Open Access Research Paper

Lipolytic enzymes (triacylglycerol hydrolases E.C. 3.1.1.3), especially lipases are biocatalysts that hydrolyse biopolymers of oil into glycerol and fatty acids of great practical importance in industry, as well as transesterifiers and biocatalysts used in oil synthesis. These substances of serious industrial importance are obtained from different sources (plant, animal and microorganism) and used for different purposes. Examples include waste disposal, medicine, biotechnology, bioremediation, wastewater treatment, detergents, vegetable and animal oils, dairy products, and biodiesel production. As we mentioned, even though lipolytic enzymes are acquired from various sources, these enzymes obtained from micromycetes are practical because the enzyme system is extracellular, and they are easy to obtain and relatively inexpensive. However, the research done and carried out in this field is still not at the required level, and the demand for a physiological, microbiological and biochemical study of these enzymes obtained from fungi remains relevant for the modern era. This review article is dedicated to the possibilities of application and production of lipolytic enzymes in some fields in the Republic of Azerbaijan, taking as an example the world practice of recent years and based on the work done in this field in our Republic. As an example of these problems, we can point to the bioremediation of oil-contaminated soils and the biological cleaning of wastewater. so the problems in these areas are relevant and important to be solved not only in our country but also in the world, against the background of environmental protection and the inevitability of water shortages in the future due to the depletion of water resources.

A major pathological defect in diabetes is insulin resistance, which is characterized by the impaired capacity of peripheral tissues to utilize glucose effectively in the face of hyperinsulinemia. Peripheral insulin resistance is the central pathogenesis of major metabolic disorders, and thus insulin resistance in skeletal muscle impacts whole-body glucose homeostasis. There are currently a limited number of options to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and oral and injectable medications often become less effective over time. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify new targets for the development of novel treatment strategies. Carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine) is an endogenously synthesized dipeptide that is widely and abundantly distributed in skeletal muscles. A diabetic model of glucolipotoxicity was generated by incubating myotubes in standard tissue culture media supplemented with 28mM glucose, 200μM palmitic acid, and 200μM oleic acid. Intracellular reactive species content was assayed using 2, 7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate dye (DCFDA), whereas 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) content, were assayed and quantified using respective ELISA assays. Glucose uptake was determined through 2-deoxy glucose-6-phosphate (2-DG6P) luminescence. Carnosine supplementation resulted in the protection of cells against GLT-mediated generation of reactive species, and thereby enhanced glucose uptake into skeletal muscle. Thus, this dipeptide could offer potential therapeutic benefits to individuals that are insulin-resistant or diabetic.

South Kalimantan, which has a very large forest area, certainly offers a variety of natural beauty that can be a main attraction for tourists, one of which is the Kembang River natural attraction located in Tambela Village, Aranio District, Banjar Regency. The purpose of this study was to formulate a development strategy for Tourism Attraction Objects (ODTW) in Tambela Village, Aranio District, Banjar Regency. The study was conducted at the Tourism Attraction Object (ODTW) in Tambela Village, Banjar Regency. The time of the study was carried out in January 2018 until March 2018. Tourism development strategies were obtained based on data in the field for the development of the Tourism Attraction Objects of Tambela Village, which was immediately coordinated with the Provincial Forestry Service, Banjar District, Aranio Sub district, Head of Village Aranio, Resort Police and Military Headquarters at the ward District Aranio regarding the ODTW management system in Aranio/Tambela Village. So that it can create a beneficial synergy between the two parties, empower the community in management through socialization, and counseling on tourism development, in order to increase productive human resources.

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum Linn) belongs to the Poaceae family and used widely for the preparation of traditional medicines in Benin. The present study was designed to evaluate phytochemical and cytotoxicity potential of seven sugarcane varieties. The precipitation and coloration method were used to determine phytochemical compounds whilst larval toxicity was performed using brine shrimp larvae (Artemia salina Leach). Results of the study revealed variation in phytochemical compounds in the different sugarcane varieties screened. Difference in phytochemical composition was observed also between the juice and bark of same sugarcane variety. Alkaloids, leuco-anthocyanins and reducing compounds were found in juice and bark from all sugarcane varieties used. The CL50 vary from 0.74 mg/mL to 2.66 mg/mL for sugarcane juice and from 0.28 mg/mL to 0.54 mg/mL for the bark extracts. Neither the juice nor bark of sugarcane has presented a risk of toxicity to consumers. The results of the study confirm the potency of sugar cane in preparation of indigenous food and medicine in Benin.

Arboviral diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever are major public health concerns in Africa, with Aedes aegypti as the primary vector. Insecticide‑based interventions remain the cornerstone of vector control, but their effectiveness is increasingly compromised by the evolution of resistance. Monitoring resistance dynamics is therefore essential to guide sustainable control strategies. Adults emerged from eggs collected in urban and peri‑urban sites of Ouagadougou in 2019 and 2020, were exposed to insecticide-treated papers according to WHO standard tubes protocols. Mosquitoes were exposed to 0.03% deltamethrin, 0.08% malathion, and 0.21% pirimiphos‑methyl for one hour. The mortality rate was recorded 24 hours after exposure and compared across years and sites using Chi‑square test. The tested populations were resistant to deltamethrin, with lower mortality rates at the urban site (20.20% in 2019 vs. 23.76% in 2020; p = 0.5434) but a significant change at the peri-urban site (70.24% vs. 24.30%; p < 0.001). The resistance to malathion was moderate with, mortality rate decreasing from 91.51% to 82.98% in the urban site (p = 0.069), and from 98.99% to 59.61% in the peri‑urban site (p= 0.001). Pirimiphos‑methyl mortality rates slightly drop from 80.39% to 74.72% (p=0.44) in urban site and from 93.20% to 84.69% (p=0.001). These findings reveal a worrying trend of reducing susceptibility of Aedes aegypti to both pyrethroids and organophosphates, particularly in peri‑urban areas within in one year. The results underscore the urgent need for continuous resistance monitoring and the implementation of early resistance management strategy to sustain arbovirus prevention efforts in Burkina Faso.

Habitat shrinkage, along with the loss of quality habitat, results in a higher human-wildlife conflict throughout the world. The Dibru-Saikhowa National Park of Assam once consisted of dense semi-evergreen forests, crane brakes, moist deciduous forests, and grasslands, now facing severe anthropogenic pressure that resulted in higher human-wildlife conflict. The study conducted in four suba (sub-village) of Laika and Dodhia villages found that wild buffalo was responsible for the highest degree of conflict (39.8%), followed by elephant 35% and wild boar 23.7% during 2016-17. The Pomuwa suba encountered the highest degree (94.6%) of human-wildlife buffalo conflict, followed by Tengabari suba 68.4%, Pasidiya 65.2%, and Rikbi 10.4%, which was found statistically significant between different subas (χ2=64.084, p≤0.05). A similar trend was also found in the case of human-elephant conflict, which was also found significant between different subas (χ2=83.829, p≤0.05). Although the extent of conflict was comparatively less, the Tengabari suba encountered the highest human-wild boar conflict and Rikbi suba human-leopard conflicts, which were also found to be statistically significant. However, crop depredation forms the major concern of human-wildlife conflict as compared to other kinds of conflict. The overall extent of conflict indicates that the Pomuwa suba is the highest sufferer as compared with other subas. A landscape-level policy and its proper execution along with timely disbursement of ex-gratia may help in mitigating human-wildlife conflict.

Farm animal productivity depends upon many factors including gut microbiome. It is well established that dysbiosis in the gut microbiome leads to compromised productivity and metabolic disorder. Microbial species with probiotic potential can be isolated from dung samples. From twelve cow dung samples total of nineteen bacterial strains were isolated on two different growth media (M17 and TSA). Only four gram-positive strains were isolated and conformed through 16S rDNA sequencing. Fully characterized strains QAULL04 (KP256013) and QAUEM01 (KP273582) were checked for their probiotic potential. QAULL04 and QAUEM01 has shown maximum mimic gut survival of 31.70% and 3.35% after two hours respectively while it reduces to 26.72% and 0% after 24 hours respectively. Cholesterol assimilation potential of QAULL04 was high (64.44%) in comparison with QAUEM01 (50%) while cell hydrophobicity of QAUEM01 was high (21.10%) than QAULL04 (4.712%). Cumulatively QAULL04 has shown better results for its probiotic application in animal feed.

The Barak valley is located in the southern part of Assam (India) and the phytogeographically, the valley belongs Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, harbours rich arboreal diversity and a strong tradition of ethnobotanical knowledge among certain local communities and the different tribes. The present study is to provide a comprehensive review that synthesizes available information on the ethnobotanical uses of threatened species and conservation status of tree species. A total of 290 tree species belonging to 206 genera and 70 families have been recorded from the valley, reflecting remarkable floristic richness. These tree species play a crucial role in the livelihood such as, providing food, medicine, timber, fuelwood, fodder, and cultural resources. IUCN Red list assessment reveals that as the threatened categories, 2% (7 species) Vulnerable, 3% (8 species) Endangered, and 1% (2 species) Critically Endangered and the majority of the species falls under the Least Concern category of 72% (206 species), while 16% (45 species) are Not Evaluated and 4% (10 species) are Data Deficient. The threatened species indicating that due to the increasing of anthropogenic pressure, habitat loss, overexploitation, illegal plantation, and lack of awareness on forest ecosystem are major threats to tree diversity in the valley. This review highlights the ethnobotanical knowledge of threatened species with scientific conservation strategies. The study establishes a valuable baseline dataset for ethnobotanical, future ecological monitoring, conservation planning, and sustainable utilization of tree resources in the valley.

SARS-CoV-2 caused millions of deaths and hundreds of millions of infections over the world. While many countries and regions were affected strongly by this new virus, Cambodia showed success in limiting the death and infection before going bad in the fourth wave of the pandemic. In order to understand this success, this study examines the genetic diversity of the Spike gene of SARS-CoV-2 variants in Cambodia. The results indicated the high-frequency haplotype and nucleotide diversity in Cambodia, respectively 0.8669 ± 0.0090 and 0.002761 ± 0.001392. In the S gene, 278 nucleotide polymorphisms were recorded, in which mutation A23403G (D614G) accounted for the highest frequency, corresponding to 97.50%. The gene regions coding for the corresponding positions in the protein are NTD, RBD, and Furin S1/S2 cleavage site (FCS), which are the regions where mutations occur. The genetic diversity of Spike gene of SARS-CoV-2 variants really supported the observation of the success in disease control.

In Côte d’Ivoire, agroforestry parklands dominated by the Vitellaria paradoxa (shea tree) play a role in smallholder agriculture, soil conservation and food security within the Sudanian and Sudan–Guinean zones. Despite its ecological and socio-economic importance, this species, listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, is increasingly threatened by overexploitation, habitat degradation, recurrent bush fires, poor natural regeneration and climate change, raising concerns about its long-term persistence. To assess the current and future distribution of V. paradoxa in Côte d’Ivoire, 135 occurrence records from the CNF herbarium and GBIF were modelled using multiple algorithms and WorldClim v2.1 bioclimatic variables under current and future climate scenarios (SSP245 and SSP585). Multicollinearity was reduced using Pearson correlation coefficients and variance inflation factors (|r| < 0.7; VIF < 8), and model performance was evaluated through bootstrap-based random subsampling (70% training, 30% validation) using AUC and TSS metrics. The results showed that eight predictors were retained, dominated by temperature variables, particularly temperature seasonality (45%), followed by precipitation. Temperature and precipitation are the dominant drivers, while wind plays a secondary role, indicating a narrow ecological niche and high sensitivity to climate change. Currently, suitable habitats cover 36,673 km² in northern and central Côte d’Ivoire. Projections indicate a northward expansion by 2050, reaching 179,568 km²under SSP-245-2050 and 144,338 km² under SSP-585-2050. They also reveal a more pronounced reduction in habitat suitability as the intensity of climate change increases. These results provide spatially explicit guidance for climate-adaptive agroforestry planning, identifying priority areas for conservation, regeneration, and sustainable shea-based expansion.

The potential of mangrove forests to sequester carbon must be recognized by local government units and other stakeholders. Awareness on this aspect will promote participation among stakeholders in the conservation efforts for this ecosystem. The current study presents the carbon stock assessment of a mangrove forest in Cotabato City, Philippines. There were 3 study sites purposively selected for this study. A total of 12 sampling plots with a size of 5m × 40m each were established in the three study sites. Above ground and below ground biomass were determined. Two soil samples were obtained in each plot for soil carbon analysis. Mean total biomass density is about 605 Mg ha-1 with mean total carbon stored of about 491 MgC ha-1 and the mean carbon saturation deficit is 0.45. These figures show the importance of this mangrove ecosystem in sequestering substantial amount of atmospheric carbon, thus the coordinated efforts of Local Government Units, residents and private organizations are necessary for the sustainability of these natural resources.