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Comparative effectiveness of interventions for the treatment of denture stomatitis: A systematic review with network meta-analysis

Xin YH, Ying TJ, Syeed MS, Veettil SK, Menon RK

J Prosthet Dent, 2025 Jan;133(1):108-123.
PMID: 36863936 DOI: 10.1016/j.prosdent.2023.01.007

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Symptomatic denture stomatitis (DS) is a painful oral mucosal disorder that can impair quality of life in denture wearers. A complete cure of DS is difficult to achieve, and the most efficacious regimen to treat DS has not yet been conclusively established.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this network meta-analysis was to assess the comparative efficacy of interventions used for the treatment of DS.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: A search was conducted for trials published in Medline, Scopus, PubMed, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception until February 2022 (PROSPERO Reg no: CRD42021271366). Network meta-analysis was performed on data from randomized controlled trials that assessed the comparative efficacy of any form of intervention for the treatment of DS in denture wearers. Agents were ranked according to their effectiveness in the treatment of DS based on outcomes using surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA).
RESULTS: A total of 25 articles were included in the quantitative analysis. Topical antifungal agents (risk ratio [RR]=4.37[95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.15,8.90), topical antimicrobial agents used along with systemic antifungal agents (RR=4.25[95% CI: 1.79,10.33]), systemic antifungal agents (RR=4.25[95% CI: 1.79,10.10]), photodynamic therapy (RR=4.25[95% CI: 1.75,8.98]), and topical plant products (RR=3.40[95% CI: 1.59,7.26]) were found to effectively improve DS. Microwave disinfection concurrently administered with topical antifungal agents (RR=7.38(95% CI: 2.75,19.81), microwave disinfection 7.38[95% CI: 2.75,19.81]), topical antifungal agents (RR=4.88[95% CI: 1.92,12.42]), topical plant products (RR=4.49[95% CI: 1.70,11.82]), systemic antifungal agents together with topical antimicrobial agents (RR=3.85[95% CI: 1.33,11.10]), topical antimicrobial agents (RR=3.39[95% CI: 1.17,9.81]), systemic antifungal agents (RR=3.37[95% CI: 1.21,9.34]), and photodynamic therapy or photochemotherapy (PDT) (RR=2.93[95% CI: 1.01,8.47]) were found to effectively resolve mycological DS. Topical antifungals ranked highest in the SUCRA ranking for clinical improvement, whereas microwave disinfection concurrently administered with topical antifungal agents ranked highest for mycological resolution. None of the agents demonstrated significant side effects except for topical antimicrobial agents which demonstrated altered taste and staining of oral structures.
CONCLUSIONS: Available evidence suggests that topical antifungals, microwave, and systemic antifungals are effective in the treatment of DS, but confidence in these findings is low because of the limited number of studies and a high risk of bias. Additional clinical trials are needed on photodynamic therapy, topical plant products, and topical antimicrobials.
In silico structural exploration of serine protease from a CTG-clade yeast Meyerozyma guilliermondii strain SO

Lorrine OE, Rahman RNZRA, Joo Shun T, Salleh AB, Oslan SN

Anal Biochem, 2023 May 01;668:115092.
PMID: 36889624 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2023.115092

In eukaryotes, serine proteases are cellular localized hydrolases reported to regulate essential biological reactions. Improved industrial applications of proteins are aided by prediction and analysis of their 3-dimensional structures (3D). A serine protease was identified from CTG-clade yeast Meyerozyma guilliermondii strain SO and its 3D structure as well as its catalytic attributes have not been fully understood yet, thus we seek to report on the catalytic mechanism of M. guilliermondii strain SO MgPRB1 using substrate PMSF via in silico docking as well as its stability by way of disulfide bonds formation. Herein, bioinformatics tools and techniques were used to predict, validate and analyze the possible changes of CUG ambiguity (if any) in strain SO using template PDB ID: 3F7O. Structural assessments confirmed the classic catalytic triad Asp305, His337, and Ser499. Superimposition of MgPRB1 and template 3F7O structures revealed the unlinked cysteine residues between Cys341, Cys440, Cys471 and Cys506 of MgPRB1 compared to template 3F7O with two disulfide bonds formation, which confers structural stability. In conclusion, serine protease structure from strain SO was successfully predicted and studies towards understanding at the molecular level may be undertaken for its potential applications in the degradation of peptide bonds.
Effects of OsomeFood Clean Label plant-based meals on the gut microbiome

Jacky D, Bibi C, Meng LMC, Jason F, Gwendoline T, Jeremy L, et al.

BMC Microbiol, 2023 Mar 30;23(1):88.
PMID: 36997838 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-02822-z

BACKGROUND: Plant-based diets offer more beneficial microbes and can modulate gut microbiomes to improve human health. We evaluated the effects of the plant-based OsomeFood Clean Label meal range ('AWE' diet), on the human gut microbiome.
METHODS: Over 21 days, ten healthy participants consumed OsomeFood meals for five consecutive weekday lunches and dinners and resumed their regular diets for other days/meals. On follow-up days, participants completed questionnaires to record satiety, energy and health, and provided stool samples. To document microbiome variations and identify associations, species and functional pathway annotations were analyzed by shotgun sequencing. Shannon diversity and regular diet calorie intake subsets were also assessed.
RESULTS: Overweight participants gained more species and functional pathway diversity than normal BMI participants. Nineteen disease-associated species were suppressed in moderate-responders without gaining diversity, and in strong-responders with diversity gains along with health-associated species. All participants reported improved short-chain fatty acids production, insulin and γ-aminobutyric acid signaling. Moreover, fullness correlated positively with Bacteroides eggerthii; energetic status with B. uniformis, B. longum, Phascolarctobacterium succinatutens, and Eubacterium eligens; healthy status with Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Prevotella CAG 5226, Roseburia hominis, and Roseburia sp. CAG 182; and overall response with E. eligens and Corprococcus eutactus. Fiber consumption was negatively associated with pathogenic species.
CONCLUSION: Although the AWE diet was consumed for only five days a week, all participants, especially overweight ones, experienced improved fullness, health status, energy and overall responses. The AWE diet benefits all individuals, especially those of higher BMI or low-fiber consumption.
Fulltext Recent advances of γ-aminobutyric acid: Physiological and immunity function, enrichment, and metabolic pathway

Heli Z, Hongyu C, Dapeng B, Yee Shin T, Yejun Z, Xi Z, et al.

Front Nutr, 2022;9:1076223.
PMID: 36618705 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1076223

γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-protein amino acid which naturally and widely occurs in animals, plants, and microorganisms. As the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system of mammals, it has become a popular dietary supplement and has promising application in food industry. The current article reviews the most recent literature regarding the physiological functions, preparation methods, enrichment methods, metabolic pathways, and applications of GABA. This review sheds light on developing GABA-enriched plant varieties and food products, and provides insights for efficient production of GABA through synthetic biology approaches.
Fulltext Recent trends in carbon nanotube (CNT)-based biosensors for the fast and sensitive detection of human viruses: a critical review

Meskher H, Mustansar HC, Thakur AK, Sathyamurthy R, Lynch I, Singh P, et al.

Nanoscale Adv, 2023 Feb 14;5(4):992-1010.
PMID: 36798507 DOI: 10.1039/d2na00236a

The current COVID-19 pandemic, with its numerous variants including Omicron which is 50-70% more transmissible than the previously dominant Delta variant, demands a fast, robust, cheap, and easily deployed identification strategy to reduce the chain of transmission, for which biosensors have been shown as a feasible solution at the laboratory scale. The use of nanomaterials has significantly enhanced the performance of biosensors, and the addition of CNTs has increased detection capabilities to an unrivaled level. Among the various CNT-based detection systems, CNT-based field-effect transistors possess ultra-sensitivity and low-noise detection capacity, allowing for immediate analyte determination even in the presence of limited analyte concentrations, which would be typical of early infection stages. Recently, CNT field-effect transistor-type biosensors have been successfully used in the fast diagnosis of COVID-19, which has increased research and commercial interest in exploiting current developments of CNT field-effect transistors. Recent progress in the design and deployment of CNT-based biosensors for viral monitoring are covered in this paper, as are the remaining obstacles and prospects. This work also highlights the enormous potential for synergistic effects of CNTs used in combination with other nanomaterials for viral detection.
Fulltext First report of Colletotrichum siamense Causing anthracnose on Cinnamomum camphora in Malaysia

Khoo YW, Hui Teng T, Khaw YS, Li S, Chong KP

Plant Dis, 2022 Aug 08.
PMID: 35939750 DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-12-21-2787-PDN

Cinnamomum camphora (Lauraceae), commonly known as camphor tree, is widely grown as an ornamental and is used as a source of camphor in Malaysia. In June 2021, leaves of three camphor trees with anthracnose symptoms were collected from a park (6°02'00.8"N, 116°07'18.5"E) at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah in Sabah province. The average disease severity across diseased plants was about 60% with 30% incidence on 10 surveyed plants. The disease severity on disease area of 10 leaves from each three diseased plants was estimated using ImageJ software. The disease incidence was determined based on Sharma et al. (2017). Gray spots were observed primarily on the surface of the leaves. After a week, the spots coalesced into larger patches, and anthracnose developed. Small pieces (5 x 5 mm) of symptomatic leaf tissue from three camphor trees were excised from the margin between healthy and symptomatic tissue. The pieces were surface-sterilized with 75% ethanol for 1 minute, washed with 2% sodium hypochlorite solution for 1 minute, rinsed, and air dried before plating in three Petri dishes with Potato dextrose agar, and incubated for 7 days at 25°C in the dark. After 7 days, all the PDA plates had abundant gray-white fluffy hyphae. Mycelium was dark brown when observed from the underside of the plate. The isolates UMS02, UMS04 and UMS05 were characterized morphologically and molecularly. The conidia were one-celled, cylindrical, hyaline, and smooth, with blunt ends, and ranged in size from 13.9 to 16.3 x 3.8 to 6.1 μm (n = 20). Appressoria were round to irregular in shape and dark brown in color, with size ranging from 7.8 to 9.8 μm x 5.3 to 6.8 μm (n= 20). Genomic DNA was extracted from fresh mycelium of the isolates based on Khoo et al. (2022a). Amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, calmodulin (CAL), actin (ACT), chitin synthase (CHS-1), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) genes of the isolate was performed using primer pairs ITS1/ITS4, CL1C/CL2C, ACT-512F/ACT-783R, CHS-79F/CHS-354R, and GDF1/GDR1 (Weir et al. 2012). PCR products with positive amplicons were sent to Apical Scientific Sdn. Bhd. for sequencing. Sequences of the isolates were deposited in GenBank as OK448747, OM501094, OM501095 (ITS), OL953034, OM513908, OM513909 (CAL), OL953031, OM513910, OM513911 (ACT), OL953037, OM513912, OM513913 (CHS-1), and OL953040, OM513914, OM513915 (GAPDH). They were 100% identical to ITS (MN296082), CAL (MN525840), ACT (MW341257, MN525819), CHS-1 (MT210318), and GAPDH (MT682399, MN525882) sequences of Colletotrichum siamense. Phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood on the concatenated ITS, CAL, ACT, CHS-1 and GAPDH sequences indicated that the isolates formed a clade (82% bootstrap support) to C. siamense. Morphological and molecular characterization matched the description of C. siamense (Huang et al. 2022). Koch's postulates were performed by spraying a spore suspension (106 spores/ml) on leaves of three healthy two-month-old camphor trees, while water was sprayed on three additional camphor trees which served as control. The inoculated camphor trees were covered with plastics for 48 h at 25°C in the dark, and then placed in the greenhouse. Monitoring and incubation were performed based on Chai et al. (2017) and Iftikhar et al. (2022). Symptoms similar to those observed in the field occurred 8 days post-inoculation. No symptoms occurred on controls. The experiment was repeated two more times. C. siamense has been reported causing anthracnose on camphor tree in China (Liu et al. 2022), Citrus spp. in Mexico (Pérez-Mora et al. 2021), and Crinum asiaticum and eggplant in Malaysia (Khoo et al. 2022b, 2022c). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. siamense causing anthracnose on C. camphora in Malaysia. Our findings expand the geographic range of C. siamense and indicate it could be a potential threat limiting the camphor production of C. camphora in Malaysia.
Fulltext First report of Colletotrichum siamense Causing Anthracnose on Crinum asiaticum in Malaysia

Khoo YW, Hui Teng T, Khaw YS, Li S, Chong KP

Plant Dis, 2022 Apr 12.
PMID: 35412330 DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-12-21-2779-PDN

Crinum asiaticum (family Amaryllidaceae), locally known as 'Pokok Bakung', is an ornamental medicinal plant grown in Malaysia. It contains chemical compounds used for antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor, antiemetic and wound healing (Patel, 2017). In July 2021, 'Pokok Bakung' leaves with anthracnose symptoms were collected from a park of Universiti Malaysia Sabah in the Sabah province. The disease severity was about 100% with 20% incidence. Red spots were primarily found on the leaf surfaces. Anthracnose developed as the disease progressed, and acervuli were observed in the spots. Small pieces of infected leaves (5 x 5 mm) were excised from spot margins, surface sterilized based on Khoo et al. (2022a), placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) in Petri dishes, which were incubated for 5 days at 25°C in the dark. The colonies formed on the PDA plates were abundant with gray-white fluffy mycelia after 5 days, and the reverse view revealed brown. UMS01, a representative isolate, was used to morphologically and molecularly characterize the fungus. Conidia were one-celled, cylindrical, hyaline, smooth, and blunt at the ends, measuring 13.8 to 16.5 x 3.6 to 6.7 µm (n = 20). Appressoria ranged in size from 7.6 to 9.3 x 5.5 to 6.9 µm (n= 20) and were ovoid to clavate, spherical to irregular in shape and dark brown in color. Genomic DNA was extracted from fresh mycelia of isolate UMS01 based on Khoo et al. (2021) with the addition of mechanical disruption using a micro pestle before heating at 95°C. PCR amplification was performed based on Khoo et al. (2022a) using ITS1/ITS4, CL1C/CL2C, ACT-512F/ACT-783R, CHS-79F/CHS-354R, and GDF1/GDR1 primer pairs to amplify the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, calmodulin (CAL), actin (ACT), chitin synthase (CHS-1), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) (Weir et al. 2012). PCR products with positive amplicons were sent to Apical Scientific Sdn. Bhd. for sequencing. The sequences were deposited in GenBank under accession numbers OK458683 (ITS), OL953033 (CAL), OL953030 (ACT), OL953036 (CHS-1), and OL953039 (GAPDH). Before BLAST, the search set were adjusted to exclude model sequences (XM/XP) and the uncultured/environmental sample sequences, and limit to sequences from type material. They were 99-100% similar to the Colletotrichum siamense ITS (JX010171), CAL (JX009714), ACT (FJ907423) and CHS-1 (JX009865), and Colletotrichum changpingense GAPDH (MZ664048) type sequences. The GAPDH marker did not reliably resolve the relationships within the C. gloeosporioides complex (Vieira et al. 2020). Phylogenetic analysis using maximum likelihood based on the combined ITS, CAL, ACT, CHS-1 and GAPDH indicated that the isolate formed a supported clade (100% bootstrap value) to the most related C. siamense. Morphological and molecular characterization matched the description of C. siamense (Huang et al. 2021). Pathogenicity tests were performed to fulfil Koch's postulates by spraying a spore suspension (106 spores/ml) on the leaves of three healthy four-month-old 'Pokok Bakung' plants, while three additional plants were sprayed with water as a control. The inoculated plants were covered with plastics for 48 h at 25°C in the dark. Incubation was performed based on Iftikhar et al. (2022). Symptoms similar to those of the field collection occurred after 6 days post inoculation. No symptoms occurred on the control plants. The experiment was repeated two more times. The reisolated fungal isolates were identical to C. siamense morphologically and molecularly. Previously, C. siamense has been reported to cause anthracnose on Allamanda cathartica (Huang et al. 2021) and avocado (Li et al. 2022) in China, and 'Purple Dream' eggplant in Malaysia (Khoo et al. 2022b). Colletotrichum fructicola has been reported to cause anthracnose on C. asiaticum in China (Qing et al. 2020). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. siamense causing anthracnose on C. asiaticum in Malaysia. Our findings expand the geographic range of C. siamense and indicate that it could be a potential threat limiting the growth and production of C. asiaticum in Malaysia.
Parameter characterization of PEM fuel cell mathematical models using an orthogonal learning-based GOOSE algorithm

Manoharan P, Ravichandran S, Kavitha S, Tengku Hashim TJ, Alsoud AR, Sin TC

Sci Rep, 2024 Sep 09;14(1):20979.
PMID: 39251720 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-71223-7

In this paper, a new method is designed to effectively determine the parameters of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), i.e., ξ 1 , ξ 2 , ξ 3 , ξ 4 , R C , λ , and b . The fuel cells (FCs) involve multiple variable quantities with complex non-linear behaviours, demanding accurate modelling to ensure optimal operation. An accurate model of these FCs is essential to evaluate their performance accurately. Furthermore, the design of the FCs significantly impacts simulation studies, which are crucial for various technological applications. This study proposed an improved parameter estimation procedure for PEMFCs by using the GOOSE algorithm, which was inspired by the adaptive behaviours found in geese during their relaxing and foraging times. The orthogonal learning mechanism improves the performance of the original GOOSE algorithm. This FC model uses the root mean squared error as the objective function for optimizing the unknown parameters. In order to validate the proposed algorithm, a number of experiments using various datasets were conducted and compared the outcomes with different state-of-the-art algorithms. The outcomes indicate that the proposed GOOSE algorithm not only produced promising results but also exhibited superior performance in comparison to other similar algorithms. This approach demonstrates the ability of the GOOSE algorithm to simulate complex systems and enhances the robustness and adaptability of the simulation tool by integrating essential behaviours into the computational framework. The proposed strategy facilitates the development of more accurate and effective advancements in the utilization of FCs.
Acidified sucralfate encapsulated chitosan derivative nanoparticles as oral vaccine adjuvant delivery enhancing mucosal and systemic immunity

Zhao Z, Qiao S, Jin Z, Li H, Yu H, Zhang C, et al.

Int J Biol Macromol, 2024 Sep 07;279(Pt 3):135424.
PMID: 39245128 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.135424

Oral vaccines are generally perceived to be safe, easy to administer, and have the potential to induce both systemic and mucosal immune responses. However, given the challenges posed by the harsh gastrointestinal environment and mucus barriers, the development of oral vaccines necessitates the employment of a safe and efficient delivery system. In recent years, nanoparticle-based delivery has proven to be an ideal delivery vector for the manufacture of oral vaccines. Hence, considering the above, the sucralfate acidified (SA) encapsulated N-2-Hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (N-2-HACC)/N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) nanoparticles (SA@N-2-HACC/CMCS NPs) were prepared, and the BSA was used as a model antigen to investigate the immune responses. The SA@N-2-HACC/CMCS NPs had a particle size of 227 ± 7.0 nm and a zeta potential of 8.43 ± 2.62 mV. The NPs displayed slow and sustained release and high stability in simulated gastric juice and intestinal fluid. RAW 264.7 macrophage-like cell line demonstrated enhanced uptake of the SA@N-2-HACC/CMCS/BSA Nps. The vaccine via oral administration markedly enhanced the residence time of BSA in the intestine for more than 12 h and elicited the production of IgG and sIgA. The SA@N-2-HACC/CMCS NPs developed here for oral administration is an excellent technique for delivering antigens and provides a path of mucosal vaccine research.
Fulltext Antiproliferative effects of dried Moringa oleifera leaf extract on human Wharton's Jelly mesenchymal stem cells

Ramarao KDR, Somasundram C, Razali Z, Kunasekaran W, Jin TL, Musa S, et al.

PLoS One, 2022;17(10):e0274814.
PMID: 36197921 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274814

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have seen an elevated use in clinical works like regenerative medicine. Its potential therapeutic properties increases when used in tandem with complementary agents like bio-based materials. Therefore, the present study is the first to investigate the cytotoxicity of a highly valued medicinal plant, Moringa oleifera, on human Wharton's Jelly mesenchymal stem cells (hWJMSCs) and its effects on the cells' gene expression when used as a pre-treatment agent in vitro. M. oleifera leaves (MOL) were dried and subjected to UHPLC-QTOF/MS analysis, revealing several major compounds like apigenin, kaempferol, and quercetin in the MOL, with various biological activities like antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. We then treated the hWJMSCs with MOL and noticed a dose-dependant inhibition on the cells' proliferation. RNA-sequencing was performed to explain the possible mechanism of action and revealed genes like PPP1R1C, SULT2B1, CDKN1A, mir-154 and CCNB1, whose expression patterns were closely associated with the negative cell cycle regulation and cell cycle arrest process. This is also evident from gene set enrichment analysis where the GO and KEGG terms for down-regulated pathways were closely related to the cell cycle regulation. The Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) software further predicted the significant activation of (p < 0.05, z-score > 2) of the G2/M DNA damage checkpoint regulation pathway. The present study suggests that MOL exhibits an antiproliferative effect on hWJMSCs via cell cycle arrest and apoptotic pathways. We believe that this study provides an important baseline reference for future works involving MOL's potential to accompany MSCs for clinical works. Future works can take advantage of the cell's strong anti-cancer gene expression found in this study, and evaluate our MOL treatment on various cancer cell lines.
Fulltext First Report of Neopestalotiopsis cubana Causing leaf blight on Ixora chinensis in Malaysia

Khoo YW, Hui Teng T, Khaw YS, Li S, Chong KP

Plant Dis, 2022 Mar 22.
PMID: 35316084 DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-02-22-0277-PDN

Ixora chinensis (family Rubiaceae), locally known as 'Bunga Jejarum', is widely grown as an ornamental shrub and as sources for phytochemicals with medicinal properties in Malaysia. In May 2021, irregular brown spots were found on the leaves of some 'Bunga Jejarum' in Universiti Malaysia Sabah (6°02'01.0"N 116°07'20.2"E) located in Sabah province. As the disease progressed, the spots enlarged and coalesced into large necrotic areas giving rise to drying of infected leaves. The disease severity was about 70% with 20% incidence. Five symptomatic leaves (5 x 5 mm) from five plants were excised and sterilized based on Khoo et al. (2022) before plated on five potato dextrose agar (PDA) and cultured at 25°C. After 5 days, white to pale honey and dense mycelia with lobate edge were observed on all PDA plates. Globose, black conidiomata semi-immersed on PDA were observed after a week. Two to four hyaline filamentous appendages 7.7 to 17.6 μm long attached to fusoid conidia (11.8 to 20.9 x 5.7 to 7.6 μm, n = 20), which consisted of a hyaline apical cell, basal cell, and three versicolored median cells. The upper two median cells were dark brown, while the lowest median cell was pale brown. The isolate of the causal pathogen was characterized molecularly. Genomic DNA of isolate UMS01 was extracted based on Khoo et al. (2021) and Khoo et al. (2022). Amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), tubulin (TUB) and translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF) region was performed based on Khoo et al. (2022) using primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), T1/Bt2b (Glass and Donaldson, 1995; O'Donnell and Cigelnik, 1997) and EF1-728/EF2 (O'Donnell et al. 1998; Carbone and Kohn, 1999), respectively. PCR products with positive amplicons were sent to Apical Scientific Sdn. Bhd. for sequencing. The isolate's sequences were deposited in GenBank as OM320626 (ITS), OM339539 (TUB) and OM339540 (TEF). They were 99% to 100% identical to ITS(KM199347) (545 out of 545 bp), TUB (KM199438) (768 out of 769 bp) and TEF (KM199521) (480 out of 481 bp) of the type sequences (CBS 600.96). Phylogenetic analysis using the maximum likelihood method based on the combined ITS, TEF and TUB sequences placed the isolate UMS01 in the same clade as the isolate CBS 600.96 of Neopestalotiopsis cubana. Thus, the pathogen was identified as N. cubanabased on the morphological description from Pornsuriya et al. (2020), molecular data in Genbank database and multigene sequence analysis. To further confirm its pathogenicity, the first and second leaves of three 'Bunga Jejarum' plants were inoculated by pipetting 1 ml aliquots of a 1 × 106 conidia/ml spore suspension. Three additional 'Bunga Jejarum' plants were mock inoculated by pipetting 1 ml of sterile distilled water on similar age leaves. The plants were covered with plastic bags after inoculation for 48 h before placing them in a glasshouse under room temperature. The leaves were sprayed with water to keep the leaf surfaces moist along the experiment. The incubation and disease observation were performed based on Chai et al. (2017) and Iftikhar et al. (2022). After 7 days post-inoculation, all infected leaves exhibited the symptoms observed in the field, whereas the controls showed no symptoms. The same fungus was isolated from the diseased leaves and, thus confirmed Koch's postulates. The experiment was repeated two more times. The reisolated fungi were visually and genetically identical to the original isolate obtained from the field samples. To our knowledge, this is the first report of N. cubana causing leaf blight on 'Bunga Jejarum' in Malaysia, as well as the world. Our finding has broadened the distribution and host range of N. cubana, indicating that it poses potential damage to the medicinal plant Bunga Jejarum in Malaysia.
An enantioselective study of β-cyclodextrin and ionic liquid-β-cyclodextrin towards propranolol enantiomers by molecular dynamic simulations

Ishak MAI, Aun TT, Sidek N, Mohamad S, Jumbri K, Abdul Manan NS

J Comput Chem, 2024 Jun 15;45(16):1329-1351.
PMID: 38372509 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.27321

In this study, the enantioselectivity of β-cyclodextrin and its derivatives towards propranolol enantiomers are investigated by molecular dynamic (MD) simulations. β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) have previously been shown to be able to recognize propranolol (PRP) enantiomers. To improve upon the enantioselectivity of β-cyclodextrin, we propose the use of an ionic-liquid-modified-β-cyclodextrin (β-CD-IL). β-CD-IL was found to be able to complex R and S propranolol enantiomers with differing binding energies. The molecular docking study reveals that the ionic liquid chain attached to the β-CD molecule has significant interaction with propranolol. The formation of the most stable complex occurred between (S)-β-CD-IL and (S)-propranolol with an energy of -5.80 kcal/mol. This is attributed to the formation of a hydrogen bond between the oxygen of the propranolol and the hydrogen on the primary rim of the (S)-β-CD-IL cavity. This interaction is not detected in other complexes. The root mean-squared fluctuation (RMSF) value indicates that the NH group is the most flexible molecular fragment, followed by the aromatic group. Also of note, the formation of a complex between pristine β-CD and (S)-propranolol is the least favorable.
The Effects of Tiger Milk Mushroom Lignosus rhinocerus TM02® (Agaricomycetes) on Leukemogenicity Tyrosine Kinase Cell Lines

Yahya TSANT, Azmi NC, Yee FS, Chyang PJ, Ting NS, Seng TC

Int J Med Mushrooms, 2024;26(3):55-66.
PMID: 38505903 DOI: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.2024052325

Leukemia can be a result of genetic changes associated with protein tyrosine kinase activity such as in MPL W515L and BCR/ABL genes. However, the current conventional treatment of leukemia produces severe side effects that urge the approach to use natural products. A medicinal mushroom, Lignosus rhinocerus shows potential as an anti-cancer treatment. To investigate the efficacy and mechanism of action of the L. rhinocerus cultivar (TM02®) extract on leukemogenic tyrosine kinase cell lines, a cold-water extract (CWE) was produced by using TM02® sclerotia powder at 4°C. The carbohydrate and protein contents were found to be 77.24% and 1.75% respectively. In comparison to the normal Ba/F3 cell, the CWE TM02® shows significant effects on exhibiting proliferation of Ba/F3 expressed MPL W515L and BCR/ABL, possibly due to the presence of phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties of TM02®, which contribute to act on various signaling pathways, and the reported apoptotic activity of CWE TM02®. In contrast, CWE TM02® significantly exhibited high scavenging activity of both Ba/F3 expressed MPL W515L and BCR/ABL. At concentrations of 125 μg/mL and 500 μg/mL of CWE TM02® decreased 49.5% and 67.5% of cell migration activity of Ba/F3 expressed MPL W515L and BCR/ABL respectively. Therefore, we postulate that CWE TM02® has the capability to mediate the migration route of the leukemogenic tyrosine kinase cell lines.
Solvent-Dependent Photoluminescence Emission and Colloidal Stability of Carbon Quantum dots from Watermelon Peels

Zaini MS, Liew JYC, Paiman S, Tee TS, Kamarudin MA

J Fluoresc, 2025 Jan;35(1):245-256.
PMID: 38038875 DOI: 10.1007/s10895-023-03528-1

Waste peels are considered an environmental burden and typically disposed in landfills. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of various solvents on the luminescence properties of carbon quantum dots (CQDs). Watermelon peels were recycled and reuse as precursors for the synthesis of biomass CQDs via a green carbonization method. The colloidal stability, surface charge, and particle size were characterized using zeta potential and dynamic light scattering (DLS). DLS revealed that the size of the CQDs was approximately 5.80 ± 0.4 nm to 9.74 ± 0.8 nm. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) results demonstrated a correlation with the DLS results. The optical properties were characterized by photoluminescence (PL) and UV-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. PL measurements at different excitation wavelengths revealed that the CQDs emissions were influenced by the polarity of the solvents. Meanwhile, the Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) results showed the presence of oxygen-containing groups on the surface of the CQDs. These results deepen our understanding of the solvent-dependent behavior and colloidal stability of the CQDs.
Ultrasonic collaborative pulse extraction of sugarcane polyphenol with good antiaging and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity

Zhuo G, Xiong F, Ping-Ping W, Chin-Ping T, Chun C

Int J Biol Macromol, 2025 Mar;297:139930.
PMID: 39824408 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.139930

Sugarcane, as one important and heavily planted industrial crop, is meaningful to develop its byproducts. In this paper, the ultrasonic collaborative pulse was beneficial for the yield improvement and good bioactivity protection. The sugarcane polyphenol extract (SPE) yield reached 2.42 ± 0.08 mg/g DW at the optimized conditions: pulse time of 60 s, pulse intensity of 2 kV/cm, ultrasonic time of 90 min, and ultrasonic power of 120 W. The SPE contained the total phenolic content of 6.01 ± 0.12 mg GAE/g extract and total flavonoids content of 7.15 ± 0.24 mg RE/g extract. The SPE was mainly composed of chlorogenic acid, schaftoside, hyperoside, quercitrin, and trans-3-hydroxycinnamic acid with 10.24 %, 14.92 %, 4.22 %, 12.05 %, 25.54 %, respectively. The SPE showed good radical scavenging activity with ORAC value of 134.57 μmol/g. The SPE could reduce the oxidative stress and extend the mean lifespan of nematodes by 7.19 % in vivo through increasing the activity of SOD and CAT to decrease the ROS level and MDA content. In addition, the SPE showed strong α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC50 of 0.53 mg/mL in a mixed inhibition type, which suggested that the SPE had good hypoglycemic potential.
Virulence and proteomic responses of Metarhizium anisopliae against Aedes albopictus larvae

Peng TL, Syazwan SA, Hamdan RH, Najwa NS, Ramli MF, Harshiny N, et al.

Pestic Biochem Physiol, 2024 Aug;203:105982.
PMID: 39084787 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2024.105982

The tropical climate in Malaysia provides an ideal environment for the rapid proliferation of Aedes mosquitoes, notably Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, prominent vectors of dengue fever. Alarmingly, these species are increasingly developing resistance to conventional pesticides. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Metarhizium anisopliae isolate HSAH5 spores, specifically on conidia (CO) and blastospores (BL), against Ae. albopictus larvae. The study centered on evaluating their pathogenic effects and the resultant changes in protein expression. Spore suspensions with varying concentrations were prepared for larvicidal bioassays, and protein expressions were analysed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Subsequently, protein annotation and network analysis were conducted to elucidate infection mechanisms and the proteomic response. Based on the lethal concentrations and time frames, CO exhibited faster larval mortality than BL at lower concentrations. Despite this, both spore types demonstrated comparable overall pathogenic effects. Results from the proteomic profiling revealed 150 proteins with varied expressions following exposure to Ae. albopictus extract, shedding light on distinct infection strategies between the spores. Gene Ontology enrichment and network analysis illustrated the diverse metabolic adaptations of M. anisopliae and interactions with mosquito larvae. This highlighted the complexity of host-pathogen dynamics and the significance of biosynthetic processes, energy storage, and cellular interaction pathways in disease progression. The BL network, consisting 80 proteins and 74 connections, demonstrates the intricate fungal mechanisms triggered by host stimuli. Conversely, the CO network, though smaller, displayed notable interconnectivity and concentrated involvement at the cell periphery, suggesting a deliberate strategy for initial host contact. This study offers valuable insights into proteome dynamics of M. anisopliae's BL and CO for managing mosquito populations and combating disease transmission, thereby significantly advancing public health and environmental conservation efforts.
Fulltext Ion accumulation-induced capacitance elevation in a microporous graphene-based supercapacitor

Pattanayak B, Le PA, Panda D, Simanjuntak FM, Wei KH, Winie T, et al.

RSC Adv, 2022 Sep 22;12(42):27082-27093.
PMID: 36276039 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra04194d

High-performance porous 3D graphene-based supercapacitors are one of the most promising and challenging directions for future energy technologies. Microporous graphene has been synthesized by the pyrolysis method. The fabricated lightweight graphene with a few layers (FLG) has an ultra-high surface area of 2266 m2 g-1 along with various-sized micropores. The defect-induced morphology and pore size distribution of the fabricated graphene are examined, and the results show that the micropores vary from 0.85 to 1.9 nm and the 1.02 nm pores contribute 30% of the total surface area. The electrochemical behaviour of the electrode fabricated using this graphene has been studied with various concentrations of the KOH electrolyte. The highest specific capacitance of the graphene electrode of 540 F g-1 (close to the theoretical value, ∼550 F g-1) can be achieved by using the 1 M KOH electrolyte. This high specific capacitance contribution involves the counter ion adsorption, co-ion desorption, and ion permutation mechanisms. The formation of a Helmholtz layer, as well as the diffusion of the electrolyte ions, confirms this phenomenon. The symmetrical solid-state supercapacitor fabricated with the graphene electrodes and PVA-KOH gel as the electrolyte exhibits excellent energy and power densities of 18 W h kg-1 and 10.2 kW kg-1, respectively. This supercapacitor also shows a superior 100% coulombic efficiency after 6000 cycles.
Fulltext Genital Psoriasis: A Prospective, Observational, Single-Centre Study on Prevalence, Clinical Features, Risk Factors, and Its Impact on Quality of Life and Sexual Health

Yi OS, Huan KY, Har LC, Ali NM, Chiang TW

Indian J Dermatol, 2022;67(2):205.
PMID: 36092244 DOI: 10.4103/ijd.ijd_754_21

BACKGROUND: Genital psoriasis is often under-recognized and the exact burden is unknown in Malaysia.
OBJECTIVES: To identify the prevalence of genital psoriasis, its clinical features, risk factors, and impact on quality of life and sexual health.
METHODS: This prospective, observational study was conducted in the dermatology clinic of our hospital from 1st September 2020 until 31st March 2021, involving all adult patients with psoriasis. The genital examination was performed and the subjects were interviewed using questionnaires.
RESULTS: A total of 262 patients were recruited, with a male to female ratio of 1.5:1 (mean age of 51 years old). They comprised 42.0% Chinese, followed by 36.6% of Malay, 21.4% of Indians and others. Up to 46.1% of patients had a current or history of genital psoriasis. The most common area involved for males was the scrotum (44.1%) and labia majora (62.5%) for female patients. Itching (79.2%) was the most frequent symptom encountered. Chinese patients had 2.67 times odd (CI 1.55-4.61) of having genital psoriasis compared to non-Chinese patients. Other independent risk factors included flexural involvement, male gender, and Type 1 psoriasis. Genital psoriasis was associated with greater impairment on quality of life and sexual health (mean total Dermatology Life Quality Index: 8.8 vs 6.5, P = 0.006), International Index of Erectile Function (mean: 48.5 vs 57.0, P = 0.011) and revised version of Female Sexual Distress Scales (mean: 20.7 vs 11.4, P = 0.022).
CONCLUSIONS: Genital psoriasis is common and it has a profound impact on patients.
Understanding perspectives and research trends in Down syndrome neuropathogenesis: A bibliometric analysis

Huang T, Lam XJ, Lim CT, Jusoh N, Fakurazi S, Cheah PS, et al.

J Intellect Disabil, 2024 Nov 13.
PMID: 39533897 DOI: 10.1177/17446295241299160

Down syndrome (DS), characterised by compromised brain development and intellectual challenges, often manifests Alzheimer's disease (AD) -like symptoms. Utilising the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database from January 1, 2000, to July 31, 2023, we conducted a comprehensive bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R package "bibliometrix." Analyses included co-authorship, co-citation, co-occurrence, cooperative network, reference, and keyword burst citation. Analysing 5,082 papers, the U.S. demonstrated prominence with the highest number of research organisations and citations. Keyword analysis revealed promising research areas, including "Alzheimer's disease," "development," "inflammation," and "neurogenesis". This 22-year survey of the brain with trisomy 21 research unveils key trends, contributors, and focal areas in DS neuropathogenesis. Notably, Alzheimer 's-related genes and proteins play a pervasive role in DS neuropathological processes across patients' lifespans. The study contributes foundational knowledge for advancing research and care in the DS neuropathogenesis domain.
Fulltext Selenium biofortification in conditions of soil salinity improve some nutritional value parameters of spinach for the fresh market

Grochowska E, Niemiec M, Komorowska M, Kula-Maximenko M, Hian TS, Abdramanov A, et al.

Sci Rep, 2026 Jun 12;16(1).
PMID: 42286042 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-55268-4

This study investigated the interactive effects of soil salinity (2.88 and 3.79 dS⋅m- 1) and foliar sodium selenate application (0.80 and 0.15 kg Se⋅ha⁻1) on the yield parameters and phytochemical composition of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. cv. Matador) under the conditions of semi-controlled pot trial under field conditions. The experiment confirmed that selenium biofortification is effective, increasing its levels in the plant ten-fold. Selenium has a positive effect, mitigating salt stress, and its uptake is closely linked to sulfur metabolism. Foliar application of selenium to spinach under salt stress conditions (up to 3.79 dS⋅m- 1) does not negatively impact yield, effectively increasing the content of bioactive components such as phenols and antioxidants. Studies confirm the synergistic effects of selenium and salinity, improving stress tolerance, mitigating sodium toxicity, and stimulating dry matter growth and S/Zn/Mn content. These findings demonstrate the viability of selenium foliar application for producing nutritionally enhanced spinach on salt-affected agricultural soils.

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