Modulatory Effects of Isolated Lactobacillus paracasei from Malaysian Water Kefir Grains on the Intestinal Barrier and Gut Microbiota in Diabetic Mice.

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is one of the four major types of non-communicable diseases that have become a global health concern. Water kefir is a product of a brown sugar solution fermented with kefir grains which comprises around 30 microbial species in its grains. Water kefir possesses a wide range of health benefits, including anti-hyperlipidemic effects, and reduces hypertension and blood glucose levels in animal models.

Characterization of the Synergistic Effect of Fungal Isolates in Suppressing Ganoderma boninense and Enhancing Oil Palm Growth.

The globally vital oil palm, a major oil producer, confronts productivity challenges due to Ganoderma boninense (Gb), causing output decline. Chemical control efforts have proven ineffective, prompting exploration of microbial-based biocontrol. While single fungal biocontrol research exists, the impact of employing multiple biocontrols concurrently to combat Ganoderma and enhance oil palm growth remains uncharted.

Anti-Diabetic Effect of Lactobacillus Paracasei Isolated from Malaysian Water Kefir Grains.

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is alarming because it is always linked to the increase in chronic diseases, mortality, and socioeconomic burden. Water kefir has a wide range of functional and probiotic characteristics attributed to the microorganisms present in the kefir grains. The present study aims to evaluate the in vivo anti-diabetic potential of the isolated Lactobacillus paracasei from Malaysian water kefir grains (MWKG) which was reported to have excellent probiotic properties and high antioxidant activities as reported previously.

First Report of causing Leaf Spot on Coconut Seedling in Malaysia.

Coconut (Cocos nucifera) is a high economic value cash crop in Malaysia. In December 2021, irregular spots with dotted rust-like appearance were observed mainly on the tip of the leaves of MATAG variety coconut seedlings at the nursery in Perak state. More than 90% of the coconut seedlings surveyed were infected with leaf spot symptoms.

Functional characterization of the MSP-C6 promoter as a potential tool for mesocarp-preferential expression of transgenes.

Modification of lipid composition in the mesocarp tissue of oil palm involves genetic manipulation of multiple genes. More than one mesocarp-preferential promoter is necessary for the expression of individual transgenes in the same plant to obviate transcriptional gene silencing. This study aimed to identify genes that are preferentially expressed in the mesocarp tissue and characterize selected candidate mesocarp-preferential promoters.

Synergism: biocontrol agents and biostimulants in reducing abiotic and biotic stresses in crop.

In today's fast-shifting climate change scenario, crops are exposed to environmental pressures, abiotic and biotic stress. Hence, these will affect the production of agricultural products and give rise to a worldwide economic crisis. The increase in world population has exacerbated the situation with increasing food demand.

Identification of drought responsive Elaeis guineensis WRKY transcription factors with sensitivity to other abiotic stresses and hormone treatments.

Background: The ability of plants to withstand and thrive in an adverse environment is crucial to ensure their survivability and yield performance. The WRKY transcription factors (TFs) have crucial roles in plant growth, development and stress response, particularly drought stress. In oil palm, drought is recognized as one of the major yield limiting factors.

Ecological and evolutionary diversification of sulphated polysaccharides in diverse photosynthetic lineages: A review.

Sulphated polysaccharides (SPs) are carbohydrate macromolecules with sulphate esters that are found among marine algae, seagrasses, mangroves and some terrestrial plants. The sulphate concentration in the ocean (28 mM) since ancient time could have driven the production of SPs in marine algae. SPs have a gelatinous property that can protect marine algae against desiccation and salinity stress.

Identification of non-ribosomal peptide synthetase in Ganoderma boninense Pat. that was expressed during the interaction with oil palm.

Basal stem rot (BSR) of oil palm is a disastrous disease caused by a white-rot fungus Ganoderma boninense Pat. Non-ribosomal peptides (NRPs) synthesized by non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are a group of secondary metabolites that act as fungal virulent factors during pathogenesis in the host. In this study, we aimed to isolate NRPS gene of G.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals novel insights into transcriptional responses to phosphorus starvation in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) root.

Background: Phosphorus (P), in its orthophosphate form (Pi) is an essential macronutrient for oil palm early growth development in which Pi deficiency could later on be reflected in lower biomass production. Application of phosphate rock, a non-renewable resource has been the common practice to increase Pi accessibility and maintain crop productivity in Malaysia. However, high fixation rate of Pi in the native acidic tropical soils has led to excessive utilization of P fertilizers.

Expression of Genes Encoding Manganese Peroxidase and Laccase of in Response to Nitrogen Sources, Hydrogen Peroxide and Phytohormones.

produces lignolytic enzymes that can degrade the lignin component of plant cell walls, causing basal stem rot to oil palms. Nitrogen sources may affect plant tolerance to root pathogens while hydrogen peroxide (HO), salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) play important roles in plant defense against pathogens. In this study, we examined the expression of genes encoding manganese peroxidase (MnP) and laccase (Lac) in treated with different nitrogen sources (ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate, sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate), JA, SA and HO.

Transcriptome analysis of chicken intraepithelial lymphocyte natural killer cells infected with very virulent infectious bursal disease virus.

The infectious bursal disease (IBD) is an acute immunosuppressive viral disease that significantly affects the economics of the poultry industry. The IBD virus (IBDV) was known to infect B lymphocytes and activate macrophage and T lymphocytes, but there are limited studies on the impact of IBDV infection on chicken intraepithelial lymphocyte natural killer (IEL-NK) cells. This study employed an mRNA sequencing approach to investigate the early regulation of gene expression patterns in chicken IEL-NK cells after infection with very virulent IBDV strain UPM0081.

Identification and characterisation of thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) riboswitch in Elaeis guineensis.

The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is an important crop in Malaysia but its productivity is hampered by various biotic and abiotic stresses. Recent studies suggest the importance of signalling molecules in plants in coping against stresses, which includes thiamine (vitamin B1). Thiamine is an essential microelement that is synthesized de novo by plants and microorganisms.

Identification of Reference Genes in Chicken Intraepithelial Lymphocyte Natural Killer Cells Infected with Very-virulent Infectious Bursal Disease Virus.

Due to the limitations in the range of antibodies recognising avian viruses, quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) is still the most widely used method to evaluate the expression of immunologically related genes in avian viruses. The objective of this study was to identify suitable reference genes for mRNA expression analysis in chicken intraepithelial lymphocyte natural killer (IEL-NK) cells after infection with very-virulent infectious bursal disease virus (vvIBDV). Fifteen potential reference genes were selected based on the references available.

Nucleotide variations of -- () and pericarp coloration genes ( and ) from upland rice varieties.

In this study, we analyzed the and genes that are responsible for the coloration of rice pericarps from six upland rice varieties. We also examined the association of pericarp coloration to the single nucleotide polymorphism in -- ( a key gene involved in abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis. Our findings demonstrated that all the upland rice varieties analyzed have a gene which encodes a complete dihydroflavonol-4-reductase without early translational termination codon irrespective of their pericarp colors.

Genome-Wide Computational Identification of Biologically Significant Cis-Regulatory Elements and Associated Transcription Factors from Rice.

The interactions between transcription factors (TFs) and cis-acting regulatory elements (CREs) provide crucial information on the regulation of gene expression. The determination of TF-binding sites and CREs experimentally is costly and time intensive. An in silico identification and annotation of TFs, and the prediction of CREs from rice are made possible by the availability of whole genome sequence and transcriptome data.

Comparative genomics reveals differences in algal galactan biosynthesis and related pathways in early and late diverging red algae.

Red algae are a major source of marine sulfated galactans. In this study, orthologs and inparalogs from seven red algae were analyzed and compared with the aim to discover differences in algal galactan biosynthesis and related pathways of these algae. Red algal orthologs for putative carbohydrate sulfotransferases were found to be prevalent in Porphyridium purpureum, Florideophytes and Bangiophytes, while red algal orthologs for putative chondroitin sulfate synthases, sulfurylases, and porphyranases /carrageenases were found exclusively in Florideophytes and Bangiophytes.

Isolation and Characterization of spp. from Kefir Samples in Malaysia.

Kefir is a homemade, natural fermented product comprised of a probiotic bacteria and yeast complex. Kefir consumption has been associated with many advantageous properties to general health, including as an antioxidative, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-tumor moiety. This beverage is commonly found and consumed by people in the United States of America, China, France, Brazil, and Japan.

Proteome of rice roots treated with exogenous proline.

Proteomic analysis was conducted to identify the rice root proteins induced by exogenous proline and their involvement in root growth. Proteins were extracted from the root tissues grown under two conditions, T1 (control) and T2 (10 mM proline), and profiled by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Seventeen of 30 differentially expressed proteins were identified by mass spectrometry.

EgRBP42 from oil palm enhances adaptation to stress in Arabidopsis through regulation of nucleocytoplasmic transport of stress-responsive mRNAs.

Abiotic stress reduces plant growth and crop productivity. However, the mechanism underlying posttranscriptional regulations of stress response remains elusive. Herein, we report the posttranscriptional mechanism of nucleocytoplasmic RNA transport of stress-responsive transcripts mediated by EgRBP42, a heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein-like RNA-binding protein from oil palm, which could be necessary for rapid protein translation to confer abiotic stress tolerance in plants.

Unraveling the nuclear and chloroplast genomes of an agar producing red macroalga, Gracilaria changii (Rhodophyta, Gracilariales).

Agar and agarose have wide applications in food and pharmaceutical industries. Knowledge on the genome of red seaweeds that produce them is still lacking. To fill the gap in genome analyses of these red algae, we have sequenced the nuclear and organellar genomes of an agarophyte, Gracilaria changii.

Transcriptome profiling of sulfate deprivation responses in two agarophytes Gracilaria changii and Gracilaria salicornia (Rhodophyta).

Seaweeds survive in marine waters with high sulfate concentration compared to those living at freshwater habitats. The cell wall polymer of Gracilaria spp. which supplies more than 50% of the world agar is heavily sulfated.

Biosynthesis of agar in red seaweeds: A review.

Agar is a jelly-like biopolymer synthesized by many red seaweeds as their major cell wall component. Due to its excellent rheological properties, it has been exploited commercially for applications in food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, biomedical and biotechnology industries. Despite its multiple uses, the biosynthesis of this phycocolloid is not fully understood.

Oil Palm Defensin: A Thermal Stable Peptide that Restricts the Mycelial Growth of Ganoderma boninense.

Plant defensins are plant defence peptides that have many different biological activities, including antifungal, antimicrobial, and insecticidal activities. A cDNA (EgDFS) encoding defensin was isolated from Elaeis guineensis. The open reading frame of EgDFS contained 231 nucleotides encoding a 71-amino acid protein with a predicted molecular weight at 8.