Current Research on Biosciences and Biotechnology

Anti-HBsAg IgY polyclonal antibodies potential as capture antibody for HBsAg detection kit development

2024-01-15T04:49:02+00:00

Hepatitis B, affecting about 296 million globally, is a significant concern, with Indonesia ranking second in Southeast Asia for case numbers. The disease's latent initial phase, devoid of early symptoms upon hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, highlights the demand for precise diagnostics. This research aimed to develop anti-HBsAg polyclonal antibodies (pAb) for application as capture agents within a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Chicken egg-derived IgY antibodies have advantages over mammalian ones due to simpler extraction and higher yield. In a study involving 21-week-old chickens, four intramuscular injections of 500 µg HBsAg antigen in Freund's adjuvant were administered at two-week intervals. Eggs as IgY source were collected daily and then IgY was isolated from eggyolk using polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation. The Bradford method was used to measure the total protein concentration, while the existence of IgY and pAb specific IgY against Anti-HBsAg was verified through SDS-PAGE and sandwich ELISA using HRP as a reporter, respectively. The resulting SDS-PAGE showed two distinct IgY bands: a 68 kDa heavy chain and a 23 kDa light chain. Using these anti-HBsAg IgY antibodies as capturing agents, the slightly elevation of IgY pAb against HBsAg level has been identified within the second week following the initial immunization. Subsequently, from the third to the eighth week, antibody levels escalated significantly, ranging from 2 to 13-fold higher than those observed in the second week. These findings suggest the potential use of IgY pAb as effective capture antibodies in sandwich ELISA for HBsAg antigen detection.

The influence of chitosan on plant growth and β-sitosterol content in adventitious roots of Talinum paniculatum in NFT hydroponic cultivation system

2024-03-06T00:49:35+00:00

β-sitosterol is the most abundant type of phytosterol found in nature and it offers numerous health benefits for humans including anticancer, antidiabetic, and blood cholesterol-lowering properties. One biomass with a significant β-sitosterol content is the Javanese ginseng root (Talinum paniculatum). However, Javanese ginseng has not been fully exploited and is often perceived as a mere wild plant. This research was conducted by cultivating Javanese ginseng using the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) hydroponic method along with the addition of chitosan elicitors at various concentrations: 0, 12.5, 25, and 50 ppm. The purpose of this research was to determine the optimal chitosan concentration for the growth of Javanese ginseng, the β-sitosterol content, and the productivity of β-sitosterol in Javanese ginseng roots cultivated using the NFT hydroponic method. The research revealed that a 12.5 ppm chitosan concentration could increase the root weight by 8.785 g and the shoot weight by 88 g. The growth rate increased to 3.457 g/day and the productivity of β-sitosterol in the roots reached 25.084 mg/m2/month. On the other hand, the addition of chitosan led to a decrease in the root-to-shoot ratio, indicating an improved cultivation environment compared to cultivation without chitosan. Furthermore, the results of the research also indicated that the addition of chitosan did not affect the β-sitosterol content in the Javanese ginseng roots. Therefore, it can be concluded that the optimal chitosan concentration that positively impacts Javanese ginseng cultivated using the NFT hydroponic method is 12.5 ppm.

The effect of paraquat dichloride and carbosulfan on soil conditions and population dynamic of soil microbes in a cornfield: a case study in Sumedang, West Java

2024-03-01T05:50:27+00:00

Paraquat dichloride (PC) is one of the herbicides active ingredients that is widely used by farmers to control various types of weeds, while carbosulfan (CS) is one of the insecticide’s active ingredients that is widely used to control various types of insect pests. The objective of this study is to analyze the impact of pesticides for PC and CS on the chemical and physical conditions of the soil and the dynamics of fungi and soil bacteria population in a corn field in Sumedang district, West Java. The experiment took place between August and October, during the dry season, concluding just as the rainy season began. The PC concentrations used were 0 mL/L, 3.33 mL/L, 4 mL/L, 4.66 mL/L and 5.33 mL/L, while the CS concentrations used were 0 mL/L, 0.5 mL/L, 1 mL/L, 1.5 mL/L and 2 mL/L. Soil sampling was conducted before and after the application of pesticides. The total abundance of fungi and bacteria was analyzed using the total plate count (TPC) method. The application of PC to the cornfield slightly decreased soil bulk density from 1.354 g/cm³ to 0.816 g/cm³, while the application of CS slightly increased soil bulk density. A decrease in bulk density is considered positive for the physical conditions of the soil for plant cultivation. In general, the result indicated that the application of PC and CS did not show a significant effect on the chemical characteristics of the soil, and also it did not affect the population of fungi and bacteria. Weather conditions, i.e. dry season (June-September) and rainy season (started from October) seem to affect more on soil conditions as well soil microbial population than the application of the pesticides.

Evaluating complete silage for goat feeding in Gorontalo, Indonesia

2024-02-29T15:13:12+00:00

Forage shortages and inconsistent quality in developing countries pose significant challenges to the small ruminant sector. Feeding ruminants with conserved forages is crucial to address this issue and ensure successful ruminant management in developing countries. The use of sorghum crops mixed with grasses as fermentation feed has gained thought because of its high protein efficiency, relatively high digestible energy, and total digestible nutrients. Therefore, this study aimed to determine feed intake, nutrient digestibility, and growth performance in Gorontalo local goats fed complete silage with varying levels of mixed concentrations of sorghum straw with grasses. Sixteen male Gorontalo local goats were preferred from the local area and randomly divided into four groups using a completely randomized design (CRD). Over 84 days, four different complete silage diets (T1, T2, T3, and T4) were given to goats. The goats' daily nutrient intake, digestibility, and growth performance were analyzed. The T1 diet consisted of 30% grass and 60% sorghum straw, the T2 diet included 20% grass and 70% sorghum straw, the T3 diet contained 10% grass and 60% sorghum straw, and the T4 diet had no grass and 90% sorghum straw. The study found that the dry matter intake (DMI) of goats ranged from 330.2 to 335.1 g/day, approximately 3% of their body weight. The digestibility values of dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and energy decreased as the amount of sorghum straw in the silage rations increased. The average daily gain (ADG) (gr/day) in T1, T2, T3, and T4 was affected, with T1 showing the highest ADG (43.2) and T4 showing the lowest (40.3). The Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) value was also influenced, with T1 and T2 showing the best FCR (7.8 and 7.7) and T3 showing the worst (8.2). Based on these findings, it is recommended to limit the amount of sorghum straw to 60%-70% in complete silage for local goats in Gorontalo, especially in tropical areas where goats are common and sorghum is readily available.

Antibiotic consumption and antibiotics occurrence into the environment: a case study of hospital in Metro, Lampung

2024-03-06T00:51:13+00:00

Increased antibiotic consumption has exposed bacterial communities and environmental ecosystems to large amounts of antibiotic residues derived from the excretion of irrationally consumed antibiotics. This study provides an overview of antibiotic consumption patterns in hospital inpatients and the distribution of residues released into the environment. Medical record data was used to calculate the amount of consumption from hospital inpatients, and based on the type of antibiotics that have a DU90% value, ecotoxicological risk calculations were carried out to estimate the level of danger that occurs in the environment. A total of 27 types of antibiotics were prescribed, with a total consumption of 20504.42 Kg/year. Antibiotics such as ceftriaxone, cefixime, cefadroxil, and levofloxacin are the most widely used antibiotics based on medical record data. The results of estimating the release of antibiotic residues in wastewater obtained ecotoxicological risk values for algae, invertebrates, and fish greater than one (RQs>1). This condition indicates an ecotoxicological risk at the health facility site due to the release of antibiotic residues into the river water body from the WWTP outlet. The release of antibiotic residues into the water can result in ecosystem damage and pollution of the aquatic environment.