Category Archives: b_original_articles

Mazhar Hussain¹, Shakeel Ahmad^1*, Aleem Ahmed Khan¹

¹Institute of Zoology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan

*Corresponding author’s email: ahmad.frw.iub@gmail.com

Received: 02 January 2026 / Revised: 17 March 2026 / Accepted: 04 April 2026 / Published Online: 14 April 2026

Abstract

Chrysomma altirostre (Jerdon’s Babbler) is vulnerable passerine species native to grasslands and wetlands of the Indian subcontinent. Although aspects of its distribution and habitat have been documented, detailed investigation into its feeding ecology and reproductive biology remains limited.  The aim of current research work was to study its preferred habitat, feeding and breeding biology. Jerdon’s Babbler was found to prefer habitats dominated by Phragmites karka, Typha spp., Saccharum arundinaceum, S. spontaneum, and S. munja. Large proportion of the adult bird’s diet consisted of insects along with arachnids and grains. Young ones were fed with caterpillars, larvae, butterflies, moths, bugs and beetles. Breeding season was marked with territorial male calls from mid of March to the mid of August. Both parents shared in nest building and caring of nestlings, but the incubation of the eggs was carried out by female bird only. Mean clutch size (n = 7) was 3.42 ± 0.5. Mean length, width and weight of eggs (n = 10) were 1.91 ± 0.13 cm, 1.67 ± 0.08 cm, and 2.16 ± 0.16 g respectively. Incubation and nestling period lasted for 16.4 ± 0.7 (n = 6) and 13.45 ± 0.85 days (n = 5) respectively. The total time period from nest building to fledging counted for 34.5 ± 1.5 days (n = 5). Overall breeding success was recorded at 42%. Predation and habitat destruction are main threats. Low survival rate, mainly due to predation and habitat destruction, indicates an urgent need for adapting targeted strategies for the conservation of habitat and protection of this vulnerable species.

Keywords: Jerdon’s Babbler, Feeding, Breeding, Vulnerable species, Habitat degradation

Anang Triwiratno¹, Nirmala Friyanti Devy^1*, R. Cinta Badia Ginting², Joko Purnomo³, Agus Sugiyatno¹, Farida Yulianti¹, Baiq Nurul Hidayah¹, Kurniawan Budiarto¹, Khojin Supriadi⁴, Imro’ah Ikarini⁵, Emi Budiyati¹, Hardiyanto¹

¹Research Center for Horticulture, Research Organization for Agriculture and Food, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia, Cibinong Science Center, Cibinong, West Java, Indonesia

²Research Center for Applied Microbiology, Research Organization for Life Sciences and Environment, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong Science Center, Cibinong, West Java, Indonesia

³Research Center for Estate Crops, Research Organization for Agriculture and Food, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia, Cibinong Science Center, Cibinong, West Java, Indonesia

⁴Research Center for Food Crops, Research Organization for Agriculture and Food, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia, Cibinong Science Center, Cibinong, West Java, Indonesia

⁵Research Center for Food Technology and Processing, Research Organization for Agriculture and Food, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia, Yogyakarta, Gunung Kidul, Indonesia

*Corresponding author’s email: nfdevy@gmail.com

Received: 19 November 2025 / Revised: 25 February 2026 / Accepted: 28 March 2026 / Published Online: 10 April 2026

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated drought-induced physiological and molecular responses in citrus under controlled environments; however, whether these stress-response pathways operate predictably across contrasting field agroecosystems and under different propagation strategies remains unclear. This study aimed to determine how propagation strategy modulates citrus growth performance, leaf anatomy, stress-related gene expression, and untargeted metabolomic profiles across swamp and upland agroecosystems during early field establishment. Two different citrus species (Citrus nobilis L. cv. Pontianak Siam and C. reticulata Blanco cv. Keprok RGL) were established under open-field conditions in upland mineral soil and tidal-swamp acid-sulphate soil (pH 4.2–5.2) in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. The propagation techniques used were conventional chip budding and bud-assisted marcotting, locally known as ‘Okucang’. The environmental background was the primary driver of variation. In the soil PCA, the two systems (upland and swamp) were separated along PC1 (72.3% variance). Siam Pontianak, propagated through bud-assisted marcotting, produced significantly taller plants than other treatments, especially under upland conditions (P < 0.05). In contrast, Siam Pontianak propagated through chip budding showed a wider canopy in upland areas. Canopy development (P < 0.05) decreased under swamp conditions. Regardless of variety or propagation method, palisade mesophyll thickness was thicker in swamp areas than in upland areas. Secretory gland diameter was comparable between environments but tended to decrease under swamp conditions. Leaf Fe and Mn content were dominantly accumulated in the swamp area, whereas upland conditions favoured Ca–K enrichment and structural growth. Stress-responsive genes, Osmotin and aquaporins (PIP1/PIP2), were significantly upregulated under swamp conditions (P < 0.05), but their regulation varied with soil redox chemistry and propagation method. Metabolomic profiling additionally discriminated among agroecosystems (PLS-DA PC1 = 32.7%), with terpenoid- and antioxidant-related metabolites (VIP ≥ 1.2). Propagation effects were environment-dependent, reflecting genotype × environment × propagation interactions: bud-assisted marcotting enhanced stress-associated traits under swamp conditions, whereas chip budding promoted structural growth under upland conditions. These results extend previous controlled-drought experiments by demonstrating how established stress-response pathways operate within lowland agroecosystems shaped by soil mineral chemistry and propagation architecture.

Keywords: Citrus, Gene expression, Metabolomics, Propagation method, Swampland

Amira Ragab EL Barky¹, Tarek Mostafa Mohamed¹, Kamel Chaieb^2,3, Bochra Kouidhi⁴, Ehab M. M. Ali^2*

¹Division of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

²Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

³Center of Artificial Intelligence in Precision Medicines, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

⁴Laboratory of Analysis, Treatment and Valorization of Pollutants of the Environmental and Products, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Monastir, Tunisia

*Corresponding author’s email: emali@kau.edu.sa

Received: 02 January 2026 / Revised: 16 March 2026 / Accepted: 27 March 2026 / Published Online: 09 April 2026

Abstract

Dysregulation of inflammatory and antioxidant signaling is characteristic of breast cancer development and influences therapeutic efficacy. This study investigated the relationship between inflammation and cancer invasion by assessing levels and/or gene expression of COX2, Adipoq, PPARg, uPAR, sialic acid, and heparinase; apoptosis via caspase-3 evaluation; and redox balance in MCF-7 breast cancer mice treated with rutin. Three groups of virgin female mice were divided: (i) a control group; (ii) an MCF-7 group that was treated with Imuran before being injected with MCF-7 cells; and (iii) an MCF-7/rutin group that was given rutin (200 mg/kg). Biochemical and histological analyses were assessed after two and four weeks of post-treatment. Mice bearing breast tumors and treated with rutin exhibited less GATA-3 expression in mammary tissue at 4 weeks, signifying reduced cell invasiveness in mammary tissue at 4 weeks, Rutin therapy also resulted in decreased serum levels of prolactin, estrogen, and CA15-3 At two weeks, both untreated and rutin-treated tumor-bearing mice showed increased levels of COX2, uPAR and sialic acid, demonstrating higher inflammation and invasive potential.  By four weeks, rutin-treated mice exhibited elevated serum sialic acid compared to control, but reduced compared with untreated mice, accompanied by elevated caspase-3, indicating enhanced apoptosis. Gene expression analysis revealed the upregulation of PPARg at both 2 and 4 weeks and Adipoq at 2 weeks, suggesting the activation of apoptotic pathways and adipocyte differentiation. COX2 and heparinase were downregulated at both 2- and 4-weeks reflecting suppression of inflammation and invasion. Rutin-treated mice had reduced mammary MDA and nitric oxide levels at 2 and 4 weeks while mammary GSH and catalase activity were elevated at 2 weeks and depleted at 4 weeks in comparison to healthy mice. It was concluded that rutin treatment of mice bearing breast cancer improved oxidative balance, modulated inflammation, reduced invasion, and preserved mammary tissue structure in breast cancer-induced mice. It is recommended to study the treatment of mice with breast cancer or other types of cancer with chemotherapy combined with rutin to mitigate the side effects of these drugs.

Keywords: Rutin, Tumor breast markers, GATA-3, COX-2, Heparinase, PPARg, Adipoq, NO, ROS

Jonathan Suciono Purnomo¹, Richelle Clarence Saptura¹, Dikson¹, Dela Rosa², Ariela Samantha¹,

Reinhard Pinontoan¹*

¹Department of Biology, Faculty of Health Science, Universitas Pelita Harapan, Jl. Jendral Sudirman 20, Lippo Karawaci, Tangerang 15810, Banten, Indonesia

²Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Science, Universitas Pelita Harapan. Jl. Jendral Sudirman 20, Lippo Karawaci, Tangerang 15810, Banten, Indonesia

*Corresponding author’s email: reinhard.pinontoan@uph.edu

Received: 15 November 2025 / Revised: 25 March 2026 / Accepted: 30 March 2026 / Published Online: 09 April 2026

Abstract

Thrombosis is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases, contributing significantly to global mortality rates. It has become necessary to develop more cost-effective and safer treatments for thrombosis, such as those derived from plants, due to prohibitively high costs and severe side effects of existing medications. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) has been reported to have thrombolytic abilities via fibrinolysis in vitro. Subsequently, the in silico studies described herein aimed to further understand the fibrinolytic mechanisms of zingibain-2 at the molecular level through molecular docking and dynamics simulations. AlphaFold3 accurately predicted the zingibain-2 structure and stably predicted the fibrin peptide-zingibain interactions. A preference for proline at the P2 position, typical of cysteine proteases, was found in 18, 8-residue peptides screened from human fibrin chains (PDB: 2HLO). Protein superimposition between the AlphaFold3 prediction and X-ray crystallography structures showed a minimum root mean square deviation value of 0.33 Å and 97.72% favorable residue orientation on a Ramachandran plot. Initial docking identified 13 out of 18, 8-residue human fibrin peptides with short catalytic distances. However, GROMACS molecular dynamics simulations of these AlphaFold3-docked complexes over 100 ns further narrowed this down to 11 out of 18, 8-residue human fibrin peptides with stable interactions, as demonstrated by their reliably short catalytic distances and negative binding energy. These stable models showed close, stable interactions with zingibain-2, and thus, support its potential as a plant-based thrombolytic agent. However, this must be experimentally validated.

Keywords: Fibrinolytic mechanism, Molecular docking, Molecular dynamics, Thrombolytic, Zingibain

Andi Irmadamayanti¹, Syafruddin^1*, Nurasiah Djaenuddin¹, Ramlah Arief¹, Amran Muis¹, Nurnina Nonci¹, Erwin Najamuddin¹, Herawati¹, Fatmawati¹, Suwarti¹, Herniwati¹, Paesal¹, Yustisia¹, Marcia B. Pabendon¹, Lesty Ayu Bidhari¹

¹Research Centre for Food Crops, Research Organization for Agricultural and Food, National Research and Innovation Agency (NRIA), Cibinong Science Center, Jl. Raya Jakarta-Bogor KM. 46, Cibinong, Bogor, West Java 16911 Indonesia

*Corresponding author’s email: syaf012@brin.go.id

Received: 24 October 2025 / Revised: 04 March 2026 / Accepted: 14 March 2026 / Published Online: 04 April 2026

Abstract

Zinc is an essential micronutrient for maize plants; its deficiency reduces growth and yield. The use of zinc-solubilizing rhizobacteria (ZSR) to address Zn deficiency is an eco-friendly alternative. This study aims to select ZSR potential as biofertilizers to enhance corn growth. Rhizobacterial isolates were obtained from maize rhizospheres in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and screened for their ability to solubilize Zn in media supplemented with Zn₃(PO₄)₂, ZnO, and ZnCO₃. Capable isolates of solubilizing Zn in all types of media selected for maize growth testing. It was identified that among 46 Zn-solubilizing isolates, six isolates were active in all three media: Bn.1.7 (Klebsiella sp.), Bn.1.11 (Serratia sp. strain EB340), Btg.1.5 (Citrobacter freundii strain KSSN 2.2), Btg-1.6 (Serratia marcescens strain NPK2), Btg.2.3 (Bacillus sp.), and Jpt.3.7 (Lysinibacillus sp.). Isolates Btg.2.3 (Bacillus sp.) and Jpt.3.7 (Lysinibacillus sp.) demonstrated the greatest dissolution capacity and markedly increased Zn solubility in liquid media across all insoluble Zn forms and incubation periods. These isolates were applied in a pot experiment, and they significantly improved growth parameters, including plant height, fresh weight, and dry weight, compared to the control and other isolates. These findings suggest that Btg.2.3 and Jpt.3.7 have potential as biofertilizers for crop production. Furthermore, Zn₃(PO₄)₂-based media outperformed other media for screening rhizobacteria capable of solubilizing various forms of Zn in the soil.

Keywords: Biofertilizer, Environment friendly, Rhizobacteria, Corn, Zinc

Muhammad Nauman*

Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Plant Production Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, 25130, Pakistan

*Corresponding author’s email: nauman_279@yahoo.com

Received: 17 January 2026 / Revised: 14 March 2026 / Accepted: 26 March 2026 / Published Online: 04 April 2026

Abstract

Brassica juncea is one of the major oilseed crops in the subcontinent and worldwide, with its performance affected by environmental conditions; therefore, understanding the genotype × environment interaction (GEI) is essential for identifying high-yielding and stable genotypes. Forty-five B. juncea genotypes were evaluated across four diverse locations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over two years to assess stability and high yield. For this purpose, additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analysis was applied to seed yield and oil content, following a significant GEI. Significant (P≤0.01) GEI was observed for the studied traits, indicating substantial differences among genotypes across tested environments. Overall, higher seed yield was recorded for genotypes AUP-619 and AUP-641, and elevated oil content was found for AUP-1800, as compared to the check cultivars. The AMMI-1 biplot analysis identified relatively stable and high-yielding genotypes for seed yield and oil content. The biplot also revealed that the Kohat and Bannu environments showed limited discriminatory ability for both traits among genotypes, likely due to uniform environmental stress and restricted genetic variation for both traits. Additionally, the AMMI-2 biplot assessment detected two possible mega-environments for seed yield and oil content, along with their associated genotypes, highlighting the significance of environment-specific allocation of genotypes. Moreover, the genotype selection index identified comparatively stable and high-yielding genotypes, such as AUP-618 for seed yield and AUP-625 for oil content. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of AMMI-based approaches in identifying relatively stable and specifically adapted B. juncea genotypes for diverse agro-climatic conditions.

Keywords: Genotype × Environment interaction (GEI), Stability analysis, AMMI analysis, AMMI stability value (ASV), Genotype selection index (GSI)

Alberto Arias-Arredondo^1*, Melina Lopez-Rodriguez^1,2, Juancarlos Cruz-Luis³, Edilson Requena-Rojas¹, Dennis Ccopi¹, Samuel Pizarro¹, Richard Solórzano-Acosta^3,4

¹Estación Experimental Agraria Santa Ana, Dirección de Servicios Estratégicos Agrarios, Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria, Carretera Saños Grande-Hualahoyo km 8 Santa Ana, Huancayo, Junín, Perú

²Escuela de Formación Profesional de Zootecnia, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Nacional Daniel Alcides Carrión, Av. Los Próceres 703, Cerro de Pasco, Pasco, Perú

³Centro Experimental La Molina, Dirección de Servicios Estratégicos Agrarios, Instituto Nacional de Innovación Agraria, Av. La Molina 1981, Lima, Perú

⁴Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad Científica del Sur, Av. Nicolás Ayllón 7208, Lima, Perú

*Corresponding author’s email: albertogilmer@gmail.com

Received: 23 October 2025 / Revised: 21 February 2026 / Accepted: 12 March 2026 / Published Online: 20 March 2026

Abstract

This study evaluated nutrient extraction and uptake in native forage grasses (Festuca dolichophylla and Calamagrostis chrysantha) and improved species (Lolium perenne and Dactylis glomerata) at 4,100 m a.s.l. in the Peruvian Andes using a completely randomized design. Results revealed significant interspecific variability in nutrient accumulation. Dactylis glomerata showed superior macronutrient accumulation, particularly Mg, while Lolium perenne achieved highest K extraction (0.07 t ha⁻¹) and biomass production. Native species demonstrated lower nutritional demands: Festuca dolichophylla reached maximum dry matter production (6 t ha⁻¹), while Calamagrostis chrysantha showed elevated Ca and P concentrations. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive associations among Ca, Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn (r = 0.7-1.0), indicating coordinated uptake mechanisms. Nickel exhibited negative correlations with P (r = -0.6) and K (r = -0.5). Improved species require intensive fertilization, while native species offer sustainable alternatives for low-input high-altitude systems.

Keywords: Forage grasses, Nutrient uptake, Mountain grasslands, Soil fertilization

Natalia Naumova^1,3*, Kumushbek Mambetov², Sovetbek Mamytkanov², Musakun Akhmatbekov², Olga Baturina³, Gulnur Dzhainakova¹, Olga Rusalimova¹, Aybek Sydykov², Pavel Barsukov¹, Marsel Kabilov³*

¹Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Lavrentieva 8/2, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia

²Kyrgyz National Agrarian University named after K.I. Skryabin, Mederova Str., 68, Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic

³Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Lavrentieva 8, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia

*Corresponding author’s email: nnaumova@mail.ru; kabilov@niboch.nsc.ru

Received: 15 November 2025 / Revised: 11 February 2026 / Accepted: 08 March 2026 / Published Online: 18 March 2026

Abstract

Crop rotation, one of the most fundamental agronomic practices, has been widely used to avoid drastically compromising soil quality. From the longest in Central Asia multicrop rotation experiment we collected Calcisol samples with the aim to assess bacteriobiome structure and diversity using 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding; in this pilot study we used the plots cropped for winter wheat under different fertilization treatments (no fertilizers, NPK and NPK+manure) and collected soil samples three months after wheat harvest to allow the effects of soil disturbance and post-harvest phytomass residues input in soil to subside. In this first survey all major dominant phyla, namely Pseudomonadota, Acidobacteriota, Actinomycetota, Bacillota and Bacteioidota), together accounted for 85%, each having the same abundance under different fertilization. Overall, the long-term fertilization under multicrop rotation was not found to have a notable effect on soil bacteriobiome as only minor or rare taxa had changes in their abundance that were very small in size and hence hardly ecologically and agronomically significant. Soil bacteriobiome α-biodiversity indices were not affected by fertilization as well: the repetitive management practices might have increased the homogeneity of ecological niches for bacteria, thus equalizing biodiversity. Such bacterial genera as Sphingomonas, Stenotrophobacter and Pseudarthrobacter, as the most responsive to changes in soil environment under different treatments and being the drivers of β-biodiversity, warrant further research attention as related to the arable Calcisols functioning.

Keywords: 16S rRNA genes, Illumina Miseq, Metabarcoding, Crop rotation, Calcisol

Geng Wei^1,2, Mulan Zou^1,2, Shuyue Wang³, Bo Liu^1,2*

¹School of Surveying and Geoinformation Engineering, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China

²Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecological Process and Information (Platform No. 2023SSY01051), East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China

³Nanjing Real Estate Registration, Nanjing, 210001, China

*Corresponding author’s email: liubo@ecut.edu.cn

Received: 05 November 2025 / Revised: 01 March 2026 / Accepted: 09 March 2026 / Published Online: 14 March 2026

Abstract

Generating Near-Infrared (NIR) imagery from RGB spectrum offers a low-cost alternative to dedicated multispectral sensors. To investigate whether NIR imagery can be generated from standard visible-light RGB camera, visible-light RGB and multispectral NIR images over a rice field were captured by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Color space features (including HSV and CIELAB) and texture features (TF) were incorporated, and optimal model inputs were identified through feature screening method. Subsequently, four distinct models were developed for NIR image generation. Results showed that performance of generating NIR images improves substantially when HSV, CIELAB, and TF were included, and further gains were obtained after input feature selection. Pix2Pix achieved the best performance on the test dataset, with the highest determination coefficient (R²) of 0.78 and the lowest normalized Root Mean Square Error (nRMSE) of 6.41%, and the generated NIR images reached the highest Structural Similarity (SSIM) of 0.85 and Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) of 28.48 dB. Moreover, feature importance analysis highlighted V, a, b, red-band contrast, green-band mean and variance as key predictors for NIR image generation. This study demonstrates a practical, low-cost approach to produce NIR imagery from standard visible-light RGB cameras, potentially reducing reliance on dedicated multispectral sensors.

Keywords: NIR generation, UAV, RGB spectra, Color space model, Texture feature

Anis Fahri^1,3, Mariani Br. Sembiring², Setia Sari Girsang^3*, Etty Pratiwi³, Erny Yuniarti⁴, Ana Feronika Cindra Irawati⁵, T. Sabrina^2*

¹Doctoral Program in Agricultural Sciences, University of North Sumatra, Medan, Indonesia

²Faculty of Agriculture, University of North Sumatra, Medan, Indonesia

³Research Center for Food Crops, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, Bogor, Indonesia

⁴Research Center for Horticulture, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, Bogor, Indonesia

⁵Research Center for Applied Microbiology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, Bogor, Indonesia

*Corresponding author’s email: t.sabrina@usu.ac.id; seti011@brin.go.id

Received: 03 October 2025 / Revised: 16 February 2026 / Accepted: 28 February 2026 / Published Online: 12 March 2026

Abstract

Rice, the staple for nearly half the world’s population, faces production limits in tidal swamp soils due to zinc (Zn) deficiency. This study isolated Zn-solubilizing bacteria from Riau Province tidal rice fields, Indonesia, to enhance soil Zn availability and rice seedling vigour. Twelve isolates showed Zn solubilization, with PS5 achieving 109.68 mg/L efficiency and a vigour index of 1.76475; they also displayed plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) traits like nitrogen fixation, phosphate/potassium solubilization, indole-3-acetic acid production, and organic acid secretion. 16S rDNA analysis identified top strains as Acinetobacter sp. BHS4 and Bacillus safensis P5.4, positioning them as bioinoculants to combat Zn deficiency and lower chemical fertilizer needs in tidal rice systems.

Keywords: Biofertilizer, Rice vigour, PGPR, Tidal soils, Zinc solubilization