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Patient profile and antibiotic use in a dedicated upper respiratory tract infection clinic based in a primary healthcare setting during COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia: A cross sectional study

Ooi ZY, Mohd Ghazali NA, Nik Zahari NJ, Chan HK, Md Noor N, Harun NL, et al.

Malays Fam Physician, 2022 Nov 30;17(3):74-83.
PMID: 36606160 DOI: 10.51866/oa.38

INTRODUCTION: Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) is commonly encountered at the primary care level. Its management is particularly challenging due to the similarity of its symptoms to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Our study evaluated the profiles and antibiotic use of patients seeking care from a dedicated community-based URTI clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were obtained from the medical records of patients visiting the URTI clinic at the Alor Setar Primary Healthcare Centre between March and April 2020.
RESULTS: Overall, 587/4388 (13.3%) patients received treatment at the URTI clinic. Most patients were male (60.6%) and aged between 20 and 39 years (35.5%). Their most common symptoms were cough (68.4%), fever (31.6%), runny nose (24.6%), and sore throat (24.1%). Most patients were diagnosed with acute nasopharyngitis (52.5%), acute pharyngitis (18.6%), or acute tonsillitis (5.3%). The symptomatic medication prescription rate was 96.5%. Only 26 of the 435 patients diagnosed with URTI received antibiotics, yielding an antibiotic use rate of only 6.0% for URTI relative to overall drug use. Acute tonsillitis was more common in children <12 years old (p<0.001), while a cough and runny nose were more commonly indicative of acute nasopharyngitis than other conditions (p<0.001). Sore throat was more likely to be a symptom of acute pharyngitis (p<0.001) and acute tonsillitis (p<0.001).
CONCLUSION: Despite the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings suggest that patients with URTI-like symptoms were properly managed, and the rate of antibiotic usage remained reasonable.
Unravelling the adaptation strategies employed by Glaciozyma antarctica PI12 on Antarctic sea ice

Bharudin I, Abu Bakar MF, Hashim NHF, Mat Isa MN, Alias H, Firdaus-Raih M, et al.

Mar Environ Res, 2018 Jun;137:169-176.
PMID: 29598997 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2018.03.007

Glaciozyma antarctica PI12, is a psychrophilic yeast isolated from Antarctic sea. In this work, Expressed Sequence Tags (EST) from cells exposed to three different temperatures; 15 °C, 0 °C and -12 °C were generated to identify genes associated with cold adaptation. A total of 5376 clones from each library were randomly picked and sequenced. Comparative analyses from the resulting ESTs in each condition identified several groups of genes required for cold adaptation. Additionally, 319 unique transcripts that encoded uncharacterised functions were identified in the -12 °C library and are currently unique to G. antarctica. Gene expression analysis using RT-qPCR revealed two of the unknown genes to be up-regulated at -12 °C compared to 0 °C and 15 °C. These findings further contribute to the collective knowledge into G. antarctica cold adaptation and as a resource for understanding the ecological and physiological tolerance of psychrophilic microbes in general.
Fulltext Modulation of Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Oxidative Stress in Human Neuronal Cells by Thymoquinone-Rich Fraction and Thymoquinone via Transcriptomic Regulation of Antioxidant and Apoptotic Signaling Genes

Ismail N, Ismail M, Azmi NH, Abu Bakar MF, Basri H, Abdullah MA

Oxid Med Cell Longev, 2016;2016:2528935.
PMID: 26823946 DOI: 10.1155/2016/2528935

Nigella sativa Linn. (N. sativa) and its bioactive constituent Thymoquinone (TQ) have demonstrated numerous pharmacological attributes. In the present study, the neuroprotective properties of Thymoquinone-rich fraction (TQRF) and TQ against hydrogen peroxide- (H2O2-) induced neurotoxicity in differentiated human SH-SY5Y cells were investigated. TQRF was extracted using supercritical fluid extraction while TQ was acquired commercially, and their effects on H2O2 were evaluated using cell viability assay, reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay, morphological observation, and multiplex gene expression. Both TQRF and TQ protected the cells against H2O2 by preserving the mitochondrial metabolic enzymes, reducing intracellular ROS levels, preserving morphological architecture, and modulating the expression of genes related to antioxidants (SOD1, SOD2, and catalase) and signaling genes (p53, AKT1, ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, JNK, and NF-κβ). In conclusion, the enhanced efficacy of TQRF over TQ was likely due to the synergism of multiple constituents in TQRF. The efficacy of TQRF was better than that of TQ alone when equal concentrations of TQ in TQRF were compared. In addition, TQRF also showed comparable effects to TQ when the same concentrations were tested. These findings provide further support for the use of TQRF as an alternative to combat oxidative stress insults in neurodegenerative diseases.
Fulltext Phenolic Compounds as Promising Drug Candidates in Tuberculosis Therapy

Mazlun MH, Sabran SF, Mohamed M, Abu Bakar MF, Abdullah Z

Molecules, 2019 Jul 04;24(13).
PMID: 31277371 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24132449

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) remains one of the deadliest, infectious diseases worldwide. The detrimental effects caused by the existing anti-TB drugs to TB patients and the emergence of resistance strains of M. tuberculosis has driven efforts from natural products researchers around the globe in discovering novel anti-TB drugs that are more efficacious and with less side effects. There were eleven main review publications that focused on natural products with anti-TB potentials. However, none of them specifically emphasized antimycobacterial phenolic compounds. Thus, the current review's main objective is to highlight and summarize phenolic compounds found active against mycobacteria from 2000 to 2017. Based on the past studies in the electronic databases, the present review also focuses on several test organisms used in TB researches and their different distinct properties, a few types of in vitro TB bioassay and comparison between their strengths and drawbacks, different methods of extraction, fractionation and isolation, ways of characterizing and identifying isolated compounds and the mechanism of actions of anti-TB phenolic compounds as reported in the literature.
Fulltext De novo transcriptome resources of the lichens, Dirinaria sp. UKM-J1 and UKM-K1 collected from Jerantut and Klang, Malaysia

Bharudin I, Abdul Rahim SN, Abu Bakar MF, Ibrahim SN, Kamaruddin S, Latif MT, et al.

Data Brief, 2018 Aug;19:2416-2419.
PMID: 30229114 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2018.07.020

Lichen is a symbiotic organism that exists as a single composite body consisting of a mycobiont (fungus) and a photobiont (algae or a cyanobacterium). Many lichen species are considered as extremophiles due to their tolerance to radiation, desiccation, temperature and pollution. However, not all lichen species are tolerant to harsh environmental conditions as several species are sensitive for example to nitrogen, sulphur, acidity, heavy metals, halogens (e.g. fluoride) and ozone. Thus, to better understand why some lichens can withstand exposure to pollutants as opposed to those that are susceptible, we focused on the lichen species of Dirinaria known for their wide distribution in the tropics, subtropics and pantropical, and moderate tolerance to air pollution. Their moderate tolerance to air pollution affords them to thrive in good air quality environments as well as polluted air environments. Lichen samples of Dirinaria sp., UKM-J1 and UKM-K1, were respectively collected from two areas with different levels of air quality based on Air Pollutant Index or API (with index pollutant criteria of PM10, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide) in the outskirt of Jerantut (UKM-J1), a rural area in the middle of Peninsular Malaysia and the township of Klang (UKM-K1), in a busy area of the Klang Valley, Malaysia. API was monitored throughout 2012-2013 whereby the sample collection site in Klang showed markedly higher concentrations of pollutants in all the index pollutant criteria as compared to that of Jerantut. We performed transcriptome sequencing using Illumina RNA-seq technology and de novo assembly of the transcripts from the lichen samples. Raw reads from both libraries were deposited in the NCBI database with the accession number SRP138994.
Fulltext Mechanistic basis for protection of differentiated SH-SY5Y cells by oryzanol-rich fraction against hydrogen peroxide-induced neurotoxicity

Ismail N, Ismail M, Imam MU, Azmi NH, Fathy SF, Foo JB, et al.

BMC Complement Altern Med, 2014;14:467.
PMID: 25475556 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6882-14-467

Apoptosis is often the end result of oxidative damage to neurons. Due to shared pathways between oxidative stress, apoptosis and antioxidant defence systems, an oxidative insult could end up causing cellular apoptosis or survival depending on the severity of the insult and cellular responses. Plant bioresources have received close attention in recent years for their potential role in regulating the pathways involved in apoptosis and oxidative stress in favour of cell survival. Rice bran is a bioactive-rich by-product of rice milling process. It possesses antioxidant properties, making it a promising source of antioxidants that could potentially prevent oxidative stress-induced neurodegenerative diseases.
Fulltext Antioxidative and anticholinesterase activity of Cyphomandra betacea fruit

Ali Hassan SH, Abu Bakar MF

ScientificWorldJournal, 2013;2013:278071.
PMID: 24298210 DOI: 10.1155/2013/278071

Cyphomandra betacea is one of the underutilized fruits which can be found in tropical and subtropical countries. This study was conducted to determine the antioxidant activity and phytochemical contents in different parts (i.e., flesh and peel) of the fruits. Antioxidants were analyzed using DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging assays as well as FRAP assay. Anticholinesterase activity was determined using enzymatic assay using acetyl cholinesterase enzyme. For 80% methanol extract, the peel of the fruit displayed higher antioxidant activity in both FRAP and ABTS free radical scavenging assays while the flesh displayed higher antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay. Total phenolic and total flavonoid content were higher in the peel with the values of 4.89 ± 0.04 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g and 3.36 ± 0.01 mg rutin equivalent (RU)/g, respectively. Total anthocyanin and carotenoid content were higher in the flesh of the fruit with the values of 4.15 ± 0.04 mg/100 g and 25.13 ± 0.35 mg/100 g. The anticholinesterase was also higher in the peel of C. betacea. The same trends of phytochemicals, antioxidant, and anticholinesterase were also observed in the distilled water extracts. These findings suggested that C. betacea has a potential as natural antioxidant-rich nutraceutical products.
Fulltext The Potential of Insects as Alternative Sources of Chitin: An Overview on the Chemical Method of Extraction from Various Sources

Zainol Abidin NA, Kormin F, Zainol Abidin NA, Mohamed Anuar NAF, Abu Bakar MF

Int J Mol Sci, 2020 Jul 15;21(14).
PMID: 32679639 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21144978

Chitin, being the second most abundant biopolymer after cellulose, has been gaining popularity since its initial discovery by Braconot in 1811. However, fundamental knowledge and literature on chitin and its derivatives from insects are difficult to obtain. The most common and sought-after sources of chitin are shellfish (especially crustaceans) and other aquatic invertebrates. The amount of shellfish available is obviously restricted by the amount of food waste that is allowed; hence, it is a limited resource. Therefore, insects are the best choices since, out of 1.3 million species in the world, 900,000 are insects, making them the most abundant species in the world. In this review, a total of 82 samples from shellfish-crustaceans and mollusks (n = 46), insects (n = 23), and others (n = 13)-have been collected and studied for their chemical extraction of chitin and its derivatives. The aim of this paper is to review the extraction method of chitin and chitosan for a comparison of the optimal demineralization and deproteinization processes, with a consideration of insects as alternative sources of chitin. The methods employed in this review are based on comprehensive bibliographic research. Based on previous data, the chitin and chitosan contents of insects in past studies favorably compare and compete with those of commercial chitin and chitosan-for example, 45% in Bombyx eri, 36.6% in Periostracum cicadae (cicada sloughs), and 26.2% in Chyrysomya megacephala. Therefore, according to the data reported by previous researchers, demonstrating comparable yield values to those of crustacean chitin and the great interest in insects as alternative sources, efforts towards comprehensive knowledge in this field are relevant.
Fulltext Chemical constituents, usage and pharmacological activity of Cassia alata

Fatmawati S, Yuliana, Purnomo AS, Abu Bakar MF

Heliyon, 2020 Jul;6(7):e04396.
PMID: 32685725 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04396

Cassia alata or locally known as Ketepeng Cina (Indonesia) and Gelenggang (Malaysia) has been used as a traditional medicine to treat various diseases, especially skin diseases. In addition, C. alata has been reported to have potential anti allergic, anti inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, and antifungal. Metabolite compounds that have been isolated from C. alata include flavones, flavonols, flavonoids glycosides, alatinon, alanonal and β-sitosterol-β-D-glucoside. The compounds have been isolated mainly from the leaves. Further identification is needed to discover the secondary metabolites from other parts of the plant such as seed, flower and bark which are reported to have potent antibacterial and antifungal activity. Therefore, this article highlights the secondary metabolites and biological activity of this plant which has been shown to have pharmacological properties against selected diseases.
Fulltext Melissopalynological Study, Phenolic Compounds, and Antioxidant Properties of Heterotrigona itama Honey from Johor, Malaysia

Majid M, Ellulu MS, Abu Bakar MF

Scientifica (Cairo), 2020;2020:2529592.
PMID: 32655967 DOI: 10.1155/2020/2529592

Six honey samples produced by the stingless bee Heterotrigona itama were analyzed for their plant sources, phenolic compositions, and antioxidant activities. The honey samples were acetolyzed and identified microscopically, and the phenolic compounds were identified by using HPLC-DAD. The antioxidant activities were evaluated using three different assays (FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS) by spectrophotometry. The melissopalynological analysis showed that 26 pollen types from 14 plant families were identified in the honey. Cocos nucifera and Rhizophora mucronata presented as predominant pollen. A total of 6 phenolic acids such as catechin, chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, protocatechuic acid, p-coumaric acid, and rutin were identified. Rhizophora mucronata honey possessed the highest antioxidant activity in all assays. The result showed the influence of plant sources on the phenolic compounds and the antioxidant properties of stingless bee honey. These findings could be significant contributions for the sustainability of stingless bee industry as well as to promote Malaysian stingless bee honey worldwide.
Fulltext Ethnomedical Knowledge of Plants Used for the Treatment of Tuberculosis in Johor, Malaysia

Sabran SF, Mohamed M, Abu Bakar MF

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2016;2016:2850845.
PMID: 26881002 DOI: 10.1155/2016/2850845

This study documented ethnomedical knowledge of plants used for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) and its related symptoms as practiced by the Jakun community of Kampung Peta, situated in Endau Rompin Johor National Park, Johor, Malaysia. Eight key informants were selected by snowball sampling technique and data about medicinal plants were collected by semistructured interviews, participatory observations, and focus group. Qualitative analysis was undertaken using thematic analysis. There were 23 species of plants (22 genera, 20 families) documented and herbarium specimens were deposited at the UTHM Herbarium. Dipterocarpus sublamellatus was recorded for the first time with ethnomedical uses while other species were previously reported. The qualitative approach employed in this study demonstrates the emic perspective in terms of perceptions on traditional herbal medicine, transfer of knowledge, significant taboos related with medicinal plants, and their conservation efforts. Local and biomedical terminology in treatment of TB showed substantial correspondence. The outcomes obtained in the study are worth being further investigated for conservation strategies and are worthy of verifying their ethnomedical claims scientifically.
Fulltext Phytochemicals content, antioxidant activity and acetylcholinesterase inhibition properties of indigenous Garcinia parvifolia fruit

Ali Hassan SH, Fry JR, Abu Bakar MF

Biomed Res Int, 2013;2013:138950.
PMID: 24288662 DOI: 10.1155/2013/138950

Garcinia parvifolia belongs to the same family as mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), which is known locally in Sabah as "asam kandis" or cherry mangosteen. The present study was conducted to determine the phytochemicals content (total phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin, and carotenoid content) and antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity of the flesh and peel of G. parvifolia. All samples were freeze-dried and extracted using 80% methanol and distilled water. For the 80% methanol extract, the flesh of G. parvifolia displayed higher phenolic and flavonoid contents than the peel, with values of 7.2 ± 0.3 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g and 5.9 ± 0.1 mg rutin equivalent (RU)/g, respectively. Anthocyanins were detected in the peel part of G. parvifolia but absent in the flesh. The peel of G. parvifolia displayed higher total carotenoid content as compared to the flesh part with the values of 17.0 ± 0.3 and 3.0 ± 0.0 mg β-carotene equivalents (BC)/100 g, respectively. The free-radical scavenging, ferric reducing, and acetylcholinesterase inhibition effect of the flesh were higher as compared to the peel in both extracts. These findings suggested that the edible part of G. parvifolia fruit has a potential as a natural source of antioxidant and anti-Alzheimer's agents.
Fulltext Unfermented Freeze-Dried Leaf Extract of Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia Jack.) Induced Cytotoxicity and Apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Moses LB, Abu Bakar MF, Mamat H, Aziz ZA

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2021;2021:8811236.
PMID: 33603822 DOI: 10.1155/2021/8811236

The present study was conducted to determine the cytotoxicity effect of Eurycoma longifolia (Jack.) leaf extracts and also its possible anticancer mechanism of action against breast cancer cell lines: non-hormone-dependent MDA-MB-231 and hormone-dependent MCF-7. The leaves of E. longifolia were processed into unfermented and fermented batches before drying using freeze and microwave-oven drying techniques. Obtained extracts were tested for cytotoxicity effect using MTT assay and phenolic determination using HPLC-DAD technique. The most toxic sample was analyzed for its apoptotic cell quantification, cell cycle distribution, and the expression of caspases and apoptotic protein using flow cytometry technique. Fragmentation of DNA was tested using an agarose gel electrophoresis system. The results determined that the unfermented freeze-dried leaf extract was the most toxic towards MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells, in a dose-dependent manner. This extract contains the highest phenolics of gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, ECG, and EGCG. The DNA fragmentation was observed in both cell lines, where cell cycle was arrested at the G 2/M phase in MCF-7 cells and S phase in MDA-MB-231 cells. The number of apoptotic cells for MDA-MB-231 was increased when the treatment was prolonged from 24 h to 48 h but slightly decreased at 72 h, whereas apoptosis in MCF-7 cells occurred in a time-dependent manner. There were significant activities of cytochrome c, caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2 apoptotic protein in MDA-MB-231 cells, whereas MCF-7 cells showed significant activities for caspase-8, cytochrome c, Bax, p53, and Bcl-2 apoptotic protein. These results indicate the ability of unfermented freeze-dried leaf extract of E. longifolia to induce apoptosis cell death on MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, as well as real evidence on sample preparation effect towards its cytotoxicity level.
Fulltext Phytochemicals from Mangifera pajang Kosterm and their biological activities

Ahmad S, Sukari MA, Ismail N, Ismail IS, Abdul AB, Abu Bakar MF, et al.

BMC Complement Altern Med, 2015;15:83.
PMID: 25887035 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-015-0594-7

Mangifera pajang Kosterm is a plant species from the mango family (Anacardiaceae). The fruits are edible and have been reported to have high antioxidant content. However, the detailed phytochemical studies of the plant have not been reported previously. This study investigates the phytochemicals and biological activities of different parts of Mangifera pajang.
Fulltext Anti-gout potential of Malaysian medicinal plants

Abu Bakar FI, Abu Bakar MF, Rahmat A, Abdullah N, Sabran SF, Endrini S

Front Pharmacol, 2018;9:261.
PMID: 29628890 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00261

Gout is a type of arthritis that causes painful inflammation in one or more joints. In gout, elevation of uric acid in the blood triggers the formation of crystals, causing joint pain. Malaysia is a mega-biodiversity country that is rich in medicinal plants species. Therefore, its flora might offer promising therapies for gout. This article aims to systematically review the anti-gout potential of Malaysian medicinal plants. Articles on gout published from 2000 to 2017 were identified using PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar with the following keyword search terms: "gout," "medicinal plants," "Malaysia," "epidemiology," "in vitro," and "in vivo." In this study, 85 plants were identified as possessing anti-gout activity. These plants had higher percentages of xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity (>85%); specifically, the Momordica charantia, Chrysanthemum indicum, Cinnamomum cassia, Kaempferia galanga, Artemisia vulgaris, and Morinda elliptica had the highest values, due to their diverse natural bioactive compounds, which include flavonoids, phenolics, tannin, coumarins, luteolin, and apigenin. This review summarizes the anti-gout potential of Malaysian medicinal plants but the mechanisms, active compounds, pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and safety of the plants still remain to be elucidated.
Fulltext Induction of Apoptosis and Modulation of Caspase Activity on MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cells by Bioactive Fractionated Cocoa Leaf Extract

Ranneh Y, Abu Bakar MF, Md Akim A, Bin Baharum Z, S Ellulu M, Fadel A

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2023 Jul 01;24(7):2473-2483.
PMID: 37505782 DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2023.24.7.2473

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate the potential anti-proliferative activities of a methanolic extract of cocoa leaves (CL) obtained through sequential partition and fractionation against MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Methods: The methanolic extract of CL was partitioned in three separated solvents (hexane, dichloromethane, and methanol). Hexane partition was the most potent against MCF-7 cells growth with the lowest IC50 value. Then, it was subjected to two fractionation procedures, resulting in the identification of the CL bioactive fraction (II-F7) with potent toxicity against MCF-7 cells.
RESULTS: Further investigation into CL bioactive fraction (II-F7) revealed significant dose-dependent growth inhibitory effects on MCF-7 cells, which were attributed to the induction of apoptosis, as evidenced by the presence of apoptotic bodies, fragmented DNA, and disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential. Additionally, treatment with CL bioactive fraction (II-F7) upregulated the expression of pro-apoptotic genes (DDIT3, GADD45G and HRK) and significantly increased the activities of caspase-8 and caspase-9.
CONCLUSION: Overall, this study suggests that bioactive fraction (II-F7) from CL extract has significant and selective cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cells through inducing apoptosis and has potential as a therapeutic agent for breast cancer treatment.
Optimization of total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and anti-gout properties of polyherbal formulation

Yee LS, Abu Bakar MF, Abdullah N, Abu Bakar FI, Fatmawati S

J Complement Integr Med, 2023 Dec 01;20(4):772-778.
PMID: 37561949 DOI: 10.1515/jcim-2020-0141

OBJECTIVES: An increase in gout prevalence has drawn attention among society and this situation drives the exploration of more favourable treatment using traditional medicinal plants which are rich in phenolic and flavonoid to avoid the side effects of modern medication. However, there are only few studies regarding the optimization of phytochemicals and anti-gout properties of medicinal plants and their combinations. The objectives of this study were to determine the optimal formulation of Strobilanthes crispus, Orthosiphon stamineus Benth and Stevia rebaudiana with maximum total phenolic and flavonoid contents as well as minimum IC50 of in vitro xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity and to examine their correlations among the formulations.
METHODS: Plant extracts from hot water infusion were tested for the total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and enzyme inhibition through Folin-ciocalteu assay, aluminium chloride method and xanthine oxidase inhibition assay, respectively. Simplex-centroid mixture design was applied in this study and 13 polyherbal formulations were generated by Design Expert Software.
RESULTS: Linear, special cubic and quadratic models were selected to describe the interaction effect between polyherbal formulations and their responses. Low IC50 value (13.90 μg/mL) of xanthine oxidase activity was found in the binary combination of O. stamineus and S. rebaudiana and this probably related to its high phenolic and flavonoid contents as xanthine oxidase inhibition and phytochemicals were correlated.
CONCLUSIONS: The suggested optimal formulation was comprised of 44.26 % O. stamineus and 55.74 % S. rebaudiana and it could be developed as an alternative treatment for gout.
Fulltext Optimization of Extraction Conditions of Phytochemical Compounds and Anti-Gout Activity of Euphorbia hirta L. (Ara Tanah) Using Response Surface Methodology and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) Analysis

Abu Bakar FI, Abu Bakar MF, Abdullah N, Endrini S, Fatmawati S

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2020;2020:4501261.
PMID: 32047524 DOI: 10.1155/2020/4501261

Gout is a common disease affected most of the people due to the elevation of uric acid in the blood. Flavonoid and phenolic compounds are reported to exert the anti-gout activity of medicinal plants. Hence, this study aimed at optimizing the extraction conditions of phenolic and flavonoid compounds as well as the anti-gout (xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity) in vitro of Euphorbia hirta using response surface methodology (RSM). The plant part used was the whole plant excluding roots. The effects of three independent variables (extraction time, X1; extraction temperature, X2; and solid-to-liquid ratio, X3) on three response variables (total flavonoid content, Y1; total phenolic content, Y2; and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity, Y3) were determined using central composite design (CCD) while phytochemical profiling of the extracts was determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Quadratic models produced a satisfactory fitting of the experimental data with regard to total flavonoid content (r2 = 0.9407, p < 0.0001), total phenolic content (r2 = 0.9383, p < 0.0001), and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity (r2 = 0.9794, p < 0.0001). The best extraction conditions observed for total flavonoid content, total phenolic content, and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity were at a temperature of 79.07°C for 17.42 min with solid-to-liquid ratio of 1 : 20 g/ml. The optimum values for total flavonoid, total phenolic, and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity were 67.56 mg RE/g, 155.21 mg GAE/g, and 91.42%, respectively. The main phytochemical compounds in the optimized E. hirta extract are neochlorogenic acid, quercetin-3β-D-glucoside, syringic acid, caffeic acid, ellagic acid, astragalin, afzelin, and quercetin. As conclusion, this study clearly demonstrated the best conditions to obtain higher xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity and phytochemical compounds which can be further used for the development of anti-gout agents.
Cellular assessment of the extract of bambangan (Mangifera pajang) as a potential cytoprotective agent for the human hepatocellular HepG2 cell line

Abu Bakar MF, Mohamed M, Rahmat A, Burr SA, Fry JR

Food Chem, 2013 Jan 1;136(1):18-25.
PMID: 23017387 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.07.099

This study was conducted to investigate the potential of bambangan (Mangifera pajang) fruit extracts in the protection against oxidative damage caused by tert-butyl hydroperoxide in the human hepatocellular HepG2 cell line. Proteins which might be involved in the cytoprotective mechanism were investigated using western blotting technique. Quercetin was used as a positive control. The results showed that only the kernel extract of M. pajang and quercetin displayed cytoprotective activity in HepG2 cells, with EC(50) values of 1.2 and 5.3μg/ml, respectively. Expression of quinone reductase, glutathione reductase and methionine sulfoxide reductase A proteins were significantly up-regulated by quercetin, suggesting their involvement in the cytoprotective activity of quercetin. However, expressions of only glutathione reductase and methionine sulfoxide reductase A proteins were significantly up-regulated by the kernel extract, again suggesting their involvement in the cytoprotective activity of bambangan kernel extract. Future study is needed to investigate the involvement of other cytoprotective proteins in the cytoprotection mechanism.
Fulltext Garcinia dulcis Fruit Extract Induced Cytotoxicity and Apoptosis in HepG2 Liver Cancer Cell Line

Abu Bakar MF, Ahmad NE, Suleiman M, Rahmat A, Isha A

Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:916902.
PMID: 26557713 DOI: 10.1155/2015/916902

Garcinia dulcis or locally known in Malaysia as "mundu" belongs to the family of Clusiaceae. The study was conducted to investigate the anticancer potential of different parts of G. dulcis fruit extracts and their possible mechanism of action in HepG2 liver cancer cell line. MTT assay showed that the peel, flesh, and seed extracts of G. dulcis induced cytotoxicity in HepG2 cell line with IC50 values of 46.33 ± 4.51, 38.33 ± 3.51, and 7.5 ± 2.52 µg/mL, respectively. The flesh extract of G. dulcis induced cell cycle arrest at sub-G1 (apoptosis) phase in a time-dependent manner. Staining with Annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide showed that 41.2% of the cell population underwent apoptosis after 72 hours of exposure of the HepG2 cell line to G. dulcis flesh extract. Caspase-3 has been shown to be activated which finally leads to the death of HepG2 cell (apoptosis). GC-MS analysis showed that the highest percentage of compound identified in the extract of G. dulcis flesh was hydroxymethylfurfural and 3-methyl-2,5-furandione, together with xanthones and flavonoids (based on literature), could synergistically contribute to the observed effects. This finding suggested that the flesh extract of G. dulcis has its own potential as cancer chemotherapeutic agent against liver cancer cell.

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