Displaying publications 61 - 80 of 197 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Fulltext Preliminary Evaluation of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extracted Dabai Pulp Oleoresin as a New Alternative Fat
    Kadir NAAA, Azlan A, Abas F, Ismail IS
    Molecules, 2021 Sep 13;26(18).
    PMID: 34577016 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26185545
    There has been growing interest among food scientists in producing a toxin-free fat as an end product with varying physical or nutritional properties of interest to the food industry. Oleoresin is a rich source of bioactive compounds which consumers can easily add to a large variety of food. Dabai (Canarium odontophyllum) pulp oleoresin (DPL) was extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction, a green extraction technology. This study investigates the quality of SC-CO2 extracted DPL in discovering its potential as a new alternative fat. The extraction experiment was carried out at a pressure of 40 MPa and a temperature of 40 °C. DPL is a saturated fatty acid (SFA)-rich fat due to its high SFA composition (47.72 ± 0.01%). In addition, the low content of peroxide value (PV) (5.60 ± 0.09 mEq/kg) and free fatty acids (FFA) (3.40 ± 0.03%) indicate the quality and stability of DPL for various applications besides food consumption. DPL also has a low slip melting point (SMP) (20.20 ± 0.03 °C), and HPLC-FID revealed that DPL contained 0.13 ± 0.02 mg/100 g of vitamin E (α-tocopherol), indicating its potential application as a solid fat with a bioactive compound. This present work demonstrates the possible prospect of DPL in the formulation of end products for food industries.
  2. Fulltext Anti-Diabetic Activity and Metabolic Changes Induced by Andrographis paniculata Plant Extract in Obese Diabetic Rats
    Akhtar MT, Bin Mohd Sarib MS, Ismail IS, Abas F, Ismail A, Lajis NH, et al.
    Molecules, 2016 Aug 09;21(8).
    PMID: 27517894 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21081026
    Andrographis paniculata is an annual herb and widely cultivated in Southeast Asian countries for its medicinal use. In recent investigations, A. paniculata was found to be effective against Type 1 diabetes mellitus (Type 1 DM). Here, we used a non-genetic out-bred Sprague-Dawley rat model to test the antidiabetic activity of A. paniculata against Type 2 diabetes mellitus (Type 2 DM). Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H-NMR) spectroscopy in combination with multivariate data analyses was used to evaluate the A. paniculata and metformin induced metabolic effects on the obese and obese-diabetic (obdb) rat models. Compared to the normal rats, high levels of creatinine, lactate, and allantoin were found in the urine of obese rats, whereas, obese-diabetic rats were marked by high glucose, choline and taurine levels, and low lactate, formate, creatinine, citrate, 2-oxoglutarate, succinate, dimethylamine, acetoacetate, acetate, allantoin and hippurate levels. Treatment of A. paniculata leaf water extract was found to be quite effective in restoring the disturbed metabolic profile of obdb rats back towards normal conditions. Thisstudy shows the anti-diabetic potential of A. paniculata plant extract and strengthens the idea of using this plant against the diabetes. Further classical genetic methods and state of the art molecular techniques could provide insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus and anti-diabetic effects of A. paniculata water extract.
  3. Fulltext Green Tea Leaves Extract: Microencapsulation, Physicochemical and Storage Stability Study
    Zokti JA, Sham Baharin B, Mohammed AS, Abas F
    Molecules, 2016 Jul 26;21(8).
    PMID: 27472310 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21080940
    Green tea polyphenols have been reported to possess many biological properties. Despite the many potential benefits of green tea extracts, their sensitivity to high temperature, pH and oxygen is a major disadvantage hindering their effective utilization in the food industry. Green tea leaves from the Cameron Highlands Malaysia were extracted using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). To improve the stability, green tea extracts were encapsulated by spray-drying using different carrier materials including maltodextrin (MD), gum arabic (GA) and chitosan (CTS) and their combinations at different ratios. Encapsulation efficiency, total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity were determined and were found to be in the range of 71.41%-88.04%, 19.32-24.90 (g GAE/100 g), and 29.52%-38.05% respectively. Further analysis of moisture content, water activity, hygroscopicity, bulk density and mean particles size distribution of the microparticles were carried out and the results ranged from; 2.31%-5.11%, 0.28-0.36, 3.22%-4.71%, 0.22-0.28 g/cm³ and 40.43-225.64 µm respectively. The ability of the microparticles to swell in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) was determined as 142.00%-188.63% and 207.55%-231.77%, respectively. Release of catechin polyphenol from microparticles in SIF was higher comparable to that of SGF. Storage stability of encapsulated catechin extracts under different temperature conditions was remarkably improved compared to non-encapsulated extract powder. This study showed that total catechin, total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity did not decrease significantly (p ≥ 0.05) under 4 °C storage conditions. The half-life study results were in the range of 35-60, 34-65 and 231-288 weeks at storage temperatures of 40 °C, 25 °C and 4 °C respectively, therefore, for improved shelf-life stability we recommend that microparticles should be stored at temperatures below 25 °C.
  4. Discrimination and Nitric Oxide Inhibitory Activity Correlation of Ajwa Dates from Different Grades and Origin
    Abdul-Hamid NA, Mediani A, Maulidiani M, Abas F, Ismail IS, Shaari K, et al.
    Molecules, 2016 Oct 28;21(11).
    PMID: 27801841
    This study was aimed at examining the variations in the metabolite constituents of the different Ajwa grades and farm origins. It is also targeted at establishing the correlations between the metabolite contents and the grades and further to the nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory activity. Identification of the metabolites was generated using ¹H-NMR spectroscopy metabolomics analyses utilizing multivariate methods. The NO inhibitory activity was determined using a Griess assay. Multivariate data analysis, for both supervised and unsupervised approaches, showed clusters among different grades of Ajwa dates obtained from different farms. The compounds that contribute towards the observed separation between Ajwa samples were suggested to be phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid and phenylalanine. Ajwa dates were shown to have different metabolite compositions and exhibited a wide range of NO inhibitory activity. It is also revealed that Ajwa Grade 1 from the al-Aliah farm exhibited more than 90% NO inhibitory activity compared to the other grades and origins. Phenolic compounds were among the compounds that played a role towards the greater capacity of NO inhibitory activity shown by Ajwa Grade 1 from the al-Aliah farm.
  5. Fulltext Hits-to-Lead Optimization of the Natural Compound 2,4,6-Trihydroxy-3-geranyl-acetophenone (tHGA) as a Potent LOX Inhibitor: Synthesis, Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR) Study, and Computational Assignment
    Ng CH, Rullah K, Abas F, Lam KW, Ismail IS, Jamaludin F, et al.
    Molecules, 2018 Sep 30;23(10).
    PMID: 30274341 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23102509
    A new series of 2,4,6-trihydroxy-3-geranyl-acetophenone (tHGA) analogues were synthesized and evaluated for their lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitory activity. Prenylated analogues 4a⁻g (half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values ranging from 35 μ M to 95 μ M) did not exhibit better inhibitory activity than tHGA (3a) (IC50 value: 23.6 μ M) due to the reduction in hydrophobic interaction when the alkyl chain length was reduced. One geranylated analogue, 3d, with an IC50 value of 15.3 μ M, exhibited better LOX inhibitory activity when compared to tHGA (3a), which was in agreement with our previous findings. Kinetics study showed that the most active analogue (3e) and tHGA (3a) acted as competitive inhibitors. The combination of in silico approaches of molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation revealed that the lipophilic nature of these analogues further enhanced the LOX inhibitory activity. Based on absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) and toxicity prediction by komputer assisted technology (TOPKAT) analyses, all geranylated analogues (3a⁻g) showed no hepatotoxicity effect and were biodegradable, which indicated that they could be potentially safe drugs for treating inflammation.
  6. Fulltext Characterization of α-Glucosidase Inhibitors from Clinacanthus nutans Lindau Leaves by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics and Molecular Docking Simulation
    Murugesu S, Ibrahim Z, Ahmed QU, Nik Yusoff NI, Uzir BF, Perumal V, et al.
    Molecules, 2018 Sep 19;23(9).
    PMID: 30235889 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23092402
    BACKGROUND: Clinacanthus nutans (C. nutans) is an Acanthaceae herbal shrub traditionally consumed to treat various diseases including diabetes in Malaysia. This study was designed to evaluate the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of C. nutans leaves extracts, and to identify the metabolites responsible for the bioactivity.

    METHODS: Crude extract obtained from the dried leaves using 80% methanolic solution was further partitioned using different polarity solvents. The resultant extracts were investigated for their α-glucosidase inhibitory potential followed by metabolites profiling using the gas chromatography tandem with mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

    RESULTS: Multivariate data analysis was developed by correlating the bioactivity, and GC-MS data generated a suitable partial least square (PLS) model resulting in 11 bioactive compounds, namely, palmitic acid, phytol, hexadecanoic acid (methyl ester), 1-monopalmitin, stigmast-5-ene, pentadecanoic acid, heptadecanoic acid, 1-linolenoylglycerol, glycerol monostearate, alpha-tocospiro B, and stigmasterol. In-silico study via molecular docking was carried out using the crystal structure Saccharomyces cerevisiae isomaltase (PDB code: 3A4A). Interactions between the inhibitors and the protein were predicted involving residues, namely LYS156, THR310, PRO312, LEU313, GLU411, and ASN415 with hydrogen bond, while PHE314 and ARG315 with hydrophobic bonding.

    CONCLUSION: The study provides informative data on the potential α-glucosidase inhibitors identified in C. nutans leaves, indicating the plant's therapeutic effect to manage hyperglycemia.

  7. Fulltext Analgesic Effect of 5-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxy-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)penta-2,4-dien-1-one in Experimental Animal Models of Nociception
    Kamarudin N, Hisamuddin N, Ong HM, Ahmad Azmi AF, Leong SW, Abas F, et al.
    Molecules, 2018 Aug 21;23(9).
    PMID: 30134576 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23092099
    Curcuminoids derived from turmeric rhizome have been reported to exhibit antinociceptive, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. We evaluated the peripheral and central antinociceptive activities of 5-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxy-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)penta-2,4-dien-1-one (DHHPD), a novel synthetic curcuminoid analogue at 0.1, 0.3, 1 and 3 mg/kg (intraperitoneal), through chemical and thermal models of nociception. The effects of DHHPD on the vanilloid and glutamatergic systems were evaluated through the capsaicin- and glutamate-induced paw licking tests. Results showed that DHHPD significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated the writhing response produced by the 0.8% acetic acid injection. In addition, 1 and 3 mg/kg of DHHPD significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the licking time spent by each mouse in both phases of the 2.5% formalin test and increased the response latency of mice on the hot-plate. However, the effect produced in the latter was not reversed by naloxone, a non-selective opioid receptor antagonist. Despite this, DHHPD decreased the licking latency of mice in the capsaicin- and glutamate-induced paw licking tests in a dose response manner. In conclusion, DHHPD showed excellent peripheral and central antinociceptive activities possibly by attenuation of the synthesis and/or release of pro-inflammatory mediators in addition to modulation of the vanilloid and glutamatergic systems without an apparent effect on the opioidergic system.
  8. Fulltext Hematological, Biochemical, Histopathological and ¹H-NMR Metabolomics Application in Acute Toxicity Evaluation of Clinacanthus nutans Water Leaf Extract
    Khoo LW, Foong Kow AS, Maulidiani M, Lee MT, Tan CP, Shaari K, et al.
    Molecules, 2018 Aug 29;23(9).
    PMID: 30158427 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23092172
    The present study aims for the first time to provide the in vivo acute toxicological profile of the highest dose of Clinacanthus nutans (Burm. f.) Lindau water leaf extract according to the Organization for economic co-operation and development (OECD) 423 guidelines through conventional toxicity and advanced proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) serum and urinary metabolomics evaluation methods. A single dose of 5000 mg/kg bw of C. nutans water extract was administered to Sprague Dawley rats, and they were observed for 14 days. Conventional toxicity evaluation methods (physical observation, body and organ weight, food and water consumption, hematology, biochemical testing and histopathological analysis) suggested no abnormal toxicity signs. Serum ¹H-NMR metabolome revealed no significant metabolic difference between untreated and treated groups. Urinary ¹H-NMR analysis, on the other hand, revealed alteration in carbohydrate metabolism, energy metabolism and amino acid metabolism in extract-treated rats after 2 h of extract administration, but the metabolic expression collected after 24 h and at Day 5, Day 10 and Day 15 indicated that the extract-treated rats did not accumulate any toxicity biomarkers. Importantly, the outcomes further suggest that single oral administration of up to 5000 mg/kg bw of C. nutans water leaf extract is safe for consumption.
  9. Fulltext Antioxidant, α-Glucosidase, and Nitric Oxide Inhibitory Activities of Six Algerian Traditional Medicinal Plant Extracts and 1H-NMR-Based Metabolomics Study of the Active Extract
    Hellal K, Maulidiani M, Ismail IS, Tan CP, Abas F
    Molecules, 2020 Mar 10;25(5).
    PMID: 32164186 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25051247
    Claims of effective therapy against diabetes using plants including Peganum harmala L., Zygophyllum album, Anacyclus valentinus L., Ammodaucus leucotrichus, Lupinus albus, and Marrubium vulgare in Algerian empirical medicine prompted our interest in evaluating their antidiabetic activity by screening their free radical scavenging (DPPH), α-glucosidase, and nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory activities as well as the total phenolic content (TPC). Extracts of the selected plants were prepared using different ratios of ethanol (0, 50, 80, and 100%). In this study, 100%, and 80% ethanol extracts of L. albus were found to be the most potent, in inhibiting α-glucosidase activity with IC50 values of 6.45 and 8.66 μg/mL, respectively. The 100% ethanol extract of A. leucotrichus exhibited the highest free radical scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 26.26 μg/mL. Moreover, the highest TPC of 612.84 μg GAE/mg extract was observed in M. vulgare, extracted with 80% ethanol. Metabolite profiling of the active extract was conducted using 1H-NMR metabolomics. Partial least square analysis (PLS) was used to assess the relationship between the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of L. albus and the metabolites identified in the extract. Based on the PLS model, isoflavonoids (lupinoisoflavone G, lupisoflavone, lupinoisolone C), amino acids (asparagine and thiamine), and several fatty acids (stearic acid and oleic acid) were identified as metabolites that contributed to the inhibition of α-glucosidase activity. The results of this study have clearly strengthened the traditional claim of the antihyperglycemic effects of L. albus.
  10. Fulltext Discriminative Analysis of Different Grades of Gaharu (Aquilaria malaccensis Lamk.) via ¹H-NMR-Based Metabolomics Using PLS-DA and Random Forests Classification Models
    Ismail SN, Maulidiani M, Akhtar MT, Abas F, Ismail IS, Khatib A, et al.
    Molecules, 2017 Sep 25;22(10).
    PMID: 28946701 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22101612
    Gaharu (agarwood, Aquilaria malaccensis Lamk.) is a valuable tropical rainforest product traded internationally for its distinctive fragrance. It is not only popular as incense and in perfumery, but also favored in traditional medicine due to its sedative, carminative, cardioprotective and analgesic effects. The current study addresses the chemical differences and similarities between gaharu samples of different grades, obtained commercially, using ¹H-NMR-based metabolomics. Two classification models: partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and Random Forests were developed to classify the gaharu samples on the basis of their chemical constituents. The gaharu samples could be reclassified into a 'high grade' group (samples A, B and D), characterized by high contents of kusunol, jinkohol, and 10-epi-γ-eudesmol; an 'intermediate grade' group (samples C, F and G), dominated by fatty acid and vanillic acid; and a 'low grade' group (sample E and H), which had higher contents of aquilarone derivatives and phenylethyl chromones. The results showed that ¹H- NMR-based metabolomics can be a potential method to grade the quality of gaharu samples on the basis of their chemical constituents.
  11. Fulltext In Silico Study and Effects of BDMC33 on TNBS-Induced BMP Gene Expressions in Zebrafish Gut Inflammation-Associated Arthritis
    Mostofa F, Yasid NA, Shamsi S, Ahmad SA, Mohd-Yusoff NF, Abas F, et al.
    Molecules, 2022 Nov 28;27(23).
    PMID: 36500396 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27238304
    The bone morphogenic protein (BMP) family is a member of the TGF-beta superfamily and plays a crucial role during the onset of gut inflammation and arthritis diseases. Recent studies have reported a connection with the gut-joint axis; however, the genetic players are still less explored. Meanwhile, BDMC33 is a newly synthesized anti-inflammatory drug candidate. Therefore, in our present study, we analysed the genome-wide features of the BMP family as well as the role of BMP members in gut-associated arthritis in an inflammatory state and the ability of BDMC33 to attenuate this inflammation. Firstly, genome-wide analyses were performed on the BMP family in the zebrafish genome, employing several in silico techniques. Afterwards, the effects of curcumin analogues on BMP gene expression in zebrafish larvae induced with TNBS (0.78 mg/mL) were determined using real time-qPCR. A total of 38 identified BMP proteins were revealed to be clustered in five major clades and contain TGF beta and TGF beta pro peptide domains. Furthermore, BDMC33 suppressed the expression of four selected BMP genes in the TNBS-induced larvae, where the highest gene suppression was in the BMP2a gene (an eight-fold decrement), followed by BMP7b (four-fold decrement), BMP4 (four-fold decrement), and BMP6 (three-fold decrement). Therefore, this study reveals the role of BMPs in gut-associated arthritis and proves the ability of BDMC33 to act as a potential anti-inflammatory drug for suppressing TNBS-induced BMP genes in zebrafish larvae.
  12. Fulltext Chitosan Nanoparticles as Carriers for the Delivery of ΦKAZ14 Bacteriophage for Oral Biological Control of Colibacillosis in Chickens
    Adamu Ahmad K, Sabo Mohammed A, Abas F
    Molecules, 2016 Mar 14;21(3):256.
    PMID: 26985885 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21030256
    The use of chitosan as a delivery carrier has attracted much attention in recent years. In this study, chitosan nanoparticles (CS-NP) and chitosan-ΦKAZ14 bacteriophage-loaded nanoparticles (C-ΦKAZ14 NP) were prepared by a simple coercavation method and characterized. The objective was to achieve an effective protection of bacteriophage from gastric acids and enzymes in the chicken gastrointestinal tract. The average particle sizes for CS-NP and C-ΦKAZ14 NP were 188 ± 7.4 and 176 ± 3.2 nm, respectively. The zeta potentials for CS-NP and C-ΦKAZ14 NP were 50 and 60 mV, respectively. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of C-ΦKAZ14 NP gave an onset temperature of -17.17 °C with a peak at 17.32 °C and final end set of 17.41 °C, while blank chitosan NP had an onset of -20.00 °C with a peak at -19.78 °C and final end set at -20.47. FT-IR spectroscopy data of both CS-NP and C-ΦKAZ14 NP were the same. Chitosan nanoparticles showed considerable protection of ΦKAZ14 bacteriophage against degradation by enzymes as evidenced in gel electrophoresis, whereby ΦKAZ14 bacteriophage encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles were protected whereas the naked ΦKAZ14 bacteriophage were degraded. C-ΦKAZ14 NP was non-toxic as shown by a chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) toxicity assay. It was concluded that chitosan nanoparticles could be a potent carrier of ΦKAZ14 bacteriophage for oral therapy against colibacillosis in poultry.
  13. Fulltext Classification of Raw Stingless Bee Honeys by Bee Species Origins Using the NMR- and LC-MS-Based Metabolomics Approach
    Razali MTA, Zainal ZA, Maulidiani M, Shaari K, Zamri Z, Mohd Idrus MZ, et al.
    Molecules, 2018 Aug 28;23(9).
    PMID: 30154302 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23092160
    The official standard for quality control of honey is currently based on physicochemical properties. However, this method is time-consuming, cost intensive, and does not lead to information on the originality of honey. This study aims to classify raw stingless bee honeys by bee species origins as a potential classifier using the NMR-LCMS-based metabolomics approach. Raw stingless bee honeys were analysed and classified by bee species origins using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) spectroscopy and an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF MS) in combination with chemometrics tools. The honey samples were able to be classified into three different groups based on the bee species origins of Heterotrigona itama, Geniotrigona thoracica, and Tetrigona apicalis. d-Fructofuranose (H. itama honey), β-d-Glucose, d-Xylose, α-d-Glucose (G. thoracica honey), and l-Lactic acid, Acetic acid, l-Alanine (T. apicalis honey) ident d-Fructofuranose identified via ¹H-NMR data and the diagnostic ions of UHPLC-QTOF MS were characterized as the discriminant metabolites or putative chemical markers. It could be suggested that the quality of honey in terms of originality and purity can be rapidly determined using the classification technique by bee species origins via the ¹H-NMR- and UHPLC-QTOF MS-based metabolomics approach.
  14. Fulltext Metabolite Profiles of Red and Yellow Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Cultivars Using a 1H-NMR Metabolomics Approach
    Sulaiman F, Ahmad Azam A, Ahamad Bustamam MS, Fakurazi S, Abas F, Lee YX, et al.
    Molecules, 2020 Jul 15;25(14).
    PMID: 32679913 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25143235
    Watermelon, a widely commercialized fruit, is famous for its thirst-quenching property. The broad range of cultivars, which give rise to distinct color and taste, can be attributed to the differences in their chemical profile, especially that of the carotenoids and volatile compounds. In order to understand this distribution properly, water extracts of red and yellow watermelon pulps with predominantly polar metabolites were subjected to proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) analysis. Deuterium oxide (D2O) and deuterated chloroform (CDCl3) solvents were used to capture both polar and non-polar metabolites from the same sample. Thirty-six metabolites, of which six are carotenoids, were identified from the extracts. The clustering of the compounds was determined using unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA) and further grouping was achieved using supervised orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). The presence of lycopene, β-carotene, lutein, and prolycopene in the red watermelon plays an important role in its differentiation from the yellow cultivar. A marked difference in metabolite distribution was observed between the NMR solvents used as evidenced from the PCA model. OPLS-DA and relative quantification of the metabolites, on the other hand, helped in uncovering the discriminating metabolites of the red and yellow watermelon cultivars from the same solvent system.
  15. Fulltext In-Vitro and In-Silico Evaluations of Heterocyclic-Containing Diarylpentanoids as Bcl-2 Inhibitors Against LoVo Colorectal Cancer Cells
    Leong SW, Chia SL, Abas F, Yusoff K
    Molecules, 2020 Aug 26;25(17).
    PMID: 32858795 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25173877
    In the present study, we investigated the in-vitro anti-cancer potential of six diarylpentanoids against a panel of BRAF- and KRAS-mutated colorectal cancer cell lines including T84, SW620, LoVo, HT29, NCI-H508, RKO, and LS411N cells. Structure-activity relationship study suggested that the insertions of tetrahydro-4H-thiopyran-4-one and brominated phenyl moieties are essential for better cytotoxicity. Among the evaluated analogs, 2e has been identified as the lead compound due to its low IC50 values of approximately 1 µM across all cancer cell lines and high chemotherapeutic index of 7.1. Anti-proliferative studies on LoVo cells showed that 2e could inhibit cell proliferation and colony formations by inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest. Subsequent cell apoptosis assay confirmed that 2e is a Bcl-2 inhibitor that could induce intrinsic cell apoptosis by creating a cellular redox imbalance through its direct inhibition on the Bcl-2 protein. Further molecular docking studies revealed that the bromophenyl moieties of 2e could interact with the Bcl-2 surface pocket through hydrophobic interaction, while the tetrahydro-4H-thiopyran-4-one fragment could form additional Pi-sulfur and Pi-alkyl interactions in the same binding site. In all, the present results suggest that 2e could be a potent lead that deserves further modification and investigation in the development of a new Bcl-2 inhibitor.
  16. Fulltext Anti-proliferative effect and induction of apoptosis in androgen-independent human prostate cancer cells by 1,5-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1,4-pentadiene-3-one
    Citalingam K, Abas F, Lajis NH, Othman I, Naidu R
    Molecules, 2015 Feb 17;20(2):3406-30.
    PMID: 25690296 DOI: 10.3390/molecules20023406
    Curcumin has poor in vivo absorption and bioavailability, highlighting a need for new curcumin analogues with better characteristics in these aspects. The aim of this study is to determine the anti-cancer properties of four selected curcumin analogues, on the cytotoxicity, proliferative and apoptotic effects on androgen-independent human prostate cancer cells (PC-3 and DU 145). Initial cytotoxicity screening showed MS17 has the highest cell inhibitory effect, with EC50 values of 4.4 ± 0.3 and 4.1 ± 0.8 µM, followed by MS13 (7.5 ± 0.1 and 7.4 ± 2.6 µM), MS49 (14.5 ± 1.2 and 12.3 ± 2.3 µM) and MS40E (28.0 ± 7.8 and 30.3 ± 1.9 µM) for PC-3 and DU 145 cells, respectively. Time-dependent analysis also revealed that MS13 and MS17 displayed a greater anti-proliferative effect than the other compounds. MS17 was chosen based on the high selectivity index value for further analysis on the morphological and biochemical hallmarks of apoptosis. Fluorescence microscopy analysis revealed apoptotic changes in both treated prostate cancer cells. Relative caspase-3 activity increased significantly at 48 h in PC-3 and 12 h in DU 145 cells. Highest enrichment of free nucleosomes was noted at 48 h after treatment with MS17. In conclusion, MS17 demonstrated anti-proliferative effect and induces apoptosis in a time and dose-dependent manner suggesting its potential for development as an anti-cancer agent for androgen-independent prostate cancer.
  17. Developing risk profiling for firefighters: Enhancing safety and performance
    Mohd Zahari H, Ridwan Wong MM, Fazan Ahmad ND, Abas F
    MethodsX, 2024 Jun;12:102733.
    PMID: 38707211 DOI: 10.1016/j.mex.2024.102733
    Firefighters encounter numerous complex and ever-changing hazards when carrying out emergency response activities, necessitating the development of effective risk profiling methods to enhance both their safety and operational efficiency. This study outlines a comprehensive approach to constructing risk profiles tailored specifically for firefighters, integrating various methodologies to create a robust and adaptable framework. The methods used incorporating historical incident data, environmental variables, and individual firefighter characteristics to identify and assess potential risks. Additionally, the risk profiling framework include Psychosocial risk factors are also considered, allowing for a holistic understanding of the human element in firefighting risk assessment. By developing risk profiles to the specific needs and characteristics of firefighters, this method aims to significantly improve their safety, ability to make decisions, and overall operational efficiency in the demanding and ever-changing setting of emergency response situations. This article discussed methods•To identify safety cultures using questionnaires•To analyse risk from incident reports using content analysis•To verify and validate risk using thematic analysis from Focus Group Discussion.
  18. Fulltext Cytotoxic aaptamines from Malaysian Aaptos aaptos
    Shaari K, Ling KC, Rashid ZM, Jean TP, Abas F, Raof SM, et al.
    Mar Drugs, 2009;7(1):1-8.
    PMID: 19370166 DOI: 10.3390/md7010001
    In a preliminary screen, Aaptos aaptos showed significant cytotoxic activity towards a panel of cell lines and was thus subjected to bioassay-guided isolation of the bioactive constituents. In addition to the known aaptamine, two new derivatives of the alkaloid were isolated from the bioactive chloroform fraction of the crude methanolic extract. Detailed analysis by NMR and mass spectroscopy enabled their identification to be 3-(phenethylamino)demethyl(oxy)aaptamine and 3-(isopentylamino)demethyl(oxy) aaptamine. The cytotoxic activities of the three alkaloids were further evaluated against CEM-SS cells.
  19. Fulltext Complementary Analytical Platforms of NMR Spectroscopy and LCMS Analysis in the Metabolite Profiling of Isochrysis galbana
    Bustamam MSA, Pantami HA, Azizan A, Shaari K, Min CC, Abas F, et al.
    Mar Drugs, 2021 Mar 02;19(3).
    PMID: 33801258 DOI: 10.3390/md19030139
    This study was designed to profile the metabolites of Isochrysis galbana, an indigenous and less explored microalgae species. 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LCMS) were used to establish the metabolite profiles of five different extracts of this microalga, which are hexane (Hex), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), absolute ethanol (EtOH), EtOH:water 1:1 (AqE), and 100% water (Aq). Partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) of the generated profiles revealed that EtOAc and Aq extracts contain a diverse range of metabolites as compared to the other extracts with a total of twenty-one metabolites, comprising carotenoids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and amino acids, that were putatively identified from the NMR spectra. Meanwhile, thirty-two metabolites were successfully annotated from the LCMS/MS data, ten of which (palmitic acid, oleic acid, α-linolenic acid, arachidic acid, cholesterol, DHA, DPA, fucoxanthin, astaxanthin, and pheophytin) were similar to those present in the NMR profile. Another eleven glycerophospholipids were discovered using MS/MS-based molecular network (MN) platform. The results of this study, besides providing a better understanding of I.galbana's chemical make-up, will be of importance in exploring this species potential as a feed ingredient in the aquaculture industry.
  20. Fulltext Metabolite Profiling of the Microalgal Diatom Chaetoceros Calcitrans and Correlation with Antioxidant and Nitric Oxide Inhibitory Activities via ¹H NMR-Based Metabolomics
    Azizan A, Ahamad Bustamam MS, Maulidiani M, Shaari K, Ismail IS, Nagao N, et al.
    Mar Drugs, 2018 May 07;16(5).
    PMID: 29735927 DOI: 10.3390/md16050154
    Microalgae are promising candidate resources from marine ecology for health-improving effects. Metabolite profiling of the microalgal diatom, Chaetoceros calcitrans was conducted by using robust metabolomics tools, namely ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy coupled with multivariate data analysis (MVDA). The unsupervised data analysis, using principal component analysis (PCA), resolved the five types of extracts made by solvents ranging from polar to non-polar into five different clusters. Collectively, with various extraction solvents, 11 amino acids, cholesterol, 6 fatty acids, 2 sugars, 1 osmolyte, 6 carotenoids and 2 chlorophyll pigments were identified. The fatty acids and both carotenoid pigments as well as chlorophyll, were observed in the extracts made from medium polar (acetone, chloroform) and non-polar (hexane) solvents. It is suggested that the compounds were the characteristic markers that influenced the separation between the clusters. Based on partial least square (PLS) analysis, fucoxanthin, astaxanthin, violaxanthin, zeaxanthin, canthaxanthin, and lutein displayed strong correlation to 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory activity. This metabolomics study showed that solvent extractions are one of the main bottlenecks for the maximum recovery of bioactive microalgal compounds and could be a better source of natural antioxidants due to a high value of metabolites.
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links