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  1. Fulltext Deceased donor kidney transplant policies in Asia - implications on practice and recommendations for the future
    Tan J, Mabood Khalil MA, Kee T, Tiong HY, Khan TT, El-Madhoun I, et al.
    Lancet Reg Health Southeast Asia, 2024 Feb;21:100312.
    PMID: 38361593 DOI: 10.1016/j.lansea.2023.100312
    Deceased donor kidney transplantation (DDKT) is common in high income Western countries with high transplantation rates. However, the utilization of deceased organs is suboptimal in Asia, due to a multitude of factors. Coherent policies are integral to the development of DDKT programs and deterrence of commercialization, but most are still at an infancy and formative stage in Asia. This review article identifies the glass ceiling effects of social, cultural, religious, political, and technical factors hampering the progress of DDKT in Asia. Additionally, it reviews the history of policy development in different countries and describes their idiosyncratic barriers and challenges. Lastly, it discusses innovative policy measures that can be undertaken to proliferate DDKT practice and curtail commercialization. The long-term ideal is to achieve regional equity and self-sufficiency, through a shared ethos of social and ethical responsibility that transcends and resonates with the different segments of the Asian community.
  2. Fulltext The cadmium tolerance and bioaccumulation mechanism of Tetratostichococcus sp. P1: insight from transcriptomics analysis
    Sahabudin E, Kubo S, Yuzir MAM, Othman N, Nadia Md Akhir F, Suzuki K, et al.
    Bioengineered, 2024 Dec;15(1):2314888.
    PMID: 38375815 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2024.2314888
    Cadmium (Cd) has become a severe issue in relatively low concentration and attracts expert attention due to its toxicity, accumulation, and biomagnification in living organisms. Cd does not have a biological role and causes serious health issues. Therefore, Cd pollutants should be reduced and removed from the environment. Microalgae have great potential for Cd absorption for waste treatment since they are more environmentally friendly than existing treatment methods and have strong metal sorption selectivity. This study evaluated the tolerance and ability of the microalga Tetratostichococcus sp. P1 to remove Cd ions under acidic conditions and reveal mechanisms based on transcriptomics analysis. The results showed that Tetratostichococcus sp. P1 had a high Cd tolerance that survived under the presence of Cd up to 100 µM, and IC50, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration value, was 57.0 μM, calculated from the change in growth rate based on the chlorophyll content. Long-term Cd exposure affected the algal morphology and photosynthetic pigments of the alga. Tetratostichococcus sp. P1 removed Cd with a maximum uptake of 1.55 mg g-1 dry weight. Transcriptomic analysis revealed the upregulation of the expression of genes related to metal binding, such as metallothionein. Group A, Group B transporters and glutathione, were also found upregulated. While the downregulation of the genes were related to photosynthesis, mitochondria electron transport, ABC-2 transporter, polysaccharide metabolic process, and cell division. This research is the first study on heavy metal bioremediation using Tetratostichococcus sp. P1 and provides a new potential microalga strain for heavy metal removal in wastewater.[Figure: see text]Abbreviations:BP: Biological process; bZIP: Basic Leucine Zipper; CC: Cellular component; ccc1: Ca (II)-sensitive cross complementary 1; Cd: Cadmium; CDF: Cation diffusion facilitator; Chl: Chlorophyll; CTR: Cu TRansporter families; DAGs: Directed acyclic graphs; DEGs: Differentially expressed genes; DVR: Divinyl chlorophyllide, an 8-vinyl-reductase; FPN: FerroportinN; FTIR: Fourier transform infrared; FTR: Fe TRansporter; GO: Gene Ontology; IC50: Growth half maximal inhibitory concentration; ICP: Inductively coupled plasma; MF: molecular function; NRAMPs: Natural resistance-associated aacrophage proteins; OD: Optical density; RPKM: Reads Per Kilobase of Exon Per Million Reads Mapped; VIT1: Vacuolar iron transporter 1 families; ZIPs: Zrt-, Irt-like proteins.
  3. Modelling photoperiod in enhancing hydrogen production from Chlorella vulgaris sp. while bioremediating ammonium and organic pollutants in municipal wastewater
    Ardo FM, Khoo KS, Ahmad Sobri MZ, Suparmaniam U, Ethiraj B, Anwar AF, et al.
    Environ Pollut, 2024 Apr 01;346:123648.
    PMID: 38408504 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123648
    Municipal wastewater is ubiquitously laden with myriad pollutants discharged primarily from a combination of domestic and industrial activities. These heterogeneous pollutants are threating the natural environments when the traditional activated sludge system fails sporadically to reduce the pollutants' toxicities. Besides, the activated sludge system is very energy intensive, bringing conundrums for decarbonization. This research endeavoured to employ Chlorella vulgaris sp. In converting pollutants from municipal wastewater into hydrogen via alternate light and dark fermentative process. The microalgae in attached form onto 1 cm3 of polyurethane foam cubes were adopted in optimizing light intensity and photoperiod during the light exposure duration. The highest hydrogen production was recorded at 52 mL amidst the synergistic light intensity and photoperiod of 200 μmolm-2s-1 and 12:12 h (light:dark h), respectively. At this lighting condition, the removals of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammoniacal nitrogen were both achieved at about 80%. The sustainability of microalgal fermentative performances was verified in recyclability study using similar immobilization support material. There were negligible diminishments of hydrogen production as well as both COD and ammoniacal nitrogen removals after five cycles, heralding inconsequential microalgal cells' washout from the polyurethane support when replacing the municipal wastewater medium at each cycle. The collected dataset was finally modelled into enhanced Monod equation aided by Python software tool of machine learning. The derived model was capable to predict the performances of microalgae to execute the fermentative process in producing hydrogen while subsisting municipal wastewater at arbitrary photoperiod. The enhanced model had a best fitting of R2 of 0.9857 as validated using an independent dataset. Concisely, the outcomes had contributed towards the advancement of municipal wastewater treatment via microalgal fermentative process in producing green hydrogen as a clean energy source to decarbonize the wastewater treatment facilities.
  4. Fulltext First report of Burkholderia gladioli causing bacterial panicle blight of rice in Malaysia
    Md Zali AZ, Ja'afar Y, Paramisparan K, Ismail SI, Saad N, Mohd Hata E, et al.
    Plant Dis, 2022 Jun 24.
    PMID: 35748735 DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-03-22-0650-PDN
    Rice (Oryza sativa) is a staple food for most of the world's populations, particularly in Asia (Gumma et al. 2011). The rice sector provides Malaysians with a food supply, food sufficiency, and income for growers (Man et al. 2009). From January to February 2022, panicle samples showing symptoms of bacterial panicle blight (BPB) disease, including reddish-brown, linear lesions with indistinct margins on flag-leaf sheaths and blighted, upright, grayish straw-colored florets with sterile and aborted grains on panicles were collected in granary areas in Sekinchan, Selangor, Malaysia with 90% disease incidence in fields. Surface-sterilization of infected leaf tissue was performed using 75% ethanol and 1% sodium hypochlorite, followed by rinsing three times in sterilized water. Leaf tissue was macerated in sterilized water and aliquots were spread on King's B agar medium, then cultured for 24 h to 48 h at 35 °C. All isolated bacteria were Gram-negative rods, positive for catalase and gelatinase but negative for indole, oxidase and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and utilized sucrose, inositol, mannitol, glucose, and citrate. Colonies were circular and smooth-margined, producing a diffusible yellowish-green pigment on King's B agar medium, which are characteristics of Burkholderia species (Keith et al. 2005). Five representative isolates (UPMBG7, UPMBG8, UPMBG9, UPMBG15, UPMBG17) were selected for molecular and pathogenicity tests. PCR using specific primers targeting the gyrB gene for molecular characterization was performed, and the ∼470 bp amplicons were sequenced (Maeda et al. 2006) and deposited in GenBank (OM824438 to OM824442). A BLASTn analysis revealed that the five isolates were 99% identical to the B. gladioli reference strains MAFF 302533, GRBB15041, and LMG19584 in GenBank (AB190628, KX638432, and AB220898). A phylogenetic tree using Maximum-likelihood analysis of the gyrB gene sequences showed that the five isolates were 99% identical to B. gladioli reference strains (AB190628, KX638432, and AB220898). To verify the identification of these isolates, the 16S rDNA gene was amplified using 16SF/16SR primers (Ramachandran et al. 2021), producing ~1,400 bp amplicons. The resulting sequences of the five isolates (OM869953 to OM869957) were 98% identical to the reference strains of B. gladioli (NR113629 and NR117553). To confirm pathogenicity, 10 ml suspensions of the five isolates at of 108 CFU/ml were inoculated into the panicles and crowns of 75-day-old rice seedlings of local rice varieties MR269 and MR219 grown in a glasshouse with temperatures ranging from 37 °C to 41 °C (Nandakumar et al. 2009). Control rice seedlings were inoculated with sterilized water. All isolates produced BPB disease symptoms like those originally found in the rice fields at four weeks after inoculation. Control seedlings remained asymptomatic. To fulfill Koch's postulates, the bacteria were reisolated from symptomatic panicles and were confirmed as B. gladioli by sequence analysis of the gyrB and 16S rDNA genes. To our knowledge, this is the first report of B. gladioli causing BPB disease of rice in Malaysia. Since BPB disease causes a significant threat to the rice industry, it is crucial to investigate the diversity of this destructive pathogen for effective disease management strategies in Malaysia.
  5. Fulltext Preparation and evaluation of a niosomal delivery system containing G. mangostana extract and study of its anti-Acanthamoeba activity
    Sangkana S, Eawsakul K, Ongtanasup T, Boonhok R, Mitsuwan W, Chimplee S, et al.
    Nanoscale Adv, 2024 Feb 27;6(5):1467-1479.
    PMID: 38419876 DOI: 10.1039/d3na01016c
    Garcinia mangostana extract (GME) has severe pharmacokinetic deficiencies and is made up of a variety of bioactive components. GME has proven its anti-Acanthamoeba effectiveness. In this investigation, a GME-loaded niosome was developed to increase its potential therapeutic efficacy. A GME-loaded niosome was prepared by encapsulation in a mixture of span60, cholesterol, and chloroform by the thin film hydration method. The vesicle size, zeta potential, percentage of entrapment efficiency, and stability of GME-loaded niosomes were investigated. The values for GME-loaded niosome size and zeta potential were 404.23 ± 4.59 and -32.03 ± 0.95, respectively. The delivery system enhanced the anti-Acanthamoeba activity, which possessed MIC values of 0.25-4 mg mL-1. In addition, the niosomal formulation decreased the toxicity of GME by 16 times. GME-loaded niosome must be stored at 4 °C, as the quantity of remaining GME encapsulated is greater at this temperature than at room temperature. SEM revealed the damage to the cell membrane caused by trophozoites and cysts, which led to dead cells. In light of the above, it was found that GME-loaded niosomes had better anti-Acanthamoeba activity. The study suggested that GME-loaded niosomes could be used as an alternative to Acanthamoeba's therapeutic effects.
  6. Environmental DNA metabarcoding of freshwater fish in Malaysian tropical rivers using short-read nanopore sequencing as a potential biomonitoring tool
    Munian K, Ramli FF, Othman N, Mahyudin NAA, Sariyati NH, Abdullah-Fauzi NAF, et al.
    Mol Ecol Resour, 2024 May;24(4):e13936.
    PMID: 38419264 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13936
    The approach of combining cost-effective nanopore sequencing and emerging environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding could prove to be a promising tool for biodiversity documentation, especially in Malaysia. Given the substantial funding constraints in recent years, especially in relation to the country's biodiversity, many researchers have been limited to conduct restricted research without extended monitoring periods, potentially hindering comprehensive surveys and could compromise the conservation efforts. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the application of eDNA metabarcoding on freshwater fish using short reads generated through nanopore sequencing. This assessment focused on species detection in three selected rivers within the Endau Rompin Landscape in Malaysia. Additionally, the study compared levels of species detection between eDNA metabarcoding and conventional sampling methods, examined the effectiveness of primer choice, and applied both metabarcoding and shotgun sequencing to the eDNA approach. We successfully identified a total of 22 and 71 species with an identification threshold of >97% and >90%, respectively, through the MinION platform. The eDNA metabarcoding approach detected over 13% more freshwater fish species than when the conventional method was used. Notably, the distinction in freshwater fish detection between eDNA primers for 12S rRNA and cytochrome oxidase I was insignificant. The cost for eDNA metabarcoding proved to be more effective compared to conventional sampling with cost reduction at 33.4%. With favourable cost-effectiveness and increased species detection, eDNA metabarcoding could complement existing methods, enhance holistic diversity documentation for targeted habitats and facilitate effective conservation planning.
  7. Fulltext Exploring community behaviours and stakeholder challenges in engaging communities with dengue prevention behaviour in Malaysia: implementation research for a qualitative study with a community-based participatory research design
    Samsudin NA, Karim N, Othman H, Naserrudin NA, Sahani M, Hod R, et al.
    BMJ Open, 2024 Mar 12;14(3):e074222.
    PMID: 38479731 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-074222
    OBJECTIVES: To use a community-based participatory research (CBPR) design to explore local community behaviours and stakeholders' challenges in engaging communities in dengue prevention behaviours in Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia.

    DESIGN: This CBPR design in implementation comprised in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). Themes were identified from the data with inductive and deductive thematic analysis.

    SETTING: FGDs were conducted in local community areas and IDIs were conducted in the local authority (LA) office and the Hulu Langat district health office.

    PARTICIPANTS: All FGD and IDI participants consented to the study, and included health authorities (n=4), LAs (n=7), community leader (n=1), faith leader (n=1), patients diagnosed with dengue (IDIs, n=2) and permanent residents of Hulu Langat who had been exposed to dengue infectious disease (FGDs, n=27).

    RESULTS: The main themes were categorised into community behaviour and stakeholder challenges. The community behaviour-related themes were awareness of dengue disease and Aedes mosquitoes, perception of risk and severity, and involvement of authorities. The themes related to stakeholder challenges were resource constraints and capacity issues, jurisdictional constraints and coordination, and educational dissemination and vandalism.

    CONCLUSIONS: The actions of the authorities shape community and stakeholder behaviours. Effective communication, including clear and aesthetically pleasing messages, motivates individuals to take appropriate actions. It is crucial for the authorities to engage in inclusive communication and consider diverse perspectives, such as those of residents and individuals exposed to dengue infection. Authorities that provide accurate and unbiased information foster transparency and enable informed decision-making by all stakeholders.

  8. Dual role of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells and their cell-free extracellular vesicles in colorectal cancer
    Saadh MJ, Mohamed AH, Almoyad MAA, Allela OQB, Amin AH, Malquisto AA, et al.
    Cell Biochem Funct, 2024 Mar;42(2):e3962.
    PMID: 38491792 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3962
    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the main causes of cancer-related deaths. However, the surgical control of the CRC progression is difficult, and in most cases, the metastasis leads to cancer-related mortality. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) with potential translational applications in regenerative medicine have been widely researched for several years. MSCs could affect tumor development through secreting exosomes. The beneficial properties of stem cells are attributed to their cell-cell interactions as well as the secretion of paracrine factors in the tissue microenvironment. For several years, exosomes have been used as a cell-free therapy to regulate the fate of tumor cells in a tumor microenvironment. This review discusses the recent advances and current understanding of assessing MSC-derived exosomes for possible cell-free therapy in CRC.
  9. Fulltext Phenolic compounds of Theobroma cacao L. show potential against dengue RdRp protease enzyme inhibition by In-silico docking, DFT study, MD simulation and MMGBSA calculation
    Huq AKMM, Roney M, Dubey A, Nasir MH, Tufail A, Aluwi MFFM, et al.
    PLoS One, 2024;19(3):e0299238.
    PMID: 38483871 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299238
    BACKGROUND: Currently, there is no antiviral medication for dengue, a potentially fatal tropical infectious illness spread by two mosquito species, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The RdRp protease of dengue virus is a potential therapeutic target. This study focused on the in silico drug discovery of RdRp protease inhibitors.

    METHODS: To assess the potential inhibitory activity of 29 phenolic acids from Theobroma cacao L. against DENV3-NS5 RdRp, a range of computational methods were employed. These included docking, drug-likeness analysis, ADMET prediction, density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The aim of these studies was to confirm the stability of the ligand-protein complex and the binding pose identified during the docking experiment.

    RESULTS: Twenty-one compounds were found to have possible inhibitory activities against DENV according to the docking data, and they had a binding affinity of ≥-37.417 kcal/mol for DENV3- enzyme as compared to the reference compound panduratin A. Additionally, the drug-likeness investigation produced four hit compounds that were subjected to ADMET screening to obtain the lead compound, catechin. Based on ELUMO, EHOMO, and band energy gap, the DFT calculations showed strong electronegetivity, favouravle global softness and chemical reactivity with considerable intra-molecular charge transfer between electron-donor to electron-acceptor groups for catechin. The MD simulation result also demonstrated favourable RMSD, RMSF, SASA and H-bonds in at the binding pocket of DENV3-NS5 RdRp for catechin as compared to panduratin A.

    CONCLUSION: According to the present findings, catechin showed high binding affinity and sufficient drug-like properties with the appropriate ADMET profiles. Moreover, DFT and MD studies further supported the drug-like action of catechin as a potential therapeutic candidate. Therefore, further in vitro and in vivo research on cocoa and its phytochemical catechin should be taken into consideration to develop as a potential DENV inhibitor.

  10. The Potential of Fish Protein Hydrolysate Supplementation in Nile Tilapia Diets: Effects on Growth and Health Performance, Disease Resistance, and Farm Economic Analysis
    Kabir MA, Nandi SK, Suma AY, Abdul Kari Z, Mohamad Sukri SA, Wei LS, et al.
    Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 2024 Oct;196(10):7145-7167.
    PMID: 38489116 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-024-04913-7
    Fish protein hydrolysate (FPH) has shown immense potential as a dietary protein supplement and immunostimulant in aquaculture, especially in Nile tilapia production. Four isoproteic diets (30% crude protein) were prepared by including FPH at varying percentages (0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2%). Nile tilapia fed with FPH diets for 90 days, and their growth performance, feed utilization, blood biochemistry, liver and gut morphology, and resistance against Streptococcus iniae were investigated. The findings revealed that diets physical attributes such as pellet durability index and water stability were remarkably (p 
  11. Trehalose-conjugated lentil-casein protein complexes prepared by structural interaction: Effects on water solubility and protein digestibility
    Alrosan M, Madi Almajwal A, Al-Qaisi A, Gammoh S, Alu'datt MH, Al Qudsi FR, et al.
    Food Chem, 2024 Jul 30;447:138882.
    PMID: 38452537 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.138882
    The two limiting factors for lentil protein utilization are water solubility and digestibility. In this study, we utilized two non-thermal techniques: (1) protein complexation of lentil and casein proteins using the pH-shifting method and (2) protein conjugation with trehalose to produce trehalose-conjugated lentil-casein protein complexes (T-CPs) with enhanced water solubility and digestibility. The protein structure of the T-CPs was analyzed for secondary protein structure, conformation protein, and tertiary protein structure using Fourier-transform infrared, UV, and fluorescence spectroscopies, respectively. The surface hydrophobicity and surface charge of T-CPs solution at pH 7.0 changed significantly (P 
  12. Drug modifications: graphene oxide-chitosan loading enhanced anti-amoebic effects of pentamidine and doxycycline
    Jabri T, Daalah M, Alawfi BS, Gul J, Ahmed U, Shah MR, et al.
    Parasitol Res, 2024 Nov 20;123(11):387.
    PMID: 39565414 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08389-6
    Acanthamoeba castellanii is the causative pathogen of a severe eye infection, known as Acanthamoeba keratitis and a life-threatening brain infection, named granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. Current treatments are problematic and costly and exhibit limited efficacy against Acanthamoeba parasite, especially the cyst stage. In parallel to drug discovery and drug repurposing efforts, drug modification is also an important approach to tackle infections, especially against neglected parasites such as free-living amoebae: Acanthamoeba. In this study, we determined whether modifying pentamidine and doxycycline through chitosan-functionalized graphene oxide loading enhances their anti-amoebic effects. Various concentrations of doxycycline, pentamidine, graphene oxide, chitosan-functionalized graphene oxide, and chitosan-functionalized graphene oxide loaded with doxycycline and pentamidine were investigated for amoebicidal effects against pathogenic A. castellanii belonging to the T4 genotype. Lactate dehydrogenase assays were performed to determine toxic effects of these various drugs and nanoconjugates against human cells. The findings revealed that chitosan-functionalized graphene oxide loaded with doxycycline demonstrated potent amoebicidal effects. Nanomaterials significantly (p 
  13. Laboratory-based assessment of geotechnical characteristics of organic waste-amended soil for landfill biocover
    Rahim S, Isa MH, Shams S, Jeludin M, Abdul Rahman EK, Hj Md Juani R, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2024 Dec;31(58):66029-66043.
    PMID: 39612092 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-35580-0
    A landfill biocover is essential for addressing environmental concerns, especially in waste management, as it plays a crucial role in mitigating the release of methane gas. This study investigates the geotechnical characteristics of soil amended with organic wastes for landfill biocover applications. Various organic waste amendments, viz., rice husk, crushed coconut coir, and compost, were examined at different percentages (0%, 25%, 50%, and 75%) compared with conventional landfill cover material, i.e. natural clay, as biocovers. Laboratory experiments analysed geotechnical characteristics, including organic content, Atterberg limit, compaction, consolidation, and desiccation cracking. The study revealed that organic waste amendment significantly impacted the geotechnical characteristics of landfill biocover, enhancing organic content and porosity and reducing permeability and desiccation susceptibility. Soils amended with organic content support methanotrophic bacteria growth and reduce methane emissions in landfills. The most promising biocovers were identified as 75CR (crushed coconut coir/wastewater sludge/clay in percentage ratio of 70:5:25), followed by 75CT (compost/wastewater sludge/clay in percentage ratio of 70:5:25), and 25RH (rice husk/wastewater sludge/clay in percentage ratio of 20:5:75). Biocovers offer sustainable landfill alternatives, underscoring the need to understand their geotechnical characteristics for successful installation in landfills.
  14. Design anticancer potential of Zn(II)isoleucinedithiocarbamate complex on MCF-7 cell lines: synthesis, characterization, molecular docking, molecular dynamic, ADMET, and in-vitro studies
    Irfandi R, Raya I, Ahmad A, Fudholi A, Riswandi, Santi S, et al.
    Mol Divers, 2024 Oct;28(5):3199-3214.
    PMID: 37884781 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-023-10747-y
    Cisplatin is a cancer medication widely used today, but it still poses some problems due to its toxic properties in the body. To overcome this issue, a new complex has been developed as a potential anticancer drug prospect by minimizing its toxic consequences. A novel Zn(II)IleDTC complex containing isoleucine dithiocarbamate ligands has been produced and analyzed using a range of analytical and spectroscopic methods. The Zn(II) IleDTC complex were characterized using various methods, including UV-Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, determination of melting point, conductivity, and HOMO-LUMO analysis. Furthermore, computational NMR spectrum analysis was conducted in this study. Molecular docking studies was conducted to evaluate the potential of Zn(II) isoleucine dithiocarbamate as an HIF1 inhibitor. The results showed that the Zn complex exhibited a good docking score of -6.6 and formed hydrogen bonds with ARG 17, VAL264, and GLU15, alkyl bonds with TRP27 and LEU32, and Pi-Alkyl bonds with PRO41 and ARG44. This suggests that the Zn(II) isoleucine dithiocarbamate complex could be a promising candidate for cancer treatment with potential HIF1 inhibition properties. To assess the dynamic stability and efficacy of protein-ligand interactions over time, molecular dynamics simulations was conducted for both individual proteins and protein complexes. The cytotoxicity evaluation of Zn(II) isoleucine dithiocarbamate against MCF-7 cells obtained an IC50 value of 362.70 µg/mL indicating moderate cytotoxicity and morphological changes of cancer cells causing cancer cells to undergo apoptosis. The Zn(II) isoleucine dithiocarbamate complex may have promising potential as an anticancer compound due to its significant inhibitory effect on the breast cancer cell line (MCF7). According to the ADMET study, the complex exhibits drug-like characteristics with low toxicity, further supporting its potential as a viable drug candidate.
  15. Fulltext Cesium cation additive in PbI2 layer regulates crystal growth and carrier dynamics in air processed MAPbI3 perovskites solar cells
    Ahdaliza AZ, Ismail NI, Fikri Maulidan I, Alam Shaikh GU, Mohammad Hanif MAS, Sepeai S, et al.
    RSC Adv, 2026 Aug 19;16(38):42604-42621.
    PMID: 42495559 DOI: 10.1039/d6ra03921a
    The ambient processing of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is crucial for scalable industrialization; however, moisture-induced degradation and non-uniform crystallization remain significant hurdles. In this work, we demonstrate a facile, ambient-processable two-step intercalation strategy that premixes cesium iodide (CsI) directly into the PbI2 precursor to regulate the crystallization and carrier dynamics of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) PSCs. By bypassing conventional solution-processed solubility limits, this pre-intercalation approach ensures a highly uniform Cs+ distribution. Mechanistically, this kinetically promotes Ostwald ripening during crystal growth and thermodynamically relieves native lattice microstrain. Consequently, the optimal CsI concentration (2 mg mL-1) significantly enlarged the perovskite grain size (from 161 nm to 255 nm), reduced dislocation density, and suppressed deep-level trap states. These structural refinements effectively mitigated trap-assisted recombination and improved charge extraction. The optimal ambient-processed device achieved a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.17% (average 20.57 ± 1.28%) with minimized hysteresis. Furthermore, applying this CsI-intercalated architecture in a strictly controlled environment (glovebox) validated its fundamental optoelectronic potential, yielding a true PCE of 23.78% with an excellent fill factor of 80.9%. Finally, the unencapsulated devices demonstrated remarkable durability, retaining 97.7% of their initial efficiency under continuous operational illumination and 82% after 30 days of ambient storage. These findings establish controlled CsI precursor intercalation as a scalable and mechanistically sound pathway for highly efficient and stable perovskite photovoltaics.
  16. Effects of dietary powdered Ficus deltoidea on the growth and health performance of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus production
    Abdul Kari Z, Sukri SAM, Téllez-Isaías G, Bottje WG, Khoo MI, Guru A, et al.
    Fish Physiol Biochem, 2024 Dec;50(6):2563-2582.
    PMID: 39298109 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-024-01403-9
    Intensive aquaculture causes a decline in the health status of fish, resulting in an increased disease incidence. To counteract this, feed additives have been utilized to improve the growth performance and health of aquaculture species. This work specifically investigates the impact of powdered Ficus deltoidea (FD) on various parameters related to growth, blood parameters, liver and intestine morphology, body proximate analysis, digestive enzymes, antioxidant capacity, and disease resistance to motile Aeromonad Septicemia (MAS) caused by Aeromonas hydrophila infection in African catfish, Clarias gariepinus. Four formulated diets were prepared: T1 (0% FD), T2 (0.5% FD), T3 (0.75% FD), and T4 (1% FD). After 8 weeks, the African catfish's growth performance fed with the T2 diet exhibited a substantial improvement (p < 0.05), along with a remarkably lower (p < 0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) when compared to the other treatment groups. Blood parameter analysis revealed notably higher (p < 0.05) levels of white blood cell (WBC), lymphocytosis (LYM), hemoglobin (HGB), albumin (ALB), globulin (GLOB), as well as total protein (TP) in the T2 diet group. While all treatment groups displayed normal intestinal morphology, liver deterioration was observed in groups supplemented with higher FD. The T2 diet group recorded the highest villus length, width, and crypt depth. Protease and lipase levels were also notably improved in the T2 diet group compared to other treatment groups. Additionally, catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were remarkably elevated in all FD diet groups than in the control group. The expression of immune-related genes, including transforming growth factor beta 1, heat shock protein 90, nuclear factor kappa-B gene, and lysozyme G, was upregulated in all treatments. Overall, the results of this study indicate that incorporating dietary FD at 0.5% concentration in the diet of African catfish may enhance their productivity in intensive farming.
  17. A review on carbon-based biowaste and organic polymer materials for sustainable treatment of sulfonamides from pharmaceutical wastewater
    Zango ZU, Khoo KS, Garba A, Lawal MA, Abidin AZ, Wadi IA, et al.
    Environ Geochem Health, 2024 Apr 03;46(4):145.
    PMID: 38568460 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-024-01936-1
    Frequent detection of sulfonamides (SAs) pharmaceuticals in wastewater has necessitated the discovery of suitable technology for their sustainable remediation. Adsorption has been widely investigated due to its effectiveness, simplicity, and availability of various adsorbent materials from natural and artificial sources. This review highlighted the potentials of carbon-based adsorbents derived from agricultural wastes such as lignocellulose, biochar, activated carbon, carbon nanotubes graphene materials as well as organic polymers such as chitosan, molecularly imprinted polymers, metal, and covalent frameworks for SAs removal from wastewater. The promising features of these materials including higher porosity, rich carbon-content, robustness, good stability as well as ease of modification have been emphasized. Thus, the materials have demonstrated excellent performance towards the SAs removal, attributed to their porous nature that provided sufficient active sites for the adsorption of SAs molecules. The modification of physico-chemical features of the materials have been discussed as efficient means for enhancing their adsorption and reusable performance. The article also proposed various interactive mechanisms for the SAs adsorption. Lastly, the prospects and challenges have been highlighted to expand the knowledge gap on the application of the materials for the sustainable removal of the SAs.
  18. Ultrasonic-assisted synthesis of CaCu3Ti4O12/reduced graphene oxide composites for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceutical products: Ibuprofen and Ciprofloxacin
    Ahmadipour M, Ardani MR, Sarafbidabad M, Missaoui N, Satgunam M, Singh R, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2024 Apr;31(19):27770-27788.
    PMID: 38514592 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32977-9
    The objective of this research is to create a highly effective approach for eliminating pollutants from the environment through the process of photocatalytic degradation. The study centers around the production of composites consisting of CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) using an ultrasonic-assisted method, with a focus on their capacity to degrade ibuprofen (IBF) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) via photodegradation. The impact of rGO on the structure, morphology, and optical properties of CCTO was inspected using XRD, FTIR, Raman, FESEM, XPS, BET, and UV-Vis. Morphology characterization showed that rGO particles were dispersed within the CCTO matrix without any specific chemical interaction between CCTO and C in the rGO. The BET analysis revealed that with increasing the amount of rGO in the composite, the specific surface area significantly increased compared to the CCTO standalone. Besides, increasing rGO resulted in a reduction in the optical bandgap energy to around 2.09 eV, makes it highly promising photocatalyst for environmental applications. The photodegradation of IBF and CIP was monitored using visible light irradiation. The results revealed that both components were degraded above 97% after 60 min. The photocatalyst showed an excellent reusability performance with a slight decrease after five runs to 93% photodegradation efficiency.
  19. Fulltext Retraction: Cesium cation additive in PbI2 layer regulates crystal growth and carrier dynamics in air processed MAPbI3 perovskites solar cells
    Ahdaliza AZ, Ismail NI, Fikri Maulidan I, Alam Shaikh GU, Mohammad Hanif MAS, Sepeai S, et al.
    RSC Adv, 2026 Oct 30.
    PMID: 42964548 DOI: 10.1039/d6ra90164f
    [This retracts the article DOI: 10.1039/D6RA03921A.].
  20. Fulltext Harnessing chia seed polysaccharides for green synthesis of copper-based nanoparticles with antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory activities
    Khan F, Jamil Y, Wajid R, Khan A, Yaseen M, Law D, et al.
    PLoS One, 2026;21(10):e0361692.
    PMID: 42961858 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0361692
    Diabetes mellitus and chronic inflammation are global health issues, exacerbated by the incomplete control of metabolic-inflammatory pathways and the adverse effects of long-term pharmacotherapy. The development of multifunctional therapeutic nanomaterials via green nanotechnology has recently garnered attention. In this study, we synthesized copper-based nanoparticles (Cu NPs) using Salvia hispanica (chia) seed-derived polysaccharides and characterized their in vitro anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic activities, as well as in vivo antidiabetic effects in an alloxan-induced diabetic mouse model. Successful formation of polysaccharide-based Cu NPs was confirmed using UV-Visible, FTIR, XRD, and SEM analyses. Hemocompatibility assessment showed concentration-dependent hemolysis by Cu NPs (0.92 ± 0.06%, 5.71 ± 0.44%, and 8.42 ± 0.63% at the respective tested concentrations), indicating reduced hemocompatibility at higher concentrations. In the HRBC membrane stabilization assay, Cu NPs exhibited dose-dependent inhibition of hemolysis (45.83 ± 1.7% to 70.59 ± 2.1%), while heat hemolysis was reduced by 72.91 ± 1.5% at 1000 µg/mL. Enzyme inhibition studies showed significant inhibition of α-amylase (58.45 ± 0.7% to 87.20 ± 2.1%) and α-glucosidase (83.87 ± 1.6% at 1000 µg/mL) compared to acarbose. Glucose uptake in yeast cells increased to 59.87 ± 0.3% at 1000 µg/mL. In alloxan-induced diabetic mice, Cu NPs (150 mg/kg) reduced fasting blood glucose from 287 ± 4.2 to 131 ± 7.02 mg/dL over 30 days and improved lipid profiles (e.g., decreased total cholesterol to 85 ± 1.3 mg/dL and increased HDL to 39.8 ± 1.2 mg/dL). Histopathological analyses showed restoration of pancreatic and hepatic architecture. Collectively, chia seed polysaccharide-mediated copper-based nanoparticles exhibited anti-hyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, and lipid-modulating activities under the investigated experimental conditions, supporting their further evaluation for diabetes-related applications.
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