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Barramundi skin, a by-product of the fish processing industry, has shown potential as an alternative collagen source. However, the commonly used acid extraction method to produce collagen rendered a low yield requires a lengthy time and is not environmentally friendly. As a result, the adoption of greener technology, such as ultrasound, to improve the conventional extraction process is emerging. This study aimed to investigate the effect of different ultrasonication amplitudes on collagen recovery from barramundi skin. The resulting collagens were evaluated for their protein, hydroxyproline and moisture content, colour, molecular weight distribution, and FTIR spectra. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was performed at 40 (UAE40), 60 (UAE60) and 80 (UAE80) % amplitude for 20 min. For comparison, acetic acid extraction was also carried out to produce acid-soluble collagen (ASC). UAE increased the yield (p

This study aimed to investigate the physicochemical properties and crystallisation behaviour of fat blend to obtain a stable formulation of margarine. Liquefied palm oil (PO), palm stearin (PS) and palm kernel oil (PK) were mixed in four different ratios and the properties were analysed based on physicochemical properties (fatty acid composition, solid fat content (SFC) and slip melting point (SMP) and crystallisation behaviour as compared to a commercial margarine. The percentages of fatty acid (FA) composition were varied depending on the variation of type of fat and percentage of fat added. The result showed that PO:PS:PK blends of 70:10:20 gave the closest SMP (39 °C) with commercial margarine followed by 72:8:20, 75:5:20 and 70:15:15. SFC of 72:8:20 and 70:10:20 blends showed the closest to commercial margarine in the temperature range of 20–35 °C. The SFC percentage decreased significantly between 20(25 °C. From the crystallisation behavior, 70:10:20 and 70:15:15 showed the closest behaviour with commercial margarine. From the result, the blend with ratio of 70:10:20 was the most suitable fat basis formulation as it has the most similar properties and behaviour with commercial margarine. This formulation can be used as the basis for a stable margarine formulation with addition of anthocyanins from plant-based extract such as roselle extract.

Pyrostegia venusta is known as an ornamental plant with its source of antioxidants, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-HIV compounds. Ephypitic molds are potentially co-existed on the surface of this flower since it contains essential nutrients which support their growth. On the other hand, molds produce several enzymes that might involve flower growth. The presence of ephypitic molds on this flower provides information about its ability to produce amylase. This study successfully isolated molds from August flower (P. venusta) originating from Taman Nasional Bedugul, Bali, Indonesia. The study aimed to isolate potential amylase producer strains and optimize the enzyme production using Solid-State Fermentation (SSF) method. Ten mold isolates belonging to Universitas Negeri Jakarta Culture Collection (UNJCC) were selected according to their amylolytic index (IA) values, morphological identification, and colony count number. Selected strains were optimized for its growth to produce amylase using the SSF method under different temperatures (30, 40, 50°C) and pH (6, 7, 8) with a wheat brain fermentation medium. Results showed that UNJCC F100 (6.53 × 108 CFU/ml) and UNJCC F106 (9.83 x 108 CFU/ml) are the two isolates with the highest IA values of 1.34 ± 0.1 and 1.08 ± 0.12 among all isolates. Based on molecular identification using ITS region, UNJCC F100 and UNJCC F106 were identified as A. subflavus (97% homology) and A. fumigatus (99.52% homology), respectively. This study exhibited that both isolate UNJCC F100 and isolate UNJCC F106 have optimal amylase production conditions at 30°C and pH 6. The enzyme produced was 19.99 U/ml at 30°C and 34.33 U/ml at pH 6 for isolate UNJCC F100, and for isolate UNJCC F106 is 28.55±3.80 U/ml. The two isolates are potentially used for amylase production, referring to the specific environmental condition. However, to generate a higher amount with amylase activity, other external variables such as medium used, inoculum concentration, and fermentation method are important to consider further for a larger application.

At present, prebiotics, like probiotics, are receiving more attention as a promising tool for health maintenance. Many studies have recognized the role of prebiotics in preventing and treating various illnesses including metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, and allergies. Naturally, prebiotics are introduced to the human body in the first few hours of life as the mother breastfeeds the newborn. Prebiotic human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are the third largest constituent of human breastmilk. Studies have proven that HMOs modulate an infant’s microbial composition and assist in the development of the immune system. Due to some health conditions of the mother or beyond the recommended age for breastfeeding, infants are fed with formula. Few types of prebiotics have been incorporated into formula to yield similar beneficial impacts similar to breastfeeding. Synthetic HMOs have successfully mimicked the bifidogenic effects of breastmilk. However, studies on the effectiveness and safety of consumption of these synthetic HMOs are highly needed before massive commercial production. With the introduction of solid foods after breastfeeding or formula feeding, children are exposed to a range of prebiotics that contribute to further shaping and maturing their gut microbiomes and gastrointestinal function. Therefore, this review evaluates the functional role of prebiotic interventions in improving microbial compositions, allergies, and functional gastrointestinal disorders in children.

Research into biodiesel as a greener fuel alternative derived from renewable resources has been increased due to the depletion of fossil-fuel reserves, as well as growing environmental concerns. It is a cleaner alternative fuel that may be utilised in diesel engines without requiring any modifications to the engine. This document provides a synopsis of key research on the engine performance and exhaust emission characteristics of diesel engines that are fuelled with biodiesel blends, as well as the results of those investigations. Based on the engine performance tests, biodiesel blends exhibited greater brake specific fuel consumption and exhaust gas temperature than diesel fuel, but poorer braking power, torque, and thermal efficiency. When comparing engine emissions from biodiesel blends to diesel fuel, it was found that carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides were greater, but that carbon monoxide was surprisingly lower. The most significant advantage of biodiesel is that it is carbon neutral and does not contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases. It contributes to a reduction in pollution by minimising the release of dangerous and hazardous compounds into the atmosphere, as well as significantly improving the performance of the engine.

(1) Objective: The main objective of the current study was to evaluate in vitro and in vivo an antioxidant property of three genotypes of olive leaf extract (OLE) (picual, tofahi and shemlali), and furthermore to assess potential activity in the treatment and/or prevention of diabetes mellitus type II and related implications. (2) Methodology: Antioxidant activity was determined by using three different methods (DDPH assay, reducing power and nitric acid scavenging activity). In vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and hemolytic protective activity were assessed for the OLE. Five groups of male rats were used in in vivo experiment for evaluating the antidiabetic potential of OLE. (3) Results: The genotypes of the extracts of the three olive leaves exhibited meaningful phenolic and flavonoids content with superiority for picual extract (114.79 ± 4.19 µg GAE/g and 58.69 ± 1.03 µg CE/g, respectively). All three genotypes of olive leaves demonstrated significant antioxidant activity when using DPPH, reducing power and nitric oxide scavenging activity with IC50 ranging from 55.82 ± 0.13 to 19.03 ± 0.13 μg/mL. OLE showed a significant α-glucosidase inhibition activity and dose-dependent protection from hemolysis. In vivo experimentation revealed that the administration of OLE alone and the combination of OLE+ metformin clearly restored the blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin, lipid parameters and liver enzymes to the normal level. The histological examination revealed that the OLE and its combination with metformin successfully repaired the liver, kidneys and pancreatic tissues to bring them close to the normal status and maintain their functionality. (4) Conclusion: Finally, it can be concluded that the OLE and its combination with metformin is a promising treatment for diabetes mellitus type 2 due to their antioxidant activity, which emphasizes the potential use of OLE alone or as an adjuvant agent in the treatment protocol of diabetes mellitus type II.

This study reported the application of a next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis of yeast diversity in native Indonesian fruit, Durio kutejensis, collected from Borneo, Central Kalimantan. The analysis was designed to observe the microbial consortium associated with solid state fermentation (SSF) for amylase production. Together with the additional data from culture-dependent analysis, we observed the morphological features, molecular characteristics, and amylase concentration produced by each isolate. We performed Solid State Fermentation (SSF) for amylase production and the enzyme activity was then determined using UV-Vis spectrophotometer at 540 nm. Result obtained from metagenomic approach consist of 4 group that fungal species included in the Ascomycota identified as Botryosphaeria dothidea (1.35%), Lasiodiplodia crassispora (17.62%), Aureobasidium pullulans (55.02%), Paraphoma chrysanthemicola (11.38%), Preussia funiculate (1.90%), Sporormiella intermedia (0.82%), Myrothecium gramineum (1.35%), Fusarium oxysporum (6.24%), Fusarium proliferatum (3.25%) and Phialemoniopsis curvata (1.08%). The results of isolation using culturable medium in the form of YMA obtained 40 yeast isolates. A total of 40 representative isolates from durian fruit were screened, two positive amylase isolates based on clear zones formed were DU 4.2 (Candida sorboxylosa) and DU4.22 (Cyberlindnera fabianii) isolates with amylolytic index of DU 4.2 isolates at 0.24 and DU 4.22 at 0.72 with an incubation time of 48 h. The highest amylase enzyme activity was found in isolate DU 4.2 of 31.21 U / mL.

A diverse group of rhizobacteria persists in the rhizospheric soil, on the surface of roots, or in association with rice plants. These bacteria colonize plant root systems, enhance plant growth and crop yield. Indigenous rhizobacteria are known to promote soil health, grain production quality and serve as sustainable bioinoculant. The present study was aimed to isolate, identify and characterize indigenous plant growth promoting (PGP) diazotrophic bacteria associated with the rhizosphere of rice fields from different areas of Jammu and Kashmir, India. A total of 15 bacteria were isolated and evaluated for various PGP traits, antagonistic activity against phytopathogens, production of hydrolytic enzymes and biofilm formation under in-vitro conditions. The majority of the isolated bacteria were Gram-negative. Out of 15 bacterial isolates, nine isolates produced IAA (12.24 ± 2.86 to 250.3 ± 1.15 μg/ml), 6 isolates exhibited phosphate solubilization activity (36.69 ± 1.63 to 312.4 ± 1.15 μg/ml), 7 isolates exhibited rock phosphate solubilization while 5 isolates solubilized zinc (10–18 mm), 7 isolates showed siderophore production, 8 isolates exhibited HCN production, 6 isolates exhibited aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase activity, 13 isolates exhibited cellulase activity, nine isolates exhibited amylase and lipase activity and six isolates exhibited chitinase activity. In addition, 5 isolates showed amplification with the nifH gene and showed a significant amount of nitrogenase activity in a range of 0.127–4.39 μmol C2H4/mg protein/h. Five isolates viz., IHK-1, IHK-3, IHK-13, IHK-15 and IHK-25 exhibited most PGP attributes and successfully limited the mycelial growth of Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum in-vitro. All the five bacterial isolates were identified based on morphological, biochemical and 16S rDNA gene sequencing study, as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Enterobacter sp., Bacillus sp., Ochrobactrum haematophilum and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Rice plants developed from seeds inoculated with these PGP strains individually had considerably higher germination percentage, seed vigor index and total dry biomass when compared to control. These findings strongly imply that the PGP diazotrophic bacteria identified in this work could be employed as plant growth stimulators in rice.

Plants roots are colonized by soil inhabitants known as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which increase plant productivity, and enhance carbon storage in the soil. We found mycorrhizal vesicles, arbuscles, and mycelium in the root of more than 89% of the selected plants of University of Rajshahi campus, Bangladesh. The rate of their presence differed in plant to plant of a family and different families. The highest root colonization (98±1.0%) was found to be present in Xanthium strumarium (Asteraceae). Mycorrhiza was not found in the root of Sphagneticola calendulacea (Asteraceae), Cestrun nocturnum (Solanaceae), Acacia nilotica and Acacia catechu (Mimosoidae), Rorippa nasturtium, Brassica oleracla var botrytis (Brasicaceae), Punica granatum (Lythraceae), Tecoma capensis (Bignoniacea), Spinacia oleracia (Chenopodiaceae), Chenopodium album (Goosefoot). Result of soil analysis reveals that the rhizospheric soils were deficient in nutrients which might be suitable for mycorrhizal symbiosis with plants. In the rhizospheric soils, 22 species of Glomus, Scutelospora, Gigaspora, Archaeospora, and Acullospora were found. We also found the genera 'Glomus' dominance in the plant root and rhizospheric soil. So, it can be concluded that the highly colonized roots as well as spores can be used to prepare mycorrhizal inoculum for future purposes.

This study reports on a novel technique to enhance the high cell mass and viable cell counts of the heterofermentative probiotic strain, Limosilactobacillus reuteri. This is the first report on the cultivation of L. reuteri, which was incorporated with weak base anion-exchange resins to remove the accumulating lactic acid in the fermentation broth. Two anion-exchange resins—Amberlite IRA 67 and IRA 96—were found to have a high adsorption capacity with lactic acid. Batch fermentation and fed-batch cultivation were further analyzed using IRA 67 resins, as this application resulted in a higher maximum number of viable cells. The in situ application of anion-exchange resins was found to create shear stress, and thus, it does not promote growth of L. reuteri; therefore, an external and integrated resin column system was proposed. The viable cell count from batch fermentation, when incorporated with the integrated resin column, was improved by 71 times (3.89 × 1011 ± 0.07 CFU mL−1) compared with control batch fermentation (5.35 × 109 ± 0.32 CFU mL−1), without the addition of resins. The growth improvement was achieved due to the high adsorption rate of lactic acid, which was recorded by the integrated IRA 67 resin system, and coupled with the stirred tank bioreactor batch fermentation process.

Fruit juice may function as functional drink to improve human immune system. Fresh fruit-based functional drink contains high number of bioactive compounds, but it also may contain harmful microorganisms. The first objective of this work was to study the effect of ultrasonic amplitude and processing time on the microbial content and antioxidant activities of novel black mulberry-pineapple-mango functional drink. The second objective was to optimise the ultrasonic processing condition of the juice. Ultrasonic method was chosen in this study because it is a non-thermal processing technique which requires less energy consumption with shorter processing time. The study was conducted using Response Surface Methodology with ultrasonic amplitude (50 to 100 %) and processing time (4 to 12 min) as the investigated factors. The results show that ultrasonic treatment was able to reduce the microbial content yet maintained the antioxidant properties of the juice. The microbial content was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased, total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activities (DPPH scavenging and FRAP) were significantly increased (p < 0.05) when high amplitude was applied. Increasing the processing time beyond 8.00 min was shown to cause negative impact towards total phenolic content and antioxidant activities of the drink. From optimisation, the best sonication condition for obtaining black mulberry-pineapple-mango functional drink with the lowest microbial content of 0.002 CFU/ml and highest TPC of 632.54 mg GAE/100 g, DPPH scavenging activity of 92.81 % and FRAP of 0.5127 mmol Fe2+/100 g is at amplitude of 100 % and processing time of 8.00 min. From the study, it can be concluded that ultrasonic processing is a potential alternative for fruit-based functional drink pasteurization.

Swietenia macrophylla is a large deciduous tree that mainly grows in open rain forests. Its seeds reportedly have many medical efficacies, such as antidiabetic properties and antioxidative effects. This study used ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and Central Composite Design (CCD) Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to optimise the oil yield extracted from S. macrophylla seed. The properties of the extracted S. macrophylla seed oil, namely antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds, were also examined. For the CCD RSM, the seed oil yield was set as the response while the parameters for optimization were solid-to-solvent (SS) ratio (1:3, 1:4, and 1:5), amplitude (70 %, 80 %, and 90 %), and extraction time (5 min, 10 min, and 15 min). The optimum oil yield extracted via UAE was then subjected to several analyses. First, the oil's DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity was analysed to determine antioxidant activity. Then, Gas chromatography–Mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was used to evaluate the oil's bioactive compounds (methyl ester fatty acids). The UAE method extracted the optimum yield (27.68 ± 0.3 wt%) of S. macrophylla seed oil under the following conditions: 1:4.5 S/S ratio, 90 % amplitude, and 14.4 min extraction time. The analysis of antioxidant activity revealed a DPPH radical scavenging activity of 87.96 ± 0.04 %. The GC-MS analysis revealed several fatty acids in the oil, including arachidonic acids, stearic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid. This study shows that UAE is a promising method for extracting S. macrophylla seed oil and that S. macrophylla is a potential oral hypoglycaemic agent that could be used for pharmaceutical applications.

The bacterial soft rot and vascular wilt of sugar beet are the major diseases of sugar crops globally induced by Pectobacterium betavasculorum and P. carotovorum subsp. carotovorum (Pcc). The control of this bacterial disease is a severe problem, and only a few copper-based chemical bactericides are available for this disease. Because of the limitations of chemicals to control plant bacterial pathogens, the essential oils and extracts have been considered one of the best alternative strategies for their control. In this study, twenty-seven essential oils and twenty-nine plant extracts were extracted and evaluated for their antibacterial activities against Pectobacterium betavasculorum isolate C3, using the agar diffusion method at 0.01%, 0.1%, and 100% (v/v). Pure Pimpinella anisum L. oil exhibited the most anti-bacterial activity among three different concentrations of essential oils and extracts, followed by Thymus vulgaris L. oil and Rosa multiflora Thunb. extract. The efficacy of effective essential oils and extracts on Ic1 cultivar of sugar beet seeds germination and seedling growth in vivo also were tested. The seed germination of the Ic1 cultivar was inhibited at all the concentrations of essential oils used. Only extracts of Rosa multiflora Thunb., Brassica oleracea L., Lactuca serriola L., Salvia rosmarinus Spenn., Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. and L.M.Perry, Eucalyptus globulus Labill., and essential oils of Ocmium basilicum L., Pimpinella anisum L., and Mentha× piperita L.L. in 0.1% concentration had no inhibition on seed germination and could improve seedling growth. This is the first report of the antibacterial activity of essential oils and extracts on Pectobacterium betavasculorum.

Acidobacteria represents an underrepresented soil bacterial phylum whose members are pervasive and copiously distributed across nearly all ecosystems. Acidobacterial sequences are abundant in soils and represent a significant fraction of soil microbial community. Being recalcitrant and difficult-to-cultivate under laboratory conditions, holistic, polyphasic approaches are required to study these refractive bacteria extensively. Acidobacteria possesses an inventory of genes involved in diverse metabolic pathways, as evidenced by their pan-genomic profiles. Because of their preponderance and ubiquity in the soil, speculations have been made regarding their dynamic roles in vital ecological processes viz., regulation of biogeochemical cycles, decomposition of biopolymers, exopolysaccharide secretion, and plant growth promotion. These bacteria are expected to have genes that might help in survival and competitive colonization in the rhizosphere, leading to the establishment of beneficial relationships with plants. Exploration of these genetic attributes and more in-depth insights into the belowground mechanics and dynamics would lead to a better understanding of the functions and ecological significance of this enigmatic phylum in the soil-plant environment. This review is an effort to provide a recent update into the diversity of genes in Acidobacteria useful for characterization, understanding ecological roles, and future biotechnological perspectives.

Human breast milk (HBM) is unique in its composition as it is adapted to fulfil the newborns’ nutritional requirement and helps in improving the health of newborns. Besides various nutrients, the human milk also contains diverse group of microbiotas. The human milk microbiota has a remarkable impact on the growth and development of a newborn. Additionally, the human milk microbiota enhances the colonization of microbes in the gut of infants. Debates about the origin of HBM microbial flora remain premature and contradictory in some cases. Recent data suggest that the maternal gut microbiota has a major impact on microbial composition, areolar skin, and from the infant’s oral cavity. The current review investigates the possible route of microbial transfer from the maternal gut to mammary gland and suggests that it might occur through the entero-mammary pathway. It involves precise selection of probiotic microorganisms from the gut, as the human gut hosts trillions of microorganisms involved in gut homeostasis and other metabolic pathways. Gastrointestinal lymphatic vessels, macrophages, and dendritic cells are shown to play a significant role in the microbial transmission. Furthermore, the role of microbial factors in the development of neonatal immunity and translocation of secretory IgA (SIgA) cells from the intestinal lumen to GALT and finally to mammary glands via entero-mammary link are discussed.

Probiotics, a term that means “promoting life” where living microbes regulate the microbiota of a host body compartment. Hence, it conferring health-promoting activities to the host. Current research has provided strong evidence that probiotics microorganisms are beneficial for human health, aquaculture and animal. The use of probiotics is increasing dramatically due to a better understanding of their beneficial effects. This review emphasized on revising the existing data for the potential beneficial effect of probiotics on human, aquatic and animal for different species of probiotics. Consumption of probiotics increase with overall potential welfares such as antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal activity, immunomodulatory abilities to enhance health and welfare of human, aquaculture and animal. This review could contribute towards future studied to further puzzle out the mechanisms of probiotics action. Hence, the selection criteria for potential probiotics will be well defined in the future.

Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng is a medicinal herb with bioactive compounds and known to have pharmacological properties. To obtain the extract of this herb, efficient extraction technique with high extraction rates is needed. Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) is a green extraction technique with shorter irradiation time, less solvent used and lower CO2 emission compared to other conventional extraction methods. The objective of the study was to determine the optimum operating extraction condition of P. amboinicus using MAE by varying the irradiation time, solvent concentration and solvent-to-solid ratio to obtain optimum yield extract and conducted using response surface methodology (RSM). The extract obtained at optimum condition was characterized for its antioxidant properties. The RSM results show that the optimum condition of P. amboinicus extraction was at 2 min, 30 % ethanol concentration and solvent-to-solid ratio at 30 mL/g with yield extract obtained at 39.81 wt %. The result antioxidants activity of the P. amboinicus extract showed IC50 value of 4.63 mg/mL while the inhibition of DPPH radical scavenging activity from the trolox standard was 5.48 ± 0.77 mg trolox equivalents (TEQ)/g extract. The study proved MAE is a better alternative compared to conventional extraction method with 16.8 % higher yield and the extract of P. amboinicus can be potentially applied in healthcare and pharmaceutical industry.

Halo-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have the inherent potential to cope up with salinity. Thus, they can be used as an effective strategy in enhancing the productivity of saline agro-systems. In this study, a total of 50 isolates were screened from the rhizospheric soil of plants growing in the salt range of Pakistan. Out of these, four isolates were selected based on their salinity tolerance and plant growth promotion characters. These isolates (SR1. SR2, SR3, and SR4) were identified as Bacillus sp. (KF719179), Azospirillum brasilense (KJ194586), Azospirillum lipoferum (KJ434039), and Pseudomonas stutzeri (KJ685889) by 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis. In vitro, these strains, in alone and in a consortium, showed better production of compatible solute and phytohormones, including indole acetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA), cytokinin (CK), and abscisic acid (ABA), in culture conditions under salt stress. When tested for inoculation, the consortium of all four strains showed the best results in terms of improved plant biomass and relative water content. Consortium-inoculated wheat plants showed tolerance by reduced electrolyte leakage and increased production of chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll, and osmolytes, including soluble sugar, proline, amino acids, and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase), upon exposure to salinity stress (150 mM NaCl). In conclusion, plant growth-promoting bacteria, isolated from salt-affected regions, have strong potential to mitigate the deleterious effects of salt stress in wheat crop, when inoculated. Therefore, this consortium can be used as potent inoculants for wheat crop under prevailing stress conditions.

Dark Septate Endophytes (DSE) are a group of ascomycetes that live in intracellular and extracellular root tissue to facilitate plant growth and stress tolerance in extreme environments. However, little is known about the DSE fungi isolated from certain plant roots such as Pteris vittata, especially under drought condition. Pteris vittata is known for its ability to live in various types of substrates and ecosystems. In this study, we obtained DSE fungi from the fern roots Pteris vittata collected from the area of Universitas Negeri Jakarta. DSE isolation was carried out by inoculating the Pteris vittata fern roots with a size of 0.5 cm on the surface of sterilized PDA media for 5-7 days at 27°C. Observations were made every 24 hours using a stereo microscope to see the first hyphae appeared from the plant roots. The results exhibited 13 samples of roots with hyphae colonization and were suspected to be DSE fungi. Of the 13 root isolates, only 3 isolate (PP2, PP4A, and PPB) showed the DSE growth (23%) with melanin pigment. The morphological characteristics of endophytic DSE fungi collected from Pteris vittata roots represented septate hyphae, brownish to black colony color, a growing zone, and a velvety texture. For the isolate PP2, it showed sclerotia while for the isolate PP4, it exhibited light brown colonies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of pathogenic molds in post-harvested cocoa beans poses a significant problem to most Indonesian farmers. Pathogenic molds secrete phytopathogenic toxins which cause rotting, seriously damaging the cocoa fruits. The common pathogenic molds found in damaged cocoa beans are Phytophthora palmivora and Phytophthora megakarya. These molds are so far controlled by using chemical pesticides, whose long-term use is potentially harmful to human health and the environment. Thus, a healthier and safer alternative is needed, especially using biological agents such as yeasts. Some yeasts produce cellulose-degrading enzymes that can possibly break down the fungal cell wall which is composed mostly of the polysaccharide's chitin and glucan. In this study, yeasts were isolated during the cocoa fermentation process, followed by screening for cellulolytic activity using direct planting and paste method, and subsequent antagonistic testing by double culture technique. Out of 128 yeast isolates, 77 possessed cellulase activity, with 6 of them having the highest activity index. Antagonistic activity test of these 6 isolates (C1.0.4, C1.1.3, C2.3.10, C2.3.14, C3.5.11, and C3.3.1) against the pathogenic molds resulted in isolate C3.3.1 showing the highest inhibition percentage from the 2nd to 8th day of incubation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mold is one of the microorganisms that causes damage to cocoa fruit because it produces mycotoxins as secondary metabolites that can decrease the crop yield. One type of pathogenic mold that destroys cocoa fruit is Aspergillus flavus. A. flavus produces aflatoxin B1 which is the most potent hepatotoxin and carcinogen to humans. Amongst the most effective ways to avoid alpha-toxin contamination in cocoa beans is to inhibit the growth of A. flavus in the beans. However, the use of pesticides and fungicides can increase the development of resistant strains of fungi and have a negative impact on the environment and human health. Therefore, we need other alternatives such as bio-control agents using antagonistic microorganisms, including yeasts. Thus, this study aims to characterize yeasts isolated from the fermented cocoa beans (Theobroma cacao) from Lampung, Indonesia, and evaluate their ability to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus flavus UNJCCF-55. The methods used were yeast screening, dual culture technique for antagonistic test, and morphological characterization. The 37° C-growth screening gave 89 out of 98 yeast isolates. The subsequent antagonist test resulted in 13 isolates with the highest inhibition zone against A. flavus UNJCCF-55. These yeast isolates were macroscopically of smooth surface, butyrous texture, milky white color, irregular edges, and convex elevation. Microscopic observation showed that the isolates have oval cell shape, asexual reproduction of budding, and non-hyphae structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]