Background: Fucoxanthin is a potential tumor cytotoxic compound. However, mechanisms underlying the activities are unclear. Aim: This in silico study aimed to predict the main mechanism of fucoxanthin; whether with its binding to p53 gene, CDK2, or tubulin. Materials and Methods: In silico was studied by using Autodock-Vina's algorithms. The mechanisms being analyzed by comparison of fucoxanthin and native ligands binding energies in p53 gene (1RV1), CDK2 (1AQ1), and three binding sites of tubulin (1JFF-paclitaxel, 1SA0-colchicine, and 1Z2B-vinblastine site). Results: Autodock-Vina's algorithms were valid, as re-docking the native ligands to their receptors showed a RSMD value less than 2 A with binding energies of -11.5 (1RV1), -14.4 (1AQ1), -15.4 (1JFF), -9.2 (1SA0), and -9.7 (1Z2B) kcal/mol. Docking of fucoxanthin to subjected receptors were -6.2 (1RV1), -9.3 (1AQ1), -8.1 (1JFF), -9.2 (1SA0), and -7.2 (1Z2B) kcal/mol. Virtual analysis of fucoxanthin and tubulin binding structure showed the carboxyl moiety in fucoxanthin make a hydrogen bound with 355Val (2.61 A) and 354Ala (2.79 A) at tubulin. Conclusion: The results showed that binding energy of fucoxanthin could only reach the same level as with colchicine ligand in tubulin. Therefore, it may predict that the most probable fucoxanthin main mechanism is to bind tubulin, which causes microtubules depolimerization and cell cycle arrest.

Methanol extracts of two specimens of the soft coral Nephthea sp. collected from the Seribu Islands, Indonesia, were active in an anticancer bioassay. One new (1) and four known diterpenes (2–5) based on the cembrane carbon skeleton were isolated from these extracts, as was arachidonic acid (8). The structures of all compounds were elucidated using NMR, including 1,1-ADEQUATE and 1D gradient selective NOESY where applicable to determine the relative stereochemistry. Spectroscopic data, including ¹H and ¹³C NMR, UV, IR and optical rotations are reported when enough material was available and where this has not been done previously. Inhibition assays employing three cancer cell lines; SF-268 (CNS), MCF-7 (breast), and H460 (lung) were used to guide the isolation of all compounds.

A problem of food safety may rise in benthic estuary organisms such as the bivalve mollusc of Anadara granosa, as dangerous metals in environment may accumulate in their soft tissue. Fluctuation of accumulation may also happen, as there are factors that influence the amount of pollutants in water environment. This research aimed to analyze the seasonal pattern (Indonesian east, intermediate, and west monsoon season) of heavy metals (Cr, Co, As, Cd, Hg and Pb) accumulation factor in the soft tissue A. granosa and evaluate the use of mollusc as bio-indicator in metals pollution. The study had been done on the estuary of Tanjung Balai, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Heavy metal from water, sediment, and soft tissue of A. granosa were extracted by microwave digestion and analyzed by ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer). Result of the study showed that the heavy metals accumulation in the soft tissue of A. granosa was as follow Cd > As > Hg > Pb > Cr > Co and between 0.01-0.31 mg/kg. The concentration may consider as safe, which is below the maximum allowable limits for marine products. Meanwhile, a significant (P < 0.05) heavy metals contamination was detected higher in the beginning east monsoon season. Thus, temporal variation should be considered in food safety monitoring program on fisheries products, which usually only collected once per year. Moreover, BWAF (bio-water accumulation factor) was detected significantly (P < 0.05) higher than BSAF (bio-sediment accumulation factor). The results also showed only Cr and Pb had a significant relation (P < 0.05) between their accumulation in environment and in the mollusc. Therefore, environmental parameters need to take into account when using bivalves as indicator of heavy metal pollution since seasonality could affect the absorption of heavy metals.

The use of formaldehyde for fish preservation is common in developing countries like Indonesia, even though there are rules for food safety practices. Law enforcement has not been successfully implemented, as officials are unable to distinguish between external formaldehyde that has been added to fish as a preservative and internal formaldehyde that is naturally produced during the fish deterioration process. This study presents nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics of Saurida tumbil fish, a common fish that produces a relatively high amount of formaldehyde during the deterioration process, which was preserved at chilled temperature after treatment with 0% (control), 3%, and 5% formaldehyde. Results of the study showed that the average of formaldehyde residue in 0% (control), 3%, and 5% was 12, 28, and 26 mg/kg, respectively. Meanwhile, metabolomics analyses showed that trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) and trimethylamine (TMA) are the major factors (97.44%) that discriminate between the treated and untreated fish. A high amount of TMAO and low TMA indicates the addition of external formaldehyde and conversely. These results may serve as a baseline for a specific marker to develop a high throughput screening method for the detection of formaldehyde preservation in post-harvest fisheries products.

Fish serum albumin (FSA) is an aquatic resource that has potential to be developed as nutraceutical. Therefore, research was undertaken to assess albumin levels in the aqueous extract of muscle tissue of several Perciformes commonly available at a local fish market in Indonesia. Three random replicates for each of 17 Perciformes species were collected and assessed for their FSA content by application of a reversed-phase (C4) HPLC analytical method. Results of these analyses showed that the albumin concentration of the extracts was in the range 3.49–12.61 g/L, and that they varied significantly (P < 0.05) between species and families. This finding may mean that FSA levels are species and family dependent, something that could be investigated in future studies. As fishes from the family Scrombidae showed the highest concentration (12.61 g/L) of FSA, they would likely have the most value as a source for production of albumin-based nutritional and/or clinical products.