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Abstract. Chen TV, Tuan ND, Triet NT, An NH, Nguyen PTT, Hai NTT, Nhi NTT, Co NQ, Nhi HTH, Huong HV, Phuong TTB, Nhung NTA. 2022. Morphological and molecular characterization of Distichochlamys citrea M.F. Newman in Bach Ma National Park, Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam. Biodiversitas 23: 2066-2079. Distichochlamys citrea (Black Ginger or gung den) is a medicinal plant endemic to Vietnam. However, this species is not easily identified due to the lack of a detailed description. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize morphological and molecular aspects of D. citrea from Bach Ma National Park, Vietnam. Six representative plants were selected for the following analyses. Macromorphological features were observed and compared with previous studies. The rhizomes, roots, petioles, and leaves were then histologically analyzed using iodine green-carmine staining. The ground rhizomes and leaves were also microscopically examined for powder characteristics. Finally, the D. citrea DNA barcode was amplified by Internal Transcribe Spacer (ITS) primers. Macromorphologically, D. citrea differs from other Distichochlamys species. Black Ginger, particularly, has elongated rhizomes (with scars from the shoots of previous years), green leaves, spread inflorescences, and yellow labellum (with deep slits). Additionally, D. citrea’s micromorphological structures (epidermis, exodermis, hypodermis, cortex, endodermis, and root pith) are similar to the genus Zingiber. However, the absence of calcium oxalate and silica crystals in the root is unique and can be used to distinguish this plant from other Zingiberaceae members. The sequenced amplicons (96.54% similar to Genbank's D. citrea ITS) demonstrated the ITS marker’s ability to identify Black Ginger.

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Despite many advantages over injection vaccines such as cost effectiveness, safety and easy to use, and so on, oral vaccines are negligibly concerned. This is mostly because of the availability of vast surface in the gastro-intestinal tract, thereby requiring lot of antigens which could hamper their potential. To circumvent this issue, a novel strategy for targeting antigens to M cells (microfold cells), a minority of cells located in the small intestine for antigen transportation, is utilized by making a fusion protein comprised of an antigen with an M cell specific ligand. Discovered via biopanning, Co1 peptide is a potential ligand because of its small size (12 amino acids) and having an adjuvant capacity. To develop a monitoring model, we fused GFP (green fluorescent protein) as a monitoring marker with Co1 peptide. Initially, co1-gfp fusion gene was created by overlap extension PCR on GFP-encoded vector backbone, then it was incorporated into an expression vector pET22b before transforming into E. coli DH5α. The recombinant vector was screened by PCR method, sequenced and aligned with designed sequences. The in-frame vector was then introduced into E. coli BL21(DE3) for expression by inducing with 0.5mM IPTG. Fusion protein was purified using Ni-affinity chromatography. The results showed that the fused genes were in-frame cloned and completely matched with the designed sequences. SDS-PAGE and Western blot analyses showed Co1-GFP protein expressed in soluble form and could be purified at one-step elution of 500mM imidazole. The purified fusion protein could emit fluorescent light under UV excitation. Collectively, recombinant Co1-GFP fusion protein was successfully produced and its potential applications need to be warranted.

This study aims to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the business activities of 196 small business households, and their adaptation strategies to cope with those impacts in Thanh Hoa and Tuyen Quang provinces of Vietnam. By utilizing descriptive statistics and OLS regression, this study’s results show that all targeted business owners believe that COVID-19 had changed customer demands and reduced their supply input significantly. Our study findings also revealed that due to COVID-19, households’ living expenditure, transportation costs and input costs were significantly increased and led to a reduction in the number of customers. Households in the study area showed their willingness to apply the adaptation strategies to change their business products or business methods. Further, adaptation measures such as increasing advertising or improving sales skills were reported to be less attractive to the participation of households in the context of increasing waves of the recent pandemic. Significant factors that affected households’ income were the type of businesses (including food and beverage businesses, grocery businesses, fashion and cosmetic businesses, technology products businesses and entertainment and beauty services businesses), the age of the business owner, the decrease in the supply of input goods, increased transportation costs and the reduced number of other purchases. Some policy recommendations are suggested such as giving priority to vaccination for sellers and freight carriers, creating a mechanism for smooth transportation of goods between localities, tax reduction or exemption during the closure because of the state policies including lock downs, social distancing, and to support business owners in the form of a subsidy or to provide them with a platform for online business that might be more suitable in the current situation.