To examine whether earthworms of Eisenia fetida, Lumbricus rubellus and Eudrilus eugeniae extracts have elastase, tyrosinase and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) inhibitory activity. The earthworms extract was screened for elastase, tyrosinase and MMP-1 inhibitory activity and compared with the positive controls. It was also evaluated for whitening and anti-wrinkle capacity. The extract showed significantly (P<0.05) good elastase and tyrosinase inhibition and excellent MMP-1 inhibition compared to N-Isobutyl-N-(4-methoxyphenylsulfonyl)-glycylhydroxamic acid. Earthworms extract showed effective inhibition of tyrosinase, elastase and MMP-1 activities. Therefore, this experiment further rationalizes the traditional use of this worm extracts which may be useful as an anti-wrinkle agent.

Extensive use of carbofuran insecticide harms the environment and human health. Carbofuran is an endocrine disruptor and has the highest acute toxicity to humans than all groups of carbamate pesticides used. Carbofuran is highly mobile in soil and soluble in water with a lengthy half-life (50 days). Therefore, it has the potential to contaminate groundwater and nearby water bodies after rainfall events. A bacterial strain BRC05 was isolated from agricultural soil characterized and presumptively identified as Enterobacter sp. The strain was immobilized using gellan gum as an entrapment material. The effect of different heavy metals and the ability of the immobilized cells to degrade carbofuran were compared with their free cell counterparts. The results showed a significant increase in the degradation of carbofuran by immobilized cells compared with freely suspended cells. Carbofuran was completely degraded within 9 h by immobilized cells at 50 mg/L, while it took 12 h for free cells to degrade carbofuran at the same concentration. Besides, the immobilized cells completely degraded carbofuran within 38 h at 100 mg/L. On the other hand, free cells degraded the compound in 68 h. The viability of the freely suspended cell and degradation efficiency was inhibited at a concentration greater than 100 mg/L. Whereas, the immobilized cells almost completely degraded carbofuran at 100 mg/L. At 250 mg/L concentration, the rate of degradation decreased significantly in free cells. The immobilized cells could also be reused for about nine cycles without losing their degradation activity. Hence, the gellan gum-immobilized cells of Enterobacter sp. could be potentially used in the bioremediation of carbofuran in contaminated soil.

Problem statement: Dragon fruit or pitahaya (Hylocereus undatus), is believed to be a healthy source of vitamins, fiber and antioxidants, especially the red-fleshed varieties which contain lycopene. Approach:Compared to green kiwi fruit (Actinidia deliciosa), which already known contain high antioxidant activity. Results:The antioxidant capacity of Hylocereus undatus (H. undatus) and Actinidia deliciosa (A. deliciosa) in three different solvent extraction; ethanol, methanol and aqueous, was estimated by DPPH free radical scavenging assay. The inhibition of free radical by A. deliciosa is almost 90% compared with H. undatus which only 60-10% in different solvents. Additionally, their total phenolic contents were analyzed by folin-ciocalteau method. The result showed that A. deliciosa (533.70 mg L-1 in ethanol, 460.87 mg L-1 in methanol and 420.652 mg L-1 in distilled water) seemed to be better sources of antioxidant compounds then H. undatus (179.35 mg L-1 in ethanol, 160.87 mg L-1 in methanol and 157.61 in distilled water). Conclusion: When compared between the three different solvent, extract in ethanol shown the most highly antioxidant content followed by methanol and water. The experiment showed the potential of dragon fruit and kiwi extracts high rich in antioxidant which can scavenge free radical in human body. Further study on isolation of individual antioxidant in both extracts can be providing for commercialize the extracts in jus form

Assessing heavy metal contamination in aquatic ecosystems is crucial to understanding its effects on macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity, as these organisms serve as sensitive indicators of water quality. Among other heavy metals, cadmium and copper pose significant risks to aquatic ecosystems. We aimed to analyze the relationship of cadmium (mg/kg) and copper (mg/kg) contamination on macroinvertebrate communities using research articles published between 2014 and 2024. A total of 2,491 articles were identified from Scopus, ProQuest, and Google Scholar, and the selection process, guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) criteria, narrowed the studies down to 28 articles that met the inclusion requirements. The studies reported cadmium concentrations ranging from 0.001 mg/kg to 21.90 mg/kg, with the highest concentration recorded in streams and the lowest in lagoon and rivers. copper levels varied from 0.001 mg/kg to 745.0 mg/kg, with the highest concentrations found in lakes, and the lowest observed in estuaries, streams, rivers, and lagoons. Findings revealed that the lowest concentrations (0.001mg/kg) of cadmium and copper corresponded with a high abundance of macroinvertebrates, reaching over 77,000 individuals. Conversely, at the highest levels of copper, macroinvertebrate abundance dropped to as low as 22, while at elevated cadmium levels in separate ecosystem, the abundance was 6707. Thus, this study highlights the possible influence of cadmium and copper contamination on the abundance, diversity, and ecological roles of macroinvertebrate communities in aquatic ecosystems.