Browse publications by year: 2022

  1. Patikorn C, Blessmann J, Nwe MT, Tiglao PJG, Vasaruchapong T, Maharani T, et al.
    PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2022 Sep;16(9):e0010775.
    PMID: 36170270 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010775
    BACKGROUND: Understanding the burden of snakebite is crucial for developing evidence-informed strategies to pursue the goal set by the World Health Organization to halve morbidity and mortality of snakebite by 2030. However, there was no such information in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.

    METHODOLOGY: A decision analytic model was developed to estimate annual burden of snakebite in seven countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Lao PDR, and Myanmar. Country-specific input parameters were sought from published literature, country's Ministry of Health, local data, and expert opinion. Economic burden was estimated from the societal perspective. Costs were expressed in 2019 US Dollars (USD). Disease burden was estimated as disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed to estimate a 95% credible interval (CrI).

    PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We estimated that annually there were 242,648 snakebite victims (95%CrI 209,810-291,023) of which 15,909 (95%CrI 7,592-33,949) were dead and 954 (95%CrI 383-1,797) were amputated. We estimated that 161,835 snakebite victims (69% of victims who were indicated for antivenom treatment) were not treated with antivenom. Annual disease burden of snakebite was estimated at 391,979 DALYs (95%CrI 187,261-836,559 DALYs) with total costs of 2.5 billion USD (95%CrI 1.2-5.4 billion USD) that were equivalent to 0.09% (95%CrI 0.04-0.20%) of the region's gross domestic product. >95% of the estimated burdens were attributed to premature deaths.

    CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The estimated high burden of snakebite in ASEAN was demonstrated despite the availability of domestically produced antivenoms. Most burdens were attributed to premature deaths from snakebite envenoming which suggested that the remarkably high burden of snakebite could be averted. We emphasized the importance of funding research to perform a comprehensive data collection on epidemiological and economic burden of snakebite to eventually reveal the true burden of snakebite in ASEAN and inform development of strategies to tackle the problem of snakebite.

    MeSH terms: Antivenins/therapeutic use; Asia, Southeastern/epidemiology; Humans; Thailand; Cost of Illness
  2. Guinto RR, Baluyot CJ, Gan CCR, Ghosh U, Mahadzir MDA
    BMJ, 2022 Sep 29;378:e071535.
    PMID: 36175023 DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2022-071535
    Renzo R Guinto and colleagues discuss why the health sector must embrace the planetary health approach and advocate concrete solutions for fixing the food system
  3. Hendriks SL, Montgomery H, Benton T, Badiane O, Castro de la Mata G, Fanzo J, et al.
    BMJ, 2022 Sep 29;378:e071534.
    PMID: 36175028 DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2022-071534
    Sheryl L Hendriks and colleagues describe the global risks and vulnerabilities associated with health, food security, and nutrition
    MeSH terms: Humans; Nutritional Status; Climate Change*
  4. Al Zarzour RH, Kamarulzaman EE, Saqallah FG, Zakaria F, Asif M, Abdul Razak KN
    Heliyon, 2022 Sep;8(9):e10665.
    PMID: 36185142 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10665
    Extensive attention has been focused on herbal medicine for the treatment of different endocrine disorders. In fact, compelling scientific evidence indicates that natural compounds might act as endocrine modulators by mimicking, stimulating, or inhibiting the actions of different hormones, such as thyroid, sex, steroidal, and glucose regulating hormones. These potentials might be effectively employed for therapeutic purposes related to the endocrine system as novel complementary choices. Nevertheless, despite the remarkable therapeutic effects, inadequate targeting efficiency and low aqueous solubility of the bioactive components are still essential challenges in their clinical accreditation. On the other hand, nanotechnology has pushed the wheels of combining inorganic nanoparticles with biological structures of medicinal bioactive compounds as one of the utmost exciting fields of research. Nanoparticle conjugations create an inclusive array of applications that provide greater compliance, higher bioavailability, and lower dosage. This can safeguard the global availability of these wealthy natural sources, regardless of their biological occurrence. This review inspects future challenges of medicinal plants in various endocrine disorders for safe and alternative treatments with examples of their nanoparticle formulations.
  5. Teoh BEW, Wider W, Saad A, Sam TH, Vasudevan A, Lajuma S
    Front Psychol, 2022;13:913773.
    PMID: 36186293 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.913773
    Employee performance plays a crucial role in the productivity of organizations, especially in the hospitality industry in Malaysia. This work performance is influenced by leadership style, and finding the type of leadership style that is suitable to apply to employees is crucial, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Transformational leadership theory is selected for this study in determining leadership styles. There are four dimensions under transformational leadership theory, namely idealized influence, individualized consideration, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation. Data were collected online from 400 employees working in the hospitality industry in Malaysia and analyzed using partial least square structure equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings show that only two dimensions of transformational leadership, namely idealized influence and inspirational motivation, have a significant positive influence on employee performance. Implications in the context of human resource management and recommendations to increase employee performance are also discussed.
  6. Tan H, Wong KY, Othman MHD, Kek HY, Wahab RA, Ern GKP, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2022 Nov;29(53):80137-80160.
    PMID: 36194323 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23407-9
    An indoor environment in a hospital building requires a high indoor air quality (IAQ) to overcome patients' risks of getting wound infections without interrupting the recovery process. However, several problems arose in obtaining a satisfactory IAQ, such as poor ventilation design strategies, insufficient air exchange, improper medical equipment placement and high door opening frequency. This paper presents an overview of various methods used for assessing the IAQ in hospital facilities, especially in an operating room, isolation room, anteroom, postoperative room, inpatient room and dentistry room. This review shows that both experimental and numerical methods demonstrated their advantages in the IAQ assessment. It was revealed that both airflow and particle tracking models could result in different particle dispersion predictions. The model selection should depend on the compatibility of the simulated result with the experimental measurement data. The primary and secondary forces affecting the characteristics of particle dispersion were also discussed in detail. The main contributing forces to the trajectory characteristics of a particle could be attributed to the gravitational force and drag force regardless of particle size. Meanwhile, the additional forces could be considered when there involves temperature gradient, intense light source, submicron particle, etc. The particle size concerned in a healthcare facility should be less than 20 μm as this particle size range showed a closer relationship with the virus load and a higher tendency to remain airborne. Also, further research opportunities that reflect a more realistic approach and improvement in the current assessment approach were proposed.
    MeSH terms: Air Movements; Delivery of Health Care; Humans; Particle Size
  7. Ramarao KDR, Somasundram C, Razali Z, Kunasekaran W, Jin TL, Musa S, et al.
    PLoS One, 2022;17(10):e0274814.
    PMID: 36197921 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274814
    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have seen an elevated use in clinical works like regenerative medicine. Its potential therapeutic properties increases when used in tandem with complementary agents like bio-based materials. Therefore, the present study is the first to investigate the cytotoxicity of a highly valued medicinal plant, Moringa oleifera, on human Wharton's Jelly mesenchymal stem cells (hWJMSCs) and its effects on the cells' gene expression when used as a pre-treatment agent in vitro. M. oleifera leaves (MOL) were dried and subjected to UHPLC-QTOF/MS analysis, revealing several major compounds like apigenin, kaempferol, and quercetin in the MOL, with various biological activities like antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. We then treated the hWJMSCs with MOL and noticed a dose-dependant inhibition on the cells' proliferation. RNA-sequencing was performed to explain the possible mechanism of action and revealed genes like PPP1R1C, SULT2B1, CDKN1A, mir-154 and CCNB1, whose expression patterns were closely associated with the negative cell cycle regulation and cell cycle arrest process. This is also evident from gene set enrichment analysis where the GO and KEGG terms for down-regulated pathways were closely related to the cell cycle regulation. The Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) software further predicted the significant activation of (p < 0.05, z-score > 2) of the G2/M DNA damage checkpoint regulation pathway. The present study suggests that MOL exhibits an antiproliferative effect on hWJMSCs via cell cycle arrest and apoptotic pathways. We believe that this study provides an important baseline reference for future works involving MOL's potential to accompany MSCs for clinical works. Future works can take advantage of the cell's strong anti-cancer gene expression found in this study, and evaluate our MOL treatment on various cancer cell lines.
    MeSH terms: Antioxidants/metabolism; Cell Differentiation; Humans; Plant Extracts/metabolism; Plant Extracts/pharmacology; Quercetin/pharmacology; RNA/metabolism; Moringa oleifera*; Kaempferols/metabolism; Kaempferols/pharmacology; Apigenin/pharmacology; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells*; Wharton Jelly*
  8. Chartrand MMG, Meija J, Hélie JF, Middlestead P, Ramalingam M, Aziz AA, et al.
    Anal Bioanal Chem, 2022 Nov;414(27):7877-7883.
    PMID: 36198919 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-022-04322-x
    Stable carbon isotope ratio measurements are used to investigate the provenance of vanillin. In this study, a variety of commercial vanillin samples and vanilla products were analyzed to provide a frame of reference for the variability of carbon isotope delta values in various vanillin samples, with the results ranging from -20.6 to -36.7‰ relative to the Vienna Peedee Belemnite (VPDB). We present information on the development of two synthetic vanillin reference materials, VANA-1 and VANB-1, prepared in 0.75 g units in glass vials, to be used for the calibration of carbon isotope delta measurements of vanillin and other easily combustible organic materials. Characterization of 40 vials each of VANA-1 and VANB-1 was performed by three laboratories over several measurement sequences. The certified carbon isotope delta values are -31.30 ± 0.06‰ (VANA-1) and -25.85 ± 0.05‰ (VANB-1). These uncertainties, for the 95% confidence level, include considerations for measurement uncertainty, coherence of the reference materials used for calibration, batch homogeneity, and stability during storage and transportation. The results are traceable to the VPDB through a set of nine reference materials (IAEA-CH-6, USGS65, IAEA-600, NBS22, USGS61, IAEA-603, IAEA-610, IAEA-611, and IAEA-612). For up to date certified values, users should refer to doi.org/10.4224/crm.2022.vana-1 and doi.org/10.4224/crm.2022.vanb-1.
    MeSH terms: Benzaldehydes*; Calibration; Carbon Isotopes; Mass Spectrometry/methods
  9. Elderdery AY, Alzahrani B, Hamza SMA, Mostafa-Hedeab G, Mok PL, Subbiah SK
    Bioinorg Chem Appl, 2022;2022:1473922.
    PMID: 36199748 DOI: 10.1155/2022/1473922
    The main aim of this study was to synthesize copper oxide- (CuO-) titanium oxide- (TiO2-) chitosan-amygdalin nanocomposites (CTCANc) and to characterize them physically and biologically (antimicrobial and anticancer activity using MOLT4 blood cancer cell line) to endorse their useful applications as potential drug candidates in anticancer avenues. CuO-TiO2-chitosan-amygdalin nanocomposites were synthesized according to standard, reported methods. Physical characterization of the nanocomposites was performed using methods like X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and morphological and ultrastructural analysis of nanocomposites were done using electron microscope scanning and transmission. FTIR was recorded using a Perkin-Elmer spectrometer, and photoluminescence (PL) spectra were done using the spectrometer. Further, antibacterial activities were assessed using standard bacterial cultures. To demonstrate the nanocomposite's anticancer effects, MTT assay, morphological analysis, apoptosis studies using acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EtBr) dual staining, reactive oxygen species (ROS) analysis, and levels of antioxidant enzymes were analyzed using the MOLT4 blood cancer cell line. Synthesized nanocomposites were characterized using XRD and showed various peaks, respectively, for CuO-TiO2, amygdalin, and chitosan. MTT assay indicated an IC50 value of 38.41 μg/ml concentration of CTCANc. Hence, 30 and 40 μg/ml were used for the subsequent experiments. Morphological analysis, staining for apoptosis using AO/EtBr, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP or ΔΨm) analysis, ROS analysis, and determination of the SOD, CAT, MDA, and GSH levels were performed. Observations like a significant loss of morphology, induction of apoptosis, elevated ROS, and decreased MMP were significant in 30 and 40 μg/ml nanocomposite-treated cells when compared to control cells. The bimetallic nanocomposites exhibited typical nanocomposites characteristics and significant antibacterial and anticancer effects. The study results endorse the antibacterial, anticancer activity of CuO-TiO2-chitosan-amygdalin nanocomposites and strongly suggest that further in-depth research using CuO-TiO2-chitosan-amygdalin nanocomposites could reveal their efficacy in the clinical scenario.
  10. Assaad-Khalil S, Elkafrawy N, Khaled M, Mogeib O, Badr H, Rashwan A, et al.
    PMID: 36204125 DOI: 10.1155/2022/9176026
    BACKGROUND: Medicinal plants have long been used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to investigate the hypoglycemic efficacy and safety of NW Low-Glu® (contents of one capsule are 300 mg Mas Cotek + 100 mg Cinnamomum cassia L. + 250 mg Nigella sativa L. powdered extracts) in treatment-naïve, newly diagnosed T2DM patients.

    METHODS: This was a 12-week, double-blind, double-dummy, randomized, phase 2 clinical trial. A total of 232 male and female patients aged ≥18 and ≤65 years who were newly diagnosed with T2DM and have not received any antidiabetic drugs before and were equally randomized to receive metformin (2000 mg per day), low-dose NW Low-Glu® (content of four capsules per day), or high-dose NW Low-Glu® (content of five capsules per day). Our primary objective was to measure the mean change in HbA1c between each of the experimental arms and the metformin arm.

    RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in mean HbA1c at 12 weeks compared to baseline in the low-dose (0.6 (1.4)%; p=0.002) and high-dose arms (0.8 (1.7)%; p=0.004). There was also a significant reduction in 2 hr PPG at 12 weeks in the low-dose (35.4 (74.9) mg/dL, p=0.001) and high-dose arms (24.7 (100.8) mg/dL, p=0.04). Weight reduction was significantly higher with both high-dose (1.1 (-1.7) Kg; p=0.005) and low-dose arms (0.9 (-1.5) Kg; p=0.023) compared to metformin (0.8 (-1.8) Kg). No serious AEs or deaths were reported.

    CONCLUSIONS: After 3 months of treatment, NW Low-Glu® was noninferior to metformin in reducing HbA1c and 2 hr PPG, while leading to significantly higher weight reduction in newly diagnosed T2DM patients. It was also safe and well tolerated.

  11. Tan HX, Wong CK, Yik WF, Lam YF, Lachmanan KR
    Respirol Case Rep, 2022 Nov;10(11):e01042.
    PMID: 36204457 DOI: 10.1002/rcr2.1042
    Organizing pneumonia (OP) promptly responds to corticosteroids. However, a minority of patients demonstrate corticosteroid resistance or relapse on corticosteroid tapering. We describe post COVID-19 OP patients with clinically inadequate response to corticosteroids but that improved after the addition of Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF). Case 1: A gentleman was diagnosed with post COVID-19 OP but had suboptimal clinico-physiologic-radiologic response and steroid toxicity during outpatient reviews. MMF was initiated resulting in marked clinical response and quick weaning from corticosteroids. Case 2: A gentleman with post COVID-19 OP relapsed during tapering of steroids. Clarithromycin and MMF were added to his regimen, which improved his clinico-physiologic parameters and allowed corticosteroid tapering. Unfortunately, he developed MMF-related colitis needing therapy cessation. Currently, no studies have reported on MMF utilization in difficult post COVID-19 OP patients. Nevertheless, we believe, similar as in non-COVID OPs, MMF or other immunomodulators, potentially have a role in treating difficult or steroid-resistant OPs.
  12. Jadhav RA, Maiya GA, Shivashankara KN, Umakanth S
    J Taibah Univ Med Sci, 2022 Dec;17(6):983-990.
    PMID: 36212585 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2022.05.006
    OBJECTIVE: Prediabetes is a precursor to type 2 diabetes mellitus and routine screening of prediabetes is crucial. Visceral fat (VF) is associated with prediabetes and insulin resistance. Ethnic and racial differences resulting in different levels of VF in the Indian population necessitates an India-specific study. There is a dearth of literature on the cut-off values of VF measured using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer (BIA) to predict prediabetes in the Indian population. Hence, the main objective of this study was to determine the sex-specific cut-off value of VF on BIA to predict prediabetes in the Indian population.

    METHODS: Three hundred individuals aged 18-55 years of both sexes were selected for this cross-sectional study. VF was evaluated as a part of body composition analysis using BIA. The body composition variables for the prediction of prediabetes were examined using backward logistic regression. Optimal cut-off levels of VF to predict prediabetes were identified using receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) analysis.

    RESULTS: VF, total fat, and age were found to be associated with prediabetes (p ≤ 0.05). In females, the cut-off value of VF for predicting prediabetes was identified as 8 with 77.8% sensitivity and 69.3% specificity; in males, it was 11 with 84% sensitivity and 62.9% specificity.

    CONCLUSION: This study contributes to the sex-specific cut-off values of VF level on BIA that can be used for predicting prediabetes in the Indian population.

  13. Akbar S, Soh KG, Jazaily Mohd Nasiruddin N, Bashir M, Cao S, Soh KL
    Front Physiol, 2022;13:939042.
    PMID: 36213248 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.939042
    Objective: This review study aimed to assess the impact of neuromuscular training (NT) on athletes' physical fitness in sports. Methods: Three independent reviewers conducted a literature search in various databases: EBSCOHOST, PubMed, WOS, Mendeley, Scopus, ProQuest, Science Direct, additional references, and Google Scholar. The methodological quality was examined using Lubans' predetermined methods, and data that included trials were excluded. Results: This review included 18 well-conducted systematic studies from 144 relevant publications. These studies were reviewed and have been given a score of 6. Medium-risk studies were scored 3 or 4, while low-risk studies were scored 5 or 6. None of the studies had a high-risk bias. The NT intervention revealed that balance (n = 10) was the main characteristic of physical fitness that was evaluated, followed by agility (n = 6), muscular strength (n = 4), speed (n = 5), endurance and muscular power (n = 2). Subsequently, most studies used an intervention such as plyometric and strength training exercises to improve agility, balance, and muscular strength among athletes. Conclusion: This review implicated that (NT) focuses on exercises that enhance motor skills which aid athletes in moving their bodies according to their situational needs. The athletes' slower and faster directions influence their agility, muscular strength, and balance, essential for player performance. It is recommended for future research to investigate the effects of neuromuscular training (length of 12-weeks, frequency of 3 days per week and 90-min duration) on physical fitness components (coordination, reaction-time, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition) that are essential for all ages of male and female athletes in all sports.
  14. Yu CY, Wong SY, Liew NWC, Joseph N, Zakaria Z, Nurulfiza I, et al.
    Front Med (Lausanne), 2022;9:1001022.
    PMID: 36213636 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1001022
    Countries around the world are gearing for the transition of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from pandemic to endemic phase but the emergence of new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants could lead to a prolonged pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 has continued to evolve as it optimizes its adaptation to the human host and the successive waves of COVID-19 have been linked to the explosion of particular variant of concern. As the genetic diversity and epidemiological landscape of SARS-CoV-2 differ from country to country, this study aims to provide insights into the variants that are circulating in Malaysia. Whole genome sequencing was performed for 204 SARS-CoV-2 from COVID-19 cases and an additional 18,667 SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences were retrieved from the GISAID EpiCoV database for clade, lineage and genetic variation analyses. Complete genome sequences with high coverage were then used for phylogeny investigation and the resulting phylogenetic tree was constructed from 8,716 sequences. We found that the different waves of COVID-19 in Malaysia were dominated by different clades with the L and O clade for first and second wave, respectively, whereas the progressive replacement by G, GH, and GK of the GRA clade were observed in the subsequence waves. Continuous monitoring of the genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 is important to identify the emergence and dominance of new variant in different locality so that the appropriate countermeasures can be taken to effectively contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
  15. Fitri N, Chan SXY, Che Lah NH, Jam FA, Misnan NM, Kamal N, et al.
    Foods, 2022 Sep 20;11(19).
    PMID: 36230013 DOI: 10.3390/foods11192938
    Fish is a good source of nutrients, although it is easily spoiled. As such, drying is a common method of preserving fish to compensate for its perishability. Dried fish exists in different cultures with varying types of fish used and drying methods. These delicacies are not only consumed for their convenience and for their health benefits, as discussed in this review. Most commonly, salt and spices are added to dried fish to enhance the flavours and to decrease the water activity (aw) of the fish, which further aids the drying process. For fish to be dried effectively, the temperature, drying environment, and time need to be considered along with the butchering method used on the raw fish prior to drying. Considering the various contributing factors, several physicochemical and biochemical changes will certainly occur in the fish. In this review, the pH, water activity (aw), lipid oxidation, and colour changes in fish drying are discussed as well as the proximate composition of dried fish. With these characteristic changes in dried fish, the sensory, microbial and safety aspects of dried fish are also affected, revolving around the preferences of consumers and their health concerns, especially based on how drying is efficient in eliminating/reducing harmful microbes from the fish. Interestingly, several studies have focused on upscaling the efficiency of dried fish production to generate a safer line of dried fish products with less effort and time. An exploratory approach of the published literature was conducted to achieve the purpose of this review. This evaluation gathers important information from all available library databases from 1990 to 2022. In general, this review will benefit the fishery and food industry by enabling them to enhance the efficiency and safety of fish drying, hence minimising food waste without compromising the quality and nutritional values of dried fish.
  16. Abotbina W, Sapuan SM, Ilyas RA, Sultan MTH, Alkbir MFM, Sulaiman S, et al.
    Materials (Basel), 2022 Oct 09;15(19).
    PMID: 36234333 DOI: 10.3390/ma15196992
    The rapid use of petroleum resources coupled with increased awareness of global environmental problems associated with the use of petroleum-based plastics is a major driving force in the acceptance of natural fibers and biopolymers as green materials. Because of their environmentally friendly and sustainable nature, natural fibers and biopolymers have gained significant attention from scientists and industries. Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is a plant that has various purposes for use. It is the primary source of food in many countries and is also used in the production of biocomposites, biopolymers, and biofibers. Starch from cassava can be plasticized, reinforced with fibers, or blended with other polymers to strengthen their properties. Besides that, it is currently used as a raw material for bioethanol and renewable energy production. This comprehensive review paper explains the latest developments in bioethanol compounds from cassava and gives a detailed report on macro and nano-sized cassava fibers and starch, and their fabrication as blend polymers, biocomposites, and hybrid composites. The review also highlights the potential utilization of cassava fibers and biopolymers for industrial applications such as food, bioenergy, packaging, automotive, and others.
  17. Vincent J, Lau KS, Evyan YC, Chin SX, Sillanpää M, Chia CH
    Nanomaterials (Basel), 2022 Sep 23;12(19).
    PMID: 36234439 DOI: 10.3390/nano12193312
    Plants have been used for multiple purposes over thousands of years in various applications such as traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda. More recently, the special properties of phytochemicals within plant extracts have spurred researchers to pursue interdisciplinary studies uniting nanotechnology and biotechnology. Plant-mediated green synthesis of nanomaterials utilises the phytochemicals in plant extracts to produce nanomaterials. Previous publications have demonstrated that diverse types of nanomaterials can be produced from extracts of numerous plant components. This review aims to cover in detail the use of plant extracts to produce copper (Cu)-based nanomaterials, along with their robust applications. The working principles of plant-mediated Cu-based nanomaterials in biomedical and environmental applications are also addressed. In addition, it discusses potential biotechnological solutions and new applications and research directions concerning plant-mediated Cu-based nanomaterials that are yet to be discovered so as to realise the full potential of the plant-mediated green synthesis of nanomaterials in industrial-scale production and wider applications. This review provides readers with comprehensive information, guidance, and future research directions concerning: (1) plant extraction, (2) plant-mediated synthesis of Cu-based nanomaterials, (3) the applications of plant-mediated Cu-based nanomaterials in biomedical and environmental remediation, and (4) future research directions in this area.
  18. Bensenouci D, Merabet B, Ozkendir OM, Maleque MA
    Nanomaterials (Basel), 2022 Oct 05;12(19).
    PMID: 36234613 DOI: 10.3390/nano12193486
    Thermophotovoltaic conversion using heat to generate electricity in photovoltaic cells based on the detraction of thermal radiation suffers from many engineering challenges. The focus of this paper is to study the nanostructure of AlGaAsSb for thermophotovoltaic energy conversion using lattice-matched heterostructures of GaSb-based materials in order to overcome the current challenges. The XAFS spectroscopy technique was used to analyze electronic structures and optical properties of GaSb, (Al, In) GaSbAs. The XAFS spectroscopy analysis showed a powerful decay at peak intensity that reveals to be related to a loss in Sb amount and light As atoms replaced in Sb atoms by 25%. Moreover, it was found that Al/In doped samples have highly symmetric data features (same atomic species substitution). The narrow direct bandgap energy, Eg of Al0.125Ga0.875Sb0.75As0.25 material raised (0.4-0.6 eV) compared to conventional photovoltaic cell bandgap energy (which is generally less than 0.4 eV) with weak absorption coefficients. The thermoelectric properties of AlGaAsSb computed via Botlztrap code showed that the electrons made up the majority of the charge carriers in AlGaAsSb. This nanostructure material exhibited a higher and acceptable figure of merit and demonstrated a promising thermoelectric material for solar thermophotovoltaic applications.
  19. Wu G, Zhuang D, Chew KW, Ling TC, Khoo KS, Van Quyen D, et al.
    Molecules, 2022 Oct 06;27(19).
    PMID: 36235173 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27196633
    With the rapid development of the economy and productivity, an increasing number of citizens are not only concerned about the nutritional value of algae as a potential new food resource but are also, in particular, paying more attention to the safety of its consumption. Many studies and reports pointed out that analyzing and solving seaweed food safety issues requires holistic and systematic consideration. The three main factors that have been found to affect the food safety of algal are physical, chemical, and microbiological hazards. At the same time, although food safety awareness among food producers and consumers has increased, foodborne diseases caused by algal food safety incidents occur frequently. It threatens the health and lives of consumers and may cause irreversible harm if treatment is not done promptly. A series of studies have also proved the idea that microbial contamination of algae is the main cause of this problem. Therefore, the rapid and efficient detection of toxic and pathogenic microbial contamination in algal products is an urgent issue that needs to be addressed. At the same time, two other factors, such as physical and chemical hazards, cannot be ignored. Nowadays, the detection techniques are mainly focused on three major hazards in traditional methods. However, especially for food microorganisms, the use of traditional microbiological control techniques is time-consuming and has limitations in terms of accuracy. In recent years, these two evaluations of microbial foodborne pathogens monitoring in the farm-to-table chain have shown more importance, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, there are also many new developments in the monitoring of heavy metals, algal toxins, and other pollutants. In the future, algal food safety risk assessment will not only focus on convenient, rapid, low-cost and high-accuracy detection but also be connected with some novel technologies, such as the Internet of Things (artificial intelligence, machine learning), biosensor, and molecular biology, to reach the purpose of simultaneous detection.
    MeSH terms: Artificial Intelligence; Environmental Pollutants*; Food Microbiology; Humans; Pandemics; Food Safety
  20. Azmi NAN, Elgharbawy AAM, Salleh HM, Moniruzzaman M
    Molecules, 2022 Oct 09;27(19).
    PMID: 36235261 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27196725
    Fish by-product oil and lemon oil have potential applications as active ingredients in many industries, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and food. However, the physicochemical properties, especially the poor stability, compromised the usage. Generally, nanoemulsions were used as an approach to stabilize the oils. This study employed an ultrasonication method to form oil-in-water nanoemulsion of lemon and fish by-product oils (NE-FLO). The formulation is produced at a fixed amount of 2 wt% fish by-product oil, 8 wt% lemon oil, 10 wt% surfactant, 27.7 wt% co-surfactants and 42 min of ultrasonication time. The size, polydispersity index (PDI) and zeta potential obtained were 44.40 nm, 0.077, and -5.02 mV, respectively. The biological properties, including antioxidant, antibacterial, cell cytotoxicity, and anti-inflammatory, showed outstanding performance. The antioxidant activity is comparable without any significant difference with ascorbic acid as standard and is superior to pure lemon oil. NE-FLO successfully inhibits seven Gram-positive and seven Gram-negative bacterial strains. NE-FLO's anti-inflammatory activity is 99.72%, comparable to nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) as the standard. At a high concentration of 10,000 µg·mL-1, NE-FLO is non-toxic to normal skin cells. These findings demonstrate that the NE-FLO produced in this study has significant potential for usage in various industries.
    MeSH terms: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry; Ascorbic Acid; Emulsions/chemistry; Fish Oils/pharmacology; Masoprocol; Surface-Active Agents/chemistry; Water/chemistry
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