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Fulltext Nephroprotective effects of Zingiber zerumbet Smith ethyl acetate extract against paracetamol-induced nephrotoxicity and oxidative stress in rats

Abdul Hamid Z, Budin SB, Wen Jie N, Hamid A, Husain K, Mohamed J

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2012 Mar;13(3):176-85.
PMID: 22374609 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B1100133

Paracetamol (PCM) overdose can cause nephrotoxicity with oxidative stress as one of the possible mechanisms mediating the event. In this study, the effects of ethyl acetate extract of Zingiber zerumbet rhizome [200 mg per kg of body weight (mg/kg) and 400 mg/kg] on PCM-induced nephrotoxicity were examined. Rats were divided into five groups containing 10 rats each. The control group received distilled water while other groups were treated with extract alone (400 mg/kg), PCM alone (750 mg/kg), 750 mg/kg PCM+200 mg/kg extract (PCM+200-extract), and 750 mg/kg PCM+400 mg/kg extract (PCM+400-extract), respectively, for seven consecutive days. The Z. zerumbet extract was given intraperitoneally concurrent with oral administration of PCM. Treatment with Z. zerumbet extract at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg prevented the PCM-induced nephrotoxicity and oxidative impairments of the kidney, as evidenced by a significantly reduced (P<0.05) level of plasma creatinine, plasma and renal malondialdehyde (MDA), plasma protein carbonyl, and renal advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP). Furthermore, both doses were also able to induce a significant increment (P<0.05) of plasma and renal levels of glutathione (GSH) and plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. The nephroprotective effects of Z. zerumbet extract were confirmed by a reduced intensity of renal cellular damage, as evidenced by histological findings. Moreover, Z. zerumbet extract administered at 400 mg/kg was found to show greater protective effects than that at 200 mg/kg. In conclusion, ethyl acetate extract of Z. zerumbet rhizome has a protective role against PCM-induced nephrotoxicity and the process is probably mediated through its antioxidant properties.
Fulltext Towards precision medicine: from quantitative imaging to radiomics

Acharya UR, Hagiwara Y, Sudarshan VK, Chan WY, Ng KH

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2018 1 9;19(1):6-24.
PMID: 29308604 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B1700260

Radiology (imaging) and imaging-guided interventions, which provide multi-parametric morphologic and functional information, are playing an increasingly significant role in precision medicine. Radiologists are trained to understand the imaging phenotypes, transcribe those observations (phenotypes) to correlate with underlying diseases and to characterize the images. However, in order to understand and characterize the molecular phenotype (to obtain genomic information) of solid heterogeneous tumours, the advanced sequencing of those tissues using biopsy is required. Thus, radiologists image the tissues from various views and angles in order to have the complete image phenotypes, thereby acquiring a huge amount of data. Deriving meaningful details from all these radiological data becomes challenging and raises the big data issues. Therefore, interest in the application of radiomics has been growing in recent years as it has the potential to provide significant interpretive and predictive information for decision support. Radiomics is a combination of conventional computer-aided diagnosis, deep learning methods, and human skills, and thus can be used for quantitative characterization of tumour phenotypes. This paper discusses the overview of radiomics workflow, the results of various radiomics-based studies conducted using various radiological images such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron-emission tomography (PET), the challenges we are facing, and the potential contribution of radiomics towards precision medicine.
Fulltext Antioxidants in aqueous extract of Myristica fragrans (Houtt.) suppress mitosis and cyclophosphamide-induced chromosomal aberrations in Allium cepa L. cells

Akinboro A, Mohamed KB, Asmawi MZ, Sulaiman SF, Sofiman OA

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2011 Nov;12(11):915-22.
PMID: 22042656 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B1000315

In this study, freeze-dried water extract from the leaves of Myristica fragrans (Houtt.) was tested for mutagenic and antimutagenic potentials using the Allium cepa assay. Freeze-dried water extract alone and its combination with cyclophosphamide (CP) (50 mg/kg) were separately dissolved in tap water at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 mg/kg. Onions (A. cepa) were suspended in the solutions and controls for 48 h in the dark. Root tips were prepared for microscopic evaluation. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals' scavenging power of the extract was tested using butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) as standards. Water extract of Myristica fragrans scavenged free radicals better than BHA, but worse than BHT. The extract alone, as well as in combination with CP suppressed cell division, and induced chromosomal aberrations that were insignificantly different from the negative control (P ≤ 0.05). However, cytotoxic and mutagenic actions of CP were considerably suppressed. The observed effects on cell division and chromosomes of A. cepa may be principally connected to the antioxidant properties of the extract. The obtained results suggest mitodepressive and antimutagenic potentials of water extract of the leaves of M. fragrans as desirable properties of a promising anticancer agent.
Acute and subacute oral toxicity of Litsea elliptica Blume essential oil in rats

Budin SB, Siti Nor Ain SM, Omar B, Taib IS, Hidayatulfathi O

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2012 Oct;13(10):783-90.
PMID: 23024045

Litsea elliptica Blume has been traditionally used to treat headache, fever, and stomach ulcer, and has also been used as an insect repellent. The acute and subacute toxicities of L. elliptica essential oil were evaluated orally by gavage in female Sprague-Dawley rats. For the acute toxicity study, L. elliptica essential oil was administered in doses from 500 to 4000 mg/kg (single dose), and in the subacute toxicity test, the following doses were used: 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg, for 28 consecutive days. In the acute toxicity study, L. elliptica essential oil caused dose-dependent adverse behaviours and mortality. The median lethal dose value was 3488.86 mg/kg and the acute non-observed-adversed-effect level value was found to be 500 mg/kg. The subacute toxicity study of L. elliptica essential oil did not reveal alterations in body weight, and food and water consumptions. The haematological and biochemical analyses did not show significant differences between control and treated groups in most of the parameters examined, except for the hemoglobin, mean cell hemoglobin concentration, mean cell volume, mean cell hemoglobin, serum albumin, and serum sodium. However, these differences were still within the normal range. No abnormalities or histopathological changes were observed in the liver, pancreatic islet of Langerhans, and renal glomerulous and tubular cells of all treated groups. In conclusion, L. elliptica essential oil can be classified in the U group, which is defined as a group unlikely to present an acute hazard according to World Health Organization (WHO) classification.
Fulltext Neural network and principal component regression in non-destructive soluble solids content assessment: a comparison

Chia KS, Abdul Rahim H, Abdul Rahim R

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2012 Feb;13(2):145-51.
PMID: 22302428 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B11c0150

Visible and near infrared spectroscopy is a non-destructive, green, and rapid technology that can be utilized to estimate the components of interest without conditioning it, as compared with classical analytical methods. The objective of this paper is to compare the performance of artificial neural network (ANN) (a nonlinear model) and principal component regression (PCR) (a linear model) based on visible and shortwave near infrared (VIS-SWNIR) (400-1000 nm) spectra in the non-destructive soluble solids content measurement of an apple. First, we used multiplicative scattering correction to pre-process the spectral data. Second, PCR was applied to estimate the optimal number of input variables. Third, the input variables with an optimal amount were used as the inputs of both multiple linear regression and ANN models. The initial weights and the number of hidden neurons were adjusted to optimize the performance of ANN. Findings suggest that the predictive performance of ANN with two hidden neurons outperforms that of PCR.
Fulltext Detection of human papillomavirus in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Fauzi FH, Hamzan NI, Rahman NA, Suraiya S, Mohamad S

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2021 4 13;21(12):961-976.
PMID: 33843162 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B2000161

Worldwide there has been a significant increase in the incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) etiologically attributed to oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV). Reliable and accurate identification and detection tools are important as the incidence of HPV-related cancer is on the rise. Several HPV detection methods for OPSCC have been developed and each has its own advantages and disadvantages in regard to sensitivity, specificity, and technical difficulty. This review summarizes our current knowledge of molecular methods for detecting HPV in OPSCC, including HPV DNA/RNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), p16 immunohistochemistry (IHC), and DNA/RNA in situ hybridization (ISH) assays. This summary may facilitate the selection of a suitable method for detecting HPV infection, and therefore may help in the early diagnosis of HPV-related carcinoma to reduce its mortality, incidence, and morbidity.
Fulltext Piper sarmentosum as an antioxidant on oxidative stress in human umbilical vein endothelial cells induced by hydrogen peroxide

Hafizah AH, Zaiton Z, Zulkhairi A, Mohd Ilham A, Nor Anita MM, Zaleha AM

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2010 May;11(5):357-65.
PMID: 20443214 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B0900397

Endothelial cell death due to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) may contribute to the initial endothelial injury, which promotes atherosclerotic lesion formation. Piper sarmentosum (PS), a natural product, has been shown to have an antioxidant property, which is hypothesized to inhibit production of ROS and prevent cell injury. Thus, the present study was designed to determine the effects of PS on the hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced oxidative cell damage in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). In this experiment, HUVECs were obtained by collagenase perfusion of the large vein in the umbilical cord and cultured in medium M200 supplemented with low serum growth supplementation (LSGS). HUVECs were treated with various concentrations of H(2)O(2) (0-1000 micromol/L) and it was observed that 180 micromol/L H(2)O(2) reduced cell viability by 50% as denoted by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Using the above concentration as the positive control, the H(2)O(2)-induced HUVECs were concomitantly treated with various concentrations (100, 150, 250 and 300 microg/ml) of three different extracts (aqueous, methanol and hexane) of PS. Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) levels showed a significant increase (P<0.05) in HUVECs compared to the negative control. However, PS extracts showed a protective effect on HUVECs from H(2)O(2)-induced cell apoptosis with a significant reduction in MDA, SOD, CAT and GPX levels (P<0.05). Furthermore, PS had exhibited ferric reducing antioxidant power with its high phenolic content. Hence, it was concluded that PS plays a beneficial role in reducing oxidative stress in H(2)O(2)-induced HUVECs.
Fulltext Electromagnetic field exposure as a plausible approach to enhance the proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in clinically relevant scenarios

Hamid HA, Sarmadi VH, Prasad V, Ramasamy R, Miskon A

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2022 Jan 15;23(1):42-57.
PMID: 35029087 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B2100443

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC)‍-based therapy has been regarded as one of the most revolutionary breakthroughs in the history of modern medicine owing to its myriad of immunoregulatory and regenerative properties. With the rapid progress in the fields of osteo- and musculoskeletal therapies, the demand for MSC-based treatment modalities is becoming increasingly prominent. In this endeavor, researchers around the world have devised new and innovative techniques to support the proliferation of MSCs while minimizing the loss of hallmark features of stem cells. One such example is electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure, which is an alternative approach with promising potential. In this review, we present a critical discourse on the efficiency, practicability, and limitations of some of the relevant methods, with insurmountable evidence backing the implementation of EMF as a feasible strategy for the clinically relevant expansion of MSCs.
Ethical and legal implications of gene editing in plant breeding: a systematic literature review

Idris SH, Mat Jalaluddin NS, Chang LW, 曾立纬

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2023 Jul 06.
PMID: 37423764 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B2200601

Biotechnology policies and regulations must be revised and updated to reflect the most recent advances in plant-breeding technology. New Plant Breeding Techniques (NPBT) such as gene editing have been applied to address the myriad of challenges in plant breeding, while the use of NPBT as emerging biotechnological tools raises legal and ethical concerns. This study aims to highlight how gene editing is operationalized in the existing literature and examine the critical issues of ethical and legal issues of gene editing for plant breeding. We carried out a systematic literature review (SLR) to provide the current states of ethical and legal discourses surrounding this topic. We also identified critical research priority areas and policy gaps that must be addressed when designing the future governance of gene editing in plant breeding.
Fulltext Amino acid compounds released by the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii during ecdysis: a factor attracting cannibalistic behaviour?

Juneta-Nor AS, Noordin NM, Azra MN, Ma HY, Husin NM, Ikhwanuddin M

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2020 10 13;21(10):823-834.
PMID: 33043647 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B2000126

Ecdysis is a common phenomenon that happens throughout the life phase of the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii. It is vital to better understand the correlation between cannibalism and biochemical compound that exists during the moulting process. The objective of the present study was to determine the amino acid profile released by M. rosenbergii during the ecdysis process that promotes cannibalism. To accomplish this, changes in amino acid levels (total amino acid (TAA) and free amino acid (FAA)) of tissue muscle, exoskeleton, and sample water of culture medium from the moulting (E-stage) and non-moulting (C-stage) prawns were analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Comparison study revealed that among the TAA compounds, proline and sarcosine of tissues from moulting prawn were found at the highest levels. The level of FAA from water that contains moulting prawns (E-stage) was dominated by tryptophan and proline. Significant values obtained in the present study suggested that these amino acid compounds act as a chemical cue to promote cannibalism in M. rosenbergii during ecdysis. The knowledge of compositions and compounds that were released during the moulting process should be helpful for better understanding of the mechanism and chemical cues that play roles on triggering cannibalism, and also for future dietary manipulation to improve feeding efficiencies and feeding management, which indirectly impacts productivity and profitability.
Fulltext Inhibitory activities of microalgal extracts against Epstein-Barr virus DNA release from lymphoblastoid cells

Kok YY, Chu WL, Phang SM, Mohamed SM, Naidu R, Lai PJ, et al.

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2011 May;12(5):335-45.
PMID: 21528487 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B1000336

This study aimed to assess the inhibitory activities of methanol extracts from the microalgae Ankistrodesmus convolutus, Synechococcus elongatus, and Spirulina platensis against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in three Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell lines, namely Akata, B95-8, and P3HR-1. The antiviral activity was assessed by quantifying the cell-free EBV DNA using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. The methanol extracts from Ankistrodesmus convolutus and Synechococcus elongatus displayed low cytotoxicity and potent effect in reducing cell-free EBV DNA (EC(50)<0.01 µg/ml) with a high therapeutic index (>28000). After fractionation by column chromatography, the fraction from Synechococcus elongatus (SEF1) reduced the cell-free EBV DNA most effectively (EC(50)=2.9 µg/ml, therapeutic index>69). Upon further fractionation by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the sub-fraction SEF1'a was most active in reducing the cell-free EBV DNA (EC(50)=1.38 µg/ml, therapeutic index>14.5). This study suggests that microalgae could be a potential source of antiviral compounds that can be used against EBV.
Fulltext Morphological and biochemical responses of Oryza sativa L. (cultivar MR219) to ion beam irradiation

Ling AP, Ung YC, Hussein S, Harun AR, Tanaka A, Yoshihiro H

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2013 Dec;14(12):1132-43.
PMID: 24302713 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B1200126

Heavy ion beam, which has emerged as a new mutagen in the mutation breeding of crops and ornamental plants, is expected to result in the induction of novel mutations. This study investigates the morphological and biochemical responses of Oryza sativa toward different doses of carbon ion beam irradiation.
Fulltext Comparative effects of plant growth regulators on leaf and stem explants of Labisia pumila var. alata

Ling AP, Tan KP, Hussein S

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2013 Jul;14(7):621-31.
PMID: 23825148 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B1200135

OBJECTIVE: Labisia pumila var. alata, commonly known as 'Kacip Fatimah' or 'Selusuh Fatimah' in Southeast Asia, is traditionally used by members of the Malay community because of its post-partum medicinal properties. Its various pharmaceutical applications cause an excessive harvesting and lead to serious shortage in natural habitat. Thus, this in vitro propagation study investigated the effects of different plant growth regulators (PGRs) on in vitro leaf and stem explants of L. pumila.
METHODS: The capabilities of callus, shoot, and root formation were evaluated by culturing both explants on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with various PGRs at the concentrations of 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 mg/L.
RESULTS: Medium supplemented with 3 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) showed the optimal callogenesis from both leaf and stem explants with (72.34 ± 19.55)% and (70.40 ± 14.14)% efficacy, respectively. IBA was also found to be the most efficient PGR for root induction. A total of (50.00 ± 7.07)% and (77.78 ± 16.47)% of root formation were obtained from the in vitro stem and leaf explants after being cultured for (26.5 ± 5.0) and (30.0 ± 8.5) d in the medium supplemented with 1 and 3 mg/L of IBA, respectively. Shoot formation was only observed in stem explant, with the maximum percentage of formation ((100.00 ± 0.00)%) that was obtained in 1 mg/L zeatin after (11.0 ± 2.8) d of culture.
CONCLUSIONS: Callus, roots, and shoots can be induced from in vitro leaf and stem explants of L. pumila through the manipulation of types and concentrations of PGRs.
Fulltext Anti-migratory effects of Piper betle leaf aqueous extract on cancer cells and its microtubule targeting properties

Looi ML, Wong AKH, Gnapragasan SA, Japri AZ, Rajedadram A, Pin KY

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2020 9 8;21(9):745-748.
PMID: 32893531 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B2000278

Piper betle (PB), also known as "betel" in Malay language, is a tropical Asian vine. PB leaves are commonly chewed by Asians along with betel quid. It contains phenols such as eugenol and hydroxychavicol along with chlorophyll, β-carotene, and vitamin C (Salehi et al., 2019). Extracts from PB leaves have various medicinal properties including anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects (Salehi et al., 2019). Previous research has shown that PB induces cell cycle arrest at late S or G2/M phase and causes apoptosis at higher doses (Wu et al., 2014; Guha Majumdar and Subramanian, 2019). A combination of PB leaf extract has also been shown to enhance the cytotoxicity of the anticancer drug, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), in cancer cells (Ng et al., 2014).
Fulltext Effects of temperature and diet on length-weight relationship and condition factor of the juvenile Malabar blood snapper (Lutjanus malabaricus Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Mazumder SK, Das SK, Bakar Y, Ghaffar MA

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2016 Aug;17(8):580-90.
PMID: 27487803 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B1500251

In this study we aimed to analyze the effects of water temperature and diet on the length-weight relationship and condition of juvenile Malabar blood snapper Lutjanus malabaricus over a 30-d experimental period. The experiment was conducted in the laboratory using a flow-through-sea-water system. The fish were subjected to four different temperatures (22, 26, 30, and 34 °C) and two diets (commercial pellet and natural shrimp). Fish were fed twice daily. L. malabaricus exhibited negative allometric growth (b<3) at the beginning of the experiment (Day 0) at all temperatures and both diets except for 22 °C fed with shrimp, which showed isometric growth (b=3). Conversely, at the end of the experiment (Day 30) fish showed isometric growth (b=3) at 30 °C fed with the pellet diet, indicating that the shape of the fish did not change with increasing weight and length, and a positive allometric growth (b>3) at 30 °C fed with shrimp diet, which indicated that fish weight increases faster than their length. The rest of the temperatures represented negative allometric growth (b<3) on both diet, meaning that fish became lighter with increasing size. The condition factors in the initial and final measurements were greater than 1, indicating the state of health of the fish, except for those fed on a pellet diet at 34 °C. However, the best condition was obtained at 30 °C on both diets. Nevertheless, diets did not have a significant effect on growth and condition of juvenile L. malabaricus. The data obtained from this study suggested culturing L. malabaricus at 30 °C and feeding on the pellet or shrimp diet, which will optimize the overall production and condition of this commercially important fish species.
Fulltext A comparative study of conventional and supercritical fluid extraction methods for the recovery of secondary metabolites from Syzygium campanulatum Korth

Memon AH, Hamil MS, Laghari M, Rithwan F, Zhari S, Saeed MA, et al.

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2016 Sep;17(9):683-982.
PMID: 27604860 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B1600019

Syzygium campanulatum Korth is a plant, which is a rich source of secondary metabolites (especially flavanones, chalcone, and triterpenoids). In our present study, three conventional solvent extraction (CSE) techniques and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) techniques were performed to achieve a maximum recovery of two flavanones, chalcone, and two triterpenoids from S. campanulatum leaves. Furthermore, a Box-Behnken design was constructed for the SFE technique using pressure, temperature, and particle size as independent variables, and yields of crude extract, individual and total secondary metabolites as the dependent variables. In the CSE procedure, twenty extracts were produced using ten different solvents and three techniques (maceration, soxhletion, and reflux). An enriched extract of five secondary metabolites was collected using n-hexane:methanol (1:1) soxhletion. Using food-grade ethanol as a modifier, the SFE methods produced a higher recovery (25.5%‒84.9%) of selected secondary metabolites as compared to the CSE techniques (0.92%‒66.00%).
Fulltext Chlorella vulgaris triggers apoptosis in hepatocarcinogenesis-induced rats

Mohd Azamai ES, Sulaiman S, Mohd Habib SH, Looi ML, Das S, Abdul Hamid NA, et al.

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2009 Jan;10(1):14-21.
PMID: 19198018 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B0820168

Chlorella vulgaris (CV) has been reported to have antioxidant and anticancer properties. We evaluated the effect of CV on apoptotic regulator protein expression in liver cancer-induced rats. Male Wistar rats (200~250 g) were divided into eight groups: control group (normal diet), CDE group (choline deficient diet supplemented with ethionine in drinking water to induce hepatocarcinogenesis), CV groups with three different doses of CV (50, 150, and 300 mg/kg body weight), and CDE groups treated with different doses of CV (50, 150, and 300 mg/kg body weight). Rats were sacrificed at various weeks and liver tissues were embedded in paraffin blocks for immunohistochemistry studies. CV, at increasing doses, decreased the expression of anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-2, but increased the expression of pro-apoptotic protein, caspase 8, in CDE rats, which was correlated with decreased hepatocytes proliferation and increased apoptosis as determined by bromodeoxy-uridine (BrdU) labeling and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay, respectively. Our study shows that CV has definite chemopreventive effect by inducing apoptosis via decreasing the expression of Bcl-2 and increasing the expression of caspase 8 in hepatocarcinogenesis-induced rats.
Fulltext Understanding and reducing the fear of COVID-19

Ng KH, Kemp R

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2020 9 8;21(9):752-754.
PMID: 32893533 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B2000228

The world is now plagued by a pandemic of unprecedented nature caused by a novel, emerging, and still poorly understood infectious disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (Wu and McGoogan, 2020). In addition to the rapidly growing body of scientific and medical literature that is being published, extensive public reports and stories in both the traditional media and social media have served to generate fear, panic, stigmatization, and instances of xenophobia (Zarocostas, 2020).
Fulltext Piper betle leaf extract enhances the cytotoxicity effect of 5-fluorouracil in inhibiting the growth of HT29 and HCT116 colon cancer cells

Ng PL, Rajab NF, Then SM, Mohd Yusof YA, Wan Ngah WZ, Pin KY, et al.

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2014 Aug;15(8):692-700.
PMID: 25091987 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B1300303

OBJECTIVE: The combination effect of Piper betle (PB) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in enhancing the cytotoxic potential of 5-FU in inhibiting the growth of colon cancer cells was investigated.
METHODS: HT29 and HCT116 cells were subjected to 5-FU or PB treatment. 5-FU and PB were then combined and their effects on both cell lines were observed after 24 h of treatment. PB-5-FU interaction was elucidated by isobologram analysis. Apoptosis features of the treated cells were revealed by annexin V/PI stain. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was performed to exclude any possible chemical interaction between the compounds.
RESULTS: In the presence of PB extract, the cytotoxicity of 5-FU was observed at a lower dose (IC50 12.5 µmol/L) and a shorter time (24 h) in both cell lines. Both cell lines treated with 5-FU or PB alone induced a greater apoptosis effect compared with the combination treatment. Isobologram analysis indicated that PB and 5-FU interacted synergistically and antagonistically in inhibiting the growth of HT29 and HCT116 cells, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: In the presence of PB, a lower dosage of 5-FU is required to achieve the maximum drug effect in inhibiting the growth of HT29 cells. However, PB did not significantly reduce 5-FU dosage in HCT116 cells. Our result showed that this interaction may not solely contribute to the apoptosis pathway.
KEYWORDS: 5-Fluorouracil; Herb-drug interaction; Isobologram analysis; Piper betle L.; Piperaceae
Unlocking the growth potential: harnessing the power of synbiotics to enhance cultivation of Pleurotus spp

Patil R, Ramli ANM, Xuan AS, Xin NZ, Azelee NIW, Bhuyar P

J Zhejiang Univ Sci B, 2024 Apr 15;25(4):293-306.
PMID: 38584092 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B2300383

The oyster mushroom (Pleurotus spp.) is one of the most widely cultivated mushroom species globally. The present study investigated the effect of synbiotics on the growth and quality of Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus pulmonarius. Different synbiotics formulations were applied by spraying mushroom samples daily and measuring their growth parameters, yield, biological efficiency, proximate composition, mineral content, total phenolic content (TPC), and diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. Results demonstrated that the most significant yield of oyster mushrooms was harvested from synbiotics sprayed with inulin and Lactobacillus casei (56.92 g). Likewise, the highest biological efficiency obtained with a similar synbiotic was 12.65%. Combining inulin and L. casei was the most effective method of improving the mushrooms' growth performance and nutrient content in both samples. Furthermore, synbiotics that combined inulin and L. casei resulted in the highest TPC (20.550 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dry extract (DE)) in white oyster mushrooms (P. ostreatus). In comparison, in grey mushroom (P. pulmonarius) the highest TPC was yielded by L. casei (1.098 mg GAE/g DE) followed by inulin and L. casei (1.079 mg GAE/g DE). The DPPH results indicated that the oyster mushroom could be an efficient antioxidant. The results revealed that applying synbiotics improved the mushrooms' quality by increasing their antioxidant capacity with higher amounts of phenolic compounds and offering better health benefits with the increased levels of mineral elements. Together, these studies demonstrated the potential of using synbiotics as a biofertilizer, which is helpful for mushroom cultivation; therefore, it might solve the challenge of inconsistent quality mushroom growers face.

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