MyMedR

Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 25 in total

Abstract:

Sort:

Fulltext Mangosteen xanthone γ-mangostin exerts lowering blood glucose effect with potentiating insulin sensitivity through the mediation of AMPK/PPARγ

Chen SP, Lin SR, Chen TH, Ng HS, Yim HS, Leong MK, et al.

Biomed Pharmacother, 2021 Dec;144:112333.
PMID: 34678724 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112333

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is concomitant with significant morbidity and mortality and its prevalence is accumulative in worldwide. The conventional antidiabetic agents are known to mitigate the symptoms of diabetes; however, they may also cause side and adverse effects. There is an imperative necessity to conduct preclinical and clinical trials for the discovery of alternative therapeutic agents that can overcome the drawbacks of current synthetic antidiabetic drugs. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of lowering blood glucose and underlined mechanism of γ-mangostin, mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) xanthones. The results showed γ-Mangostin had a antihyperglycemic ability in short (2 h)- and long-term (28 days) administrations to diet-induced diabetic mice. The long-term administration of γ-mangostin attenuated fasting blood glucose of diabetic mice and exhibited no hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Moreover, AMPK, PPARγ, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase were found to be the potential targets for simulating binds with γ-mangostin after molecular docking. To validate the docking results, the inhibitory potency of γ-mangostin againstα-amylase/α-glucosidase was higher than Acarbose via enzymatic assay. Interestingly, an allosteric relationship between γ-mangostin and insulin was also found in the glucose uptake of VSMC, FL83B, C2C12, and 3T3-L1 cells. Taken together, the results showed that γ-mangostin exerts anti-hyperglycemic activity through promoting glucose uptake and reducing saccharide digestion by inhibition of α-amylase/α-glucosidase with insulin sensitization, suggesting that γ-mangostin could be a new clue for drug discovery and development to treat diabetes.
Socioeconomic Status and Glycemic Index Among Punjabis in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Possible Association with Metabolic Syndrome

Kaur S, Yim HS, Abdul Jalil R, Mohd-Yusof BN, Jan Mohamed HJ

J Immigr Minor Health, 2018 Dec;20(6):1380-1386.
PMID: 29603090 DOI: 10.1007/s10903-018-0731-8

There are only limited reports on Punjabi's health status in Malaysia. This cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (Mets) and its risk factors among 277 subjects recruited from the Malaysian Punjabi community. Overall prevalence of Mets was 43%, but 61% among females. Subjects classified with Mets had significantly (p
Fulltext Risk factors for low birth weight among rural and urban Malaysian women

Kaur S, Ng CM, Badon SE, Jalil RA, Maykanathan D, Yim HS, et al.

BMC Public Health, 2019 Jun 13;19(Suppl 4):539.
PMID: 31196034 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-6864-4

BACKGROUND: Low birth weight prevalence in Malaysia remains high. Socioeconomic background may lead to differences in physical activity and maternal nutritional status, which may play an important role in birth outcomes.
METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study aimed to identify rural-urban differences in risk factors for low birth weight among women in Malaysia. Pregnant women at ≥20 weeks of gestation in urban and rural Malaysia (n = 437) completed questionnaires on sociodemographic characteristics and physical activity. Weight and middle-upper arm circumference were measured. Infant birth outcomes were extracted from medical records.
RESULTS: The overall prevalence of low birth weight infants was 6.38%. Rural women had more low birth weight infants than urban women (9.8% vs 2.0%, p = 0.03). Findings showed rural women were less sedentary (p = 0.003) and participated in more household/caregiving activities (p = 0.036), sports activities (p = 0.01) and less occupational activity (p
Efficiency of Ionic Liquids-Based Aqueous Two-phase Electrophoresis for Partition of Cytochrome c

Kee PE, Lan JC, Yim HS, Tan JS, Chow YH, Ng HS

Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 2020 May;191(1):376-386.
PMID: 31907777 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-019-03202-y

Cytochrome c is a small water-soluble protein that is abundantly found in the mitochondrial intermembrane space of microorganism, plants and mammalians. Ionic liquids (ILs)-based aqueous two-phase electrophoresis system (ATPES) was introduced in this study to investigate the partition efficiency of cytochrome c to facilitate subsequent development of two-phase electrophoresis for the separation of cytochrome c from microbial fermentation. The 1-Hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide, (C6mim)Br and potassium citrate salt were selected as the phase-forming components. Effects of phase composition; position of electrodes; pH and addition of neutral salt on the partition efficiency of cytochrome c in the ATPES were evaluated. Highest partition coefficient (K = 179.12 ± 0.82) and yield of cytochrome c in top phase (YT = 99.63% ± 0.00) were recorded with IL/salt ATPES composed of 30% (w/w) (C6mim)Br and 20% (w/w) potassium citrate salt of pH 7 and 3.0% (w/w) NaCl addition with anode at the bottom phase and cathode at the top phase. The SDS-PAGE profile revealed that cytochrome c with a molecular weight of 12 kDa was preferably partitioned to the IL-rich top phase. Present findings suggested that the single-step ATPES is a potential separation approach for the recovery of cytochrome c from microbial fermentation. Graphical Abstract.
Fulltext Evaluation of Aqueous Biphasic Electrophoresis System Based on Halide-Free Ionic Liquids for Direct Recovery of Keratinase

Kee PE, Yim HS, Kondo A, Lan JC, Ng HS

Mar Drugs, 2021 Aug 17;19(8).
PMID: 34436302 DOI: 10.3390/md19080463

Aqueous biphasic electrophoresis system (ABES) incorporates electric fields into the biphasic system to separate the target biomolecules from crude feedstock. Ionic liquid (IL) is regarded as an excellent candidate as the phase-forming components for ABES because of the great electrical conductivity, which can promote the electromigration of biomolecules in ABES, and thereby enhances the separation efficiency of the target biomolecules from crude feedstock. The application of electric fields to the conventional biphasic system expedites the phase settling time of the biphasic system, which eases the subsequent scaling-up steps and reduces the overall processing time of the recovery process. Alkyl sulphate-based IL is a green and economical halide-free surfactant when compared to the other halide-containing IL. The feasibility of halide-free IL-based ABES to recover Kytococcus sedentarius TWHK01 keratinase was studied. Optimum partition coefficient (Ke = 7.53 ± 0.35) and yield (YT = 80.36% ± 0.71) were recorded with IL-ABES comprised of 15.0% (w/w) [EMIM][ESO4], 20.0% (w/w) sodium carbonate and 15% (w/w) crude feedstock. Selectivity (S) of 5.75 ± 0.27 was obtained with the IL-ABES operated at operation time of 5 min with 10 V voltage supplied. Halide-free IL is proven to be a potential phase-forming component of IL-ABES for large-scale recovery of keratinase.
Insect biorefinery: A circular economy concept for biowaste conversion to value-added products

Kee PE, Cheng YS, Chang JS, Yim HS, Tan JCY, Lam SS, et al.

Environ Res, 2023 Mar 15;221:115284.
PMID: 36640934 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115284

With rapid growing world population and increasing demand for natural resources, the production of sufficient food, feed for protein and fat sources and sustainable energy presents a food insecurity challenge globally. Insect biorefinery is a concept of using insect as a tool to convert biomass waste into energy and other beneficial products with concomitant remediation of the organic components. The exploitation of insects and its bioproducts have becoming more popular in recent years. This review article presents a summary of the current trend of insect-based industry and the potential organic wastes for insect bioconversion and biorefinery. Numerous biotechnological products obtained from insect biorefinery such as biofertilizer, animal feeds, edible foods, biopolymer, bioenzymes and biodiesel are discussed in the subsequent sections. Insect biorefinery serves as a promising sustainable approach for waste management while producing valuable bioproducts feasible to achieve circular bioeconomy.
Fulltext Nutrients for Prevention of Macular Degeneration and Eye-Related Diseases

Khoo HE, Ng HS, Yap WS, Goh HJH, Yim HS

Antioxidants (Basel), 2019 Apr 02;8(4).
PMID: 30986936 DOI: 10.3390/antiox8040085

The risk of macular degeneration can be reduced through the consumption of antioxidant-rich foods, supplements, and nutraceutical formulas. This review focuses on the antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that have been reported for reducing the risk of macular degeneration and other eye-related diseases. Antioxidants including anthocyanins, carotenoids, flavonoids, and vitamins have been shown to reduce the risk of eye-related diseases. Anthocyanins extracted from berries are powerful antioxidants. Cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, pelargonidin, peonidin, and petunidin are anthocyanin aglycones detected in berries, currants, and other colored fruits and vegetables. β-Carotene, as well as xanthophyll lutein and zeaxanthin, have been reported to reduce the risk of macular degeneration. Flavonoids from plants help in the prevention of eye-related diseases through anti-inflammatory mechanisms. A combination of these antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals possess a synergistic effect on the prevention or risk reduction of macular degeneration. Formulas have been developed as dietary supplements to cater to the high demand from consumers and patients with eye problems. Many of the formulated dietary supplements that are sold in the market have been clinically proven for their efficacy to treat eye diseases. Although the bioactivities in the supplement capsules or tablets have been scientifically established for reducing risks of several diseases, which include macular degeneration and other eye-related diseases, knowledge on the right dosage, efficacy, and bioavailability of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals is important for consumers. The information may help them make the best decision in choosing the right dietary supplements and nutraceuticals following the evidence-based recommended dosages and reference intakes for improving general health and preventing eye-related diseases. This review covers the potential causal factors involved in eye diseases, clinically proven treatments, and controversial findings on the antioxidants in the prevention of macular degeneration. Future studies should consider multiethnic and multicenter trials for eliminating potential bias in research.
Influence of different extraction conditions on antioxidant properties of soursop peel

Lee WZ, Chang SK, Khoo HE, Sia CM, Yim HS

Acta Sci Pol Technol Aliment, 2016 Oct-Dec;15(4):419-428.
PMID: 28071019 DOI: 10.17306/J.AFS.2016.4.40

Soursop is a healthy fruit. Peels form about 20% of the soursop fruit and are usually discarded as waste product. With a view to utilizing soursop peel as a source of valuable compounds, this study aimed to investigate the influence of different extraction conditions on total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (AC) of soursop (Annona muricata L.) peel.
Determination of optimal extraction time and temperature by response surface methodology to obtain high-level antioxidant activity in culinary-medicinal oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.:Fr.) P. Kumm. (higher basidiomycetes)

Lim SM, Yim HS

Int J Med Mushrooms, 2012;14(6):593-602.
PMID: 23510253

A central composite design of response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the extraction time (X1: 266.4-393.6 min) and temperature (X2: 42.9-57.1°C) of Pleurotus ostreatus aqueous extract with high antioxidant activities, namely DPPH radical-scavenging activity, ABTS radical cation inhibition, and ferric reducing/antioxidant power, as well as total phenolic content (TPC). Results showed that the data were adequately fitted into four second-order polynomial models developed by RSM. The extraction time and temperature were found to have significant quadratic effects on antioxidant activities and TPC. The optimal extraction time and temperature were 282.3 min and 42.9°C (DPPH), 393.6 min and 42.9°C (ABTS), 340.4 min and 49.8°C (FRAP), and 347.6 min, 49.7°C (TPC), with corresponding yields of 53.32%, 73.20%, 37.14 mM Fe2+ equivalents/100 g, and 826.33 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g, respectively. These experimental data were close to their predicted values. The establishment of such a model provides a good experimental basis for employing RSM to optimize the extraction time and temperature for high antioxidant activities from P. ostreatus.
Fulltext Development and validation of a cancer awareness questionnaire for Malaysian undergraduate students of Chinese ethnicity

Loo JL, Ang YK, Yim HS

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2013;14(1):565-70.
PMID: 23534795 DOI: 10.7314/apjcp.2013.14.1.565

OBJECTIVES: To describe the development and validation of a cancer awareness questionnaire (CAQ) based on a literature review of previous studies, focusing on cancer awareness and prevention.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 388 Chinese undergraduate students in a private university in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, were recruited to evaluate the developed self-administered questionnaire. The CAQ consisted of four sections: awareness of cancer warning signs and screening tests; knowledge of cancer risk factors; barriers in seeking medical advice; and attitudes towards cancer and cancer prevention. The questionnaire was evaluated for construct validity using principal component analysis and internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha (α) coefficient. Test-retest reliability was assessed with a 10-14 days interval and measured using Pearson product-moment correlation.

RESULTS: The initial 77-item CAQ was reduced to 63 items, with satisfactory construct validity, and a high total internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.77). A total of 143 students completed the questionnaire for the test-retest reliability obtaining a correlation of 0.72 (p<0.001) overall.

CONCLUSIONS: The CAQ could provide a reliable and valid measure that can be used to assess cancer awareness among local Chinese undergraduate students. However, further studies among students from different backgrounds (e.g. ethnicity) are required in order to facilitate the use of the cancer awareness questionnaire among all university students.
Culinary Nutrition Education Improves Home Food Availability and Psychosocial Factors Related to Healthy Meal Preparation Among Children

Ng CM, Kaur S, Koo HC, Mukhtar F, Yim HS

J Nutr Educ Behav, 2022 Feb;54(2):100-108.
PMID: 35148868 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2021.04.006

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a culinary nutrition education intervention on children's home food availability and psychosocial factors related to healthy meal preparation.
DESIGN: Randomized-controlled trial.
SETTING: Schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-three school children aged 10-11 years and their parents.
INTERVENTION: Twelve weeks of culinary nutrition education with 5 hands-on healthy meal preparation modules and a module with parents on home food availability (conducted every 2 weeks).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Psychosocial factors (knowledge, attitude, practice, and self-efficacy) related to healthy meal preparation and home food availability (fruits, vegetables, healthful foods, and less healthful foods) assessed via children and parents, respectively, using validated questionnaires at baseline, postintervention, and 3-month follow-up.
ANALYSIS: Repeated measures ANOVA.
RESULTS: Intervention group had a higher (P < 0.001) mean knowledge score (mean difference, 1.2), attitude (mean difference, 2.6), practice (mean difference, 4.4) and self-efficacy (mean difference, 3.9) of healthy meal preparation as compared with control group across 3-time points. Improvements were seen in the availability of fruits (mean difference, 3.0; P < 0.001), vegetables (mean difference, 2.4; P < 0.001), healthful foods (mean difference, 1.5; P < 0.001) and less healthful foods (mean difference, -0.9; P = 0.001), favoring the intervention group.
CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Culinary nutrition education had positive impact on children's psychosocial factors and home food availability, demonstrating the potential to improve children's nutrition.
Characterization of alcohol/salt aqueous two-phase system for optimal separation of gallic acids

Ng HS, Kee PE, Yim HS, Tan JS, Chow YH, Lan JC

J Biosci Bioeng, 2021 May;131(5):537-542.
PMID: 33674222 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2021.01.004

Gallic acid (GA) is a hydrophilic polyphenol which is noteworthy for strong antioxidant capacity. The drawbacks of conventional extraction approaches such as time-consuming and high processing cost are often viewed as a hurdle to extract GA from plant sources in industrial scale. Aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) is a separation approach which can be employed as an alternative to the conventional approaches. The partition behaviour of GA in an alcohol/salt ATPS was investigated in this study to aid the development of industrial scale ATPS to extract GA from natural sources. The separation of GA was characterized by determining the types of alcohol and salt, phase composition, sample load, pH of the system and addition of adjuvants applied in the alcohol/salt ATPS construction. The hydrophilic GA was targeted to the salt-rich phase of the alcohol/salt ATPS with a partition coefficient (KGA) of 25.00 ± 0.00. The optimum condition of ATPS for the maximum partition of GA was achieved in ATPS comprised of 24% (w/w) 1-propanol and 22% (w/w) phosphate salt at pH 8 with 5% (w/w) of 1 mg/mL sample loading and 2% (w/w) NaCl addition. The findings suggest that ATPS can be applied for separation of GA from various natural sources.
Direct recovery of mangostins from Garcinia mangostana pericarps using cellulase-assisted aqueous micellar biphasic system with recyclable surfactant

Ng HS, Tan GYT, Lee KH, Zimmermann W, Yim HS, Lan JC

J Biosci Bioeng, 2018 Oct;126(4):507-513.
PMID: 29764763 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2018.04.008

The α- and γ-mangostins from Garcinia mangostana pericarps (GMP) exhibit antioxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties. The extraction yields α- and γ-mangostins are often limited by the presence of the GMP cell walls. Therefore, the extraction and recovery of mangostins from GMP with an Aspergillus niger cellulase-assisted aqueous micellar biphasic system (CA-AMBS) was developed for enhanced yield of mangostins. Effects of the concentration of cellulase, the incubation time and the temperature of the system on the recovery of mangostins were investigated. The optimum condition for the recovery of α- and γ-mangostins was obtained with the addition of 0.5% (w/w) cellulase incubated at 40°C for 2 h. High log partition coefficients of α-mangostins (log Kα 4.79 ± 0.02) and γ-mangostins (log Kγ 4.02 ± 0.02) were achieved. High yields of α-mangostins (73.4%) and γ-mangostins (14.0%) were obtained from the micelle-rich bottom phase with final concentrations of 3.67 mg/mL and 0.70 mg/mL, respectively. The back-extraction of mangostins was performed with the addition of 30% (w/w) of isopropanol and 0.05 M of KCl at pH 9 to the bottom phase of the CA-AMBS. The yields of the α- and γ-mangostins from GMP were considerably enhanced with the CA-AMBS and the direct recovery of mangostins was demonstrated without additional downstream processing steps.
Partition efficiency of cytochrome c with alcohol/salt aqueous biphasic flotation system

Ng HS, Ng TC, Kee PE, Tan JS, Yim HS, Lan JC

J Biosci Bioeng, 2020 Feb;129(2):237-241.
PMID: 31629635 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2019.08.013

Aqueous biphasic flotation (ABF) integrates aqueous biphasic system (ABS) and solvent sublation for recovery of target biomolecules. The feasibility of the alcohol/salt ABF for exclusive partition of cytochrome c to one specific phase of the system was investigated. Aliphatic alcohols of different carbon chain length (ethanol, 1-propanol and 2-propanol) and salts (sulfate, phosphate and citrate) were used for the phase formation. The effects of phase composition, concentration of sample loading, pH, flotation time and flow rate of the system on the partition efficiency of cytochrome c were determined. Cytochrome c was exclusively partitioned to the alcohol-rich top phase of the ABF of 18% (w/w) ethanol and 26% (w/w) ammonium sulfate with pH 6 and 20% (w/w) of sample loading. Highest partition coefficient (K) of 6.85 ± 0.21 and yield (YT) of 99.40% ± 0.02 were obtained with optimum flotation rate of 10 mL/min and flow rate of 10 min.
Recent advances on the sustainable approaches for conversion and reutilization of food wastes to valuable bioproducts

Ng HS, Kee PE, Yim HS, Chen PT, Wei YH, Chi-Wei Lan J

Bioresour Technol, 2020 Apr;302:122889.
PMID: 32033841 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.122889

The increasing amounts of food wastage and accumulation generated per annum due to the growing human population worldwide often associated with environmental pollution issues and scarcity of natural resources. In view of this, science community has worked towards in finding sustainable approaches to replace the common practices for food waste management. The agricultural and food processing wastes rich in nutrients are often the attractive substrates for the bioconversion for valuable bioproducts such as industrial enzymes, biofuel and bioactive compounds. The sustainable approaches on the re-utilization of food wastes as the industrial substrates for production of valuable bioproducts has meet the goals of circular bioeconomy, results in the diversify applications and increasing market demands for the bioproducts. This review discusses the current practice and recent advances on reutilization of food waste for bioconversion of valuable bioproducts from agricultural and food processing wastes.
Surfactant as an Additive for the Recovery of Potent Antioxidants from Garcinia mangostana Pericarps Using a Polymer/Salt Aqueous Biphasic System

Ng HS, Kee PE, Tan GY, Yim HS, Lan JC

Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 2020 May;191(1):273-283.
PMID: 32335865 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-020-03284-z

Garcinia mangostana pericarp is a good source of natural antioxidants with numerous functional properties. The conventional approaches for the recovery of antioxidants from Garcinia mangostana pericarp require long processing time and high temperature, which may cause degradation or loss of bioactivity of antioxidants, and often result in low recovery efficiency. In this study, the extraction of antioxidants from Garcinia mangostana pericarp was investigated using a polyethylene glycol (PEG)/citrate aqueous biphasic system (ABS) with the addition of surfactants. The optimum condition for the recovery of antioxidants was achieved in PEG 1000/citrate ABS of pH 8 with tie-line length (TLL) of 48.3% (w/w), volume ratio (VR) of 1.6, 0.2% (w/w) sample loading and addition of 1.0% (w/w) Tween 85. The antioxidants were recovered in the PEG-rich top phase with a high K value of 18.23 ± 0.33 and a recovery yield of 92.01% ± 0.09. The findings suggested that the addition of surfactants to polymer/salt ABS can enhance the recovery of antioxidants from Garcinia mangostana pericarps by conserving the antioxidative properties.
Direct recovery of Bacillus subtilis xylanase from fermentation broth with an alcohol/salt aqueous biphasic system

Ng HS, Chai CXY, Chow YH, Loh WLC, Yim HS, Tan JS, et al.

J Biosci Bioeng, 2018 May;125(5):585-589.
PMID: 29339003 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiosc.2017.12.010

Xylanase enzyme degrades linear polysaccharide β-1,4 xylan and the hemicellulose of the plant cell wall. There is a growing demand in finding a cost-effective alternative for industrial scale production of xylanase with high purity for pharmaceutical applications. In this study, an alcohol/salt aqueous biphasic system (ABS) was adopted to recover xylanase from the Bacillus subtilis fermentation broth. The effects of several ABS parameters such as types and concentrations of alcohols and salts (i.e., sulphate, phosphate, and citrate), amount of crude loading and pH of the system on the recovery of xylanase were investigated. Partition coefficient of xylanase (KE), selectivity (S) and yield (YT) of xylanase in top phase of the ABS were measured. Highest KE (6.58 ± 0.05) and selectivity (4.84 ± 0.33) were recorded in an ABS of pH 8 composed of 26% (w/w) 1-propanol, 18% (w/w) ammonium sulphate. High YT of 71.88% ± 0.15 and a purification fold (PFT) of 5.74 ± 0.33 were recorded with this optimum recovery of xylanase using alcohol/salt ABS. The purity of xylanase recovered was then qualitatively verified with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) gel electrophoresis. The SDS profile revealed the purified xylanase was successfully obtained in the top phase of the one-step 1-propanol/sulphate ABS with a distinct single band.
Fulltext Assessment of extraction parameters on antioxidant capacity, polyphenol content, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and iriflophenone 3-C-β-glucoside of agarwood (Aquilaria crassna) young leaves

Tay PY, Tan CP, Abas F, Yim HS, Ho CW

Molecules, 2014 Aug 14;19(8):12304-19.
PMID: 25153858 DOI: 10.3390/molecules190812304

The effects of ethanol concentration (0%-100%, v/v), solid-to-solvent ratio (1:10-1:60, w/v) and extraction time (30-180 min) on the extraction of polyphenols from agarwood (Aquilaria crassna) were examined. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and total flavanol (TF) assays and HPLC-DAD were used for the determination and quantification of polyphenols, flavanol gallates (epigallocatechin gallate--EGCG and epicatechin gallate--ECG) and a benzophenone (iriflophenone 3-C-β-glucoside) from the crude polyphenol extract (CPE) of A. crassna. 2,2'-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity was used to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of the CPE. Experimental results concluded that ethanol concentration and solid-to-solvent ratio had significant effects (p<0.05) on the yields of polyphenol and antioxidant capacity. Extraction time had an insignificant influence on the recovery of EGCG, ECG and iriflophenone 3-C-β-glucoside, as well as radical scavenging capacity from the CPE. The extraction parameters that exhibited maximum yields were 40% (v/v) ethanol, 1:60 (w/v) for 30 min where the TPC, TFC, TF, DPPH, EGCG, ECG and iriflophenone 3-C-β-glucoside levels achieved were 183.5 mg GAE/g DW, 249.0 mg QE/g DW, 4.9 mg CE/g DW, 93.7%, 29.1 mg EGCG/g DW, 44.3 mg ECG/g DW and 39.9 mg iriflophenone 3-C-β-glucoside/g DW respectively. The IC50 of the CPE was 24.6 mg/L.
Psychological Factors and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors as Mediators of the Relationship between Overweight/Obesity and Cognitive Function among School Children in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tung SEH, Mohd Nasir MT, Chin YS, Zalilah MS, Zubaidah JO, Yim HS

Child Obes, 2019 01;15(1):56-62.
PMID: 30339034 DOI: 10.1089/chi.2018.0066

BACKGROUND: Recent research suggests that a negative relationship exists between adiposity and cognitive function in children. However, limited information is known on how they are related. This study aimed to examine the mediators of the relationship between overweight/obesity and cognitive function among school children in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
METHODS: This is a cross-sectional comparison study whereby 225 overweight/obese children matched for age, sex, and ethnicity with 225 normal weight children participated in this study. Body image dissatisfaction, disordered eating, and depressive symptoms were assessed through a self-administered questionnaire. Blood pressure was measured, whereas blood was drawn to determine insulin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), glucose, and lipid profiles. Homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated using glucose and insulin levels. Wechsler's Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) was used to assess cognitive function in children. Ordinary least square regression analysis was conducted to determine the direct and indirect relationships between weight status and cognitive function.
RESULTS: A negative relationship was found between overweight/obesity with cognitive function. Overweight/obese children were on average 4.075 units lower in cognitive function scores compared to normal weight children. Such difference was found through mediators, such as body image dissatisfaction, disordered eating, depression, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, HOMA-IR, and hs-CRP, contributing 22.2% of the variances in cognitive function in children.
CONCLUSION: Results highlight the important mediators of the relationship between overweight/obesity and cognitive function. Consequently, future interventions should target to improve psychological well-being and reduce cardiovascular disease risk for the prevention of poorer cognitive performance in overweight/obese children.
Influence of extraction conditions on antioxidant properties of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) peel

Wong YS, Sia CM, Khoo HE, Ang YK, Chang SK, Chang SK, et al.

Acta Sci Pol Technol Aliment, 2014 Jul-Sep;13(3):257-65.
PMID: 24887941

As a by-product of tropical fruit juice industry, passion fruit peel is a valuable functional food. It is rich in antioxidants. To determine its potential antioxidant properties of passion fruit peel, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of extraction conditions on total phenolic content and antioxidant activity.

Filters

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

External Links