Jean-François Butaud

The impacts of rats on the endangered native flora of French Polynesia (Pacific Islands): drivers of plant extinction or coup de grâce species?

Although rats have clearly contributed to bird extinctions on islands, their role in plant extinctions is not as clear. Paleoenvironmental studies suggest rats were responsible for the demise of several island palm species. French Polynesia’s islands provide an opportunity to evaluate “modern” impacts of rats on native flora. Our study shows that 15 threatened taxa (nine families) are damaged by rats. All 12 subjected to seed predation are woody plants with large-seeded drupes. Three experience severe predation and recruitment depression (Santalum insulare, Ochrosia tahitensis, Nesoluma nadeaudii). Three-year monitoring of Polynesian sandalwood (Santalum insulare) populations in Tahiti during rat control suggested that over 99% of fruits were eaten before ripening. Seed predation on sandalwood appeared to be lower on islands without black rats Rattus rattus. Studies from Indo-Pacific islands document rat impact on at least 56 taxa (28 families). Certain families (Arecaceae, Elaeocarpaceae, Rubiaceae, Santalaceae, and Sapotaceae) are particularly vulnerable to seed predation. Other soft-barked trees (Araliaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Malvaceae) suffer from stem or bark damages, especially during dry seasons. Although rats depress seedling recruitment and alter vegetation dynamics, no evidence demonstrates that they are solely responsible for current plant extinctions. Most of French Polynesia’s endangered species impacted by rats occur in severely degraded habitats. We therefore suggest that rats can be viewed more as coup de grâce species (i.e., that give the final stroke of death), rather than as main drivers of plant extinctions. More research is needed to clarify the impacts of rat species and their importance in plant population decline or demise.

Screening of anti-HIV-1 inophyllums by HPLC–DAD of Calophyllum inophyllum leaf extracts from French Polynesia Islands

Various pyranocoumarins, calophyllolide, inophyllums B, C, G(1), G(2) and P, from Calophyllum inophyllum (Clusiaceae) leaves of French Polynesia (Austral, Marquesas, Society and Tuamotu archipelagos) have been determined in 136 leaf extracts using a high pressure liquid chromatography-UV-diode array detection (HPLC-UV-DAD) technique. Results show a wide range in chemical composition within trees growing on eighteen islands. The use of multivariate statistical analyses (PCA) shows geographical distribution of inophyllums and indicate those rich in HIV-1 active (+)-inophyllums. Inophyllum B and P contents (0.0-39.0 and 0.0-21.8 mg kg(-1), respectively) confirm the chemodiversity of this species within the large area of French Polynesia. The study suggests the presence of interesting chemotypes which could be used as plant source for anti-HIV-1 drugs.

Retracted Article: A New Chemotype of Sandalwood (Santalum insulare Bertero ex A. DC.) from Marquesas Islands

Abstract Volatile constituents of sandalwood (Santalum insulare) concrete from the island of Nuku-Hiva in Marquesas Islands were studied using GC, GC/MS, HPLC and NMR. The investigation of nine main compounds showed important variations among sandalwood samples (from 3.5–53.2% for α-santalol and from trace to 29.3% for (Z)-nuciferol). Statistical analysis put in relief a geographical segregation between sandalwoods growing in dry area in Terre-Déserte (14.6% of α- and β-santalol, 17.1% of (Z)-nuciferol and 11.7% of 6,13-dihydroxybisabola-2,10-diene) and sandalwoods growing in wetter area of the other parts of the island (60.9% of α- and β-santalol, 1.2% of (Z)-nuciferol and 0.7% of 6,13-dihydroxybisabola-2,10-diene). The chemotype rich in (Z)-nuciferol of Terre-Déserte constitutes a rare and new chemotype, which is described for the first time.

Ethnobotanical survey of cosmetic plants used in Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia)

BackgroundCosmetic plants and their uses have often been neglected in ethnobotanical surveys which focus mainly on plants with medicinal or food uses. Thus, this survey was carried out to specifically investigate cosmetics in a small community and to establish a cosmetopoeia, based on the model of pharmacopoeia for medicinal plants. The geographic spread of the survey covered the Marquesas Islands, one of the five archipelagos of French Polynesia (Pacific Ocean). This archipelago was also recently investigated for its pharmacopoeia.MethodsThis survey is based on individual interviews of Marquesan informants on the islands of Tahiti (Society archipelago) and Nuku Hiva (Marquesas archipelago). The methodological approach was semi-directive with open-ended questions based on cosmetic criteria (application area, cosmetic use, plant). Before each interview, researchers and the informant signed a Prior Informed Consent (PIC). Quantitative analyses were performed using basic statistics and the indice of Fidelity Level (FL).ResultsTwenty-eight informants from five of the six inhabited Marquesan islands were interviewed and yielded more than 500 cosmetic recipes. Marquesan cosmetopoeia included 79 plant taxa, of which 5% are Marquesan endemics, 23% are indigenous, 28% are Polynesian introductions and 44% are modern introductions. Among the introduced species, half were cultivated whereas the other half were weedy species. Most of the plants were abundant and only eight species were considered rare, of which four were Marquesan endemics. Main cosmetic plants were identified through informant citations and fidelity levels, and included Calophyllum inophyllum, Cananga odorata, Citrus aurantiifolia, Cocos nucifera, Curcuma longa, Gardenia taitensis, Mentha spp., Ocimum basilicum, Rauvolfia nukuhivensis and Santalum insulare var. marchionense. The most referred application areas were skin, hair and private parts whereas the main cosmetic uses were perfume, hydration, medicinal care and healing.ConclusionsThrough this survey, Marquesan cosmetopoeia was investigated in detail and uncovered a majority of introduced and abundant plants, and a minority of endemic and rare plants which required proper management to avoid future shortage. The well known perfumed coconut oil or monoi appeared as the main Marquesan cosmetic preparation either for the skin and the hair. Several plants and preparations warrant scientific investigations for their originality.