Journal Of Agrobiotechnology (Journal of UniSZA - Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin)
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Development and Physicochemical properties of Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) Resistant Starch Bread
Get PDFThis study aims to produce breadfruit-resistant starch (BRS) bread with resistant starch concentration levels of 5%, 10% and 15%, and determine the physicochemical properties of the BRS bread produced. This study involved two major phases which were the breadmaking process and physicochemical analysis. A straight-dough method was applied during the preparation of bread, and the data obtained were statistically analysed using the SPSS software. The results showed that the moisture content of the control bread was higher compared to the moisture content of the breadfruit-resistant starch (BRS) bread, and the BRS bread had a lower volume compared to the control bread. For texture analysis, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in terms of hardness, springiness and chewiness between all samples of bread involved. Both the crumb and crust parts of the bread samples showed a decrease in the lightness colour due to the presence of BRS and the occurrence of the Maillard reaction. As conclusion, the obtained results in this study are useful for the bakery and food industries when the functional ingredient is used in products and BRS bread that produced might be assumed as one of healthy fortified bread
Seasonal Variation of Water Quality at Sungai Chanteq and Sungai Dendong
Get PDFWater is important for all the living things as water is one of the components build up in plant, animal and human. Rivers are an important source for domestic, industrial as well as agriculture sector. The aim of this study was to assess the physicochemical and biological parameter from two rivers located at Pasir Akar Farm and Tembila. Water Quality Index (WQI) related to the quality status of the water. From the two sampling stations in different rivers were sampled from December 2017 until March 2018. Eight water quality parameters were analyzed based on in-situ and ex-situ analysis at two different time. According to HACH and American Public Health Association (APHA) methods. A total eight parameters were measured and analyzed for both rivers. Based on Malaysia Water Quality Index (WQI) shows the water quality value for Sungai Dendong 71.56 which is class III and for Sungai Chanteq value is 89.99 which in class II. Based on Water class and guideline of Malaysia, class II water quality need conventional requirement to treat the water while class III need extensive treatment required in order to serve for use in the agricultural sector surround the are
Nutritional Composition and Glycaemic Index of Milk Chocolate using Different Sweeteners
Get PDFPalm sugar is a type of sugar that has been claimed to be a healthier alternative sweetener to sucrose because it contains minerals, vitamins, and antioxidant and exhibits low glycaemic index. Malaysian Tualang honey has been reported to provide significant nutritional and medicinal benefits. The substitution of the sugarcane used in the milk chocolate with these natural sweeteners is known to lowering the GI value of milk chocolate. In this study, the glycaemic index of the respondents after consuming the test chocolates (control, PS, H) and the proximate analysis of the chocolate were evaluated. One group of female students named Group A (n=10) were asked to consumed the control, PS and H chocolates after an overnight fasting. Blood glucose level were evaluated at 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. The result showed that the consuming the control, PS and H chocolates cause a slower rise in the respondent’s blood glucose level indicating low GI food. The proximate analysis revealed that both chocolates sweetened with palm sugar and honey had significantly higher moisture content but no significant different observed for fat and protein content compared to control. Chocolate sweetened with palm sugar also had significantly higher ash and crude fibre content compared to contro
In-Service Needs for Knowledge & Practice and Perceived Innovative Characteristics among Frontline Officers on Integrated Pest Management Extension Campaign in Terengganu
Get PDFTerengganu has been reported to have the highest infestation of Red Palm Weevil (RPW) in Malaysia since 2007. A continuous extension campaign on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has been implemented in Terengganu since early 2017 to eradicate this RPW infestation. While past studies covered the biology aspects, infestation system and damages caused by RPW as well as IPM technical approaches; none is known about the human and technology aspects of IPM such as knowledge and practice of IPM among frontline officers and their perceived innovative characteristics on IPM. These are crucial elements to facilitate effective delivery of IPM extension campaign. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the in-service needs on frontline officers’ knowledge and practice and their perceived innovative characteristics towards IPM extension program on RPW. This study employed the quantitative research design with the self-administered questionnaire as the study instrument. Data collection was performed at Agricultural Offices around Terengganu in April 2018. A total of 57 frontline officers participated in this study. Reliability analyses for the study variables ranged from 0.89 to 0.97. Descriptive Analysis and Explanatory Factor Analysis were performed to describe the trend of study variable, whereas, MANOVA was used to compare the study variables by four selected background characteristics of frontline officers, specifically, age, education level, office location and participant in IPM extension campaign. About 56% of frontline officers were 43 years old and younger with low education and mostly were located at federal and state offices. More than 50% of them participated in IPM extension program to eradicate IPM more than two times. This study found that higher percentage of frontline officers expressed high (~50%) to very high need (50%) for in-service on advanced than basic IPM knowledge. In contrast, higher percentage of them expressed need (~50%) to high need (~40%) for in-service on basic than advanced skills on IPM. These frontline officers highly characterized IPM with four main characteristics, i.e. compatibility, relative advantage, simplicity and trialability. Contradictory, they less viewed IPM possessed visible and invisible observability characteristics. This study discovered that the in-service needs for knowledge, practice and perceived innovative characteristics were undifferentiated by frontline officers’ demographic background. Finally, suggestions are made for effective IPM extension campaign that include classify the IPM training content into basic and advanced IPM knowledge and practice; repackage IPM and its extension campaign to highlight all its innovative attributes with special emphasis on observability; employ Sequential Exploratory Design research method for a follow-up study.Â
Ovipositional Behaviour Preference of Oriental Fruit Fly, Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel (Diptera: Tephritidae) on Different Host Fruits
Get PDFThe oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis Hendel (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a polyphagous insect pest that gives severe damage to orchard fruits when the female adults lay their eggs into the fruits. However, the damage can be reduced by manipulating the behavior of this female insect. Thus, this study aimed to determine the ovipositional  preference behavior  of B. dorsalis on different host fruits. The experiment set up was laboratory-based ‘no-choice’ and ‘choice’ of oviposition behavior by the insect. The parameter recorded were the number of fruit visit, duration of fruit visit, number of attempted to oviposit, number of ovipositing and duration of oviposition completed. Guava (Psidium guajava L), mango (Mangifera indica L.) and papaya (Carica papaya L.) were used as host fruits. In the no-choice experiments, the host fruits significantly influenced the number of fruit visit and duration of the visit of B. dorsalis female. The most fruit visited by B. dorsalis female was mango compared to other host fruits whilst papaya shows the longest duration of the host fruit visit by B. dorsalis. Although the characteristics of host fruits differs, the number and duration of oviposition by B. dorsalis shows no significant difference among the host fruits and no activity of oviposition was recorded on guava fruit. When given a choice of different host fruits, the duration of fruit visit and number of attempt to oviposit by B. dorsalis significantly differed among host fruits. However, the host fruits does not influenced the number of fruit visit, number of oviposit and duration of oviposition completed. Interestingly, only guava shows the egg oviposition activity by B. dorsalis females whilst no oviposition behaviour was observed on mango and papaya. Results obtained in this study will benefit the study of insect pest behaviour which then can be use in biological control program in order to reduce the agriculture damage
Growth Performance of Broiler Quails Fed with Enriched Probiotic Feed
Get PDFProbiotic can help in stimulating the growth and development of immune organs, improve level of immunoglobulin and antibody as well as improve immunity in animal. This present study was carried out to determine the effect of feed enriched with probiotics on the growth performance and hepatosomatic index of broiler quails. A total of 240 quails were divided into four groups with three replicates per group. Each treatments group has a different feeding treatment in which treatment 1 (T0) act as a control with no probiotic added, treatment 2 (T1) with 0.05% probiotic added, treatment 3 (T2) with 0.20 % probiotic added and treatment 4 (T3) with 0.35 % probiotic added, respectively. Probiotic was mixed in the feed of quails starting from day 14 until day 42 and the quails were fed ad-libitum twice per day. The results showed that there was a significant different between treatment group and control in weight gain (p<0.05), average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and feed intake (FI). T2 showed the best growth performances among the other groups after day 42.There was no significant different in hepatosomatic index between treatment group and control (p<0.05). This might suggest that different concentration of probiotic has no adverse effect on liver of quails. In conclusion, the study suggests that probiotic can improve growth performance with no adverse effect on the liver of the quailsÂ
Comparative Assessment of Antioxidant Activities in Aquilaria malaccensis Leaf Extracts
No full textWe examined antioxidant activities of Aquilaria malaccensis leaves which is a by-product that is normally discarded during cultivation. Crude leaf extracts were obtained from hot extraction by solvents of different polarities; distilled water, ethanol and chloroform. The antioxidant activities of respective crude extract were tested and compared between extraction solvents used using DPPH free radical scavenging activity, ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenging assay, superoxide (SOD) scavenging activity assay and nitric oxide (NO) scavenging assay. Except for SOD assay, the highest percentage of inhibitions and the lowest IC50 values were achieved in alcohol-based leaf extract. In conclusion, the crude extract of Aquilaria malaccensis possess a considerable antioxidant activities regardless of extracting solvents used but the highest was found using ethanol. The activities demonstrated against the various oxidants tested will help to target disease related to the specific oxidants causing it
Effect of Selected Pesticides on Survivality of Exserohilum longirostratum, A Bioherbicide for Itchgrass
Get PDFFour commercial formulations of herbicides and four fungicides were evaluated for their toxic effects on germination of Exserohilum longirostratum. At the recommended rates, one of the herbicides recommended for grassy weed control was compatible with E. longirostratum. E. longirostratum conidia germination was not affected by Paraquat but was totally inhibited by Glufosinate, Glyphosate and Fenoxyaprop-p-ethyl. At lower concentrations, most herbicides were less toxic except Rumpas. The fungicide Benlate at recommended rate has no effect on E. longirostratum. Score and Topper reduced germination more than 50% at recommended rate and growth was distorted. Spore germination was totally inhibited at all concentrations with Dithane. Based on high germination and appresorium development, Sapol and Tween 20 is suitable as carrier for this fungus. Paraquat and Bentazone can be used with E. longirostratum either with tank mixing or as split applications but at concentration less than the recommended rate
Potential of Pseudomonas sp. (UniSZA-MKB10) and Bacillus spp. (UniSZA-BK3, UniSZA-BK4 and UniSZA-DA) as Biological Control Agent for Controlling Anthracnose Disease of Carica papaya L.
Get PDFColletotrichum gleosporioides is known as the causal agent of anthracnose disease of Carica papaya in Malaysia. Economic losses are mostly reported during postharvest where the disease incidence and severity was recorded as 90-98 % and 25-38 % respectively. Colletotrichum sp. were isolated from lesions of infected C. papay that showing the typical anthracnose disease symptoms. Three types of fungal cultures were obtained and identified as Colletotrichum sp., Fusarium sp. and Rhizoctonia sp. One of the fungal obtained that was confirmed to be C. gleosporioides is based on morphological characteristics on PDA and Koch’s Postulate has confirmed C. gleosporioides as causal agent of papaya antracnose disease. The pathogen under study varied in its ability to grow under different environmental conditions. However, isolate preferred temperature range of 20°C to 30°C for the growth on PDA media. C. gloeosporioides isolates grew well at pH values within range of pH 6 to pH 7. Four bacterial strains, UniSZA-MKB10, UniZA-BK4, UniSZA-BK3 and UniSZA-DA, were tested in this study and proved to have antifungal properties against C. gloeosporioides. Dual culture assay, double layer and double plate method were conducted to test their metabolites as well as diffusible and volatiles antibiotic compound of bacteria. Out of four, three bacterial were found to show inhibition ability with MKB10 showed highest percentage of inhibition on radial growth with 62.08 ± 3.64% PIRG as well as produced greater diffusible and volatiles substances that significantly (P<0.05) inhibited the mycelial growth of C. gloeosporioides with PIRG of 85.48 ± 1.53 % and 31.03 ± 2.56 % respectively, and followed by UniSZA-DA. Culture filtrate of BK4 also showed highest significance effect towards inhibition of spore germination where the germ tube produced is the shortest (0.9055 µm) Â
Herbal Medicine: Safety and Quality Concerns
Get PDFHerbal products are complex mixtures of organic chemicals that may come from any raw or processed part of a plant, such as leaves, stem, flowers, roots and seeds. It is estimated that 37% of sales of the world’s pharmaceutical products utilized or originated from natural raw material. It appears that dependence upon herbal now are widely acknowledged by the general public and endorsed by the medical profession at large. Current law defined herbs as dietary supplement. In this case, the evidence of efficacy and demonstration of safety not a vital requirement as pharmaceutical drugs. Aligned with increase in worldwide consumption, the safety of herbal medicine is subject of concern. Although herbs are often perceived as “naturalâ€, “green†and “back to nature†rhetoric, many side effects have been reported owing to active ingredients, contaminants, adulteration, or interaction with other drugs. The socio-economic changes plus the technological advances, commercial factors, consumers’ preferences and changing lifestyles has influenced the way herbal drug are being manufactured and distributed. The various ranges of botanical medicine are now available as over-the-counter (OTC) products. Thus, just like pharmaceutical industry, it has become utmost important to assure quality, safety and efficacy of herbal product through the whole manufacturing process