Macroalgae Community Structure in Tanjung Merah Waters, Bitung City

Seaweed is a component of coastal ecosystems that makes a major contribution to the Indonesian economy. This marine plant is a potential food source and industrial raw materials that can be used to improve people's welfare as these marine macroalgae are widely distributed in Indonesian waters. This study was carried out because of its important role for the ecosystems and the economy of the country. The purpose of this research is to determine the community structure of this macroalgae in the waters of Tanjung Merah Village of Matuari District of Bitung City. The data were collected from January 2021 to March 2021 using a transect of 1 x 1 m2 which was placed along a 100 m line transect with 5 m intervals. The macroalgae found were 6 species consisting of 2 types of Chlorophyta class and 4 species of Rhodophyta class. The macroalgae diversity index of around is 1.06 categorized as moderate diversity; the index of dominant is 0.44 moderate and the evenness index is 1.79 or low.Keywords: Macroalgae; Community; Diversity.AbstrakRumput laut merupakkan komponen ekosistem wilayah pesisir yang memberikkan kontribusi yang besar bagi ekonomi Indonesia. Potensi sumberdaya hayati laut Sulawesi Utara, khususnya Kota Bitung yang cukup potensial untuk dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai sumber pangan dan bahan baku industri guna peningkatan kesejahteran masyarakatkarena makroalga termasuk salah satu sumberdaya hayati laut yang banyak terdapat di perairan Indonesia. Makroalga memiliki potensi besar untuk dikembangkan, karena memiliki peranan penting baik dari aspek ekologi dan memiliki nilai ekonomi. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui struktur komunitas makroalga yang ada di perairan Kelurahan Tanjung Merah Kecamatan Matuari Kota Bitung. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan pada bulan Januari 2021 sampai Maret 2021. Data dikumpulkan dengan cara di sampling menggunakan kuadrat berukuran 1x 1 m2 yang diletakkan pada garis transek sepanjang 100 m dengan interval 5 m. Makroalga yang ditemukan 6 spesies yang terdiri atas Kelas Chlorophyta berjumlah 2 jenis, dan kelas Rhodophyta 4 jenis. Indeks keanekaragaman makroalga sekitar 1.06 dikategorikan sedang, indeks dominasi 0.44 dikategorikan rendah dan untuk indeks kemerataan 1,79 dikategorikkan rendah.Kata kunci: Makroalga; Komunitas; Keanekaragaman

Nutritional and Physicochemical Characterization of Strychnos madagascariensis Poir (Black Monkey Orange) Seeds as a Potential Food Source

Strychnos madagascariensis Poir is an underutilized fruit that is considered a valuable food during droughts and famine. The aim of this research was to characterize the nutritional composition and the flour functional properties, for the use as a potential food source. Seed flour was analysed using a standard enzymatic assay for sugars, acid/neutral detergent analysis for fibre, ether extraction for fat and HPLC for strychnine. Results showed that the seeds contained 41% reducing sugars and 53% fibre. The mineral composition, determined using microwave-assisted acid digestion and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES), showed that the seeds contained high quantities of iron (15.78 mg/100 g) and manganese (9.86 mg/100 g). The flour water absorption index (1.37 g/g) was substantially higher than that of wheat, brown rice and tapioca flours and the oil absorption index showed similarities to the reference flours (1.09 g/g). The flour peak (37,788 RVU) and final viscosities (62,928 RVU) were significantly (p < 0.001) higher than the reference flours. This study was the first to quantify the strychnine content (0.08%) in the seeds. Results suggest that the seeds have good potential for food product development; however, further processing is essential to ensure safety for consumption.

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) Sprouts as the Potential Food Source for Bioactive Properties: A Comprehensive Study on In Vitro Disease Models

Broccoli sprouts are an excellent source of health-promoting phytochemicals such as vitamins, glucosinolates, and phenolics. The study aimed to investigate in vitro antioxidant, antiproliferative, apoptotic, and antibacterial activities of broccoli sprouts. Five-day-old sprouts extracted by 70% ethanol showed significant antioxidant activities, analyzed to be 68.8 μmol Trolox equivalent (TE)/g dry weight by 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic (ABTS) assay, 91% scavenging by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, 1.81 absorbance by reducing power assay, and high phenolic contents by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Thereafter, sprout extract indicated considerable antiproliferative activities towards A549 (lung carcinoma cells), HepG2 (hepatocellular carcinoma cells), and Caco-2 (colorectal adenocarcinoma cells) using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, with IC50 values of 0.117, 0.168 and 0.189 mg/mL for 48 h, respectively. Furthermore, flow cytometry confirmed that Caco-2 cells underwent apoptosis by an increase of cell percentage in subG1 phase to 31.3%, and a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential to 19.3% after 48 h of treatment. Afterward, the extract exhibited notable antibacterial capacities against Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella Typhimurium with minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) values of 0.39 and 0.78 mg/mL, appropriately, along with abilities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli with an MIC value of 1.56 mg/mL. Thus, broccoli sprouts were confirmed as a potential food source for consumers’ selection and functional food industry.