Mushrooms have been used in folk medicine for thousands of years. In this study, the effect of β -glucan-rich extract of P. sajor-caju (GE) on lipid lowering and antioxidant potential was assessed in C57BL/6J mice fed on a high-fat diet. Obesity was induced in C57BL/6J mice by feeding a high-fat diet. The control groups in this study were ND (for normal diet) and HFD (for high-fat diet). The treated groups were ND240 (for normal diet) (240 mg/kg b.w) and HFD60, HFD120, and HFD240 (for high-fat diet), where the mice were administrated with three dosages of GE (60, 120, and 240 mg GE/kg b.w). Metformin (2 mg/kg b.w) served as positive control. GE-treated groups showed significantly reduced body weight, serum lipid, and liver enzymes levels. GE also attenuated protein carbonyl and lipid hydroperoxide levels by increasing the enzymic antioxidants (SOD, CAT, and GPx) activities in the mice. GE-treated groups induced the expression of hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) and adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) while downregulated the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR- γ ), sterol regulatory binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), and lipoprotein lipase (LPL). Hence, GE prevented weight gain in the mice by inducing lipolysis and may be valuable in the formulation of adjuvant therapy for obesity.
MeSH terms: Agaricales; Animals; Antioxidants; Carrier Proteins; Sterol Esterase; Hydrogen Peroxide; Lipid Peroxides; Lipolysis; Lipoprotein Lipase; Metformin; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Control Groups; PPAR gamma; Protein Carbonylation; Mice; Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1; Diet, High-Fat
The standardized methanol extracts of Phyllanthus amarus and P. urinaria, collected from Malaysia and Indonesia, and their isolated chemical markers, phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin, were evaluated for their effects on the chemotaxis, phagocytosis and chemiluminescence of human phagocytes. All the plant extracts strongly inhibited the migration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) with the Malaysian P. amarus showing the strongest inhibitory activity (IC50 value, 1.1 µ g/mL). There was moderate inhibition by the extracts of the bacteria engulfment by the phagocytes with the Malaysian P. amarus exhibiting the highest inhibition (50.8% of phagocytizing cells). The Malaysian P. amarus and P. urinaria showed strong reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibitory activity, with both extracts exhibiting IC50 value of 0.7 µ g/mL. Phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin exhibited relatively strong activity against PMNs chemotaxis, with IC50 values slightly lower than that of ibuprofen (1.4 µ g/mL). Phyllanthin exhibited strong inhibitory activity on the oxidative burst with an IC50 value comparable to that of aspirin (1.9 µ g/mL). Phyllanthin exhibited strong engulfment inhibitory activity with percentage of phagocytizing cells of 14.2 and 27.1% for neutrophils and monocytes, respectively. The strong inhibitory activity of the extracts was due to the presence of high amounts of phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin although other constituents may also contribute.
Zerumbone (ZER) isolated from Zingiber zerumbet was previously encapsulated with hydroxypropyl- β -cyclodextrin (HP β CD) to enhance ZER's solubility in water, thus making it highly tolerable in the human body. The anticancer effects of this new ZER-HP β CD inclusion complex via apoptosis cell death were assessed in this study for the first time in liver hepatocellular cells, HepG2. Apoptosis was ascertained by morphological study, nuclear stain, and sub-G1 cell population accumulation with G2/M arrest. Further investigations showed the release of cytochrome c and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, proving mitochondrial dysfunction upon the ZER-HP β CD treatment as well as modulating proapoptotic and anti-apototic Bcl-2 family members. A significant increase in caspase 3/7, caspase 9, and caspase 8 was detected with the depletion of BID cleaved by caspase 8. Collectively, these results prove that a highly soluble inclusion complex of ZER-HP β CD could be a promising anticancer agent for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in humans.
The psychrophilic enzyme is an interesting subject to study due to its special ability to adapt to extreme temperatures, unlike typical enzymes. Utilizing computer-aided software, the predicted structure and function of the enzyme lipase AMS8 (LipAMS8) (isolated from the psychrophilic Pseudomonas sp., obtained from the Antarctic soil) are studied. The enzyme shows significant sequence similarities with lipases from Pseudomonas sp. MIS38 and Serratia marcescens. These similarities aid in the prediction of the 3D molecular structure of the enzyme. In this study, 12 ns MD simulation is performed at different temperatures for structural flexibility and stability analysis. The results show that the enzyme is most stable at 0°C and 5°C. In terms of stability and flexibility, the catalytic domain (N-terminus) maintained its stability more than the noncatalytic domain (C-terminus), but the non-catalytic domain showed higher flexibility than the catalytic domain. The analysis of the structure and function of LipAMS8 provides new insights into the structural adaptation of this protein at low temperatures. The information obtained could be a useful tool for low temperature industrial applications and molecular engineering purposes, in the near future.
In the present study phytochemical investigation of the methanol extract of the stem bark of Horsfieldia superba led to the isolation of twenty compounds (1-20), of which three (1-3) were new. However, compounds 2 and 3 were previously reported as synthetic alpha,beta-lactones. The compounds were characterized as (-)-3,4',7-trihydroxy-3'-methoxyflavan (1), (-)-5,6-dihydro-6-undecyl-2H-pyran-2-one (2), and (-)-5,6-dihydro-6-tridecyl-2H-pyran-2-one (3). Seventeen other known compounds were also isolated and identified as (-)-viridiflorol (4), hexacosanoic acid (5), beta-sitosterol (6), methyl 2,4-dihydroxy-6-methylbenzoate (methylorsellinate) (7), methyl 2,4-dihydroxy-3,6-dimethylbenzoate (8), (-)-4'-hydroxy-7-methoxyflavan (9), (-)-4',7-dihydroxyflavan (10), (-)-4',7-dihydroxy-3'-methoxyflavan (11), (+)-3,4',7-trihydroxyflavan (12), (-)-catechin (13), (-)-epicatechin (14), (-)-7-hydroxy-3',4'-methylenedioxyflavan (15), 2',3,4-trihydroxy-4'-methoxydihydrochalcone (16), 3',4',7-trihydroxyflavone (17), (+)-4'-hydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone (18), hexadecanoic acid (palmitic acid) (19) and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (20). The structures of the compounds were fully characterized by various physical methods (melting point, optical rotation), spectral (UV, IR, ID and 2D NMR) and mass spectrometric techniques. In vitro assay of compounds 2 and 3 demonstrated moderate cytotoxic activities against human prostate (PC-3), colon (HCT-116) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cells, while the chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions of H. superba were found to exhibit moderate AChE inhibitory activity (IC50 72 and 60 microg/mL).
The antibacterial efficiency of the methanolic extract of Phyllanthus niruri Linn. was investigated against pathogenic bacteria responsible for common infections of skin, and urinary and gastrointestinal tracts. The extract demonstrated antibacterial activities against all the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria tested. The results obtained suggested that at higher concentrations the extract would eradicate the growth of bacterial cells. The bacterial cells, after exposure to the extract, showed complete alteration in their morphology, followed by collapse of the cells beyond repair. The study revealed that the methanolic extract of P. niruri may be an effective antibacterial agent to treat bacterial infections since the extract exhibited significant antimicrobial potency, comparable with that of the standard antibiotic chloramphenicol.
The chemical compositions of the essential oil of the rhizome, leaf and stem of Hornstedtia leonurus Retz., collected from Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia,are reported for the first time. The essential oils were extracted using hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Seventeen (96.4%), thirteen (89.2%) and nine components (98.8%) were successfully identified from the rhizome, stem and leaf oils, respectively. Phenylpropanoids were found to be the major fraction, with methyleugenol being the most abundant compound in all oils with percentage compositions of 76.4% (rhizome), 80.3% (stem) and 74.5% (leaf).
Small sized magnetite iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4-NPs) with were successfully synthesized on the surface of rice straw using the quick precipitation method in the absence of any heat treatment. Ferric chloride (FeCl3·6H2O), ferrous chloride (FeCl2·4H2O), sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and urea (CH4N2O) were used as Fe3O4-NPs precursors, reducing agent and stabilizer, respectively. The rice straw fibers were dispersed in deionized water, and then urea was added to the suspension, after that ferric and ferrous chloride were added to this mixture and stirred. After the absorption of iron ions on the surface layer of the fibers, the ions were reduced with NaOH by a quick precipitation method. The reaction was carried out under N2 gas. The mean diameter and standard deviation of metal oxide NPs synthesized in rice straw/Fe3O4 nanocomposites (NCs) were 9.93 ± 2.42 nm. The prepared rice straw/Fe3O4-NCS were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXF) and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT‒IR). The rice straw/Fe3O4-NCs prepared by this method have magnetic properties.
The generalized and improved (G'/G)-expansion method is a powerful and advantageous mathematical tool for establishing abundant new traveling wave solutions of nonlinear partial differential equations. In this article, we investigate the higher dimensional nonlinear evolution equation, namely, the (3+1)-dimensional modified KdV-Zakharov-Kuznetsev equation via this powerful method. The solutions are found in hyperbolic, trigonometric and rational function form involving more parameters and some of our constructed solutions are identical with results obtained by other authors if certain parameters take special values and some are new. The numerical results described in the figures were obtained with the aid of commercial software Maple.
Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is employed to investigate the overall performance of a pin fin.The following study will examine the effect of governing parameters on overall thermal/fluid performance associated with different fin geometries, including, rectangular plate fins as well as square, circular, and elliptical pin fins. The idea of entropy generation minimization, EGM is employed to combine the effects of thermal resistance and pressure drop within the heat sink. A general dimensionless expression for the entropy generation rate is obtained by considering a control volume around the pin fin including base plate and applying the conservations equations for mass and energy with the entropy balance. Selected fin geometries are examined for the heat transfer, fluid friction, and the minimum entropy generation rate corresponding to different parameters including axis ratio, aspect ratio, and Reynolds number. The results clearly indicate that the preferred fin profile is very dependent on these parameters.
MeSH terms: Algorithms*; Computer Simulation*; Models, Theoretical*; Reproducibility of Results
Electroencephalogram (EEG) signal analysis is indispensable in epilepsy diagnosis as it offers valuable insights for locating the abnormal distortions in the brain wave. However, visual interpretation of the massive amounts of EEG signals is time-consuming, and there is often inconsistent judgment between experts.
MeSH terms: Electroencephalography; Epilepsy; Judgment; Problem Solving; Brain Waves
In order to achieve better treatment for local wounds and bacterial infections, topical formulations containing Cocos nucifera Linn. were developed. These formulations were evaluated for their physicochemical properties and antimicrobial efficacy against various strains of microorganisms. Semisolid formulations containing 5% w/w of Cocos nucifera Linn. were prepared by employing different dermatological bases and were evaluated for their physical appearance, pH, rheological properties, FTIR-spectroscopic analysis, thermodynamic stability and stability studies. The antimicrobial activity of each prepared formulation was determined using disk-diffusion method against various strains of microorganisms. All the prepared formulations were found to be stable and exhibited suitable physicochemical characteristics including pH, viscosity and spreadability which are necessary for an ideal topical preparation, in addition to strong antimicrobial activity. Carbopol gel base was found to be the most suitable dermatological base for Cocos nucifera Linn. in comparsion to other bases. Cocos nucifera Linn. formulations showed great potential for wounds and local bacterial infections. Moreover, carbopol gel base with its aesthetic appeal was found to be a suitable dermatological base for Cocos nucifera Linn. semisolid formulation as it had demonstrated significant physicochemical properties and greater diffusion when assessed using disk- diffusion method.
Medial coronoid disease (MCD) is a common joint disease of dogs. It has a multifactorial aetiology, but the relationship between known causal factors and the disease has yet to be elucidated. As most of the published literature is clinical and it reports changes associated with advanced disease, it is not known whether the changes reflect the cause or consequences of the condition. The aim of this study was to investigate early micromorphological changes occurring in articular cartilage and to describe the postnatal development of the medial coronoid process (MCP) before MCD develops. Three litters of MCD-prone young Labrador retrievers were purpose-bred from a dam and two sires with MCD. Comparisons of the micromorphological appearance of the MCP in MCD-negative and MCD-positive joints demonstrated that MCD was initially associated with a disturbance of endochondral ossification, namely a delay in the calcification of the calcifying zone, without concurrent abnormalities in the superficial layers of the joint cartilage. Cartilage canals containing patent blood vessels were only detected in dogs <12 weeks old, but the role of these channels in impaired ossification requires further investigation. Retained hyaline cartilage might ossify as the disease progresses, but weak areas can develop into cracks between the retained cartilage and the subchondral bone, leading to cleft formation and fragmentation of the MCP.
We aim to replicate AKT1 gene variants studies using Malaysian samples. Seven AKT1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were studied in 417 patients and 429 controls. Haplotype showed significant association (p=0.036) with schizophrenia, especially in Malays and Indians. Meta-analysis of rs2494732 showed significant association worldwide (p=0.018) and in Asians (p=0.023).
MeSH terms: Adult; Female; Genotype; Humans; Malaysia/ethnology; Malaysia/epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Reference Values; Schizophrenia/ethnology; Schizophrenia/genetics*; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics*; Young Adult; Genetic Association Studies
The transformation of an animal into pieces fit for human consumption is a very important operation. Rather than argue about halal slaughter without stunning being inhumane or stunning being controversial from the Islamic point of view, we discuss slaughter, stunning and animal welfare considering both Islamic and animal welfare legislation requirements. With the world Muslim population close to two billion, the provision of halal meat for the Muslim community is important both ethically and economically. However, from the animal welfare standard point of view, a number of issues have been raised about halal slaughter without stunning, particularly, about stressful methods of restraint and the latency of the onset of unconsciousness. This paper sets out to, discuss the methods of stunning that are acceptable by Islamic authorities, highlight the requirements for stunning to be acceptable in Islam and suggest practical ways to improve the humanness of slaughter.
We sampled extensively (29 stations) at the Klang estuarine system over a 3-day scientific expedition. We measured physical and chemical variables (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, total suspended solids, dissolved inorganic nutrients) and related them to the spatial distribution of phototrophic picoplankton (Ppico). Multivariate analysis of variance of the physicochemical variables showed the heterogeneity of the Klang estuarine system where the stations at each transect were significantly different (Rao's F₁₈, ₃₆ = 8.401, p < 0.001). Correlation analyses also showed that variables related to Ppico abundance and growth were mutually exclusive. Distribution of Ppico was best explained by the physical mixing between freshwater and seawater whereas Ppico growth was correlated with temperature.
The objective of the study was to investigate the associated factors of sleep quality and behavior among Malaysian tertiary students. The response rate to the questionnaire study was 41.0%. 1,118 students (M = 486, F = 632; mean age = 20.06 ± 1.53 years) were recruited from Universiti and Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman (Perak campuses) who completed a sleep quality and behavior questionnaire based on Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Horne-Ostberg Morningness-Eveningness Scale (MES) and craving of high-calorie foods. Results showed that students had the following sleeping habits - bed time = 2.41 a.m. ± 3.35 hr, rise time = 9.00 a.m. ± 1.76 hr, sleep latency = 16.65 ± 14.30 min and sleep duration = 7.31 ± 1.45 hr. 32.9% of the students were defined as poor quality sleepers, 30.6% suffering excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and 81.6% were categorized as individuals with 'definitely eveningness', defined as people who are definitely most alert in the late evening hours and prefer to go to bed late. There were no significant gender differences in sleep quality, 'chronotype' and EDS. Although there was no association of sleep quality and EDS with cumulative Grade Point Average (cGPA) and class skipping, EDS was associated with the tendency to fall asleep in class. Body Mass Index (BMI) was not associated with total sleep, PSQI, ESS and MES scores. Meanwhile, high-calorie food craving was associated with sleep duration, PSQI and ESS, but not MES. In conclusion, poor sleep behavior among Malaysian tertiary students in this study was not associated with gender, academic performance and BMI, but was associated with craving of high-calorie foods instead.
Treatment for breast cancer has improved dramatically over the decades. Nevertheless, modified radical mastectomy with axillary dissection remains the standard treatment for most patients, especially those with big tumours. The conventional technology is to use diathermy to cut and coagulate blood vessels. The Ultracision dissector has been widely used in laparoscopic surgery and is documented to be safe and fast for cutting and coagulating tissue. The aim of this study is to compare ultracision to electrocautery, looking in terms of amount of post operative drainage, duration of drain days, seroma formation and other complications.