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  1. Biocompatibility of tio2 nanorods and nanoparticles on Hela cells
    Noor Sakinah Khalid, Fatin Izyani Mohd Fazli, Noor Kamalia Abd Hamed, Muhammad Luqman Mohd Napi, Fhong SC, Mohd Khairul Ahmad
    Sains Malaysiana, 2016;45:1675-1678.
    Titanium dioxide (TiO2
    ) nanorods and nanoparticles had been successfully done by hydrothermal method and spray
    pyrolysis deposition technique, respectively. Form XRD results, crystallite structure for TiO2
    nanorods is rutile phase
    at 2θ degree 27.5° which corresponded to [110] orientation. Whereas, TiO2
    nanoparticles produced anatase phase at
    2θ degree 25.3° which corresponded to [110] plane. The structure of nanorods and nanoparticles were characterized
    using FESEM. The size of nanorods was in the range of 80 to 100 nm. While, the nanoparticles size was ranging from
    25 to 35 nm. The HeLa cells were grown on those TiO2
    and were observed under fluorescence microscope. The cells
    showed healthy sign of growth on TiO2
    nanorods and nanoparticles substrates. Thus, TiO2
    nanorods and nanoparticles
    are biocompatible to HeLa cells.
  2. Fulltext Provider costs of treating dementia among the elderly in government hospitals of Malaysia
    Amrizal Muhammad Nur, Syed Mohamed Aljunid, Normazwana Ismail, Norashidah Mohamed Nor, Roshanim Koris, Sharifah Azizah Haron, et al.
    Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 2017;17(2):121-127.
    The increased use of health care services by elderly has placed greater pressure to an already strained health care resources. Thus, an accurate economic cost estimation for specific age-related diseases like dementia is essential. The objectives of this project are to estimate costs of treating patient dementia among Malaysian elderly in the hospital settings. Two types of data were collected: Hospital costing data (using costing template) and patient clinical data (using questionaire). The cost analysis for hospital setting was carried out using a step-down costing methodology. The costing template was used to organize costing data into three levels of cost centers in hospitals: overhead cost centers (e.g. administration, consumables, maintenance), intermediate cost centers (e.g. pharmacy, radiology), and final cost centers (all wards and clinics). In estimating the cost for each cost center, both capital cost (building, equipment and furniture cost) and recurrent cost (staff salary and recurrent cost except salary) were combined. Information on activities which reflects the workload such as discharges, inpatient days, number of visit, floor space etc., are gathered to determine an appropriate allocation factor. In addition, for each final cost center, the fully allocated costs are then divided by the total unit of in-patient days to obtain the cost of providing services on a per-patient per-day of stay basis, referred as unit cost. The unit cost is finally multiplied with the individual patient’s length of stay to obtain the cost of care per patient per admission. All these steps were simplified by using the Clinical Cost Modeling Software Version 3.0 (CCM Ver. 3.0). The mean cost of dementia cases per episode of care was RM 12,806 (SD=10,389) with the length of stay of 14.3 (SD=9.9) days per admission. The top three components of cost for the treatment of dementia were the ward services 8,040 (SD=7,512), 62.78% of the total cost, followed by the pharmacy 1,312(SD=1,098), 10.25% of the total cost and Intensive Care Unit 979 (SD=961), 7.64% of the total cost. A multivariable analysis using multiple linear regressions showed that factors which significantly influence (p<0.05) the treatment costs of dementia cases were the length of stay (p<0.001), followed by age (p=0.001), case type severe (p=0.005) and study location (p=0.032). However, the factor length of stay is the tremendous parameter. In conclusion, data collection from selected hospitals as well as patient level data from medical record unit were successfully used to estimate the provider costs of hospital for the elderly with dementia disease. Results from the project will enable an assessment on the economic impact and consequences of cognitive impairment in an aged population. A cost quantification and distributive mapping of the burden of care can assist in policy implementation through targeted intervention for at-risk groups, which will translate into savings by means of delayed onset or progression of dementia.
  3. Kinetics of surfactin production by bacillus subtilis in a 5 L stirred-tank bioreactor
    Muhammad Qadri Effendy Mubarak, Siti Hajar Mohamad Jufri, Shikh Mohd Shahrul Nizan Shikh Zahar, Mohd Sahaid Kalil, Aidil Abdul Hamid, Mohd Hafez Mohd Isa
    Sains Malaysiana, 2017;46:1541-1548.
    A kinetic model of bacterial growth and metabolite production can adequately explain the trends and interaction of important parameters in a fermentation process. Production of surfactin by two bacterial strains, namely, Bacillus subtilis MSH1 and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 21322, in a 5 L bioreactor was investigated using Cooper’s media with 4% (v/v) glucose. The present kinetic study was carried out in order to determine the correlation between microbial cell growth, surfactin production and glucose consumption. Batch fermentation was performed by cultivation of each selected strain in a bioreactor at 30°C for 55 h. The experimental results showed production of surfactin in the culture medium after 5 and 10 h of incubation for B. subtilis ATCC 21332 and B. subtilis MSH1, respectively, at which the bacterial cells were at an early stage of the log phase. The maximum concentration of surfactin (Pmax) achieved by B. subtilis MSH1 and B. subtilis ATCC 21332 was 226.17 and 447.26 mg/L, respectively. The kinetic study of bacterial cell growth of both strains indicated that B. subtilis MSH1 had a specific growth rate (μmax) of 0.224 h-1 and attained a maximum biomass concentration (Xmax) as high as 2.90 g/L after 28 h of fermentation, while B. subtilis ATCC 21332, with μmax of 0.087 h-1, attained an Xmax of 2.62 g/L after 45 h of incubation. B. subtilis MSH1 showed higher growth kinetics, thus exhibited higher values of μmax and Xmax compared with B. subtilis ATCC 21332 under identical fermentation conditions. The Pmax achieved by B. subtilis ATCC 21332 was 447.26 mg/L, two times higher than that achieved by B. subtilis MSH1 (226.17 mg/L). The results obtained provide kinetics information including values of Pmax, μmax and Xmax for better understanding of interactions of bacterial cell growth and glucose consumption towards surfactin production by a commercial strain of B. subtilis ATCC 21332 and a local isolate of B. subtilis MSH1
  4. Kesan penyimpanan sampel air liur terhadap kualiti DNA genom
    Rohaya Megat Abdul Wahab, Farah Amirah Mohd Nasri, Intan Zarina Zainol Abidin, Zaidah Zainal Ariffin, Muhammad Dain Yazid, Shahrul Hisham Zainal Ariffin
    Sains Malaysiana, 2017;46:909-915.
    Air liur berpotensi menjadi punca DNA yang mudah diambil bagi kajian klinikal kerana tidak invasif berbanding sampel darah. Kajian ini dijalankan untuk memencilkan dan menulenkan DNA genom daripada sampel air liur manusia serta mengkaji kesan penyimpanan terhadap kualiti DNA genom. Sampel air liur (n=5) disimpan dalam penimbal Tris-NaCl EDTA (TNE) pada suhu bilik (25°C) mengikut tempoh masa yang ditetapkan iaitu, segar (tanpa penyimpanan), 1,2,3 dan 4 bulan. Pemencilan dan penulenan DNA dilakukan menggunakan kaedah fenol-kloroform. Seterusnya, PCR telah dijalankan untuk mengetahui ketulenan DNA yang diekstrak menggunakan amplifikasi pada kawasan jujukan beta-globin dan mengenal pasti kehadiran bakteria melalui jujukan yang mengekod 16S rDNA. Keputusan menunjukkan fragmen DNA gen beta-globin manusia hanya berjaya diamplifikasi daripada sampel segar. Sampel air liur yang disimpan dalam penimbal TNE pada suhu bilik tidak mampu menstabilkan DNA genom manusia untuk jangka masa lama dan hanya berkesan untuk tempoh yang singkat iaitu, kurang daripada 1 bulan. Kesimpulannya, hanya sampel air liur segar sahaja yang berupaya memencil DNA genom.
  5. Synthesis of cephradine metal complexes and its anti-bacterial evaluation
    Iqbal Hussain, Syed Salman, Sarwat Iftikhar, Samin Jan, Junaid Akhter, Muhammad Ramzan, et al.
    Sains Malaysiana, 2018;47:749-754.
    Cephradine belongs to the first generation cephalosporin having a broad range of anti-bacterial activities. In the
    present work, Cephradine wasreacted with different metal salts. These metal salts were Iron, Copper, Cobalt and Nickel
    salts. All the complexes of Cephradine metals were synthesized at room temperature using a mechanical vibrator.
    The reactions yielded the coordinated complexes within 5-10 min with improved product yield. The synthesized
    complexes were analyzed for their antibacterial power using disc diffused assay. All the Cephradine complexes showed
    powerful antibacterial activity. The Co, Cu, Ni and Sn complexes showed good antibacterial activities 18.5 mm by Cu
    complexes against S. typhi, 17 mm against B. subtillus 16.5 mm against S. aureus, 16 mm against S. coccus. Similarly
    Sn complexes exhibited 17 mm zone of inhibition against S. coccus and 15.5 mm against B. subtillus. Cobalt and Ni
    complexes also shed significant inhibition activities against bacterial pathogenic bacterial strains. The study is of
    particular importance and new, using mechanical vibrator for the first time. The product yield is also comparatively
    good with short reaction time.
  6. Fulltext Metals composition in low cost apartment in Kuala Lumpur
    Zitty Sarah Ismail, Nur Farhana Wan Arba’in, Nik Azlin Nik Ariffin, Mazhani Muhammad, Fairus Muhamad Darus, Nurul Nadiah Mohd Firdaus Hum
    Science Letters, 2019;13(2):18-24.
    MyJurnal
    House dust was found to be a great indicator of metal pollutants for indoor air quality. This study aims to assess the level of metals in house dusts and identify the relationship between the composition of metals concentration in low cost apartment, Kuala Lumpur. Eight houses were selected randomly from four levels of low cost apartment buildings. The samples were collected using a brush and plastic pan and then the samples were digested. The compositions of metals were determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES) and statistical analysis was used to analyze the data by using Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results show that the highest concentration of metals obtained was Fe with the mean value of 1483.64 mg/kg followed by Zn with the mean value of 1197.07 mg/kg, while Cd recorded as the lowest mean value of 0.131 mg/kg. The trend distribution of metals in the investigated areas followed the order Fe > Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd. Statistical analysis indicates significant correlation between all the possible pairs of metals.
  7. Fulltext Factors affecting compliance rate towards oral nutritional supplements intake among geriatric patients in Hospital Kuala Lumpur
    Lo, Adeline Li Ching, Muhammad Rabbani Abdul Malek, Nurshahirah Zulkifli, Siti Nur Fatihah Shaifol Akmar, Suzana Shahar, Chong, Elizabeth Gar Mit, et al.
    Jurnal Sains Kesihatan Malaysia, 2019;17(1):115-124.
    MyJurnal
    Compliance rate towards consumption of oral nutritional supplement (ONS) is low among geriatric patients. Thus, this study aimed to examine factors affecting low compliance of ONS intake among a sample of geriatric patients. A cross-sectional survey was carried out involving 30 geriatric patients being prescribed with ONS during their stay in Hospital Kuala Lumpur. Information on compliance rate and influencing factors were collected through interview and observation. Nutritional status was assessed using anthropometry and Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). 50.0% subjects were underweight and 70.0% and 30.0% were moderate and severely malnourished, respectively. A total of 43.3% were categorised as low, 53.4% medium and 3.3% high compliance towards consumption of ONS. Most of the subjects with low compliance agreed expressed that they need more nursing support (53.8%). Less than half perceived they had been given the needed nursing support (44.4%), and with respect to ONS: knowledgeable (38.5%), timely given (37.5%), understood the importance (35.7%), were able to finish it (35.0%), well-aware of the reasons of prescription (33.3%), satisfied with its taste (33.3%), received suitable volume (33.3%), satisfied with the texture (31.6%), and received suitable frequency (28.6%). In conclusion, approximately 40% of subjects had low compliance towards ONS. Awareness and nursing support were important factors associated with low compliance. There is a need to ensure adequate nursing support and education been given to patients prescribed with ONS in order to increase the compliance rate.
  8. Valorization of underutilized waste biomass from invasive species to produce biochar for energy and other value-added applications
    Ahmed A, Abu Bakar MS, Hamdani R, Park YK, Lam SS, Sukri RS, et al.
    Environ Res, 2020 07;186:109596.
    PMID: 32361527 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109596
    Biochar production from invasive species biomass discarded as waste was studied in a fixed bed reactor pyrolysis system under different temperature conditions for value-added applications. Prior to pyrolysis, the biomass feedstock was characterized by proximate, ultimate, and heating value analyses, while the biomass decomposition behavior was examined by thermogravimetric analysis. The heating values of the feedstock biomass ranged from 18.65 to 20.65 MJ/kg, whereas the volatile matter, fixed carbon, and ash content were 61.54-72.04 wt %, 19.27-26.61 wt % and 1.51-1.86 wt %, respectively. The elemental composition of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in the samples was reported to be in the range of 47.41-48.47 wt %, 5.50-5.88 wt % and 46.10-45.18 wt %, respectively, while the nitrogen and sulphur content in the biomass samples were at very low concentrations, making it more useful for valorization from environmental aspects. The biochar yields were reported in the range of 45.36-58.35 wt %, 28.63-44.38 wt % and 22.68-29.42 wt % at a pyrolysis temperature of 400 °C, 500 °C, and 600 °C, respectively. The biochars were characterized from ultimate analysis, heating value, energy densification ratio, energy yield, pH, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM and EDX), to evaluate their potential for value-added applications. The carbon content, heating value, energy densification ratio, and the porosity of the biochars improved with the increase in pyrolysis temperature, while the energy yield, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen content of the biochars decreased. This study revealed the potential of the valorization of underutilized discarded biomass of invasive species via a pyrolysis process to produce biochar for value-added applications.
  9. Cross-culture adaptation and validation of English version of Rheumatoid Arthritis Knowledge Assessment Scale (RAKAS) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis
    Naqvi AA, Hassali MA, Iffat W, Shakeel S, Zia M, Fatima M, et al.
    Int J Rheum Dis, 2020 Jul;23(7):918-927.
    PMID: 32525287 DOI: 10.1111/1756-185X.13860
    AIM: To carry out cross-culture adaptation and validation of the English version of Rheumatoid Arthritis Knowledge Assessment Scale (RAKAS) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted for 2 months in 2 tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. Sample size was calculated based on item-subject ratio. The translation was carried out using standard procedures for translation and cross-culture adaptation. The validation process included estimation of discrimination power, item difficulty index, factorial, convergent, construct and known group validities and reliability. Reliability of the scale was estimated using Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 and a value of σ2  ≥ 0.6 was acceptable. SPSS v23, Remark Classic OMR v6 software and MedCalc Statistical Software v16.4.3, were used to analyze the data. The study was approved by the relevant ethics committee (IRB#NOV:15).

    RESULTS: The mean score was 7.68 ± 2.52 (95% CI: 7.31-8.05) for 177 patients. The σ2  = 0.601, that is, >0.6, test-retest reliability ρ = .753, P 

  10. Fulltext Comparative Analysis of Erosive Wear Behaviour of Epoxy, Polyester and Vinyl Esters Based Thermosetting Polymer Composites for Human Prosthetic Applications Using Taguchi Design
    Khare JM, Dahiya S, Gangil B, Ranakoti L, Sharma S, Huzaifah MRM, et al.
    Polymers (Basel), 2021 Oct 19;13(20).
    PMID: 34685366 DOI: 10.3390/polym13203607
    In polymer composites, synthetic fibers are primarily used as a chief reinforcing material, with a wide range of applications, and are therefore essential to study. In the present work, we carried out the erosive wear of natural and synthetic fiber-based polymer composites. Glass fiber with jute and Grewia optiva fiber was reinforced in three different polymer resins: epoxy, vinyl ester and polyester. The hand lay-up method was used for the fabrication of composites. L16 orthogonal array of Taguchi method used to identify the most significant parameters (impact velocity, fiber content, and impingement angle) in the analysis of erosive wear. ANOVA analysis revealed that the most influential parameter was in the erosive wear analysis was impact velocity followed by fiber content and impingement angle. It was also observed that polyester-based composites exhibited the highest erosive wear followed by vinyl ester-based composites, and epoxy-based composites showed the lowest erosive wear. From the present study, it may be attributed that the low hardness of the polyester resulting in low resistance against the impact of erodent particles. The SEM analysis furthermore illustrates the mechanism took place during the wear examination of all three types of composites at highest fiber loading. A thorough assessment uncovers brittle fractures in certain regions, implying that a marginal amount of impact forces was also acting on the fabricated samples. The developed fiber-reinforced polymer sandwich composite materials possess excellent biocompatibility, desirable promising properties for prosthetic, orthopaedic, and bone-fracture implant uses.
  11. Increased aqueous solubility and proapoptotic activity of potassium koetjapate against human colorectal cancer cells
    Jafari SF, Khadeer Ahamed MB, Iqbal MA, Al Suede FS, Khalid SH, Haque RA, et al.
    J Pharm Pharmacol, 2014 Oct;66(10):1394-409.
    PMID: 25039905 DOI: 10.1111/jphp.12272
    Recently, we have isolated koetjapic acid (KA) from Sandoricum koetjape and identified its selective anticancer potentiality against colorectal carcinoma. KA is quite likely to be useful as a systemic anticancer agent against colorectal malignancy. However, with extremely low solubility, KA has to be converted into a biocompatible solubilized form without compromising the bioefficacy. Objective of this study is to enhance solubility of KA and to evaluate anticancer efficacy of potassium koetjapate in human colorectal cancer cells.
  12. Gellan Gum Hydrogels Filled Edible Oil Microemulsion for Biomedical Materials: Phase Diagram, Mechanical Behavior, and In Vivo Studies
    Muktar MZ, Bakar MAA, Amin KAM, Che Rose L, Wan Ismail WI, Razali MH, et al.
    Polymers (Basel), 2021 Sep 26;13(19).
    PMID: 34641095 DOI: 10.3390/polym13193281
    The demand for wound care products, especially advanced and active wound care products is huge. In this study, gellan gum (GG) and virgin coconut oil (VCO) were utilized to develop microemulsion-based hydrogel for wound dressing materials. A ternary phase diagram was constructed to obtain an optimized ratio of VCO, water, and surfactant to produce VCO microemulsion. The VCO microemulsion was incorporated into gellan gum (GG) hydrogel (GVCO) and their chemical interaction, mechanical performance, physical properties, and thermal behavior were examined. The stress-at-break (σ) and Young's modulus (YM) of GVCO hydrogel films were increased along with thermal behavior with the inclusion of VCO microemulsion. The swelling degree of GVCO hydrogel decreased as the VCO microemulsion increased and the water vapor transmission rate of GVCO hydrogels was comparable to commercial dressing in the range of 332-391 g m-2 d-1. The qualitative antibacterial activities do not show any inhibition against Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) bacteria. In vivo studies on Sprague-Dawley rats show the wound contraction of GVCO hydrogel is best (95 ± 2%) after the 14th day compared to a commercial dressing of Smith and Nephew Opsite post-op waterproof dressing, and this result is supported by the ultrasound images of wound skin and histological evaluation of the wound. The findings suggest that GVCO hydrogel has the potential to be developed as a biomedical material.
  13. Effect of laser irradiated silver doped polystyrene/polyethylene terephthalate (PET) thin film for solar cell applications
    Yabagi JA, Jameel MH, Jabbar AH, Kimpa MI, Qays Malik R, Xin SP, et al.
    RSC Adv, 2022 Nov 15;12(51):32949-32955.
    PMID: 36425158 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra04777b
    In the current research, the resist action of silver-doped polystyrene/polyethylene terephthalate (PET) solar thin film towards laser irradiation was observed. Moreover, silver-doped polystyrene nanoparticles were synthesized via a chemical technique while the PET film was purchased from the commercial market. Nd:YAG pulsed laser has been used to irradiate the samples at 2 minutes, 4 minutes, and 6 minutes respectively. The XRD (X-ray diffraction) pattern shows that silver-doped polystyrene peak at around angle θ = 26° tends to decrease after the bombardment of Nd:YAG pulsed laser. This indicates that the crystallinity of PET film decreased after laser irradiation. The Raman spectra have revealed the zwitter characteristics of silver-doped polystyrene are shifting of bands at 1380 cm-1 and 1560 cm-1 upon laser irradiation. For PET film, the Raman spectra showed that the exposed regions tend to change to cross-linking/chain-scissoring at 2 minutes and 4 minutes of irradiation. The surface roughness first increases and decreases upon irradiation. These results indicate that silver-doped polystyrene/polyethylene terephthalate (PET) thin film is appropriate for solar cell applications.
  14. Synthesis, in vitro antiurease, in vivo antinematodal activity of quinoline analogs and their in-silico study
    Zaman K, Rahim F, Taha M, Sajid M, Hayat S, Nawaz M, et al.
    Bioorg Chem, 2021 10;115:105199.
    PMID: 34329995 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105199
    Synthesis of quinoline analogs and their urease inhibitory activities with reference to the standard drug, thiourea (IC50 = 21.86 ± 0.40 µM) are presented in this study. The inhibitory activity range is (IC50 = 0.60 ± 0.01 to 24.10 ± 0.70 µM) which displayed that it is most potent class of urease inhibitor. Analog 1-9, and 11-13 emerged with many times greater antiurease potential than thiourea, in which analog 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, and 11 (IC50 = 3.50 ± 0.10, 7.20 ± 0.20, 1.30 ± 0.10, 2.30 ± 0.10, 0.60 ± 0.01, 1.05 ± 0.10 and 2.60 ± 0.10 µM respectively) were appeared the most potent ones among the series. In this context, most potent analogs such as 1, 3, 4, 8, and 9 were further subjected for their in vitro antinematodal study against C. elegans to examine its cytotoxicity under positive control of standard drug, Levamisole. Consequently, the cytotoxicity profile displayed that analogs 3, 8, and 9 were found with minimum cytotoxic outline at higher concentration (500 µg/mL). All analogs were characterized through 1H NMR, 13C NMR and HR-EIMS. The protein-ligand binding interaction for most potent analogs was confirmed via molecular docking study.
  15. Fulltext Structural, Physical, and Mechanical Analysis of ZnO and TiO2 Nanoparticle-Reinforced Self-Adhesive Coating Restorative Material
    Idrees QTA, Gul N, Fareed MA, Mian SA, Muzaffar D, Nasir M, et al.
    Materials (Basel), 2021 Dec 07;14(24).
    PMID: 34947103 DOI: 10.3390/ma14247507
    This study aimed to modify an EQUIA coat (EC; GC, Japan) by incorporating 1 and 2 wt.% of zinc oxide (ZnO; EC-Z1 and EC-Z2) and titanium dioxide (TiO2; EC-T1 and EC-T2) nanoparticles, whereby structural and phase analyses were assessed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry, micro-hardness, and water absorption analyses were conducted, and the microstructure was studied by scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy. FTIR spectra showed a reduction in peak heights of amide (1521 cm-1) and carbonyl (1716 cm-1) groups. XRD showed peaks of ZnO (2θ ~ 31.3°, 34.0°, 35.8°, 47.1°, 56.2°, 62.5°, 67.6°, and 68.7°) and TiO2 (2θ ~ 25.3°, 37.8°, 47.9, 54.5°, 62.8°, 69.5°, and 75.1°) corresponding to a hexagonal phase with a wurtzite structure and an anatase phase, respectively. Thermal stability was improved in newly modified materials in comparison to the control group. The sequence of obtained glass transitions was EC-T2 (111 °C), EC-T1 (102 °C), EC-Z2 (98 °C), EC-Z1 (92 °C), and EC-C (90 °C). EC-T2 and EC-T1 showed the highest (43.76 ± 2.78) and lowest (29.58 ± 3.2) micro-hardness values. EC showed the maximum water absorption (1.6%) at day 7 followed by EC-T1 (0.82%) and EC-Z1 (0.61%). These results suggest that EC with ZnO and TiO2 nanoparticles has the potential to be used clinically as a coating material.
  16. Fulltext The impact of different plant extracts on population suppression of Helicoverpa armigera (Hub.) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) yield under field conditions
    Ali S, Li Y, Haq IU, Abbas W, Shabbir MZ, Khan MM, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(12):e0260470.
    PMID: 34852006 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260470
    Helicoverpa armigera (Hub.) is a destructive pest of the tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) crop in Pakistan. Although insecticides are the primary management strategy used to control H. armigera, most of them are not effective due to considerable toxic residual effects on the fruits. Nonetheless, H. armigera is rapidly evolving resistance against the available pesticides for its management. This situation calls upon the need of alternative management options against the pest. Different plant extracts have been suggested as a viable, environment-friendly option for plant protection with minimal side effects. Furthermore, the plant extracts could also manage the insect species evolving resistance against pesticides. This study evaluated the efficacy of different plant extracts (i.e., Neem seed, turmeric, garlic and marsh pepper) against H. armigera. Furthermore, the impact of the plant extracts on growth and yield of tomato crop was also tested under field conditions. The results revealed that all plant extracts resulted in higher mortality of H. armigera compared to control. Similarly, the highest plant height was observed for the plants treated with the plant extracts compared to untreated plants. Moreover, the highest tomato yield was observed in plants treated with plant extracts, especially with neem seed (21.013 kg/plot) followed by pepper extract (19.25 kg/plot), and garlic extract 18.4 kg/plot) compared to the untreated plants (8.9 kg/plot). It is concluded that plant extracts can be used as eco-friendly approaches for improving tomato yield and resistance management of H. armigera.
  17. Fulltext Formulation Development, Characterization and Antifungal Evaluation of Chitosan NPs for Topical Delivery of Voriconazole In Vitro and Ex Vivo
    Shah MKA, Azad AK, Nawaz A, Ullah S, Latif MS, Rahman H, et al.
    Polymers (Basel), 2021 Dec 30;14(1).
    PMID: 35012154 DOI: 10.3390/polym14010135
    This study aims to develop chitosan-based voriconazole nanoparticles (NPs) using spray-drying technique. The effect of surfactants and polymers on the physicochemical properties, in vitro release, and permeation of NPs was investigated. The prepared NPs containing various surfactants and polymers (e.g., Tween 20 (T20), Tween 80 (T80), sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), propylene glycol (PG), and Polyethylene glycol-4000 (PEG-4000)) were physiochemically evaluated for size, zeta potential, drug content, percent entrapment efficiency, in vitro release, and permeation across rats' skin. A Franz diffusion cell was used for evaluating the in vitro release and permeation profile. The voriconazole-loaded NPs were investigated for antifungal activity against Candida albicans (C. albicans). The prepared NPs were in the nano range (i.e., 160-500 nm) and positively charged. Images taken by a scanning electron microscope showed that all prepared NPs were spherical and smooth. The drug content of NPs ranged from 75% to 90%. Nanoparticle formulations exhibited a good in vitro release profile and transport voriconazole across the rat's skin in a slow control release manner. The NPs containing SLS, T80, and PG exhibited the best penetration and skin retention profile. In addition, the formulation exhibited a potential antifungal effect against C. albicans. It was concluded that the development of chitosan NPs has a great potential for the topical delivery of voriconazole against fungal infection.
  18. Fulltext Phytochemical analysis and protective effects of Vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) in rats (Rattus norvegicus) following ethylene oxide-induced oxidative insult
    Rasool M, Malik A, Abdul Basit Ashraf M, Mubbin R, Ayyaz U, Waquar S, et al.
    Bioengineered, 2021 12;12(1):4593-4604.
    PMID: 34346287 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.1955528
    The Vaccinium genus comprises more than 126 genera of perennial flowering plants that are commonly adapted to poor and acidic soils or epiphytic environments. Their molecular and genomic characterization is a result of the recent advent in next-generation sequencing technology. In the current research, extracts were prepared in different media, such as petroleum ether, methanol and ethanol. An extract of Vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) was used at a dose of 200-400 mg/kg by weight (B.wt). Levels of oxidative stress markers, i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) and malondialdehyde (MDA), were measured. A histopathological study of six vital organs in rats was also conducted. The results indicated that the antioxidant levels were lower in the group given only ethylene oxide (EtO) but higher in the groups receiving cranberry extract as a treatment. Major improvements were also observed in stress markers such as advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) and MDA following cranberry treatment. Histopathological changes induced by EtO were observed in the heart, kidney, liver, lung, stomach and testis and were reversed following cranberry treatment. The major toxic effects of EtO were oxidative stress and organ degeneration, as observed from various stress markers and histopathological changes. Our study showed that this extract contains strong antioxidant properties, which may contribute to the amelioration of the observed toxic effects.
  19. Evaluation of tumour cells damage following radiotherapy by TC-99M pertechnetate
    Muhammad Afiq Khairil Anuar, Siti Zanariah Ab Aziz, Raizulnasuha Abdul Rashid, Safri Zainal Abidin, Norhayati Dollah, Wan Nordiana A. Abd Rahman
    Journal of Nuclear and Related Technologies, 2015;12(2):28-37.
    MyJurnal
    Radiotherapy has become the most important modality in treating cancer with approximately 50% of
    cancer patient undergo the treatment. However, more improvement to the radiotherapy treatment
    efficacy is required to deprive cancer. Assessment of tumor progress during treatment is important, to
    accommodate the changes that occur during the fractionation course. The objective of this study is to
    assess tumor cell damage after external beam radiotherapy by using technetium-99m
    pertechnetate (99mTcOf) as a tracer. In this study, HeLa cells were irradiated with 6 MVphoton beam
    with different radiation dose ranging from 0.5 Gy to 10 Gy. The irradiated cells were recultured in 6-
    well plates and incubated for 10 days. After that, 2 mCi of 99mTcOf were prescribed to each cell
    colonies. The viable cells were separated from the rest, and measured for 99mTcOf uptake using singlehead
    gamma camera with LEHR collimation. As results, the cells survival, fractions clearly indicate
    diminishing effect, to the cells at, higher dose of irradiation. Good correlation were observed between
    mmTcGi uptake and survival, fraction for cells irradiated at, lower dose and less significant, correlation
    were indicated at higher dose. In conclusion, there is potential for the efficacy of external beam
    radiotherapy in treating cancer to be assessed by using radioisotope as a non-invasive tracer. In this
    case, technetium-99m, pertechnetate (99mTcOjt) could be attached to the specific antibody so that, better
    correlation, between, the cells uptake and possible cell damages could be observed.
  20. Fulltext The Crux of the Medicine Prices' Controversy in Pakistan
    Lee KS, Shahidullah A, Zaidi STR, Patel RP, Ming LC, Tariq MH, et al.
    Front Pharmacol, 2017;8:504.
    PMID: 28824429 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00504
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