Philippine Journal of Science最新文献

{"title":"Effects of Chitosan Coating on the Postharvest Quality and Antioxidant Properties of Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)","authors":"Marbie Alpos, E. Bayogan","doi":"10.56899/152.03.13","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.03.13","url":null,"abstract":"The development of diseases and decay in vegetables after harvest limits their shelf life and saleability. However, there is an increasing concern with the use of synthetic chemicals as postharvest treatments. Hence, there is a need to develop natural and more sustainable methods for controlling diseases in horticultural crops while maintaining good postharvest quality. The effect of chitosan, a naturally occurring biopesticide, at different concentrations on the physico-chemical attributes and shelf life of “Sweet Cayenne” pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) was assessed. Freshly harvested mature green sweet peppers of uniform quality were dipped in different chitosan solutions (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5%) for 3 min and stored at ambient conditions (26.51 ± 0.72 °C and 79.00 ± 5.98% RH) for 15 d. Physico-chemical parameters were evaluated at a 5-d interval. In all treatments, shriveling was significantly delayed with 1.5% chitosan at 10 d after treatment (DAT). Visual quality was better in 1.5% chitosan-treated fruit relative to the control at 10 and 15 DAT by up to 22 and 8%, respectively. The onset of decay was delayed in 1.5% chitosan-treated fruit for up to 4 d as compared to the untreated lot. The total soluble solids content of chitosan-treated fruit was lower than the untreated by up to 40% at 15 DAT, signifying delayed maturation. For the antioxidant properties, chitosan (1.5%) did not prevent the degradation of ascorbic acid and the DPPH scavenging activity but increased the total phenolic content at 15 DAT (by 51% compared to the control). These results suggest that chitosan coating, especially when applied at a higher concentration (1.5%) seems to show potential in preserving the quality and bioactive compounds of sweet peppers.","PeriodicalId":39096,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82385888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fermentation on the Pasting Properties of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) Flour","authors":"N. Yuliana, S. Nurdjanah, Arifia Zulaika Andaningrum, F. Flores","doi":"10.56899/152.03.35","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.03.35","url":null,"abstract":"The modification effect of fermentation on the pasting properties of flours enhances their potential as functional ingredients in product development. As such, the fermentation of sweet potato (SP) may alter its pasting properties and thus enhance its application for new food product development. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of starter culture and fermentation time variations on the pasting profile and amylose content of SP flour. The starters used were Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and a paired culture of Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Saccharomyces cerevisiae with a fermentation time of 24, 48, 72, and 96 h. Results obtained showed that fermentation starter variation had a significant effect (p < 0.01) on some pasting properties and amylose content of the SP. The highest peak viscosity of 1204 Brabender units (BU) was obtained from samples fermented with the paired culture of Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Based on these results, fermented SP flour possesses the potential to be applied to products that require a thickening property.","PeriodicalId":39096,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83285234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Teaching Sustainability in Science: the Case for Chemistry","authors":"F. Dayrit, Erwin Enriquez","doi":"10.56899/152.03.ed","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.03.ed","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":39096,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80741932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular Docking Analysis for Screening of Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitors from Secondary Metabolite Compounds of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis (Lac3)","authors":"Rafika Dwi Cahyani, A. Z. Mustopa, Rifqiyah Nur Umami, Moh Egy Rahman Firdaus, A. B. Manguntungi, A. Arwansyah","doi":"10.56899/152.04.04","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.04.04","url":null,"abstract":"Inflammatory response plays important roles in both tumorigenesis and carcinogenesis. In this study, secondary metabolite compounds from Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis (Lac3) were analyzed by LC-MS and the potential inhibition activity against the COX-2 receptor was screened through molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) analysis. Anti-inflammatory agents, mofezolac and ibuprofen, were used as positive control ligands. The result indicates a potential COX-2 inhibitor of 5-[(4-Amino-6-morpholin-4-yl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)amino]-2- methylbenzenesulfonate, which has a hydrogen bond on the active site Tyr385 of COX-2 with affinity energy of –9.0 kcal/mol. Moreover, another candidate of COX-2 inhibitor, designated as 3-Indolepropionic acid binds hydrogen on the important residue Ser530 of COX-2, with an affinity energy of –6.9 kcal/mol. To confirm the binding specificity, molecular docking analysis was also performed against COX-1. The binding stability and flexibility were confirmed using MD simulations. In addition, the toxicity and solubility of the potential ligands were predicted according to Lipinski’s rules and BOILED-Egg modeling. The 5-[(4-Amino-6-morpholin-4-yl- 1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)amino]-2-methylbenzenesulfonate shows the propensity for passive absorption through the gastrointestinal tract, whereas 3-Indolepropionic acid shows a high probability of blood-brain barrier penetration. In conclusion, this study identified potential compounds through molecular docking analysis which can be developed as COX-2 inhibitors.","PeriodicalId":39096,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88492635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heavy Metal Concentrations in Mollusks and Crustaceans Harvested from Eastern Samar’s Taft River in the Philippine and the Health Risks Posed to Consumers","authors":"Madel Reina Cabahug, Venecio Ultra, Shian Morallos, Nancy Lanuza, Eduardo Espejon, Zaldee Nino Tan, Feleciano R. Bejar","doi":"10.56899/152.04.07","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.04.07","url":null,"abstract":"Heavy metal (HM) contamination from mining activities poses a health risk to humans who consume mollusks and crustaceans from mine-affected environments. One such example is the Taft River, which receives drainage water and sediments from the Bagacay mines in Samar, Philippines. To assess the accumulation of HM in mollusks and crustaceans and the associated risks to the humans, a comprehensive analysis was conducted on representative specimens, which were gathered from different sections of the river. The concentrations of Cu (97.67 mg kg–1), Ni (29.30 mg kg–1), Pb (0.59 mg kg–1), and Sr (14.67 mg kg–1) in the flesh of “bebe” (Batissa violacea Lamarck) were significantly higher than those in “tangili” (Telescopium telescopium Linn.), “tuway” (Mercenaria mercenaria Linn.), and “sihi” (Nerita albicilla Linn.); whereas for crustaceans, the flesh of mud crabs (Scylla serrata) contained higher concentrations of As (17.67 mg kg–1), Cu (118.67 mg kg–1), Ni (25.79 mg kg–1), Rb (31.33 mg kg–1), Sr (60.67 mg kg–1), and Zn (331.00 mg kg–1) compared with giant freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium rosenbergii). The consumption of T. telescompium, N. albicilla, and B. violacea may result in an estimated daily intake (EDI) that is greater than the provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) for As [2.03–4.48 μg kg–1 body weight (BW) d–1], while all mollusks may have an EDI for Cr of between 124.59–136.23 48 μg kg–1 BW d–1. This may subsequently lead to a high target hazard quotient (THQ), high hazard index (HI), and high target cancer risk (TCR) for adults. With respect to crustaceans, the consumption of S. serrata exceeds the PTDI index for As. Both S. serrata and M. rosenbergii exceed the PTDI for Cr by 20–21 times, as well as the elevated health risk values of 22.36 and 28.57 48 μg kg–1 d–1 for M. rosenbergii and S. serrata, respectively. Overall, current results indicate that human consumption of the Taft River mollusks and crustaceans may inadvertently lead to an increased intake of As and Cr that could negatively impact human health.","PeriodicalId":39096,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88471259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevention and Control Measures of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in Mueang Phitsanulok District, Thailand","authors":"Rungphetch Homsuwan, Thanach Kanokthet","doi":"10.56899/152.03.37","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.03.37","url":null,"abstract":"Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a contagious viral infection, primarily in infants and children aged younger than 5 yr. HFMD has been widely spread in Asia. Of the infected children, approximately 83% were caused by Coxsackievirus A16 and were relatively mild, but serious complications involving the central nervous system can occur due to Enterovirus 71. The purpose of this study was to develop social measures to prevent and control HFMD in Muang Phitsanulok District, Thailand. The multistage mixed method was conducted from February–December 2021 on 436 participants. Multiple regression was used to analyze the factors affecting HFMD prevention and control behaviors in the first phase, which were the caregiver’s attitude, family income, caregiver’s secondary education, and awareness of the disease situation. For the next step, the findings were taken back to communities and the social measures developed through community participation. The developed social measures were guideline-based and consisted of two parts: prevention and control of disease measures. The stakeholders were classified into five social sectors – including [1] caregiver; [2] nursery, early childhood development center, and kindergarten; [3] primary care unit; [4] the Bureau of Public Health and Environment Municipality; and [5] private sector. The social measures were considered in credibility and feasibility by nine experts in a connoisseurship seminar. Finally, the expert opinions were made congruent for all measures. The recommendation for improving HFMD prevention and control in the community is for low-income groups to support and promote HFMD prevention and control behaviors. All relevant sectors should conference together to inform the results of their operations and collaborative problems solving. In addition, effective communication channels should be developed for all sectors.","PeriodicalId":39096,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79446529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characteristic Metal Marker of Non-exhaust PM10 Vehicular Emissions in Cebu City, Philippines","authors":"R. Alburo, Shaira Gabrillo, Lora Mae G. Villegas","doi":"10.56899/152.04.06","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.04.06","url":null,"abstract":"Non-exhaust vehicular emissions are becoming a focus of research due to their increasing contribution to air pollution and its health effects. The characterization of this emission using Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn as possible metal markers and expression of metal ratios was tackled in this study. The metal concentrations in ambient air present as PM10 of Cebu Business Park (CBP) in Cebu City, Philippines were obtained from January–November 2016 and were characterized for trace metals. The filters were digested, and metal concentrations were analyzed using flame atomic spectroscopy via an external calibration method. The average concentration of Fe at 0.3975 μg/m3, Cu at 0.1191 μg/m3, Zn at 0.1228 μg/m3, and Mn at 0.0178 μg/m3. Subsequently, the metal concentrations were correlated with each other. The Fe and Zn presented a significant correlation with r = 0.927. Enrichment and roadside enrichment factors between the sampling site and the urban background revealed that the metals were from vehicular activity. The wear and tear of vehicular tires are identified as the source of the non-exhaust vehicular emission from the average slope of the regression line between Fe and Zn concentration in air filters is 30.1. It was also noted that the slope obtained during the wet season is approximately half that of the dry season. This study recommends further investigation using other metals to identify source fingerprints for future source apportionment studies to support the crafting of legislation to abate the non-exhaust component of vehicular emissions.","PeriodicalId":39096,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85078300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cave Resource Evaluation Using Sensitivity Scoring Index Applied to the Capisaan Cave System, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines","authors":"Jayson Caranza, M. Calderon","doi":"10.56899/152.03.32","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.03.32","url":null,"abstract":"Caves are significant nonrenewable resources that provide a variety of ecosystem services with varying sensitivities to disturbance. This study assessed the sensitivity of resources found in the Capisaan Cave System (CCS) in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya to below and above-ground human activities or disturbances by adopting a standardized scale or index. Cave passages comprising the whole cave system were divided into subsections and were individually evaluated. Parameters included the characterization of the biological, hydrological, geological, mineralogical, paleontological, and cultural resources of the cave system. Inventory methods such as belt transect, point-transect distance sampling, opportunistic sampling, and total enumeration were employed. Results showed that animals associated with CCS both at the surface and subsurface levels had high diversity and endemicity. Hydrology inside and surrounding CCS is also very active and continuously shapes the geological structure of CCS. Among the sensitivity parameters, biota was found to be the most sensitive to disturbance followed by speleothems and hydrology resources. The computed sensitivity of resources found in CCS places it in the “slightly sensitive” classification. However, the study recommends that managers look at the individual parameter scores of each cave section instead of simply looking at the overall score of the cave system. The sensitivity classification of CCS was changed to “severely sensitive” when the zero-indexed parameters were removed from the computation, with Section 1 obtaining a classification of “critically sensitive” and, therefore, requiring more strict and intensive management interventions. This information is important in deciding where and how to manage specific sections without sacrificing future ecological and economic uses. Overall, the study successfully tested the applicability of the modified existing standardized cave sensitivity assessment index for a tropical cave, providing a comprehensive method that may serve as a convenient model for assessing other cave systems in the country.","PeriodicalId":39096,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72752534","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Weather, Lockdown, and the Pandemic: Evidence from the Philippines","authors":"Marjorie C. Pajaron, Glacer Niño A. Vasquez","doi":"10.56899/152.s1.04","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.s1.04","url":null,"abstract":"As the landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, there is a need to better understand the factors that affected COVID-19 health outcomes using a more appropriate dataset and comprehensive variables. This paper constructs a novel daily provincial panel dataset (N = 14,507) during the nascent and important period of the pandemic (April–September 2020) to analyze both the socioeconomic (lockdowns or ECQ, mobility of individuals, health care capacity, and trends in transmission) and environmental factors (rainfall shocks, temperature in Celsius, average relative humidity, and wind speed) that affect COVID-19 health outcomes. A panel dataset is more apt than the other types of datasets since it addresses both spatial and time variations, as well as the time-invariant unobserved heterogeneity that, if ignored, would have resulted in biased estimates and findings. In addition, using a more complete list of explanatory variables could address omitted variable bias, which leads to proper identification and a more reliable set of findings that could aid the government in formulating optimal, multi-faceted, and timely policies for future health crises. Using fixed effects on panel data, our results, which are robust across the different lag structures and time periods used, are consistent with the existing literature with caveats. First, while ECQ is effective in stemming COVID-19 cases, it is ineffective in reducing COVID-19 deaths. Second, exogenous weather variables have heterogenous effects on COVID-19 health outcomes contingent on the period of analysis and the type of health outcome analyzed. Third, public behavior, which is only partially correlated with public policy (ECQ), matters in curtailing viral transmission. We conjecture that individuals voluntarily avoid infection for their own well-being, resulting in positive externalities, or they stay at home due to weather shocks.","PeriodicalId":39096,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75464070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Notes on Philippine Ferns. VI. Asplenium lepturus and A. contiguum (Polypodiales, Aspleniaceae), One or Two Species?","authors":"Arthur Edward Salgado","doi":"10.56899/152.04.08","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.56899/152.04.08","url":null,"abstract":"The present study clarifies the existing confusion between the Southeast Asian–Malesian Asplenium lepturus and the Hawaiian A. contiguum. The geographical range of both species is reported. Eleven (11) European and North American herbaria were visited by the author, and virtual collections of eight more herbaria were consulted. A morphological comparison of the size, shape, color, and dissection of the rhizome, scales, fronds, pinnae, apical segment, and sori was studied using light and dissecting microscopes. A. lepturus and A. contiguum are different species that can be distinguished by the size of the frond of fully developed plants, their different scales, the dentation of the pinna margin, the shape and length of the pinna apex, and sori position. A. lepturus is reported as a new Hawaiian species different from A. contiguum. A. lepturus is found in the Hawaiian Archipelago, south China, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines, and Sulawesi. A. contiguum is endemic in the Hawaiian Archipelago.","PeriodicalId":39096,"journal":{"name":"Philippine Journal of Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74904567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}