Fresh sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) leaflets were collected and air-dried. The leaflet samples were heated at 200, 400, and 600 ℃ for the auto-fluorescent analysis (Puppe et al., 2022). The leaflet samples were treated with the wet oxidation method (H₂O₂ and HNO₃ on a hot plate at 80 ℃) to remove organic matter. The phytolith samples were washed with distilled water and air-dried. A part of the phytoliths was dried at 105 ℃ in an oven for a microscope analysis. The phytolith samples were analyzed under a light microscope and a fluorescence microscope. The auto-fluorescence in phytoliths from M. sagu leaflet samples was not observed remarkably. However, the phytoliths in the leaflet samples heated at 200, 400, and 600 ℃ appeared as spotted lumps and strait dotted lines. Heating at 150 ℃ after extraction of M. sagu phytoliths, however, did not show clear auto-fluorescence. It is concluded that 200 ℃ heating might cause auto-fluorescence in organic matter, and both 400 and 600 ℃ heating might increase non-conventional chromophores (oxygen clustering). This study on crucial auto-fluorescence mechanisms in M. sagu phytoliths will open new doors regarding many relatives and fork varieties of M. sagu in South Pacific Ocean islands connected to the birthplace of M. sagu, the Moluccas Islands and New Guinea.

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This study compared the prices and market availability of various starch products, including sago starch, expressed in Indonesian rupiah (IDR) per 100 g, at eight physical retail stores in Jakarta and in online markets in 2022 and 2024, corresponding to the period during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that prices of locally sourced starches, including sago starch, generally increased, whereas prices of many wheat flour products declined, reflecting international market conditions, particularly crop production trends in exporting countries. Differences in import dependence were clearly reflected in price behavior. From 2022 to 2024, the number of stores and brands handling sago starch increased, indicating diversification of product lineups and an expansion of market presence. When physical stores were classified by retail class, lower-priced supermarkets tended to exhibit higher rates of price increase. In particular, price increases for sago starch were pronounced at stores handling locally produced brands. Analysis of price distributions revealed that sago starch exhibited smaller fluctuations in price range than other starches between 2022 and 2024. In addition, average unit prices by sago type did not change significantly, indicating a relatively stable price structure. Furthermore, analysis of the relationships among sago type, unit price, promotional activity, and order volume demonstrated that the principal component consisting of unit price and promotion exerted a stronger influence on purchasing behavior than physical attributes such as package weight and package price. This tendency was particularly pronounced in 2024.

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The 5th ASEAN Sago Symposium (ASAS) was held on 10–11 November 2025 at the Raia Hotel Kuching in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. On this occasion, the symposium was organized as part of the 2nd Natural Science & Technology Conference (NaSTeC) entitled “Harnessing Science and Technology for Global Sustainability.”
The event was conducted as a joint international meeting, comprising four conferences held simultaneously in a sectional format: the ASEAN Sago Symposium (ASAS), the Borneo Satellite Network (BoSaN) Symposium, the 2nd Regional Conference on Natural Products, Traditional Medicine and Herbs, and NaSTeC.
The event was organized by the Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) with support from the UNIMAS Business School, Professional Continuous Excellent Learning, Business Events Sarawak, ASEAN Malaysia 2025, Tribe Legacy Sarawak Campaign, Sarawak More to Discover (Sarawak Tourism Board), the Institution of Geospatial and Remote Sensing Malaysia (IGRSM), and East-Bio Systems Sdn. Bhd.
In the NaSTeC and ASAS sessions, presentations were delivered by researchers from Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, and China. The poster session was held jointly, and poster presentations were contributed by participants from Malaysia and Japan.
Three participants from Japan registered for the symposium, delivering one invited lecture and one poster presentation. The abstracts of these presentations are shown below.
The poster presentation from Japan was selected for the Best Poster Award.

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