Research List

No.	Researcher	Title	Abstract	Year
2481	Hnin Nandar Hlaing1, Moe Pa Pa2 and Myint Myint Soe3	ANTIMICROBIAL AND AMYLASE ACTIVITIES OF ISOLATED SOIL FUNGI FROM TAUNG THAR TOWNSHIP (MANDALAY REGION)	The soil microorganisms were isolated from the various soils collected from five different places: Yay Kyaw S-1, Thae Taw S-2, Kaing Yar Gyi S-3, Si Sone Kone S-4, and Kone Thar S-5, Taung Thar Township, Mandalay Region. From the analysis of soil textures, sample No.1 was found to be loamy sand, samples No. 2 and No. 3 were sand, and samples No. 4 and No. 5 were sandy loam. In this study, the soil fungi were isolated by using the feeding method and the physical treatment dilution method. Four fungi were isolated from five different soil samples by the feeding method and six fungi were isolated from five different soil samples by the physical treatment dilution method. The morphology of the isolated fungi were studied in PGA medium. These fungi were used for screening the antimicrobial activities against seven tested microorganisms. The first time, after three days of fermentation, the antimicrobial activity was tested against three microorganisms. Among them, only the isolated fungus from soil sample 1 (Yay Kyaw S-1) showed the highest activity in clear zone (27 mm) on Agrobacterium tumefaciens, followed by (26 mm) on Bacillus subtilis and (25 mm) on Espherichia coli, and no activity against the remaining four tested organisms: Candida albicans, Micrococcus luteus, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Staphylococcus aureus. In the second time fermentation, the isolate fungus from S-1 (32 mm) was especially active against Agrobacterium tumefaciens. This isolated fungus cannot hydrolyze the starch, that is, it did not show the amylase enzyme activity.	2025
2482	Su Swe Su1, Suu Suu Win2	INVESTIGATION OF SOME BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES FROM THE LEAVES OF CALOTROPIS GIGANTEA (L.) W.P. AITON (MAYO GYI)	This research aims to evaluate the phytochemical tests, antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities from the leaves of Calotropis gigantea (L.) W.P. Aiton. The total phenol contents of watery extract (47.56 � 0.1 mg GAE/g) and ethanol extract (64.18 � 0.7 mg GAE/g) of the sample were tested by using Folin-Ciocalteu method. The total flavonoid contents of watery extract (33.49 � 0.3 mg QE/g) and ethanol extract (35.47 � 0.1 mg QE/g) of the sample were determined by aluminum chloride method. In addition, the tannin content (2.1 %) was determined by using titration method. From EDXRF investigation, C. gigantean sample contains high concentrations of organic compounds together with trace amounts of some elements. The antioxidant activity was done on the watery extract (IC50 = 42.37 ?g/mL) and ethanol extract (IC50 = 33.67 ?g/mL) by using DPPH assay. Then, antimicrobial activities of ethanol and watery extracts of the samples were investigated by agar well diffusion method using pathogenic microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans, Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Salmonella typhi against test microorganisms (13 - 15 mm inhibition zone diameters). Moreover, cytotoxicity of the ethanol extract (LD50 value of 1.76 �g/mL) was higher than watery extract (LD50 value of 8.57 �g/mL) of sample, determined by using brine shrimp lethality bioassay. According to these experimental results, the leaf of C. gigantean is safe and suitable to treat various diseases including cancer and aging.	2025
2483	Win Ko1, Swann Nyein Htet 2	COPPER EXTRACTION AND RADON EXAMINATION IN SELECTED MINE SAMPLES	The main objective of this study was to analyze the elemental composition of three chosen samples, with a specific focus on extracting copper from a rock sample obtained from the Letpadaung copper mine. Additionally, the research investigated the potential health risks for mine workers and assessed radon concentrations in these mine samples using LR-115 Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTDs). The LR-115 type II detectors were employed to explore radon in various samples: coal from the Thitchauk coal mine, fly ash from the Tigyit power plant, and rock samples from the Letpadaung copper mine. The tracks observed through an optical microscope, confirmed the presence of radon as an alpha emitter in some samples. The annual effective radiation dose of each sample determined was 0.6531 mSv/y for fly ash sample and 0.4533 mSv/y for coal samples. However, all annual effective doses for the samples were below the international reference level of 3-10 mSv/y recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). It is crucial to inform individual working in power plants about the potential health risks associated with radon exposure. Moreover, elemental composition analysis using ED XRF data revealed the presence of various elements in the samples. Furthermore, copper extraction from the rock sample was carried out through a metal displacement reaction and electrolysis, resulting in a copper content of 2.07 %.	2025
2484	Phyu Phyu Thwin1, Jue Jue Khin2, Myat Kyaw Thu3, Ye Myint Aung4	ENZYMIC STUDY ON PECTINASE EXTRACTED FROM WHITE DRAGON FRUIT PEELS	Isolation and purification of pectinase enzyme from the peels of white dragon fruit (Selenicereus undatus) were performed by 20-80 % ammonium sulphate precipitation followed by gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-100. Pectinase enzyme activity was determined using glucose as a standard and pectin as a substrate by a UV-Vis spectrophotometer at 591 nm. The optimum pH and temperature of crude and partially purified pectinase enzymes extracted from the white dragon fruit peels were found as 5 and 30 ? C, respectively. The activation energies (Ea) of the crude and purified pectinase-catalyzed reactions were observed as 4.1185 kcal mol-1 and 3.4018 kcal mol-1, respectively. The Km and Vmax values were found as 0.300 � 10-2 g mL-1 and 25.380 � 10-2 mM min-1 for crude pectinase enzyme and 0.509 � 10-2 g mL-1 and 26.281 � 10-2 mM min-1 for partially purified pectinase enzyme, using the Lineweaver-Burk plot. The reaction order (n) of the crude and purified pectinase-catalyzed reactions was calculated using the linear regression method, and it was found to be first order. Both crude and partially purified pectinase enzymes were used in the clarification of grape juice and the transmittance percents were 75.49 % and 86.29 %, respectively. The clarity of grape juice can be improved by enzymatic treatment using pectinase.	2025
2485	Shunn Lei Nandar1, Soe Soe Than2	CONVERSION OF SUGARCANE BAGASSE INTO LEVULINIC ACID BY ACID-CATALYZED HYDROTHERMAL METHOD*	Lignocellulosic biomass is a long-term alternative carbon source and could be used as raw material to prepare liquid fuels and valuable chemicals. Among these chemicals, levulinic acid is a valuable platform compound, which is intermediate for preparing alternative petroleum-based chemicals such as plasticizer, coating, and fuel additives. This research work focused on the extraction of levulinic acid from lignocellulosic biomass such as sugarcane bagasse by acid-catalyzed hydrothermal method. The physico-chemical characteristics of sugarcane bagasse such as cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, extractives, and ash content were analyzed by using TAPPI and AOAC methods. Dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse was firstly carried out with different variables such as solid to liquid ratio and reaction time for the optimum extraction of cellulose content. Acid-catalyzed hydrothermal treatment of pretreated sugarcane bagasse was performed by controlling reaction temperature, reaction time, concentration of hydrochloric acid (Bronsted acid) and concentration of aluminium chloride (Lewis acid). Central composite design was used to arrange experimental runs to optimize the cellulose content of sugarcane bagasse during dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment and the yield percent of levulinic acid based on concentration during acid-catalyzed hydrothermal method. For calculating the yield percent of levulinic acid based on concentration, the absorbance of levulinic acid was measured by UV visible spectroscopy at 266 nm (?max). The maximum yield percent of levulinic acid based on concentration from sugarcane bagasse (89.64 � 3.14 %) with the 6.78 % composition of levulinic acid was obtained by synergistic use of 6.4 % (v/v) HCl and 2.3 % (w/v) AlCl3 at 171 �C for 3 hr and 6 min. The levulinic acid under optimum conditions from pretreated sugarcane bagasse was identified by UV-Visible Spectroscopy for ?max, FTIR Spectroscopy for functional groups and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) for the presence of levulinic acid.	2025
2486	Seinn Lei Lei Phyu1	EXTRACTION AND UTILIZATION OF WATER-SOLUBLE DIETARY FIBRE (SDF) FROM BANANA PEEL	Development of food supplement plays an important role in functional food processing and it becomes a challenge among people and manufacturers. In this research, water-soluble dietary fibre (SDF) was extracted from banana peels of Hpi Kyam (Musa chiliocarpa Backer) and Thi Hmwe (Musa acuminata Colla). The extracted SDF was included in wheat noodle formulation. This makes not only innovation but also gets new beneficial products. Cellulase enzyme was utilized in the extraction of SDF. Conventional acid treatment method was also carried out in SDF extraction. The functional properties of extracted SDFs were evaluated. The SDF obtained from banana peel (Hpi Kyam) by cellulase treatment had better characteristics and higher yield percent than that of the banana peel (Thi Hmwe) by acid treatment method. Both SDFs contained minerals such as iron and manganese. The FTIR results showed that SDFs composed of the functional groups which held to enhance the solubility of food. The physico-chemical characteristics of SDF supplemented wheat noodle were determined. In the formulation of noodle making, among the sixteen formulations, a formula of 86.5 % of wheat, 10 % of potato starch, 1.5 % of SDF, 1 % of sodium chloride and 1 % of sodium bicarbonate gave the best results and its characteristics and these nutritional properties were superior than those of the others.	2025
2487	Naw Zar Htwe1	EXTRACTION OF FERULIC ACID FROM DEFATTED WHEAT BRAN FOR IMPROVING ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY	Ferulic acid (4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid) is one of the most significant natural bioactive phenolic acids generally found in the seeds as well as leaves, both in its free form and covalently conjugated with the plant cell wall materials. The extraction of ferulic acid has been found much attention nowadays due to the fact that it exhibits a wide variety of biological activities. In the present study, the extraction of ferulic acid from wheat bran was carried out by alkaline hydrolysis using NaOH and later purified by precipitating hemicellulose and glucomannans with ethanol. Optimization of antioxidant activity in ferulic acid from defatted wheat bran was conducted using response surface methodology (RSM). The conditions investigated were 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 M of NaOH concentration (x1), 2, 4 and 6 hr of extraction time (x2), and 40, 50 and 60 ?C for the extraction temperature (x3). Box-Behnken design indicated that the model can significantly (p < 0.05) express more than 80 % (> 0.80) of the response variation. The optimal extract condition for maximum antioxidant activity was 0.5 M of NaOH concentration, 2 hr of extraction time, and 50 ?C for extraction temperature. The antioxidant activity of extracted ferulic acid was determined by DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl) radical photometric scavenging method. According to these results, ferulic acid from wheat bran possesses high antioxidant activity.	2025
2488	Mon Mon Maung1, Thwe Linn Ko2, Khin Thet Ni3	PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND SENSORY EVALUATION OF PROCESSED COGNAC (GRAPE BRANDY)	Cognac (Grape Brandy) is a portable spirit by distilling of grape wine and aging in oak cask. This research work is concerned with the preparation of cognac (grape brandy) from locally available table grapes. Firstly, the characteristics of table grape were studied and wine was made by fermenting clarified juice of table grapes. The highest alcohol content 10 % v/v in prepared wine was formed with 1:0.2 juice to sugar ratio after twenty weeks fermentation period. The main constituent and fusel oils in prepared wine were firmly resolved by gas chromatography. For higher alcohol content in processed cognac (grape brandy), most fine brandies (35 % v/v- 65 % v/v alcohol) were taken into double distillation. Prepared wines were distilled to obtain cognac (grape brandy) and properties of cognac (grape brandy) were also studied. It was observed that alcohol content of the first distillate from wine was 36 % v/v and the second distillate contained 76 % v/v of alcohol content. The main constituent (ethanol) and fusel oils were observed in these distillates by gas chromatography. Processed cognac (grape brandy) was aged in oak cask to improve colour, taste and odour. Moreover, caramel colour was prepared by heating brown sugar and white sugar and effect of prepared caramel colour on the characteristics of cognac (grape brandy) without aging in the oak cask was evaluated.	2025

Research Publications

Myanmar Academy of Art & Science List of Research