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The aim of this study was to analyze the similarities between the Karawang local superior varieties and several national superior varieties based on chromosome analysis or allele size. Analysis were carried out in the laboratory of the Biogen Research Institute in 2021. There were 9 genotypes analyzed, consisting of 8 national superior varieties, namely NS Karawang, Argomulyo, Grobogan, Anjasmoro, Devon-1, Detap-1, Dena-1 and Dena-2 and 1 Karawang local soybean genotypes. The results of the analysis show that Karawang local soybean has a difference with the national superior variety. The similarity of local soybeans from Karawang to NS Karawang with varieties Agromulyo and Grobogan is 68%, with soybean varieties Anjasmoro and Devon-1 is 71%, while with soybeans Detap-1, Dena-1 and Dena-2 is 76%.

Food security and environmental pollution are major concerns for the expanding world population, where farm animals are the largest source of dietary proteins and are responsible for producing anthropogenic gases, including methane, especially by cows. We sampled the fecal microbiomes of cows from varying environmental regions of Pakistan to determine the better-performing microbiomes for higher yields and lower methane emissions by applying the shotgun metagenomic approach. We selected managed dairy farms in the Chakwal, Salt Range, and Patoki regions of Pakistan, and also incorporated animals from local farmers. Milk yield and milk fat, and protein contents were measured and correlated with microbiome diversity and function. The average milk protein content from the Salt Range farms was 2.68%, with an average peak milk yield of 45 litters/head/day, compared to 3.68% in Patoki farms with an average peak milk yield of 18 litters/head/day. Salt-range dairy cows prefer S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) to S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (SAH) conversion reactions and are responsible for low milk protein content. It is linked to Bacteroides fragilles which account for 10% of the total Bacteroides, compared to 3% in the Patoki region. The solid Non-Fat in the salt range was 8.29%, whereas that in patoki was 6.34%. Moreover, Lactobacillus plantarum high abundance in Salt Range provided propionate as alternate sink to [H], and overcoming a Methanobrevibacter ruminantium high methane emissions in the Salt Range. Furthermore, our results identified ruminant fecal microbiomes that can be used as fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) to high-methane emitters and low-performing herds to increase farm output and reduce the environmental damage caused by anthropogenic gases emitted by dairy cows., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

In eukaryotes, the genome does not emerge in a specific shape but rather as a hierarchial bundle within the nucleus. This multifaceted genome organization consists of multiresolution cellular structures, such as chromosome territories, compartments, and topologically associating domains, which are frequently defined by architecture, design proteins including CTCF and cohesin, and chromatin loops. This review briefly discusses the advances in understanding the basic rules of control, chromatin folding, and functional areas in early embryogenesis. With the use of chromosome capture techniques, the latest advancements in technologies for visualizing chromatin interactions come close to revealing 3D genome formation frameworks with incredible detail throughout all genomic levels, including at single-cell resolution. The possibility of detecting variations in chromatin architecture might open up new opportunities for disease diagnosis and prevention, infertility treatments, therapeutic approaches, desired exploration, and many other application scenarios., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background and Aim: In 2020, Indonesia, which has the highest global production of edible bird's nest (EBNs), exported up to 1312.5 tons of this product at a value of USD 540.4 million. Recently, food safety aspects related to EBNs, including contamination with heavy metals, have become a serious concern. However, data on the presence and concentration of heavy metals in EBNs in Indonesia are not yet available. This study aimed to determine and compare the presence and concentrations of arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and tin (Sn) in EBNs originating from several primary Indonesian islands. The study also analyzed the effect of washing on the heavy metal content in EBNs., Materials and Methods: A study on 44 swiftlet farmhouses (SFHs) was conducted to determine the concentrations of heavy metals in EBNs. The number of samples from the SFHs was allocated proportionally to the main EBN-producing islands in Indonesia, that is, Kalimantan, Sumatera, Sulawesi, and Java (22, 13, 7, and 2, respectively). The concentrations of the above five elements in the samples before washing (raw-unclean EBNs) and after washing (raw-clean EBNs) were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Washing was conducted according to the general procedures at an EBN processing plant., Results: The raw-unclean EBNs from the four islands contained As, Pb, Cd, and Sn at varying concentrations. However, Hg was not detected in the raw-unclean EBN samples from Sulawesi. The raw-unclean EBNs from Kalimantan had lower concentrations of Pb and Cd compared with the other islands. The concentrations of As, Pb, Cd, and Sn in the EBNs decreased significantly after washing with clean water., Conclusion: Heavy metals (As, Hg, Pb, Cd, and Sn) were detected at a low level in most of the raw-unclean EBNs originating from the main Indonesian island where they were produced. The concentrations of all the heavy metals reviewed in the raw-unclean EBNs samples decreased significantly after washing., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright: © Wahyuni, et al.)

The acyclic monoterpene alcohol linalool is one of the most frequently encountered volatile compounds in floral scents. Various linalool oxides are usually emitted along with linalool, some of which are cyclic, such as the furanoid lilac compounds. Recent work has revealed the coexistence of two flower-expressed linalool synthases that produce the (S)- or (R)-linalool enantiomers and the involvement of two P450 enzymes in the linalool oxidation in the flowers of Arabidopsis thaliana. Partially redundant enzymes may also contribute to floral linalool metabolism. Here, we provide evidence that CYP76C1 is a multifunctional enzyme that catalyzes a cascade of oxidation reactions and is the major linalool metabolizing oxygenase in Arabidopsis flowers. Based on the activity of the recombinant enzyme and mutant analyses, we demonstrate its prominent role in the formation of most of the linalool oxides identified in vivo, both as volatiles and soluble conjugated compounds, including 8-hydroxy, 8-oxo, and 8-COOH-linalool, as well as lilac aldehydes and alcohols. Analysis of insect behavior on CYP76C1 mutants and in response to linalool and its oxygenated derivatives demonstrates that CYP76C1-dependent modulation of linalool emission and production of linalool oxides contribute to reduced floral attraction and favor protection against visitors and pests., (© 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.)

A major problem in flower bulb cultivation is weed control. Synthetic herbicides are mainly used, although they cause a range of problems, and integrated weed control through application of naturally occurring allelochemicals would be highly desirable. Flower bulb production creates large amounts of leftover biomass. Utilizing this source for weed control may provide new applications of the bulb crops. We therefore screened 33 flower bulb extracts for allelochemical activity against weeds. Several methanol and chloroform extracts were observed to inhibit germination and growth of Senecio vulgaris L. and Lolium perenne L., as representatives of di- and mono-cotyledonous weeds, respectively. Narciclasine was identified as the bioactive compound in Narcissus. The extract of Amaryllis belladonna L. was equally active, but did not contain any narciclasine. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the A. belladonna extract resulted in the identification of lycorine as the bio-active compound. The IC₅₀ measured for radicle growth inhibition was 0.10 µM for narciclasine and 0.93 µM for lycorine, compared to 0.11 mM of chlorpropham, a synthetic herbicide. Therefore, the leftover biomass from the spring bulb industry represents an interesting potential source for promising allelochemicals for further studies on weed growth inhibition.