Displaying publications 41 - 60 of 138 in total

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  1. Fulltext Meningitis due to Listeria monocytogenes
    Halim AJ, Lim VKE
    Med J Malaysia, 1982 Jun;37(2):191-3.
    PMID: 6813660
    To our knowledge, meningitis due to Listeria monocytogenes has not previously been reported in Malaysia. We describe here two infants with meningitis due to Listeria monocytogenes occurring within a month of each other in the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Paediatric Unit. The incidence of listeriosis in Malaysia is unknown and it is possible that this infection may have been missed in the past.
  2. Serum immunoglobulin levels in the Semai
    Lim VK, Moosdeen F, Nagappan N
    Med J Malaysia, 1977 Jun;31(4):288-91.
    PMID: 927234
  3. Fulltext Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a Malaysian neonatal unit
    Lim VKE, Zulkifli HI
    Singapore Med J, 1987 Apr;28(2):176-9.
    PMID: 3629274
    Methicillin resistant Siaphylococcus aureus Is a common isolate from clinical specimens obtained from babies at the special care nursery of the Kuala Lumpur Maternity Hospital. Major Infections due to this organism were, however uncommon and the organism had in the majority of cases been present as a coloniser or as a cause of superficial infection. Netilmicin is a valuable antibiotic in the treatment of the severe infections.
  4. Fulltext Inhibitors of the glyoxylate cycle enzyme ICL1 in Candida albicans for potential use as antifungal agents
    Cheah HL, Lim V, Sandai D
    PLoS One, 2014;9(4):e95951.
    PMID: 24781056 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095951
    Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen that causes candidiasis in humans. In recent years, metabolic pathways in C. albicans have been explored as potential antifungal targets to treat candidiasis. The glyoxylate cycle, which enables C. albicans to survive in nutrient-limited host niches and its. Key enzymes (e.g., isocitrate lyase (ICL1), are particularly attractive antifungal targets for C. albicans. In this study, we used a new screening approach that better reflects the physiological environment that C. albicans cells experience during infection to identify potential inhibitors of ICL. Three compounds (caffeic acid (CAFF), rosmarinic acid (ROS), and apigenin (API)) were found to have antifungal activity against C. albicans when tested under glucose-depleted conditions. We further confirmed the inhibitory potential of these compounds against ICL using the ICL enzyme assay. Lastly, we assessed the bioavailability and toxicity of these compounds using Lipinski's rule-of-five and ADMET analysis.
  5. Fulltext Synthesis, characterisation, and evaluation of a cross-linked disulphide amide-anhydride-containing polymer based on cysteine for colonic drug delivery
    Lim V, Peh KK, Sahudin S
    Int J Mol Sci, 2013;14(12):24670-91.
    PMID: 24351841 DOI: 10.3390/ijms141224670
    The use of disulphide polymers, a low redox potential responsive delivery, is one strategy for targeting drugs to the colon so that they are specifically released there. The objective of this study was to synthesise a new cross-linked disulphide-containing polymer based on the amino acid cysteine as a colon drug delivery system and to evaluate the efficiency of the polymers for colon targeted drug delivery under the condition of a low redox potential. The disulphide cross-linked polymers were synthesised via air oxidation of 1,2-ethanedithiol and 3-mercapto-N-2-(3-mercaptopropionamide)-3-mercapto propionic anhydride (trithiol monomers) using different ratio combinations. Four types of polymers were synthesised: P10, P11, P151, and P15. All compounds synthesised were characterised by NMR, IR, LC-MS, CHNS analysis, Raman spectrometry, SEM-EDX, and elemental mapping. The synthesised polymers were evaluated in chemical reduction studies that were performed in zinc/acetic acid solution. The suitability of each polymer for use in colon-targeted drug delivery was investigated in vitro using simulated conditions. Chemical reduction studies showed that all polymers were reduced after 0.5-1.0 h, but different polymers had different thiol concentrations. The bacterial degradation studies showed that the polymers were biodegraded in the anaerobic colonic bacterial medium. Degradation was most pronounced for polymer P15. This result complements the general consensus that biodegradability depends on the swellability of polymers in an aqueous environment. Overall, these results suggest that the cross-linked disulphide-containing polymers described herein could be used as coatings for drugs delivered to the colon.
  6. Fulltext Subacute oral toxicity study of ethanolic leaves extracts of Strobilanthes crispus in rats
    Lim KT, Lim V, Chin JH
    Asian Pac J Trop Biomed, 2012 Dec;2(12):948-52.
    PMID: 23593574 DOI: 10.1016/S2221-1691(13)60005-2
    To examine the oral toxicity of repeated dosing of Strobilanthes crispus (S. crispus) ethanol leaves extract on the liver and kidney functions in Sprague Dawley rats.
  7. Fulltext DNA fingerprinting of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) in a teaching hospital in Malaysia
    Alfizah H, Norazah A, Nordiah AJ, Lim VKE
    Med J Malaysia, 2002 Sep;57(3):319-28.
    PMID: 12440272 MyJurnal
    Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been prevalent in our hospital over the last three years. Differentiation among MRSA strains by DNA typing in addition to antibiotic resistance pattern surveillance is crucial in order to implement infection control measures. The aim of this study was to characterize MRSA isolates from patients admitted to Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) by phenotypic (analyses of antibiotic susceptibility pattern) and genotypic (PFGE) techniques to determine the genetic relatedness of the MRSA involved and to identify endemic clonal profiles of MRSA circulating in HUKM. Seventy one MRSA strains collected between January to March 2000 from patients from various wards in HUKM were tested for antimicrobial resistance and typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Four major types of PFGE patterns were identified (A, B, C and D) among MRSA strains. Two predominant PFGE types were recognised, Type A (59.2%) and Type B (33.8%). Most of these strains were isolated from ICU, Surgical wards and Medical wards. MRSA strains with different PFGE patterns appeared to be widespread among wards. Strains with the same antibiotype could be of different PFGE types. Most of isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, gentamicin and penicillin. One isolate with a unique PFGE pattern Type D and susceptible to gentamicin was identified as a different clone. Some isolates obtained from the same patient showed different PFGE subtypes suggesting that these patients were infected/colonized with multiple MRSA strains. PFGE analysis suggests that MRSA strains with different PFGE types was propagated within our hospital. The relationship between antibiotic susceptibility and PFGE patterns was independent. The ability of PFGE technique in differentiating our MRSA strains make it a method of choice for investigating the source, transmission and spread of nosocomial MRSA infection, and thus an appropriate control programme can be implemented to prevent the spread of MRSA infection.
  8. Fulltext Bacterial peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis
    Cheong IKS, Lim VKE, Ujang K
    Med J Malaysia, 1981 Mar;36(1):17-9.
    PMID: 7321932
    38 episodes of peritonitis in 28 patients were recorded among 97 patients undergoing a total of 159 peritoneal dialysis at the Nephrology Unit, General Hospital, Kuala Lumpur between November 1979 to June 1980. Of these only 14 episodes were associated with a positive bacterial culture. Organism of the Moraxella-Acinetobacter group were responsible in 8 episodes. There were 16 positive cultures in patients who had no clinical evidence of peritonitis. The interpretation of bacterial peritonitis in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis must be made on the basis of clinical findings and bacteriological reports.
  9. Fulltext Pattern of neonatal septicemia in a Malaysian maternity hospital
    Boo NY, Wong YH, Lim VK
    Med J Malaysia, 1989 Sep;44(3):189-93.
    PMID: 2626133
    Over a 12 months period, out of 25,411 livebirths, 155 neonates (6.1 per 1000 livebirths) had proven septicemia by blood culture. The mortality rate was 26.5%. Septicemia was more common among the very low birthweight and preterm neonates of gestation of 30 weeks or less. 45.8% of the septicemia occurred during the first 48 hours of life. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most common causative organism. However, mortality was highest among neonates who acquired multiresistant nosocomial infection during the later part of neonatal life.
  10. Fulltext The bacteriology of perforated appendix
    Lim VKE, Hussin Z, Abdul Wahab Y
    Med J Malaysia, 1983 Dec;38(4):275-8.
    PMID: 6599982
    Perforated appendix is a serious surgical condition that carries a high morbidity. Antibiotic treatment is often started before the availability of bacteriological reports. The choice of antibiotics would depend on the bacteriology associated with perforated appendix. In a retrospective survey of the bacteriology of peritoneal pus obtained from cases of perforated appendix at the General Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, E. coli was found to be the most commonly encountered organism. This was followed in order of decreasing frequency by streptococci, Bacteroides species, Klebsiella-Enterobacter group and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. From the results of the antibiotic sensitivities an antibiotic regimen comprising of a combination of gentamicin, metronidazole and penicillin is recommended as appropriate chemotherapy in perforated appendix.
  11. Transfer of knowledge, skills and confidence from a faculty development programme for health professions educators into practice
    Chia CF, Nadarajah VD, Lim V, Kutzsche S
    Med Teach, 2021 Jul;43(sup1):S46-S52.
    PMID: 32552199 DOI: 10.1080/0142159X.2020.1776239
    BACKGROUND: Faculty development programmes should incorporate the transfer of knowledge, skills, and confidence from the training to educational practice. However, there is a risk that transfer may fail due to inadequate integration of knowledge, skills, and confidence. The study evaluated transfer levels, guided by learned principles from a faculty development programme.

    METHOD: The submitted self-reports on a pedagogical intervention of 92 out of 190 health professions educators who participated in a mandatory teaching and learning training programme, were analysed by a mixed-method approach guided by a structured conceptual framework.

    RESULTS: Overall 93.4% reported the successful transfer of learning. Participants incorporated sustainable changed practice (level A, 57.6%), showed reflection on the impact of changed practice (level B, 21.7%), and performed effect analysis (level C, 14.1%). The rest planned application of learning (level D, 4.4%) and identified gaps in current practice or developed an idea for educational intervention but did not implement (level E, 2.2%).

    CONCLUSION: The majority of participants transferred their learning. Faculty development programmes must ensure successful transfer of knowledge, skills, and confidence from the training to educational practice to ensure sustainable development of teaching and learning practices.

  12. Fulltext Pattern of antibiotic usage in hospitals in Malaysia
    Lim VK, Cheong YM, Suleiman AB
    Singapore Med J, 1993 Dec;34(6):525-8.
    PMID: 8153716
    A prospective survey of antibiotic prescribing patterns in six Ministry of Health general hospitals in Malaysia was undertaken. Information on antibiotic prescriptions including the types of antibiotics used and the purposes for prescription was obtained through the use of questionnaires. A total of 1,918 antibiotic prescriptions were available for analysis. About two-thirds of prescriptions were for therapeutic purposes. The most common infections treated were lower respiratory infection (31%), followed by skin and soft tissue infection (17%), and urinary tract infection (8%). Only 20% of the therapeutic prescriptions were based on microbiological test results. Prophylactic prescriptions were issued for a variety of indications, the most common being toilet and suture of wounds. Only 5% of prophylactic prescriptions were of less than 3 days duration. There was great diversity in antibiotics and antibiotic regimens employed. It was evident that there was a lack of compliance with guidelines on antibiotic use issued by the Ministry of Health.
  13. Exploring stingless bee honey from selected regions of Peninsular Malaysia through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomics
    Manickavasagam G, Saaid M, Lim V
    J Food Sci, 2024 Feb;89(2):1058-1072.
    PMID: 38221804 DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.16903
    Volatile organic compounds in honey are known for their considerable impact on the organoleptic properties of honey, such as aroma, flavor, taste, and texture. The type and composition of volatile organic compounds are influenced by entomological, geographical, and botanical origins; thus, these compounds have the potential to be chemical markers. Sixty-two volatile compounds were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry from 30 Heterotrigona itama (H. itama) honey samples from 3 different geographical origins. Hydrocarbons and benzene derivatives were the dominant classes of volatile organic compounds in the samples. Both clustering and discriminant analyses demonstrated a clear separation between samples from distant origins (Kedah and Perak), and the volcano plot supported it. The reliability and predictability of the partial least squares-discriminant analysis model from the discriminant analysis were validated using cross-validation (R2 : 0.93; Q2 : 0.83; accuracy: 0.97) and the permutation test (p  1.0) and the Kruskal-Wallis test (p 
  14. Impact of prolonged storage on quality assessment properties and constituents of honey: A systematic review
    Manickavasagam G, Saaid M, Lim V
    J Food Sci, 2024 Feb;89(2):811-833.
    PMID: 38224177 DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.16921
    This systematic review paper aims to discuss the trend in quality assessment properties and constituents of honey at different storage conditions and confer the possible whys and wherefores associated with the significant changes. Initially, a literature search was conducted through Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Scopus databases. In total, 43 manuscripts published between 2001 and 2023 that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were chosen for the review. As an outcome of this review, prolonged honey storage could deteriorate sensory, nutritional, and antioxidant properties and promote fermentation, granulation, microbial growth, carcinogenicity, organotoxicity, and nephrotoxicity. This systematic review also recognized that diastase activity, invertase activity, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural content, proline content, sugar content, amino acids, and vitamins could be used as indicators to distinguish fresh and stored honey based on the significant test (p-value) in the reported studies. However, all the reported studies used the simplest approach (one-way ANOVA) to identify the significant differences in the analyzed parameter during the storage period and none of them reported an approach to identify the most influential parameter at different storage conditions. In conclusion, orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (supervised multivariate statistical tool) has to be employed in future studies to find the most influential parameter and could be used to potent chemical markers to distinguish fresh and stored honey because this analysis is incorporated with S-plot, variable importance of projection, and one-way ANOVA, which can produce the most accurate and precise results rather solely depending on one-way ANOVA.
  15. In vitro analysis of quercetin-like compounds from mistletoe Dendrophthoe pentandra (L.) Miq as a potential antiviral agent for Newcastle disease
    Mochamad L, Malarvili S, Jasmine K, Lim V
    F1000Res, 2023;12:1214.
    PMID: 38962299 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.133489.2
    Background: Recent evidence suggests that some flavonoid compounds obtained from crude methanol extract of mistletoe leaves ( Dendrophthoe pentandra L. Miq), also known as Benalu Duku (BD), have antimicrobial effects. Thus, the plant has the potential to eliminate viruses that may cause outbreaks in chicken farms. This study aimed to prove the in vitro ability of flavonoid compounds, namely quercetin-like compounds (QLCs), to eliminate field viruses, specifically the Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Methods: This research was performed in two stages. An in vitro test was used with a post-test of the control groups designed at a significance of 0.05. BD leaves (5 kg) were extracted using a maceration method with methanol and then separated into hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and methanol fractions. The final extracted products were separated using semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to obtain QLCs. The QLCs were identified and compared with quercetin using HPLC, proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry, and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The activity of QLCs was tested in vitro against the NDV at a virulency titer of 10 -5 Tissue Culture Infectious Dose 50% (TCID50) and in chicken kidney cell culture. Results: Solutions of 0.05% (w/v) QLCs were discovered to have antiviral activity against NDVs, with an average cytopathogenic effect antigenicity at a 10 -5 dilution (p<0.05). Conclusions: QLCs from flavonoids from the leaves of BD have antiviral bioactivity against NDVs and may have the potential to be developed as medicinal compounds for the treatment of other human or animal viral infections.
  16. Fulltext The use of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis in seven Malaysian hospitals
    Lim VK, Cheong YM, Suleiman AB
    Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1994 Dec;25(4):698-701.
    PMID: 7667716
    A survey on the use of antibiotics in surgical prophylaxis was carried out in seven Malaysian hospitals. Details of antibiotic prescriptions were obtained through questionnaires completed by the prescriber. A total of 430 such prescriptions was analysed. A large number of different antibiotic regimens were used for a variety of surgical procedures. The majority of prescriptions (70%) were issued for procedures where such prophylaxis was probably not necessary. Antibiotics were also often prescribed for durations that were longer than necessary. There is an urgent need to educate surgeons and standardize surgical prophylactic regimens in order to reduce cost and combat the emergence of antibiotic resistance.
  17. Unbiased Metabolomic and Chemometric profiles of three Sargassum polycystum extracts using GCMS and LCMS/MS: content analysis, correlation analysis and molecular docking
    Alallam B, Abdulameed HT, Lim V
    Food Chem, 2025 Apr 01;470:142666.
    PMID: 39755036 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142666
    Sargassum polycystum (S. polycystum) is a brown macroalga with a high phytochemical content, making it a nutritious and bioactive food source. However, information on factors contributing to health benefits, like antioxidants and cytotoxicity, is less explored for Malaysian S. polycystum. In this study, three extracts of S. polycystum were characterized using a combination of analytical techniques. Despite similar carbohydrate content across all extracts, water extract exhibited the highest protein [21.90 ± 1.01 albumin equivalent (μg/mg)] and phenolic [7.73 ± 1.95 gallic acid equivalent (μg/mg)] contents. However, it displayed the lowest antioxidant and anticancer activities [half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of > 2000 μg/mL]. Interestingly, ethanolic extract demonstrated the strongest scavenging activity (IC50 of 397.90 ± 20.43 μg/mL) and selective anticancer activity against MCF7 breast cancer cells (IC50 of 338.63 ± 48.98 μg/mL). Untargeted metabolomic profiling confirmed the differences in the chemical composition of the extracts. Subsequently, correlation and docking analyses were used to identify the potential bioactive compounds within the extracts. The ethanolic extract is a rich source of these bioactive compounds with superior antioxidant and anticancer properties, highlighting the need for further research on its potential utility in the food industry.
  18. The educational environment and self-perceived clinical competence of senior medical students in a Malaysian medical school
    Lai N, Nalliah S, Jutti RC, Hla Y, Lim VK
    Educ Health (Abingdon), 2009 Aug;22(2):148.
    PMID: 20029744
    The educational environment is widely considered to be a major factor affecting students' motivation and learning outcomes. Although students' perceptions of their educational environment are often reported, we are unaware of any published reports that relate this information to students' clinical competence, either self-perceived or objectively measured.
  19. Fulltext In-vitro activity of quinupristin/dalfopristin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin against fusidic acid and rifampicin-resistant strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from Malaysian hospitals
    Norazah A, Lim VKE, Rohani MY, Kamel AGM
    Med J Malaysia, 2005 Oct;60(4):411-5.
    PMID: 16570701
    The in-vitro susceptibility of quinupristin/dalfopristin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains, which are also resistant to fusidic acid and rifampicin were carried out to determine whether these antibiotics can be used as an alternative treatment for multiply resistant MRSA strains. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of these antibiotics were determined by E-test. Quinupristin/dalfopristin had good activity (MIC90 = 1 mg/L) against these strains while most of the strains showed intermediate resistance to moxifloxacin with MIC90 = 2 mg/L). However, more than 90% of these strains were resistant to levofloxacin with the MICs that ranged from 8 mg/L to 16 mg/L with the majority inhibited at 8 mg/L.
  20. Fulltext Antioxidant Activity and Phenolic Content of Streblus asper Leaves from Various Drying Methods
    Ibrahim NM, Mat I, Lim V, Ahmad R
    Antioxidants (Basel), 2013;2(3):156-66.
    PMID: 26784343 DOI: 10.3390/antiox2030156
    Aqueous and ethanol extracts of oven and freeze-dried Streblus asper leaves were investigated using DPPH assay. The presence of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in the extracts, which were detected by Folin and colorimetric assays, respectively, may be responsible for the antioxidant activities of S. asper. The different drying treatments resulted in significant differences (p < 0.05) in the antioxidant properties as well as the phenolic and flavonoid contents of the S. asper extracts. Freeze-dried S. asper leaf extracts exhibited high DPPH radical scavenging activity ranging from 69.48% ± 0.03% to 89.25% ± 0.01% at concentrations ranging from 0 to 1 mg/mL, significantly higher compared with the oven-dried extracts which were in the range of 68.56% ± 0.01% to 86.68% ± 0.01%. Generally, the 70% ethanol extract of the freeze-dried samples exhibited higher phenolic and flavonoid content than the aqueous extract, with values of 302.85 ± 0.03 mg GAE/g and 22.70 ± 0.02 mg QE/g compared with 226.8 ± 0.03 mg GAE/g and 15.38 ± 0.05 mg QE/g, respectively. This study showed that S. asper leaf extracts contain a number of health promoting bioactive compounds, such as phenolic compounds, and are potential sources of natural antioxidants.
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