Journal of Tropical Biology & Conservation (JTBC)
A study on orchids diversity was carried out in the Sungai Kangkawat, Imbak Canyon Conservation A... more A study on orchids diversity was carried out in the Sungai Kangkawat, Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA), Sabah, Malaysia. The study aimed to record species composition and distribution of orchids in the furtherance of orchid conservation objective in the gazetted conservation area. A total of 95 species and 30 genera were collected from South Rim, Kawang, and Nepenthes trails. The collection consists of 91 epiphytes, two terrestrials, and two mycoheterotrophs. More orchids were found in the riverine than inland areas. Our study on the species composition based on the vegetation types shows that the presence of inconspicuous and achlorophyllous, either mycoheterotrophic or leafless epiphytic orchids, are indicators of the undisturbed vegetation types. Though the finding was preliminary and brief, our encounter of endemic and rare species underlines the importance of Sungai Kangkawat forest area as an orchid biodiversity hotspot.
Journal of Tropical Biology & Conservation (JTBC)
Etlingera coccinea (Blume) S. Sakai & Nagam is a member of Zingiberaceae family. It is commonly k... more Etlingera coccinea (Blume) S. Sakai & Nagam is a member of Zingiberaceae family. It is commonly known as ‘Tuhau’ in Sabah, Malaysia and consumed as a local delicacy and used as a traditional remedy for stomachache, food poisoning, and gastric problems. The plant has been reported to have bioactive properties such as anticancer, antioxidant and antibacterial. Due to the high demand for this bioactive compound in national and international markets, chemical profiling of leaves, stems and rhizomes from E. coccinea was carried out. Eight germplasms were collected from Trail 1 (Kg. Gensurai) and Trail 2 (Kg. Melangkap Noriou) and submitted to the hydrodistillation process to obtain the essential oil before analysing with GC-MS. From the result obtained, a total of 85 compounds were found and 26 of these were terpenoid compounds. There are several classes of compound present in different parts of E. coccinea, such as, monoterpene, sesquiterpene, alcohol, aldehyde, alkane, alkene, ketones,...
Journal of Tropical Biology & Conservation (JTBC)
A brief orchid diversity study was conducted from 14th to 19th October 2019 in Kadamaian, located... more A brief orchid diversity study was conducted from 14th to 19th October 2019 in Kadamaian, located northwest of Kinabalu area, through a scientific geographic expedition. A convenience sampling method was employed with only the flowering individuals collected and preserved as herbarium specimens. A total of 58 species and 32 genera were identified during the field visits to the Mount Nopungguk, Melangkap Noriou, Ulu Sungai Melawa, and basecamp site. The finding comprises of 43 epiphytes, 13 terrestrials, and two mycoheterotrophs. Appendicula congesta, Bulbophyllum disjunctum, Dendrobium kiauense, and Goodyera rostellata are species endemic to Borneo found during the expedition along with Crepidium multiflorum, a hyper-endemic species to Kinabalu area. Several rare species which narrowly distributed to primary forest habitat were discovered, including jewel orchids; Cystorchis variegata var. variegata and Anoectochilus geniculatus, and two mycoheterotrophs; Aphyllorchis pallida and Le...
Journal of Tropical Biology & Conservation (JTBC)
This study was conducted to identify the type of soil texture, and its relationship with Tetrasti... more This study was conducted to identify the type of soil texture, and its relationship with Tetrastigma sp., a host of the Rafflesia sp. in Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia. The soil samples were collected from five study areas: Losou Podi, Losou Minunsud, Sayap Substation, Langanan and Gansurai. The plot was selected when the host exhibited traits of being infected by Rafflesia, either by the presence of buds, flowers or residual scar marks found on the host. The result reveals that the soil in the habitat of Rafflesia sp. and their host is sandy loam type, with a high volume of sand compared to silt and clay, between 65.40-79.25%. The soil moisture in the area is low, ranging from 14.89% to 27.96%. The soil in the plots was less fertile due to low value of soil organic matters (1.12-1.40%), with slightly acidic soil pH value (4.08-4.73). The most abundant elements contained in the soil were Fe, Al and Mg. The different Rafflesia habitats were observed to have a relationship with differ...
Journal of Tropical Biology & Conservation (JTBC)
A preliminary survey of the diversity of gingers (Zingiberaceae) was conducted in Kadamaian, Kota... more A preliminary survey of the diversity of gingers (Zingiberaceae) was conducted in Kadamaian, Kota Belud from 14th to 19th October, 2019. Wild ginger species is utilized widely as one of the most important material in traditional medicine among indigenous people of Sabah. However, few of these plant species have been studied for their chemical constituents and beneficial properties. In order to investigate the compound composition, the essential oil from Etlingera brevilabrum, Alpinia nieuwenhuizii and Hornstedtia havilandii were screened. The essential oil was obtained from leaves, stems and rhizomes of the plant through hydro-distillation and analysed for their chemical composition through Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The result of this study indicated that the chemical constituents of all three parts for all species are similar; all have terpenoids (monoterpene and sesquiterpene), aldehyde, hydrocarbon, ketone and alcohol in the essential oil extracts. GC-MS analy...
Walailak Journal of Science and Technology (WJST), 2021
Phalaenopsis bellina is an attractive orchid due to its unique appearance and distinctive floral ... more Phalaenopsis bellina is an attractive orchid due to its unique appearance and distinctive floral fragrance. Many past studies on this plant focused on the plant at the molecular level; however, this requires sufficient quantities of high-quality P. bellina RNA. RNA is more delicate to manipulate than DNA due to its structural instability and its vulnerability to various secondary metabolites, such as polyphenols and polysaccharides. Therefore, in this study, 4 RNA isolation methods, a modified phenol-chloroform method and 3 commercial kits (Vivantis, Novogene, and Analytik Jena) were used on the leaves and flowers of P. bellina for comparison. The yield and purity of the total RNA were determined using spectrophotometry. The results showed that the total RNA isolated using the modified phenol-chloroform method had the highest yield (1223.75±68.51 ng/µL) and purity compared to the 3 commercial kits, with an OD260/280 value of 2.07 and an OD260/230 value of 2.26, respectively. In part...
Phalaenopsis bellina, is an orchid widely known for their distinctive fragrance. Of late, fragran... more Phalaenopsis bellina, is an orchid widely known for their distinctive fragrance. Of late, fragrant orchids are getting more attention from Orchid breeders for their horticultural market value. Although volatile compounds have been identified in several orchid species, the floral scent emission of P. bellina is far from understood. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the influence of different timing and floral development stages on the volatile emissions from P. bellina flowers using Solid Phase Micro Extraction (SPME) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The volatile compound was extracted during morning and afternoon sessions from three different floral developmental stages. The volatile compounds emitted from flowers from two different sessions were trapped with SPME fiber for 30 minutes before directly injected into GC-MS for identification. Results showed that approximately 79 volatile compounds were identified, with the terpenoid presented as the ...
Journal of Tropical Biology & Conservation (JTBC)
A study on orchids diversity was carried out in the Sungai Kangkawat, Imbak Canyon Conservation A... more A study on orchids diversity was carried out in the Sungai Kangkawat, Imbak Canyon Conservation Area (ICCA), Sabah, Malaysia. The study aimed to record species composition and distribution of orchids in the furtherance of orchid conservation objective in the gazetted conservation area. A total of 95 species and 30 genera were collected from South Rim, Kawang, and Nepenthes trails. The collection consists of 91 epiphytes, two terrestrials, and two mycoheterotrophs. More orchids were found in the riverine than inland areas. Our study on the species composition based on the vegetation types shows that the presence of inconspicuous and achlorophyllous, either mycoheterotrophic or leafless epiphytic orchids, are indicators of the undisturbed vegetation types. Though the finding was preliminary and brief, our encounter of endemic and rare species underlines the importance of Sungai Kangkawat forest area as an orchid biodiversity hotspot.
Journal of Tropical Biology & Conservation (JTBC)
Etlingera coccinea (Blume) S. Sakai & Nagam is a member of Zingiberaceae family. It is commonly k... more Etlingera coccinea (Blume) S. Sakai & Nagam is a member of Zingiberaceae family. It is commonly known as ‘Tuhau’ in Sabah, Malaysia and consumed as a local delicacy and used as a traditional remedy for stomachache, food poisoning, and gastric problems. The plant has been reported to have bioactive properties such as anticancer, antioxidant and antibacterial. Due to the high demand for this bioactive compound in national and international markets, chemical profiling of leaves, stems and rhizomes from E. coccinea was carried out. Eight germplasms were collected from Trail 1 (Kg. Gensurai) and Trail 2 (Kg. Melangkap Noriou) and submitted to the hydrodistillation process to obtain the essential oil before analysing with GC-MS. From the result obtained, a total of 85 compounds were found and 26 of these were terpenoid compounds. There are several classes of compound present in different parts of E. coccinea, such as, monoterpene, sesquiterpene, alcohol, aldehyde, alkane, alkene, ketones,...
Journal of Tropical Biology & Conservation (JTBC)
A brief orchid diversity study was conducted from 14th to 19th October 2019 in Kadamaian, located... more A brief orchid diversity study was conducted from 14th to 19th October 2019 in Kadamaian, located northwest of Kinabalu area, through a scientific geographic expedition. A convenience sampling method was employed with only the flowering individuals collected and preserved as herbarium specimens. A total of 58 species and 32 genera were identified during the field visits to the Mount Nopungguk, Melangkap Noriou, Ulu Sungai Melawa, and basecamp site. The finding comprises of 43 epiphytes, 13 terrestrials, and two mycoheterotrophs. Appendicula congesta, Bulbophyllum disjunctum, Dendrobium kiauense, and Goodyera rostellata are species endemic to Borneo found during the expedition along with Crepidium multiflorum, a hyper-endemic species to Kinabalu area. Several rare species which narrowly distributed to primary forest habitat were discovered, including jewel orchids; Cystorchis variegata var. variegata and Anoectochilus geniculatus, and two mycoheterotrophs; Aphyllorchis pallida and Le...
Journal of Tropical Biology & Conservation (JTBC)
This study was conducted to identify the type of soil texture, and its relationship with Tetrasti... more This study was conducted to identify the type of soil texture, and its relationship with Tetrastigma sp., a host of the Rafflesia sp. in Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia. The soil samples were collected from five study areas: Losou Podi, Losou Minunsud, Sayap Substation, Langanan and Gansurai. The plot was selected when the host exhibited traits of being infected by Rafflesia, either by the presence of buds, flowers or residual scar marks found on the host. The result reveals that the soil in the habitat of Rafflesia sp. and their host is sandy loam type, with a high volume of sand compared to silt and clay, between 65.40-79.25%. The soil moisture in the area is low, ranging from 14.89% to 27.96%. The soil in the plots was less fertile due to low value of soil organic matters (1.12-1.40%), with slightly acidic soil pH value (4.08-4.73). The most abundant elements contained in the soil were Fe, Al and Mg. The different Rafflesia habitats were observed to have a relationship with differ...
Journal of Tropical Biology & Conservation (JTBC)
A preliminary survey of the diversity of gingers (Zingiberaceae) was conducted in Kadamaian, Kota... more A preliminary survey of the diversity of gingers (Zingiberaceae) was conducted in Kadamaian, Kota Belud from 14th to 19th October, 2019. Wild ginger species is utilized widely as one of the most important material in traditional medicine among indigenous people of Sabah. However, few of these plant species have been studied for their chemical constituents and beneficial properties. In order to investigate the compound composition, the essential oil from Etlingera brevilabrum, Alpinia nieuwenhuizii and Hornstedtia havilandii were screened. The essential oil was obtained from leaves, stems and rhizomes of the plant through hydro-distillation and analysed for their chemical composition through Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The result of this study indicated that the chemical constituents of all three parts for all species are similar; all have terpenoids (monoterpene and sesquiterpene), aldehyde, hydrocarbon, ketone and alcohol in the essential oil extracts. GC-MS analy...
Walailak Journal of Science and Technology (WJST), 2021
Phalaenopsis bellina is an attractive orchid due to its unique appearance and distinctive floral ... more Phalaenopsis bellina is an attractive orchid due to its unique appearance and distinctive floral fragrance. Many past studies on this plant focused on the plant at the molecular level; however, this requires sufficient quantities of high-quality P. bellina RNA. RNA is more delicate to manipulate than DNA due to its structural instability and its vulnerability to various secondary metabolites, such as polyphenols and polysaccharides. Therefore, in this study, 4 RNA isolation methods, a modified phenol-chloroform method and 3 commercial kits (Vivantis, Novogene, and Analytik Jena) were used on the leaves and flowers of P. bellina for comparison. The yield and purity of the total RNA were determined using spectrophotometry. The results showed that the total RNA isolated using the modified phenol-chloroform method had the highest yield (1223.75±68.51 ng/µL) and purity compared to the 3 commercial kits, with an OD260/280 value of 2.07 and an OD260/230 value of 2.26, respectively. In part...
Phalaenopsis bellina, is an orchid widely known for their distinctive fragrance. Of late, fragran... more Phalaenopsis bellina, is an orchid widely known for their distinctive fragrance. Of late, fragrant orchids are getting more attention from Orchid breeders for their horticultural market value. Although volatile compounds have been identified in several orchid species, the floral scent emission of P. bellina is far from understood. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the influence of different timing and floral development stages on the volatile emissions from P. bellina flowers using Solid Phase Micro Extraction (SPME) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The volatile compound was extracted during morning and afternoon sessions from three different floral developmental stages. The volatile compounds emitted from flowers from two different sessions were trapped with SPME fiber for 30 minutes before directly injected into GC-MS for identification. Results showed that approximately 79 volatile compounds were identified, with the terpenoid presented as the ...
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Papers by Ahmad Asnawi Mus