1. Value Added Products from Crab ................................................................................................ 3 Anfal.P.A and Dhanya.P.R
2. Effects of chromium on seed germination and early seedling growth of Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek ............................................................................................................................................... 12 Shahina, Famitha Ubaid and Jisha K.C.

3. Climate Change and its impacts on Human Health: Kerala Perspective .............................. 19 Shahna K.K and Shanilkumar Ayyappan
4. Diversity and Status of Endemic and Threatened Angiosperm Flora of Coastal Ecosystems of The Central Kerala .................................................................................................................... 27 Amitha Bachan K H and Sreehari S Nair

5. Phylogenetic Study on The Genus Ficus L. (Moraceae) in Kerala Using ITS Sequences as Molecular Marker ............................................................................................................................. 34 Sreehari S Nair and Amitha Bachan K H
6. Taxonomic Documentation of Pteridophytes of Pananchery Panchayath (Thrissur District), with Special Reference to Stem/Stipe Anatomy ......................................................... 38

Renuka Devi K.R. and Devikrishna C.S.

7. Phenology, Association and Seedling Establishment of Endangered Canarium Strictum Roxb., Sholayar Forests, Western Ghats ...................................................................................... 45

Some of the consumers find crab shell as a hindrance in consuming crab. Hence despite its taste, tends to keep away from it. The objective of the present study was to produce easy-to-eat value added products from crab. Murukku, a traditional savory product popular in southern India.was identified for this purpose, as they are low in protein and mineral contents. The main ingredient for all types “murukku” is rice flour. Prepared three value added products namely, product A, product B and product C. Product A was prepared using only crab meat and product B was prepared using crab meat, fish meat and egg and product C was prepared using crab meat and fish meat. The Panel members were selected from the faculty and students of M.E.S Asmabi College, Kodungallur, Thrissur District. Separate booths were set up for evaluating the products. Mineral water was kept besides each booth. The panel members were instructed to rinse their mouth and have a sip of water after finishing each product’s sensory evaluation. Score card mentioning the hedonic scale was provided to each panel member. Each product’s economic acceptability and sensory score was recorded by the panelist. Quality of the products were analysed by statistical method in Microsoft excel. Economic acceptability was analysed

based on the panelist’s reaction in the score sheet after using the product. Crab murukk with ingredients in product A with rate Rs 40 per kilogram was recommend by panelists. Key words: Crab Meat, Sensory Analysis, Value Added Products, Sylla Serrata

In the present project work the effects of chromium on the seed germination and early seedling growth of Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek were studied. The seeds of V. radiata were surface sterilized and allowed to germinate in Petri plates lined with cotton which were soaked with different concentrations of chromium solution. The percentage of germination of seeds in each concentration was noted. Moreover, the seedling growth parameters like shoot length, fresh weight, dry weight, dry weight percentage and moisture content percentage were also analyzed under different concentrations of chromium and compared with control plants. From the results, it was found that chromium reduced the germination percentage of seeds and also caused significant reduction in the early seedling growth of Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek.

Key words: Chromium, dry weight, fresh weight, germination, seedling

Pteridophytes, one of the oldest plant groups, are a fascinating member among the plant kingdom. It occupies an intermediate position in between lower and higher plant groups, because of the presence of vascular elements and reproduction through spores. Pteridophytes have got a wide range of economic and ecological importance, but enough attention has not been paid towards their useful aspects. This is an attempt to document the pteridophytes of Pananchery Panchayath, Thrissur District with a detailed taxonomic account. The morphological and stem/stipe anatomical characters of the collected plants were studied. Repeated collection was done for a period of five months (January – May, 2016) in the study area, both in its vegetative and reproductive stages. The present study revealed the occurrence of 18 species of pteridophytes belonging to 15 genera comes under 13 families. Out of them, 1 species belongs to the class Lycopsida and the remaining 17 species represent Filicopsida. Out of the 18 species, 13 species (72%) are terrestrial, 4 species (22%) are aquatic and 1 species (6%) is epiphytic. The anatomical features show varied characters in the distribution of ground tissue and vascular elements.

Canarium strictum Roxb. (Burseraceae) is an important and endangered evergreen forest trees distributed in India and Upper Myanmar at an elevation of 750 m – 1400m. This tree is getting depleted due to degradation of evergreen forest and also due to dying off due to extraction of resin for medicinal and commercial use. The present study in the Vazhachal forests with in the Anamalai landscape of Western Ghats brings low its lowest elevation distribution ever recorded 235m at Vazhachal, its threat, seedling establishment and phenology. Flowering and fruiting of Canarium strictum ranges from December to January. Early dying off of mature trees due to over extraction for resin as a result of forest conversion and increased intensity of extraction within the available locations are the reasons for less number of mature individuals. The sapling density in the forest indicate it as a rare tree when compare with other associated species such as Palaquium ellipticum, Litsea floribunda, Cullenia exerillata etc. Lesser density near parent trees. Comparatively less sapling density near the parent trees, also in the forest areas indicate the through light on the role of

dispersal agents. The Great hornbills and smaller mammals such as civets found to depend on fruits and disperse seeds.

Biodiversity is the variety and variability of life forms and each organism contribute to the ecological balance. In India, Western Ghats is a hotspot rich in highly endangered and endemic plants and majority within Kerala state. Kerala is also having rich coastal and midland areas with sand dunes, wetland and sacred groves which are threatened due to the urbanisation. This study enumerates the threatened plant species within Kerala based on secondary information and try to bring out significant threatened taxa within the coastal areas of central Kerala. About 21 plant taxa found to have distribution in central Kerala and which have been assessed based on IUCN criterion based on the secondary information. Recommendations were made for detailed assessment especially those restricted to the vanishing coastal ecosystems.