Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 34 in total

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  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Fulltext Comments on "Probiotic Bifidobacterium strains and galactooligosaccharides improve intestinal barrier function in obese adults but show no synergism when used together as synbiotics"
    Ranneh Y, Mahmoud AM, Fadel A, Abu Bakar MF, Md Akim A
    Front Pharmacol, 2023;14:1228359.
    PMID: 37663246 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1228359
  4. 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.

  5. Fulltext Transcriptome analysis of Rafflesia cantleyi flower stages reveals insights into the regulation of senescence
    Mohd-Elias NA, Rosli K, Alias H, Juhari MA, Abu-Bakar MF, Md-Isa N, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2021 Dec 08;11(1):23661.
    PMID: 34880337 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03028-x
    Rafflesia is a unique plant species existing as a single flower and produces the largest flower in the world. While Rafflesia buds take up to 21 months to develop, its flowers bloom and wither within about a week. In this study, transcriptome analysis was carried out to shed light on the molecular mechanism of senescence in Rafflesia. A total of 53.3 million high quality reads were obtained from two Rafflesia cantleyi flower developmental stages and assembled to generate 64,152 unigenes. Analysis of this dataset showed that 5,166 unigenes were differentially expressed, in which 1,073 unigenes were identified as genes involved in flower senescence. Results revealed that as the flowers progress to senescence, more genes related to flower senescence were significantly over-represented compared to those related to plant growth and development. Senescence of the R. cantleyi flower activates senescence-associated genes in the transcription activity (members of the transcription factor families MYB, bHLH, NAC, and WRKY), nutrient remobilization (autophagy-related protein and transporter genes), and redox regulation (CATALASE). Most of the senescence-related genes were found to be differentially regulated, perhaps for the fine-tuning of various responses in the senescing R. cantleyi flower. Additionally, pathway analysis showed the activation of genes such as ETHYLENE RECEPTOR, ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE 2, ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE 3, and ETHYLENE-RESPONSIVE TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR, indicating the possible involvement of the ethylene hormone response pathway in the regulation of R. cantleyi senescence. Our results provide a model of the molecular mechanism underlying R. cantleyi flower senescence, and contribute essential information towards further understanding the biology of the Rafflesiaceae family.
  6. Fulltext Anti-aging and antioxidant of four traditional malaysian plants using simplex centroid mixture design approach
    Ranneh Y, Abu Bakar MF, Ismail NA, Kormin F, Mohamed M, Md Akim A, et al.
    Saudi J Biol Sci, 2021 Dec;28(12):6711-6720.
    PMID: 34866970 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.07.048
    Aging is a naturally biological process with adverse effects. The continuous accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) trigger cellular and tissue damage by activating several aging enzymes. The antioxidant properties of traditional medicinal plants used by Jakun aborigine's community are a promising approach to alleviate aging process and prevent Alzheimer. The aim of the current investigation was to optimize a novel anti-aging formulation from traditional plants (Cnestis palala stem, Urceola micrantha stem, Marantodes pumilum stem and Microporus xanthopus fruiting bodies) using simplex centroid mixture design (SCMD). After selecting the optimal formulations based on desirability function of antioxidant activity (DPPḢ, ABTS ˙ + and FRAP), they were further examined against the activity of aging-related-enzymes (collagenase, tyrosinase, acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase). The single extracts of C. palala, U. micrantha and the binary mixture of C. palala and U. micrantha were the optimal formulations with high antioxidant activities. Single extract of U. micrantha showed the highest inhibition towards matrix metalloproteinase-1 (49.44 ± 4.11 %), while C. palala water extract showed highest inhibitions towards tyrosinase (14.06 ± 0.31%), acetylcholinesterase (32.92 ± 2.13%) and butyrylcholinesterase (34.89 ± 2.84%) enzymes. The single extracts of C. palala and U. micrantha displayed better activity as compared to the binary mixture formulation. In conclusion, these findings could be a baseline for further exploration of novel anti-aging agents from natural resources.
  7. Fulltext Comparative Genomics: Insights on the Pathogenicity and Lifestyle of Rhizoctonia solani
    Mat Razali N, Hisham SN, Kumar IS, Shukla RN, Lee M, Abu Bakar MF, et al.
    Int J Mol Sci, 2021 Feb 22;22(4).
    PMID: 33671736 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22042183
    Proper management of agricultural disease is important to ensure sustainable food security. Staple food crops like rice, wheat, cereals, and other cash crops hold great export value for countries. Ensuring proper supply is critical; hence any biotic or abiotic factors contributing to the shortfall in yield of these crops should be alleviated. Rhizoctonia solani is a major biotic factor that results in yield losses in many agriculturally important crops. This paper focuses on genome informatics of our Malaysian Draft R. solani AG1-IA, and the comparative genomics (inter- and intra- AG) with four AGs including China AG1-IA (AG1-IA_KB317705.1), AG1-IB, AG3, and AG8. The genomic content of repeat elements, transposable elements (TEs), syntenic genomic blocks, functions of protein-coding genes as well as core orthologous genic information that underlies R. solani's pathogenicity strategy were investigated. Our analyses show that all studied AGs have low content and varying profiles of TEs. All AGs were dominant for Class I TE, much like other basidiomycete pathogens. All AGs demonstrate dominance in Glycoside Hydrolase protein-coding gene assignments suggesting its importance in infiltration and infection of host. Our profiling also provides a basis for further investigation on lack of correlation observed between number of pathogenicity and enzyme-related genes with host range. Despite being grouped within the same AG with China AG1-IA, our Draft AG1-IA exhibits differences in terms of protein-coding gene proportions and classifications. This implies that strains from similar AG do not necessarily have to retain similar proportions and classification of TE but must have the necessary arsenal to enable successful infiltration and colonization of host. In a larger perspective, all the studied AGs essentially share core genes that are generally involved in adhesion, penetration, and host colonization. However, the different infiltration strategies will depend on the level of host resilience where this is clearly exhibited by the gene sets encoded for the process of infiltration, infection, and protection from host.
  8. 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.
  9. Fulltext Secondary Metabolites, Antioxidant, and Antiproliferative Activities of Dioscorea bulbifera Leaf Collected from Endau Rompin, Johor, Malaysia
    Mainasara MM, Abu Bakar MF, Md Akim A, Linatoc AC, Abu Bakar FI, Ranneh YKH
    Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2021;2021:8826986.
    PMID: 33505506 DOI: 10.1155/2021/8826986
    Breast cancer is among the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death among women globally. Malaysia is a country that is rich in medicinal plant species. Hence, this research aims to explore the secondary metabolites, antioxidant, and antiproliferative activities of Dioscorea bulbifera leaf collected from Endau Rompin, Johor, Malaysia. Antioxidant activity was assessed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) assays, while the cytotoxicity of D. bulbifera on MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines was tested using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Cell cycle analysis and apoptosis were assessed using flow cytometry analysis. Phytochemical profiling was conducted using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results showed that methanol extract had the highest antioxidant activity in DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS assays, followed by ethyl acetate and hexane extracts. D. bulbifera tested against MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cell lines showed a pronounced cytotoxic effect with IC50 values of 8.96 μg/mL, 6.88 μg/mL, and 3.27 μg/mL in MCF-7 and 14.29 μg/mL, 11.86 μg/mL, and 7.23 μg/mL in MDA-MB-231, respectively. Cell cycle analysis also indicated that D. bulbifera prompted apoptosis at various stages, and a significant decrease in viable cells was detected within 24 h and substantially improved after 48 h and 72 h of treatment. Phytochemical profiling of methanol extract revealed the presence of 39 metabolites such as acetic acid, n-hexadecanoic acid, acetin, hexadecanoate, 7-tetradecenal, phytol, octadecanoic acid, cholesterol, palmitic acid, and linolenate. Hence, these findings concluded that D. bulbifera extract has promising anticancer and natural antioxidant agents. However, further study is needed to isolate the bioactive compounds and validate the effectiveness of this extract in the In in vivo model.
  10. Fulltext Transcriptome dataset from bark and latex tissues of three Hevea brasiliensis clones
    Abu Bakar MF, Kamerkar U, Abdul Rahman SN, Muhd Sakaff MKL, Othman AS
    Data Brief, 2020 Oct;32:106188.
    PMID: 32904357 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.106188
    Hevea brasiliensis is exploited for its latex production, and it is the only viable source of natural rubber worldwide. The demand for natural rubber remains high due its high-quality properties, which synthetic rubber cannot compete with. In this paper, we present transcriptomic data and analysis of three H. brasiliensis clones using tissue from latex and bark tissues collected from 10-year-old plant. The combined, assembled transcripts were mapped onto an H. brasiliensis draft genome. Gene ontology analysis showed that the most abundant transcripts related to molecular functions, followed by biological processes and cellular components. Simple sequence repeats (SSR) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were also identified, and these can be useful for selection of parental and new clones in a breeding program. Data generated by RNA sequencing were deposited in the NCBI public repository under accession number PRJNA629890.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. Fulltext Transcriptome landscape of Rafflesia cantleyi floral buds reveals insights into the roles of transcription factors and phytohormones in flower development
    Amini S, Rosli K, Abu-Bakar MF, Alias H, Mat-Isa MN, Juhari MA, et al.
    PLoS One, 2019;14(12):e0226338.
    PMID: 31851702 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226338
    Rafflesia possesses unique biological features and known primarily for producing the world's largest and existing as a single flower. However, to date, little is known about key regulators participating in Rafflesia flower development. In order to further understand the molecular mechanism that regulates Rafflesia cantleyi flower development, RNA-seq data from three developmental stages of floral bud, representing the floral organ primordia initiation, floral organ differentiation, and floral bud outgrowth, were analysed. A total of 89,890 transcripts were assembled of which up to 35% could be annotated based on homology search. Advanced transcriptome analysis using K-mean clustering on the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was able to identify 12 expression clusters that reflect major trends and key transitional states, which correlate to specific developmental stages. Through this, comparative gene expression analysis of different floral bud stages identified various transcription factors related to flower development. The members of WRKY, NAC, bHLH, and MYB families are the most represented among the DEGs, suggesting their important function in flower development. Furthermore, pathway enrichment analysis also revealed DEGs that are involved in various phytohormone signal transduction events such as auxin and auxin transport, cytokinin and gibberellin biosynthesis. Results of this study imply that transcription factors and phytohormone signalling pathways play major role in Rafflesia floral bud development. This study provides an invaluable resource for molecular studies of the flower development process in Rafflesia and other plant species.
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. Fulltext Genome Sequence ofSerratia marcescenssubsp.sakuensisStrain K27, a Marine Bacterium Isolated from Sponge (Haliclona amboinensis)
    Cheng TH, Saidin J, Danish-Daniel M, Gan HM, Mat Isa MN, Abu Bakar MF, et al.
    Genome Announc, 2018 Feb 08;6(6).
    PMID: 29439033 DOI: 10.1128/genomeA.00022-18
    Serratia marcescens
    subsp.sakuensisstrain K27 was isolated from sponge (Haliclona amboinensis). The genome of this strain consists of 5,325,727 bp, with 5,140 open reading frames (ORFs), 3 rRNAs, and 67 tRNAs. It contains genes for the production of amylases, lipases, and proteases. Gene clusters for the biosynthesis of nonribosomal peptides and thiopeptide were also identified.
  20. 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.
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