Investigation of Antituberculosis from Medicinal Plant of Community Ethnic in South Sulawesi.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis is one of the transmitted diseases that has been claimed as one of the most serious health problems worldwide resulting in death, as reported in WHO in Global Tuberculosis Report 2014. It has been predicted that 9 million people suffer from tuberculosis disease and 1.5 - 2 million deaths occur by this disease. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research is to know the species of plant used as anti-hematemesis medicine that has the activity of antituberculosis and antituberculosis-MDR and then investigate the phytochemistry characteristics of the compound from every parts of the plant extract that show the activity of antituberculosis and antituberculosis-MDR which is indicated by the value of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of the extracts. METHODS: The extraction method used in this research was the maceration method. The antituberculosis activity test was investigated using MODS and LJ media methods. The isolation of the active compound was carried out using Bioassay Guided Fractionation and then the compound characteristics were identified using spectroscopy data. RESULTS: The results showed that extracts from Talas (Collocasia esculenta tuber) and Kariango (Acorus calamus rhizome) plants were active against M. tuberculosis. The FTIR spectroscopy data showed that three isolates obtained from Talas plants contained aliphatic OH and C-O and CH groups. The MIC values of kariango and Talas extracts using the MODS method were 45 mg/ml and 40 mg/ml, respectively. CONCLUSION: Talas (Collocasia esculenta) tuber and Kariango rhizome ethanolic extract have a potency for antituberculosis and anti-MDR tuberculosis drugs.

Influences of Chemical Fertilizers and a Nitrification Inhibitor on Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in a Corn (Zea mays L.) Field in Indonesia.

The influences of chemical fertilizers and a nitrification inhibitor on greenhouse gas fluxes (N(2)O and CH(4)) in a corn field in Indonesia were investigated using a closed chamber. Plots received 45+45 kg-N ha(-1) of nitrogen fertilizer by split applications of urea, a single application of controlled-release fertilizer (CRF-LP30) or urea+dicyandiamide (DCD; a nitrification inhibitor), and no nitrogen application (control). Cumulative amounts of N(2)O emitted from the field were 1.87, 1.70, 1.06, and 0.42 kg N(2)O-N ha(-1) season(-1) for the urea, CRF-LP30, urea+DCD, and control plots, respectively. The application of urea+DCD reduced the emission of N(2)O by 55.8% compared with urea. On the other hand, the soil acted as a sink for CH(4) in the CRL-LP30, control, and urea+DCD plots with value of -0.09, -0.06 and -0.06 kg CH(4)-C ha(-1) season(-1), respectively. When the viability of AOB (ammonia-oxidizing bacteria) and NOB (nitrite-oxidizing bacteria) were monitored, AOB numbers were correlated with the N(2)O emission. These results suggest that 1) there is a potential for reducing emissions of N(2)O by applying DCD, and 2) corn fields treated with CRF or urea+DCD can act as a sink for CH(4) in a tropical humid climate.