Academia Journal of Biology

Effects of defined mixed-fungi starter cultures on the nutritional profile and sensory attributes of fermented rice wine lees

Edward Kevin B. Bragais — 2024-09-25

Rice wine (RW) and its fermentation residue, rice wine lees (RWL), are prepared using a traditional starter culture (TSC). The TSC contains a combination of different fungal and bacterial species that are variable in composition. This study evaluated the effects on the nutritional profile and the sensory qualities of RWL using various combinations of these fungal species as starter cultures. We isolated the three most abundant fungal species in TSC and found them to be Rhizopus oryzae (RO), Mucor indicus (MI), and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC). Although sensory evaluation revealed that the RWL produced using the RO+SC was the most preferred (n = 30) in color, aroma, sweetness, bitterness, and clarity, no significant differences were observed compared to when RO+MI+SC was used. Moreover, the RO+MI+SC-produced rice wine lees demonstrated the highest nutritional composition in terms of the following: crude protein content (11.12±0.08%), total energy (412.96±0.07 kcal/100 g), essential amino acids, and vitamin content. Hence, the combination of these three fungal species, RO, MI, and SC, as a starter culture in rice wine fermentation gives rise to rice wine lees with higher nutritional value than using the traditional rice wine starter culture.

Isolation and characterization of Escherichia coli associated with diarrhea in chickens and ducks in Hai Phong province

Van Quyen Dong — 2024-09-25

Colibacillosis is an intestinal tract infection in poultry caused by Escherichia coli. It is one of the leading causes of mortality and results in significant economic losses for the poultry farming sector due to its high incidence rate. Recently, E. coli has been considered a predominant bacterial pathogen that is responsible for diarrhea and bloodstream infections in chickens and ducks in Vietnam. In this study, E. coli strains associated with diarrhea were isolated from chicken and duck feces and intestines collected from poultry farms in Hai Phong province using a Macconkey selective medium. The obtained isolates were initially identified by the MALDI-TOF MS method, screened for hemolytic activity, and finally identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. As a result, eight E. coli strains exhibiting hemolytic activity were identified. Among them, E. coli_5, E. coli_6, and E. coli_8 strains were clustered with E. coli O78:H51, whereas E. coli_3 was grouped with E. coli O78:H4; E. coli_4 and E. coli_7 were clusterd with E. coli O25b: H4; and E. coli_9 and E. coli_16 were grouped with E. coli O26:H11. Our results provide insights into the genetic diversity of E. coli strains associated with diarrhea in poultry farms in Hai Phong province. The isolated strains will be further characterized for the development of effective strategies to control colibacillosis in poultry.

Study on enhancement the antagonistic of Trichoderma koningiopsis against Rhizoctonia solani causing sheath blight in rice by gamma irradiation treatment

Diep Bang Tran — 2024-09-25

As targeted mutagenesis techniques become more prevalent for various filamentous fungi, the use of physical mutagen to induce random genetic variations across whole-genome remains an ideal option for genetic improvement. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of gamma radiation to enhance the antagonistic ability of Trichoderma against plant pathogenic fungi. The spore suspensions of Trichoderma koningiopsis VTCC 31435 was irradiated at doses ranging from 0 to 2500 Gy using a gamma Co-60 source at the Hanoi Irradiation Center. The results showed that the number of surviving spores depends on the irradiation dose. Spore numbers decreased sharply in the dose range of 100 to 1200 Gy, at higher doses, the variation in spore numbers was less pronounced. The required radiation dose to kill 90% of the total number of fungal spores (D10) of the T. koningiopsis VTCC 31435 strain was approximately 250 Gy. At a dose of 2500 Gy, the number of fungal but surviving spores decreased by about 7 Log units compared to the non-irradiated. After irradiation, morphological changes, as well as growth characteristics, were observed in some of the radiation-resistant obtained colonies. Using cellophane membrane assay and dual culture methods, five potential radiation-resistant mutants with better antagonistic ability against the fungus Rhizoctonia solani, which causes sheath blight in rice, were identified Notably, among these, the potential mutant VTCC(a) I-1 exhibited the highest antifungal activity of media-permeable metabolites (I_CMA) and mycelial growth inhibition activity (I_MG) against R. solani. The I_CMA and I_MG values of this mutant increased by 154.12% and 148.68%, respectively, compared to the wild-type strain and remained stable for at least six consecutive generations. The research results suggest that gamma irradiation may have potential applications in enhancing the antagonistic abilities against pathogenic fungi and other beneficial biological properties in Trichoderma sp.

Antioxidant activity study and GC-MS profiling of leaves, stem and root extracts of Spermadictyon suaveolens Roxb.

Divya Lobo Padinjarekutt — 2024-09-25

The characterization of bioactive components in the methanolic and isopropyl alcoholic plant extracts of Spermadictyon suaveolens Roxb. (Rubiaceae) was undertaken with the help of GC-MS technique, followed by the study of free-radical scavenging capabilities of the plant hydroalcoholic extracts using DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate) test technique with ascorbic acid as the standard. There’s a constant formation of free radicals in the human body tissues originating due to the oxidation of specific chemical components, whereas the antioxidant molecules prevent or inhibit this free radical formation that may lead to lifelong or terminal diseases. The comparison of the antioxidant capacity of the plant extracts with that of the standard revealed that the leaf extracts showed maximum inhibition of DPPH, or radical scavenging activity. The EC₅₀values of ascorbic acid, leaves, stem, and root were found to be 18.62 µg/mL, 44.668 µg/mL, 89.125 µg/mL, and 97.723 µg/mL, respectively. The different peaks in the GC-MS analysis spectrum determined 24, 19, and 26 phytochemicals in leaves, stems, and roots, respectively. Out of all the phytoconstituents found, the major ones were n-Hexadecanoic acid or palmitic acid, squalene, 1.4-tert-Butylcalix[4]arene, and 1.3,5-Dihydroxy-6-methyl-2,3-dihydro-4H-pyran-4-one in leaves. 11-Bromoundecanoic acid, Ethylhexanol, Tetratetracontane, 2-Decanol, Propanoate in Stem, and n-Hexadecanoic acid 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z), 4,6-Bis(4-fluoro-3-(trifluoromethyl) phenoxy)-2-pyrimidinol, squalene in roots. Thus, the different bioactive constituents found to be present in the plant under study prove that the plant has the capacity to exhibit good antioxidant and other pharmacological properties.

The genetic structures of the Churu, Ede and Giarai unravelled by complete mitochondrial DNA

Huong Thao Dinh — 2024-09-25

Vietnam, a nation with a rich and complex history of migration and settlement, is home to 5 fundamental language families: Austroasiatic (AA), Tai-Kadai (TK), Austronesian (AN), Sino-Tibetan (ST) and Hmong-Mien (HM). Among them is the Austronesian, a language family substantial in island Southeast Asia (ISEA) but marginal in mainland counterpart (MSEA), constituted five Vietnamese ethnolinguistic groups. Here, we analyzed the control region, and the complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of 121 individuals from 3 AN-speaking populations (Churu, Ede, and Giarai). To explore the molecular diversity, the sequences were aligned against the Reconstructed Sapiens Reference Sequence (RSRS). The quantification and distribution of nucleotide variations resulted in 6,369 variants in our dataset in which the control region and coding region retained 1,707 and 4,662 variants, respectively. Churu harbored the most diversity (54.6 ± 2.8 variants/person), followed by Giarai (52.2 ± 3.3 variants/person), and Ede (51.1 ± 5.3 variants/person). Both the control region and whole mtDNA were input to Haplogrep3 to call haplogroups, resulting in 47.11% of our samples having their haplogroup changed from 17 whole mtDNA lineages to 16 different control region lineages. The haplogroup profile derived from whole mtDNA included 31 unique clades, in which only B5a1d was shared among three groups, and 23/31 lineages were present exclusively in a single population. The haplogroup component of each minority also revealed that all 3 AN groups had the majority of their samples attributed to the macrohaplogroups M, B, and F, with the disparity fixed in their underlying sublineages. This study increased the knowledge wealth of the genetic characteristics of AN speakers in the region from a different analysis approach, and highlighted the contribution of variants in different complete mtDNA, providing insight to reconstruct a comprehensive genetic architecture of Vietnam.

The Laccotrephes robustus Stål, 1871 (Hemiptera: Nepidae: Nepinae) in Vietnam, with notes on its’ morphological and DNA analyses

Dai Dac Nguyen — 2024-09-25

The genus Laccotrephes Stål, 1865 has been known in Vietnam with four species, Laccotrephes grossus (Fabricius, 1787), Laccotrephes longicaudatus Nieser, Zettel & Chen, 2009, Laccotrephes pfeiferiae (Ferrari, 1888) and Laccotrephes simulatus Montandon, 1913. The species Laccotrephes robustus Stal, 1871 is a species endemic to the Philippines, first recorded in Vietnam from specimens collected in Cao Bang, Bac Kan and Nghe An provinces. The occurrence of L. robustus in Vietnam was confirmed by morphological and molecular data.

Redescription of Gedea pinguis Cao & Li, 2016 (Araneae: Salticidae) with the first record for Vietnam

Quang Duy Hoang — 2024-09-25

The jumping spider species Gedea pinguis Cao & Li, 2016 is newly recorded from Vietnam and redescribed based on the sole male specimen. A detailed redescription, illustrations of the copulatory organs, and somatic features, along with an updated distribution map are provided. DNA barcode derived from the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene of the species G. pinguis from Vietnam is also included for future use and to compare the genetic distances with Gedea cf. tibialis Zabka, 1985 from Malaysia. With the addition of a new record, the genus Gedea Simon, 1902 in Vietnam now reaches 3 species, but doubts arise regarding the conspecificity of the two opposite sex species, Gedea tibialis Żabka, 1985 (male) and Gedea typica (Żabka, 1985) (female), as they share the same type locality. Additionally, a dichotomous key to all Gedea species is also given in this study.

Checklist for the genus Luisia and a new species (Luisia, Orchidaceae) from Southern Vietnam

Kim Cong Vu — 2024-09-25

Recently, there have been some reports on new species of the genus Luisia in Vietnam. There is disagreement among studies on the number of species in this genus. Our study gathers available documents and samples from herbariums in order to tally and classify them. Research results have recorded 13 species of the Luisia genus in Vietnam. The study also describes one taxon as a new species. A taxonomic key for the identification of all species of the Luisia genus known in Vietnam is also established. The study will be a useful reference for classification as well as the identification and description of new species belonging to the genus Luisia.

The family Xeniidae (Octocorallia: Malacalcyonacea) of Vietnam with two new records

Xuan Ben Hoang — 2024-09-25

Xeniidae is a soft coral family that has contributed to the diversity of tropical coral reef communities, including those found in Southeast Asia. From 50 soft coral samples of the family Xeniidae collected from coastal fringing reefs along the coast of central Vietnam, five species have been recorded belonging to two genera, Xenia (two species) and Heteroxenia (three species). Of five species, two were recorded for the first time in Vietnam are Xenia novaebritaniae Ashworth, 1900 and Heteroxenia elisabethae Kölliker, 1874. An identification key was provided based on colony forms and morphological characters of sclerites for five xeniid corals in Vietnam.

The gut microbiome in deformed wing virus (DWV)-uninfected and -infected Apis cerana honeybees suggests the role of gut microbiota in combating viral infections

Van Quyen Dong — 2024-09-25

Honeybees harbor a distinct core microbiota that plays a crucial role in stress tolerance and disease resistance. However, infections can significantly alter the composition and diversity of their gut microbiota, impacting overall bee health. This study investigates the effects of Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) infection on the gut microbiota of Apis cerana honeybee. The samples were collected from six colonies in Hanoi, Vietnam, and analyzed using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Our results show that while the overall diversity of gut microbiota in DWV-infected and uninfected bees did not significantly differ, notable changes were observed in the relative abundances of specific bacterial taxa. In DWV-infected bees, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria significantly decreased, whereas Firmicutes increased compared to uninfected bees. At the genus level, a significant decrease in Gilliamella and an increase in Lactobacillus were observed in infected bees. Functional gene predictions indicated that pathways related to carbohydrate, fatty acid, and lipid metabolism, as well as the biosynthesis of cofactors, vitamins, and amino acids, were upregulated in DWV-infected bees. These findings highlight the impact of DWV infection on the gut microbiota of A. cerana and suggest potential avenues for using probiotics to restore gut microbial balance and improve honeybee health. This research provides a foundation for developing strategies to enhance the resilience of honeybee colonies against viral infections.

Notes on taxonomy of the genus Mitreola L. (Loganiaceae) in the flora of Vietnam with a newly recorded Mitreola sphaerocarpa

Thi Phuong Anh Tran — 2024-09-25

Mitreola sphaerocarpa (Loganiaceae), a species occurring in Peninsular Malaysia, is newly reported for the flora of Vietnam. The description, photographs, information on ecology, preliminary conservation status and taxonomic notes are also presented. In order to facilitate identification, we provide an identification key and checklist for the 4 known Mitreola species in Vietnam.

Complete mitochondrial genome of vulnerable fighting fish Betta coccina (Actinoptergii: Perciformes: Osphronemidae) with phylogenetic consideration

Muhammad Fitri Yusof — 2024-09-25

We reported the first complete mitochondrial genome of the Scarlet Fighting Fish, Betta coccina (Vierke, 1979), a species of concern due to its vulnerable status. Genome skimming was performed on a specimen collected from Johor, Malaysia to recover its mitochondrial genome. The assembled complete mitogenome is 16,502 bp in size, comprising the standard set of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, and two rRNAs, typical of most vertebrates mitogenome. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted using the whole mitogenome of B. coccina and four publicly available mitogenomes of Betta spp. Our analysis revealed that the B. coccina currently occupied a basal position relative to other Betta spp. with maximal support value. Our results provide valuable insights for both evolutionary studies and genetic conservation efforts of B. coccina and its related species.

Nomenclatural notes for Megachiline bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)

Michael S. Engel — 2024-09-25

Recent changes to the generic classification of Megachilini necessitate several nomenclatural changes for species of the tribe. Four specific epithets were considered junior homonyms in a retrograde classification of Megachile Latreille and were therefore renamed. These epithets are resurrected as they are no longer congeneric with their senior homonyms (ICZN: Art. 59.4), and their former replacements are now considered junior synonyms: Callomegachile (Callomegachile) elegans (Cheesman) (= Chalicodoma (Callomegachile) cheesmanae Michener, new synonymy), Callomegachile (Callomegachile) gigas (Wu) (= Megachile (Callomegachile) parornata Chatthanabun, Warrit, and Ascher, new synonymy), Chelostomoides (Chelostomoides) pedalis Raw (= Megachile (Chelostomoides) rawi Engel, new synonymy), Megachile (Creightonella) aurantiaca Rebmann (= Megachile (Creightonella) taftanica Engel, new synonymy). In addition, four replacement names (nomina nova) are established: Megachile (Chelostomoda) zyzzyx Engel (for Megachile (Chelostomoda) indica (Gupta)), M. (Eurymella) bakololo Engel (for Megachile (Eurymella) zambesica Pasteels), Coelioxys silaneg Engel (for Coelioxys genalis Pasteels), and Coelioxys qi Engel (for Coelioxys brevicaudatus Friese).