Journal Of Agrobiotechnology (Journal of UniSZA - Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin)
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Feasibility of Pre-Harvest Sago Frond as State-of-the-Art Resources to Produce Animal Feed
Get PDFGlobal crises such as climate change, war and borderless diseases are the factors that lead to limited supply and unstable prices of the raw material to produce animal feed placing a major burden on the farmers and smallholders to produce livestock at a reliable cost. Malaysia is among the most affected country due to its high dependency on imported resources to produce animal feed. Hence, cheap and locally available raw material is the key to producing sustainable and safety-ensured animal feed for domestic consumption. Due to the adaptability and resilient nature of sago palm towards extreme environmental distress, sago frond was selected as an alternative raw material to produce animal feed in the form of silage. Sago frond was pruned from growing sago palm (age between 3-7 years), then leaves and rachis were pulverised before vacuum packed into silo bag. Analysis shows that optimised sago frond silage (1:1 RSF/SL) possessed five ideal characteristics that include dry matter (47.76 %), acid detergent fibre (31.98 %), total water-soluble sugar (2.4 g/Kg), minimum pH (4.3) and protein content (16.85 %). Hence, the ensiling technique applies to produce high-quality animal feed from optimum formulated sago frond by preserving nutrient content and improving in-vitro digestibility of the silage designated for ruminant consumption. The feeding trial shows significant growth performance of animal models (Malin Breed Sheep) fed with optimised SFSil with Average Daily Gain (61.12 g/day) and Feed Conversion Ratio (9.64 g/g). Therefore, manufacturing animal feed from pre-harvest sago frond provides the solution to high dependency on imported animal feed and also offers a new lucrative commodity for the sago farmers while waiting for the sago palm to be harvestable
Effect of Different Solvents Extraction on the Total Phenolic Content and Free Radical Scavenging Activity of Sacha Inchi Leaves Oil
Get PDFPlukenetia volubilis L., also known as Sacha Inchi is a unique commercial crop that has gained in popularity due to its nutrient-rich and functional benefits to human health. There has been significant research on Sacha Inchi seed, only few studies on the leaves have been conducted. Oil extraction from Sacha Inchi leaves is underutilised and mostly unknown to the general public. This study analyzed the effect of pre-treatment which is fresh and dried leaves for solvent extraction on oil yield, Total Phenolic Contents (TPC), and free radical scavenging properties of oil extracted from Sacha Inchi leaves. The dried leaves sample which dried in oven drying at 30°C at 48 hours, was compared to the fresh sample of Plukenetia volubilis L leaves. Proximate analysis was carried out on the leaf samples by AOAC method. The nutritional values of Sacha Inchi leave revealing that the dried leaves contained higher composition values of crude fiber (13.43%), protein (18.6%), carbohydrate (47.96%) and ash (3.53%) than Sacha Inchi fresh leaves contained lower contents of protein (6.31%), fibre (3.86%), fat (1.16%), ash (2.47%) and carbohydrate (21.39%), except for moisture content (58.15%). For comparison, the Sacha Inchi leaves were also extracted with Soxhlet extraction, using three different solvents for oil extraction: ethanol, propanol, and hexane from fresh and air-dried leaves yielded the oil yield. Overall, the ethanol extraction for dried leaves produced the highest oil yield (21.35%) than propanol (7.89%) and hexane (5.3%). The greatest TPC values (0.64 and 0.65 mg GAE/g) were found in fresh and air-dried leaves extracted with ethanol extraction, as opposed to leaves extracted with propanol (0.33 and 0.49 mg GAE/g) and hexane (0.45 and 0.59 mg GAE/g). Additionally, the fresh sample with ethanol extract showed a 48.13 ± 29.44% percent inhibition of the free radical-scavenging assay, whereas the air-dried sample showed a higher percentage at 61.18 ± 23.26%. Both analyses produced the same results, with the maximum TPC and free radical scavenging activity reported in air-dried Sacha Inchi leaf samples with ethanol extract versus fresh leaves samples
The Role of Rainfall and Erosion in Shaping Water Quality: A Case Study of TSS and TDS in Besut Campus Lake, Terengganu, Malaysia
Get PDFErosion significantly influences water quality in lakes and rivers, primarily through the transportation of soil particles, organic matter, and pollutants, leading to changes in water quality indicators such as Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between erosion, rainfall, and water quality in Besut Campus Lake, located in Terengganu, Malaysia, by monitoring two plots over three months. Data was collected on erosion rates, water quality (TSS, TDS), and meteorological conditions, including rainfall, and their correlation was analyzed using statistical methods. The results indicate that erosion varied between the plots, with observed trend fluctuated, especially in March and April. The Pearson correlation coefficient, r, between erosion and TSS in Plot A was very low at r = -0.1089, with a further low correlation in Plot B. Therefore, even though erosion is a factor contributing to TSS, plots being near the lake and direct runoff can be seen as the key determinants of TSS in this context suggesting that erosion is not the primary factor impacting water quality. During the inter-monsoon period, erosion rates peaked in March and early April, corresponding to increased rainfall, which totalled 20 mm. Notably, rainfall significantly influenced TDS levels, as evidenced by the strong correlation observed in Plot A. This highlights the critical role of precipitation in dissolving solids and facilitating their transport into water bodies. These findings provide valuable insights into the dynamics of erosion and water quality in tropical climates and suggest that rainfall, rather than erosion or wind, plays a more critical role in determining the TDS levels in the lake. Policy recommendations for mitigating the effects of erosion and improving water quality include installing vegetation cover and more frequent monitoring of meteorological factors
Valorization of Fermented Rice Water (Oryza sativa L.) in Food Industry: A Review
Get PDFRice (Oryza sativa) is an important staple food in Malaysia and gaining popularity in recent years due to its widespread availability and versatility to make various kind of dishes. The rice is often washed by rinsing, soaking, or boiling prior to any subsequent cooking procedure yielding suspension of dissolved starch that has a milky and slurry texture. The rice water is enriched with carbohydrate, protein, minerals and vitamin that leach out of the rice during the process. It is commonly used for other purposes in cosmetic and agriculture industry. Nevertheless, the disposal of rice water remains high as it often discarded by household and industries thus its utilization is indeed necessary to avoid environmental issues. Given the role of rice as staple food in tropical country especially Malaysia that represent one of the leading countries that cultivates and consumes rice, valorization of rice water for food consumption is considered to be a promising project since it yields more benefits and not widely explored. This review focuses on the valorization of rice water into food products through fermentation process as a method to reintegrate it into the food chain
Bitter Cassava’s Media Composition Screening Experiment for Maximizing Callus Formation Frequency Using Plackett Burnman Design
Get PDFCassava is one of the crucial plant species due to its various applications. Bitter cassava is a variety known to have a higher starch content than sweet ones. Even though many studies have conducted multiple investigations on the application of in vitro cassava propagation, no studies have focused on exploring the possibility of initiating cassava from different types of explants, basal media, carbon sources, and plant growth regulators (PGRs). This present study aimed to screen various factors that significantly affect the growth of cassava calli and its formation frequency using Plackett Burmann in Design Expert v13 software. The screened factors include basal media (Murashige and Skoog, MS and Gamborg B5), carbon sources (sucrose, glucose, and maltose), and plant growth regulators: auxin (2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, 2,4-D and 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid, NAA) and cytokinin (6-Benzylaminopurine, BAP and kinetin) and the explants were cultivated for nine days. Gamborg B5 responded better to the callus formation frequency than MS. Among the different carbon sources, sucrose affected cassava callus formation significantly. 2,4-D was the main factor for callus formation, while both kinetin and BAP had a negative response to the callus formation. NAA also positively affected callus formation but was not as significant as 2,4-D. Between the different types of cassava explant used, the petiole formed the most stable callus formation frequency (84.52 %), followed by stem (82.14 %) and leaf (75.00 %). Run 7, 10, and 11 successfully induced callus from all explants with full-strength Gamborg B5, 4 mg/L 2,4-D, and 30 g/L sucrose. Most calli formed a compact structured callus except for the media with the combination of MS and Gamborg B5, which produced friable typed callus. To conclude, for different tested types of basal media, carbon sources, and PGRs, Gamborg B5, sucrose, and 2,4-D were the most significant factors that affect cassava callus formation
Growth Simulation and Risk Assessment of Listeria monocytogenes in Chicken Liver at Refrigeration Condition
Get PDFListeria monocytogenes is an important emerging foodborne pathogen with infections causing high mortality rates (20-30%). It can cause sporadic but serious cases of listeriosis especially among pregnant women and the elderly. Emergence of multiple antibiotic resistant strains further complicate treatment of listeriosis cases. The goals of present study include to assess the risk of listeriosis among general population, pregnant women, elderly and immunocompromised from contaminated chicken liver consumption in Malaysia. L. monocytogenes growth data at temperature 4oC were used to determine the probability of listeriosis from chicken liver consumption using exponential model. The data obtained was used to calculate probability of infection among vulnerable groups (pregnant women, elderly and immunocompromised). Monte Carlo simulation with 10 000 iteration was used to determine the distribution of expected cases and rate of infection. Monte Carlo simulation showed L. monocytogenes in chicken liver at refrigerated increased by 20.50 fold. Immunocompromised patient was estimated to show the highest risk of listeriosis followed by pregnant women, elderly and general population. This study concluded that L. monocytogenes presence in chicken liver and inadequate safe food practices that cause cross contamination pose significant risk of listeriosis among the consumers.
 
Elevating Harumanis Mango Postharvest Physico-Chemical Quality Using Preharvest Treatments Approach
Get PDFPostharvest activities are mainly carried out to maintain fruit quality and prolong the shelf life of produce. However, the produce quality is limited to the quality during the harvesting. Preharvest treatment can be used as an alternative to improve fruit quality. Harumanis mango is one of the important seasonal fruits in Malaysia and only available within few months period per year. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different chemical foliar at preharvest stage on fruit physicochemical properties. Experiment was conducted using Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 4 replicates and three treatments were used on 20 years old Harumanis tree in this preliminary study in Sintok, Kedah (1% calcium chloride(T2), 0.15%Chelated zinc(T3) and 0.02% salicylic acid (T4)) with tap water as control (T1). Mango trees were sprayed on week 10-11 after fruit set before fruit were harvested on week 14. Results shows there are significant finding for total soluble solid (TSS), vitamin C, total titratable acidity (TTA), and peel color. Control fruits have significantly higher values compared to other treatments but scored the lowest for vitamin C and TTA content with T4 yield highest vitamin C content. Thus, this treatment (T4) has higher sugar acid ratio (123.72%) than other treatments. In terms of peel colour, zinc treatment produces more greenish skin hue compared to other treatments. In conclusion, T4 yields the best results in term of fruit quality (vitamin C, TTA and sugar acid ratio). However, more research needs to be done on the combination of zinc (T3) and salicylic acid (T4) sprays
Thermal and photostability of betacyanin from dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus)
Get PDFBetacyanin derived from red beetroot is a permitted natural colourant, which has been widely used in food systems. However, a high dosage of betacyanin will give an undesirable odour and unfavourable earthy flavour due to the presence of geosmin. An alternative source to replace betacyanin in beetroot is to extract betacyanin from red purple pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus). However, this natural pigment is easily degraded under high temperature and sunlight. This research aims to determine the photostability and heat stability of the betacyanin using Response Surface Methdology at different pH, temperature, light exposure, and ascorbic acid concentrations. The parameters involved were temperature, light, pH, and ascorbic acid at different ranges 65-95°C, 10-70 h, pH 3-7 and 0.1 g/mL-1.5 g/mL, respectively. The optimal betacyanin thermal stability was obtained at 77.428°C, pH 3 and 1.000 g/mL of ascorbic acid while the optimal photostability was obtained at 44.726 h, pH 5.391 and 0.629 g/mL of ascorbic acid. Betacyanin also have high total phenolic content of 13.607 – 18.071mg GAE/mL and antioxidant activity based on DPPH scavenging activities of 546.549 µg/mL and 519.05 µg/mL. To conclude, this study proposed the optimum condition to retain the highest amount of betacyanin were temperature lower than 77.428°C, pH lower than pH 5.5 with 0.5 – 1.000 g/mL of ascorbic acid. This information offers a useful guideline for food manufacturers to create the best storage condition for their products containing betacyanin
Sterilisation Protocols and in vitro Shoot and Root Induction of Zingiber officinale var. Rosc. using 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) and Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA)
Get PDFBentong ginger is the most well-known variety of Zingiber officinale in Malaysia, owing to its extensive use in traditional medicine and as a culinary spice. It is vegetatively propagated, and large quantities of rhizomes are required as initial planting materials. In addition, a variety of different soil-borne diseases are associated with the vegetative propagation of ginger using its rhizomes; hence, producing them on a massive scale requires a lot of time. Plant tissue culture techniques have utilised many plant species to produce disease-free planting materials. Therefore, the study aimed to determine the effects of ethanol on the surface sterilisation of shoot bud explants as well as the optimisation of 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) and Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) on shoot and root propagation. The shoot bud explant was successfully sterilised using 20% (v/v) of Clorox and Tween20 for 30 minutes and 95% (v/v) of ethanol for 1 minute, resulting in a 58% contamination-free explant. The highest number of shoots and roots were initiated from shoot bud explants of Z. officinale on MS solid medium supplemented with 4.0 mg/l BAP and 1.5 mg/L NAA, respectively. MS medium incorporated with a combination of 3.0 mg/l BAP and 1.5 mg/l NAA produced the highest length of shoot. These results suggested that the protocols used can be adopted for large-scale propagation of disease-free planting materials of Zingiber officinale var Rosc
Antioxidant and Colour in Selected Local Fruits
Get PDFFruit pigments are associated with the presence of antioxidants. This study determined the content of antioxidant components (total phenolic content (TPC), ascorbic acid, beta carotene and lycopene) and colour in selected local fruits (papaya, watermelon, dragon fruit, wax apple, and jackfruit). The TPC, ascorbic acid, beta carotene and lycopene were determined spectrophotometrically. Ascorbic acid content was determined using the 2,6-Dichlorophenolindophenol (DCPIP) titration method. Colour was assessed by tristimulus colorimetry based on the reflection spectrum. Total soluble solids (TSS) were also determined. Papaya has TPC (61.86 mg GAE/100 g), ascorbic acid (31.14 mg/100 mL), lycopene (4.82 mg/100 g), beta carotene (19.98 mg /100 g), TSS (10.17 °Brix) and colour profile L*(41.30), a*(24.07), b*(26.48), chroma value (35.79) and hue angle (47.70°). Wax apple has TPC (94.20 mg GAE/100 g), ascorbic acid (11.13 mg/100 mL), lycopene (1.62 mg/100 g), TSS (10.00 °Brix) and colour profile L*(63.42), a*(0.42), b*(7.64), chroma value (7.66) and hue angle (86.69°). Dragon fruit has TPC (179.985 mg GAE/100 g), ascorbic acid (5.94 mg/100 mL), beta carotene (3.98 mg/100 g), TSS (10.30 °Brix) and colour profile L*(21.45), b*(0.66), chroma value (6.86) and hue angle (5.52°). Jackfruit has TPC (75.16 mg GAE/100 g), lycopene (2.31 mg/100 g), beta carotene (9.25 mg/100 g), TSS (20.43 °Brix) and colour profile L*(71.74), a*(5.79) and hue angle (82.98°). Watermelon has ascorbic acid (19.28 mg/100 mL), lycopene (36.55 mg/100 g), beta carotene (14.37 mg/100 g) and colour profile b* (12.36), chroma value (26.98) and hue angle (27.22°). The a* value has a significant positive correlation (p<0.05) with the content of ascorbic acid, lycopene, and beta carotene while the chroma value shows a negative correlation with the total phenolic content (p<0.05). The b* value showing a negative correlation with the total phenolic content (p<0.05). Local fruits can be a good source of nutrient, phytochemicals, and antioxidants