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Influence of chicken feather waste derived protein hydrolysate on the growth of tea plants under different application methods and fertilizer rates

Raguraj S, Kasim S, Jaafar NM, Nazli MH

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Mar;30(13):37017-37028.
PMID: 36564696 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24758-z

Modern agriculture prioritizes eco-friendly and sustainable strategies to enhance crop growth and productivity. The utilization of protein hydrolysate extracted from chicken feather waste as a plant biostimulant paves the path to waste recycling. A greenhouse experiment was performed to evaluate the implications of different doses (0, 1, 2, and 3 g L-1) of chicken feather protein hydrolysate (CFPH), application method (soil and foliar), and fertilizer rate (50% and 100%) on the growth performance of tea nursery plants. The highest dose of CFPH (3 g L-1) increased the shoot and root dry weights by 43% and 70%, respectively over control. However, no significant differences were observed between 2 and 3 g L-1 doses in plant dry weight, biometric, and root morphological parameters. Foliar application of CFPH significantly increased all the growth parameters compared to soil drenching except N, P, and K concentrations in leaves and roots. Plants grown under 100% fertilizer rate showed better growth performance than 50% fertilizer rate. Tea nursery plants treated with foliar 2 g L-1 dose and grown under full fertilizer rate recorded the highest plant dry weight, root length, and root surface area. However, tea plants under 50% fertilizer rate and treated with foliar 2 and 3 g L-1 doses sustained the growth similar to untreated plants under 100% fertilizer rate. The significantly higher N, P, and K concentrations in leaves were observed in plants treated with soil drenching of 2 and 3 g L-1 CFPH doses under 100% fertilizer rate. Our results indicate that the application of CFPH as a foliar spray is highly effective in producing vigorous tea nursery plants suitable for field planting, eventually capable of withstanding stress and higher yield.
Fulltext Current Classification of the Bacillus pumilus Group Species, the Rubber-Pathogenic Bacteria Causing Trunk Bulges Disease in Malaysia as Assessed by MLSA and Multi rep-PCR Approaches

Husni AAA, Ismail SI, Jaafar NM, Zulperi D

Plant Pathol J, 2021 Jun;37(3):243-257.
PMID: 34111914 DOI: 10.5423/PPJ.OA.02.2021.0017

Bacillus pumilus is the causal agent of trunk bulges disease affecting rubber and rubberwood quality and yield production. In this study, B. pumilus and other closely related species were included in B. pumilus group, as they shared over 99.5% similarity from 16S rRNA analysis. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) of five housekeeping genes and repetitive elements-based polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) using REP, ERIC, and BOX primers conducted to analyze the diversity and systematic relationships of 20 isolates of B. pumilus group from four rubber tree plantations in Peninsular Malaysia (Serdang, Tanah Merah, Baling, and Rawang). Multi rep-PCR results revealed the genetic profiling among the B. pumilus group isolates, while MLSA results showed 98-100% similarity across the 20 isolates of B. pumilus group species. These 20 isolates, formerly established as B. pumilus, were found not to be grouped with B. pumilus. However, being distributed within distinctive groups of the B. pumilus group comprising of two clusters, A and B. Cluster A contained of 17 isolates close to B. altitudinis, whereas Cluster B consisted of three isolates attributed to B. safensis. This is the first MLSA and rep-PCR study on B. pumilus group, which provides an in-depth understanding of the diversity of these rubber-pathogenic isolates in Malaysia.
Fulltext Co-application of a biosolids product and biochar to two coarse-textured pasture soils influenced microbial N cycling genes and potential for N leaching

Shanmugam S, Jenkins SN, Mickan BS, Jaafar NM, Mathes F, Solaiman ZM, et al.

Sci Rep, 2021 01 13;11(1):955.
PMID: 33441591 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78843-9

Co-application of biochar and biosolids to soil has potential to mitigate N leaching due to physical and chemical properties of biochar. Changes in N cycling pathways in soil induced by co-application of biological amendments could further mitigate N loss, but this is largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to determine whether co-application of a biochar and a modified biosolids product to three pasture soils differing in texture could alter the relative abundance of N cycling genes in soil sown with subterranean clover. The biosolids product contained lime and clay and increased subterranean clover shoot biomass in parallel with increases in soil pH and soil nitrate. Its co-application with biochar similarly increased plant growth and soil pH with a marked reduction in nitrate in two coarse textured soils but not in a clayey soil. While application of the biosolids product altered in silico predicted N cycling functional genes, there was no additional change when applied to soil in combination with biochar. This supports the conclusion that co-application of the biochar and biosolids product used here has potential to mitigate loss of N in coarse textured soils due to N adsoption by the biochar and independently of microbial N pathways.
Clinical assessment and cytokines level in constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome participants treated with Lactobacillus-containing cultured milk drink

Mokhtar NM, Jaafar NM, Alfian E, Mohd Rathi ND, Abdul Rani R, Raja Ali RA

Acta Gastroenterol Belg, 2021 12 30;84(4):585-591.
PMID: 34965040 DOI: 10.51821/84.4.009

Background: Gut dysbiosis is linked with the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Manipulation of intestinal microbiota using cultured milk drinks may stimulate the immune system, hence providing beneficial support in IBS treatment. This study aimed to investigate the effects of cultured milk drink on clinical symptoms, intestinal transit time (ITT), fecal pH and cytokines in constipation-predominant IBS (IBS-C) as compared to non-IBS participants.
Methods: Each recruited participant was given three bottles of 125 ml cultured milk drink containing 109 cfu Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and Lactobacillus paracasei L. CASEI-01 consumed daily for 30 days. At pre- and post-30-day consumption, fecal pH, ITT, clinical symptoms, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels were assessed. Seventy-seven IBS-C and 88 non-IBS were enrolled.
Results: Post-consumption, 97.4% of IBS-C experienced improvements in constipation-related symptoms supported by the significant reduction of ITT and decreased fecal pH (p<0.05). All pro-inflammatory cytokines were significantly lower in post as compared to pre-consumption of cultured milk drinks in IBS-C (p<0.05). There was significant reduction in the IL-8 and TNF-α levels in post- as compared to pre-consumption for the non-IBS (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Cultured milk drink taken daily improved clinical symptoms and reduced cytokines, hence should be considered as an adjunctive treatment in IBS-C individuals.