Latex diagnosis is widely adopted in natural rubber-producing countries to optimize the natural rubber production through a physiological-based latex-harvesting system management. This study is the first bibliographical searching and meta-analysis on the variation of latex physiological parameters i.e. sucrose, inorganic phosphorus, thiols, and total solid content. The study used information extracted from 158 scientific papers. Descriptive statistics, agglomerative hierarchical clustering, and principal component analysis were performed to characterize applications of latex diagnosis, how often parameters are used and interpreted as well as the variation of its parameter values. From 158 papers, latex diagnosis parameters were used in 114 agronomy, 22 in physiology, and 22 in breeding papers. The agglomerative hierarchical clustering analysis indicated that sucrose and inorganic phosphorus contents were clustered together and total solid and thiols contents were located in another cluster. The average values of the total solid content, sucrose, inorganic phosphorus and thiols were 43.9%, 9.4 mM, 16.5 mM, and 0.52 mM, respectively. The percentage of interpretation is 63.3% for sucrose, 54.4% for inorganic phosphorus, 47.5% for thiols, and 41.1% for the total solid content. The low interpretation of thiols and total solid contents question their relevance in latex diagnosis. The low adoption of latex diagnosis in breeding could hinder the selection of activities leads to a limitation of selection for long-term high yielding and stress-adapted clones.

International audience | Latex diagnosis is widely adopted in natural rubber-producing countries to optimize the natural rubber production through a physiological-based latex-harvesting system management. This study is the first bibliographical searching and meta-analysis on the variation of latex physiological parameters i.e. sucrose, inorganic phosphorus, thiols, and total solid content. The study used information extracted from 158 scientific papers. Descriptive statistics, agglomerative hierarchical clustering, and principal component analysis were performed to characterize applications of latex diagnosis, how often parameters are used and interpreted as well as the variation of its parameter values. From 158 papers, latex diagnosis parameters were used in 114 agronomy, 22 in physiology, and 22 in breeding papers. The agglomerative hierarchical clustering analysis indicated that sucrose and inorganic phosphorus contents were clustered together and total solid and thiols contents were located in another cluster. The average values of the total solid content, sucrose, inorganic phosphorus and thiols were 43.9%, 9.4 mM, 16.5 mM, and 0.52 mM, respectively. The percentage of interpretation is 63.3% for sucrose, 54.4% for inorganic phosphorus, 47.5% for thiols, and 41.1% for the total solid content. The low interpretation of thiols and total solid contents question their relevance in latex diagnosis. The low adoption of latex diagnosis in breeding could hinder the selection of activities leads to a limitation of selection for long-term high yielding and stress-adapted clones.

Oil palm requires sufficient water for optimal growth. However, oil palm plantations in Indonesia face the challenge of global climate change, which causes increased temperatures and unpredictable rainy seasons. The research aimed to analyze oil palm accessions from Jambi that are tolerant to drought based on plant morphophysiological characteristics and metabolite profile. The experiment was conducted in the greenhouse using a factorial randomized block design. Five oil palm accessions were evaluated in this study, i.e., Muara Jambi (MJ), Tebo (TB), Tanjung Jabung Barat (TJB), Merangin (MR), and Simalungun (SM). Seedlings were planted in pots containing 20 kg of soil and acclimatized for 14 days before treatment. Drought treatments were carried out for two, four, and six weeks. Observations were made on growth, physiological, and metabolite changes at the end of each drought period. The study showed that the SM accession exhibited a higher photosynthetic rate and fresh and dry biomass than the other accessions. However, the content of proline and MDA increased significantly in oil palm throughout the drought periods. Metabolomic profiling revealed a significant increase in 13 metabolites under drought stress, i.e., citramalate, L-tyrosine, ferulate, and 3-4-dihydroxybenzoate were the four most prevalent metabolites in the leaf. The root produced more L-proline, aspartate, aconitate, kaempferol-3-o-pentoside, oxoadipate, citrate, L-phenylalanine, maltose, phenylacetic acid, and citramalate. These metabolites have roles in plant metabolic pathways such as valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, arginine and proline metabolism, citrate cycle (TCA cycle), lysine biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, and starch and sucrose metabolism.

Meru Betiri National Park (MBNP) is one of the conservation areas with an essential bird habitat in East Java. In the conservation monitoring and evaluation framework, we studied the diversity and existence of birds in the bird hotspot (Pringtali Block) as an implication for bird conservation in the MBNP. Bird observations were collected during January-February 2023 at the Pringtali Block using the point count method at six representative sites. The primary data recorded included bird species, abundance of each species, and frequency of encounters. Meanwhile, the secondary data were obtained from web queries covering bird conservation status and distribution through https://www.iucnredlist.org/. Data analysis was conducted in three stages:  determining species composition, species diversity index (H'), and species existence value (Ef). The results recorded 70 bird species, consisting of 57 genera and 33 families, in the Pringtali Block of MBNP. The diversity index of birds was included in the high category (H' = 3.31). The average existence value (Ef) of the bird is 48.57 or x̄=3 s, which are included in the medium category. This reveals that birds in the Pringtali block have important structural and functional values in the MBNP ecosystem. This value also illustrates the importance of the presence of a bird species in the ecosystem and represents the uniqueness of the bird species. The birds with the highest Ef values were the Javan Hawk-eagle Nisaetus bartelsi (86.67) and White-rumped Woodpecker Meiglyptes tristis (86.67). Both species have low frequencies, are an endangered category, and are endemic to Java. Therefore, conservation efforts associated with MBNP have been successful.

Fermented bamboo (also known as Ngwopo) is a traditional food item among the indigenous population living in the south-east of Bangladesh. Though fermented foods harbour a significant number of probiotics and enzyme-producing bacteria, there is a lack of research on isolating beneficial bacteria from native fermented food products in Bangladesh. Thus, considering the extensive utilisation of cellulase enzymes and probiotics, our study was conducted with the objective of isolating and characterizing native cellulase-producing bacteria from fermented bamboo and performing crude enzyme activity assay. The sample was collected from Khagrachari hill tracts district of Bangladesh. Three isolated bacteria, namely FB-1, FB-2, and FB-3, screened based on the carboxymethyl cellulose medium, were tested for biochemical and probiotic properties, and the best isolate was genetically identified by molecular characterization through 16S rRNA gene sequencing and evolutionary analysis. All three gram-positive isolates were observed to be positive for starch hydrolysis and fermentation of sucrose, suggesting their ability to breakdown carbohydrates while testing negative for gelatinase, indole, and H2S test. The isolates demonstrated moderate bile salt and pH tolerance and low to medium autoaggregation. FB-2 had 75% susceptibility to the tested antibiotics, while other isolates were susceptible to 50% antibiotics. All of the bacteria were non-pathogenic, showing γ-haemolysis. FB-2 strain showed an enzyme production capacity of 1.56 units/ml. The best performing isolate was identified as Bacillus cereus. Therefore, the study discovered a native bacteria potentially suitable as probiotic and as a source of cellulase for industrial processes, highlighting the enriched indigenous cuisines of Bangladesh.

Mangroves are a rich source of natural antioxidant compounds that can inhibit and reduce tissue damage caused by free radical activity. Currently, cosmetic creams are widely recommended for maintaining skin health and aesthetics, especially in protecting against the harmful effects of free radicals. This study applied mangrove extract as an additive ingredient in a cosmetic cream, serving as an antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, and photoprotective agent. Mangrove samples were collected from the mangrove ecosystem in Tapak Village, Semarang, Indonesia. Three mangrove species were evaluated for their bioactivity, and the species with the highest bioactivity was selected for use in the cream formulation. Antibacterial and antifungal activities were tested using the disc diffusion method, antioxidant activity was assessed using the DPPH method, and photoprotective activity was determined using UV spectrophotometry, with analysis based on the Mansur mathematical equation. The cream was evaluated for its characteristics, including spreadability, homogeneity, sensory properties, pH, sun protection factor (SPF), phytochemical content, stability, and microbial contamination. An in vivo was conducted to assess the cream’s effectiveness on white mice. Results indicated that Avicennia marina leaf extract exhibited the highest bioactivity compared to the other two species, Rhizophora mucronata and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza. Consequently, A. marina leaf extract was selected as the active additive ingredient in the cream formulation. Characterization tests demonstrated that the cream was stable and met standard criteria for quality. The in vivo analysis revealed that the mangrove leaf extract cream significantly prevented epidermal thinning, reduced neutrophil counts, and preserved fibroblast numbers.

An increasing number of diabetic patients and the demand for insulin encourage the development of recombinant insulin production on a large scale. Human insulin precursor (HIP) expressed by Mut+ Pichia pastoris using methanol as an inducer was developed. However, methanol above 5% (w/v) or 1.56 M is toxic for the host. Sorbitol was introduced as a co-substrate with methanol. To our knowledge, the study of methanol/sorbitol co-feeding on human insulin precursor (HIP) expression by Mut+ Pichia pastoris in a bioreactor has yet to be reported. This study aimed to investigate the influence of the methanol-sorbitol co-feeding ratio on the expression of HIP expressed by P. pastoris X33 Mut+. The study was conducted by comparing the cultivation of P. pastoris/pD902-IP Mut+ in a 10-liter bioreactor under three conditions: feeding 100% methanol, mass ratio of MeOH:sorbitol 12:1 and 3:1. The oxygen consumption of methanol/sorbitol is less than the methanol feeding. The mass ratio of MeOH:sorbitol 12:1 produced the highest HIP titer (1326.5 mg/L), 1.5 times higher than methanol feeding, the lowest specific growth rate, but the highest specific productivity at the induction phase. MeOH:sorbitol mass ratio 3:1 produced the highest dry cell weight (DCW) amount (96 g/L). These results suggested that an appropriate ratio of sorbitol-methanol can be a choice to replace methanol feeding in a Mut+ P. pastoris.

This study aimed to isolate and identify the chemical components of essential oils from woods of cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmanii (Ness) BL), sandalwood (Santalum album Linn.), and massoia (Cryptocarya massoia (Oken) Kosterm) and to determine their effect as additives for transparent herbal soap in terms of their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATTC 25923 and the soap quality. The results showed that cinnamon, sandalwood, and massoia essential oils contained, respectively, 14, 20, and 9 chemical components, all of which had been identified. The chemical components with the highest percentage contained in the essential oils of cinnamon, sandalwood, and massoia were cinnamaldehyde (91.71%), β-bisabolen (37.79%), and massoia lactone (77.56%), respectively. The soaps’ antibacterial activity against S. aureus ATTC 25923 increased from moderate (with an inhibitory power of 9.67 mm) to strong. The addition of 3% massoia essential oil got the highest inhibitory power of 16.47 mm (strong), followed by that of 3% cinnamon essential oil and 3% sandalwood essential oil, getting 15.37 mm and 12.19 mm, respectively, both of which were considered strong as well. The results of the organoleptic description test showed that each soap had a distinctive color and aroma depending on the type of essential oil added. The quality test results, including transparency, pH, foam stability, water content, and saponification number, indicated that the formulation had good quality.

Vector-borne disease such as Dengue Hemorrghagic (DHF), transmitted by Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, remain a significant public health concern in Indonesia.  Controlling these disease often involves insectides; however, the negative impact of chemical insecticides have prompted interest in organic alternatives derived from plants.  Certain weeds, including cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), wild sugarcane (Saccharum spontaneoum), and needle grass (Andropogon aciculatus), have shown potential as botanical insecticides. Research findings showed that weed root extracts significantly affect larval mortality rate of Ae. Aegypti. At 1000 ppm, larval mortality was significantly higher compared to 100 ppm and the control, while treatments of 1 ppm and 10 ppm showed similar results to the control. Probit analysis revealed that I. cylindrica root extract achieved an LC50 of 974.99 ppm within 24 hours, indicating it could kill 50% of Ae. Aegypti larvae. Within 48 hours, the LC50 dropped to 889.20 ppm. Toxicity tests further revealed significant differences in Ae. Aegypti egg-laying abilities when treated with extracts. Analysis of variance yielded p-values of 0.000 for egg hatching within 72 and 96 hours, highlighting significant differences across samples. These findings suggest the extracts influence mosquito reproduction, warranting further studies to assess the quality of egg hatched from larvae exposed to these treatments. The potential of botanical insecticides derived from weeds represents a promising step toward sustainable mosquito control in the fight against vector-borne diseases.

The rice gall midge, Orseolia oryzae, and the cogongrass gall midge, O. javanica, cause gall formation on rice and cogongrass (alang-alang) (Imperata cylindrica).  Two different species parasitize these two gall midges but closely related platygasterids, Platygaster oryzae on the rice gall midge and P. orseoliae on the cogongrass gall midge. Both the gall midges and their parasitoids are often found in the adjacent area, raising a question about the relationship between the two gall midges and their parasitoids. This research aims to study the molecular identity of the rice and cogongrass gall midges, along with their platygasterid parasitoids, based on partial sequences of the mtCOI gene. Samples were collected from rice and cogongrass in the adjacent area in Cianjur, West Java Province, and a rice field with no cogongrass in Bogor, West Java Province. Successful DNA amplification was achieved using universal primers for mtCOI. Nucleotide sequencing analysis revealed that the rice gall from Bogor and Cianjur shared 100% similarity and 93.2-99.3% similarity with the rice gall from other countries. Notably, the parasitoids P. oryzae collected from rice in Bogor and Cianjur shared 97.2% similarity with P. orseoliae collected from cogongrass in Cianjur. These findings suggest that the platygaster parasitoids associated with the rice gall and the cogongrass gall midges are identical, serving as potential natural enemies for both pests. This study represents the first molecular identification report of rice and cogongrass gall midges and their platygasterid parasitoids from Java Island, Indonesia.