Population increase and the demand for infrastructure development such as construction of highways and road widening are intangible, leading up to mass land clearing. As flat terrains become scarce, infrastructure expansions have moved on to hilly terrains, cutting through slopes and forests. Unvegetated or bare slopes are prone to erosion due to the lack of or insufficient surface cover. The combination of exposed slope, uncontrolled slope management practices, poor slope planning and high rainfall as in Malaysia could steer towards slope failures which then results in landslides under acute situation. Moreover, due to the tropical weather, the soils undergo intense chemical weathering and leaching that elevates soil erosion and surface runoff. Mitigation measures are vital to address slope failures as they lead to economic loss and loss of lives. Since there is minimal or limited information and investigations on slope stabilization methods in Malaysia, this review deciphers into the current slope management practices such as geotextiles, brush layering, live poles, rock buttress and concrete structures. However, these methods have their drawbacks. Thus, as a way forward, we highlight the potential application of soil bioengineering methods especially on the use of whole plants. Here, we discuss the general attributions of a plant in slope stabilization including its mechanical, hydrological and hydraulic effects. Subsequently, we focus on species selection, and engineering properties of vegetation especially rooting structures and architecture. Finally, the review will dissect and assess the ecological principles for vegetation establishment with an emphasis on adopting the mix-culture approach as a slope failure mitigation measure. Nevertheless, the use of soil bioengineering is limited to low to moderate risk slopes only, while in high-risk slopes, the use of traditional engineering measure is deemed more appropriate and remain to be the solution for slope stabilization.
Epileptic seizures result from excessive brain activity and may affect sensory, motor and autonomic function; as well as, emotional state, memory, cognition or behaviour. Effective anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are available but have tolerability issues due to their side effects. Medicinal plants are potential candidates for novel AEDs, as many are traditional epilepsy remedies. Malaysia is a megadiverse country, with many endemic plants serving as a large pool of potential candidates for the development of local herbal products. The large variety of flora makesMalaysia a prime location for the discovery of medicinal plants with anti-convulsive potential. This review lists 23 Malaysian medicinal plants, of which four are used traditionally to treat epilepsy, without any scientific evidence. A further eight plants have no known traditional anti-epileptic usebut have scientific evidence of its anti-epileptic activity. The remaining 11 plants possess both traditional use and scientific evidence. Thus, this review identified several potential candidates for the development of novel AEDs or enhancing current ones; as well as identified an imbalance between traditional use and scientific evidence. In addition, this review also identified several limitations in the reviewed studies and provided additional information to facilitate the design of future studies.
A total of 114 methanol extracts from 42 plant families of edible Malaysian plants were screened for their inhibitory activities toward tumor promoter 12-O-hexadecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (HPA)-induced Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) activation in Raji cells. By testing at a concentration of 200 micrograms/ml, 74% of the 114 extracts inhibited EBV activation by 30% or more. This rate is comparable to those observed in the previous tests on edible Thai (60%) and Indonesian (71%) plants, and, importantly, much higher than that (26%) observed for Japanese edible plants. Approximately half of the Malaysian plants did not taxonomically overlap those from the other three countries, suggesting that Malaysian plants, as well as Thai and Indonesian plants, are an exclusive source of effective chemopreventive agents. Further dilution experiments indicated an extract from the leaves of Piper betle L. (Piperaceae) to be one of the most promising species. The high potential of edible Southeast Asian plants for cancer chemoprevention is collectively discussed.
Tocotrienols are forms of vitamin E that are present in several important food crops. Compared to tocopherols, less research has been conducted on these compounds because of their low bioavailability and distribution in plant tissues. Both tocotrienols and tocopherols are known for their antioxidant and anticancer activities, which are beneficial for both humans and animals. Moreover, tocotrienols possess certain properties which are not found in tocopherols, such as neuroprotective and cholesterol-lowering activities. The contents of tocotrienols in plants vary. Tocotrienols constitute more than 70% and tocopherols less than 30% of the total vitamin E content in palm oil, which is the best source of vitamin E. Accumulation of tocotrienols also occurs in non-photosynthetic tissues, such as the seeds, fruits and latex of some monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plant species. The use of biotechnological techniques to increase the tocotrienol content in plants, their biological functions, and benefits to human health are discussed in this review.
Fungal endophytes are found inside host plants but do not produce any noticeable disease symptoms in their host. In the present study, endophytic Fusarium species were isolated from roots of lawn grass (Axonopus compressus). A total of 51 isolates were recovered from 100 root segments. Two Fusarium species, F. oxysporum (53%) and F. solani (47%), were identified based on macroconidia and conidiogenous cell morphology. The detection of endophytic F. oxysporum and F. solani in the roots of lawn grass contributes to the knowledge of both the distribution of the two Fusarium species and the importance of roots as endophytic niches for Fusarium species.
The biochemical changes in two Selaginella species namely, S. tamariscina (Beauv.) Spring and S. plana (Desv. ex Poir.) Heiron., as induced by desiccation and subsequent rehydration were explored. Plants were allowed to dehydrate naturally by withholding irrigation until shoot's relative water content (RWC) reached <10%. After which, dehydrated plants were watered until fully rehydrated states were obtained which was about 90% RWC or more. Desiccation-tolerance characteristics were observed in S. tamariscina while desiccation-sensitivity features were seen in S. plana. Membrane integrity was maintained in S. tamariscina but not in S. plana as evidenced in the relative electrolyte leakage measurements during desiccation phase and the subsequent rehydration stage. Pigment analyses revealed conservation of some chlorophylls and carotenoids during desiccation and reaching control levels following rehydration in S. tamariscina. Very low pigment contents were found in S. plana during desiccation phase and the pigments were not recovered during rehydration attempt. Meanwhile, compatible solute determination showed rise in total sugar and proline contents of desiccated S. tamariscina only, indicating presence of biochemical protection machineries in this species and absence of such in S. plana during dehydrating conditions. These data indicate that one key element for desiccation-tolerance in lower vascular plants is the ability to protect tissues from severe damages caused by intense desiccation.
Barringtonia racemosa is a medicinal plant belonging to the Lecythidaceae family. The water extract of B. racemosa leaf (BLE) has been shown to be rich in polyphenols. Despite the diverse medicinal properties of B. racemosa, information on its major biological effects and the underlying molecular mechanisms are still lacking.
Nur Humaira’ Lau Abdullah, Zal U’yun Wan Mahmood, Norfaizal Mohamed @ Muhamad, Nazaratul Ashifa Abdullah Salim, Ahmad Nazrul Abd Wahid, Nor Dalila Desa, et al.
A glasshouse experiment was performed to evaluate the uptake of grasses viz. Napier and Vetiver
in radiophytoremediation of caesium-contaminated soil. The radiophytoremediation experiment
was designed according to the Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). The grasses were
grown in troughs filled with soil mixed with a known specific activity of 134Cs. Initial Cs activity and
activity after different cultivation time intervals of 1, 3, 6 and 9 months were analyzed using gamma
spectrometer direct measurement. The results showed the uptake of caesium by Napier and Vetiver
after 9 months with the transfer factors (TF) were 4.70 and 6.25, respectively. The remediation of
caesium from the contaminated soil during the study period was 98.08% for Napier and 98.21% for
Vetiver. Both grasses have been found to accumulate caesium, with Vetiver accumulating higher
than Napier. Thus, the present study suggests that Vetiver could be used as a potential plant for
radiophytoremediation of caesium.
Centella asiatica L. is traditionally used as a medicinal herbs and alternative medicine in treating numerous kinds of diseases. The use of Centella in food and beverages has increased over the years. Its potential antioxidant and neuroprotective activity has been widely claimed in many reports and basically is very much related to its properties and mechanism of action of the plant’s bioactive constituents namely the asiaticoside, asiatic acid, madecassoside and madecassic acid. As such, this review will cover the biological activity of the plant’s active constituents in relation to its food and beverage applications. The plant cultivation and biotechnological approaches to improve the production of desired bioactive constituents by cultured cells will also be reviewed. In addition, the range of chemical compositions found in Centella and safety aspects are also included.
Nuclear power is considered as one of the best option for future energy development in Malaysia. Since Malaysia has no experience in nuclear energy generation, commissioning the first nuclear power plant needs tremendous effort in various aspects. Site selection is one of important step in nuclear power plant commissioning process. This paper proposes candidate sites for nuclear power plant in Mersing, Kota Tinggi, Muar and Batu Pahat district in Johor, Malaysia. The candidate selection process uses the IAEA document and AELB guideline as main reference, supported by site selection procedure by various countries. MapInfo Professional software was used to simulate the selection process for candidate areas for the nuclear power plant. This paper concluded that Tenggaroh and Jemaluang area are the most suitable area for nuclear power plant facilities in Johor, Malaysia.
Nuclear power is considered as one of the best option for future energy development in Malaysia. Since Malaysia has no experience in nuclear energy generation, commissioning the first nuclear power plant needs tremendous effort in various aspects. Site selection is one of important step in nuclear power plant commissioning process. This paper proposes candidate sites for nuclear power plant in Mersing, Kota Tinggi, Muar and Batu Pahat district in Johor, Malaysia. The candidate selection process uses the IAEA document and AELB guideline as main reference, supported by site selection procedure by various countries. Mapinfo Professional software was used to simulate the selection process for candidate areas for the nuclear power plant. This paper concluded that Tenygaroh and Jemaluang area are the most suitable area for nuclear power plant facilities in Johor, Malaysia.
Artemisia vulgaris is one of the important medicinal plant species of the genus Artemisia, which is usually known for its volatile oils. The genus Artemisia has become the subject of great interest due to its chemical and biological diversity as well as the discovery and isolation of promising anti-malarial drug artemisinin. A. vulgaris has a long history in treatment of human ailments by medicinal plants in various parts of the world. This medicinal plant possesses a broad spectrum of therapeutic properties including: anti-malarial, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-oxidant, anti-tumoral, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, anti-spasmodic and anti-septic. These activities are mainly attributed to the presence of various classes of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids, sesquiterpene lactones, coumarins, acetylenes, phenolic acids, organic acids, mono- and sesquiterpenes. Studies related to A. vulgaris morphology, anatomy and phytochemistry has gained a significant interest for better understanding of production and accumulation of therapeutic compounds in this species. Recently, phytochemical and pharmacological investigations have corroborated the therapeutic potential of bioactive compounds of A. vulgaris. These findings provided further evidence for gaining deeper insight into the identification and isolation of novel compounds, which act as alternative sources of anti-malarial drugs in a cost-effective manner. Considering the rising demand and various medical applications of A. vulgaris, this review highlights the recent reports on the chemistry, biological activities and biotechnological interventions for controlled and continuous production of bioactive compounds from this plant species.
Discovery of drugs from medicinal plants continues to provide major leads against various
pharmacological targets, particularly in cancer diseases. Hence, there are increasing demands to discover
more therapeutic agents from various species of medicinal plants. Chemical compounds in plants are
important for human beings due to their therapeutic properties. Goniothalamus umbrosus, Typhonium
flagelliforme, Myrmecodia pendens, Strobilanthes crispus and Clinacanthus nutans, are among the herbal
species, which are consumed by cancer patients in order to combat against the growth of cancer cells. The
present review aims to highlight on the anti-cancer properties of the listed Malaysian herbs.
Heavy metals pollution has become a great threat to the world. Since instrumental methods are
expensive and need skilled technician, a simple and fast method is needed to determine the
presence of heavy metals in the environment. In this work, a preliminary study was carried out
on the applicability of various local plants as a source of protease for the future development of
the inhibitive enzyme assay for heavy-metals. The crude proteases preparation was assayed using
casein as a substrate in conjunction with the Coomassie dye-binding assay. The crude protease
from the kesinai plant was found to be the most potent plant protease. The crude enzyme
exhibited broad temperature and pH ranges for activity and will be developed in the future as a
potential inhibitive assay for heavy metals.
Centella asiatica is widely used as a medicinal plant in Malaysia and other parts of the world. In the present study, the growth and uptake of heavy metal by C. asiatica were determined based on the plant exposure to different treatment of metal-contaminated soils under laboratory conditions. Heavy metals uptake in different parts of the plants namely roots, stems and leaves were determined. In general, it was found that the metal uptake capacity followed the order: roots > stems > leaves. Since a close positive relationship was established between the concentrations of metal accumulated in different parts of the plant and the metal levels in the most contaminated soil, C. asiatica has the potential of being used as a biomonitoring plant for heavy metal pollution in the polluted soils.
Diplotaxis tenuifolia is a medicinally important perennial plant species, distributed widely alongside the roads in Turkey. The samples were collected from 54 sites, including highways, sideways, industrial areas, urban centres and rural environs. Both the plant and soil samples were analysed to determine the concentrations of different metals using AAS. The results showed that in the soil samples copper and lead were highest near highway 45.533 and 2.865 mg/kg, respectively; but lowest values of copper were determined around industrial areas (3.514 mg/kg), latter however showed higher concentrations of cadmium (0.726 mg/kg) and iron (82.766 mg/kg). The lead as well as iron were the lowest around sideways 1.917 mg/kg and 54.073 mg/kg, respectively, whereas chromium concentrations in the soils were highest near sideways (18.397 mg/kg) and lowest around industrial areas (0.182 mg/kg). The sideways showed very low nickel concentrations (0.271 mg/kg), as compared to the rural areas which had higher nickel concentrations (0.726 mg/kg). No cadmium was detected in the urban soil samples. In the plants copper and chromium were higher in the urban areas 50.130 and 0.238 mg/kg, respectively. The former was lowest around sideways (32.377 mg/kg) and latter around highways (0.114 mg/kg). Both nickel and cadmium were higher in the samples from industrial areas 0.238 and 0.016 mg/kg, respectively. Their values around the highways were lowest 0.182 and 0.005 mg/kg. The samples from urban sites revealed highest values of lead (3.474 mg/kg) and iron (61.304 mg/kg), but the values of lead were lowest around sideways (2.420 mg/kg) and those of iron in the vicinity of industrial areas (20.600 mg/kg). All these findings depict that there is some aerial deposition of these metals on the leaves. A significant correlation is seen between the plants and the soils.
Ulam is fresh traditional Malaysian vegetables which normally consumed in raw form or after a short blanching process.It contains high antioxidants and polyphenols. However, there is limited study about the relationship between ulam consumption and cognitive status. Thus, a cross sectional study was conducted to determine the relation with cognitive function among 132 middle-aged Malays adults (45-59 years old), ecruited by convenient sampling from low income residences in Klang Valley. Respondents were interviewed to obtain data on sociodemography, dietary intake and total ulam intake and also measured for anthropometric parameters at respective community centres. Cognitive status was measured using Digit Span (attention and working memory), Rey auditory verbal learning test (RAVLT) (verbal memory) and comprehensive trail making test (CTMT) (cognitive flexibility). The average ulam intake by the respondents was 15.1 ± 8.2g/day and the top five highest consumed ulam were petai (68.1%), pucuk paku (62.9%), ulam raja (56.8%), pegaga (54.6%) and kesum (44.7%).There was a significant correlation between ulam intake with Digit Span (r = 0.265, p = 0.006), total immediate recall of RAVLT (r = 0.427, p < 0.001) and CTMT (r = 0.257, p = 0.007). Analysis of multiple regression indicated that total ulam intake was a significant predictor for Digit Span (R2 = 0.152, p < 0.05), RAVLT (R2 = 0.335, p = 0.001) and CTMT (R2 = 0.310, p < 0.001). In conclusion, this study showed that ulam has the potential to protect against cognitive decline, however, randomized control trials should be conducted to determine the efficacy of the ulam as neuroprotective agent.
Plant litter is the major source of energy and nutrients in stream ecosystems and its decomposition is vital for ecosystem nutrient cycling and functioning. Invertebrates are key contributors to instream litter decomposition, yet quantification of their effects and drivers at the global scale remains lacking. Here, we systematically synthesized data comprising 2707 observations from 141 studies of stream litter decomposition to assess the contribution and drivers of invertebrates to the decomposition process across the globe. We found that (1) the presence of invertebrates enhanced instream litter decomposition globally by an average of 74%; (2) initial litter quality and stream water physicochemical properties were equal drivers of invertebrate effects on litter decomposition, while invertebrate effects on litter decomposition were not affected by climatic region, mesh size of coarse-mesh bags or mycorrhizal association of plants providing leaf litter; and (3) the contribution of invertebrates to litter decomposition was greatest during the early stages of litter mass loss (0-20%). Our results, besides quantitatively synthesizing the global pattern of invertebrate contribution to instream litter decomposition, highlight the most significant effects of invertebrates on litter decomposition at early rather than middle or late decomposition stages, providing support for the inclusion of invertebrates in global dynamic models of litter decomposition in streams to explore mechanisms and impacts of terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric carbon fluxes.
Biofilms are a collective of multiple types of bacteria that develop on a variety of surfaces. Biofilm development results in heightened resistance to antibiotics. Quorum sensing plays an important role in biofilm development as it is one of the common communication mechanisms within cells, which balances and stabilizes the environment, when the amount of bacteria increases. Because of the important implications of the roles biofilms play in infectious diseases, it is crucial to investigate natural antibacterial agents that are able to regulate biofilm formation and development. Various studies have suggested that natural plant products have the potential to suppress bacterial growth and exhibit chemopreventive traits in the modulation of biofilm development. In this review, we discuss and collate potential antibiofilm drugs and biological molecules from natural sources, along with their underlying mechanisms of action. In addition, we also discuss the antibiofilm drugs that are currently under clinical trials and highlight their potential future uses.
BACKGROUND: It is hypothesized that dietary supplementation with Fenugreek modulates glucose homeostasis and potentially prevents diabetes mellitus in people with prediabetes. The objective of present study is to determine whether Fenugreek can prevent the outcome of T2DM in non diabetic people with prediabetes.
METHODS: A 3-year randomized, controlled, parallel study for efficacy of Fenugreek (n = 66) and matched controls (n = 74) was conducted in men and women aged 30-70 years with criteria of prediabetes. Fenugreek powder, 5 g twice a day before meals, was given to study subjects and progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was monitored at baseline and every 3 months for the 3-year study.
RESULTS: By the end of intervention period, cumulative incidence rate of diabetes reduced significantly in Fenugreek group when compared to controls. The Fenugreek group also saw a significant reduction in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial plasma glucose (PPPG) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc) whereas serum insulin increased significantly. It was observed that controls had 4.2 times higher chance of developing diabetes compared to subjects in the Fenugreek group. The outcome of diabetes in Fenugreek group was positively associated with serum insulin and negatively associated with insulin resistance (HOMA IR).
CONCLUSIONS: Dietary supplementation of 10 g Fenugreek/day in prediabetes subjects was associated with lower conversion to diabetes with no adverse effects and beneficial possibly due to its decreased insulin resistance.
Study site: Diabetes Day Care Center of the University Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, India