changes. Results showed that the pH value increased with an increase of storage time and storage temperature (P≤0.05) while the hardness and WHC were decreased as a result of increasing time and storage temperature (P≤0.05). Change in pH, hardness, gumminess, and chewiness during storage can be described by zero-or first-order reactions. NIR spectra of fish fillets (180 samples) were collected in the reflectance mode with both the shortwavelength region (700-1000 nm) and long-wavelength region (1000-2500 nm). A partial regression model with cross validation was created. The models for pH, hardness, adhesiveness, and gumminess demonstrated that the value for the determination coefficient of validation ranged from 0.61-0.73 while the standard error of prediction was 0.14 for pH, 2.58 N for hardness, 0.21 N.mm for adhesiveness, and 1.68 N for gumminess. The model developed using NIR could predict pH, hardness, adhesiveness, and gumminess as basic for a screening test. ARTICLE INFO

Characteristics of mangosteen fruit with normal and translucent flesh were determined. Fruit exhibiting translucent flesh disorder had significantly higher rind (65%) and flesh (82%) water content than fruit with normal flesh (63% and 80% in the rind and flesh, respectively). Specific gravity of translucent flesh fruit was >1 and that of normal flesh fruit was <1. Fruit specific gravity and natural transverse rind cracking were used to separate translucent-fleshed fruit from normal fruit. Translucent-fleshed fruit had a lower soluble solids concentration and titratable acid percentage than normal fruit. Translucent flesh was induced in normal fruit following water infiltration at 39 kPa for 5 minutes.

Tabtim fish (Oreochromis sp.) fillets were prepared with a size 100-150g/piece, individual packed into zip lock polyethylene bag and kept at 0, 5, and 10C up to 18 days. Total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) were determined. The TVB-N and TBARS changes during storage were found to be adequately described by first-order reaction kinetics. The NIR spectra of TVB-N and TBARS in fish fillets (180 samples) were collected in the reflectance mode using NIRSystems 6500 at 25C. Results showed that the TVB-N and TBARS were 9.40-99.7mg/100g and 0.13-2.06mg malondialdehyde/kg, respectively. The spectra were in range of short-wavelength region (700-1000nm) and longwavelength region (1000-2500nm). Consequently, the partial regression model with cross validation was created and the optimized model was done with full NIR spectra, short wavelength and long wavelength. It was found that the acceptable model of TVB-N was obtained with 750-1000nm with determination coefficient of calibration (R 2 cal) = 0.78. A model of TBARS showed good data with short wavelength (750-1000nm). Considering the obtained results, it is suggested that the TVB-N model could be used as a screening step to determine the TVB-N of Tabtim fish fillets.

The structure and developmental patterns of inflorescence of longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) were studied microscopically and by the naked eye. In inflorescence of longan, compound dichasia are arranged on three to four orders of monopodial axes without the formation of terminal flowers, indicating that longan inflorescence is pleiothyrse; cymose partial inflorescences are arranged on more than two monopodial axes. Most of the monopodial axes had differentiated by the end of November just before the cool season. The first sign of inflorescence formation was the appearance of bract primordia at apical meristems of the preformed monopodial axes, with lateral axes preceding the main axes. Dichasia were formed in the axils of bract primordia, and the formation of bracts and dichasia continued. Bract appearance can be detected by the naked eye 1 week after microscopically detected bract appearance. Shoots with intermediate characteristics between the inflorescence and the vegetative shoots were formed; dichasia were formed on the lateral axes, but not on the main axes in intermediate shoots. These results suggest that apical meristems on the terminal shoot produce monopodial axes, together with foliage leaf primordia, before floral induction, but produce bract primordia and compound dichasia, which are composed of sympodial axes, after floral induction.