ANALISIS KADAR AIR DAN KADAR KOTORAN TERHADAP MUTU INTI KELAPA SAWIT (PALM KERNEL) DI KERNEL BIN PT SOCFINDO KEBUN SEUNAGAN

Produksi utama dari tanaman kelapa sawit adalah buahnya. Minyak nabati yang dihasilkan dari buah kelapa sawit terdiri dari CPO (Crude Palm Oil) dan PKO (Palm Kernel Oil) yang berasal dari inti kelapa sawit (endocarp). Inti kelapa sawit (kernel) merupakan produk unggulan bernilai jual tinggi dan diolah lebih lanjut menjadi minyak inti sawit. Mutu Inti kelapa sawit (kernel) dipengaruhi oleh kadar air dan kadar kotoran selama penyimanan sementara di kernel bin sebelum dikirim ke mitra. mutu inti kelapa sawit (palm kernel) akan memengaruhimutu minyak inti sawit. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui pengaruh kadar air dan kotoran terhadap mutu inti kelapa sawit (palm kernel) pada kernel bin di Pabrik Kelapa Sawit PT. Socfindo. Penelitian ini dilakukan PT. Socfindo Kebun Seunagan, Kabupaten Nagan Raya. Penelitian ini menggunakan dua metode yaitu pemisahan kadar kotoran dari sampel secara manual, dan metode pencarian kadar air pada inti kelapa sawit menggunakan Instrument Moisture Analyzer Balance dengan prinsip penguapan. Hasil analisis kadar air pada sampel inti kelapa sawit (kernel) di kernel bin selama 10 hari diperoleh rata-rata adalah 6.90%. Sedangkan nilai kadar kotoran pada sampel inti sawit (kernel) di kernel bin selama 10 hari diperoleh rata-rata 6.93%. Untuk kadar air pada inti sawit di kernel bin telah memenuhi syarat mutu yang ditetapkan oleh SNI dan PT Socfindo, yaitu maksimal 8%, sedangkan untuk kadar kotoran pada inti sawit tidak memenuhi syarat mutu SNI, yaitu maksimal 6% akan tetapi memenuhi syarat mutu dari PT Socfindo maksimal 8%

Anti-malarial and anti-inflammatory effects of Gleichenia truncata mediated through inhibition of GSK3ß

Gleichenia truncata is a highland fern from the Gleicheniaceae family known for its traditional use among indigenous communities in Asia to treat fever. The scientific basis of its effect has yet to be documented. A yeast-based kinase assay conducted in our laboratory revealed that crude methanolic extract (CME) of G. truncata exhibited glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3)-inhibitory activity. GSK3β is now recognized to have a pivotal role in the regulation of inflammatory response during bacterial infections. We have also previously shown that lithium chloride (LiCl), a GSK3 inhibitor suppressed development of Plasmodium berghei in a murine model of malarial infection. The present study is aimed at evaluating G. truncata for its anti-malarial and anti-inflammatory effects using in vivo malarial and melioidosis infection models respectively. In a four-day suppressive test, intraperitoneal injections of up to 250 mg/kg body weight (bw) G. truncata CME into P.berghei-infected mice suppressed parasitaemia development by >60%. Intraperitoneal administration of 150 mg/kg bw G. truncata CME into Burkholderia pseudomallei-infected mice improved survivability by 44%. G. truncata CME lowered levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ) in serum and organs of B. pseudomallei-infected mice. In both infections, increased phosphorylations (Ser9) of GSK3β were detected in organ samples of animals administered with G. truncata CME compared to controls. Taken together, results from this study strongly suggest that the anti-malarial and anti-inflammatory effects elicited by G. truncata in part were mediated through inhibition of GSK3β. The findings provide scientific basis for the ethnomedicinal use of this fern to treat inflammation-associated symptoms

The effect of dexmedetomidine on vasopressor requirements in patients with septic shock: a subgroup analysis of the Sedation Practice in Intensive Care Evaluation [SPICE III] Trial

Background: Septic shock is associated with decreased vasopressor responsiveness. Experimental data suggest that central alpha2-agonists like dexmedetomidine (DEX) increase vasopressor responsiveness and reduce catecholamine requirements in septic shock. However, DEX may also cause hypotension and bradycardia. Thus, it remains unclear whether DEX is hemodynamically safe or helpful in this setting. Methods: In this post hoc subgroup analysis of the Sedation Practice in Intensive Care Evaluation (SPICE III) trial, an international randomized trial comparing early sedation with dexmedetomidine to usual care in critically patients receiving mechanical ventilation, we studied patients with septic shock admitted to two tertiary ICUs in Australia and Switzerland. The primary outcome was vasopressor requirements in the first 48 h after randomization, expressed as noradrenaline equivalent dose (NEq [μg/kg/min] = noradrenaline + adrenaline + vasopressin/0.4). Results: Between November 2013 and February 2018, 417 patients were recruited into the SPICE III trial at both sites. Eighty-three patients with septic shock were included in this subgroup analysis. Of these, 44 (53%) received DEX and 39 (47%) usual care. Vasopressor requirements in the first 48 h were similar between the two groups. Median NEq dose was 0.03 [0.01, 0.07] μg/kg/min in the DEX group and 0.04 [0.01, 0.16] μg/kg/min in the usual care group (p = 0.17). However, patients in the DEX group had a lower NEq/MAP ratio, indicating lower vasopressor requirements to maintain the target MAP. Moreover, on adjusted multivariable analysis, higher dexmedetomidine dose was associated with a lower NEq/MAP ratio. Conclusions: In critically ill patients with septic shock, patients in the DEX group received similar vasopressor doses in the first 48 h compared to the usual care group. On multivariable adjusted analysis, dexmedetomidine appeared to be associated with lower vasopressor requirements to maintain the target MAP. Trial registration: The SPICE III trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01728558)