Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 46 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Fulltext λ-Carrageenan promotes plant growth in banana via enhancement of cellular metabolism, nutrient uptake, and cellular homeostasis
    Thye KL, Wan Abdullah WMAN, Balia Yusof ZN, Wee CY, Ong-Abdullah J, Loh JY, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2022 Nov 16;12(1):19639.
    PMID: 36385165 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21909-7
    Banana (Musa acuminata) is an important fruit crop and source of income for various countries, including Malaysia. To date, current agrochemical practice has become a disputable issue due to its detrimental effect on the environment. λ-carrageenan, a natural polysaccharide extracted from edible red seaweed, has been claimed to be a potential plant growth stimulator. Hence, the present study investigates the effects of λ-carrageenan on plant growth using Musa acuminata cv. Berangan (AAA). Vegetative growth such as plant height, root length, pseudostem diameter, and fresh weight was improved significantly in λ-carrageenan-treated banana plants at an optimum concentration of 750 ppm. Enhancement of root structure was also observed in optimum λ-carrageenan treatment, facilitating nutrients uptake in banana plants. Further biochemical assays and gene expression analysis revealed that the increment in growth performance was consistent with the increase of chlorophyll content, protein content, and phenolic content, suggesting that λ-carrageenan increases photosynthesis rate, protein biosynthesis, and secondary metabolites biosynthesis which eventually stimulate growth. Besides, λ-carrageenan at optimum concentration also increased catalase and peroxidase activities, which led to a significant reduction in hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde, maintaining cellular homeostasis in banana plants. Altogether, λ-carrageenan at optimum concentration improves the growth of banana plants via inducing metabolic processes, enhancing nutrient uptake, and regulation of cell homeostasis. Further investigations are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of λ-carrageenan on banana plants under field conditions.
  2. Fulltext Vacuolar Processing Enzymes Modulating Susceptibility Response to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 Infections in Banana
    Wan Abdullah WMAN, Saidi NB, Yusof MT, Wee CY, Loh HS, Ong-Abdullah J, et al.
    Front Plant Sci, 2021;12:769855.
    PMID: 35095950 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.769855
    Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 (FocTR4) is a destructive necrotrophic fungal pathogen afflicting global banana production. Infection process involves the activation of programmed cell death (PCD). In this study, seven Musa acuminata vacuolar processing enzyme (MaVPE1-MaVPE7) genes associated with PCD were successfully identified. Phylogenetic analysis and tissue-specific expression categorized these MaVPEs into the seed and vegetative types. FocTR4 infection induced the majority of MaVPE expressions in the susceptible cultivar "Berangan" as compared to the resistant cultivar "Jari Buaya." Consistently, upon FocTR4 infection, high caspase-1 activity was detected in the susceptible cultivar, while low level of caspase-1 activity was recorded in the resistant cultivar. Furthermore, inhibition of MaVPE activities via caspase-1 inhibitor in the susceptible cultivar reduced tonoplast rupture, decreased lesion formation, and enhanced stress tolerance against FocTR4 infection. Additionally, the Arabidopsis VPE-null mutant exhibited higher tolerance to FocTR4 infection, indicated by reduced sporulation rate, low levels of H2O2 content, and high levels of cell viability. Comparative proteomic profiling analysis revealed increase in the abundance of cysteine proteinase in the inoculated susceptible cultivar, as opposed to cysteine proteinase inhibitors in the resistant cultivar. In conclusion, the increase in vacuolar processing enzyme (VPE)-mediated PCD played a crucial role in modulating susceptibility response during compatible interaction, which facilitated FocTR4 colonization in the host.
  3. Fulltext Transcriptomic analysis of multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli K-12 strain in response to Lavandula angustifolia essential oil
    Lai PJ, Ng EV, Yang SK, Moo CL, Low WY, Yap PS, et al.
    3 Biotech, 2020 Jul;10(7):313.
    PMID: 32596098 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-020-02304-3
    To better understand the synergistic antibacterial activity between piperacillin and Lavandula angustifolia essential oil (LEO) against multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli, we performed microarray transcriptomic analysis of LEO when used alone and in combination with piperacillin against the non-treated control. In total, 90 genes were differentially expressed after the combination of LEO and piperacillin treatment. Among the up-regulated genes, nfsB, nemA, fruA, nfsB, nemA are known to control microbial metabolism and nitrotoluene degradation, which were observed only in the LEO-piperacillin combinatory treatment. Four candidate genes from the microarray result, srIA, srID, waaR and nfsB, were validated by qRT-PCR as these genes showed differential expression consistently in the two methods. Biochemical pathway analysis showed that there was upregulation of genes involved in several biological processes including fructose and mannose metabolism, phosphotransferase system (PTS), lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and nitrotoluene degradation. Genes involved in microbial metabolism in diverse environments were found both up- and down-regulated in LEO-piperacillin combinatory treatment. Our study provides new information concerning the transcriptional changes that occur during the LEO and piperacillin interaction against the multidrug-resistant bacteria and contributes to unravel the mechanisms underlying this synergism.
  4. Fulltext The synergism of Clinacanthus nutans Lindau extracts with gemcitabine: downregulation of anti-apoptotic markers in squamous pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
    Hii LW, Lim SE, Leong CO, Chin SY, Tan NP, Lai KS, et al.
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2019 Sep 14;19(1):257.
    PMID: 31521140 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-019-2663-9
    BACKGROUND: Clinacanthus nutans extracts have been consumed by the cancer patients with the hope that the extracts can kill cancers more effectively than conventional chemotherapies. Our previous study reported its anti-inflammatory effects were caused by inhibiting Toll-like Receptor-4 (TLR-4) activation. However, we are unsure of its anticancer effect, and its interaction with existing chemotherapy.

    METHODS: We investigated the anti-proliferative efficacy of polar leaf extracts (LP), non-polar leaf extracts (LN), polar stem extract (SP) and non-polar stem extracts (SN) in human breast, colorectal, lung, endometrial, nasopharyngeal, and pancreatic cancer cells using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, MTT assay. The most potent extracts was tested along with gemcitabine using our established drug combination analysis. The effect of the combinatory treatment in apoptosis were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Annexin V assay, antibody array and immunoblotting. Statistical significance was analysed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc Dunnett's test. A p-value of less than 0.05 (p 

  5. Fulltext The Regulatory Role of MicroRNAs in Breast Cancer
    Loh HY, Norman BP, Lai KS, Rahman NMANA, Alitheen NBM, Osman MA
    Int J Mol Sci, 2019 Oct 06;20(19).
    PMID: 31590453 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20194940
    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules which function as critical post-transcriptional gene regulators of various biological functions. Generally, miRNAs negatively regulate gene expression by binding to their selective messenger RNAs (mRNAs), thereby leading to either mRNA degradation or translational repression, depending on the degree of complementarity with target mRNA sequences. Aberrant expression of these miRNAs has been linked etiologically with various human diseases including breast cancer. Different cellular pathways of breast cancer development such as cell proliferation, apoptotic response, metastasis, cancer recurrence and chemoresistance are regulated by either the oncogenic miRNA (oncomiR) or tumor suppressor miRNA (tsmiR). In this review, we highlight the current state of research into miRNA involved in breast cancer, with particular attention to articles published between the years 2000 to 2019, using detailed searches of the databases PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus. The post-transcriptional gene regulatory roles of various dysregulated miRNAs in breast cancer and their potential as therapeutic targets are also discussed.
  6. Fulltext The Missing Piece: Recent Approaches Investigating the Antimicrobial Mode of Action of Essential Oils
    Yang SK, Tan NP, Chong CW, Abushelaibi A, Lim SH, Lai KS
    Evol Bioinform Online, 2021;17:1176934320938391.
    PMID: 34017165 DOI: 10.1177/1176934320938391
    Antibiotic resistance is a major global health issue that has seen alarming rates of increase in all parts of the world over the past two decades. The surge in antibiotic resistance has resulted in longer hospital stays, higher medical costs, and elevated mortality rates. Constant attempts have been made to discover newer and more effective antimicrobials to reduce the severity of antibiotic resistance. Plant secondary metabolites, such as essential oils, have been the major focus due to their complexity and bioactive nature. However, the underlying mechanism of their antimicrobial effect remains largely unknown. Understanding the antimicrobial mode of action of essential oils is crucial in developing potential strategies for the use of essential oils in a clinical setting. Recent advances in genomics and proteomics have enhanced our understanding of the antimicrobial mode of action of essential oils. We might well be at the dawn of completing a mystery on how essential oils carry out their antimicrobial activities. Therefore, an overview of essential oils with regard to their antimicrobial activities and mode of action is discussed in this review. Recent approaches used in identifying the antimicrobial mode of action of essential oils, specifically from the perspective of genomics and proteomics, are also synthesized. Based on the information gathered from this review, we offer recommendations for future strategies and prospects for the study of essential oils and their function as antimicrobials.
  7. Fulltext Terpene Derivatives as a Potential Agent against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Pathogens
    Mahizan NA, Yang SK, Moo CL, Song AA, Chong CM, Chong CW, et al.
    Molecules, 2019 Jul 19;24(14).
    PMID: 31330955 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24142631
    The evolution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in pathogens has prompted extensive research to find alternative therapeutics. Plants rich with natural secondary metabolites are one of the go-to reservoirs for discovery of potential resources to alleviate this problem. Terpenes and their derivatives comprising of hydrocarbons, are usually found in essential oils (EOs). They have been reported to have potent antimicrobial activity, exhibiting bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects against tested pathogens. This brief review discusses the activity of terpenes and derivatives against pathogenic bacteria, describing the potential of the activity against AMR followed by the possible mechanism exerted by each terpene class. Finally, ongoing research and possible improvisation to the usage of terpenes and terpenoids in therapeutic practice against AMR are discussed.
  8. Fulltext Spectrum of COVID-19 induced liver injury: A review report
    Singh L, Kumar A, Rai M, Basnet B, Rai N, Khanal P, et al.
    World J Hepatol, 2024 Apr 27;16(4):517-536.
    PMID: 38689748 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v16.i4.517
    The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused changes in the global health system, causing significant setbacks in healthcare systems worldwide. This pandemic has also shown resilience, flexibility, and creativity in reacting to the tragedy. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection targets most of the respiratory tract, resulting in a severe sickness called acute respiratory distress syndrome that may be fatal in some individuals. Although the lung is the primary organ targeted by COVID-19 viruses, the clinical aspect of the disease is varied and ranges from asymptomatic to respiratory failure. However, due to an unorganized immune response and several affected mechanisms, the liver may also experience liver cell injury, ischemic liver dysfunction, and drug-induced liver injury, which can result in respiratory failure because of the immune system's disordered response and other compromised processes that can end in multisystem organ failure. Patients with liver cirrhosis or those who have impaired immune systems may be more likely than other groups to experience worse results from the SARS-CoV-2 infection. We thus intend to examine the pathogenesis, current therapy, and consequences of liver damage concerning COVID-19.
  9. Fulltext Sodium lignosulfonate improves shoot growth of Oryza sativa via enhancement of photosynthetic activity and reduced accumulation of reactive oxygen species
    Kok AD, Wan Abdullah WMAN, Tang CN, Low LY, Yuswan MH, Ong-Abdullah J, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2021 06 24;11(1):13226.
    PMID: 34168171 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92401-x
    Lignosulfonate (LS) is a by-product obtained during sulfite pulping process and is commonly used as a growth enhancer in plant growth. However, the underlying growth promoting mechanism of LS on shoot growth remains largely unknown. Hence, this study was undertaken to determine the potential application of eco-friendly ion-chelated LS complex [sodium LS (NaLS) and calcium LS (CaLS)] to enhance recalcitrant indica rice MR 219 shoot growth and to elucidate its underlying growth promoting mechanisms. In this study, the shoot apex of MR 219 rice was grown on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with different ion chelated LS complex (NaLS and CaLS) at 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg/L The NaLS was shown to be a better shoot growth enhancer as compared to CaLS, with optimum concentration of 300 mg/L. Subsequent comparative proteomic analysis revealed an increase of photosynthesis-related proteins [photosystem II (PSII) CP43 reaction center protein, photosystem I (PSI) iron-sulfur center, PSII CP47 reaction center protein, PSII protein D1], ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), carbohydrate metabolism-related proteins (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 3, fructose-bisphosphate aldolase) and stress regulator proteins (peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase A4, delta-1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthase 1) abundance in NaLS-treated rice as compared to the control (MSO). Consistent with proteins detected, a significant increase in biochemical analyses involved in photosynthetic activities, carbohydrate metabolism and protein biosynthesis such as total chlorophyll, rubisco activity, total sugar and total protein contents were observed in NaLS-treated rice. This implies that NaLS plays a role in empowering photosynthesis activities that led to plant growth enhancement. In addition, the increased in abundance of stress regulator proteins were consistent with low levels of peroxidase activity, malondialdehyde content and phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity observed in NaLS-treated rice. These results suggest that NaLS plays a role in modulating cellular homeostasis to provide a conducive cellular environment for plant growth. Taken together, NaLS improved shoot growth of recalcitrant MR 219 rice by upregulation of photosynthetic activities and reduction of ROS accumulation leading to better plant growth.
  10. Fulltext Screening of 22q11.2DS Using Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification as an Alternative Diagnostic Method
    Maran S, Faten SA, Lim SE, Lai KS, Ibrahim WPW, Ankathil R, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2020;2020:6945730.
    PMID: 33062692 DOI: 10.1155/2020/6945730
    Background: The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is the most common form of deletion disorder in humans. Low copy repeats flanking the 22q11.2 region confers a substrate for nonallelic homologous recombination (NAHR) events leading to rearrangements which have been reported to be associated with highly variable and expansive phenotypes. The 22q11.2DS is reported as the most common genetic cause of congenital heart defects (CHDs).

    Methods: A total of 42 patients with congenital heart defects, as confirmed by echocardiography, were recruited. Genetic molecular analysis using a fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique was conducted as part of routine 22q11.2DS screening, followed by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), which serves as a confirmatory test.

    Results: Two of the 42 CHD cases (4.76%) indicated the presence of 22q11.2DS, and interestingly, both cases have conotruncal heart defects. In terms of concordance of techniques used, MLPA is superior since it can detect deletions within the 22q11.2 locus and outside of the typically deleted region (TDR) as well as duplications.

    Conclusion: The incidence of 22q11.2DS among patients with CHD in the east coast of Malaysia is 0.047. MLPA is a scalable and affordable alternative molecular diagnostic method in the screening of 22q11.2DS and can be routinely applied for the diagnosis of deletion syndromes.

  11. Research note: Molecular subtyping of Salmonella enterica serovar Tshiongwe recently isolated in Malaysia during 2001-2002
    Thong KL, Bakeri SA, Lai KS, Koh YT, Taib MZ, Lim VK, et al.
    Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 2004 Mar;35(1):92-6.
    PMID: 15272750
    Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and antimicrobial susceptibility analysis were undertaken on twenty-three strains of Salmonella enterica serovar Tshiongwe, an unusual serovar, which recently emerged in Malaysia. Antimicrobial susceptibility analysis showed that all the strains were sensitive to ampicilin, chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole, and kanamycin. Twenty (87%) and 8 (3.5%) strains had resistance to tetracycline and streptomycin respectively. PFGE analysis subtyped 23 strains into 10 profiles (Dice coefficient of similarity, F = 0.7-1.0). The predominant profile, X1 was found in both clinical and environmental isolates and was widely distributed in different parts of Malaysia during the study period. In addition, isolates recovered from food, a hand-towel, apron and the surface of a table-top in one particular location had unique, indistinguishable profiles (X4/4a) and identical antibiograms. Similarly, isolates from cooked meat and a chopping board had PFGE profiles similar to some human isolates. These probably indicated cross-contamination and poor hygiene in food practices, hence contributing to Salmonellosis. Factors causing the emergence of this rare Salmonella serovar being responsible for food poisoning episodes during the study period remained unclear. The study reiterated the usefulness and versatility of PFGE in the molecular subtyping of this rare Salmonella serovar in Malaysia.
  12. Fulltext RNA-Seq analysis revealed genes associated with UV-induced cell necrosis through MAPK/TNF-α pathways in human dermal fibroblast cells as an inducer of premature photoaging
    Alafiatayo AA, Lai KS, Ahmad S, Mahmood M, Shaharuddin NA
    Genomics, 2020 01;112(1):484-493.
    PMID: 30946891 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2019.03.011
    Exposing the skin to solar UV radiation induces cascades of signaling pathways and biological alterations such as redox imbalance, suppression of antioxidant genes and programmed cell death. Therefore, the aim of this study was to use RNA-Seq to unravel the effects of UV radiation on Normal Human Adult Fibroblast cells (NHDF). Cells were exposed to UV (20 mJ/cm2 for 3 mins) and incubated for 24 h. Total mRNA from the cells generated libraries of 72,080,648 and 40,750,939 raw reads from UV-treated and control cells respectively. Of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) produced 2,007 were up-regulated and 2,791 were down-regulated (fold change ≥2, p 
  13. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of multidrug-resistant and -sensitive strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from a Malaysian hospital
    Thong KL, Lai KS, Ganeswrie R, Puthucheary SD
    Jpn J Infect Dis, 2004 Oct;57(5):206-9.
    PMID: 15507777
    Over a period of 6 months from January to June 2002, an unusual increase in the isolation of highly resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains was observed in the various wards and intensive care units of a large general hospital in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. An equal number of multidrug resistant (MDR) and drug-susceptible strains were collected randomly from swabs, respiratory specimens, urine, blood, cerebral spinal fluid, and central venous catheters to determine the clonality and genetic variation of the strains. Macrorestriction analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that the 19 MDR strains were genetically very homogenous; the majority showed the dominant profile S1 (n = 10), the rest very closely related profiles S1a (n = 1), S2 (n = 4), and S2a (n = 3), indicating the endemicity of these strains. In contrast, the 19 drug-sensitive strains isolated during the same time period were genetically more diverse, showing 17 pulsed-field profiles (F = 0.50-1.00), and probably derived from the patients themselves. The presence of the MDR clone poses serious therapeutic problems as it may become endemic in the hospital and give rise to future clonal outbreaks. There is also the potential for wider geographical spread.
  14. Fulltext Proteome of rice roots treated with exogenous proline
    Teh CY, Ho CL, Shaharuddin NA, Lai KS, Mahmood M
    3 Biotech, 2019 Mar;9(3):101.
    PMID: 30800612 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-019-1615-x
    Proteomic analysis was conducted to identify the rice root proteins induced by exogenous proline and their involvement in root growth. Proteins were extracted from the root tissues grown under two conditions, T1 (control) and T2 (10 mM proline), and profiled by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Seventeen of 30 differentially expressed proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. Proline-treated rice roots showed up-regulation and down-regulation of nine and eight proteins, respectively, when compared to those in the control. Among the differentially expressed proteins, the down-regulation of glutathione reductase and peroxidase could be involved in the regulation of cellular hydrogen peroxide and reactive oxygen species levels that modulate the root cell wall structure. Differentially expressed proteins identified as pathogenesis-related proteins might be related to stress adaptive mechanisms in response to exogenous proline treatment. In addition, differentially expressed protein identified as the fructose-bisphosphate aldolases and cytochrome c oxidase might be associated with energy metabolism, which is needed during root developmental process. This is the first attempt to study the changes in rice root proteome treated with proline. The acquired information could open new avenues for further functional studies on the involvement of proline in modulating root development and its relation to stress adaptation of plants.
  15. Fulltext Promoter Cis-Element Analyses Reveal the Function of αVPE in Drought Stress Response of Arabidopsis
    Tang CN, Wan Abdullah WMAN, Wee CY, Balia Yusof ZN, Yap WS, Cheng WH, et al.
    Biology (Basel), 2023 Mar 10;12(3).
    PMID: 36979122 DOI: 10.3390/biology12030430
    Vacuolar processing enzyme (VPE) is a cysteine protease responsible for vacuolar proteins' maturation and regulation of programmed cell death (PCD). Four isoforms of Arabidopsis thaliana VPEs were identified previously, but only the functions of βVPE, γVPE, and δVPE were determined. The specific function of a gene is linked to the cis-acting elements in the promoter region. A promoter analysis found repetitive drought-related cis-elements in αVPE, which highlight its potential involvement in drought regulation in A. thaliana. The further co-expression network portraying genes interacting with αVPE substantiated its drought-regulation-related function. Expression of αVPE was upregulated after drought treatment in A. thaliana. To confirm the role of αVPE, a loss of function study revealed that αVPE knockout mutants remained green compared with WT after drought treatment. The mutants had reduced proline activity, decreased sucrose content, and lower MDA content, but increased photosynthetic pigments, indicating that αVPE negatively regulates drought tolerance in A. thaliana. Taken together, our findings serve as important evidence of the involvement of αVPE in modulating drought tolerance in A. thaliana.
  16. Fulltext Predicting Deleterious Non-Synonymous Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (nsSNPs) of HRAS Gene and In Silico Evaluation of Their Structural and Functional Consequences towards Diagnosis and Prognosis of Cancer
    Chai CY, Maran S, Thew HY, Tan YC, Rahman NMANA, Cheng WH, et al.
    Biology (Basel), 2022 Nov 02;11(11).
    PMID: 36358305 DOI: 10.3390/biology11111604
    The Harvey rat sarcoma (HRAS) proto-oncogene belongs to the RAS family and is one of the pathogenic genes that cause cancer. Deleterious nsSNPs might have adverse consequences at the protein level. This study aimed to investigate deleterious nsSNPs in the HRAS gene in predicting structural alterations associated with mutants that disrupt normal protein-protein interactions. Functional and structural analysis was employed in analyzing the HRAS nsSNPs. Putative post-translational modification sites and the changes in protein-protein interactions, which included a variety of signal cascades, were also investigated. Five different bioinformatics tools predicted 33 nsSNPs as "pathogenic" or "harmful". Stability analysis predicted rs1554885139, rs770492627, rs1589792804, rs730880460, rs104894227, rs104894227, and rs121917759 as unstable. Protein-protein interaction analysis revealed that HRAS has a hub connecting three clusters consisting of 11 proteins, and changes in HRAS might cause signal cascades to dissociate. Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier bioinformatics analyses indicated that the HRAS gene deregulation affected the overall survival rate of patients with breast cancer, leading to prognostic significance. Thus, based on these analyses, our study suggests that the reported nsSNPs of HRAS may serve as potential targets for different proteomic studies, diagnoses, and therapeutic interventions focusing on cancer.
  17. Fulltext Pluronic F-68 Improves Callus Proliferation of Recalcitrant Rice Cultivar via Enhanced Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism and Nutrients Uptake
    Kok AD, Mohd Yusoff NF, Sekeli R, Wee CY, Lamasudin DU, Ong-Abdullah J, et al.
    Front Plant Sci, 2021;12:667434.
    PMID: 34149763 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.667434
    Pluronic F-68 (PF-68) is a non-ionic surfactant used in plant tissue culture as a growth additive. Despite its usage as a plant growth enhancer, the mechanism underlying the growth-promoting effects of PF-68 remains largely unknown. Hence, this study was undertaken to elucidate the growth-promoting mechanism of PF-68 using recalcitrant MR 219 callus as a model. Supplementation of 0.04% PF-68 (optimum concentration) was shown to enhance callus proliferation. The treated callus recorded enhanced sugar content, protein content, and glutamate synthase activity as exemplified in the comparative proteome analysis, showing protein abundance involved in carbohydrate metabolism (alpha amylase), protein biosynthesis (ribosomal proteins), and nitrogen metabolism (glutamate synthase), which are crucial to plant growth and development. Moreover, an increase in nutrients uptake was also noted with potassium topping the list, suggesting a vital role of K in governing plant growth. In contrast, 0.10% PF-68 (high concentration) induced stress response in the callus, revealing an increment in phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity, malondialdehyde content, and peroxidase activity, which were consistent with high abundance of phenylalanine ammonia lyase, peroxidase, and peroxiredoxin proteins detected and concomitant with a reduced level of esterase activity. The data highlighted that incorporation of PF-68 at optimum concentration improved callus proliferation of recalcitrant MR 219 through enhanced carbohydrate metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and nutrient uptake. However, growth-promoting effects of PF-68 are concentration dependent.
  18. Fulltext Phytochemical Evaluation, Embryotoxicity, and Teratogenic Effects of Curcuma longa Extract on Zebrafish (Danio rerio)
    Alafiatayo AA, Lai KS, Syahida A, Mahmood M, Shaharuddin NA
    Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2019;2019:3807207.
    PMID: 30949217 DOI: 10.1155/2019/3807207
    Curcuma longa L. is a rhizome plant often used as traditional medicinal preparations in Southeast Asia. The dried powder is commonly known as cure-all herbal medicine with a wider spectrum of pharmaceutical activities. In spite of the widely reported therapeutic applications of C. longa, research on its safety and teratogenic effects on zebrafish embryos and larvae is still limited. Hence, this research aimed to assess the toxicity of C. longa extract on zebrafish. Using a reflux flask, methanol extract of C. longa was extracted and the identification and quantification of total flavonoids were carried out with HPLC. Twelve fertilized embryos were selected to test the embryotoxicity and teratogenicity at different concentration points. The embryos were exposed to the extract in the E3M medium while the control was only exposed to E3M and different developmental endpoints were recorded with the therapeutic index calculated using the ratio of LC50/EC50. C. longa extract was detected to be highly rich in flavonoids with catechin, epicatechin, and naringenin as the 3 most abundant with concentrations of 3,531.34, 688.70, and 523.83μg/mL, respectively. The toxicity effects were discovered to be dose-dependent at dosage above 62.50μg/mL, while, at 125.0μg/mL, mortality of embryos was observed and physical body deformities of larvae were recorded among the hatched embryos at higher concentrations. Teratogenic effect of the extract was severe at higher concentrations producing physical body deformities such as kink tail, bend trunk, and enlarged yolk sac edema. Finally, the therapeutic index (TI) values calculated were approximately the same for different concentration points tested. Overall, the result revealed that plants having therapeutic potential could also pose threats when consumed at higher doses especially on the embryos. Therefore, detailed toxicity analysis should be carried out on medicinal plants to ascertain their safety on the embryos and its development.
  19. Fulltext Palm Kernel Cake Oligosaccharides Acute Toxicity and Effects on Nitric Oxide Levels Using a Zebrafish Larvae Model
    Foo RQ, Ahmad S, Lai KS, Idrus Z, Yusoff K, Liang JB
    Front Physiol, 2020;11:555122.
    PMID: 33071816 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.555122
    One of the beneficial effects of non-digestible oligosaccharides (NDOs) is their anti-inflammatory effects on host animals. While conventional animal studies require that analysis be done after samples have been taken from the host, zebrafish larvae are optically transparent upon hatching and this provides an opportunity for observations to be made within the living zebrafish larvae. This study aimed to take advantage of the optical transparency of zebrafish larvae to study the nitric oxide (NO) reducing effects of NDOs through the use of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Salmonella enterica serovar (ser.) Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) to induce cardiac NO production. Prior to running the above experiment, an acute toxicity assay was conducted in order to determine the appropriate concentration of oligosaccharides to be used. The oligosaccharides tested consisted of oligosaccharides which were extracted from palm kernel cake with a degree of polymerization (DP) equal to or less than six (OligoPKC), commercial mannanoligosaccharide (MOS) and commercial fructooligosaccharide (FOS). Acute toxicity test results revealed that the OligoPKC has a LC50 of 488.1 μg/ml while both MOS and FOS were non-toxic up to 1,000 μg/ml. Results of the in vivo NO measurements revealed that all three NDOs were capable of significantly reducing NO levels in LPS stimulated zebrafish embryos. In summary, at 250 μg/ml, OligoPKC was comparable to MOS and better than FOS at lowering NO in LPS induced zebrafish larvae. However, at higher doses, OligoPKC appears toxic to zebrafish larvae. This implies that the therapeutic potential of OligoPKC is limited by its toxicity.
  20. Fulltext Mutations in the tail domain of MYH3 contributes to atrial septal defect
    Maran S, Ee R, Faten SA, Sy Bing C, Khaw KY, Erin Lim SH, et al.
    PLoS One, 2020;15(4):e0230982.
    PMID: 32315303 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230982
    Atrial septal defect (ASD) is one of the most common congenital heart defects diagnosed in children. Sarcomeric genes has been attributed to ASD and knockdown of MYH3 functionally homologues gene in chick models indicated abnormal atrial septal development. Here, we report for the first time, a case-control study investigating the role of MYH3 among non-syndromic ASD patients in contributing to septal development. Four amplicons which will amplifies the 40 kb MYH3 were designed and amplified using long range-PCR. The amplicons were then sequenced using indexed paired-end libraries on the MiSeq platform. The STREGA guidelines were applied for planning and reporting. The non-synonymous c. 3574G>A (p.Ala1192Thr) [p = 0.001, OR = 2.30 (1.36-3.87)] located within the tail domain indicated a highly conserved protein region. The mutant model of c. 3574G>A (p.Ala1192Thr) showed high root mean square deviation (RMSD) values compared to the wild model. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide compelling evidence on the pathogenesis of MYH3 variants towards ASD hence, suggesting the crucial role of non-synonymous variants in the tail domain of MYH3 towards atrial septal development. It is hoped that this gene can be used as panel for diagnosis of ASD in future.
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links