The research aims to investigate the difference in rice bran compositions of three major paddy varieties in Malaysia, which are MR 220 CL2, MR 219 and MR 297. The proximate compositions, antioxidative properties and fatty acid profile of the rice bran were compared. Stabilization of rice bran of all varieties was conducted in prior to the extraction of rice bran oil (RBO) by using the Soxhlet extraction. Fatty acid compositions consisted in RBO of each variety were analysed by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results on proximate compositions showed that MR 297 was the highest in the content of moisture (3.90 ± 0.29 %), fat (22.52 ± 0.09 %), protein (12.70 ± 0.53 %) and crude fiber (3.65 ± 0.26 %). MR 297 variety also exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, which indicated by the highest amount of total phenolic content (TPC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) compared to the other two varieties. Three components of fatty acids: palmitic acid; oleic acid; alinoleic acid have made up around 90% of the total fatty acids of the RBO for all varieties. The RBO also contains ideal fatty acid compositions with more unsaturated compared to saturated fatty acid, which makes it suitable to be used as a healthy edible oil. Results of this study can provide significant nutritional information for future investigations on the conversion of this agro-waste into valuable products for animals and human benefits.

The Keap1 protein (Kelch-like ECH-related protein 1) and the Nrf2 transcription factor (NF-E2-related factor 2) are important systems for maintaining homeostasis, redox, and metabolism. Based on the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway, the antioxidative mechanism of P. amarus extract (PAE) was predicted. In this paper, we evaluated the protective effects of PAE on the oxidative toxicity induced by sodium arsenite (NaAsO2) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in zebrafish larvae. We first determined that the LC50 values for NaAsO2, H2O2, and PAE at 3.5 days postfertilization (dpf) were 1 mM, 3 mM, and 200 μg/mL, respectively. Then, to assess the antioxidant effects of P. amarus, 3.5 dpf zebrafish larvae were pretreated with PAE at concentrations of 0, 50, 75, and 100 μg/ml for 12 h, and then the PAE solution was replaced with 1 mM NaAsO2 or 3 mM H2O2 to assess challenge survival within 48 h. Interestingly, all three concentrations, 50, 75, and 100 μg/mL PAE, increased the survival rate of zebrafish larvae compared to those larvae exposed to only 1 mM NaAsO2. Similarly, PAE at concentrations of 75 and 100 μg/mL protected zebrafish larvae after exposure to 3 mM H2O2. Real-time qPCR analysis was performed after 3.5 dpf zebrafish larvae were exposed to 100 μg/mL PAE for 12 h to verify whether the increasing antioxidative activity is depended on the Nrf2 pathway. The expression of the Nrf2 target genes glutathione-S-transferase Pi 1 (gstp1) and peroxidase 1 (prdx1) was assessed using real-time qPCR. However, the expression of this gene was not significantly different between control larvae and PAE-treated larvae. Thus, PAE induces antioxidant activity in zebrafish in a Keap1/Nrf2-independent manner.

The one-day-old O. latipes embryos is harvested and exposed to different concentrations of o, p`-DDT 0.04; 0.08; 0.12; 0.16; 0.2; 0.24; 0.28 and 0 µg/l (the control sample is not supplemented with o, p`-DDT) for 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours. After 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours, the results showed that LC50 value is gradually decreased, respectively 0.1013; 0.0772; 0.0486 and 0.0359 µg/l. The difference between LC50 values depends on the exposure concentration and exposure time. The results showed that the mortality rates of Medaka O. latipes increased with increasing pesticide concentrations as well as increasing exposure time. The experiment for observation of morphology and structure also found malformations in the spine and eyes of fish embryos. This chemical has strongly affected embryonic heart rate and embryonic morphology during growth and development.

Angelfish (Pterophyllum sp.) are attractive fish popular with aquarists. The introduction of fluorescent protein genes into angelfish has been reported, but specific techniques have not been revealed. This study aimed to develop a strategy to produce red fluorescent protein (RFP) transgenic angelfish driven by the myosin light chain 2 (mylz2) promoter from zebrafish. A 1999 bp Mylz2 promoter fragment was isolated from zebrafish muscle genomic DNA. This promoter fragment was then cloned into the plasmid pDsred2-1 open-loop at restriction enzyme SacI and AgeI sites to create the final transgene construct pMylz2-RFP. Angelfish embryos at one cell stage were microinjected with approximately 100 pg of the plasmid pMylz2-RFP. From 524 microinjected embryos, 16 successfully hatched, while 12 showed red fluorescence signals. Two larvae survived to 2 months of age. They showed significant red fluorescence expression in the muscles, suggesting that the angelfish could be used as potential transgenic founders to evaluate the next generation of stable red fluorescence expression transgenic fish.