Prevalence and related factors of alcohol consumption among ethnic minority boarding high schoolers in Southern Vietnam

Hazardous levels of alcohol use have caused many diseases, posing a great economic and social burden to the community. Alcohol use in some provinces of Vietnam shows that alcohol consumers are getting younger and younger. This study aimed to determine the proportion of alcohol consumption among students at Binh Phuoc Ethnic Minority High School in 2020 and a number of factors leading to the alcohol consumption. The result showed that the alcohol use proportion in the past 12 months was 62% and the risky drinkers rate was 11.2%. Some factors concerning the use of alcohol among students such as gender, age, grade level, behavior, smoking, alcohol use family members, alcoholic friends, and friends influence were also revealed in the study.

Description of a new species of Foenatopus Smith (Hymenoptera, Stephanidae), with a key to the species from Vietnam

Foenatopus meridionalis Ge & Tan, sp. nov., as the first species of the genus Foenatopus Smith, 1861 discovered from southern Vietnam, is reported and illustrated in detail. The key to the species of Foenatopus from Vietnam is compiled. A distribution map of the Vietnamese species is provided.

Primulina scutellifolia, a new species of Gesneriaceae from southern Vietnam

Primulina scutellifolia is described as a new species from Khanh Hoa Province, southern Central Vietnam. It is distinct in the genus in having scutellate leaves that make it a highly potential ornamental plant. The new species looks like P. annamensis in general shapes, sizes and colours of habit, inflorescence, flower, and leaf but is distinguishable by adaxially glabrous and abaxially strigose leaves with serrate margins, scutellate leaf blade and appressed downwards tomentose petiole, sparsely glandular hairs on apical 1/2 of the gynoecium and trapeziform one-lipped stigma with slightly emarginated apex.

A new species and a new record of Typhonium (Araceae) from southern Vietnam

Typhonium vietnamense is described as a new species from Vietnam. It is most similar to Typhonium varians but differs in a combination of leafy and floral characters. In addition, T. khonkaenensis is newly recorded for Vietnam, leading to exclusion of T. violifolium from the national flora. An updated key to all known species of Typhonium in Vietnam is given.

A review on Extraction of alkaloid from Nelumbo nucifera Embryos and Leaves for Production of Dietary Supplement

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) commonly distributed in low-lying and flooded areas like Southern Vietnam provides flowers, leaves, seeds, embryos, and edible rhizomes. All parts of the plant show good pharmacokinetic properties, especially lotus embryos and leaves. Studies have shown that lotus plums and leaves have many bioactive compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, triterpenoids, and polyphenols, in which alkaloids are one of mainly bioactive compound kinds. So that, there are many studies investigating extraction methods that increase the amount of alkaloid from lotus leaves, embryos. There are some conventional extract methods such as soak, heat reflux, Soxhlet, etc… and some modern extract methods as microwave, ultrasounds, enzyme assisted, supercritical fluids (S-CO2). At present, lotus leaves, embryos and their bioactivities can have application potential in the supplementary food such as protect-liver, anti-neurotic, etc.. The aim of this paper is to review a variety of develop methods used in the alkaloid extraction from lotus embryos, leaves. Besides, this study also introduces some pharmacokinetic properties of alkaloid which can use in functional foods.