Journal of Tropical Biodiversity

Macro Fungi Diversity in The Sanggabuana Mountain Area, Karawang Regency, Tegalwaru District, West Java

2024-04-25T22:58:17+07:00

Sanggabuana Mountain is a mountain located within the territory of Karawang Regency. Administratively, the mountain is situated in Karawang Regency, Tegalwaru District, West Java. The height of the mountain is 1,291 meters above sea level (MDPL) and is the highest and only mountain in Karawang. The area has a high biodiversity, making it highly likely to find many macrofungi, especially macrofungi. This research was conducted to determine the diversity of macrofungi in the Sanggabuana Mountain area of Karawang Regency, Tegalwaru District, West Java. The type of research is exploratory and descriptive research, conducted on three observation routes; Route A (Cigentis), Route B (local plantations), and Route C (Kejayaan). The research results obtained a total of 23 species from 17 genera of macrofungi across the three observation routes, with the species diversity index in all three routes falling into the moderate diversity category. The highest encounter frequency of macrofungi on Route B was Ganoderma applanatum (23%), on Route A was Trametes sp (19%), and on Route C was Microporus xanthopus, Xylaria sp, and Inonotus sp (10%). The species dominance index on Route A falls into the high dominance category, while on Route B and C, it falls into the low dominance category.

Therapeutic Potential of Quercetin Derivatives: In Silico Investigation of HIV-1 Protease Inhibition

2024-04-25T22:58:18+07:00

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) type 1 is the predominant strain known for its impact on the immune system and its propensity for mutation. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global infection count reached 37.9 million in 2018, with alarming rates of mortality and morbidity. Ongoing drug discovery endeavors encompass various facets, including investigations into HIV protease—a key enzyme in the cleavage process of gag and gag-pol polyprotein chains essential for the genesis of new virions. While numerous studies suggest the inhibitory potential of quercetin against HIV-1, comprehensive exploration regarding its interaction with the HIV-1 protease receptor remains limited. This study aimed to elucidate the therapeutic potential of quercetin derivative compounds as viable candidates for HIV protease inhibition. Employing in silico analysis, molecular docking of 36 quercetin derivative compounds with the HIV-1 protease receptor (code 3SO9) using the Pyrx-Autodock Vina-Open Babel platform was conducted. Prior to docking, ligand preparation was meticulously performed using Autodock Tools 1.5.6, with geometry optimization utilizing Avogadro software. The interaction was assessed through Gibbs free energy (∆G) scoring, where a more negative ∆G value indicated a stronger binding propensity between the ligand and receptor. The docking results revealed that 22 quercetin derivative compounds exhibited Gibbs energy (∆G) values lower than the original ligand, darunavir. However, 5 compounds deviated from Lipinski's rule, while 17 compounds adhered to Lipinski's criteria. Consequently, these 17 quercetin derivative compounds exhibit promising potential as candidate drugs for HIV-1 protease inhibition.

Egg Production of Local Merawangarab with Different Genetic Composition

2024-04-25T22:58:19+07:00

Chicken eggs are the most widely consumed poultry product. Eggs have high protein value and are affordable for the public. Demand for local chicken eggs continues to increase every year. Merawang chicken and Arabian chicken are local Indonesian chickens. It is hoped that crossing the two chickens will produce superior offspring in egg production. The research was conducted to evaluate egg production in local chickens of the merawangarab cross with different genetic compositions of the merawang (M), namely 25% M, 50% M, 62.5% M, and 75% M, totaling 31 birds consisting of 21 adult females and 10 males. This research used a randomized block design (RAK). Egg production has achieved quite good results. The genetic composition affected egg index (P<0.05), but egg weight, hen day production, and feed conversion were the same. The four types of merawangarab chickens have the potential to be local egg-producing chickens. The egg production performance of 25%M, 50%M, 62.5%M, and 75%M was the same and all four could be developed as local laying hens.

Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants in Bangbayang Village, Sumedang, West Java.

2024-04-25T22:58:22+07:00

Ethnobotany can be defined as the study of the utilization of plants in a community, one of which is medicinal plants. The purpose of this research is to understand and identify the types of plants used in medicine and their processing methods by the community in Bangbayang Village, Sumedang, West Java. This study was conducted using qualitative and quantitative data analysis through five stages: observation, interviews, field observations, identification, and documentation. Based on interviews with 35 respondents, the diversity of medicinal plants obtained in the forest area of Bangbayang Village is 65 species from 38 families. These medicinal plants are utilized as traditional remedies, serving as alternatives and initial steps for treatment and care, which can be obtained directly from home gardens, community cultivation, or the forest. In this study, the most utilized plants as medicine belong to the Zingiberaceae family, with 6 species. The most commonly used plant parts are leaves, and the most common processing method is boiling. Using the Use Value (UV) calculation, Javanese tamarind, guava, and green betel show the highest UV values at 0.20. Meanwhile, in the calculation of Fidelity Level (FL), turmeric shows the highest FL value at 100%.