Displaying publications 61 - 80 of 104 in total

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  1. Histological and proteome analyses of Microbacterium foliorum-mediated decrease in arsenic toxicity in Melastoma malabathricum
    Alka S, Shahir S, Ibrahim N, Rahmad N, Haliba N, Abd Manan F
    3 Biotech, 2021 Jul;11(7):336.
    PMID: 34221807 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-021-02864-y
    Arsenic (As) is an increasing threat across the globe, widely known as a non-threshold carcinogen, and it is reaching harmful values in several areas of the world. In this study, the effect of plant growth promoting bacteria (Microbacterium foliorum) on inorganic arsenic (Arsenate) phytoremediation by Melastoma malabathricum plants was investigated through histological analysis and proteome profiling of the M. malabathricum plants. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and transmission electron microscopy were used to conduct the proteome and histological analysis. When arsenic-treated cells were compared to untreated cells, substantial changes were found (1) severely altered the morphology of the cells, intensely disturbed; (2) the cell wall was thicker; (3) drastically changed the cytoplasm, the cells were polygonal in shape, different in size (scattered), and relatively dense. Compared to the control group, the ultra-structure of the root cells of the control group revealed intact cytoplasm, vacuole, and cell wall under exposure to As + bacteria that had a minor effect on the cell form. To further understand As + bacteria interaction, proteome profiling of the root cell was analyzed. The As-induced oxidative stress enrichment was confirmed by the up-regulation of tubulin, nucleoside diphosphate kinase, and major allergen during As + bacteria exposure It was observed that the profusion of proteins involved in defence, protein biogenesis, signaling, photosynthesis, nucleoside and energy metabolism was greater in As + bacteria as compared to the rooting out of As only. Overall, it can be obviously seen that the current study demonstrates the effectiveness of phytoremediation by M. foliorum on proteins involved and responsive pathways in dealing with As toxicity in M. malabathricum plant.
  2. Fulltext In silico design of potentially functional artificial metallo-haloalkane dehalogenase containing catalytic zinc
    Ang TF, Salleh AB, Normi YM, Leow TC
    3 Biotech, 2018 Jul;8(7):314.
    PMID: 30023146 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-018-1333-9
    Artificial metalloenzymes are unique as they combine the good features of homogeneous and enzymatic catalysts, and they can potentially improve some difficult catalytic assays. This study reports a method that can be used to create an artificial metal-binding site prior to proving it to be functional in a wet lab. Haloalkane dehalogenase was grafted into a metal-binding site to form an artificial metallo-haloalkane dehalogenase and was studied for its potential functionalities in silico. Computational protocols regarding dynamic metal docking were studied using native metalloenzymes and functional artificial metalloenzymes. Using YASARA Structure, a simulation box covering template structure was created to be filled with water molecules followed by one mutated water molecule closest to the metal-binding site to metal ion. A simple energy minimization step was subsequently run using an AMBER force field to allow the metal ion to interact with the metal-binding residues. Long molecular dynamic simulation using YASARA Structure was performed to analyze the stability of the metal-binding site and the distance between metal-binding residues. Metal ions fluctuating around 2.0 Å across a 20 ns simulation indicated a stable metal-binding site. Metal-binding energies were predicted using FoldX, with a native metalloenzyme (carbonic anhydrase) scoring 18.0 kcal/mol and the best mutant model (C1a) scoring 16.4 kcal/mol. Analysis of the metal-binding site geometry was performed using CheckMyMetal, and all scores for the metalloenzymes and mutant models were in an acceptable range. Like native metalloenzymes, the metal-binding site of C1a was supported by residues in the second coordination shell to maintain a more coordinated metal-binding site. Short-chain multihalogenated alkanes (1,2-dibromoethane and 1,2,3-trichloropropane) were able to dock in the active site of C1a. The halides of the substrate were in contact with both the metal and halide-stabilizing residues, thus indicating a better stabilization of the substrate. The simple catalytic mechanism proposed is that the metal ion interacted with halogen and polarized the carbon-halogen bond, thus making the alpha carbon susceptible to attack by nucleophilic hydroxide. The interaction between halogen in the metal ion and halide-stabilizing residues may help to improve the stabilization of the substrate-enzyme complex and reduce the activation energy. This study reports a modified dynamic metal-docking protocol and validation tests to verify the metal-binding site. These approaches can be applied to design different kinds of artificial metalloenzymes or metal-binding sites.
  3. In vitro and in silico cholinesterase inhibitory potential of metabolites from Laurencia snackeyi (Weber-van Bosse) M. Masuda
    Palaniveloo K, Ong KH, Satriawan H, Abdul Razak S, Suciati S, Hung HY, et al.
    3 Biotech, 2023 Oct;13(10):337.
    PMID: 37701628 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-023-03725-6
    Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes deterioration in intelligence and psychological activities. Yet, till today, no cure is available for AD. The marine environment is an important sink of bioactive compounds with neuroprotective potential with reduced adverse effects. Recently, we collected the red algae Laurencia snackeyi from Terumbu Island, Malaysia which is known to be rich in halogenated metabolites making it the most sought-after red algae for pharmaceutical studies. The red alga was identified based on basic morphological characteristics, microscopic observation and chemical data from literature. The purplish-brown algae was confirmed a new record. In Malaysia, this species is poorly documented in Peninsular Malaysia as compared to its eastern continent Borneo. Thus, this study intended to investigate the diversity of secondary metabolites present in the alga and its cholinesterase inhibiting potential for AD. The extract inhibited both acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) with IC50 values of  14.45 ± 0.34 μg mL-1 and 39.59 ± 0.24 μg mL-1, respectively. Subsequently, we isolated the synderanes, palisadin A (1), aplysistatin (2) and 5-acetoxypalisadin B (3) that was not exhibit potential. Mass spectrometry analysis detected at total of 33 additional metabolites. The computational aided molecular docking using the AChE and BChE receptors on all metabolites shortlisted 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid (31) and 15-hydroxy-1-[2-(hydroxymethyl)-1-piperidinyl]prost-13-ene-1,9-dione (42) with best inhibitory properties, respectively with the lowest optimal combination of S-score and RMSD values. This study shows the unexplored potential of marine natural resources, however, obtaining sufficient biomass for detailed investigation is an uphill task. Regardless, there is a lot of potential for future prospects with a wide range of marine natural resources to study and the incorporation of synthetic chemistry, in vivo studies in experimental design.

    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03725-6.

  4. Fulltext In vitro cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity of silver-coated electrospun polycaprolactone/gelatine nanofibrous scaffolds
    Lim MM, Sultana N
    3 Biotech, 2016 Dec;6(2):211.
    PMID: 28330282 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-016-0531-6
    The development of nano-sized scaffolds with antibacterial properties that mimic the architecture of tissue is one of the challenges in tissue engineering. In this study, polycaprolactone (PCL) and PCL/gelatine (Ge) (70:30) nanofibrous scaffolds were fabricated using a less toxic and common solvent, formic acid and an electrospinning technique. Nanofibrous scaffolds were coated with silver (Ag) in different concentrations of silver nitrate (AgNO3) aqueous solution (1.25, 2.5, 5, and 10 %) by using dipping method, drying and followed by ultraviolet (UV) photoreduction. The PCL/Ge (70:30) nanofibrous scaffold had an average fibre diameter of 155.60 ± 41.13 nm. Characterization showed that Ag was physically entrapped in both the PCL and PCL/Ge (70:30) nanofibrous scaffolds. Ag(+) ions release study was performed and showed much lesser release amount than the maximum toxic concentration of Ag(+) ions in human cells. Both scaffolds were non-toxic to cells and demonstrated antibacterial effects towards Gram-positive Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) and Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli). The Ag/PCL/Ge (70:30) nanofibrous scaffold has potential for tissue engineering as it can protect wounds from bacterial infection and promote tissue regeneration.
  5. In vivo and in vitro effects on cholinesterase of blood of Oreochromis mossambicus by copper
    Basirun AA, Ahmad SA, Sabullah MK, Yasid NA, Daud HM, Khalid A, et al.
    3 Biotech, 2019 Feb;9(2):64.
    PMID: 30729088 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-019-1592-0
    The present study is aimed to evaluate the effects of sub-acute toxicity testing of copper sulphate (CuSO4), on behavioural, histological and biochemical changes of the Oreochromis mossambicus (black tilapia) blood tissues. The effects were assessed according to the previous results on sub-acute toxicity test after exposing fish to several concentrations (0.0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 mg/L). The observations of scanning electron microscope, and transmission electron microscope studies revealed severe histopathological changes on the surface and the cellular changes in blood tissues, respectively. The morphological alterations in blood involved irregular structure of red blood cell and blood clot formation. CuSO4 affected the biochemical alteration of the blood cholinesterase also known as serum cholinesterase (ChE). Blood ChE inhibited up to 80% of activity when exposed to 10.0 mg/L CuSO4. The findings from this study can further improve the quality standards of aquaculture industry and the fundamental basis in selecting suitable strains among freshwater fish species to be used as bioindicator.
  6. Insight on recently discovered PET polyester-degrading enzymes, thermostability and activity analyses
    Buhari SB, Nezhad NG, Normi YM, Shariff FM, Leow TC
    3 Biotech, 2024 Jan;14(1):31.
    PMID: 38178895 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-023-03882-8
    The flexibility and the low production costs offered by plastics have made them crucial to society. Unfortunately, due to their resistance to biological degradation, plastics remain in the environment for an extended period of time, posing a growing risk to life on earth. Synthetic treatments of plastic waste damage the environment and may cause damage to human health. Bacterial and fungal isolates have been reported to degrade plastic polymers in a logistic safe approach with the help of their microbial cell enzymes. Recently, the bacterial strain Ideonella sakaiensis (201-F6) was discovered to break down and assimilate polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic via metabolic processes at 30 °C to 37 °C. PETase and MHETase enzymes help the bacterium to accomplish such tremendous action at lower temperatures than previously discovered enzymes. In addition to functioning at low temperatures, the noble bacterium's enzymes have amazing qualities over pH and PET plastic degradation, including a shorter period of degradation. It has been proven that using the enzyme PETase, this bacterium hydrolyzes the ester linkages of PET plastic, resulting in production of terephthalic acid (TPA), nontoxic compound and mono-2-hydroxyethyl (MHET), along with further depolymerization of MHET to release ethylene glycogen (EG) and terephthalic acid (TPA) by the second enzyme MHETase. Enzymatic plastic degradation has been proposed as an environmentally friendly and long-term solution to plastic waste in the environment. As a result, this review focuses on the enzymes involved in hydrolyzing PET plastic polymers, as well as some of the other microorganisms involved in plastic degradation.
  7. Fulltext Insights into microbial community structure and diversity in oil palm waste compost
    Khalid NA, Rajandas H, Parimannan S, Croft LJ, Loke S, Chong CS, et al.
    3 Biotech, 2019 Oct;9(10):364.
    PMID: 31588388 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-019-1892-4
    Empty fruit bunch (EFB) and palm oil mill effluent (POME) are the major wastes generated by the oil palm industry in Malaysia. The practice of EFB and POME digester sludge co-composting has shown positive results, both in mitigating otherwise environmentally damaging waste streams and producing a useful product (compost) from these streams. In this study, the bacterial ecosystems of 12-week-old EFB-POME co-compost and POME biogas sludge from Felda Maokil, Johor were analysed using 16S metagenome sequencing. Over ten phyla were detected, with Chloroflexi being the predominant phylum, representing approximately 53% of compost and 23% of the POME microbiome reads. The main bacterial lineage found in the compost and POME was Anaerolinaceae (Chloroflexi) with 30% and 18% of the total gene fragments, respectively. The significant differences between compost and POME communities were abundances of Syntrophobacter, Sulfuricurvum and Coprococcus. No methanogens were identified due to the bias in general 16S primers to eubacteria. The preponderance of anaerobic species in the compost and high abundance of secondary metabolite fermenting bacteria is due to an extended composting time, with anaerobic collapse of the pile due to the tropical heat. Predictive functional profiles of the metagenomes using 16S rRNA marker genes suggest that the presence of enzymes involved in degradation of polysaccharides such as glucoamylase, endoglucanase and arabinofuranosidase, all of which were strongly active in POME. Eubacterial species associated with cellulytic methanogenesis were present in both samples.
  8. Isolation and functional characterization of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase gene from glyphosate-tolerant Pseudomonas nitroreducens strains FY43 and FY47
    Tan XL, Othman RY, Teo CH
    3 Biotech, 2020 Apr;10(4):183.
    PMID: 32257739 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-020-02176-7
    5-Enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) is the primary target for the broad-spectrum herbicide, glyphosate. Improvement of EPSPS gene for high level of glyphosate tolerance is important to generate glyphosate-tolerant crops. In this study, we report the isolation and characterization of EPSPS genes of glyphosate-tolerant Pseudomonas nitroreducens strains FY43 and FY47. Both P. nitroreducens strains FY43 and FY47, which showed glyphosate tolerance up to 8.768% (518.4 mM, 32 × higher than field application), were isolated from soil samples collected from oil palm plantation with a long history of glyphosate application. The glyphosate tolerance property of EPSPS genes of strains FY43 and FY47 was functionally characterized by expressing the genes in Escherichia coli strain BL21(DE3). Error-prone PCR was performed to mutagenize native EPSPS gene of strains FY43 and FY47. Ten mutagenized EPSPS with amino acid changes (R21C, N265S, A329T, P71L, T258A, L184F, G292C, G292S, L35F and A242V) were generated through error-prone PCR. Both native and mutated EPSPS genes of strains FY43 and FY47 were introduced into Escherichia coli strain BL21(DE3) and transformants were selected on basal salt medium supplemented with 8.768% (518.4 mM) glyphosate. Mutants with mutations (R21C, N265S, A329T, P71L, T258A, L35F, A242V, L184F and G292C) showed sensitivity to 8.768% glyphosate, whereas glyphosate tolerance for mutant with G292S mutation was not affected by the mutation.
  9. Fulltext Metabolite profiles of callus and cell suspension cultures of mangosteen
    Jamil SZMR, Rohani ER, Baharum SN, Noor NM
    3 Biotech, 2018 Aug;8(8):322.
    PMID: 30034986 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-018-1336-6
    Callus was induced from mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) young purple-red leaves on Murashige and Skoog basal medium with various combinations of plant growth regulators. Murashige and Skoog medium with 4.44 µM 6-benzylaminopurine and 4.52 µM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid was the best for friable callus induction. This friable callus was used for the initiation of cell suspension culture. The effects of different combinations of 6-benzylaminopurine and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, carbon sources and inoculum sizes were tested. It was found that combination of 2.22 µM 6-benzylaminopurine + 2.26 µM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, glucose (30 g/l) and 1.5 g/50 ml inoculum size was the best for cell growth. Callus and cell suspension cultures were then treated either with 100 µM methyl jasmonate as an elicitor for 5 days, or 0.5 g/l casein hydrolysate as an organic supplement for 7 days. Metabolites were then extracted and profiled using liquid chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry. Multivariate discriminant analyses revealed significant metabolite differences (P ≤ 0.05) for callus and suspension cells treated either with methyl jasmonate or casein hydrolysate. Based on MS/MS data, methyl jasmonate stimulated the production of an alkaloid (thalsimine) and fatty acid (phosphatidyl ethanolamine) in suspension cells while in callus, an alkaloid (thiacremonone) and glucosinolate (7-methylthioheptanaldoxime) was produced. Meanwhile casein hydrolysate stimulated the production of alkaloids such as 3ß,6ß-dihydroxynortropane and cis-hinokiresinol and triterpenoids such as schidigerasaponin and talinumoside in suspension cells. This study provides evidence on the potential of secondary metabolite production from in vitro culture of mangosteen.
  10. Fulltext MicroRNA-155 complementation on a chemically functionalized dual electrode surface for determining breast cancer
    Gopinath SCB, Perumal V, Xuan S
    3 Biotech, 2020 Jun;10(6):270.
    PMID: 32523864 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-020-02261-x
    This study correlated and quantified the expression of microRNA-155 with breast cancer to determine breast cancer progression. The target microRNA-155 sequence was identified by complementation on a capture-probe sequence-immobilized interdigitated dual electrode surface. The sensitivity was found to be 1 fM, and the limit of detection fell between 1 and 10 fM. The specific sequence selectivity with single mismatches, triple mismatches, and noncomplementary bases failed to complement the capture-probe sequence. The obtained results demonstrate the selective determination of the microRNA-155 sequence and can help to diagnose breast cancer.
  11. Microalgae for freshwater arsenic bioremediation: examining cellular toxicity, bioconcentration factor and eluding an alternative arsenic detoxification pathway
    Tang WW, Foo SC
    3 Biotech, 2024 May;14(5):130.
    PMID: 38605865 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-024-03977-w
    Microalgae are photoautotrophic organisms in freshwater systems known to uptake and bioremediate arsenic, a heavy metal. In this study, we compared the growth and arsenic uptake of two microalgae strains, Nostoc and Chlorella, to determine their suitability for arsenic bioremediation. As compared to the control, our results showed that treatment with As (III) enhanced the Nostoc growth by approximately 15% when grown in the absence of phosphate. The highest bioconcentration factor of Nostoc at this treatment was 1463.6, whereas 0.10 mg L-1 As (V) treatment improved the Chlorella growth by 25%, in the presence of phosphate. However, arsenic uptake reduced from 175.7 to 32.3 throughout the cultivation period for Chlorella. This suggests that Nostoc has an upper advantage in the bioremediation of arsenic as compared to the Chlorella strain. To gain insights into the potential of Nostoc in arsenic bioremediation, we further conducted SEM analysis on the vegetative cell surface. The SEM results showed that As (III) disrupted the Nostoc vegetative cell surface and structure. Further to this, pathway analysis and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were conducted to identify the potential arsenic pathway regulated by Nostoc. The primary As (III)-related pathways elucidated include the arsA transporter and arsD complex that require ATP and As (III) methylation to S-adenosylmethionine. The phosphate deficiency condition resulting in the inability to generate ATP caused As (III) could not be excreted from the Nostoc cells, potentially contributing to the high arsenic concentration accumulated under phosphate-depleted conditions. These insights contribute to understanding the efficacy of microalgae strains in freshwater arsenic bioremediation.
  12. Microbial community dynamics and functional potentials in the conversion of oil palm wastes into biomethane
    Ng HJ, Goh KM, Yahya A, Abdul-Wahab MF
    3 Biotech, 2024 Mar;14(3):91.
    PMID: 38419684 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-024-03933-8
    Oil palm processing generates substantial waste materials rich in organic content, posing various environmental challenges. Anaerobic digestion (AD), particularly for palm oil mill effluent (POME), offers a sustainable solution, by converting waste into valuable biomethane for thermal energy or electricity generation. The synergistic activities of the AD microbiota directly affect the biomethane production, and the microbial community involved in biomethane production in POME anaerobic digestion has been reported. The composition of bacterial and archaeal communities varies under different substrate and physicochemical conditions. This review discusses the characteristics of POME, explores the microbial members engaged in each stage of AD, and elucidates the impacts of substrate and physicochemical conditions on the microbial community dynamics, with a specific focus on POME. Finally, the review outlines current research needs and provides future perspectives on optimizing the microbial communities for enhanced biomethane production from oil palm wastes.
  13. Fulltext Micropropagation and validation of genetic and biochemical fidelity among regenerants of Nothapodytes nimmoniana (Graham) Mabb. employing ISSR markers and HPLC
    Prakash L, Middha SK, Mohanty SK, Swamy MK
    3 Biotech, 2016 Dec;6(2):171.
    PMID: 28330243 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-016-0490-y
    An in vitro protocol has been established for clonal propagation of Nothapodytes nimmoniana which is an important source of Camptothecin (CPT). Elite source was identified based on the chemical potency to accumulate the optimum level of CPT. Different types and concentrations of plant growth regulators were used to study their effect on inducing multiple shoots from the explants regenerated from embryos of N. nimmoniana. Of these, a combination of N6-benzyladenine (0.2 mg L(-1)) and Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) (0.1 mg L(-1)) proved optimum for differentiating multiple shoots in 90.6 % of the cultures with an average of 10.24 shoots per explant obtained within 8 weeks of inoculation. Nearly, 92 % of the excised in vitro shoots rooted on half strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 0.05 % activated charcoal, supplemented with 1-naphthaleneacetic acid and IBA at 0.1 mg L(-1) each. The micropropagated plants were evaluated for their genetic fidelity by employing inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers. Ten individuals, randomly chosen from a population of 145 regenerants, were compared with the donor plant. The regenerated plants were also evaluated for their chemical potency using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of CPT content. The true-to-type nature of the micropropagated plants was confirmed based on their monomorphic banding profiles with that of the mother plants using ISSR markers. Besides, HPLC evaluation of the CPT content confirmed the existence of chemical uniformity among the regenerated plants and the elite mother plant.
  14. Microwave-assisted solvent-free extraction of essential oil from Coleus aromaticus: anti-phytopathogenic potential for fruit post-harvesting
    Gunny AAN, Fang LP, Misnan NM, Gopinath SCB, Salleh NHM, Hashim RHR, et al.
    3 Biotech, 2021 Apr;11(4):166.
    PMID: 33816043 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-021-02701-2
    This work evaluates the fungicidal effect of essential oil from Coleus aromaticus (C. aromaticus) by solvent-free microwave-assisted extraction with a yield of 0.54%. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was utilised to identify the functional groups, which were O-H, C-O, C-H, and C=C. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis was performed to determine the primary essential oil components, namely, thymol (92.62%), thymoquinone (2.64%), creosol (1.77%), linalool (1.68%), p-Cymene-2,5-diol (0.73%), and p-Cymene (0.56%). The inhibitory effect of essential oil extracted from C. aromaticus against the isolated fungi, Aspergillus niger from mango, was investigated. The mycelial growth inhibition of the extracted essential oil by the poisoned food test and disc diffusion assay showed the reduction at 79.63 ± 1.7 and 70.45 ± 6.54%, respectively. In vivo experiment was conducted with artificially wounded and unwounded mangoes, applying the extracted essential oil to the wounded mangoes inoculated with A. niger that could decrease the disease incidence from 100 to 58.33 ± 14.43%. Meanwhile, the treatment of the extracted essential oil did not affect the quality of the mango and it also shows improvement in weight loss reduction of the mango in comparison to the chemical fungicide and untreated mango. Hence, essential oil from C. aromaticus by solvent-free microwave-assisted extraction could be used as an effective control for the fruit spoilage and potential source of fruit preservative.
  15. Fulltext Molecular techniques for detecting and typing of bacteria, advantages and application to foodborne pathogens isolated from ducks
    Adzitey F, Huda N, Ali GR
    3 Biotech, 2013 Apr;3(2):97-107.
    PMID: 28324565 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-012-0074-4
    In recent times, several foodborne pathogens have become important and a threat to public health. Surveillance studies have provided data and a better understanding into the existence and spread of foodborne pathogens. The application of molecular techniques for detecting and typing of foodborne pathogens in surveillance studies provide reliable epidemiological data for tracing the source of human infections. A wide range of molecular techniques (including pulsed field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing, random amplified polymorphism deoxyribonucleic acid, repetitive extragenic palindromic, deoxyribonucleic acid sequencing, multiplex polymerase chain reaction and many more) have been used for detecting, speciating, typing, classifying and/or characterizing foodborne pathogens of great significance to humans. Farm animals including chickens, cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, and others (such as domestic and wild animals) have been reported to be primary reservoirs for foodborne pathogens. The consumption of contaminated poultry meats or products has been considered to be the leading source of human foodborne infections. Ducks like other farm animals are important source of foodborne pathogens and have been implicated in some human foodborne illnesses and deaths. Nonetheless, few studies have been conducted to explore the potential of ducks in causing foodborne outbreaks, diseases and its consequences. This review highlights some common molecular techniques, their advantages and those that have been applied to pathogens isolated from ducks and their related sources.
  16. Fulltext Mycorrhiza: a natural resource assists plant growth under varied soil conditions
    Huey CJ, Gopinath SCB, Uda MNA, Zulhaimi HI, Jaafar MN, Kasim FH, et al.
    3 Biotech, 2020 May;10(5):204.
    PMID: 32337150 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-020-02188-3
    In this overview, the authors have discussed the potential advantages of the association between mycorrhizae and plants, their mutual accelerated growth under favorable conditions and their role in nutrient supply. In addition, methods for isolating mycorrhizae are described and spore morphologies and their adaptation to various conditions are outlined. Further, the significant participation of controlled greenhouses and other supported physiological environments in propagating mycorrhizae is detailed. The reviewed information supports the lack of host- and niche-specificity by arbuscular mycorrhizae, indicating that these fungi are suitable for use in a wide range of ecological conditions and with propagules for direct reintroduction. Regarding their prospective uses, the extensive growth of endomycorrhizal fungi suggests it is suited for poor-quality and low-fertility soils.
  17. Nanomaterials in food industry for the protection from mycotoxins: an update
    Thirugnanasambandan T, Gopinath SCB
    3 Biotech, 2023 Feb;13(2):64.
    PMID: 36718411 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-023-03478-2
    The storage of food grains against the fungal infection has been a great challenge to the farmers, but nanotechnology provides a solution to address this problem. The application of nanotechnology for the storage of food grains replaces synthetic fungicides in agriculture. Inorganic nanoparticles such as silver and zinc oxide are well-known for their antifungal activity. Green synthesized nanoparticles show enhanced antimicrobial activity than the chemically synthesized nanoparticles. Extracts and essential oils derived from plants exhibit very good antifungal properties. The synthesized nanoparticles can be impregnated in packaging materials, which are used to store food grains. Natural materials are having advantages like non-toxicity and easier to degrade and are suitable for food safety. This overview discusses the nanomaterials-mediated protection of food materials from mycotoxin and its releases into the open environment.
  18. Fulltext Nucleotide variations of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase 2 (NCED2) and pericarp coloration genes (Rc and Rd) from upland rice varieties
    Amer Hamzah M, Mohd Kasim NA, Shamsuddin A, Mustafa N, Mohamad Rusli NI, Teh CY, et al.
    3 Biotech, 2020 Mar;10(3):105.
    PMID: 32099746 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-020-2092-y
    In this study, we analyzed the Rc and Rd genes that are responsible for the coloration of rice pericarps from six upland rice varieties. We also examined the association of pericarp coloration to the single nucleotide polymorphism in 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase 2 (NCED2), a key gene involved in abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis. Our findings demonstrated that all the upland rice varieties analyzed have a Rd gene which encodes a complete dihydroflavonol-4-reductase without early translational termination codon irrespective of their pericarp colors. However, the upland rice varieties with white pericarps were found to have a defective Rc gene with a 14-base deletion at exon 7 which could disrupt the function of a positive regulator of proanthocyanidin biosynthesis. In addition, the NCED2 genes from the upland rice varieties with white pericarps in this study have a C-allele while the NCED2 genes from Pandasan Red, Tomou and Taragang varieties that bear red pericarps were found to have a T-allele which was reported to be associated with a higher ABA level in upland rice. A better understanding of the gene sequences of upland rice varieties with red pericarp may provide important information for rice breeding programs.
  19. Optimisation of culture composition for glyphosate degradation byBurkholderia vietnamiensisstrain AQ5-12
    Manogaran M, Shukor MY, Yasid NA, Khalil KA, Ahmad SA
    3 Biotech, 2018 Feb;8(2):108.
    PMID: 29430369 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-018-1123-4
    The herbicide glyphosate is often used to control weeds in agricultural lands. However, despite its ability to effectively kill weeds at low cost, health problems are still reported due to its toxicity level. The removal of glyphosate from the environment is usually done by microbiological process since chemical process of degradation is ineffective due to the presence of highly stable bonds. Therefore, finding glyphosate-degrading microorganisms in the soil of interest is crucial to remediate this glyphosate.Burkholderia vietnamiensisstrain AQ5-12 was found to have glyphosate-degrading ability. Optimisation of biodegradation condition was carried out utilising one factor at a time (OFAT) and response surface methodology (RSM). Five parameters including carbon and nitrogen source, pH, temperature and glyphosate concentration were optimised. Based on OFAT result, glyphosate degradation was observed to be optimum at fructose concentration of 6, 0.5 g/L ammonia sulphate, pH 6.5, temperature of 32 °C and glyphosate concentration at 100 ppm. Meanwhile, RSM resulted in a better degradation with 92.32% of 100 ppm glyphosate compared to OFAT. The bacterium was seen to tolerate up to 500 ppm glyphosate while increasing concentration results in reduced degradation and bacterial growth rate.
  20. Fulltext Optimization of thermostable organic solvent-tolerant lipase production by thermotolerant Rhizopus sp. using solid-state fermentation of palm kernel cake
    Riyadi FA, Alam MZ, Salleh MN, Salleh HM
    3 Biotech, 2017 Oct;7(5):300.
    PMID: 28884067 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-017-0932-1
    This study enhanced the production of thermostable organic solvent-tolerant (TS-OST) lipase by locally isolated thermotolerant Rhizopus sp. strain using solid-state fermentation (SSF) of palm kernel cake (PKC). The optimum conditions were achieved using a series of statistical approaches. The cultivation parameters, which include fermentation time, moisture content, temperature, pH, inoculum size, various carbon and nitrogen sources, as well as other supplements, were initially screened by the definitive screening design, and one-factor-at-a-time using PKC as the basal medium. Three significant factors (olive oil concentration, pH, and inoculum size) were further optimized using face-centred central composite design. The results indicated a successful and significant improvement of lipase activity by almost two-fold compared to the initial screening production. The findings showed that the optimal conditions were 2% (v/w) inoculum size, 2% (v/w) olive oil, 0.6% (w/w) peptone, 2% (v/w) ethanol, 70% moisture content at initial pH 10.0 and 45 °C within 72 h of fermentation. Process optimization resulted in maximum lipase activity of 58.63 U/gram dry solids (gds). The analysis of variance showed that the statistical model was significant (p value <0.0001) and reliable with a high value of R2 (0.98) and adjusted R2 (0.96). This indicates a better correlation between the actual and predicted responses of lipase production. By considering this study, the low-cost PKC through SSF appears to be promising in the utilization of agro-industrial waste for TS-OST lipase production. This is because satisfactory enzyme activity could be attained that promises industrial applications.
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