Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 433 in total

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  1. Amjad N, Osman HA, Razak NA, Kassian J, Din J, bin Abdullah N
    World J Gastroenterol, 2010 Sep 21;16(35):4443-7.
    PMID: 20845512
    AIM: To study the presence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) virulence factors and clinical outcome in H. pylori infected patients.

    METHODS: A prospective analysis of ninety nine H. pylori-positive patients who underwent endoscopy in our Endoscopy suite were included in this study. DNA was isolated from antral biopsy samples and the presence of cagA, iceA, and iceA2 genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction and a reverse hybridization technique. Screening for H. pylori infection was performed in all patients using the rapid urease test (CLO-Test).

    RESULTS: From a total of 326 patients who underwent endoscopy for upper gastrointestinal symptoms, 99 patients were determined to be H. pylori-positive. Peptic ulceration was seen in 33 patients (33%). The main virulence strain observed in this cohort was the cagA gene isolated in 43 patients. cagA was associated with peptic ulcer pathology in 39.5% (17/43) and in 28% (16/56) of non-ulcer patients. IceA1 was present in 29 patients (29%) and iceA2 in 15 patients (15%). Ulcer pathology was seen in 39% (11/29) of patients with iceA1, while 31% (22/70) had normal findings. The corresponding values for iceA2 were 33% (5/15) and 33% (28/84), respectively.

    CONCLUSION: Virulence factors were not common in our cohort. The incidence of factors cagA, iceA1 and iceA2 were very low although variations were noted in different ethnic groups.

  2. Kathirvalu G, Chandramathi S, S A A, Atiya N, Begum S, Christophe W, et al.
    Trop Biomed, 2023 Jun 01;40(2):152-159.
    PMID: 37650400 DOI: 10.47665/tb.40.2.004
    Antibiotics which once a boon in medicine and saved millions of lives are now facing an ever-growing menace of antibacterial resistance, which desperately needs new antibacterial drugs which are innovative in chemistry and mode of action. For many years, the world has turned to natural plants with antibacterial properties to combat antibiotic resistance. On that basis, we aimed to identify plants with antibacterial and antibiotic potentiating properties. Seventeen different extracts of 3 plants namely Burkillanthus malaccensis, Diospyros hasseltii and Cleisthanthus bracteosus were tested against multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Antibacterial activity of hexane, methanol and chloroform extracts of bark, seed, fruit, flesh and leaves from these plants were tested using, disk diffusion assay, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. Antibiotic potentiating capabilities were tested using time-kill assay. B. malaccensis fruit chloroform extract showed the biggest zone of inhibition against MRSA (13.00±0.0 mm) but C. bracteosus bark methanol extract showed the biggest inhibition zone against MSSA (15.33±0.6 mm). Interestingly, bark methanol extract of C. bracteosus was active against MRSA (8.7±0.6 mm), MSSA (7.7±0.6 mm) (Gram-positive) and A. baumannii (7.7±0.6 mm) (Gram-negative). Overall, the leaf methanol and bark methanol extract of C. bracteosus warrants further investigation such as compound isolation and mechanism of action for validating its therapeutic use as antibiotic potentiator importantly against MRSA and A. baumannii.
  3. Aziman N, Abdullah N, Noor ZM, Kamarudin WS, Zulkifli KS
    J Food Sci, 2014 Apr;79(4):M583-92.
    PMID: 24666004 DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.12419
    Preliminary phytochemical and flavonoid compounds of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of 6 aromatic Malaysian herbs were screened and quantified using Reverse-Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC). The herbal extracts were tested for their antimicrobial activity against 10 food-borne pathogenic and food spoilage microorganisms using disk diffusion assay. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC)/minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of herbal extracts were determined. In the phytochemical screening process, both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of P. hydropiper exhibited presence of all 7 tested phytochemical compounds. Among all herbal extracts, the aqueous P. hydropiper and E. elatior extracts demonstrated the highest antibacterial activity against 7 tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with diameter ranging from 7.0 to 18.5 mm and 6.5 to 19 mm, respectively. The MIC values for aqueous and ethanolic extracts ranged from 18.75 to 175 mg/mL and 0.391 to 200 mg/mL, respectively while the MBC/MFC values for aqueous and ethanolic extracts ranged from 25 to 200 mg/mL and 3.125 to 50 mg/mL, respectively. Major types of bioactive compounds in aqueous P. hydropiper and E. elatior extracts were identified using RP-HPLC instrument. Flavonoids found in these plants were epi-catechin, quercetin, and kaempferol. The ability of aqueous Persicaria hydropiper (L.) H. Gross and Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M. Sm. extracts to inhibit the growth of bacteria is an indication of its broad spectrum antimicrobial potential. Hence these herbal extracts may be used as natural preservative to improve the safety and shelf-life of food and pharmaceutical products.
  4. Nazarpour F, Abdullah DK, Abdullah N, Zamiri R
    Materials (Basel), 2013 May 15;6(5):2059-2073.
    PMID: 28809260 DOI: 10.3390/ma6052059
    e effects of biological pretreatment on the rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis), was evaluated after cultivation of white rot fungi Ceriporiopsis subvermispora, Trametes versicolor, and a mixed culture of C. subvermispora and T. versicolor. The analysis of chemical compositions indicated that C. subvermispora had greater selectivity for lignin degradation with the highest lignin and hemicellulose loss at 45.06% and 42.08%, respectively, and lowest cellulose loss (9.50%) after 90 days among the tested samples. X-ray analysis showed that pretreated samples had a higher crystallinity than untreated samples. The sample pretreated by C. subvermispora presented the highest crystallinity of all the samples which might be caused by the selective degradation of amorphous components. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy demonstrated that the content of lignin and hemicellulose decreased during the biological pretreatment process. A study on hydrolysis of rubberwood treated with C. subvermispora, T. versicolor, and mixed culture for 90 days resulted in an increased sugar yield of about 27.67%, 16.23%, and 14.20%, respectively, as compared with untreated rubberwood (2.88%). The results obtained demonstrate that rubberwood is a potential raw material for industrial applications and white rot fungus C. subevermispora provides an effective method for improving the enzymatic hydrolysis of rubberwood.
  5. Nazarpour F, Abdullah DK, Abdullah N, Motedayen N, Zamiri R
    Biomed Res Int, 2013;2013:268349.
    PMID: 24167813 DOI: 10.1155/2013/268349
    Rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis), a potential raw material for bioethanol production due to its high cellulose content, was used as a novel feedstock for enzymatic hydrolysis and bioethanol production using biological pretreatment. To improve ethanol production, rubberwood was pretreated with white rot fungus Ceriporiopsis subvermispora to increase fermentation efficiency. The effects of particle size of rubberwood (1 mm, 0.5 mm, and 0.25 mm) and pretreatment time on the biological pretreatment were first determined by chemical analysis and X-ray diffraction and their best condition obtained with 1 mm particle size and 90 days pretreatment. Further morphological study on rubberwood with 1 mm particle size pretreated by fungus was performed by FT-IR spectra analysis and SEM observation and the result indicated the ability of this fungus for pretreatment. A study on enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in an increased sugar yield of 27.67% as compared with untreated rubberwood (2.88%). The maximum ethanol concentration and yield were 17.9 g/L and 53% yield, respectively, after 120 hours. The results obtained demonstrate that rubberwood pretreated by C. subvermispora can be used as an alternative material for the enzymatic hydrolysis and bioethanol production.
  6. Othman AR, Abdullah N, Ahmad S, Ismail IS, Zakaria MP
    PMID: 25652309 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-015-0528-4
    BACKGROUND: The Jatropha curcas plant or locally known as "Pokok Jarak" has been widely used in traditional medical applications. This plant is used to treat various conditions such as arthritis, gout, jaundice, wound and inflammation. However, the nature of compounds involved has not been well documented. Hence, this study was conducted to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of different parts of J. curcas plant and to identify the active compounds involved.
    METHODS: In this study, methanol (80%) extraction of four different parts (leaves, fruits, stem and root) of J. curcas plant was carried out. Phenolic content of each part was determined by using Folin-Ciocalteau reagent. Gallic acid was used as the phenol standard. Each plant part was screened for anti-inflammatory activity using cultured macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. The active plant part was then partitioned with hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and water. Each partition was again screened for anti-inflammatory activity. The active partition was then fractionated using an open column chromatography system. Single spots isolated from column chromatography were assayed for anti-inflammatory and cytotoxicity activities. Spots that showed activity were subjected to gas chromatography mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS) analysis for identification of active metabolites.
    RESULTS: The hexane partition from root extract showed the highest anti-inflammatory activity. However, it also showed high cytotoxicity towards RAW 264.7 cells at 1 mg/mL. Fractionation process using column chromatography showed five spots. Two spots labeled as H-4 and H-5 possessed anti-inflammatory activity, without cytotoxicity activity. Analysis of both spots by GC-MS showed the presence of hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, octadecanoic acid methyl ester and octadecanoic acid.
    CONCLUSION: This finding suggests that hexadecanoic acid methyl ester, octadecanoic acid methyl ester and octadecanoic acid could be responsible for the anti-inflammatory activity of the J. curcas root extract.
  7. Ghani WM, Razak IA, Yang YH, Talib NA, Ikeda N, Axell T, et al.
    BMC Public Health, 2012;12:207.
    PMID: 22429627 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-207
    BACKGROUND: Tobacco consumption peak in developed countries has passed, however, it is on the increase in many developing countries. Apart from cigarettes, consumption of local hand-rolled cigarettes such as bidi and rokok daun are prevalent in specific communities. Although factors associated with smoking initiation and cessation has been investigated elsewhere, the only available data for Malaysia is on prevalence. This study aims to investigate factors associated with smoking initiation and cessation which is imperative in designing intervention programs.
    METHODS: Data were collected from 11,697 adults by trained recording clerks on sociodemographic characteristics, practice of other risk habit and details of smoking such as type, duration and frequency. Smoking commencement and cessation were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier estimates and log-rank tests. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to calculate the hazard rate ratios.
    RESULTS: Males had a much higher prevalence of the habit (61.7%) as compared to females (5.8%). Cessation was found to be most common among the Chinese and those regularly consuming alcoholic beverages. Kaplan-Meier plot shows that although males are more likely to start smoking, females are found to be less likely to stop. History of betel quid chewing and alcohol consumption significantly increase the likelihood of commencement (p < 0.0001), while cessation was least likely among Indians, current quid chewers and kretek users (p < 0.01).
    CONCLUSIONS: Gender, ethnicity, history of quid chewing and alcohol consumption have been found to be important factors in smoking commencement; while ethnicity, betel quid chewing and type of tobacco smoked influences cessation.
  8. Helen-Ng LC, Razak IA, Ghani WM, Marhazlinda J, Norain AT, Raja Jallaludin RL, et al.
    Community Dent Oral Epidemiol, 2012 Dec;40(6):560-6.
    PMID: 22679921 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0528.2012.00704.x
    The role of diet in cancer risk has mainly been investigated based on intake of individual food items. However, food consumption is made up of a combination of various food items. This study aims to determine the association of dietary patterns with oral cancer risk.
  9. Ghani WM, Razak IA, Yang YH, Talib NA, Ikeda N, Axell T, et al.
    BMC Public Health, 2011;11:82.
    PMID: 21294919 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-82
    Betel quid chewing is a common habit widely practiced in Southern Asian populations. However, variations are seen in the content of a betel quid across the different countries. Factors associated with commencement and cessation of this habit has been numerously studied. Unfortunately, data on Malaysian population is non-existent. This study aims to determine the factors associated with the inception and also cessation of betel quid chewing behaviour among Malaysian adults.
  10. Mat Bah MN, Sapian MH, Jamil MT, Abdullah N, Alias EY, Zahari N
    Congenit Heart Dis, 2018 Nov;13(6):1012-1027.
    PMID: 30289622 DOI: 10.1111/chd.12672
    OBJECTIVES: There is limited data on congenital heart disease (CHD) from the lower- and middle-income country. We aim to study the epidemiology of CHD with the specific objective to estimate the birth prevalence, severity, and its trend over time.

    DESIGN: A population-based study with data retrieved from the Pediatric Cardiology Clinical Information System, a clinical registry of acquired and congenital heart disease for children.

    SETTING: State of Johor, Malaysia.

    PATIENTS: All children (0-12 years of age) born in the state of Johor between January 2006 and December 2015.

    INTERVENTION: None.

    OUTCOME MEASURE: The birth prevalence, severity, and temporal trend over time.

    RESULTS: There were 531,904 live births during the study period with 3557 new cases of CHD detected. Therefore, the birth prevalence of CHD was 6.7 per 1000 live births (LB) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.5-6.9). Of these, 38% were severe, 15% moderate, and 47% mild lesions. Hence, the birth prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe CHD was 3.2 (95% CI: 3.0-3.3), 0.9 (95% CI: 0.9- 1.1), and 2.6 (95% CI: 2.4-2.7) per 1000 LB, respectively. There was a significant increase in the birth prevalence of CHD, from 5.1/1000 LB in 2006 to 7.8/1000 LB in 2015 (P 
  11. Hisham AN, Yip CH
    Asian J Surg, 2004 Apr;27(2):130-3.
    PMID: 15140665
    Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Malaysian women. There is a marked geographical difference in the worldwide incidence of breast cancer, with a higher incidence in developed countries compared to developing countries. From 1998 to 2001, new cases of breast cancer presenting to the breast clinics at Hospital Kuala Lumpur and University Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia, were reviewed; the race, age and stage at presentation were analysed. Of 774 cases seen in Hospital Kuala Lumpur, only 5.2% (40/774) were impalpable breast cancers diagnosed on mammography. The prevalent age group was 40 to 49 years, and the median age was 50 years. The average size of the tumour was 5.4 cm in diameter. Malay women appear to have larger tumours and a later stage at presentation than other ethnic groups; 50% to 60% were in late stages (Stages 3 and 4). During the same period, 752 new cases of breast cancer were seen in the University Malaya Medical Centre. The average tumour size was 4.2 cm, and 30% to 40% were in late stages. The age incidence was similar. The delay in presentation of breast cancer was attributed to a strong belief in traditional medicine, the negative perception of the disease, poverty and poor education, coupled with fear and denial. A prospective, population-based study is required to determine the demographic pattern of breast cancer and the factors delaying presentation. These findings will have important implications in future programmes to promote the early detection of breast cancer, as well as in understanding geographical as well as racial variations in the incidence of breast cancer.
  12. Zuhainis Saad W, Abdullah N, Alimon AR, Yin Wan H
    Anaerobe, 2008 Apr;14(2):118-22.
    PMID: 18083606
    The effects of phenolic monomers (i.e. rho-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, rho-hydroxybenzaldehyde and vanillin) on the enzymes and fermentation activities of Neocallimastix frontalis B9 grown in ball-milled filter paper and guinea grass media were studied. The enzymes studied were carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase), filterpaperase (FPase), xylanase and beta-glucosidase. At 96 h of incubation, N. frontalis grown in ball-milled filter paper medium produced comparable xylanase and CMCase activities (0.41, 0.5 micromol/min/mg protein) while in guinea grass medium, N. frontalis produced higher xylanase activity than that of CMCase activity (2.35, 0.05 micromol/min/mg protein). The other enzymes activities were low. When N. frontalis was grown in ball-milled filter paper medium, only acetic acid was produced. However, when grown in guinea grass medium, the major end-product was acetate, but propionic, butyric and isovaleric were also produced in lesser amount. Vanillin showed the least inhibitory effects to enzyme activities of N. frontalis B9 grown in both ball-milled filter paper and guinea grass media. For total volatile fatty acid production, all phenolic monomers showed inhibitory effects, but rho-coumaric and ferulic acids were the stronger inhibitors than rho-hydroxybenzaldehyde and vanillin.
  13. Megat Abdul Wahab R, Abdullah N, Zainal Ariffin SH, Che Abdullah CA, Yazid F
    Molecules, 2020 Jul 08;25(14).
    PMID: 32650572 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25143129
    A hydroxyapatite scaffold is a suitable biomaterial for bone tissue engineering due to its chemical component which mimics native bone. Electronic states which present on the surface of hydroxyapatite have the potential to be used to promote the adsorption or transduction of biomolecules such as protein or DNA. This study aimed to compare the morphology and bioactivity of sinter and nonsinter marine-based hydroxyapatite scaffolds. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and micro-computed tomography (microCT) were used to characterize the morphology of both scaffolds. Scaffolds were co-cultured with 5 × 104/cm2 of MC3T3-E1 preosteoblast cells for 7, 14, and 21 days. FESEM was used to observe the cell morphology, and MTT and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assays were conducted to determine the cell viability and differentiation capacity of cells on both scaffolds. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR) was used to identify the expression of osteoblast markers. The sinter scaffold had a porous microstructure with the presence of interconnected pores as compared with the nonsinter scaffold. This sinter scaffold also significantly supported viability and differentiation of the MC3T3-E1 preosteoblast cells (p < 0.05). The marked expression of Col1α1 and osteocalcin (OCN) osteoblast markers were also observed after 14 days of incubation (p < 0.05). The sinter scaffold supported attachment, viability, and differentiation of preosteoblast cells. Hence, sinter hydroxyapatite scaffold from nacreous layer is a promising biomaterial for bone tissue engineering.
  14. Ahmad NS, Abdullah N, Yasin FM
    Toxicol Rep, 2020;7:693-699.
    PMID: 32528857 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2020.04.015
    Toxicity effect of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanomaterials (NMs) on Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria was assessed. For both strains, study demonstrated that the toxicity was time and concentration dependent which led to reduction in growth rate and cell death. Upon NMs exposure, an instantaneous cell death in E. coli culture was observed. This is in contrast with B. subtilis, in which the culture growth remained in the log phase; however their growth rate constant,

    μ
    g

    was reduced by ∼70%. The discrepancy between E. coli and B. subtilis was due to strain-specific response upon contact with NMs. TEM, SEM and EDX analysis revealed direct physical surface-surface interaction, as evidence from the adherence of NMs on the cell surface.
  15. Nami Y, Haghshenas B, Haghshenas M, Abdullah N, Yari Khosroushahi A
    Front Microbiol, 2015;6:1317.
    PMID: 26635778 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01317
    Enterococcus lactis IW5 was obtained from human gut and the potential probiotic characteristics of this organism were then evaluated. Results showed that this strain was highly resistant to low pH and high bile salt and adhered strongly to Caco-2 human epithelial colorectal cell lines. The supernatant of E. lactis IW5 strongly inhibited the growth of several pathogenic bacteria and decreased the viability of different cancer cells, such as HeLa, MCF-7, AGS, HT-29, and Caco-2. Conversely, E. lactis IW5 did not inhibit the viability of normal FHs-74 cells. This strain did not generate toxic enzymes, including β-glucosidase, β-glucuronidase, and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase and was highly susceptible to ampicillin, gentamycin, penicillin, vancomycin, clindamycin, sulfamethoxazol, and chloramphenicol but resistant to erythromycin and tetracyclin. This study provided evidence for the effect of E. lactis IW5 on cancer cells. Therefore, E. lactis IW5, as a bioactive therapeutics, should be subjected to other relevant tests to verify the therapeutic suitability of this strain for clinical applications.
  16. Haghshenas B, Abdullah N, Nami Y, Radiah D, Rosli R, Yari Khosroushahi A
    J Appl Microbiol, 2015 Apr;118(4):1048-57.
    PMID: 25619628 DOI: 10.1111/jam.12762
    Investigation on the use of herbal-based biopolymers for probiotic-Lactobacillus plantarum 15HN-encapsulation is presented. The objectives are to enhance its oral delivery, colonic release and survival rate of these probiotic cultures in gastrointestinal environment.
  17. Nami Y, Abdullah N, Haghshenas B, Radiah D, Rosli R, Yari Khosroushahi A
    J Appl Microbiol, 2014 Aug;117(2):498-508.
    PMID: 24775273 DOI: 10.1111/jam.12531
    This study aimed to describe probiotic properties and bio-therapeutic effects of newly isolated Enterococcus faecalis from the human vaginal tract.
  18. Abdullah N, Ujang Z, Yahya A
    Bioresour Technol, 2011 Jun;102(12):6778-81.
    PMID: 21524907 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2011.04.009
    The present study investigates the formation of aerobic granular sludge in sequencing batch reactor (SBR) fed with palm oil mill effluent (POME). Stable granules were observed in the reactor with diameters between 2.0 and 4.0mm at a chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading rate of 2.5 kg COD m(-3) d(-1). The biomass concentration was 7600 mg L(-1) while the sludge volume index (SVI) was 31.3 mL g SS(-1) indicating good biomass accumulation in the reactor and good settling properties of granular sludge, respectively. COD and ammonia removals were achieved at a maximum of 91.1% and 97.6%, respectively while color removal averaged at only 38%. This study provides insights on the development and the capabilities of aerobic granular sludge in POME treatment.
  19. Hoh SM, Wahab MYA, Hisham AN, Guest GD, Watters DAK
    ANZ J Surg, 2021 Jun 01.
    PMID: 34075677 DOI: 10.1111/ans.16986
    BACKGROUND: Surgical conditions form a significant proportion of the global burden of disease. Since the 2015 World Health Assembly resolution A68.15, there is recognition that the provision of essential surgical care is an integral part of universal access to health care. The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery proposed its first surgical indicator to measure a population's access to the Bellwether procedures (laparotomy, caesarean section and treatment of open fracture) within two hours. Bellwether access is a proxy for emergency and essential surgical care. This project aims to map essential surgical access to the Bellwether procedures in Malaysia.

    METHODS: The location and capability of hospitals to perform the Bellwether procedures was obtained from the Ministry of Health (MoH) and MoH hospital specific websites. The Malaysian population data were retrieved from the national department of statistics. Times for patients to travel to hospital were calculated by combining manual contouring and geospatial mapping.

    RESULTS: There were 49 Bellwether-capable MoH hospitals serving a national population of 32.5 million. Overall 94% of Malaysia's population have access to the Bellwethers within two hours. This coverage is universal in West (Peninsular) Malaysia, but there is only 73% coverage in East Malaysia, with 1.8 million residents of Sabah and Sarawak not having timely access. Malaysia's Bellwether capacity compares well with other countries in World Health Organisation's Western Pacific region.

    CONCLUSION: There is good access to essential and emergency surgical services in Malaysia. The incomplete access for 1.8 million people in East Malaysia will inform national surgical planning.

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