Materials Science Forum Vol. 1025

Abstract: This study was conducted to investigate proximate content of horseshoe crab (Tachypleus gigas) in Malaysia. To date, there has been little agreement on what the nutrition value of horseshoe crab is and how it will benefit the consumers. The samples were divided by two parts, which are roe and muscle. The Tachypleus gigas was cleaned of foreign materials and impurities manually by human hand. The samples were ground into flour and sieved through 50 μm sieve and were packaged in airtight plastic bags prior to analyses. The horseshoe crab was analyzed for its proximate composition of different body parts. The results showed that the roe and muscle of Tachypleus gigas contained moisture (50.45 % and 73.67 %), ash (0.41 % and 2.72 %), crude proteins (38.24 % and 14.62 %), crude fats (9.30 % and 8.09 %), carbohydrates (1.67 % and 0.91 %) and energy (241.42 Kcal/100 g and 134.43 Kcal/100 g), respectively. This shows that roe has better nutrition content since it has higher protein, fat and carbohydrate content, which are the main energy-providing nutrient. Overall, the proximate content of Tachypleus gigas was nearer to the shellfish rather than the finfish and can be considered as a good nutrition source.

Abstract: Macronutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are usually found in fertilisers which is essential to plant growth and development. The study reports on the utilization of different fruit peels as an organic fertiliser for the effective growth of water spinach (Ipomoea Aquatica). Each fruit peels of pineapple, banana and mango were collected separately from local fruit vendors. The fruit peels were cleaned, dried, and then grinded into powder individually. The chemical composition of fruit peels powder was analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) and CHNOS analyser which NPK concentration was determined. Among three analysed fruit peels, results demonstrated that banana peels powder showed the highest concentration of K and N, which consists of 26557.86 mg/L and 1.61%, respectively. Besides that, electrical conductivitymeasurement and water absorption capacity of fruit peels powder was studied. Plants were grown under vary amount of fruit peels powder treatments (mango, banana, and pineapple peels application), as well as control treatments (no fertiliser application). Plant height and number of leaves per plantwere analysed to investigate the effect of fruit peels powder treatment on plant growth. The application of 3 g pineapple peels powder gave the better performances in all water spinach growth parameters with mean maximum plant height of 20.83±3.01cm, number of leaves per plant of 9 was recorded. Hence, it can be concluded that 3 g pineapple peels powder can efficiently improve the utilization efficiency of fertilizers in agricultural production.

Abstract: In this study, we operated a 10 litre upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor continuosly at mesophilic temperature (38 °C). UASB reactor performance was evaluated based on the impact of the hydraulic retention time (HRT) ranged between 1 and 5 days and influent COD concentration in the range of 4540 mgL^-1 and 20,820 mgL^-1. The pH of the UASB was maintained in the range of 6.5 to 7.2 by adding buffering solution containing of 5 gL^-1 of calcium oxide (CaO) derived from waste cockle shells. A simplified Monod’s model was employed to describe kinetics of anaerobic digestion of POME by using UASB reactor at organic loading rates (OLR) in the range between 1.17 g.CODL^-1d^-1 and 17.22 g.CODL^-1d^-1. A high COD degradation rate of 93.26 % was recorded at OLR of 3.92 g.COD L^-1d^-1 and HRT of 4 days. The UASB reactor generated the maximum biogas production at 34.95 L/d when operated at HRT 1 day and OLR 7.70 g.CODL^-1. The proposed kinetic equations are applicable to describe anaerobic treatment of palm oil mill effluent with the UASB reactor. Biokinetic coefficients evaluated were, the growth yield (Y_G), 3.906 g VSS/g COD_removed.d^-1; the specific biomass decay (b), 0.233 d^-1; the specific biomass growth rate (μ_max), 1.861 d^-1; and the saturation constant (K_s), 3.459 g-CODL^-1.

Abstract: Extensive study available on Monascus in solid-state fermentation (SSF), however, optimization study of Monascus sp. cultivated in stirred drum bioreactor is insufficiently reported. In this study, the Box–Behnken design (BBD) was employed for the analysis of the simultaneous effect of initial moisture content, aeration rate and peptone concentration to the red pigments production of Monascus purpureus FTC 5357 by using oil palm frond (OPF) in 5 L stirred drum bioreactor. A three-parameters, three-level BBD was used for the optimization. Based on the ANOVA analysis performed, initial moisture content, aeration rate and peptone concentration contributed significantly to the red pigments production. The optimal fermentation conditions resulted were initial moisture content; 70 % w/w, aeration rate; 1.30 vvm and peptone concentration; 4.40 % w/w. Under these conditions, the red pigments production were obtained to be 18.59 Au/g.d. The red pigments produced through SSF using OPF as a substrate by Monascus purpureus FTC 5357 has a great potential to be utilized as a source of pigment for food in future.

Abstract: Keratin is a durable and fibrous protein of hair, nails, horns, hoofs, feathers and the epithelial cells in the outermost layers of the skin. Keratin in animals mainly presents in vertebrates such as mammals, birds and reptiles including chicken and swiftlet. This study aims to characterize keratin extracted from chicken and swiftlet feathers. The extraction of the keratin performed using dimethyl sufoxide (DMSO) at high temperature. The extracted keratin from both samples were used for the characterization process using Bradford protein assay, CHNS analysis and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. This study showed that keratin extract of swiftlet feather showed higher protein concentration (0.813 mg/mL) than keratin extract of chicken feather (0.646 mg/ml). The highest composition for keratin extract is hydrogen which are 4.97% for keratin extract from swiftlet feathers and 3.12% for keratin extract from chicken feathers. FTIR analysis exhibited that carboxyl groups and amino groups are presence in both keratin samples however, the protein value is higher in swiftlet feathers compared to chicken feathers. This study's outcome is significant in discovering keratin extract from swiftlet feathers containing high protein content due to the breakdown of disulfide bonds. Furthermore, this research is the first report on keratin characterization from swiftlet feathers that would be useful for high value future keratin study.

Abstract: The antioxidant capacity by DPPH radical scavenging and antimicrobial activity by disk diffusion and broth microdilution method of nine isolated alkaloids from T. crispa were evaluated. All isolated alkaloids had been divided into three groups which were aporphine alkaloids, N-formylannonaine (1), N-formylnornuciferine (2), magnoflorine (9), oxoaporphine alkaloids, lysicamine (3) and liriodenine (4); and protoberberine alkaloids, columbamine(6), dihydrodiscretamine (7) and 4,13-dihydroxy-2,8,9-trimethoxydibenzo [a,g]quinolizinium (8). Protoberberine alkaloids showed (IC₅₀ > 500-800 μg/mL) radical scavenging activity while oxaporphine alkaloids inhibited the growth of the Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus (+) and Enterococcus faecalis (+).The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of different compounds support documented traditional use of T. crispa in wound healing and treatment of rheumatic, diarrhoea, ulcers, itches and wounds. Results of the present biological activity investigation further points to the potential of this plant species as a good source of natural antioxidant and preservative in food industry.

Abstract: Potential microbial communities in the UASB reactor fed with two different substrates i.e synthetic wastewater and raw palm oil mill effluent (POME) were elucidated by using one of the most popular techniques in molecular methods, viz 16S rDNA cloning. The methodology involved; the extraction of nucleic acids, amplification and cloning of the 16S rRNA genes on sequencing HiSeq platform and finally identification and affiliation of the isolated clone with the aid of phylogenetic software. Results showed that the genus methanosarcina and methanosaeta were dominant methanogens in this study for both substrates types. Overall, microbial population (Bacteria and Archaea) in sample A (POME as substrate) is more diverse compared to sample B (synthetic wastewater as substrate) due to abundance of microorganism population in raw POME which was used as a substrate. However for the methanogenic (Archaea) diversity in both samples, there was not much different between sample A and sample B probably due to similar inoculum was inoculated in the reactor despite of have using different substrate type.

Abstract: A complete set-up of obtaining bio-hydrogen from palm oil mill effluent (POME) was successfully demonstrated in this study. The proposed set-up is a combination of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) bioreactor (POME is digested to obtain methane) and subsequent a dry reforming tubular reactor (conversion of methane into bio-hydrogen). The UASB reactor with 10 litres working volume was operated in continuous operation at mesophilic temperature (38 °C), pH was maintained between 6.5 and 7.2 by adding buffering solution containing of 5 gL^-1 of calcium oxide (CaO) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) was set at 1 day. Prior to feeding of POME, the UASB reactor was inoculated with sludge taken from anaerobic pond at Lepar Hilir Palm Oil Mill. Then, the reactor was continuously fed with the raw POME with COD concentration of 7,773 mgL^-1 and organic loading rate (OLR) of 7.61 g CODL^-1d^-1. Meanwhile the dry reforming fixed-bed tubular reactor was operated at 750 °C and 0.1 g catalyst type Ni/SBA-15. Biogas produced from the UASB reactor was fed into the tubular reactor and gas samples were collected at the inlet and outlet and analyzed using GC-TCD. On average, the UASB reactor produced about 32 Ld^-1 biogas containing of 80 % methane and removing 67 % of COD. This biogas was fed into the dry reforming rector and the reaction took place in the reactor produced about 32 % of H₂, 0.24 % of CH₄, 28 % of CO₂ and 39 % of CO. This result yielded a H₂/CO ratio close to 1, demonstrated an efficient route for producing bio-hydrogen gas. Meanwhile, CH₄ conversion was recorded at 99.7 %.

Abstract: The aim of this research is to synthesis biopolymeric materials from hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) (5 wt. %) blended with sodium alginate (SA) (10 wt. %) at 1:1 ratio fabricated by using freeze-drying technique. The HES/SA was treated with simulated body fluid (SBF) by immersion technique through the depositing of calcium phosphate on the scaffold’s surfaces. All scaffolds were characterizing by using field emission electron microscope (FESEM), attenuated total reflectance-Fourier infrared transform (ATR-FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The FESEM images results displayed interconnected porous structure with diameter ranging from 40 to 400 μm with average apatite diameter in range of 95 nm – 148 nm. The ATR-FTIR results exhibit possible interactions between hydroxyl groups of HEC, SA and apatite groups of the scaffolds. The TGA results showed four different regions of mass losses, represents the amorphous transition temperature and water disposal, side-chain bond breaking, pyrolysis of SA and dihydroxylation behaviour of calcium phosphate, respectively. Cell-scaffolds interaction demonstrated that human fetal osteoblast (hFOB) cells differentiated and spread well on scaffolds with better cell proliferation and attachment was more prominent on HEC/SA treated with SBF. Since these biocompatible and biodegradable scaffolds showed promising results, these scaffolds could be adopted for the design of next-generation tissue-engineered bone grafts.

Abstract: Luvunga scandens (“Mengkurat Jakun”) is one of the medicinal plant that produce triterpenoid compounds. A number of studies have reported that the compounds possess anti-proliferative activities against various type of cancer cells. The present study aims for anticancer potential of two triterpenoids derived from L. scandens namely flindissol (compound-1) and 3-oxotirucalla-7,24-dien-21-oic-acid (compound-2) on human oral cancer HSC-3 cells. Cytotoxic activities of the triterpenoids were assessed by MTT assay. Apoptosis activities were determined by flow cytometry and caspase 3/7 assay. The MTT assay showed that compounds-1 and -2 markedly induced cytotoxicity on HSC-3 cells with IC50 10.7 μM and 8.3 μM, respectively. Flow-cytometry analysis demonstrated that both compounds increase the percentage of apoptotic cells by 18.2 % and 16.6 % respectively. Moreover, the caspase 3/7 assay confirmed that compounds-1 and -2 markedly induced caspase 3/7 activities in HSC-3 cells. These results suggest that triterpenoids extracted from L. scandens could be a potential candidate for oral cancer treatment.