This study aimed to evaluate the utilization of smoked skipjack processing byproduct meal (SPBM) to reduce the use of fish meal (FM) for juvenile humpback grouper Cromileptes altivelis. This study consisted of digestibility test of SPBM and biological test to observe growth performance. Five isonitrogenous and isocaloric experimental diets were used: Diet A contains 0% SPBM as a control diet, and diets B, C, D, and E contain 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of SPBM protein to substitute FM, respectively. Digestibility trial was performed for 14 days by adding Cr2O3 into the experimental diets and collecting fecal matter 40–60 minutes after each feeding. For growth trial, juvenile humpback grouper were kept in glass aquariums and fed by the experimental diet until apparent satiation for 60 days. Our result shows that the dry matter and protein SPBM apparent digestibility coefficient is lower compared to FM. The fish that was fed with diet B and C performed a comparable specific growth rate, feed efficiency, and protein retention compared to control (p > 0.05). However, lower specific growth rate, feeding efficiency, and protein retention were observed in fish that was fed with diet D (75% SPBM) and diet E (100% SPBM; p < 0.05). These results indicate that up to 50% of smoked SPBM can be used for the diet of humpback grouper.

The use of high quality seed can support the success of the seaweed cultivation. This study was conducted to evaluate the growth performance, morphology and growth related hormone level of brown strain seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii seed produced by mass selection. Selection was performed in the Tomini Gulf, Gorontalo, based on mass selection of seaweed seed protocol with a slight modification in cut-off 10% of the highest daily growth rate. Selection was carried out for four generations. The selected 4thgeneration of seed was then used in cultivation performance test in the Celebes Sea, North Gorontalo, for three production cycles. The results showed that the selected K. alvarezii has higher clump weight and daily growth rate, longer thallus, more number of branches, and shorter internodes compared to the unselected control and seaweed from the farmer as external control. Furthermore, total sugar content, levels of kinetin hormone and kinetin:indole-3-acetic acid ratio were higher in selected seaweeds than that of unselected control and external control. Thus, mass selection method could be used to produce high growth of seed, and kinetin and indole-3-acetic acid play an important role in growth of K. alvarezii.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an anthracycline antibiotic used for anticancer therapy. However, this agent can cause various systemic side effects including cognitive impairments in chronic use. Brain damage due to DOX is caused by an increase of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) level in the brain. Increased TNF-α can further lead to chronic inflammation which can lead to neuronal deaths or neurodegenerative diseases. Mangiferin (MAG), a compound extracted from Mangifera indica, has been found neuroprotective activities, but its effect on DOX-induced brain damage is unknown. This study aims to determine the effect of MAG on brain damage induced by DOX. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were induced by DOX intraperitoneally. MAG was given orally at the doses of 30 and 60 mg/kg bw for 7 consecutive weeks. The parameters measured were inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in brain tissue. Coadministration of MAG with DOX reduced inflammation which was marked by the reduction of TNF-α mRNA expression, decreased TNF-α level and reduction of oxidative stress marked by increase of superoxide dismutase level and decrease of malondialdehyde level. In conclusion, MAG was shown to have a neuroprotective effect on brain damage induced by DOX, partly due to inhibition of inflammation and oxidative stress.

Interactions between plants and endophytic bacteria are mutualistic. Plant provides nutrient for bacteria, and bacteria will protect the plant from pathogen, help the phytohormone synthesis and nitrogen fixation, and also increase absorption of minerals. These bacteria called plant growth-promoting bacteria. The aim for this study is to identify endophytic bacteria on rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) cultivar Binjai with 16S rRNA. Sequencing results showed that the bacteria is derived from genus Corynebacterium, Bacillus, Chryseobacterium, Staphylococcus and Curtobacterium,which suspected play a role as plant growth-promoting bacteria.

The hypervariable region I of mitochondrial DNA has frequently been used to distinguish among populations, in particular in species with strong female philopatry. In such cases, populations are expected to diverge rapidly for hypervariable region I markers because of the smaller effective population size and thus increased genetic drift. This rapid divergence leads to the accumulation of mutations exclusively found in one population, which may serve as diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). To date, diagnostic SNPs distinctive to Sumatran orangutan populations have not yet been described. However, given the continuously declining numbers of Sumatran orangutans, this information can be vital for effective conservation measures, especially regarding reintroductions of orangutans in rehabilitation centers. Phylogenetic analyses of 54 samples of Sumatran orangutans from nine sampling sites with good provenance, we found five major clades and a total of 20 haplotypes. We propose a total of 52 diagnostic SNPs that are specific to Sumatran orangutan populations. Data can be used to develop restriction fragment length polymorphism assays to carry out genetic assignments using basic laboratory equipment to assign Sumatran orangutan to their population of origin.

Mount Halimun Salak National Park is one of the tropical forest remnants in Java island. The national park has been recognized with high diversity of wild Zingiberaceae. Of that Zingiberaceae, two species namely Alpinia malaccensis (AM) and Horstendia conica (HC), were domesticated as garden plants in the surrounding area of the forest for medicinal use. The impact of domestication on the fungal endophytes associated with these two species of Zingiberaceae is reported here. Fungal endophyte diversity in the wild and domesticated AM and HC was analyzed based on the culturable fungi. Identification of species level used morphological and molecular approaches of ITS rDNA sequence. This study determined 19 species of fungal endophytes, namely Arthrinium malaysianum, Aspergillus flavipes, As. sydowii, Chaetomium globosum, Cladosporium oxysporum, Cladosporium sp., Colletotrichum boninense-complex, Co. cliviae-complex, Co. gloeosporioides-complex, Diaporthe sp., D. anacardii, D. gardenia, Exophiala sp., E. lecanii-corni, Guignardia mangiferae, Ochroconis gallopava, Penicillium citrinum, Pyricularia costina, and unsporulated Sydowiellaceae. Among them, A. malaysianum, C. globosum, Co. cliviae-complex, D. gardenia, and unsporulated Sydowiellaceae were only found in domesticated plants, while some others were absent. Colletotrichum boninense-complex was commonly found in both wild and domesticated plants. Domestication activity affected the diversity of endophytic fungi of AM and HC.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of encapsulated synbiotic (Bacillus sp. NP5 and oligosaccharide) dietary at different dosages on growth performance, survival rate, feed conversion ratio, and immune responses of Litopenaeus vannamei against Vibrio infection. The shrimps of the main treatments were fed by the diet that contained three different dosages of encapsulated synbiotic [0.5% (A), 1% (B), and 2% (C) (w/w)] with feeding rate of 5% of shrimp biomass (4 times a day). The shrimps of two control treatments (negative control and positive control) were fed only by commercial feed without supplementation of encapsulated synbiotic. The growth, feed conversion ratio, and survival rate were observed after 30 days of encapsulated synbiotic dietary. The shrimps were then challenged by injection of Vibrio harveyi (6 log colony forming units/mL) 0.1 mL/shrimp, excluded the negative control treatment. Afterward, the survival and immune responses were observed for 9 days after experimental infection. The shrimps treated with 2% encapsulated synbiotic (treatment C) in the diet showed the highest growth performance (2.98 ± 0.42%), feed conversion ratio (1.26 ± 0.19), and better immune responses i.e. total hemocyte counts, differential hemocyte count, phenoloxidase, and intestine bacteria observation compared to those of positive control treatment.

Mitochondria of Paramecium caudatum stock GT704 has a set of four kinds of linear plasmids with sizes of 8.2, 4.1, 2.8 and 1.4 kb. The plasmids of 8.2 and 2.8 kb exist as dimers consisting of 4.1- and 1.4-kb monomers, respectively. The plasmid 2.8 kb, designated as pGT704-2.8, contains an open reading frame encodes for putative DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RNAP). This study reveals that this RNAP belongs to superfamily of DNA/RNA polymerase and family of T7/T3 single chain RNA polymerase and those of mitochondrial plasmid of fungi belonging to Basidiomycota and Ascomycota. It is suggested that RNAP of pGT704-2.8 can perform transcription without transcription factor as promoter recognition. Given that only two motifs were found, it could not be ascertained whether this RNAP has a full function independently or integrated with mtDNA in carrying out its function.

Microorganisms were isolated from soil taken from Tangkuban Perahu mountain. Five strains were investigated in this study, designated TP1, TP2, TP3, TP4, and TP5, respectively. Morphological, biochemical and molecular identifications were conducted for all five strains. These isolates were shown to be closely related to Nocardia sp. YIM 65630 (90%), Streptomyces galbus (99%), Aspergillus unguis (86%), Paecilomyces marquandii (100%) and Nocardia niigatensis (95%), respectively. Production of antibacterial, antifungal and anticancer metabolites was done by fermentation. Screening for bioactivity of five isolates was done by testing the fermentation broth against resistant and pathogenic bacteria, fungi and T47D breast cancer cell line. TP2 strain showed the best bioactivity; the metabolite was purified by extraction with ethyl acetate. Antibacterial, antifungal and anticancer activities from the ethyl acetate extract of TP2 strain were tested by agar diffusion, microdilution and MTT. The extract was shown to be active against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus, methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin resistant coagulase negative Staphylococcus, vancomycin resistant Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Microsforum gypseum with the minimum inhibitory concentration (μg/mL) and diameter of inhibition (mm): 150, 35; 150, 30; 300, 35; 300, 35; 300, 29; 4.7, 36, respectively. The IC50 value of the T47D cell line was 457 μg/mL.

Agricultural land use is an artificial ecosystem. Insect pollinators are important keys to success of the agroecosystem. Converting natural landscapes to agricultural land, such as oil palm and rubber plantations, affects the insects. The research aims to study diversity and abundance of insect pollinators in three different agricultural land uses, i.e. oil palm plantation, rubber plantation, and jungle-rubber. Scan sampling method was used to explore the diversity of insect pollinators. Observations of the insects were conducted from 08.00 to 10.00 AM and 02.00 to 04.00 PM in sunny days. There were 497 individuals of insect pollinators collected, which belong to 43 species in three orders (Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Lepidoptera). Number of species and individual of insect pollinators found in rubber plantations (31 species, 212 individuals) and oil palm plantation (23 species, 188 individuals) were higher than that in jungle rubber (7 species, 97 individuals). Insect pollinators in oil palm plantations were dominated by giant honey bee (Apis dorsata) and stingless bee (Trigona sp. [=aff. T. planifrons]), whereas in rubber plantation, they were dominated by small carpenter bees (Ceratina lieftincki and Ceratina simillima), and in jungle-rubbers were dominated by hoverfly (Syrphid sp.) and Apis andreniformis. Higher foraging activities of insect pollinators occured in the morning.