Sumatran rhino is the most endangered rhino species. Its population is estimated less than 300 individuals remaining in the wild with highly declining rate to 50% in the last 15 years. The number of male rhinoceroses in the captivity are very few, therefore the assessment of its fertility is very important in order to support the breeding success since the captive breeding success is very poor. The objectives of this study were (i) to determine the male reproductive status, (ii) to establish a reliable semen collection method, and (iii) to assess semen parameters of the fresh collected sample. Three methods of semen collection were examined to determine its fertilizing potential, i.e. (i) stimulated combination of artificial vagina (AV), penile massage (PM) and accessory gland massage (AGM); (ii) AV and PM; and (iii) only with PM. The first method gave the best result with an ejaculation success of 85.71% (6/7, n = 7). The second and third methods obtained an ejaculation success rate of 50% (2/4, n = 4)) and 25% (1/4, n = 4), respectively. The collected ejaculates had a volume of 1.2-12.4 ml with whitish to cream turbid colour and pH 6.90-6.99. Sperm concentration was (143-333) × 103 sperm/ml. The quality of the sperm was low with only approximately 1% of them moved forward slowly. Approximately 80% of the spermatozoa were immature (prox. cytoplasmic droplet) with head (macro-, microcephalic) and tail abnormalities (broken tail). Semen quality increased after several collections and the amount of immature sperm decreased up to 5%. Electroejaculation procedure could produce 34 ml semen, but no sperm was found in the ejaculate. Hence, the combination of AV, PM, and AGM could get higher volume of ejaculate compared to other methods, but sperm concentration was better obtained using AV and PM only. Repeated semen collection increased semen quality, although the male has low fertilizing capacity due to low sperm concentration (oligozoospermia) and small volume of the ejaculate (oligospermia).

Viability of Beauveria bassiana is extremely low due to toxic compounds in soils. This research was aimed to study the effect of four groups of media on viability of B. bassiana Bb-Pb2. The first group was leaf litters of onion, flowering white cabbage, cabbage, and chinese mustard, respectively; the second group was the soils containing decomposed residues of each plant of the first group; the third group was the mixtures of each media of both groups above (1:1), and the fourth group was natural top soil as a control. Each plastic bag filled with one kg of each medium was inoculated with ten ml of B. bassiana conidia (106/ml of concentration) and incubated in open area for 8 weeks. The results showed that all leaf litters of those plants and their compost soils affected the fungal viability. The highest decreasing number of colony was found on onion's leaf litters, soil containing of decomposed onion, and the mixtures of both media. The treated B. bassiana showed significant reducing abilities of growth, conidia production and conidia germination on PDA media, except the one of control. It is suggested that the Bb-Pb2 isolate might not be effective as bioinsecticide in the soils containing either those leaf litters or composts.

Propolis is believed to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and immunostimulating activities. The objective of this study was to investigate the antibacterial activity of ethanol extract propolis (EEP) of Trigona spp. from Bukittinggi West Sumatera against Campylobacter spp. Antibacterial activity of the EEP was measured by disc diffusion method. The compound groups of the propolis were also analyzed on the existence of alkaloids, flavonoids, saphonins, tannins, steroids, and terpenoids. This study revealed that the EEP of Trigona spp. shows an antibacterial activity on Campylobacter spp. The compound groups detected in the EEP were flavonoids and tannins, suggesting that the antibacterial activity of propolis of Trigona spp. may be due to these compounds.

Attachment of yeast cells or bacteria on fungal hyphae have been observed in various antagonisms between microorganisms. Physical interactions between yeast Pichia guilliermondii and postharvest fruit pathogen Penicillium expansum in culture were studied in detail using light and transmission electron microscope to give better understanding on their mode of antagonism. Both organisms were co-cultured for 24-hr on potato dextrose agar. Light microscopy observations on the co-culture showed that the yeast cells attached firmly on the fungal hyphae. This attachment was inhibited by several substances such as enzymes degrading protein (protease or trypsin), a respiration inhibitor (sodium azide), an acid (hydrochloric acid) or an alkali (sodium hydroxide). Although autoclaved hyphae did not affect the attachment, but boiled enzymes and autoclaved yeast cells totally abolished the attachment. These evidences suggested that the attachment might be an active process mediated by certain protein from live yeast cells. Transmission electron micrographs on the ultrastructure of the co-culture revealed that the hyphae showed abnormalities in their structure and organelles, and a degree of obvious damage. Physical interactions observed in this study could be contributed to the mechanism of antagonism between P. guilliermondii and P. expansum.

Study on cuscus hunting as a form of wildlife utilization by Biak ethnic group surrounding the North Biak Strict Nature Reserce (CABU) was carried out through direct observation and interview with hunter respondents and other key respondents among four villages that purposively chosen i.e. Inswambesi, Kayomi, Wasani, dan Sansundi at the Warsa District of Biak Numfor, Papua. Two species of cuscus occurs in the study site were common cuscus (Phalanger orientalis) and spotted cuscus (Spilocuscus maculatus) and they were observed as hunting target in CABU. Hunting was performed partly as routine activity used various traditional tools (slash blade, trap, spear, and calling cuscus) and modern weapon (firearm). Cuscus hunting was done to supply animal protein for households, inspite some hunting results raised for consumption and market purposes. For one period of hunting 3-4 cuscus were caught and it was lower than five years ago. It was indicated that the population condition was vulnerable on overharvest and at the present time cuscus population tend to decreased. Traditional wisdom of Biak ethnic group should be explored and practiced again as the form of local law in order to manage cuscus hunting for the future cuscus conservation program.

Methods of analysis to infer the possible causes of segregation distortion were carried out using single tree progenies of Pinus merkusii. Tests on the progenies of the seed trees showing significant segregation distortion were performed at six gene loci, i.e. GOT-C, GOT-D, PGM-B, SKDH-A, NDH-A, and FDH-A. Results indicated that most fertilisation combination between female and male gametes occurred randomly. This study revealed that 11 out of 17 cases of distortion were detected in both gametes, while the other six were detected only in female gamet. The primary sources of such segregation distortions are discussed regarding to linkage relationships system of mating and post-zygotic viability selection.

Penicillin G acylase (PGA) which catalyses penicillin G hydrolysis reaction is a key enzyme for the industrial production of penicilin G derivatives used in therapeutics. A new local strain of Bacillus subtilis BAC4 was found capable of producing extracellular PGA. However, characteristics of this extracellular PGA are not known. The goal of this research was to characterize the extracellular PGA produced by B. subtilis BAC4. Enzyme production was carried out by batch fermentation, followed by enzyme purification and characterization of the PGA. The PGA activity was determined by the Kornfeld method, with optimal activity for hydrolysing penicillin G observed at 43 °C and pH 8.5. The activation energy of penicillin G hydrolysis by the PGA of B. subtilis BAC4 was determined as 4.9 kcal.mol−1 and Vmax and Km values were found to be 0.7 μmole.min−1.mg−1 and 3.5 mM respectively. PGA catalytic activity was competitively inhibited by phenylacetic acid with an inhibition constant, Ki(PAA), of 347.2 mM. It was concluded that the extracellular PGA of B. subtilis BAC4 can hydrolyse penicillin G efficiently.

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) is resistance to high temperature and able to survive over 10 years on dried leaves, and plant debris is considered as source of inoculums of TMV in the field. In order to inactivate TMV, TMV-infected cigar tobacco debris was composted at starting temperature of 50 °C for two to three days; however, TMV was still infective in the extract compost. If a half leaf cigar tobacco ‘H877’ was inoculated with compost extract, the symptoms appeared as a necrotic local lesion (NLL) and did not develop systemic lesions. The dilution end point of TMV in extract compost was 10−3. The number of lesion was higher in the glasshouse with average daylight temperature of 32 °C than in the field with average daylight temperature of 29–30 °C. The number NLL was lower and NLL size seemed to be smaller on the first and second inoculated leaves with extract than that of on the first and second inoculated leaves with TMV inoculums. There was a delay of time about 58–106 hours after inoculation of NLL from extract compost inoculums to appear than those of from TMV inoculums. These could be happened because of mineral nutrients of compost and also the temperature of maintaining tobacco plant which inhibited the infections, and of a thermal composting process which destroyed some TMV particles, particularly degraded it's coat protein.

Current researches for appropriate hypoglycemic agents focused on plants for traditional medicine. Traditionally in diabetic treatment, people used decoctions of Piper crocatum (Piperaceae). However, there is no phytochemical data of decoctions extract of P. crocatum. Hence, the aims of this study were to explore the phytochemical of P. crocatum decoctions and its antihyperglicemic activity. Fresh leaves of P. crocatum were boiled in water to obtain decoction and were examined phytochemical compounds by using Harbone assay. Antihyperglicemic activity of P. crocatum decoction extract was orally fed to alloxan induced diabetic rats. Results showed that P. crocatum decoction extract contained flavonoids, tannins, and alkaloids. Ten days of daily treatment of various doses decoction extract of P. crocatum led to reduce blood sugar level by 10-38% and prevent fall in body weight level by 5-52%. This result showed the same activity as Daonil treatment, which was the diabetic drug. Hence, this extract showed antihyperglicemic activity in alloxan-induced diabetic rats and increasing of their body weight.

The activity of ligninolytic enzymes of white rot fungi (WRF) Omphalina sp. and Pleurotus ostreatus was observed during somatic and fruiting body development in solid substrate fermentation using empty fruit bunches of oil palm (EFB). The enzyme activity was dominated by laccase both of Omphalina sp. and P. ostreatus. The laccase activity on somatic phase (mycelium growth) was higher compared to that of fruiting body formation phase. The laccase activity of Omphalina sp. was slightly higher compared to that of P. ostreatus. The peak activity of manganese peroxidase (MnP) for Omphalina sp. was observed two weeks after inoculation, while P. ostreatus had two peaks i.e. two and four weeks after inoculation period. The MnP activity of P. ostreatus was higher compared to that of Omphalina sp. Omphalina sp. growth in EFB did not secrete lignin peroxidase (LiP) in contrast to P. ostreatus. The peak of LiP activity of P. ostreatus was reached two and four weeks after inoculation. The MnP and LiP activities declined during the development of fruiting bodies while laccase increased both in Omphalina sp. and P. ostreatus. It seems that the activities of ligninolytic enzyme profile were regulated in line with developmental phase of growth both in Omphalina sp. and P. ostreatus.