Insecticides are an example of an environmental contaminant that can cause harmful effects on var... more Insecticides are an example of an environmental contaminant that can cause harmful effects on various types of organisms. Implementation of continuous monitoring program is needed to ensure the level of contamination can be controlled. In this present study, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from the brain of Monopterus albus was elucidated to determine the potential alternative source of biosensor kit, which is sensitive towards various insecticides, especially carbamates. AChE from M. albus brain was extracted and purified through ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by procainamide-based affinity chromatography. Carbamate insecticides were used, such as bendiocarb, carbaryl, carbofuran, methomyl, and propoxur, to test their ability to inhibit AChE activity. Bendiocarb and methomyl show the capability to inhibit almost half of the enzyme activity at 51.05 and 51.20 %, respectively, while carbaryl, propoxur, and carbofuran inhibit 43.03, 42.80, and 15.06 %, respectively. Bendiocarb an...
This study aims to use DNA sequence and perform classification of eight Tantadan honey bees speci... more This study aims to use DNA sequence and perform classification of eight Tantadan honey bees species from Sabah that were morphologically identified through Pictorial Identification Guide and Composite Algorithm. The species involved were Tetragonula fuscobalteata, Tetragonula laeviceps, Tetragonula drescheri, Lepidotrigona cf. ventralis, Lepidotrigona terminata, Heterotrigona itama and Tetragonula melanocephala. Normally, coI gene is used as it has elevated evolutionary rates higher than nuclear genes and is more specific in discriminating between closely related taxa. However, in this study, the nuclear gene was used as only this region could be amplified from this species. DNA barcoding is a method used for identifying unknown species and taxonomic classification at the molecular level using DNA fragments found in the genome of a species that is unique for the purpose of identification. However, morphological identification is also crucial as it provides the means of observing the differences between species based on the naked eyes. The methods used were DNA extraction, amplification of 28S nuclear DNA by PCR method, DNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of DNA to complete the identification process of these species based on their genetic material. Homology search of the 28S partial gene sequences revealed only three out of eight species were in agreement with taxonomic classification but five out of eight were not. Those five species are as follows; Tetragonula laeviceps identified as Tetragonula carbonaria, Tetragonula drescheri identified as Lepidotrigona terminata, Lepidotrigona cf. ventralis identified as Tetragonula carbonaria, Heterotrigona itama identified as Heterotrigona bakeri and Tetragonula melanocephala identified as Tetragonula carbonaria. The study revealed that 28S fragment of nuclear DNA is a suitable candidate to identify Tantadan honey bees species but it was not distinct enough for specific species identification, thus the result obtained here can be used for further study with primers targeting amplification of coI gene. In a nutshell, this study successfully demonstrated the use of DNA barcode using 28S rDNA in differentiating closely related species.
Pathogenesis of most bacteria is connected to its survival within the host by adaptive regulation... more Pathogenesis of most bacteria is connected to its survival within the host by adaptive regulation of gene expression in response to alterations of the environment. Before completion of the bacterial genome sequencing data, it was thought that protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation only involves the so-called twocomponent system consisting of histidine kinase sensors and their associated response regulators. Recent evidence revealed that some prokaryotes contain protein kinases and phosphatases. In this study, three genes with sequence homology to those encoding serine/threonine kinases (pknI, pknK) and serine/threonine phosphatase (ppp) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv were cloned from a less pathogenic bacteria, Mycobacterium bovis BCG (Pasteur 1173P2) obtained from Pasteur Institute. The pknI and ppp genes were proposed to be involved in regulation of cell division and elongation while pknK gene might regulate the production of secondary metabolite in Mycobacterium. Amplifie...
Habitat disturbance and excessive collection of wild orchids from their natural habitat have thre... more Habitat disturbance and excessive collection of wild orchids from their natural habitat have threatened many orchids species at risk of extinction. In this study, the in vitro regeneration protocol for Macodes limii, a jewel orchid endemic to Sabah was established. The effects of explant source and plant growth regulators (PGRs) including naphthaleneacetic acid, picloram, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 6-benzylaminopurine, kinetin, and thidiazuron on the in vitro regeneration capacity of M. limii plantlets were examined. Both factors showed a significant interaction in promoting axillary shoot formation. Nodal explants from the third and fourth positions cultured with 1.0 mg/L TDZ, induced 95% of shoot regeneration, with an average of three shoots/explant (1.6–1.8 cm of shoot length) after 90 days of culture. The well-developed plantlets went through an acclimatization phase for 60 days with a 60% of survival rate. An inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) marker analysis confirmed th...
Biobutanol has been identified as a promising future biofuel. However, generally the extraction a... more Biobutanol has been identified as a promising future biofuel. However, generally the extraction and separation of biobutanol from the fermentation mixture is a costly process. Therefore, the idea of using acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) mixture directly as biofuel were proposed to eliminate the recovery process. ABE has been identified as a promising future biofuel. The feedstocks play an important role in the feasibility of ABE as a fuel. Lignocellulosic biomass is seen as a promising feedstock for the production of biofuels. Thus, in this review, ABE biofuel is been summarized from three aspects namely (i) selection of feedstocks, (ii) microbial selection and (iii) hydrolysis, fermentation, and purification techniques. Anaerobic fermentation together with commonly employed recovery processes are discussed in the second part of this review. This review concludes with different challenges and future research in ABE fermentation that can pave the way for future commercialization of thi...
River pollution gave significant effects by declining the quality of freshwater sources, and caus... more River pollution gave significant effects by declining the quality of freshwater sources, and cause a negative impact on the aquatic habitat and nearby aquaculture sector. Scheduled river monitoring was implemented to determine and investigate the pollution source in order to minimize the number of waste release into the river. Preliminary screening using biosensor tool considered as an effective method where capable to reduce the cost of implementation, easy to handle as well as rapid analysis. The potential use of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) purified from the brain tissue of Osteochilus hasselti as a biosensor tool for heavy metal pollution was investigated. Prior to the study, several water samples were collected from the selected state in Malaysia; Derhaka River (Penang), Perak River (Perak), Kuyuh River (Selangor), Melaka River (Malacca), Peta Waterfall (Endau-Rompin National Park, Johor), followed by filtered then brought to the laboratory immediately. AChE was extracted from t...
Several contaminant that present in the river able to be removed through the physical and chemica... more Several contaminant that present in the river able to be removed through the physical and chemical approach. However, the efficiency is still low especially to remediate the dissolved compound such pesticides, drug and heavy metal. Nowadays, river rehabilitation using a biological approach known as bioremediation gets a great attention as the treatment processes are environmentally friendly, low cost, easily to handle and portable. Moreover, the result is highly satisfactory and at the same time no cause harm to the society. This mini-review highlights the introduction application of bioremediation to clean the contaminated environment, especially river. The advantages and disadvantages were also will be discussed
Microlgae can serve as an excellent feedstock for bioethanol production. The microalgae cells of ... more Microlgae can serve as an excellent feedstock for bioethanol production. The microalgae cells of Chlorella were cultivated and acid hydrolyzed to extract the glucose content in the cells. Production of bioethanol was achieved by fermentation process with the use of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The bioethanol content was determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The effect of different parameters such as sulphuric acid concentration, temperature and time on acid hydrolysis was studied. The maximum glucose concentration of 5.382 ± 0.063 g/l was obtained with the conditions of 2.0 M sulphuric acid, 30 °C and 30 min of incubation time. On the other hand, the highest ethanol concentration of 1.126 g/l was obtained with 15% v/v yeast inoculum concentration. Meanwhile, the bioethanol production reached its maximum after 24 h with ethanol concentration and yield of 1.020 g/l and 0.190 g/g glucose, respectively.
This study aims to utilize cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) DNA sequences in the classificati... more This study aims to utilize cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) DNA sequences in the classification of 22 butterfly and 8 moth species that were morphologically identified by Entopia Penang Butterfly Farm. COI of the mitochondrial gene has been chosen for evolutionary study of butterflies and moths because COI mitochondrial gene is maternally inherited with little or no recombination. This research revealed that 20 out of 22 butterflies were correctly classified while two butterflies and three moths were misidentified after the sequences were analyzed using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST). Morphologically identified Cepora nadina (Sample ID: NCN1) was identified as Cepora iudith while Prioneris thestylis (NPT2) was identified as Prioneris philonome. Three moths; Dysphania malayanus (RDMA1), Nyctemera coleta (RNC1) and Nyctemera coleta (RNC2) were discovered as Bracca matutinata, Nyctemera regularis and Nyctemera baulus respectively. The outcome of this study further classi...
Misidentification of butterfly species can be contributed by certain factor(s) such as mimicry, s... more Misidentification of butterfly species can be contributed by certain factor(s) such as mimicry, seasonal sampling (dry/wet season), cryptic and sex dimorphism. DNA barcoding is a technique used for rapid identification of butterfly species at a molecular level based on the analysis of standardized mitochondrial DNA region. A 648 base-pair of cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI) is highly effective in identifying vertebrate and invertebrate species. Individuals of the same species will generally have very similar COI base sequence. COI is used as a DNA barcode reference due to maternal inheritance, compact structure, lack of genetic recombination and relatively fast evolutionary rate. Therefore, it is widely used in phylogenetic and evolution studies. The DNA barcode of identified butterfly species was submitted to Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD). Thirteen species belonging to Pieridae family from Entopia Penang Butterfly Farm were chosen for this study. With reference to some sam...
Insecticides are an example of an environmental contaminant that can cause harmful effects on var... more Insecticides are an example of an environmental contaminant that can cause harmful effects on various types of organisms. Implementation of continuous monitoring program is needed to ensure the level of contamination can be controlled. In this present study, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from the brain of Monopterus albus was elucidated to determine the potential alternative source of biosensor kit, which is sensitive towards various insecticides, especially carbamates. AChE from M. albus brain was extracted and purified through ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by procainamide-based affinity chromatography. Carbamate insecticides were used, such as bendiocarb, carbaryl, carbofuran, methomyl, and propoxur, to test their ability to inhibit AChE activity. Bendiocarb and methomyl show the capability to inhibit almost half of the enzyme activity at 51.05 and 51.20 %, respectively, while carbaryl, propoxur, and carbofuran inhibit 43.03, 42.80, and 15.06 %, respectively. Bendiocarb an...
This study aims to use DNA sequence and perform classification of eight Tantadan honey bees speci... more This study aims to use DNA sequence and perform classification of eight Tantadan honey bees species from Sabah that were morphologically identified through Pictorial Identification Guide and Composite Algorithm. The species involved were Tetragonula fuscobalteata, Tetragonula laeviceps, Tetragonula drescheri, Lepidotrigona cf. ventralis, Lepidotrigona terminata, Heterotrigona itama and Tetragonula melanocephala. Normally, coI gene is used as it has elevated evolutionary rates higher than nuclear genes and is more specific in discriminating between closely related taxa. However, in this study, the nuclear gene was used as only this region could be amplified from this species. DNA barcoding is a method used for identifying unknown species and taxonomic classification at the molecular level using DNA fragments found in the genome of a species that is unique for the purpose of identification. However, morphological identification is also crucial as it provides the means of observing the differences between species based on the naked eyes. The methods used were DNA extraction, amplification of 28S nuclear DNA by PCR method, DNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of DNA to complete the identification process of these species based on their genetic material. Homology search of the 28S partial gene sequences revealed only three out of eight species were in agreement with taxonomic classification but five out of eight were not. Those five species are as follows; Tetragonula laeviceps identified as Tetragonula carbonaria, Tetragonula drescheri identified as Lepidotrigona terminata, Lepidotrigona cf. ventralis identified as Tetragonula carbonaria, Heterotrigona itama identified as Heterotrigona bakeri and Tetragonula melanocephala identified as Tetragonula carbonaria. The study revealed that 28S fragment of nuclear DNA is a suitable candidate to identify Tantadan honey bees species but it was not distinct enough for specific species identification, thus the result obtained here can be used for further study with primers targeting amplification of coI gene. In a nutshell, this study successfully demonstrated the use of DNA barcode using 28S rDNA in differentiating closely related species.
Pathogenesis of most bacteria is connected to its survival within the host by adaptive regulation... more Pathogenesis of most bacteria is connected to its survival within the host by adaptive regulation of gene expression in response to alterations of the environment. Before completion of the bacterial genome sequencing data, it was thought that protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation only involves the so-called twocomponent system consisting of histidine kinase sensors and their associated response regulators. Recent evidence revealed that some prokaryotes contain protein kinases and phosphatases. In this study, three genes with sequence homology to those encoding serine/threonine kinases (pknI, pknK) and serine/threonine phosphatase (ppp) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv were cloned from a less pathogenic bacteria, Mycobacterium bovis BCG (Pasteur 1173P2) obtained from Pasteur Institute. The pknI and ppp genes were proposed to be involved in regulation of cell division and elongation while pknK gene might regulate the production of secondary metabolite in Mycobacterium. Amplifie...
Habitat disturbance and excessive collection of wild orchids from their natural habitat have thre... more Habitat disturbance and excessive collection of wild orchids from their natural habitat have threatened many orchids species at risk of extinction. In this study, the in vitro regeneration protocol for Macodes limii, a jewel orchid endemic to Sabah was established. The effects of explant source and plant growth regulators (PGRs) including naphthaleneacetic acid, picloram, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 6-benzylaminopurine, kinetin, and thidiazuron on the in vitro regeneration capacity of M. limii plantlets were examined. Both factors showed a significant interaction in promoting axillary shoot formation. Nodal explants from the third and fourth positions cultured with 1.0 mg/L TDZ, induced 95% of shoot regeneration, with an average of three shoots/explant (1.6–1.8 cm of shoot length) after 90 days of culture. The well-developed plantlets went through an acclimatization phase for 60 days with a 60% of survival rate. An inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) marker analysis confirmed th...
Biobutanol has been identified as a promising future biofuel. However, generally the extraction a... more Biobutanol has been identified as a promising future biofuel. However, generally the extraction and separation of biobutanol from the fermentation mixture is a costly process. Therefore, the idea of using acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) mixture directly as biofuel were proposed to eliminate the recovery process. ABE has been identified as a promising future biofuel. The feedstocks play an important role in the feasibility of ABE as a fuel. Lignocellulosic biomass is seen as a promising feedstock for the production of biofuels. Thus, in this review, ABE biofuel is been summarized from three aspects namely (i) selection of feedstocks, (ii) microbial selection and (iii) hydrolysis, fermentation, and purification techniques. Anaerobic fermentation together with commonly employed recovery processes are discussed in the second part of this review. This review concludes with different challenges and future research in ABE fermentation that can pave the way for future commercialization of thi...
River pollution gave significant effects by declining the quality of freshwater sources, and caus... more River pollution gave significant effects by declining the quality of freshwater sources, and cause a negative impact on the aquatic habitat and nearby aquaculture sector. Scheduled river monitoring was implemented to determine and investigate the pollution source in order to minimize the number of waste release into the river. Preliminary screening using biosensor tool considered as an effective method where capable to reduce the cost of implementation, easy to handle as well as rapid analysis. The potential use of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) purified from the brain tissue of Osteochilus hasselti as a biosensor tool for heavy metal pollution was investigated. Prior to the study, several water samples were collected from the selected state in Malaysia; Derhaka River (Penang), Perak River (Perak), Kuyuh River (Selangor), Melaka River (Malacca), Peta Waterfall (Endau-Rompin National Park, Johor), followed by filtered then brought to the laboratory immediately. AChE was extracted from t...
Several contaminant that present in the river able to be removed through the physical and chemica... more Several contaminant that present in the river able to be removed through the physical and chemical approach. However, the efficiency is still low especially to remediate the dissolved compound such pesticides, drug and heavy metal. Nowadays, river rehabilitation using a biological approach known as bioremediation gets a great attention as the treatment processes are environmentally friendly, low cost, easily to handle and portable. Moreover, the result is highly satisfactory and at the same time no cause harm to the society. This mini-review highlights the introduction application of bioremediation to clean the contaminated environment, especially river. The advantages and disadvantages were also will be discussed
Microlgae can serve as an excellent feedstock for bioethanol production. The microalgae cells of ... more Microlgae can serve as an excellent feedstock for bioethanol production. The microalgae cells of Chlorella were cultivated and acid hydrolyzed to extract the glucose content in the cells. Production of bioethanol was achieved by fermentation process with the use of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The bioethanol content was determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The effect of different parameters such as sulphuric acid concentration, temperature and time on acid hydrolysis was studied. The maximum glucose concentration of 5.382 ± 0.063 g/l was obtained with the conditions of 2.0 M sulphuric acid, 30 °C and 30 min of incubation time. On the other hand, the highest ethanol concentration of 1.126 g/l was obtained with 15% v/v yeast inoculum concentration. Meanwhile, the bioethanol production reached its maximum after 24 h with ethanol concentration and yield of 1.020 g/l and 0.190 g/g glucose, respectively.
This study aims to utilize cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) DNA sequences in the classificati... more This study aims to utilize cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) DNA sequences in the classification of 22 butterfly and 8 moth species that were morphologically identified by Entopia Penang Butterfly Farm. COI of the mitochondrial gene has been chosen for evolutionary study of butterflies and moths because COI mitochondrial gene is maternally inherited with little or no recombination. This research revealed that 20 out of 22 butterflies were correctly classified while two butterflies and three moths were misidentified after the sequences were analyzed using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST). Morphologically identified Cepora nadina (Sample ID: NCN1) was identified as Cepora iudith while Prioneris thestylis (NPT2) was identified as Prioneris philonome. Three moths; Dysphania malayanus (RDMA1), Nyctemera coleta (RNC1) and Nyctemera coleta (RNC2) were discovered as Bracca matutinata, Nyctemera regularis and Nyctemera baulus respectively. The outcome of this study further classi...
Misidentification of butterfly species can be contributed by certain factor(s) such as mimicry, s... more Misidentification of butterfly species can be contributed by certain factor(s) such as mimicry, seasonal sampling (dry/wet season), cryptic and sex dimorphism. DNA barcoding is a technique used for rapid identification of butterfly species at a molecular level based on the analysis of standardized mitochondrial DNA region. A 648 base-pair of cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI) is highly effective in identifying vertebrate and invertebrate species. Individuals of the same species will generally have very similar COI base sequence. COI is used as a DNA barcode reference due to maternal inheritance, compact structure, lack of genetic recombination and relatively fast evolutionary rate. Therefore, it is widely used in phylogenetic and evolution studies. The DNA barcode of identified butterfly species was submitted to Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD). Thirteen species belonging to Pieridae family from Entopia Penang Butterfly Farm were chosen for this study. With reference to some sam...
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