Ethnomedicinal plants, which have been utilized by indigenous communities in Nepal for centuries, hold promise for treating various ailments. Globally, medicinal plants are integral to healthcare systems, with Nepal renowned for its rich biodiversity and indigenous knowledge. This manuscript explores the ethno-medicinal practices within Nepal's Panchase protected forest, aiming to validate traditional remedies and contribute to healthcare improvement. Through a comprehensive study involving reconnaissance surveys, interviews, and data analysis, 103 ethno-medicinal plants from 58 families were documented, with Asteraceae being dominant. Various plant parts were utilized for treating 57 ailments, with leaves being most common. Gastrointestinal issues were prevalent, with plants such as Gheu kumari and Harro being frequently employed. Additionally, plants such as Dhursul and Ghodtapre were used for fever and migraine, while Khole Saag and Pani Amala addressed blood pressure and diabetes concerns. This study focuses on the importance of traditional medicine in rural healthcare and underscores the need for its preservation. Conservation efforts and intergenerational knowledge transfer initiatives are vital to safeguarding indigenous wisdom. Phytochemical and pharmacological studies are recommended to validate traditional knowledge scientifically. The commercial cultivation of medicinal plants could alleviate pressure on natural habitats and promote sustainable healthcare practices. This research contributes to the documentation of valuable ethno-medicinal knowledge, emphasizing its potential for socioeconomic development and healthcare enhancement in Nepal's rural communities.

Glucanases are important industrial enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of glucan into oligosaccharides. Commercial β-glucanases are produced from microorganisms such as Penicillium chrysogenum, Aspergillus flavus, Pseudomonas fluorescens etc. The increasing application of glucanases in various industries has called for continuous search for a cheaper means of glucanase production. In this study, β-Glucanases were produced from Aspergillus flavus isolated from rice and oil mill refuse dump sites using rice bran and oil palm fibre as substrates. Production was carried out in a submerge fermentation. Optimum activities of crude Aspergillus flavus exo-β-glucanases were 2.36 and 2.34 µmol/ml/min at incubation period of 96 hours (rice bran) and 120 hours (oil palm fibre) respectively; 2.42 and 2.54 µmol/ml/min at pH 6.5 (rice bran) and 5.0 (oil palm fibre) respectively; 2.61 and 2.55 µmol/ml/min at temperature of 35 °C (rice bran) and 40 °C (oil palm fibre) respectively. Yeast extract gave the highest enzyme activity of 2.31 µmol/ml/min. The enzymes were precipitated with 80% ammonium sulphate resulting in 1.18 (rice bran) and 1.15 (oil palm fibre) purification fold. With dialysis tubing, results showed 1.50 (rice bran), 2.50 (oil palm fibre) purification fold. The addition of chloride salts and inhibitors influenced the enzyme activities by either increasing or decreasing the activity values. Results obtained from this work indicate that rice bran and oil palm fibre can be used effectively in the production of exo-β-glucanase under submerged fermentation system using Aspergillus flavus.

The carbonoclastic fungi known as a fungi that can produce calcium carbonate crystals (CaCO3) through the urease enzyme produced to hydrolysis of urea contained in the substrate or growth medium. The presence of carbonoclastic fungi is frequently observed in the karst areas cave wall painting, which are a type of ancient artifact. The destruction to the ancient cave artwork is brought on by the fungus. The purpose of this study was to obtain and determine the types of carbonoclastic fungi that cause damage to cave wall paintings in the Maros-Pangkep karst area. Isolation and selection of carbonoclastic fungi were carried out using Christensen Urea Agar medium. The CaCO3 precipitate potential test was carried out by calculating the mass CaCO3 precipitates formed and analysis of ammonia levels and cell biomass produced during the growth period. Fungi identification was performed using the 18S rRNA gene molecular markers. Twenty four fungi isolates obtained from swab samples in Parewe and Bulu Sipong caves, 7 positive isolated belonged to carbonoclastic fungi. The results of CaCO3 precipitates, namely isolate Ps3 producing precipitates of 80,30 mg with ammonia content value of 701,7064 ppm and cell biomass of 333,80 mg. The identification results showed that Ps3 isolate belongs to Aspergillus sp. strain BW1.

The Fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda, native to the Americas, is an important invasive and polyphagous pest threatening cereal production. Abiotic and biotic factors, including climatic uncertainty and insect pests like S. frugiperda, pose threats. Detected in East Africa in 2016 and reported in Nawalpur, Nepal, on May 9, 2019, FAW has led to a 34% decline in maize yields. Studying FAW's biology and morphometrics is crucial for understanding its habitat and ecology, essential prerequisites for adopting integrated management strategies. Biological parameters such as incubation period, larval and pupal duration, pre-oviposition and, oviposition periods, male and female adult longevity, larval and pupal mortality, sex ratio (male: female), and morphometrics of egg, larvae, pupa, and adult were measured. The incubation period (2-3 days), larval and pupal periods (13-18 and 9-12 days) with overall life duration (31-45 days) were recorded in maize. Head capsule width of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth instar were recorded as 0.52±0.05, 0.73±0.05, 1.1±0.05, 1.74±0.12, 2.04±0.15, and 2.91±0.23 mm respectively. Mean body length of different larval instars were recorded as 3.33±0.26, 6.92±1.07, 13.11±1.45, 16.82±1.57, 28.68±1.75, and 34.56±1.99 mm for the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth instar respectively.

The excessive use of synthetic fungicides has led to the emergence offungicide-resistant strains of pathogens, raising concerns about human health andenvironmental impact. Trichoderma spp., an endophytic and versatileopportunistic plant symbiont, has recently gained popularity as a biocontrolagent. Integrated use of Trichoderma with compatible fungicides gives betterdisease management and causes less harm to the environment in the long run.This study aimed to evaluate the compatibility of six fungicides commonly used byNepalese farmers at concentrations of 250, 500, and 1000 ppm with Trichodermasp. using the poisoned food technique in-vitro. The experiment was conducted ina completely randomized design with four replications for each treatment, anddata were taken at 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 hours after incubation. Among thefungicides tested, Mancozeb was compatible at all concentrations from the startand exhibited the highest compatibility at 72 hours, with a growth inhibitionpercent of 0.39%. Metalaxyl+Mancozeb at 250 and 500 ppm, and Copperoxychloride at 250 ppm showed good compatibility. However, Carbendazim,Hexaconazole, and Carbendazim+Mancozeb resulted in 100% growth inhibition ofTrichoderma sp. throughout the experiment. While all treatments significantlyreduced mycelial diameter, Mancozeb and Metalaxyl+Mancozeb showed agradual decrease in growth inhibition percent over time, indicating increasedcompatibility. In contrast, Copper oxychloride demonstrated variable growthinhibition percent over time. So, the fungicides Mancozeb, Metalaxyl+Mancozeband Copper oxychloride at compatible concentrations can be used withTrichoderma sp. in integrated disease management to control soil and seed-bornepathogens.

Cutibacterium speciesis a member of the skin micro biota, found predominantly in regions rich in sebaceous glands, involved in various chronic infections that led to its emergence as an opportunistic pathogen. The present study is a retrospective study to determine the prevalence and antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Cutibacterium species recovered from chronic infections over a period of 4.5 years. The identification of the colonies grew on the Robertson’s Cooked Meat media plate was done using VITEK 2. The antibiotic sensitivity tests were put by pour plate method using Epsilometer strips (E-strip).Out of 400, 17.75% (n=71) were confirmed as anaerobic bacteria by VITEK 2. Out of 71 positive anaerobic organisms, 21% (n=15/71) were confirmed as Cutibacteriumspecies.Cutibacterium species recorded prevalenceof 3.75% (15/400) among clinical specimens. High sensitivity was observed with beta lactam group of drugs whereas metronidazole drug was found ineffective against Cutibacteriumspecies. Due to prolonged culture time for anaerobic bacteria there is a high need in new diagnostic methods. In the recent times Cutibacterium species has been reported from various clinical samples which depicts shift of Cutibacterium species as a potential pathogen in the upcoming time.

Seven Streptomyces strains from chili farm soil, including Strep-1, Strep-2, Strep-4, Strep-5, Strep-6, Strep-8, and Strep-10, were screened for their antifungal activities against Fusarium sp. of chili's root rot disease. The results showed that Streptomyces sp. Strep-4 and Streptomyces sp. Strep-8 performed potential abilities to control the pathogenic Fusarium of which means of antifungal efficacies were 43,88 ± 3,21% and 51,8 ± 2,54%, in turn. Extensive researches on the effects of inoculum factors on antifungal activity of Streptomyces sp. Strep-8 resulted that this strain spontaneously synthesized the antifungal compounds to control Fusarium in the culture condition with pH 7, 40oC of culture temperature, and 7 days of culture time. The results proved that Streptomyces sp. Strep-8 with its thermophilic ability not only provided significant inhibitory activity against pathogenic Fusarium sp. in vitro also promised to be a potential biological control agent to eliminate this fungus on fields. Moreover, using Streptomyces sp. Strep-8 as a biological control agent helps reduce the use of fungicides which contributes to boosting the sustainability of agricultural ecosystems worldwide.

Based on the literature study, the demand for eggplant in East Java is increasing, encouraging farmers to increase productivity by using chemical fertilizer. In the long term, this practice could harm the environment. This study was conducted to obtain the right method and dosage of compost made from starfruit waste for the growth and yield of eggplant. The study was designed using a Factorial Randomized Block Design. The first factor was organic fertilizer with 5 levels, namely: Soil + goat manure 1:1, Soil + compost from composter 1:1; Soil + compost from bio-pore1:1; Soil + goat manure + compost from composter 1:1:1, and Soil + goat manure + compost from bio-pore 1:1:1. The second factor was NPK fertilizer with 4 levels, namely: 0 gram/liter, 1 gram/liter; 2 gram/ liter; dan 3 gram/liter. There were three replications for each treatment. The results showed that the best organic fertilizer was a combination of manure and compost, from composter and bio-pore, which had the highest result for plant height, number of leaves, biomass increase, and the number of eggplant fruits. The best concentration of NPK fertilizer for eggplant growth and physiology was 3 grams per liter.

Hydroids are marine invertebrates living on sponges, which belong to the phylum Coelenterata. They also contain several chemical compounds, including alkaloids, steroids, terpenoids, and histamine, which can be used as medicinal raw materials, such as antimicrobials and anticancer. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the working mechanism of active compounds obtained from the extract and the fraction of Hydroid Aglaophenia cupressina Lamoureoux against Hela ttumor cell line, as a solvent used n-hexane. The cytotoxic activity was carried out by using MTT method. The results showed both extract and fraction activities against Hela tumor cells. They were also categorized as moderate cytotoxic activity based on the IC50 values of the extract and fraction, namely 0.31726 µg/mL and 0.32712 µg/mL, respectively.

The Sigolo-golo natural tourism area is located in the Wonosalam district, Jombang. The environment in this area is still relatively well preserved because it has a variety of vegetation and habitats. There is very little information on the community structure of butterflies (Papilionoidea) in this area, so this research is needed to find the community structure of butterflies in Sigolo-golo tourism. The method used in this research is a visual encounter survey combined with the transect method, which is to carry out direct counts of species and individuals of butterflies that are often found. The research locations were divided based on different habitat types, namely plantations, forests, and riverbanks. This study found 43 species with 358 individuals from five families. The results of the data analysis show that the diversity index value at each location is in the high category. The diversity and revealing butterflies at each location explain why the community structure in Sigolo-golo tourism is still stable and well maintained.