Mr. Lloyd O. Balinado is a graduate of the Doctor of Philosophy in Botany program of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna in August 2022. He is currently an Assistant Professor III at Cavite State University, and serves as the Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, and the Deputy Director of the Southern Tagalog Agriculture, Aquatic, and Resources Research, Development, and Extension Consortium (STAARRDEC).
7 - Lloyd Balinado was a runner-up in the 2023 New Phytologist next generation scientists poster prize competition.
More than just a fiber: A literature- and transcriptome-based exploration of the medicinal application potentials of abaca (Musa textilis Née)
L. O. BALINADO, L. B. CARDENAS, A. C. LAURENA
1 Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite 4122, Philippines
Abaca or Musa textilis Née is a native plant to the Philippines that is known globally for its role in the fiber industry. Aside from this, it may have other economic values that remain underexplored. For this reason, this study was conducted to review the medicinal and other non-fiber economic uses of abaca and analyze its available transcriptomic data to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with its production of economically valuable secondary metabolites. Results showed that the abaca plant is traditionally utilized to treat wound, fatigue, muscle pain, and gastrointestinal problems. It also exhibits the potential to be used in cosmetics, colorant, food, and fuel and energy industries. Furthermore, using the available differential expression results for the transcriptomic data for five abaca genotypes namely, Abuab, Inosa, Tangongon, BC2, and BC3, this study reports the upregulation of transcripts associated with the biosynthesis of terpenoid backbone/sesquiterpenoid, phenylpropanoid, and flavonoid. The identification of these compounds therefore supports the aforementioned traditional medicinal uses of abaca and its other non-fiber economic potentials that could further be explored through scientific investigations.