Displaying publications 241 - 260 of 372 in total

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  1. Fulltext The Emerging Role of MMP12 in the Oral Environment
    Lin B, Ser HL, Wang L, Li J, Chan KG, Lee LH, et al.
    Int J Mol Sci, 2023 Feb 28;24(5).
    PMID: 36902078 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054648
    Matrix metalloproteinase-12 (MMP12), or macrophage metalloelastase, plays important roles in extracellular matrix (ECM) component degradation. Recent reports show MMP12 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. To date, this review represents the latest comprehensive overview of MMP12 in various oral diseases, such as periodontitis, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD), orthodontic tooth movement (OTM), and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Furthermore, the current knowledge regarding the distribution of MMP12 in different tissues is also illustrated in this review. Studies have implicated the association of MMP12 expression with the pathogenesis of several representative oral diseases, including periodontitis, TMD, OSCC, OTM, and bone remodelling. Although there may be a potential role of MMP12 in oral diseases, the exact pathophysiological role of MMP12 remains to be elucidated. Understanding the cellular and molecular biology of MMP12 is essential, as MMP12 could be a potential target for developing therapeutic strategies targeting inflammatory and immunologically related oral diseases.
  2. Fulltext Genome Sequence of a Novel HIV-1 Circulating Recombinant Form (CRF77_cpx) Identified among Blood Donors in Malaysia
    Tee KK, Bon AH, Chow WZ, Ng KT, Chan KG, Kamarulzaman A, et al.
    Genome Announc, 2017 Jun 29;5(26).
    PMID: 28663289 DOI: 10.1128/genomeA.00459-17
    We report here the first HIV-1 circulating recombinant form (CRF) complex identified among the blood donors in Malaysia. The CRF77_cpx mosaic genome consists of parental subtypes B', C, and CRF01_AE and is structurally related to CRF07_BC. The identification of CRF77_cpx underlines the genetic complexity and mobility of HIV-1 among the blood donors.
  3. Fulltext Genome sequence of Streptomyces mangrovisoli MUSC 149T isolated from intertidal sediments
    Ser HL, Tan WS, Ab Mutalib NS, Yin WF, Chan KG, Goh BH, et al.
    Braz J Microbiol, 2017 09 06;49(1):13-15.
    PMID: 28927873 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjm.2017.01.013
    As the largest genus in Actinobacteria family, Streptomyces species have the ability to synthesize numerous compounds of diverse structures with bioactivities. Streptomyces mangrovisoli MUSC 149T was previously isolated as a novel streptomycete from mangrove forest in east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The high quality draft genome of MUSC 149T comprises 9,165,825bp with G+C content of 72.5%. Through bioinformatics analysis, 21 gene clusters identified in the genome were associated with the production of bioactive secondary metabolites. The presence of these biosynthetic gene clusters in MUSC 149T suggests the potential exploitation of the strain for production of medically important compounds.
  4. Fulltext Effects of Physiochemical Factors on Prokaryotic Biodiversity in Malaysian Circumneutral Hot Springs
    Chan CS, Chan KG, Ee R, Hong KW, Urbieta MS, Donati ER, et al.
    Front Microbiol, 2017;8:1252.
    PMID: 28729863 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01252
    Malaysia has a great number of hot springs, especially along the flank of the Banjaran Titiwangsa mountain range. Biological studies of the Malaysian hot springs are rare because of the lack of comprehensive information on their microbial communities. In this study, we report a cultivation-independent census to describe microbial communities in six hot springs. The Ulu Slim (US), Sungai Klah (SK), Dusun Tua (DT), Sungai Serai (SS), Semenyih (SE), and Ayer Hangat (AH) hot springs exhibit circumneutral pH with temperatures ranging from 43°C to 90°C. Genomic DNA was extracted from environmental samples and the V3-V4 hypervariable regions of 16S rRNA genes were amplified, sequenced, and analyzed. High-throughput sequencing analysis showed that microbial richness was high in all samples as indicated by the detection of 6,334-26,244 operational taxonomy units. In total, 59, 61, 72, 73, 65, and 52 bacterial phyla were identified in the US, SK, DT, SS, SE, and AH hot springs, respectively. Generally, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria dominated the bacterial communities in all hot springs. Archaeal communities mainly consisted of Crenarchaeota, Euryarchaeota, and Parvarchaeota. In beta diversity analysis, the hot spring microbial memberships were clustered primarily on the basis of temperature and salinity. Canonical correlation analysis to assess the relationship between the microbial communities and physicochemical variables revealed that diversity patterns were best explained by a combination of physicochemical variables, rather than by individual abiotic variables such as temperature and salinity.
  5. Fulltext Complete genome of Arthrobacter alpinus strain R3.8, bioremediation potential unraveled with genomic analysis
    See-Too WS, Ee R, Lim YL, Convey P, Pearce DA, Mohidin TBM, et al.
    Stand Genomic Sci, 2017;12:52.
    PMID: 28904741 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-017-0264-0
    Arthrobacter alpinus R3.8 is a psychrotolerant bacterial strain isolated from a soil sample obtained at Rothera Point, Adelaide Island, close to the Antarctic Peninsula. Strain R3.8 was sequenced in order to help discover potential cold active enzymes with biotechnological applications. Genome analysis identified various cold adaptation genes including some coding for anti-freeze proteins and cold-shock proteins, genes involved in bioremediation of xenobiotic compounds including naphthalene, and genes with chitinolytic and N-acetylglucosamine utilization properties and also plant-growth-influencing properties. In this genome report, we present a complete genome sequence of A. alpinus strain R3.8 and its annotation data, which will facilitate exploitation of potential novel cold-active enzymes.
  6. Vibrio coralliirubri sp. nov., a new species isolated from mucus of red coral (Corallium rubrum) collected at Procida island, Italy
    Poli A, Romano I, Mastascusa V, Buono L, Orlando P, Nicolaus B, et al.
    Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 2018 Jul;111(7):1105-1115.
    PMID: 29299771 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-017-1013-5
    Strain Corallo1T was isolated from mucus of red coral (Corallium rubrum) at Punta Pizzaco (Procida island, Naples, Italy). It was characterised as a Gram-stain negative, motile, rod-shaped bacterium. Strain Corallo1T was found to show positive responses for cytochrome-c oxidase, catalase, reduction of nitrate and nitrite, β-galactosidase activity and hydrolysis of starch, xylan, peptone, Tween 40, Tween 80 and casein. Strain Corallo1T was found to be mesophilic, neutrophilic to alkalophilic and slightly halophilic. According to analysis of the almost-complete 16S rRNA gene, strain Corallo1T is closely related to Vibrio celticus (100% sequence similarity), Vibrio gigantis (100%), Vibrio crassostreae (99.7%), Vibrio artabrorum (99.7%) and Vibrio pomeroyi (99.6%). MLSA of five housekeeping genes (atpA, pyrH, recA, rpoA and rpoD) was performed to refine the phylogenetic relationships of strain Corallo1T. A draft genome sequence of strain Corallo1T was obtained. The DNA G+C content of this strain was determined to be 44.5 mol %. The major cellular fatty acids of strain Corallo1T are C16:1, n-C16:0 and C18:1, and the major isoprenoid ubiquinone is Q8. ANI indexes, in silico estimations of DDH values and wet lab DDH values demonstrated that strain Corallo1T represents an independent genomospecies. Based on a polyphasic taxonomic characterisation, strain Corallo1T is concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Vibrio, for which the name Vibrio coralliirubri sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Corallo1T (= DSM 27495T = CIP 110630T).
  7. Fulltext Genome sequence of Streptomyces gilvigriseus MUSC 26T isolated from mangrove forest
    Ser HL, Tan WS, Mutalib NA, Yin WF, Chan KG, Goh BH, et al.
    Braz J Microbiol, 2018 02 02;49(2):207-209.
    PMID: 29428207 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjm.2017.04.012
    Streptomycetes remain as one of the important sources for bioactive products. Isolated from the mangrove forest, Streptomyces gilvigriseus MUSC 26T was previously characterised as a novel streptomycete. The high quality draft genome of MUSC 26T contained 5,213,277bp with G+C content of 73.0%. Through genome mining, several gene clusters associated with secondary metabolites production were revealed in the genome of MUSC 26T. These findings call for further investigations into the potential exploitation of the strain for production of pharmaceutically important compounds.
  8. Prevalence, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Genetic Diversity of Listeria spp. Isolated from Raw Chicken Meat and Chicken-Related Products in Malaysia
    Chin PS, Ang GY, Yu CY, Tan EL, Tee KK, Yin WF, et al.
    J Food Prot, 2018 Feb;81(2):284-289.
    PMID: 29360399 DOI: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-17-186
    Listeria spp. are ubiquitous in nature and can be found in various environmental niches such as soil, sewage, river water, plants, and foods, but the most frequently isolated species are Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria innocua. In this study, the presence of Listeria spp. in raw chicken meat and chicken-related products sold in local markets in Klang Valley, Malaysia was investigated. A total of 44 Listeria strains (42 L. innocua and 2 L. welshimeri) were isolated from 106 samples. Antibiotic susceptibility tests of the L. innocua strains revealed a high prevalence of resistance to clindamycin (92.9%), ceftriaxone (76.2%), ampicillin (73.8%), tetracycline (69%), and penicillin G (66.7%). Overall, 31 L. innocua and 1 L. welshimeri strain were multidrug resistant, i.e., nonsusceptible to at least one antimicrobial agent in three or more antibiotic classes. The majority of the L. innocua strains were placed into five AscI pulsogroups, and overall 26 distinct AscI pulsotypes were identified. The detection of multidrug-resistant Listeria strains from different food sources and locations warrants attention because these strains could serve as reservoirs for antimicrobial resistance genes and may facilitate the spread and emergence of other drug-resistant strains.
  9. Fulltext Genome-wide mapping of the RNA targets of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa riboregulatory protein RsmN
    Romero M, Silistre H, Lovelock L, Wright VJ, Chan KG, Hong KW, et al.
    Nucleic Acids Res, 2018 Jul 27;46(13):6823-6840.
    PMID: 29718466 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky324
    Pseudomonads typically carry multiple non-identical alleles of the post-transcriptional regulator rsmA. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, RsmN is notable in that its structural rearrangement confers distinct and overlapping functions with RsmA. However, little is known about the specificities of RsmN for its target RNAs and overall impact on the biology of this pathogen. We purified and mapped 503 transcripts directly bound by RsmN in P. aeruginosa. About 200 of the mRNAs identified encode proteins of demonstrated function including some determining acute and chronic virulence traits. For example, RsmN reduces biofilm development both directly and indirectly via multiple pathways, involving control of Pel exopolysaccharide biosynthesis and c-di-GMP levels. The RsmN targets identified are also shared with RsmA, although deletion of rsmN generally results in less pronounced phenotypes than those observed for ΔrsmA or ΔrsmArsmNind mutants, probably as a consequence of different binding affinities. Targets newly identified for the Rsm system include the small non-coding RNA CrcZ involved in carbon catabolite repression, for which differential binding of RsmN and RsmA to specific CrcZ regions is demonstrated. The results presented here provide new insights into the intricacy of riboregulatory networks involving multiple but distinct RsmA homologues.
  10. Characterization of quorum sensing genes and N-acyl homoserine lactones in Citrobacter amalonaticus strain YG6
    Kher HL, Krishnan T, Letchumanan V, Hong KW, How KY, Lee LH, et al.
    Gene, 2019 Feb 05;684:58-69.
    PMID: 30321658 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2018.10.031
    In the phylum of Proteobacteria, quorum sensing (QS) system is widely driven by synthesis and response of N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) signalling molecules. AHL is synthesized by LuxI homologue and sensed by LuxR homologue. Once the AHL concentration achieves a threshold level, it triggers the regulation of target genes. In this study, QS activity of Citrobacter amalonaticus strain YG6 which was isolated from clams was investigated. In order to characterise luxI/R homologues, the genome of C. amalonaticus strain YG6 (4.95 Mbp in size) was sequenced using Illumina MiSeq sequencer. Through in silico analysis, a pair of canonical luxI/R homologues and an orphan luxR homologue were identified and designated as camI, camR, and camR2, respectively. A putative lux box was identified at the upstream of camI. The camI gene was cloned and overexpressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3)pLysS. High-resolution triple quadrupole liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis verified that the CamI is a functional AHL synthase which produced multiple AHL species, namely N‑butyryl‑l‑homoserine lactone (C4-HSL), N‑hexanoyl‑l‑homoserine lactone (C6-HSL), N‑octanoyl‑l‑homoserine lactone (C8-HSL), N‑tetradecanoyl‑l‑homoserine lactone (C14-HSL) and N‑hexadecanoyl‑l‑homoserine lactone (C16-HSL) in C. amalonaticus strain YG6 and camI gene in recombinant E. coli BL21(DE3)pLysS. To our best knowledge, this is the first functional study report of camI as well as the first report describing the production of C14-HSL by C. amalonaticus.
  11. Fulltext A randomized controlled trial for effectiveness of zolpidem versus acupressure on sleep in hemodialysis patients having chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus
    Rehman IU, Wu DB, Ahmed R, Khan NA, Rahman AU, Munib S, et al.
    Medicine (Baltimore), 2018 08;97(31):e10764.
    PMID: 30075491 DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000010764
    BACKGROUND: Pruritus adds to the complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patient and a well-recognized complication among the CKD patients. Majority of the patients on hemodialysis experience a generalized pruritus and patients reported being moderately to extremely disturbed by at least one of the sleep-related condition. This study aim to investigate the effectiveness of zolpidem 10 mg and acupressure therapy on foot acupoints to improve the sleep quality and overall quality of life among hemodialysis patients suffering from CKD-associated pruritus.

    METHODS: A multicentered, open-label, parallel group, prospective randomized controlled trial among patients suffering from CKD-associated pruritus with sleep disturbance, after randomization into control, and intervention group to be held at North West General Hospital and Research Center Peshawar, Pakistan and Institute of Kidney Diseases Peshawar, Pakistan.

    RESULTS: The primary outcome is to investigate the effectiveness of zolpidem 10 mg and acupressure therapy on foot acupoints to improve the sleep quality and overall quality of life among hemodialysis patients suffering from CKD-associated pruritus. After baseline assessment by Urdu version of 5D itch scale and Urdu version of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Urdu EQ-5D 3L, the intervention group will be given zolpidem 10 mg oral tablets and control group with acupressure on both foots on KI-1 acupoints for total of 6 minutes. Assessment will be done at weeks 4 and 8 from baseline by using Urdu version of 5D itch scale and Urdu version of PSQI and Urdu EQ-5D 3L, whereas safety profiling of zolpidem 10 mg tablet at week 6 from baseline and acupressure acceptability at week 6 from baseline. Analysis of covariance will be used to examine the differences in treatment effects between the intervention and control groups.

    CONCLUSION: Improvement of sleep quality and quality of life among patients with CKD-associated pruritus requires great importance. This study aims to improve the quality of sleep and quality of life among patients with hemodialysis suffering from CKD-associated pruritus.

  12. Fulltext Golden Needle Mushroom: A Culinary Medicine with Evidenced-Based Biological Activities and Health Promoting Properties
    Tang C, Hoo PC, Tan LT, Pusparajah P, Khan TM, Lee LH, et al.
    Front Pharmacol, 2016;7:474.
    PMID: 28003804 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00474
    Flammulina velutipes (enoki, velvet shank, golden needle mushroom or winter mushroom), one of the main edible mushrooms on the market, has long been recognized for its nutritional value and delicious taste. In recent decades, research has expanded beyond detailing its nutritional composition and delved into the biological activities and potential health benefits of its constituents. Many bioactive constituents from a range of families have been isolated from different parts of the mushroom, including carbohydrates, protein, lipids, glycoproteins, phenols, and sesquiterpenes. These compounds have been demonstrated to exhibit various biological activities, such as antitumour and anticancer activities, anti-atherosclerotic and thrombosis inhibition activity, antihypertensive and cholesterol lowering effects, anti-aging and antioxidant properties, ability to aid with restoring memory and overcoming learning deficits, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-bacterial, ribosome inactivation and melanosis inhibition. This review aims to consolidate the information concerning the phytochemistry and biological activities of various compounds isolated from F. velutipes to demonstrate that this mushroom is not only a great source of nutrients but also possesses tremendous potential in pharmaceutical drug development.
  13. Fulltext Aquella oligotrophica gen. nov. sp. nov.: A new member of the family Neisseriaceae isolated from laboratory tap water
    Chan KG, See-Too WS, Chua KO, Peix Á, Goh KM, Hong KW, et al.
    Microbiologyopen, 2019 Jul;8(7):e00793.
    PMID: 30656855 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.793
    A bacterial strain designated as P08T was isolated from laboratory tap water during a water quality assessment in University of Malaya, Malaysia. The strain was a Gram-negative, rod-shaped, nonmotile, and aerobic bacterium. Complete genome of P08T comprised of a 2,820,660 bp chromosome with a G + C content of 36.43%. Both 16S rRNA phylogeny and phylogenetic tree inferred from the core gene matrix demonstrated that P08T formed a hitherto unknown subline within the family Neisseriaceae. Ortho average nucleotide identity (OrthoANI) values and the percentage of conserved proteins (POCP) calculated from complete genome sequence indicated low relatedness between P08T and its phylogenetic neighbors. Respiratory quinone analysis revealed Q-8 as the only detectable quinone. The predominant cellular fatty acids were identified as C14:0 , iso-C15:0 , and summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c/C16:1 ω6c). The polar lipids consisted of uncharacterized aminolipid, phosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidylethanolamine. All aspects of phenotypic and phylogenetic data suggested that strain P08T represents a novel genus within family Neisseriaceae, for which the name Aquella gen. nov. is proposed. The type species of the genus is Aquella oligotrophica sp. nov., and the type strain is P08T (=LMG 29629T =DSM 100970T ).
  14. Fulltext Streptomyces monashensis sp. nov., a novel mangrove soil actinobacterium from East Malaysia with antioxidative potential
    Law JW, Ser HL, Ab Mutalib NS, Saokaew S, Duangjai A, Khan TM, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2019 02 28;9(1):3056.
    PMID: 30816228 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39592-6
    A new Streptomyces species discovered from Sarawak mangrove soil is described, with the proposed name - Streptomyces monashensis sp. nov. (strain MUSC 1JT). Taxonomy status of MUSC 1JT was determined via polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic properties of strain MUSC 1JT were in accordance with those known for genus Streptomyces. Based on phylogenetic analyses, the strains closely related to MUSC 1JT were Streptomyces corchorusii DSM 40340T (98.7%), Streptomyces olivaceoviridis NBRC 13066T (98.7%), Streptomyces canarius NBRC 13431T (98.6%) and Streptomyces coacervatus AS-0823T (98.4%). Outcomes of DNA-DNA relatedness between strain MUSC 1JT and its closely related type strains covered from 19.7 ± 2.8% to 49.1 ± 4.3%. Strain MUSC 1JT has genome size of 10,254,857 bp with DNA G + C content of 71 mol%. MUSC 1JT extract exhibited strong antioxidative activity up to 83.80 ± 4.80% in the SOD assay, with significant cytotoxic effect against colon cancer cell lines HCT-116 and SW480. Streptomyces monashensis MUSC 1JT (=DSM 103626T = MCCC 1K03221T) could potentially be a producer of novel bioactive metabolites; hence discovery of this new species may be highly significant to the biopharmaceutical industry as it could lead to development of new and useful chemo-preventive drugs.
  15. Fulltext Current Status and Potential Applications of Underexplored Prokaryotes
    Goh KM, Shahar S, Chan KG, Chong CS, Amran SI, Sani MH, et al.
    Microorganisms, 2019 Oct 18;7(10).
    PMID: 31635256 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7100468
    Thousands of prokaryotic genera have been published, but methodological bias in the study of prokaryotes is noted. Prokaryotes that are relatively easy to isolate have been well-studied from multiple aspects. Massive quantities of experimental findings and knowledge generated from the well-known prokaryotic strains are inundating scientific publications. However, researchers may neglect or pay little attention to the uncommon prokaryotes and hard-to-cultivate microorganisms. In this review, we provide a systematic update on the discovery of underexplored culturable and unculturable prokaryotes and discuss the insights accumulated from various research efforts. Examining these neglected prokaryotes may elucidate their novelties and functions and pave the way for their industrial applications. In addition, we hope that this review will prompt the scientific community to reconsider these untapped pragmatic resources.
  16. Fulltext Streptomyces sp. MUM273b: A mangrove-derived potential source for antioxidant and UVB radiation protectants
    Tan LT, Mahendra CK, Yow YY, Chan KG, Khan TM, Lee LH, et al.
    Microbiologyopen, 2019 10;8(10):e859.
    PMID: 31199601 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.859
    Microbial natural products serve as a good source for antioxidants. The mangrove-derived Streptomyces bacteria have been evidenced to produce antioxidative compounds. This study reports the isolation of Streptomyces sp. MUM273b from mangrove soil that may serve as a promising source of antioxidants and UV-protective agents. Identification and characterization methods determine that strain MUM273b belongs to the genus Streptomyces. The MUM273b extract exhibits antioxidant activities, including DPPH, ABTS, and superoxide radical scavenging activities and also metal-chelating activity. The MUM273b extract was also shown to inhibit the production of malondialdehyde in metal-induced lipid peroxidation. Strong correlation between the antioxidant activities and the total phenolic content of MUM273b extract was shown. In addition, MUM273b extract exhibited cytoprotective effect on the UVB-induced cell death in HaCaT keratinocytes. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis detected phenolics, pyrrole, pyrazine, ester, and cyclic dipeptides in MUM273b extract. In summary, Streptomyces MUM273b extract portrays an exciting avenue for future antioxidative drugs and cosmeceuticals development.
  17. Fulltext Safety and Efficacy of Pneumococcal Vaccination in Pediatric Nephrotic Syndrome
    Goonewardene ST, Tang C, Tan LT, Chan KG, Lingham P, Lee LH, et al.
    Front Pediatr, 2019;7:339.
    PMID: 31456997 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2019.00339
    Nephrotic syndrome affects both children and adults. Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome is reported to be one of the most frequent renal pathologies in childhood. Nephrotic children are at high risk for severe pneumococcal infections as one of the life-threatening complications of nephrotic syndrome due to involvement of the immunosuppressive regimen and the acquired immune deficiency induced by nephrotic syndrome including decreased plasma IgG and low complement system components. Aiming to prevent pneumococcal infection is of paramount importance especially in this era of ever-increasing pneumococcal resistance to penicillins and cephalosporins. The pneumococcal vaccines currently available are inactivated vaccines-the two main forms in use are polysaccharide vaccines and conjugated vaccines. However, the data supporting the use of these vaccines and to guide the timing and dosage recommendations is still limited for nephrotic children. Thus, this review discusses the evidences of immunogenicity and safety profile of both vaccinations on nephrotic patients as well as the effect of nephrotic syndrome treatment on vaccine seroresponses.
  18. Fulltext Formononetin: A Review of Its Anticancer Potentials and Mechanisms
    Tay KC, Tan LT, Chan CK, Hong SL, Chan KG, Yap WH, et al.
    Front Pharmacol, 2019;10:820.
    PMID: 31402861 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00820
    Cancer, a complex yet common disease, is caused by uncontrolled cell division and abnormal cell growth due to a variety of gene mutations. Seeking effective treatments for cancer is a major research focus, as the incidence of cancer is on the rise and drug resistance to existing anti-cancer drugs is major concern. Natural products have the potential to yield unique molecules and combinations of substances that may be effective against cancer with relatively low toxicity/better side effect profile compared to standard anticancer therapy. Drug discovery work with natural products has demonstrated that natural compounds display a wide range of biological activities correlating to anticancer effects. In this review, we discuss formononetin (C16H12O4), which originates mainly from red clovers and the Chinese herb Astragalus membranaceus. The compound comes from a class of 7-hydroisoflavones with a substitution of methoxy group at position 4. Formononetin elicits antitumorigenic properties in vitro and in vivo by modulating numerous signaling pathways to induce cell apoptosis (by intrinsic pathway involving Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-3 proteins) and cell cycle arrest (by regulating mediators like cyclin A, cyclin B1, and cyclin D1), suppress cell proliferation [by signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) activation, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase-B (PI3K/AKT), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway], and inhibit cell invasion [by regulating growth factors vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 proteins]. Co-treatment with other chemotherapy drugs such as bortezomib, LY2940002, U0126, sunitinib, epirubicin, doxorubicin, temozolomide, and metformin enhances the anticancer potential of both formononetin and the respective drugs through synergistic effect. Compiling the evidence thus far highlights the potential of formononetin to be a promising candidate for chemoprevention and chemotherapy.
  19. Fulltext Streptomyces sp. MUM256: A Source for Apoptosis Inducing and Cell Cycle-Arresting Bioactive Compounds against Colon Cancer Cells
    Tan LT, Chan CK, Chan KG, Pusparajah P, Khan TM, Ser HL, et al.
    Cancers (Basel), 2019 Nov 06;11(11).
    PMID: 31698795 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11111742
    New and effective anticancer compounds are much needed as the incidence of cancer continues to rise. Microorganisms from a variety of environments are promising sources of new drugs; Streptomyces sp. MUM256, which was isolated from mangrove soil in Malaysia as part of our ongoing efforts to study mangrove resources, was shown to produce bioactive metabolites with chemopreventive potential. This present study is a continuation of our previous efforts and aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the ethyl acetate fraction of MUM256 crude extract (MUM256 EA) in inhibiting the proliferation of HCT116 cells. Our data showed that MUM256 EA reduced proliferation of HCT116 cells via induction of cell-cycle arrest. Molecular studies revealed that MUM256 EA regulated the expression level of several important cell-cycle regulatory proteins. The results also demonstrated that MUM256 EA induced apoptosis in HCT116 cells mediated through the intrinsic pathway. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis detected several chemical compounds present in MUM256 EA, including cyclic dipeptides which previous literature has reported to demonstrate various pharmacological properties. The cyclic dipeptides were further shown to inhibit HCT116 cells while exerting little to no toxicity on normal colon cells in this study. Taken together, the findings of this project highlight the important role of exploring the mangrove microorganisms as a bioresource which hold tremendous promise for the development of chemopreventive drugs against colorectal cancer.
  20. Fulltext Author Correction: Streptomyces monashensis sp. nov., a novel mangrove soil actinobacterium from East Malaysia with antioxidative potential
    Law JW, Ser HL, Ab Mutalib NS, Saokaew S, Duangjai A, Khan TM, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2020 Jan 10;10(1):319.
    PMID: 31924829 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55964-4
    An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
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