Malaysian Journal of Science (MJS)

Soil Preference and Burrow Characteristics of Two Theraphosidae Species in Penang Island, Malaysia

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Tarantulas play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance by regulating insect populations. However, little is known about the soil preferences and burrow structures of tarantulas in Malaysia. This study aims to determine the soil preference as well as the burrow structure of Coremiocnemis cunciularia and Chilobrachys andersoni from Penang Island. The soil characteristics of the soil samples collected around the burrows of Coremiocnemis cunciularia (n = 30) and Chilobrachys andersoni (n = 30) were determined using soil texture analysis. The measurements and burrow structures from adults and juveniles of Coremiocnemis cunciularia and Chilobrachys andersoni were determined. It was revealed that the moisture content and clay percentage in the soil samples around burrows of Chilobrachys andersoni and Coremiocnemis cunicularia were significantly different. Meanwhile, there is some variation in the structure and measurements of the burrows of the two tarantula species. The findings in this study could be useful for the conservation works and habitat management of tarantulas on Penang Island.

Utilizing Black Turtle Beans (Phaseolus Vulgaris) for Enhanced Natto Production: A Promising Alternative to Soybeans

Huong Huynh-Lien Ly, Thanh Van Nguyen — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0800

This study aims to replace soybeans, which pose allergy risks, with black turtle beans as a fermentation substrate for natto production. Bacillus subtilis MS05, known for its production of the fibrinolytic enzyme nattokinase, was employed to determine the optimal fermentation conditions. This was achieved through a multifaceted approach, incorporating one-factor-at-a-time experiments, a Plackett-Burman experimental design, as well as a response surface methodology with central composite design. The study reported the highest fibrinolytic activity at 418.32 FU/mL, which is equivalent to the nattokinase enzyme activity found in 5g of natto. This is sufficient to meet the daily nattokinase requirement of an adult consuming 25g of natto. Key factors that significantly influenced the fermentation process were identified as a peptone concentration of 2.8%, a bacterial density of 10⁴ CFU/g of Bacillus subtilis, an initial pH of 5.5, and a fermentation duration of 33 hours. Additionally, natto produced from black turtle beans exhibited remarkable antioxidant activity, as indicated by a DPPH activity of 81.21 µg/mL. These findings highlight the significant potential of black turtle bean-based natto in enhancing fibrinolytic activity and effectively combating free radicals. These attributes contribute to the treatment of atherosclerotic blood clots and hold promise for improving overall human health by nutritional interventions.

Diversity of Phytoplankton in The Mangrove Area of Kerteh River: A Preliminary Study

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Mangroves, the world’s most productive ecosystem, harbour thousands of species of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are the responsible microorganisms allowing mangroves to serve the ecosystem services. Unfortunately, this ecosystem is currently at threat due to various reasons. A study was carried out in a mangrove ecosystem at Kerteh River, Terengganu. Kerteh River is currently facing metal pollution problem that caused by the rapid industrialization. This problem is at high potential to directly impact the composition and abundance of phytoplankton. Therefore, this study was planned to determine the spatial species diversity of phytoplankton at three different stations at selected Kerteh River mangrove area. One off sampling was carried out for two days in August 2019. Three stations were established along the selected Kerteh River area based on the stations exposure to anthropogenic activities. Fifty-six phytoplankton species of four divisions were recorded in this present study. Forty-five species were of Bacillariophyta followed by four species of Chlorophyta, five species of Dinophyta and one species of Cyanophyta. The ranges of phytoplankton diversity indices (H’) and equitability (J’) at Kerteh River were 2.60 to 3.0 and 0.75 to 0.80, respectively. A One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) shows a significant different in the diversity of phytoplankton between stations (p<0.05). Chaetoceros curvisetus was the species with the highest relative abundance at Station 1 and 3, while at Station 2, it was the Frustulia vulgaris. There were five species of Dinoflagellate recorded at the study site, the Ceratium sp, Dinophysis sp., Protoperidinium pallidum, Protoperidinium sp1 and Protoperidinium sp2. The preliminary record on the phytoplankton species at Kerteh River hopefully can provide insight on the impact in the shift made by current and emerging anthropogenic activities at the area.

Comparative Analysis of Antioxidant Properties of Cold and Hot Water Leaf Extract of Rauvolfia vomitoria Afzel

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Rauvolfia vomitoria Afzel has attracted significant research interest due to its multiple health benefits. Its antioxidant properties are important in preventing oxidative stress, cancer, heart problems, and neurological disorders. This study compares the antioxidant capacity of R. vomitoria leaf extract in both hot and cold water. Standard methods were used to prepare leaf extracts in both hot and cold water, which were subjected to different antioxidant assays. The hot water leaf extract had a better capacity to snare free radicals produced by stable DPPH's free radical at 50% inhibition concentration (3.07 ± 0.54 mg/ml) than the cold water leaf extract (9.82 ± 0.01mg/ml). The nitric oxide inhibitory capacity of R. vomitoria at 50% inhibition concentration in cold and hot water leaf extract (3.64 ± 0.38 and 4.24 ± 0.11) showed no significant difference. The hot water leaf extract had higher ferric-reducing antioxidant power (IC₅₀ of 7.21 ± 0.07 mg/ml) than the cold water extract (10.85 ± 0.50 mg/ml). The hot water leaf extract showed a higher total antioxidant capacity (IC50 of 6.01 ± 0.21 mg/ml) than the cold water extract (9.01 ± 0.07 mg/ml). These antioxidant evaluations show that R. vomitoria hot water leaf extracts were superior to cold water leaf extracts as antioxidants and free radical scavengers. The findings show that R. vomitoria's hot-water extract has greater antioxidant activity than its cold-water extract.

Response Surface Methodology–Based Optimization of HPLC Conditions for Quantification of Paracetamol in Indonesian Traditional Medicines (Jamu)

Ni Komang Tri Widya Putri, Anggita Rosiana Putri, Bachtiar Rifai Pratita Ihsan — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Indonesian traditional herbal medicines (Jamu) are prohibited from containing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Nevertheless, reports indicate that some hyperuricemia jamu products still contain such substances, including paracetamol This study aimed to optimize High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) conditions and to validate an analytical method for the determination of paracetamol in jamu for hyperuricemia obtained from Pasar Besar, Malang City. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) combined with a Box–Behnken Design (BBD) was employed to optimize the HPLC conditions. The investigated parameters were the methanol proportion in the mobile phase (X₁, 30–90% v/v), flow rate (X₂, 0.5–1.0 mL/min), and column temperature (X₃, 20–30 °C). The evaluated response variables included peak area (Y₁), resolution (Y₂), tailing factor (Y₃), and theoretical plate number (Y₄). The optimal HPLC conditions consisted of 30% v/v methanol in aquadest, a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, and a column temperature of 25.18 °C. Method validation demonstrated satisfactory selectivity (λmax 245 nm; paracetamol retention time ± 3.33 min), linearity (r² = 0.99), limit of detection (LOD) of 1.51 ppm, and limit of quantification (LOQ) of 5.03 ppm. The method also showed acceptable accuracy (101.75–104.61%) and precision (0.53–1.59%), fulfilling the acceptance criteria. Paracetamol was detected in one jamu sample for hyperuricemia at an average concentration of 5.08% w/w. This finding indicates a violation of the Regulation of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia No. 7 of 2012 concerning the registration of traditional medicines.

Ground Penetrating Radar Method for Estimating Peat Thickness and Volume: Case Study in Kubu Raya, Indonesia

Riska Rais, Muhardi Muhardi, Hans Elmaury Andreas Siregar — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Tropical peatlands in Indonesia are very large, covering an area of about 13.4-14.9 million hectares. Kubu Raya District, West Kalimantan, is known to have significant natural resources and large regions of peatland. This research aims to estimate the thickness and volume of peat soil in the Rasau Jaya and Sungai Raya sub-districts of Kubu Raya Regency. This research uses the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) method, using the Plug-In Cobra GPR SE70 tool with a frequency of 80 MHz. This research applies 23 tracks and validation by three drill points, consisting of nine tracks in Sungai Raya District and 14 tracks in Rasau Jaya District. GPR data is processed through several processes: static correction, dewow, Butterworth bandpass, background removal, gain, subtracting average, and horizon picking. The results showed that the subsurface electromagnetic wave propagation speed at the research location was 0.026 m/ns, having a peat thickness of 0.8-4.2m. The deepest peat layer is in the east, having a thickness of 3.8-4.2m, while the shallowest peat layer is in the west, having a thickness of 0.8-1.1m. The results also show that the volume of peat in the research location is 4.8×107 m³

An Evaluation of The Impact of An Engineering Service-Learning Implementation on Learning

Tarek Riaji, Sanae El Hassani, Youngbong Seo, Fatima Ezzahrae M'hamdi Alaoui — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0800

This study aims to examine the impact of the Service-Learning approach on the engineering education system and student learning. The study is conducted through the example of a specific implementation of this approach, namely the “Smile project,” a collaborative initiative between universities in Morocco and South Korea. This study also provides valuable insights and recommendations to further develop this educational implementation. To assess the effectiveness of the program in enhancing student learning, the study uses pre- and post-questionnaires administered to the participating students. The results of this analysis reveal a strong positive effect of engineering service-learning as a learning approach, improving both technical and interpersonal skills of engineering students. The impact on these skills, however, varies among individuals.

The Belum-Temengor Forest Complex: A Comprehensive Review of The Floral Diversity, Ecology, Indigenous Community and Ecotourism

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0800

The Belum-Temengor Forest Complex (BTFC) is a recognised biodiversity nexus, home to numerous endemic and threatened species. This forest complex includes diverse ecosystems, ranging from lowland dipterocarp forests to highland areas, which are pivotal in ecological balance and local climate processes. The forest has been designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) Rank 1 due to its unique environmental value, highlighting the need for rigorous protection and conservation measures. The current study provided a comprehensive analysis of the existing literature on the BTFC, covering vital aspects such as floral composition, focusing on several important species, ecological role, ecotourism, and the interrelationships among the Orang Asli community within this forest complex. The findings revealed that the diverse floral species composition within the forest complex significantly enhances the ecotourism potential and supports the socio-economic development of the Orang Asli communities. Additionally, the current study highlighted the crucial ecological role of the forest and addressed several threats, including deforestation and habitat loss.

A Review: Role of Silkworm (Tubifex Tubifex Müller, 1774) as Bioremediator in Freshwater Ecosystem

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Tubifex tubifex Müller, 1774 is an oligochaete that is extensively dispersed, in particular in freshwater ecosystem and plays an important role in the ecosystem. It is one of natural or live feed for aquatic organism in the nature or cultivation media. Furthermore, T. tubifex could be a reasonable living being for the inquire about of the organic impact of different contaminations due to its capacity to decompose matter as well as accumulate the metals or chemical pollutants. This review aimed to elaborate the information about the biology of T. tubifex and its role, focused on its ability as decomposer in freshwater ecosystem. In the arrangement of this paper, many relevant scientific articles were cited. This paper examined the biology of T. tubifex (i.e., morphology, chaetae, segmentation, respiratory, reproduction, and habitat of Tubifex) and also the role of Tubifex as bioremediator. This review informed that Tubifex has reddish color due to the presence of erythrocruorin. As a group of clitellates, Tubifex has clitellum at segments X, XI, and XII. Furthermore, as a group of oligochaetes, it has chaetae that play important role for burrowing, hooking to the substrate, swimming, crawling, and bioturbating. Tubificidae have capability of autotomization (autotomy) and regeneration of its missing body part. T. tubifex spends its whole life cycle within the substrate with head down within the substrate, whereas part of its posterior may extend over the water column-substrate interface. T. tubifex develop a mixed reproductive strategy, a self-fertilization or parthenogenesis (pseudogamy), and hermaphrodite. Tubifex is a meiobenthic species of aquatic worm and an important key for organic matter decomposition, heavy metal or chemical substances reduction and detoxification. It can do vermicomposting to organic matter and also accumulate chemical substances by its metabolic compound like superoxide dismutase enzyme, catalase enzyme, carboxylesterase enzyme, glutathione-S-transferase enzyme, and metallothionein enzyme.