Borneo International Journal of Biotechnology (BIJB)

Evidence of Klebsiella Pneumoniae and SARS-CoV-2 Infections among Patients Pesenting with Cough and Fever Attending Chest Clinic, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano

2026-01-14T15:47:07+08:00

Extensive antibiotic use during early COVID-19 management may reduce bacterial co-infection but contributes to increasing antibiotic resistance, particularly in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Accurate detection of K. pneumoniae is therefore important to support diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to identify and detect K. pneumoniae and SARS-CoV-2, and to assess associated demographic characteristics and comorbidities among patients attending the chest clinic at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano. Demographic data and risk factors were collected using questionnaires. A total of 300 sputum samples were cultured on MacConkey agar and incubated aerobically at 37°C, followed by phenotypic identification using standard biochemical tests. SARS-CoV-2 was detected using real-time PCR. The prevalence of K. pneumoniae and SARS-CoV-2 infections was 17.0% and 3.3%, respectively, with a co-infection rate of 1.3%. Males showed a higher prevalence of K. pneumoniae infection (64.7%) than females (35.3%). Common symptoms included cough and fever. The findings highlight the association of respiratory tract infections with K. pneumoniae and emphasize the need for routine diagnostic testing to detect and manage co-occurring respiratory infections in COVID-19 patients.

Geographic Isolation of Riparian Ecosystems Determine Population Diversity of Tor sp in Sabah, Malaysia

2026-01-14T16:29:22+08:00

Tor sp is a cyprinid riverine fish known as Pelian in the local dialect in Sabah, that is currently facing challenges due to climate change and habitat degradation. Applying conservation strategies and a sustainable management program for this species requires a primary assessment of the genetic diversity and overall structure of the geographically isolated populations. Eighteen wild Pelian populations from across ten river systems were analyzed based on eleven microsatellite markers. The gene diversity and allelic richness based on microsatellite loci ranged from 0.40-0.68 and 2.63-6.10, respectively. Pairwise F_ST values for microsatellites were significant (P<0.05) between the majority of populations. Microsatellites analyses of molecular variance, AMOVA analyses detected variation within populations that ranged from 60.85% to 50.74% within the entire watershed, with significantly high F_ST values. Mantel tests supported weak patterns of differentiation based on isolation by distance. The overall population comprised two distinct clusters that exhibited further sub structuring based on the watershed. The topographical features of the landscape in Borneo comprise a combination of isolation by distance, river fragmentation and historical isolation by the Crocker Trusmadi mountain range all support the hypothesis that population substructure was driven by isolation in distinct ecological niches. These results will be used in the application of conservation strategies and management program for Pelian in Sabah.

Thermal Diversity of Bacteria and Their Secrets to Cold Survival

2026-01-14T16:46:10+08:00

Temperature is a critical physical factor influencing the survival, growth, and metabolic activity of organisms on Earth. Changes in temperature alter molecular kinetic energy, thereby affecting chemical reaction rates and essential cellular processes. While most organisms exhibit optimal growth within a narrow temperature range, many bacteria display remarkable adaptability across diverse thermal conditions. Exposure to sudden decreases in ambient temperature triggers cold shock responses that enable bacterial adaptation to new growth conditions. Previous studies have shown that bacteria share common cold-adaptation strategies, including the upregulation of cold stress genes encoding proteins that facilitate translation by preventing the formation of inhibitory mRNA secondary structures. In addition, bacteria modify the lipid composition of their cell membranes by adjusting fatty acid chain length, saturation, and cis–trans configuration to maintain membrane fluidity under cold stress. Genomic GC content has also been implicated in thermal adaptation, as it influences DNA stability and growth capacity at different temperatures. Importantly, psychrophilic and psychrotolerant bacteria produce cold-active enzymes that remain functional at low temperatures. This review highlights current knowledge on bacterial cold adaptation mechanisms and discusses future research opportunities enabled by advanced multi-omics technologies.

Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Potential of Hedyotis diffusa: A Sabah Native Plant

2026-01-14T17:07:08+08:00

Hedyotis diffusa is a medicinal plant recognized for its potential as an alternative natural drug due to its rich polyphenol content. These compounds are known to possess antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities, which may be beneficial in treating liver diseases—a major cause of human mortality worldwide. This research was conducted to determine the phenolic compounds and their scavenging activity in Hedyotis diffusa. Additionally, in vivo experiments using Sprague-Dawley rats were performed to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects through serum and liver analysis based on CCl₄-induced model, a hepatotoxic agent (mimic free radical). The Hedyotis diffusa aqueous extract exhibited a phenolic content (90.22 ± 0.10 mg GAE/g) and scavenging activity (IC₅₀ = 1540 μg/mL). In the animal study using Sprague-Dawley rats, treatment with Hedyotis diffusa at 150 mg/kg (HD150) and 300 mg/kg (HD300) significantly reduced AST (HD150 = 31.8%; HD300 = 49.4%), ALT (HD150 = 35.8%; HD300 = 48.6%), and MDA (HD150 = 10.6%; HD300 = 26.6%) levels, while increasing GSH levels (HD150 = 18.8%; HD300 = 36.4%) against CCl₄-induced oxidative stress. These findings demonstrate that Hedyotis diffusa possesses significant hepatoprotective effects against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity.

Characterization of Lipase-Immobilized Polymethacrylate-based Monolith at Different Porogen Contents, Diameter, and Number of Holes for the Immobilization Process

2026-01-15T01:57:27+08:00

Polymethacrylate-based monoliths have attracted a lot of attention due to their exceptional properties, such as reusability, solvent tolerance, and higher stability. This study investigates the physical characteristics and immobilization yield of lipase on polymethacrylate-based monoliths fabricated with varying porogen contents, hole diameters, and hole numbers. By systemically altering these structural parameters, this study aimed to elucidate their influence on monolith morphology, surface area, and pore architecture, which are critical for enzyme loading and catalytic performance. Immobilization yield was quantified via protein loading. Results revealed that the highest immobilization yield was achieved at 60% porogen concentration when varying the diameter and number of holes, with a yield of 58.67 ± 0.69%.At a diameter of 0.4 mm (18 holes) under varied porogen concentrations, immobilization yields of 57.50 ± 0.95% were obtained. In comparison, the simulation data predicted that the highest immobilization yield at a diameter of 0.3 mm (24 holes) with varied porogen concentration, yielding 55.90 ± 1.12% and immobilization yield of 58.90 ± 0.31% at 60% porogen content with different diameters and numbers of holes. These findings are crucial as they provide valuable insights into the design of tailored monolithic supports for biocatalytic applications, particularly in sustainable biodiesel production.

Microalgae as Functional Feed in Fish Larval Rearing: Nutritional Value, Ecological Functions, and Future Prospects for Sustainable Aquaculture

2026-01-15T03:35:47+08:00

As global fish stocks decline and aquaculture expansion intensifies, sustainable larval rearing remains a critical challenge due to the high dependency on live feed such as rotifers and Artemia. Microalgae, as the foundational feed component, play a pivotal role in supporting larval nutrition, health, and water stability. While numerous reviews have discussed microalgae as nutritional supplements or live feed, few have comprehensively analyzed their multifunctional role as both nutritional and ecological components within larval rearing systems. This review uniquely integrates current understanding on microalgae’s biochemical composition, functional bioactivity, and ecosystem-level interactions that enhance larval survival, immunity, and water quality. It emphasizes the dual role of microalgae in nutrition and bioremediation, presenting an updated synthesis of species-specific applications and their suitability based on biochemical and physiological traits. Additionally, this review identifies emerging technological and bioprocessing innovations such as strain improvement, cell-wall modification, and integration with biofloc and circular bioeconomy systems that address limitations of cost, digestibility, and biochemical variability. By bridging nutritional, physiological, and environmental perspectives, this paper offers a holistic and practice-oriented framework for using microalgae as functional feed to enhance larval growth, health, and rearing sustainability in aquaculture.

Development of Microsatellite Markers Reveals Moderate Genetic Diversity in Sabah’s Tri-Spine Horseshoe Crab, Tachypleus tridentatus (Leach, 1819)

2026-01-15T03:03:22+08:00

The tri-spine horseshoe crab, Tachypleus tridentatus (Leach,1819), is a species under conservation pressure. Anecdotal observations suggest a decline in its populations along the coasts of Sabah, northern Borneo, raising concerns over the potential loss of genetic diversity. In this study, a total of 36 individuals were collected from three localities (Sandakan, Kota Belud, and Kudat) representing both the east and west coasts of Sabah. Genomic DNA from these samples was used to develop novel microsatellite markers, enabling the assessment of population-level genetic variation. Here, we report on the characterization of 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci. All loci were observed to be polymorphic with the number of alleles ranging from 2 to 5 per locus. The overall observed heterozygosity for the 14 analyzed loci ranged from 0.03 to 0.4667 while the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.2466 to 0.7706. The results indicate that genetic variability in the populations is moderate with signs of inbreeding and restricted gene flow. These markers have a potential application in population management where it will be used to determine if there is a loss of genetic diversity of the Asian horseshoe crab species that are present in Sabah.

Antibiofilm Activity of Pseudomonas Sp. (Mb273n) Cell-Free Supernatant Against Pathogenic Bacteria

2026-01-15T03:21:03+08:00

Bacterial biofilms pose a significant global health challenge due to their resistance to antibiotics and the host immune system, leading to persistent infections. Developing effective strategies to control biofilm formation is therefore crucial for preventing persistent infections. This study investigated the antibiofilm potential of the cell-free supernatant (CFS) from Pseudomonas sp. (MB273N) against biofilms of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Chromobacterium violaceum. Additionally, the study examined biofilm structural changes following CFS treatment. The CFS was obtained by centrifuging bacterial cultures three times at 11,000 rpm for 15 minutes. A biofilm inhibition assay was conducted to assess the antibiofilm activity of CFS at a sub-lethal concentration, and biofilm morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26. The CFS significantly (p<0.05) inhibited biofilm formation, with inhibition rates of 14.15% for E. coli, 32.46% for P. aeruginosa, 30.83% for S. aureus, and 37.5% for C. violaceum. SEM analysis revealed that untreated biofilms formed dense, multilayered structures, while CFS-treated biofilms appeared less dense, more dispersed, and exhibited altered cell morphology. The CFS of Pseudomonas sp. (MB273N) demonstrates potential as an antibiofilm agent against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and C. violaceum, highlighting its possible application in biofilm control strategies.

Development of an In Vitro Culture Protocol for Gigantochloa levis Using Nodal Segments

2026-01-15T04:03:55+08:00

Bamboo is a giant perennial arborescent grass in the Poaceae family and a fast-growing, economically important plant. However, conventional propagation is constrained by limited planting material, genetic variation, and the risk of disease and pest transmission. In vitro propagation using nodal segments has become an effective method for the large-scale multiplication of bamboo species. This study aimed to establish an in vitro culture system for the tropical bamboo Gigantochloa levis. Nodal segments containing axillary buds were selected as explants and surface-sterilized using an optimized protocol. Sterilized explants were cultured on full-strength semi-solid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium for shoot initiation. MS medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) at 2, 3 and 4 mg/L was evaluated for shoot induction and multiplication. Medium containing 3 mg/L BAP produced the highest number of shoots (6.80 ± 0.49) after six weeks of culture. Rooting was optimized using liquid half-strength MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The results provide a baseline protocol for efficient in vitro propagation of G. levis, supporting future efforts in bamboo multiplication and conservation.