Displaying publications 181 - 200 of 4696 in total

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  1. Detection of Eimeria oocysts in chicken feces using flotation recovery with sucrose or saturated saline solution
    Takano A, Morinaga D, Teramoto I, Hatabu T, Kido Y, Kaneko A, et al.
    Acta Parasitol, 2025 Jan 09;70(1):17.
    PMID: 39789311 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-024-00960-6
    PURPOSE: Flotation methods are widely used to detect oocysts/cysts of protozoans and eggs of helminths, except trematodes. However, details regarding the concentration and recovery rates of these parasites are poorly understood.

    METHODS: Using Eimeria tenella oocysts as a model parasite, the present study evaluated three check points: (1) the proportion of parasites that remain floating in flotation solution (sucrose or saturated saline) during centrifugation, (2) the proportion of oocysts that naturally float after addition of flotation solution after centrifugation, and (3) the rate of recovery on cover slips after completion of the flotation protocol.

    RESULTS: After centrifugation in sucrose solution and saturated saline solution, 82.4% and 60.3% of oocysts floated, respectively. After addition of flotation solution after the final centrifugation step, the recovery rates for oocysts that naturally floated again for 30 min in sucrose and saturated saline were 39.2% and 38.2%, respectively. The recovery rate on cover slips as the final step after performing a commonly used flotation method was 36.4% in sucrose solution (the rate for saturated saline solution could not be assessed due to rapid crystallization).

    CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that floating oocysts could have become dispersed by the addition of flotation solution, and not all of these oocysts remained floating after an additional 30 min of settling time although collection on cover slips could be effective for accurate recovery.

    Matched MeSH terms: Eimeria/isolation & purification; Eimeria tenella/isolation & purification
  2. Biofilm formation of filamentous fungi Coriolopsis sp. on simple muslin cloth to enhance removal of triphenylmethane dyes
    Munck C, Thierry E, Gräßle S, Chen SH, Ting ASY
    J Environ Manage, 2018 May 15;214:261-266.
    PMID: 29533823 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.03.025
    The isolate Coriolopsis sp. (1c3) was cultured on muslin cloth to induce formation of filamentous biofilm. The biofilm and the free-mycelium forms (control) were then used to treat two triphenylmethane dyes; Cotton Blue (CB) and Crystal Violet (CV). The biofilm comprised primarily of a compact mass of mycelium while sparse mycelium network was detected in free-mycelium forms. Results revealed significant decolourization activities by filamentous biofilm of 1c3 for CB (79.6%) and CV (85.1%), compared to free-mycelium forms (72.6 and 58.3%, for CB and CV, respectively). Biodegradation occurred in both biofilm and free-mycelium forms. FTIR spectra revealed that biofilm formation (stacking of mycelium), did not have severe implications to the number and types of functional groups available for dye biosorption. The findings here suggested that formation of biofilm in 1c3 was induced effectively on muslin cloth, leading to enhanced decolourization activities. This technology is simple, feasible and can be adopted and further improved to obtain biofilm to enhance their dye removal efficiency in aqueous solutions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Coloring Agents/isolation & purification*; Trityl Compounds/isolation & purification*
  3. Phytochemical investigation of Gynura bicolor leaves and cytotoxicity evaluation of the chemical constituents against HCT 116 cells
    Teoh WY, Tan HP, Ling SK, Abdul Wahab N, Sim KS
    Nat Prod Res, 2016;30(4):448-51.
    PMID: 25738869 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2015.1017726
    Gynura bicolor (Compositae) is a popular vegetable in Asia and believed to confer a wide range of benefits including anti-cancer. Our previous findings showed that the ethyl acetate extract of G. bicolor possessed cytotoxicity and induced apoptotic and necrotic cell death in human colon carcinoma cells (HCT 116). A combination of column chromatography had been used to purify chemical constituents from the ethyl acetate and water extract of G. bicolor leaves. Eight chemical constituents 5-p-trans-coumaroylquinic acid (I), 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (II), rutin (III), kampferol-3-O-rutinoside (IV), 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (V), kampferol-3-O-glucoside (VI), guanosine (VII) and chlorogenic acid (VIII) were isolated from G. bicolor grown in Malaysia. To our best knowledge, all chemical constituents were isolated for the first time from G. bicolor leaves except rutin (III). 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (V), guanosine (VII) and chlorogenic acid (VIII) demonstrated selective cytotoxicity (selective index>3) against HCT 116 cancer cells compared to CCD-18Co human normal colon cells.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chlorogenic Acid/isolation & purification; Parabens/isolation & purification; Quinic Acid/isolation & purification; Rutin/isolation & purification; Phytochemicals/isolation & purification
  4. Fulltext Analysis of flavone C-glycosides in the leaves of Clinacanthus nutans (Burm. f.) Lindau by HPTLC and HPLC-UV/DAD
    Chelyn JL, Omar MH, Mohd Yousof NS, Ranggasamy R, Wasiman MI, Ismail Z
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:724267.
    PMID: 25405231 DOI: 10.1155/2014/724267
    Clinacanthus nutans (family Acanthaceae) has been used for the treatment of inflammation and herpes viral infection. Currently, there has not been any report on the qualitative and quantitative determination of the chemical markers in the leaves of C. nutans. The C-glycosidic flavones such as shaftoside, isoorientin, orientin, isovitexin, and vitexin have been found to be major flavonoids in the leaves of this plant. Therefore, we had developed a two-step method using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) for the rapid identification and quantification of the flavones C-glycosides in C. nutans leaves. The TLC separation of the chemical markers was achieved on silica gel 60 plate using ethyl acetate : formic acid : acetic acid : water (100 : 11 : 11 : 27 v/v/v/v) as the mobile phase. HPLC method was optimized and validated for the quantification of shaftoside, orientin, isovitexin, and vitexin and was shown to be linear in concentration range tested (0.4-200 μg/mL, r(2) ≥ 0.996), precise (RSD ≤ 4.54%), and accurate (95-105%). The concentration of shaftoside, orientin, vitexin, and isovitexin in C. nutans leave samples was 2.55-17.43, 0.00-0.86, 0.00-2.01, and 0.00-0.91 mmol/g, respectively.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flavonoids/isolation & purification*; Glucosides/isolation & purification*; Glycosides/isolation & purification*; Apigenin/isolation & purification*; Luteolin/isolation & purification*
  5. Physico-chemical characteristics of papaya (Carica papaya L.) seed oil of the Hong Kong/Sekaki variety
    Yanty NA, Marikkar JM, Nusantoro BP, Long K, Ghazali HM
    J Oleo Sci, 2014;63(9):885-92.
    PMID: 25174674
    A study was carried out to determine the physicochemical characteristics of the oil derived from papaya seeds of the Hong Kong/Sekaki variety. Proximate analysis showed that seeds of the Hong Kong/Sekaki variety contained considerable amount of oil (27.0%). The iodine value, saponification value, unsaponifiable matter and free fatty acid contents of freshly extracted papaya seed oil were 76.9 g I2/100g oil, 193.5 mg KOH/g oil, 1.52% and 0.91%, respectively. The oil had a Lovibond color index of 15.2Y + 5.2B. Papaya seed oil contained ten detectable fatty acids, of which 78.33% were unsaturated. Oleic (73.5%) acid was the dominant fatty acids followed by palmitic acid (15.8%). Based on the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, seven species of triacylglycerols (TAGs) were detected. The predominant TAGs of papaya seed oil were OOO (40.4%), POO (29.1%) and SOO (9.9%) where O, P, and S denote oleic, palmitic and stearic acids, respectively. Thermal analysis by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that papaya seed oil had its major melting and crystallization transitions at 12.4°C and -48.2°C, respectively. Analysis of the sample by Z-nose (electronic nose) instrument showed that the sample had a high level of volatile compounds.
    Matched MeSH terms: Fatty Acids/isolation & purification*; Triglycerides/isolation & purification; Oleic Acid/isolation & purification; Palmitic Acid/isolation & purification; Volatile Organic Compounds/isolation & purification
  6. Winged bean [Psophorcarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC] seeds as an underutilised plant source of bifunctional proteolysate and biopeptides
    Yea CS, Ebrahimpour A, Hamid AA, Bakar J, Muhammad K, Saari N
    Food Funct, 2014 May;5(5):1007-16.
    PMID: 24658538 DOI: 10.1039/c3fo60667h
    Hypertension is one of the major causes of cardiovascular-related diseases, which is highly associated with angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) activity and oxidative stress. In this study, winged bean seed (WBS), a potential source of protein, was utilised for the production of bifunctional proteolysate and biopeptides with ACE inhibitory and antioxidative properties. An enzymatic approach was applied, coupled with pretreatment of shaking and centrifuging techniques to remove endogenous ACE inhibitors prior to proteolysis. ACE inhibition reached its highest activity, 78.5%, after 12 h proteolysis while antioxidative activities, determined using assays involving DPPH˙ radical scavenging activity and metal ion-chelating activity, reached peaks of 65.0% and 65.7% at 8 h and 14 h, respectively. The said bioactivities were proposed to share some common structural requirements among peptides. A two-dimensional approach was employed for characterisation of effective peptides based on hydrophobicity, using RP-HPLC, and isoelectric property, using isoelectric focusing technique. Results revealed that acidic and basic peptides with partially higher hydrophobicity provided higher ACE inhibition activity than did neutral peptides. Finally, by using Q-TOF mass spectrometry, two peptide sequences (YPNQKV and FDIRA) with ACE inhibitory and antioxidative activities were successfully matched with a database. This study indicates that the WBS proteolysate can be a potential bifunctional food ingredient as the identified biopeptides demonstrated both ACE inhibitory and antioxidative activities in vitro.
    Matched MeSH terms: Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/isolation & purification; Antihypertensive Agents/isolation & purification; Antioxidants/isolation & purification; Plant Proteins/isolation & purification; Protein Hydrolysates/isolation & purification
  7. Extraction of antioxidative and antihypertensive bioactive peptides from Parkia speciosa seeds
    Siow HL, Gan CY
    Food Chem, 2013 Dec 15;141(4):3435-42.
    PMID: 23993504 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.06.030
    Antioxidative and antihypertensive bioactive peptides were successfully derived from Parkia speciosa seed using alcalase. The effects of temperature (25 and 50 °C), substrate-to-enzyme ratio (S/E ratio, 20 and 50), and incubation time (0.5, 1, 2 and 5h) were evaluated based on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) assays. Bioactive peptide extracted at a hydrolysis condition of: temperature=50 °C, S/E ratio=50 and incubation time=2h, exhibited the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity (2.9 mg GAE/g), reducing power (11.7 mM) and %ACE-inhibitory activity (80.2%). The sample was subsequently subjected to fractionation and the peptide fraction of <10 kDa showed the strongest bioactivities. A total of 29 peptide sequences from peptide fraction of <10 kDa were identified as the most potent contributors to the bioactivities. These novel bioactive peptides were suggested to be beneficial to nutraceutical and food industries.
    Matched MeSH terms: Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/isolation & purification; Antihypertensive Agents/isolation & purification; Antioxidants/isolation & purification; Peptides/isolation & purification; Plant Extracts/isolation & purification
  8. Fulltext Phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant activity and cyanogenic glycosides of organic and mineral-base fertilized cassava tubers
    Omar NF, Hassan SA, Yusoff UK, Abdullah NA, Wahab PE, Sinniah U
    Molecules, 2012;17(3):2378-87.
    PMID: 22370524 DOI: 10.3390/molecules17032378
    A field study was conducted to determine the effect of organic and mineral-based fertilizers on phytochemical contents in the tubers of two cassava varieties. Treatments were arranged in a split plot design with three replicates. The main plot was fertilizer source (vermicompost, empty fruit bunch compost and inorganic fertilizer) and sub-plot was cassava variety (Medan and Sri Pontian). The amount of fertilizer applied was based on 180 kg K(2)O ha-1. The tubers were harvested and analyzed for total flavonoids, total phenolics, antioxidant activity and cyanogenic glucoside content. Total phenolic and flavonoid compounds were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay and aluminium chloride colorimetric method, respectively. Different sources of fertilizer, varieties and their interactions were found to have a significant effect on phytochemical content. The phenolic and flavonoid content were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the vermicompost treatment compared to mineral fertilizer and EFB compost. The total flavonoids and phenolics content of vermicompost treated plants were 39% and 38% higher, respectively, than those chemically fertilized. The antioxidant activity determined using the DPPH and FRAP assays were high with application of organic fertilizer. Cyanogenic glycoside levels were decreased with the application of organic fertilizer. Among the two types of compost, vermicompost resulted in higher nutritional value of cassava tubers. Medan variety with application of vermicompost showed the most promising nutritional quality. Since the nutritional quality of cassava can be improved by organic fertilization, organic fertilizer should be used in place of chemical fertilizer for environmentally sustainable production of better quality cassava.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flavonoids/isolation & purification; Glycosides/isolation & purification; Phenols/isolation & purification; Plant Extracts/isolation & purification; Free Radical Scavengers/isolation & purification
  9. Identification of thioketone analogues of sildenfil using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
    Man CN, Noor NM, Lajis R
    J Chromatogr A, 2011 Sep 28;1218(39):7055-60.
    PMID: 21872876 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2011.08.037
    Sildenafil analogues have been found adulterated in herbal preparations and food products that claim to have natural aphrodisiacs. In this study, a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) assay was developed for the screening and identification of thioketone analogues of sildenafil. Thiopyrazolopyrimidine, a precursor or a cleavage product of thioketone analogue, exhibited characteristic fragment ions of m/z 328 and m/z 299 was found to be the best marker to screen the presence of general thioketone analogues. Identification by GC-MS assay was rapid and specific as all the studied thioketones showed characteristic mass fragmentations including their intact molecular ions. The developed GC-MS assay had successfully identified thiosildenafil, thiohomosildenafil and thiodimethylsildenafil in herbal preparation and food products.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ketones/isolation & purification; Piperazines/isolation & purification; Purines/isolation & purification; Pyrimidines/isolation & purification; Sulfones/isolation & purification
  10. Fulltext Epidemiological surveys of, and research on, soil-transmitted helminths in Southeast Asia: a systematic review
    Dunn JC, Turner HC, Tun A, Anderson RM
    Parasit Vectors, 2016 Jan 27;9:31.
    PMID: 26813007 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1310-2
    Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections of humans fall within the World Health Organization's (WHO) grouping termed the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). It is estimated that they affect approximately 1.4 billion people worldwide. A significant proportion of these infections are in the population of Southeast Asia. This review analyses published data on STH prevalence and intensity in Southeast Asia over the time period of 1900 to the present to describe age related patterns in these epidemiological measures. This is with a focus on the four major parasite species affecting humans; namely Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and the hookworms; Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale. Data were also collected on the diagnostic methods used in the published surveys and how the studies were designed to facilitate comparative analyses of recorded patterns and changes therein over time. PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, ISI Web of Science, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Global Atlas of Helminth Infections search engines were used to identify studies on STH in Southeast Asia with the search based on the major key words, and variants on, "soil-transmitted helminth" "Ascaris" "Trichuris" "hookworm" and the country name. A total of 280 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria from 11 Southeast Asian countries; Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. It was concluded that the epidemiological patterns of STH infection by age and species mix in Southeast Asia are similar to those reported in other parts of the world. In the published studies there were a large number of different diagnostic methods used with differing sensitivities and specificities, which makes comparison of the results both within and between countries difficult. There is a clear requirement to standardise the methods of both STH diagnosis in faecal material and how the intensity of infection is recorded and reported in future STH research and in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the impact of continuing and expanding mass drug administration (MDA) programmes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Ancylostoma/isolation & purification; Ancylostomatoidea/isolation & purification; Helminths/isolation & purification*; Trichuris/isolation & purification; Ascaris lumbricoides/isolation & purification
  11. Quantification of PAH4 in roasted cocoa beans using QuEChERS and dispersive liquid-liquid micro-extraction (DLLME) coupled with HPLC-FLD
    Agus BAP, Hussain N, Selamat J
    Food Chem, 2020 Jan 15;303:125398.
    PMID: 31470272 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125398
    Roasting is an important process in cocoa production which may lead to formation of non-desirable compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Therefore, PAH4 (sum of four different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, and benzo[a]pyrene) in roasted cocoa beans was determined using a modified method (combination of QuEChERS and DLLME), and quantified by HPLC-FLD. The modified method was validated and met the performance criteria required by the EU Regulation (No. 836/2011). Results show a significant (p 
    Matched MeSH terms: Anthracenes/isolation & purification; Benzo(a)pyrene/isolation & purification; Chrysenes/isolation & purification; Fluorenes/isolation & purification; Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Aromatic/isolation & purification*
  12. Fulltext The Effect of Pressure and Solvent on the Supercritical Fluid Chromatography Separation of Tocol Analogs in Palm Oil
    Ng MH, Kushairi A
    Molecules, 2017 Aug 29;22(9).
    PMID: 28850073 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22091424
    There are six tocol analogs present in palm oil, namely α-tocopherol (α-T), α-tocomonoenol (α-T₁), α-tocotrienol (α-T₃), γ-tocotrienol (γ-T₃), β-tocotrioenol (β-T₃) and δ-tocotrienol (δ-T₃). These analogs were difficult to separate chromatographically due to their similar structures, physical and chemical properties. This paper reports on the effect of pressure and injection solvent on the separation of the tocol analogs in palm oil. Supercritical CO₂ modified with ethanol was used as the mobile phase. Both total elution time and resolution of the tocol analogs decreased with increased pressure. Ethanol as an injection solvent resulted in peak broadening of the analogs within the entire pressure range studied. Solvents with an eluent strength of 3.4 or less were more suitable for use as injecting solvents.
    Matched MeSH terms: Chromans/isolation & purification; Vitamin E/isolation & purification; alpha-Tocopherol/isolation & purification; Tocopherols/isolation & purification*; Tocotrienols/isolation & purification
  13. Fulltext Effects of Seasonal Variability on the Physicochemical, Biochemical, and Nutritional Composition of Western Peninsular Malaysia Gracilaria manilaensis
    Aroyehun AQ, Palaniveloo K, Ghazali F, Rizman-Idid M, Abdul Razak S
    Molecules, 2019 Sep 10;24(18).
    PMID: 31510066 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24183298
    This study evaluated the effect of seasonal variation on the physicochemical, biochemical, and nutritional composition of Gracilaria manilaensis. Sampling was designed during the main monsoon seasons in Malaysia-the Southwest monsoon (SWM) and Northeast monsoon (NEM)-to understand the intraspecific variation (p < 0.05). Carbohydrates, protein, and dietary fiber were found to be higher in NEM-G. manilaensis, whereas a higher ash content was quantified in SWM-G. manilaensis. No significant differences were found in crude lipid and moisture content (p > 0.05). Vitamin B2 was calculated as (0.29 ± 0.06 mg 100 g-1) and (0.38 ± 0.06 mg 100 g-1) for the NEM and SWM samples, respectively (p < 0.05). The fatty acid profile showed the dominance of saturated fatty acids (SFAs)-palmitic acids, stearic acid, and myristic acid-while the mineral contents were found to be good sources of calcium (1750.97-4047.74 mg 100 g-1) and iron (1512.55-1346.05 mg 100 g-1). Tryptophan and lysine were recorded as the limiting essential amino acids (EAAs) in NEM G. manilaensis, while leucine and phenylalanine were found to be the limiting EAAs in the SWM samples. None of the extracts exhibited antibacterial properties against the screened strains. The study concluded that seasonal changes have a great effect on the biochemical composition of G. manilaensis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Carbohydrates/isolation & purification; Fatty Acids/isolation & purification; Lipids/isolation & purification; Minerals/isolation & purification; Proteins/isolation & purification
  14. Utilization of plant-based natural coagulants as future alternatives towards sustainable water clarification
    Choy SY, Prasad KM, Wu TY, Raghunandan ME, Ramanan RN
    J Environ Sci (China), 2014 Nov 1;26(11):2178-89.
    PMID: 25458671 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2014.09.024
    Rapid industrial developments coupled with surging population growth have complicated issues dealing with water scarcity as the quest for clean and sanitized water intensifies globally. Existing fresh water supplies could be contaminated with organic, inorganic and biological matters that have potential harm to the society. Turbidity in general is a measure of water cloudiness induced by such colloidal and suspended matters and is also one of the major criteria in raw water monitoring to meet the stipulated water quality guidelines. Turbidity reduction is often accomplished using chemical coagulants such as alum. The use of alum is widely associated with potential development of health issues and generation of voluminous sludge. Natural coagulants that are available in abundance can certainly be considered in addressing the drawbacks associated with the use of chemical coagulants. Twenty one types of plant-based natural coagulants categorized as fruit waste and others are identified and presented collectively with their research summary in this review. The barriers and prospects of commercialization of natural coagulants in near future are also discussed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Water Pollutants/isolation & purification*
  15. Hispidacine, an unusual 8,4'-oxyneolignan-alkaloid with vasorelaxant activity, and hispiloscine, an antiproliferative phenanthroindolizidine alkaloid, from Ficus hispida Linn
    Yap VA, Loong BJ, Ting KN, Loh SH, Yong KT, Low YY, et al.
    Phytochemistry, 2015 Jan;109:96-102.
    PMID: 25468714 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2014.10.032
    Hispidacine, an 8,4'-oxyneolignan featuring incorporation of an unusual 2-hydroxyethylamine moiety at C-7, and hispiloscine, a phenanthroindolizidine alkaloid, were isolated from the stem-bark and leaves of the Malaysian Ficus hispida Linn. Their structures were established by spectroscopic analysis. Hispidacine induced a moderate vasorelaxant activity in rat isolated aorta, while hispiloscine showed appreciable antiproliferative activities against MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, A549, HCT-116 and MRC-5 cell lines.
    Matched MeSH terms: Alkaloids/isolation & purification; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/isolation & purification; Indolizines/isolation & purification; Phenanthrolines/isolation & purification; Vasodilator Agents/isolation & purification; Lignans/isolation & purification; Indolizidines/isolation & purification
  16. Fulltext The impact of selective-logging and forest clearance for oil palm on fungal communities in Borneo
    Kerfahi D, Tripathi BM, Lee J, Edwards DP, Adams JM
    PLoS One, 2014;9(11):e111525.
    PMID: 25405609 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111525
    Tropical forests are being rapidly altered by logging, and cleared for agriculture. Understanding the effects of these land use changes on soil fungi, which play vital roles in the soil ecosystem functioning and services, is a major conservation frontier. Using 454-pyrosequencing of the ITS1 region of extracted soil DNA, we compared communities of soil fungi between unlogged, once-logged, and twice-logged rainforest, and areas cleared for oil palm, in Sabah, Malaysia. Overall fungal community composition differed significantly between forest and oil palm plantation. The OTU richness and Chao 1 were higher in forest, compared to oil palm plantation. As a proportion of total reads, Basidiomycota were more abundant in forest soil, compared to oil palm plantation soil. The turnover of fungal OTUs across space, true β-diversity, was also higher in forest than oil palm plantation. Ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungal abundance was significantly different between land uses, with highest relative abundance (out of total fungal reads) observed in unlogged forest soil, lower abundance in logged forest, and lowest in oil palm. In their entirety, these results indicate a pervasive effect of conversion to oil palm on fungal community structure. Such wholesale changes in fungal communities might impact the long-term sustainability of oil palm agriculture. Logging also has more subtle long term effects, on relative abundance of EcM fungi, which might affect tree recruitment and nutrient cycling. However, in general the logged forest retains most of the diversity and community composition of unlogged forest.
    Matched MeSH terms: Basidiomycota/isolation & purification*
  17. Bacterial communities associated with the pitcher fluids of three Nepenthes (Nepenthaceae) pitcher plant species growing in the wild
    Chou LY, Clarke CM, Dykes GA
    Arch Microbiol, 2014 Oct;196(10):709-17.
    PMID: 25005571 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-014-1011-1
    Nepenthes pitcher plants produce modified jug-shaped leaves to attract, trap and digest insect prey. We used 16S rDNA cloning and sequencing to compare bacterial communities in pitcher fluids of each of three species, namely Nepenthes ampullaria, Nepenthes gracilis and Nepenthes mirabilis, growing in the wild. In contrast to previous greenhouse-based studies, we found that both opened and unopened pitchers harbored bacterial DNA. Pitchers of N. mirabilis had higher bacterial diversity as compared to other Nepenthes species. The composition of the bacterial communities could be different between pitcher types for N. mirabilis (ANOSIM: R = 0.340, p < 0.05). Other Nepenthes species had similar bacterial composition between pitcher types. SIMPER showed that more than 50 % of the bacterial taxa identified from the open pitchers of N. mirabilis were not found in other groups. Our study suggests that bacteria in N. mirabilis are divided into native and nonnative groups.
    Matched MeSH terms: Bacteria/isolation & purification*
  18. Fulltext Optimization of extraction of novel pectinase enzyme discovered in red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) peel
    Zohdi NK, Amid M
    Molecules, 2013;18(11):14366-80.
    PMID: 24264138 DOI: 10.3390/molecules181114366
    Plant peels could be a potential source of novel pectinases for use in various industrial applications due to their broad substrate specificity with high stability under extreme conditions. Therefore, the extraction conditions of a novel pectinase enzyme from pitaya peel was optimized in this study. The effect of extraction variables, namely buffer to sample ratio (2:1 to 8:1, X₁), extraction temperature (-15 to +25 °C, X₂) and buffer pH (4.0 to 12.0, X₃) on specific activity, temperature stability, storage stability and surfactant agent stability of pectinase from pitaya peel was investigated. The study demonstrated that the optimum conditions for the extraction of pectinase from pitaya sources could improve the enzymatic characteristics of the enzyme and protect its activity and stability during the extraction procedure. The optimum extraction conditions cause the pectinase to achieve high specific activity (15.31 U/mg), temperature stability (78%), storage stability (88%) and surfactant agent stability (83%). The most desirable conditions to achieve the highest activity and stability of pectinase enzyme from pitaya peel were the use of 5:1 buffer to sample ratio at 5 °C and pH 8.0.
    Matched MeSH terms: Polygalacturonase/isolation & purification*
  19. Isolation, characterization and sensory evaluation of a Hexa beta-D-glucopyranosyl diterpene from Stevia rebaudiana
    Prakash I, Chaturvedula VS, Markosyan A
    Nat Prod Commun, 2013 Nov;8(11):1523-6.
    PMID: 24427932
    From the extract of the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, a diterpene glycoside was isolated which was identified as 13-[(2-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy] ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid-(2-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-D-glucopyranosyl) ester (1). The complete 1H and 13C NMR assignment of 1 is reported for the first time, from extensive NMR (1H and 13C, COSY, HSQC, and HMBC) and mass spectral data. Also, we report the sensory evaluation of 1 against sucrose for the sweetness property of this molecule.
    Matched MeSH terms: Diterpenes/isolation & purification*
  20. New development in the diagnosis of dengue infections
    Rathakrishnan A, Sekaran SD
    Expert Opin Med Diagn, 2013 Jan;7(1):99-112.
    PMID: 23530846 DOI: 10.1517/17530059.2012.718759
    Dengue is of major concern around the world. Having no pathognomonic features that reliably distinguish it from other febrile illnesses, laboratory diagnosis is important for confirmation. Ideally, a dengue diagnostic test should be sensitive, specific and applicable from the onset of disease to 10 days post-infection.
    Matched MeSH terms: Dengue Virus/isolation & purification*
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