Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) is a well-known oleaginous plant used as food source and traditional medicine by indigenous people for a long time. This study was conducted to evaluate anti-arthritis effect of ethanol extract of Sacha inchi leaves and provide scientific evidence to develop the new anti-arthritis remedy from Sacha inchi. Rheumatoid arthritis model was established by injection of complete Freund's adjuvant into right hind footpads of mice and three doses of ethanol extract of Sacha inchi leaves (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight) were used for treatment. The severity of arthritis was evaluated by measuring the ankle diameter and arthritic score, hematological and biochemical parameters (erythrocytes, leukocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, granulocytes counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein and rheumatoid factor). The pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, INF-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10) and the histology change of joint were also examined. All three doses of extracts significantly alleviated ankle diameter and arthritic score. Furthermore, the extracts could ameliorate the alternation of inflammatory cytokines as well histological features of CFA-induced mice. The efficacy of extract dose of 300 mg/kg body weight is comparable with reference drug (Mobic, 0.2 mg/kg body weight). This study indicates Sacha inchi leaf extract as the promising remedy for treatment of arthritis.
Mud lobsters are crustaceans from the genus Thalassina which are lesser known and seldom seen but are nevertheless an important organism to the mangrove ecosystem. In Malaysia and Thailand, mud lobsters are eaten by locals as treatment for asthma. It is traditionally believed that they are effective in reducing the number of asthma attacks and severity of asthma symptoms. However, the therapeutic potential of mud lobster extract remains unclear and has not been fully elucidated or reported in any scientific study. The objectives of this study are to investigate the anti-inflammatory potential of mud lobster, Thalassina anomala extracts (hexane, chloroform and methanol) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, and to identify the potential bioactive compounds involved. An MTT assay was performed to determine the cytotoxicity of the T. anomala extracts on RAW 264.7 macrophages. Nitrite quantification assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were conducted to investigate the ability of the T. anomala extracts to suppress the secretion and expression of nitric oxide (NO), Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β) in LPS-stimulated macrophages. GC-MS analysis was done to identify putative metabolites. The hexane extract of T. anomala showed anti-inflammatory activity by significantly inhibiting the LPS-induced production of NO, PGE2, interleukin- (IL-) 6, IL-1β and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in a concentration-dependent manner. Hexane extract treatment with 100 μg/mL has decreased the NO secretion into 37 μM. Meanwhile, hexane extract at concentration of 100 μg/mL able to significantly suppressed PGE2,TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β production into 2015 pg/mL, 2406 pg/mL, 460 pg/mL and 9.6 pg/mL, respectively. GC-MS analysis of the hexane extract revealed the presence of 19 putative compounds. The identified compounds were reported to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial activities. These results suggest that the hexane extract of T. anomala potentially has anti-inflammatory properties and concentration dependently suppressed NO, PGE2 and proinflammatory cytokines' production in LPS-stimulated macrophages. The findings provide a rational basis of the traditional use of mud lobster for inflammation-associated ailments.
Skin aging is a complex natural process characterised by gradual diminishment of structural integrity and physiological imbalance of the skin tissue. Since the oxidative stress is tightly corelated to the skin aging process, the usage of antioxidant may serve as favourable strategies for slowing down the skin aging process. Mangosteen is an important fruit commodity and its extract had been extensively studied and revealing various biological activities. Present study aimed to assess the antioxidant and antiaging activity of mangosteen peel extract (MPE) and its phytochemical compounds. MPE and its compounds were subjected to ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), hydroperoxide (H2O2) scavenging, anti-collagenase, anti-elastase, anti-hyaluronidase and anti-tyrosinase assay. MPE has the highest FRAP 116.31 ± 0.60 μM Fe(II) μg-1 extract, IC50 of MPE on H2O2 scavenging activity was 54.61 μg mL-1. MPE also has the highest anti elastase activity at IC50 7.40 μg mL-1. Alpha-mangostin showed potent anti-collagenase activity (IC50 9.75 μg mL-1). While gamma-mangostin showed potent anti-hyaluronidase (IC50 23.85 μg mL-1) and anti-tyrosinase (IC50 50.35 μg mL-1). MPE and its compounds were evaluated in vitro for antioxidant and antiaging activities. Current findings may provide scientific evidence for possible usage of mangosteen extract and its compounds as antioxidant and antiaging agent.
Exploiting natural resources for bioactive compounds is an attractive drug discovery strategy in search for new anti-malarial drugs with novel modes of action. Initial screening efforts in our laboratory revealed two preparations of soil-derived actinomycetes (H11809 and FH025) with potent anti-malarial activities. Both crude extracts showed glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β)-inhibitory activities in a yeast-based kinase assay. We have previously shown that the GSK3 inhibitor, lithium chloride (LiCl), was able to suppress parasitaemia development in a rodent model of malarial infection. The present study aims to evaluate whether anti-malarial activities of H11809 and FH025 involve the inhibition of GSK3β. The acetone crude extracts of H11809 and FH025 each exerted strong inhibition on the growth of Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 in vitro with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 0.57 ± 0.09 and 1.28 ± 0.11 µg/mL, respectively. The tested extracts exhibited Selectivity Index (SI) values exceeding 10 for the 3D7 strain. Both H11809 and FH025 showed dosage-dependent chemo-suppressive activities in vivo and improved animal survivability compared to non-treated infected mice. Western analysis revealed increased phosphorylation of serine (Ser 9) GSK3β (by 6.79 to 6.83-fold) in liver samples from infected mice treated with H11809 or FH025 compared to samples from non-infected or non-treated infected mice. A compound already identified in H11809 (data not shown), dibutyl phthalate (DBP) showed active anti-plasmodial activity against 3D7 (IC50 4.87 ± 1.26 µg/mL which is equivalent to 17.50 µM) and good chemo-suppressive activity in vivo (60.80% chemo-suppression at 300 mg/kg body weight [bw] dosage). DBP administration also resulted in increased phosphorylation of Ser 9 GSK3β compared to controls. Findings from the present study demonstrate that the potent anti-malarial activities of H11809 and FH025 were mediated via inhibition of host GSK3β. In addition, our study suggests that DBP is in part the bioactive component contributing to the anti-malarial activity displayed by H11809 acting through the inhibition of GSK3β.
Typhoid fever continues to remain a major health problem in the developing world, and the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains has further reduced therapeutic options for treatment of the disease. The National Salmonella and Escherichia Centre in Kasauli, India received 128 Salmonella Typhi isolates during 2008-2009. These were evaluated for antimicrobial resistance, prevalent resistotypes and the proportion of MDR strains, using standard methods for 11 antimicrobials. An abrupt decrease in the proportion of MDR strains was observed. Only 4.7% of the isolates were found to be MDR with resistotypes chloramphenicol-ampicillin-streptomycin-nalidixic acid-trimethoprim (C-AS-Na-Tr) and chloramphenicol-ampicillin-nalidixic acid-trimethoprim (C-A-Na-Tr), which is very low compared to other studies from India. Nalidixic acid resistance was found to be present in 93.8% of the isolates. Moreover, the difference in the mean minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ciprofloxacin for nalidixic acid-resistant and nalidixic acid-sensitive strains was found to be statistically significant (p<0.001), which calls into question the further use of ciprofloxacin for the treatment of typhoid fever because of potential treatment failures. The low proportion of MDR strains increases the possibility of first-line drugs for the treatment of typhoid fever.
The current study aimed to determine the best dose of methanol extract of Ocimum tenuiflorum L. leaves extract, and it is a fraction to blood-glucose-lowering in diabetic rats, and evaluated the α-amylase, α-glucosidase inhibitors and insulin level of diabetic rats used to achieve greater control over hyperglycemia. The result of the antihyperglycaemic of oral administration of a different dose of methanol extract in streptozotocin-induced rats showed that the highest dose of methanol extract significantly reduced the blood glucose level compared to another dose. Also, the result of repeated administration of methanol fractions indicates that ethyl acetate-butanol fraction exhibited a stronger antihyperglycemic effect than chloroform and ethanol-water fractions. Moreover, the result showed that effect of methanol extract and its fraction on α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzymes activities and its insulin level by in vitro study, ethyl acetate-butanol fraction could control with low concentration compared to other fractions and acarbose that used as a positive control. From the result of insulin level, methanol extract and fraction did not show any significant. These findings indicated that the active crude extract (methanol) and its active fractions (ethyl acetate/butanol) could exert significant glucose-lowering effect due to the presence of polyphenolics active constituents. In conclusion, isolation of the active components of Ocimum tenuiflorum L. may pave the way to the development of new agents for the treatment of diabetes and its complications.
Oxidative stress and inflammation have been proven to be implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Recent studies showed that Ethulia conyzoides had in-vitro antioxidant activity. This study investigated the in-vivo antidiabetic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory potential of the residual aqueous fraction of Ethulia conyzoides in type 2 diabetic-induced male Wistar rats. Sub-acute antidiabetic studies were done with varying doses (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg body weight) of residual aqueous fraction for 21 days. Blood glucose levels, serum insulin, and in vivo antioxidant and pro-inflammatory cytokines-tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) -were measured at the end of the treatment. When rats were given different concentrations of residual aqueous fraction, there was a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in blood glucose, malondialdehyde (MDA), IL-1β, and TNF-α levels, as well as a significant (p < 0.05) increase in SOD (superoxide dismutase), catalase and insulin levels when compared to the diabetic control group. Furthermore, the 400 mg/kg body weight dosage concentration was found to be the most effective. This result suggests that the residual aqueous fraction of Ethulia conyzoides possesses significant antidiabetic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.
The acute and sub-chronic antihyperglycaemic activity, safety margin evaluations and chemical composition of ethanol extract (EE) and fractions of Gynura procumbens (GP) were studied. Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats (SDRs) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidelines 425 and 407 were used in the antidiabetic and toxicity studies, respectively. Biochemical and haematological data obtained from both acute and sub-chronic procedures suggest that the extract is safe at the limit test dose (2000 mg/kg); thus, the oral lethal dose (LD50) exceeds 2000 mg/kg. The acceptable daily intake (ADI) was determined to be 700 mg/kg/day. In the acute antihyperglycaemic study, the n-butanol fraction (n-BF) was found to consistently lower glucose levels the most effectively, which was also demonstrated in the 14-day study. Not only did the n-BF show the highest dose-dependent glucose-lowering action (51.2% and 62.0% at 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg, respectively), its effect was the closest to that of metformin (63.6%, p<0.05). The estimated amount of flavonoids in n-BF were 62.90% and 79.68% higher than the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) and aqueous fraction (AF), respectively (p<0.05), with a corresponding value of 61.22% and 49.33% for phenolics (p<0.05). GP leaves have a no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) and antihyperglycaemic activity corresponding to the high content of phenols and flavonoids. Therefore, GP leaves are a promising source of new antidiabetic natural products.
Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) is an exotic culinary spice that has been used for centuries due to its known antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The main aim of this study is to compare the antimicrobial activity and antioxidant capacity of clove ethanolic extract (CEE) and commercial clove essential oil (CEO) at a standardised eugenol content. Disk diffusion assay showed that CEE (2000 μg) was able to exhibit broad-spectrum inhibition against both Gram negative and Gram positive Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)-causing pathogens: Proteus mirabilis (19.7 ± 0.6 mm) > Staphylococcus epidermidis (18 mm) > Staphylococcus aureus (14.7 ± 0.6 mm) > Escherichia coli (12.7 ± 0.6 mm) > Klebsiella pneumoniae (12.3 ± 0.6 mm) (according to the size of inhibition zone). Interestingly, the comparison between CEE and commercial CEO revealed that the former demonstrated stronger antimicrobial and antioxidative properties at similar eugenol concentration. The EC50 of DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) and reducing power assay for CEE were determined as 0.037 mg/mL, 0.68 mg/mL and 0.44 mg/mL, respectively. Besides eugenol, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analyses identified the presence of kaempferol, gallic acid and catechin in CEE. As a conclusion, we concluded that there was a possible synergistic effect between eugenol and the others active compounds especially kaempferol which led to the observed bioactivities in CEE.
Macrophage apoptosis exerts an efficient mechanism in controlling intracellular infection during innate immune response against various pathogens including malaria parasites. This study was carried out to determine the apoptosis activity in mouse macrophage cell line J774A.1 infected with a Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) clone and a recombinant BCG clone expressing the C-terminus of merozoite surface protein-1 (BCG-MSP1C) of Plasmodium falciparum for 48 h. In this study, a parent BCG cells was used as a control. The nuclear staining with Hoechst 33342 showed that the BCG-MSP1C cells was capable of increasing the nuclear condensation and morphological stages of apoptosis in the infected cells compared to the BCG-infected cells and the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated cells. The flow cytometric analysis using Annexin-V and Propidium iodide (PI) staining confirmed that the BCG-MSP1C cells significantly increased the percentage of early apoptotic activity in the infected macrophage higher than the one stimulated by the parent BCG cells and LPS. This apoptotic response corresponded with the reduction of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein expression and higher p53 expression. The colorimetric assay demonstrated that the BCG cells capable of stimulating higher production of caspase-1, -3, -8 and -9 while the BCG-MSP1C cells stimulated the expression of caspase-1 and -9 in the infected macrophages, suggesting the involvement of mitochondrial-mediated (intrinsic) pathway of apoptosis. In conclusion, both the BCG and BCG-MSP1C cells are capable of inducing macrophage apoptosis activity in the mouse macrophage cell line J774A.1. This mechanism is important for the elimination of pathogens such as malaria parasite during the phagocytosis activity of macrophage. However, the BCG-MSP1C cells showed higher apoptosis activity than those produced by the parent BCG cells.
The Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) community structure and the specific sensitivity of certain EPT genera were found to be influenced by water parameters in the rivers of Gunung Jerai Forest Reserve (GJFR) in the north of peninsular Malaysia. The scores of EPT taxa richness of >10 in all rivers indicated all rivers' habitats were non-impacted, having good water quality coinciding with Class I and Class II of Malaysian water quality index (WQI) classification of potable water. The abundance of EPT was very high in Teroi River (9,661 individuals) but diversity was lower (22 genera) than Tupah River which was highly diverse (28 genera) but lower in abundance (4,263 individuals). The lowest abundance and moderate diversity was recorded from Batu Hampar River (25 genera). Baetis spp. and Thalerosphyrus spp., Neoperla spp. and Cheumatopsyche spp. were the most common genera found. Classification for all rivers using EPT taxa Richness Index and WQI gave different category of water quality, respectively. The WQI classified Tupah and Batu Hampar rivers into Class II and Teroi River (Class I) was two classes above the classification of the EPT taxa Richness Index.
Throughout the cryopreservation process, plants were exposed to a series of
abiotic stresses such as desiccation and osmotic pressure due to highly concentrated
vitrification solution. Abiotic stress stimulates the production of reactive oxygen species
(ROS) which include hydrogen peroxide, superoxide radicals, and singlet oxygen. Higher
production of ROS may lead to oxidative stress which contributes to the major injuries in
cryopreserved explants. Antioxidant enzymes in plant such as ascorbate peroxidase
(APX) can protect plants from cell damage by scavenging the free radicals. This study was
determined based on APX enzyme activity of Aranda Broga Blue orchid’s protocorm-like
bodies (PLBs) in response to PVS2 (Plant Vitrification Solution 2) cryopreservation
treatments at different stages. PLBs that were precultured at 0.25 M sucrose for 3 days
were subjected to vitrification cryopreservation method. Results obtained showed that the
highest APX activity was achieved at PVS2 cryoprotectant treatment prior liquid nitrogen
(LN) storage. This phenomenon indicating that accumulation of osmotic and dehydrating
stress throughout the cryopreservation treatment resulted in oxidative burst which in turn
leads to higher APX activity in order to control the excess production of ROS. To
conclude, PVS2 treatment was revealed as the most detrimental step throughout
cryopreservation treatment. Thus, this research also suggested that exogenous
antioxidant such as ascorbic acid can be added throughout cryopreservation procedure
especially at PVS2 treatment in the future experiments to aid in regrowth of cryopreserved
explants by reducing oxidative stress.
The nesting of green turtle (Chelonia mydas) was monitored from 1998 untill 2013 along the beaches of Pasir Panjang, Segari, Perak. The objective of the study is to assess the nesting status of green turtles in Perak, Peninsular Malaysia in terms of total nests, eggs, survival hatchings, and density of visitors. A total number of green turtle nests found for 16 years were 1,019 nests and varied from 10 to 220 nests per year. Meanwhile, the sum of eggs collected for 16 years were 107,820 eggs, and varied from 553 to 20,881 eggs per year. The temporal pattern of nesting indicates year-round nesting in Perak in most years within the 16 years period. The peak season of nesting was estimated to occur between May and June. Survival hatchlings varied from 23.33% (2,071 hatchlings) to 55.03% (5,018 hatchlings) from 1998 to 2013. The density of visitors was not uniformly distributed among the years, and shows a sign of decline especially from 2006 onwards. This publication provides basic knowledge of green turtle nesting population in Perak, and would be helpful in upgrading the conservation program in Malaysia. In future, we hope 1) for an increase in manpower to obtain accurate nesting records along the nesting beaches during nocturnal survey and, 2) to include the breeding biology data such as nest placement, emergence hour, and morphological characteristics of green turtle.
Aplastic anemia, life-threatened disease, is a hematologic disorder characterised by bone marrow hypoplasia. Multiple modalities such as bone marrow transplantation and immunosuppression treatment have been proposed to ameliorate this entity, however it remains ineffective. Sambucus, a group of herb plants, possesses a broad spectrum of medicinal properties such as antioxidant, insulin-like activity, anticancer and antiviral. However, the study about its activity toward aplastic anemia incidence is based on limited data. Thus, the research aim of this study was to evaluate the immunomodulatory activities of Sambucus javanica in chloramphenicol-induced anemia aplastic mouse model. In this present study, BALB/c mice were administrated with chloramphenicol (CMP) to induce aplastic anemia then followed by S. javanica extracts treatment. Additionally, cellular and molecular aspects were evaluated by flow cytometry and Hematoxylin-Eosin staining. Further analysis showed that S. javanica extracts could promote the population number of regulatory T-cells and naive cytotoxic T-cells. Moreover, those extract also reduced the inflammation and necrotic incidence in CMP-induced mouse aplastic anemia model. Together, these results suggest that S. javanica has therapeutically effect to aplastic anemia by altering the immune system as an immunomodulatory agent.
The influence of the cool and warm temperatures on early life development and
survival of tropical oyster, Crassostrea iredalei was studied. D-hinged larvae (day 1 larvae)
were reared to three different temperatures (20°C, 27°C, and 34°C) for nine days. Oyster
larvae reared in temperature 27°C, acted as control (ambient temperature). The highest
survival rate occurred when the larvae were reared in 20°C and 27°C. Larvae reared at
34°C exhibited reduced survival but increase in the growth rate. The growth rate in larvae
reared in high temperature (34°C) was significantly higher compared to larvae reared in
20°C and 27°C (p
In order to determine the safety level of water parameters and nutrients in the natural environment of fish and freshwater prawn in Nyatuh River, Terengganu, Malaysia, it is necessary to conduct an assessment of water quality parameters. Due to its important, a study was conducted to assess the water quality parameter and nutrients contents from Nyatuh River of Setiu Terengganu in relations to the population of freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii caught along the Nyatuh River basin. Total of four expeditions and five stations at different tidal condition for the water quality parameter were assessed during the study. From the results achieved, the overall temperature varied between (26.56°C-29.30°C), dissolved oxygen, DO (3.59 mg/L-6.50 mg/L), pH (4.99-7.01), salinity (0.01ppt-4.22ppt), depth (2.71 m-5.54 m) while for ammonia (0.01 mg/L-0.24 mg/L), nitrite (0.01 mg/L-0.05 mg/L) and phosphate (0.01 mg/L-0.12 mg/L). While the number of prawns caught are 176, 160, 102 and 68 for Expeditions 1, 2, 4 and 3, respectively. Possibly, the heterogeneous number of prawns caught is a result of significant differences in water level depth during high tides and low tides, as well as a fluctuation in the ammonia concentration levels in each of the stations and expeditions. For statistical analysis, the temperature showed no significant difference between the expedition, stations and tidal. That is p = 0.280, p > 0.05 and F = 1.206, respectively. While dissolved oxygen, DO, showed no significant difference as well, that is p = 0.714, p > 0.05 and F = 0.737. However, the level of water depth was significantly different between expedition, station and tidal, that is p = 0.000, p < 0.05 and F = 3.120. Ammonia, on the other hand shows no significant difference between expedition, station and tidal, that is p = 0.476, p > 0.05 and F = 0.973. The same goes for nitrite and phosphate concentration. There was no significant difference between expedition, stations and tidal, that is p = 0.569, p > 0.05 and F = 0.879 and p = 0.247, p > 0.05, F = 1.255, respectively. In Expedition 1, the good water quality parameter and very low ammonia concentration resulted in a larger prawn population as compared to other expeditions. The distribution or mixture of prawns caught is heterogeneous at different stations due to the significant differences in water depth and also to the fluctuation in water quality due to varying ammonia levels. In conclusion, the water quality in Nyatuh River fluctuated across expeditions, stations, and tides, as well as significant differences in water level depths between high and low tides. Due to the rapid growth and importance of industrial and aquaculture operations along the river, extra attention should be devoted to avoid the impact of excessive pollutant in order to protect the ecosystem.
Weedy rice (WR) is the most significant weed in direct-seeded fields. It has morphological characteristics similar to those of cultivated rice varieties. WR is more difficult to control than other weeds. We collected WR accessions from four sites within the Pulau Pinang rice growing areas. Thirty six different accessions were collected from each site: B, the northern site; P, the central site; A, the southern site; and N, the southwestern site. Wild rice (Oryza rufipogon), which grows in the sampled areas, was also collected together with four varieties (MR84, MR185, MR211 and MR219) that have been widely planted in these areas for a long period of time. The objective of this study was to compare the morphological characteristics of the WR accessions and cultivated rice. Twenty characteristics were observed for the comparison of WR accessions and rice cultivars. Morpho-matrix analyses allowed the specimens to be grouped to two main groups (A and B), based on a 95% dissimilarity matrix. Group A was subdivided into 7 subgroups consisting of a few WR accessions, wild rice and MR211 (control), and group B was subdivided to 10 subgroups consisting of other WR accessions and the 3 other control varieties. Dendrogram analysis indicated that the morphological traits used in this study were able to differentiate among the WR accessions and the cultivars, except for rice cultivar MR211 and WRA8, which grouped together in subgroup A2. STRUCTURE program analysis indicated that all individuals were distinguishable and were divided into 18 clusters. These results suggest that some genes of the WR accessions have been influenced by commercial varieties. The information gained from this study will be useful to develop rice weed management protocols and good agricultural practices to control WR in the future.
The diversity and the feeding guilds of birds in three different habitats (secondary forest, oil palm plantation and paddy field) were investigated in riparian areas of the Kerian River Basin (KRB), Perak, Malaysia. Point-count observation and mist-netting methods were used to determine bird diversity and abundance. A total of 132 species of birds from 46 families were recorded in the 3 habitats. Species diversity, measured by Shannon's diversity index, was 3.561, 3.183 and 1.042 in the secondary forest, the paddy field and the oil palm plantation, respectively. The vegetation diversity and the habitat structure were important determinants of the number of bird species occurring in an area. The relative abundance of the insectivore, insectivore-frugivore and frugivore guilds was greater in the forest than in the monoculture plantation. In contrast, the relative abundance of the carnivore, granivore and omnivore guilds was higher in the plantation. The results of the study show that the conversion of forest to either oil palm plantation or paddy fields produced a decline in bird diversity and changes in the distribution of bird feeding guilds.
A total of 34 bacterial isolates were obtained from soil samples collected from Changar Hot Spring, Malang, Indonesia. Of these, 13 isolates produced a zone of hydrolysis in starch-nutrient agar medium and generated various amylases in liquid medium. One isolate was selected as the best amylase producer and was identified as Bacillus licheniformis BT5.9. The improvement of culture conditions (initial medium pH of 5.0, cultivation temperature of 50°C, agitation speed of 100 rpm and inoculum size of 1.7 × 10(9) cells/ml) provided the highest amylase production (0.327 U/ml).
In this study, Centella asiatica and surface soils were collected from 12 sampling sites in Peninsular Malaysia, and the barium (Ba) concentrations were determined. The Ba concentration [μg/g dry weight (dw)] was 63.72 to 382.01 μg/g in soils while in C. asiatica, Ba concentrations ranged from 5.05 to 21.88 μg/g for roots, 3.31 to 11.22 μg/g for leaves and 2.37 to 6.14 μg/g for stems. In C. asiatica, Ba accumulation was found to be the highest in roots followed by leaves and stems. The correlation coefficients (r) of Ba between plants and soils were found to be significantly positively correlated, with the highest correlation being between roots-soils (r=0.922, p<005), followed by leaves-soils (r=0.890, p<005) and stems-soils (r=0.848, p<005). This indicates that these three parts of C. asiatica are good biomonitors of Ba pollution. For the transplantation study, four sites were selected as unpolluted [(Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)], semi-polluted (Seri Kembangan and Balakong) and polluted sites (Juru). Based on the transplantation study under experimental field and laboratory conditions, Ba concentrations in C. asiatica were significantly (p<0.05) higher after three weeks of exposure at Seri Kembangan, Balakong and Juru. Thus, these experimental findings confirm that the leaves, stems and roots of C. asiatica can reflect the Ba levels in the soils where this plant is found. Three weeks after back transplantation to clean soils, the Ba levels in C. asiatica were still higher than the initial Ba level even though Ba elimination occurred. In conclusion, the leaves, stems and roots of C. asiatica are good biomonitors of Ba pollution.