Displaying publications 221 - 240 of 432 in total

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  1. Fulltext Radial quantitative ultrasound and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry: intermethod agreement for bone status assessment in children
    Chong KH, Poh BK, Jamil NA, Kamaruddin NA, Deurenberg P
    Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:232876.
    PMID: 25922831 DOI: 10.1155/2015/232876
    Aim. To validate a radial quantitative ultrasound (QUS) system with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), a criterion technique in bone status assessment among children. Methods. Bone health was evaluated using a radial QUS system (Sunlight Omnisense 8000P) to measure the speed of sound (SOS) at one-third distal radius of the nondominant hand and DXA (Hologic QDR) was used to assess whole body bone mineral density (BMD). Results. Some 29.9% of the children were grossly misclassified according to quartiles of BMD and radial SOS. Poor agreement was observed between Z-scores of radial SOS and whole-body BMD (mean difference = 0.6 ± 0.9; 95% limits of agreement = -1.4 to 2.6). With a cut-off value of -1.0, radial SOS yielded satisfactory sensitivity (80%) and specificity (93%) for the detection of children with low BMD. Conclusion. The observed poor agreement in the present study suggests that radial QUS and DXA are not comparable and hence are not interchangeable in evaluating bone status of the children.
  2. Fulltext Gene knockout identification using an extension of Bees Hill Flux Balance Analysis
    Choon YW, Mohamad MS, Deris S, Chong CK, Omatu S, Corchado JM
    Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:124537.
    PMID: 25874200 DOI: 10.1155/2015/124537
    Microbial strain optimisation for the overproduction of a desired phenotype has been a popular topic in recent years. Gene knockout is a genetic engineering technique that can modify the metabolism of microbial cells to obtain desirable phenotypes. Optimisation algorithms have been developed to identify the effects of gene knockout. However, the complexities of metabolic networks have made the process of identifying the effects of genetic modification on desirable phenotypes challenging. Furthermore, a vast number of reactions in cellular metabolism often lead to a combinatorial problem in obtaining optimal gene knockout. The computational time increases exponentially as the size of the problem increases. This work reports an extension of Bees Hill Flux Balance Analysis (BHFBA) to identify optimal gene knockouts to maximise the production yield of desired phenotypes while sustaining the growth rate. This proposed method functions by integrating OptKnock into BHFBA for validating the results automatically. The results show that the extension of BHFBA is suitable, reliable, and applicable in predicting gene knockout. Through several experiments conducted on Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Clostridium thermocellum as model organisms, extension of BHFBA has shown better performance in terms of computational time, stability, growth rate, and production yield of desired phenotypes.
  3. Fulltext Microalgae as sustainable renewable energy feedstock for biofuel production
    Medipally SR, Yusoff FM, Banerjee S, Shariff M
    Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:519513.
    PMID: 25874216 DOI: 10.1155/2015/519513
    The world energy crisis and increased greenhouse gas emissions have driven the search for alternative and environmentally friendly renewable energy sources. According to life cycle analysis, microalgae biofuel is identified as one of the major renewable energy sources for sustainable development, with potential to replace the fossil-based fuels. Microalgae biofuel was devoid of the major drawbacks associated with oil crops and lignocelluloses-based biofuels. Algae-based biofuels are technically and economically viable and cost competitive, require no additional lands, require minimal water use, and mitigate atmospheric CO2. However, commercial production of microalgae biodiesel is still not feasible due to the low biomass concentration and costly downstream processes. The viability of microalgae biodiesel production can be achieved by designing advanced photobioreactors, developing low cost technologies for biomass harvesting, drying, and oil extraction. Commercial production can also be accomplished by improving the genetic engineering strategies to control environmental stress conditions and by engineering metabolic pathways for high lipid production. In addition, new emerging technologies such as algal-bacterial interactions for enhancement of microalgae growth and lipid production are also explored. This review focuses mainly on the problems encountered in the commercial production of microalgae biofuels and the possible techniques to overcome these difficulties.
  4. Fulltext Modelling the longevity of dental restorations by means of a CBR system
    Aliaga IJ, Vera V, De Paz JF, García AE, Mohamad MS
    Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:540306.
    PMID: 25866792 DOI: 10.1155/2015/540306
    The lifespan of dental restorations is limited. Longevity depends on the material used and the different characteristics of the dental piece. However, it is not always the case that the best and longest lasting material is used since patients may prefer different treatments according to how noticeable the material is. Over the last 100 years, the most commonly used material has been silver amalgam, which, while very durable, is somewhat aesthetically displeasing. Our study is based on the collection of data from the charts, notes, and radiographic information of restorative treatments performed by Dr. Vera in 1993, the analysis of the information by computer artificial intelligence to determine the most appropriate restoration, and the monitoring of the evolution of the dental restoration. The data will be treated confidentially according to the Organic Law 15/1999 on 13 December on the Protection of Personal Data. This paper also presents a clustering technique capable of identifying the most significant cases with which to instantiate the case-base. In order to classify the cases, a mixture of experts is used which incorporates a Bayesian network and a multilayer perceptron; the combination of both classifiers is performed with a neural network.
  5. Fulltext Prediction of cardiovascular disease risk among low-income urban dwellers in metropolitan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    Su TT, Amiri M, Mohd Hairi F, Thangiah N, Bulgiba A, Majid HA
    Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:516984.
    PMID: 25821810 DOI: 10.1155/2015/516984
    We aimed to predict the ten-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among low-income urban dwellers of metropolitan Malaysia. Participants were selected from a cross-sectional survey conducted in Kuala Lumpur. To assess the 10-year CVD risk, we employed the Framingham risk scoring (FRS) models. Significant determinants of the ten-year CVD risk were identified using General Linear Model (GLM). Altogether 882 adults (≥30 years old with no CVD history) were randomly selected. The classic FRS model (figures in parentheses are from the modified model) revealed that 20.5% (21.8%) and 38.46% (38.9%) of respondents were at high and moderate risk of CVD. The GLM models identified the importance of education, occupation, and marital status in predicting the future CVD risk. Our study indicated that one out of five low-income urban dwellers has high chance of having CVD within ten years. Health care expenditure, other illness related costs and loss of productivity due to CVD would worsen the current situation of low-income urban population. As such, the public health professionals and policy makers should establish substantial effort to formulate the public health policy and community-based intervention to minimize the upcoming possible high mortality and morbidity due to CVD among the low-income urban dwellers.
  6. Fulltext Inhibitory and apoptosis-inducing effects of Newcastle disease virus strain AF2240 on mammary carcinoma cell line
    Ahmad U, Ahmed I, Keong YY, Abd Manan N, Othman F
    Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:127828.
    PMID: 25821783 DOI: 10.1155/2015/127828
    Breast cancer is the malignant tumour that developed from cells of the breast and is the first leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide. Surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are the available treatments for breast cancer, but these were reported to have side effects. Newcastle disease virus (NDV) known as Avian paramyxovirus type-1 (APMV1) belongs to the genus Avulavirus in a family Paramyxoviridae. NDV is shown to be a promising anticancer agent, killing tumour cells while sparing normal cells unharmed. In this study, the oncolytic and cytotoxic activities of NDV AF2240 strain were evaluated on MDA-MB-231, human mammary carcinoma cell line, using MTT assay, and its inhibitory effects were further studied using proliferation and migration assays. Morphological and apoptotic-inducing effects of NDV on MD-MB-231 cells were observed using phase contrast and fluorescence microscopes. Detection of DNA fragmentation was done following terminal deoxyribonucleotide transferase-mediated Br-dUTP nick end labeling staining (TUNEL) assay, which confirmed that the mode of death was through apoptosis and was quantified by flow cytometry. Furthermore, analysis of cellular DNA content demonstrated that the virus caused an increase in the sub-G1 phase (apoptotic peak) of the cell cycle. It appears that NDV AF2240 strain is a potent anticancer agent that induced apoptosis in time-dependent manner.
  7. Fulltext A game system for cognitive rehabilitation
    Shapi'i A, Mat Zin NA, Elaklouk AM
    Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:493562.
    PMID: 25815320 DOI: 10.1155/2015/493562
    Brain injury such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke is the major cause of long-term disabilities in many countries. The increasing rate of brain damaged victims and the heterogeneity of impairments decrease rehabilitation effectiveness and competence resulting in higher cost of rehabilitation treatment. On the other hand, traditional rehabilitation exercises are boring, thus leading patients to neglect the prescribed exercises required for recovery. Therefore, we propose game-based approach to address these problems. This paper presents a rehabilitation gaming system (RGS) for cognitive rehabilitation. The RGS is developed based on a proposed conceptual framework which has also been presented in this paper.
  8. Fulltext Vitamin supplementation as possible prophylactic treatment against migraine with aura and menstrual migraine
    Shaik MM, Gan SH
    Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:469529.
    PMID: 25815319 DOI: 10.1155/2015/469529
    Migraine is the most common form of headache disorder globally. The etiology of migraine is multifactorial, with genetic components and environmental interactions considered to be the main causal factors. Some researchers postulate that deficits in mitochondrial energy reserves can cause migraine or an increase in homocysteine levels can lead to migraine attacks; therefore, vitamins could play a vital role in migraine prevention. For instance, riboflavin influences mitochondrial dysfunction and prevents migraine. Genes such as flavoenzyme 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), especially the C677T variant, have been associated with elevated plasma levels of homocysteine and migraine with aura. Homocysteine catalyzation requires the presence of vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid, which can decrease the severity of migraine with aura, making these vitamins potentially useful prophylactic agents for treating migraine with aura. Menstrual migraine, on the other hand, is associated with increased prostaglandin (PG) levels in the endometrium, indicating a role for vitamin E, which is an anti-PG. Vitamin C can also be used as a scavenger of reactive oxygen species for treating neurogenic inflammation in migraine patients. This paper reviews possible therapies based on vitamin supplementation for migraine prophylaxis, focusing on migraine with aura and menstrual migraine.
  9. Fulltext Dengue patients exhibit higher levels of PrM and E antibodies than their asymptomatic counterparts
    Yeo AS, Rathakrishnan A, Wang SM, Ponnampalavanar S, Manikam R, Sathar J, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:420867.
    PMID: 25815314 DOI: 10.1155/2015/420867
    Dengue virus infection is a common tropical disease which often occurs without being detected. These asymptomatic cases provide information in relation to the manifestation of immunological aspects. In this study, we developed an ELISA method to compare neutralizing effects of dengue prM and E antibodies between dengue patients and their asymptomatic household members. Recombinant D2 premembrane (prM) was constructed, cloned, and tested for antigenicity. The recombinant protein was purified and tested with controls by using an indirect ELISA method. Positive dengue serum samples with their asymptomatic pair were then carried out onto the developed ELISA. In addition, commercially available recombinant envelope (E) protein was used to develop an ELISA which was tested with the same set of serum samples in the prM ELISA. Asymptomatic individuals showed preexisting heterotypic neutralizing antibodies. The recombinant prM was antigenically reactive in the developed ELISA. Dengue patients had higher prM and E antibodies compared to their household members. Our study highlights the neutralizing antibodies levels with respect to dengue prM and E between dengue patients and asymptomatic individuals.
  10. Fulltext Prediction of antimicrobial peptides based on sequence alignment and support vector machine-pairwise algorithm utilizing LZ-complexity
    Ng XY, Rosdi BA, Shahrudin S
    Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:212715.
    PMID: 25802839 DOI: 10.1155/2015/212715
    This study concerns an attempt to establish a new method for predicting antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) which are important to the immune system. Recently, researchers are interested in designing alternative drugs based on AMPs because they have found that a large number of bacterial strains have become resistant to available antibiotics. However, researchers have encountered obstacles in the AMPs designing process as experiments to extract AMPs from protein sequences are costly and require a long set-up time. Therefore, a computational tool for AMPs prediction is needed to resolve this problem. In this study, an integrated algorithm is newly introduced to predict AMPs by integrating sequence alignment and support vector machine- (SVM-) LZ complexity pairwise algorithm. It was observed that, when all sequences in the training set are used, the sensitivity of the proposed algorithm is 95.28% in jackknife test and 87.59% in independent test, while the sensitivity obtained for jackknife test and independent test is 88.74% and 78.70%, respectively, when only the sequences that has less than 70% similarity are used. Applying the proposed algorithm may allow researchers to effectively predict AMPs from unknown protein peptide sequences with higher sensitivity.
  11. Fulltext Effect of salinity on biomass yield and physiological and stem-root anatomical characteristics of purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) accessions
    Alam MA, Juraimi AS, Rafii MY, Abdul Hamid A
    Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:105695.
    PMID: 25802833 DOI: 10.1155/2015/105695
    13 selected purslane accessions were subjected to five salinity levels 0, 8, 16, 24, and 32 dS m(-1). Salinity effect was evaluated on the basis of biomass yield reduction, physiological attributes, and stem-root anatomical changes. Aggravated salinity stress caused significant (P < 0.05) reduction in all measured parameters and the highest salinity showed more detrimental effect compared to control as well as lower salinity levels. The fresh and dry matter production was found to increase in Ac1, Ac9, and Ac13 from lower to higher salinity levels but others were badly affected. Considering salinity effect on purslane physiology, increase in chlorophyll content was seen in Ac2, Ac4, Ac6, and Ac8 at 16 dS m(-1) salinity, whereas Ac4, Ac9, and Ac12 showed increased photosynthesis at the same salinity levels compared to control. Anatomically, stem cortical tissues of Ac5, Ac9, and Ac12 were unaffected at control and 8 dS m(-1) salinity but root cortical tissues did not show any significant damage except a bit enlargement in Ac12 and Ac13. A dendrogram was constructed by UPGMA based on biomass yield and physiological traits where all 13 accessions were grouped into 5 clusters proving greater diversity among them. The 3-dimensional principal component analysis (PCA) has also confirmed the output of grouping from cluster analysis. Overall, salinity stressed among all 13 purslane accessions considering biomass production, physiological growth, and anatomical development Ac9 was the best salt-tolerant purslane accession and Ac13 was the most affected accession.
  12. Fulltext Competing role of bioactive constituents in Moringa oleifera extract and conventional nutrition feed on the performance of Cobb 500 broilers
    Karthivashan G, Arulselvan P, Alimon AR, Safinar Ismail I, Fakurazi S
    Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:970398.
    PMID: 25793214 DOI: 10.1155/2015/970398
    The influence of Moringa oleifera (MO) leaf extract as a dietary supplement on the growth performance and antioxidant parameters was evaluated on broiler meat and the compounds responsible for the corresponding antioxidant activity were identified. 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% w/v of MO leaf aqueous extracts (MOLE) were prepared, and nutritional feed supplemented with 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% w/w of MO leaf meal (MOLM) extracts were also prepared and analysed for their in vitro antioxidant potential. Furthermore, the treated broiler groups (control (T1) and treatment (T2, T3, and T4)) were evaluated for performance, meat quality, and antioxidant status. The results of this study revealed that, among the broilers fed MOLM, the broilers fed 0.5% w/w MOLM (T2) exhibited enhanced meat quality and antioxidant status (P < 0.05). However, the antioxidant activity of the MOLE is greater than that of the MOLM. The LC-MS/MS analysis of MOLM showed high expression of isoflavones and fatty acids from soy and corn source, which antagonistically inhibit the expression of the flavonoids/phenols in the MO leaves thereby masking its antioxidant effects. Thus, altering the soy and corn gradients in conventional nutrition feed with 0.5% w/w MO leaves supplement would provide an efficient and cost-effective feed supplement.
  13. Fulltext Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) Approach for Modelling the Optimization of Chromium (VI) Reduction by Newly Isolated Acinetobacter radioresistens Strain NS-MIE from Agricultural Soil
    Ram Talib NS, Halmi MIE, Abd Ghani SS, Zaidan UH, Shukor MYA
    Biomed Res Int, 2019;2019:5785387.
    PMID: 31240217 DOI: 10.1155/2019/5785387
    Numerous technologies and approaches have been used in the past few decades to remove hexavalent chromium (Cr[VI]) in wastewater and the environment. However, these conventional technologies are not economical and efficient in removing Cr(VI) at a very low concentration (1-100 ppm). As an alternative, the utilization of bioremediation techniques which uses the potential of microorganisms could represent an effective technique for the detoxification of Cr(VI). In this study, we reported a newly isolated bacterium identified as Acinetobacter radioresistens sp. NS-MIE from Malaysian agricultural soil. The chromate reduction potential of strain NS-MIE was optimized using RSM and ANN techniques. The optimum condition predicted by RSM for the bacterium to reduce hexavalent chromium occurred at pH 6, 10 g/L ppm of nutrient broth (NB) concentration and 100 ppm of chromate concentration while the optimum condition predicted by ANN is at pH 6 and 10 g/L of NB concentration and of 60 ppm of chromate concentration with chromate reduction (%) of 75.13 % and 96.27 %, respectively. The analysis by the ANN model shows better prediction data with a higher R2 value of 0.9991 and smaller average absolute deviation (AAD) and root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.33 % and 0.302 %, respectively. Validation analysis showed the predicted values by RSM and ANN were close to the validation values, whereas the ANN showed the lowest deviation, 2.57%, compared to the RSM. This finding suggests that the ANN showed a better prediction and fitting ability compared to the RSM for the nonlinear regression analysis. Based on this study, A. radioresistens sp. NS-MIE exhibits strong potential characteristics as a candidate for the bioremediation of hexavalent chromium in the environment.
  14. Fulltext Does psychosocial work environment factors predict stress and mean arterial pressure in the Malaysian industry workers?
    Javaid MU, Isha ASN, Sabir AA, Ghazali Z, Nübling M
    Biomed Res Int, 2018;2018:9563714.
    PMID: 29568773 DOI: 10.1155/2018/9563714
    Psychosocial risks are considered as a burning issue in the Asia-Pacific region. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of psychosocial work environment factors on health of petrochemical industry workers of Malaysia. In lieu to job demands-resources theory, significant positive associations were found between quantitative demands, work-family conflict, and job insecurity with stress, while a significant negative association of role clarity as a resource factor with stress was detected. We also found that quantitative demands were significantly associated with the mean arterial pressure (MAP). Multistage sampling procedure was used to collect study sample. Structural Equation Modeling was used to identify relationship between the endogenous and exogenous variables. Finally, the empirically tested psychosocial work environment model will further help in providing a better risk assessment in different industries and enterprises.
  15. Fulltext Subcritical Water Extraction of Chlorella pyrenoidosa: Optimization through Response Surface Methodology
    Thiruvenkadam S, Izhar S, Hiroyuki Y, Harun R
    Biomed Res Int, 2018;2018:1931634.
    PMID: 30533428 DOI: 10.1155/2018/1931634
    Subcritical water extraction (SCW) was used to extract oil from Chlorella pyrenoidosa. The operational factors such as reaction temperature, reaction time, and biomass loading influence the oil yield during the extraction process. In this study, response surface methodology was employed to identify the desired extraction conditions for maximum oil yield. Experiments were carried out in batch reactors as per central composite design with three independent factors including reaction temperature (170, 220, 270, 320, and 370°C), reaction time (1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 min), and biomass loading (1, 3, 5, 10, and 15%). A maximum oil yield of 12.89 wt.% was obtained at 320°C and 15 min, with 3% biomass loading. Sequential model tests showed the good fit of experimental data to the second-order quadratic model. This study opens the great potential of SCW to extract algal oil for use in algal biofuel production.
  16. Fulltext Evaluation of Chondroprotective Activity of Channa striatus in Rabbit Osteoarthritis Model
    Abdul Kadir A, Abdul Kadir A, Abd Hamid R, Mat Jais AM, Omar J, Sadagatullah AN, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2019;2019:6979585.
    PMID: 31355276 DOI: 10.1155/2019/6979585
    Objectives: The objective of the study is to evaluate the chondroprotective activity of Channa striatus (Channa) and glucosamine sulphate (glucosamine) on histomorphometric examinations, serum biomarker, and inflammatory mediators in experimental osteoarthritis (OA) rabbit model.

    Design: Anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) was performed to induce OA in thirty-three male New Zealand white rabbits and were randomly divided into three groups: Channa, glucosamine, and control group. The control group received drinking water and the Channa and glucosamine groups were orally administered with 51.4 mg/kg of Channa extract and 77.5 mg/kg of glucosamine sulphate in drinking water, respectively, for eight weeks and then sacrificed. The articular cartilage was evaluated macroscopically and histologically using semiquantitative and quantitative methods. Serum cartilage oligomeric matric protein (COMP), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) enzyme, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were also determined.

    Results: Macroscopic analysis revealed that Channa group have a significantly lower severity grade of total macroscopic score compared to the control (p < 0.001) and glucosamine (p < 0.05) groups. Semiquantitative histology scoring showed that both Channa and glucosamine groups had lower severity grading of total histology score compared to the control group (p < 0.001). In comparison with the control, Channa group had lower histopathological changes in three compartments of the joint compared to glucosamine group which had lower histological scoring in two compartments only. The cartilage thickness, area, and roughness of both Channa (p < 0.05) and glucosamine (p < 0.05) groups were superior compared to the control group. However, the Channa group demonstrated significantly less cartilage roughness compared to the glucosamine group (p < 0.05). Serum COMP levels were lower in both Channa (p < 0.05) and glucosamine (p < 0.05) groups compared to the control group.

    Conclusion: Both oral administration of Channa extract and glucosamine exhibited chondroprotective action on an ACLT OA-induced rabbit model. However, Channa was superior to glucosamine in maintaining the structure of the cartilage.

  17. Fulltext Potential of Zeolite and Algae in Biomass Immobilization
    Emami Moghaddam SA, Harun R, Mokhtar MN, Zakaria R
    Biomed Res Int, 2018;2018:6563196.
    PMID: 30643814 DOI: 10.1155/2018/6563196
    The interest in utilizing algae for wastewater treatment has been increased due to many advantages. Algae-wastewater treatment system offers a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional treatment processes such as electrocoagulation and flocculation. In this biosystem, algae can assimilate nutrients in the wastewater for their growth and simultaneously capture the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis resulting in a decrease in the greenhouse gaseousness. Furthermore, the algal biomass obtained from the treatment process could be further converted to produce high value-added products. However, the recovery of free suspended algae from the treated effluent is one of the most important challenges during the treatment process as the current methods such as centrifugation and filtration are faced with the high cost. Immobilization of algae is a suitable approach to overcome the harvesting issue. However, there are some drawbacks with the common immobilization carriers such as alginate and polyacrylamide related to low stability and toxicity, respectively. Hence, it is necessary to apply a new carrier without the mentioned problems. One of the carriers that can be a suitable candidate for the immobilization is zeolite. To date, various types of zeolite have been used for the immobilization of cells of bacteria and yeast. If there is any possibility to apply them for the immobilization of algae, it needs to be considered in further studies. This article reviews cell immobilization technique, biomass immobilization onto zeolites, and algal immobilization with their applications. Furthermore, the potential application of zeolite as an ideal carrier for algal immobilization has been discussed.
  18. Fulltext In Vitro Evaluation of Curcumin-Encapsulated Chitosan Nanoparticles against Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus and Pharmacokinetics Study in Cats
    Ng SW, Selvarajah GT, Hussein MZ, Yeap SK, Omar AR
    Biomed Res Int, 2020;2020:3012198.
    PMID: 32596292 DOI: 10.1155/2020/3012198
    Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is an important feline viral disease, causing an overridden inflammatory response that results in a high mortality rate, primarily in young cats. Curcumin is notable for its biological activities against various viral diseases; however, its poor bioavailability has hindered its potential in therapeutic application. In this study, curcumin was encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles to improve its bioavailability. Curcumin-encapsulated chitosan (Cur-CS) nanoparticles were synthesised based on the ionic gelation technique and were spherical and cuboidal in shape, with an average particle size of 330 nm and +42 mV in zeta potential. The nanoparticles exerted lower toxicity in Crandell-Rees feline kidney (CrFK) cells and enhanced antiviral activities with a selective index (SI) value three times higher than that of curcumin. Feline-specific bead-based multiplex immunoassay and qPCR were used to examine their modulatory effects on proinflammatory cytokines, including tumour necrosis factor (TNF)α, interleukin- (IL-) 6, and IL-1β. There were significant decrements in IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα expression in both curcumin and Cur-CS nanoparticles. Based on the multiplex immunoassay, curcumin and the Cur-CS nanoparticles could lower the immune-related proteins in FIP virus (FIPV) infection. The single- and multiple-dose pharmacokinetics profiles of curcumin and the Cur-CS nanoparticles were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Oral delivery of the Cur-CS nanoparticles to cats showed enhanced bioavailability with a maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) value of 621.5 ng/mL. Incorporating chitosan nanoparticles to deliver curcumin improved the oral bioavailability and antiviral effects of curcumin against FIPV infection. This study provides evidence for the potential of Cur-CS nanoparticles as a supplementary treatment of FIP.
  19. Fulltext The Possible Biotechnological Use of Edible Mushroom Bioproducts for Controlling Plant and Animal Parasitic Nematodes
    Castañeda-Ramírez GS, Torres-Acosta JFJ, Sánchez JE, Mendoza-de-Gives P, González-Cortázar M, Zamilpa A, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2020;2020:6078917.
    PMID: 32685507 DOI: 10.1155/2020/6078917
    The present paper reviewed publications on the nematocidal activity of edible mushrooms (EM) and their potential use as sustainable tools for the control of parasitic nematodes affecting agriculture and livestock industry. Nematodes are organisms living in the soil and animals' guts where they may live as parasites severely affecting economically important crops and farm animals, thus causing economic losses to worldwide agriculture. Traditionally, parasitic nematodes have been controlled using commercial pesticides and anthelmintic (AH) drugs. Over the years, nematodes developed resistance to the AH drugs, reducing the usefulness of many commercial drugs. Also, the use of pesticides/anthelmintic drugs to control nematodes can have important negative impacts on the environment. Different EM have been not only used as food but also studied as alternative methods for controlling several diseases including parasitic nematodes. The present paper reviewed publications from the last decades about the nematocidal activity of EM and assessed their potential use as sustainable tools for the control of nematodes affecting agriculture and livestock industry. A reduced number of reports on the effect of EM against nematodes were found, and an even smaller number of reports regarding the potential AH activity of chemical compounds isolated from EM products were found. However, those studies have produced promising results that certainly deserve further investigation. It is concluded that EM, their fractions and extracts, and some compounds contained in them may have biotechnological application for the control of animal and plant parasitic nematodes.
  20. Fulltext Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neural Lineages as In Vitro Models for Screening the Neuroprotective Properties of Lignosus rhinocerus (Cooke) Ryvarden
    Yeo Y, Tan JBL, Lim LW, Tan KO, Heng BC, Lim WL
    Biomed Res Int, 2019;2019:3126376.
    PMID: 33204680 DOI: 10.1155/2019/3126376
    In the biomedical field, there is growing interest in using human stem cell-derived neurons as in vitro models for pharmacological and toxicological screening of bioactive compounds extracted from natural products. Lignosus rhinocerus (Tiger Milk Mushroom) is used by indigenous communities in Malaysia as a traditional medicine to treat various diseases. The sclerotium of L. rhinocerus has been reported to have medicinal properties, including various bioactivities such as neuritogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. This study aims to investigate the neuroprotective activities of L. rhinocerus sclerotial extracts. Human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived neural lineages exposed to the synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone (DEX), were used as the in vitro models. Excess glucocorticoids have been shown to adversely affect fetal brain development and impair differentiation of neural progenitor cells. Screening of different L. rhinocerus sclerotial extracts and DEX on the hESC-derived neural lineages was conducted using cell viability and neurite outgrowth assays. The neuroprotective effects of L. rhinocerus sclerotial extracts against DEX were further evaluated using apoptosis assays and Western blot analysis. Hot aqueous and methanol extracts of L. rhinocerus sclerotium promoted neurite outgrowth of hESC-derived neural stem cells (NSCs) with negligible cytotoxicity. Treatment with DEX decreased viability of NSCs by inducing apoptosis. Coincubation of L. rhinocerus methanol extract with DEX attenuated the DEX-induced apoptosis and reduction in phospho-Akt (pAkt) level in NSCs. These results suggest the involvement of Akt signaling in the neuroprotection of L. rhinocerus methanol extract against DEX-induced apoptosis in NSCs. Methanol extract of L. rhinocerus sclerotium exhibited potential neuroprotective activities against DEX-induced toxicity in hESC-derived NSCs. This study thus validates the use of human stem cell-derived neural lineages as potential in vitro models for screening of natural products with neuroprotective properties.
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