Oil palm or Elaeis guineens is a rich natural source of phenolic with flavonoid as the main constituents. These phenolics are potent antioxidants that can be used in the food industry, cosmetics and others. Therefore, the study was aimed to determine the effect of solvents which were methanol, ethyl acetate and hexane also different plant parts which were leaves, frond and fresh fruit bunch toward antioxidant activity (AOA), total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid
content (TFC). The antioxidant was analysed using the DPPH method, TPC by Ciocalteu assay and TFC by aluminium chloride colorimetric assay. The result from ANOVA indicated that there was a difference (P < 0.05) in the extracting ability of each solvent and different plant parts for AOA, TPC and TFC. Generally, the result suggested that methanol give the highest antioxidant
activity, TPC and TFC compared to ethyl acetate and hexane. Therefore, the solvent used should be selected properly to allow for a high level of extraction efficiency.
Actinomycete strain AUM 00500 was 99.5 % similar to Streptomyces sanglieri NBRC 100784(T) and was evaluated for antagonistic activity towards Ganoderma boninense, the causative fungus of basal stem rot of oil palm. The strain showed strong antifungal activity towards G. boninense in in vitro and SEM analysis showed various modes of inhibition of the fungus. Ethyl acetate extracts of single culture and inhibition zone of cross-plug culture by HPLC indicated that strain AUM 00500 produced two different antibiotics of the glutarimide group namely cycloheximide and actiphenol. In greenhouse trials, oil palm seed treated with spores of S. sanglieri strain AUM 00500 at 10(9) cfu/ml showed significant (P
Bioactive compounds from endophytic fungi exhibit diverse biological activities which include anticancer effect. Capitalising on the abundance of unexplored endophytes that reside within marine plants, this study assessed the anticancer potential of ethyl acetate endophytic fungal extracts (i.e. MBFT Tip 2.1, MBL 1.2, MBS 3.2, MKS 3 and MKS 3.1) derived from leaves, stem and fruits of marine plants that grow along Morib Beach, Malaysia. For identification of endophytic fungi, EF 4/ EF 3 and ITS 1/ ITS 4 PCR primer pairs were used to amplify the fungal 18S rDNA sequence and ITS region sequence, respectively. The resultant sequences were subjected to similarity search via the NCBI GenBank database. High-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) hyphenated with bioassays was used to characterise the extracts in terms of their phytochemical profiles and bioactivity. Microchemical derivatisation was used to assess polyphenolic and phytosterol/ terpenoid content whereas biochemical derivatisation was used to establish antioxidant activities and α-amylase enzyme inhibition. The sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay was used to assess the anticancer effect of the extracts against HCT116 (a human colorectal cancer cell line). The present results indicated MBS 3.2 (Penicillium decumbens) as the most potent extract against HCT116 (IC50 = 0.16 μg/mL), approximately 3-times more potent than 5-flurouracil (IC50 = 0.46 μg/mL). Stepwise multiple regression method suggests that the anticancer effect of MBS 3.2 could be associated with high polyphenolic content and antioxidant potential. Nonlinear regression analysis confirmed that low to moderate α-amylase inhibition exhibits maximum anticancer activity. Current findings warrant further in-depth mechanistic studies.
Antibacterial activity of indigenous Dayak onion (Eleutherine palmifolia (L.) Merr) was investigated. The Dayak onion was solvent extracted with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol 96% consecutively. Each extract was tested its antibacterial activity towards methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Bacillus cereus, Shigella sp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using disc diffusion method. The test results showed that the n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol 96% extracts positively inhibited the growth of MRSA, B. cereus, Shigella sp., and P. aeruginosa. The highest inhibition activity of each extract was obtained with 10 mg/mL of extract concentration; whereas the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of each extract was 2 mg/mL. Extract with the highest inhibition activity was ethyl acetate extract against B. cereus (139.58%). TLC evaluation of ethyl acetate extract showed four spots and bioautography indicated that ethyl acetate extract contained four types of compounds with inhibition activity against B. cereus, in which two compounds have higher antibacterial activity than the other two.
Crystallinity plays a vital role in the pharmaceutical industry. It affects drug manufacturing, development processes, and the stability of pharmaceutical dosage forms. An objective of this study was to measure and analyze the carbamazepine (CBZ) crystallinity before and after formulation. Moreover, it intended to determine the extent to which the crystallinity of CBZ would affect the drug loading, the particle size, and the release of CBZ from the microparticles. The CBZ microparticles were prepared by encapsulating CBZ in ethyl cellulose (EC) polymer using a solvent evaporation method. EC was used here as a release modifier polymer and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as an aqueous phase stabilizer. Factorial design was used to prepare the CBZ microparticle formulations, including polymer concentration, solvent (dichloromethane, ethyl acetate), PVA concentrations factor, the homogenization time, and homogenization speed. The crystallinity of CBZ was calculated utilizing differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermal analysis. The crystallinity was calculated from the enthalpy of CBZ. Enthalpy was analyzed from the area under the curve peak of CBZ standard and CBZ-loaded microparticles. DSC and ATR-FTIR assessed the possible interaction between CBZ and excipients in the microparticle. The prepared CBZ microparticles showed various changes in the crystallinity rate of CBZ. The changes in the rate of CBZ crystallinity had different effects on the particle size, the drug loading, and the release of CBZ from the polymer. Statistically, all studied factors significantly affected the crystallinity of CBZ after formulation to microparticles.
Vigna sinensis also known as long-podded cowpea or Chinese long bean (Family:Fabaceae) is most widely grown in Southeast Asia. They are a good source of protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, phosphorus, and potassium. The antioxidant potential of crude methanol extract, chloroform, and ethyl acetate soluble fractions of Vigna sinensiswas screened for in- vitro antioxidant activity using total phenolic content, ferric reducing power, 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) assay, ferric thiocyanate (FTC) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) tests. It was found that ethyl acetate fraction have maximum amount of polyphenolics compounds (2.69 mg/g GAE in concentration 0.5 mg/mL); more effective than methanol and chloroform extract.This fraction also exhibited fairly good antioxidant activity with in both TBA (17.39% mg/g GAE) and FTC (12.65% mg/g GAE) methods.
Carbon-11 labeled radiotracers, such as 11C-acetate and
11C-palmitate are widely used in positron
emission tomography (PET) for noninvasive evaluation of myocardial metabolism under varied
physiological conditions.These tracers are attractive probes of tissue physiology, because they are
simply radiolabled versions of the native biochemical substrates. One of the major metabolites
generated by these tracers upon the administration is 11CO2 produced via the citric acid cycle. In
quantitative modeling of
11C-acetate and
11C-palmitate PET data, the fraction of blood
11C
radioactivity present as
11CO2 needs to be measured to obtain a correct radiotracer arterial
input function. Accordingly, the literature describes a method whereby the total blood
11C-activity
is counted in blood samples treated with base solution, while the fraction of
1 1CO2 is measured
after the blood is treated with acid followed by a 10 minutes gas-purge. However, a detailed
description of the experimental validation of this method was not provided. The goal of this study
was to test the reliability of a 10 minute gas purging method used to assay
11CO2 radioactivity in
blood
Lead, a chemical element in the carbon group with symbol Pb (from Latin: Plumbum, meaning "the liquid silver") and has an atomic number 82 in the periodic table. It was the first element that was characterized by its kind of toxicity. In animal systems, lead (Pb) has been incriminated in a wide spectrum of toxic effects and it is considered one of the persistent ubiquitous heavy metals. Being exposed to this metal could lead to the change of testicular functions in human beings as well as in the wildlife. The lead poising is a real threat to the public health, especially in the developing countries. Accordingly, great efforts on the part of the occupational and public health have been taken to curb the dangers of this metal. Hematopoietic, renal, reproductive, and central nervous system are among the parts of the human body and systems that are vulnerable toward the dangers following exposure to high level of Pb. In this review, we discussed the massive harmful impact that leads acetate toxicity has on the animals and the worrying fact that this harmful toxicant can be found quite easily in the environment and abundance. Highlighting its (Pb) effects on various organs in the biological systems, its economic, as well as scientific importance, with the view to educate the public/professionals who work in this area. In this study, we focus on the current studies and research related to lead toxicity in animals and also to a certain extent toward human as well.
A descriptive study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of Blastocystis hominis in children aged between 1-12 years old from randomly selected villages in Alor Gajah district Melaka. The sampling was carried out from 1st to 7th of July of 2006. A total of 48 faecal samples were obtained from the children in those studied villages. The faecal specimens were examined by direct saline wet moun, formalin ethyl acetate concentration and trichrome staining method. It was found that 45.8% (22 out of 48) of the examined children were infected with Blastocystis hominis . Based on the results, the cumulative prevalence of three methods used showed that Blastocystis hominis infection in female children higher compared to male children. Whilst the schooling children aged of 6 to 12 years had a higher prevalence than pre school children at the age of 1-5 years. In term of diagnosis, formalin ethyl acetate concentration method showed prevalence of detection at 60.9%. It was followed by direct saline wet mount (43.5%) and trichrome staining at 34.8%.
Silver catfish (Pangasius sutchi) skin gelatin was extracted to determine the effects of extraction time on the functional properties of the gelatin in terms of solubility, protein solubility as a function of pH and sodium chloride concentration, emulsifying capacity and stability, water holding capacity, fat binding capacities and foaming properties. Silver catfish skins were washed in sodium chloride (NaCl) solution prior to pre-treatment in sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and acetic acid solution. Gelatin was extracted at 50ºC for 6, 8, 10 and 12 hours extraction time followed by freeze drying. The extraction of silver catfish skin gelatin at 50 ºC for 12 hours was more effective than extraction at 6, 8 and 10 hours where the gelatin was characterized by higher emulsifying capacity (52.63%), emulsifying stability (47.83%), water holding capacity (31.78 mL/g), fat binding capacities (54.76%), foaming capacity (41.47 mL) and foaming stability (56.42%) than gelatins extracted at other extraction time. The longer the extraction time, the better the functional properties of the gelatin. Based on its good functional properties, silver catfish skin gelatin may be useful in various food applications such as soups, sauces and gravies.
Our continuing research on the Aglaia genus (family Meliaceace) has led us to this first study on the chemical constituents of Aglaia lanuginose (bark). The dichloromethane extract from the bark of Aglaia lanuginose showed cytotoxicity against HL-60 leukaemia cell line (45% inhibition) at 20 µg/ml and was prioritised for further investigation. Repeated chromatography of the dichloromethane extract yielded the known dammarane triterpenes which were identified as cabralealactone (1), methyl eichlerianate (2), cabraleone (3), ocotillone (4), eichleriatone (5), eichlerianic acid (6) and shoreic acid (7) together with the known sterols, sitosterol (9) and stigmasterol (10). Another isolated compound was the aromatic 4-hydroxycinnamyl-acetate (8), which has not been reported to be present in a plant from the Meliaceae family. The structures of all the compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods (IR, MS and NMR). Cytotoxicity testing of 1-10 showed activity only for mixtures of (3, 4), and (5, 6).
In this paper, we propose a metal-polydopamine (MPDA) framework with a specific molecular probe which appears to be the most promising approach to a strong fluorescence quencher. The MPDA framework quenching ability toward various organic fluorophore such as aminoethylcoumarin acetate, 6-carboxyfluorescein (FAM), carboxyteramethylrhodamine, and Cy5 are used to establish a fluorescent biosensor that can selectively recognize Hg2+ and Ag+ ions. The fluorescent quenching efficiency was sufficient to achieve more than 96%. The MPDA framework also exhibits different affinities with ssDNA and dsDNA. In addition, the FAM-labeled ssDNA was adsorbed onto the MPDA framework, based on their interaction with the complex formed between MPDA frameworks/ssDNA taken as a sensing platform. By taking advantage of this sensor, highly sensitive and selective determination of Hg2+ and Ag+ ions is achieved through exonuclease III signal amplification activity. The detection limits of Hg2+ and Ag+ achieved to be 1.3 and 34 pM, respectively, were compared to co-existing metal ions and graphene oxide-based sensors. Furthermore, the potential applications of this study establish the highly sensitive fluorescence detection targets in environmental and biological fields.
The pretreatment of empty fruit bunch (EFB) was conducted using an integrated system of IL and cellulases (IL-E), with simultaneous fermentation in one vessel. The cellulase mixture (PKC-Cel) was derived from Trichoderma reesei by solid-state fermentation. Choline acetate [Cho]OAc was utilized for the pretreatment due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability. The treated EFB and its hydrolysate were characterized by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and chemical analysis. The results showed that there were significant structural changes in EFB after the treatment in IL-E system. The sugar yield after enzymatic hydrolysis by the PKC-Cel was increased from 0.058 g/g of EFB in the crude sample (untreated) to 0.283 and 0.62 ± 06 g/g in IL-E system after 24 and 48 h of treatment, respectively. The EFB hydrolysate showed the eligibility for ethanol production without any supplements where ethanol yield was 0.275 g ethanol/g EFB in the presence of the IL, while lower yield obtained without IL-pretreatment. Moreover, it was demonstrated that furfural and phenolic compounds were not at the level of suppressing the fermentation process.
This study investigated the recovery of phytochemical antioxidants in Dacryodes rostrata fruit using different extraction solvents. The effects of solvent of varying polarities with sequential extraction method on the recovery of phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids and anthocyanins from different parts of the fruit (seed, pulp and peel) were determined. Their antioxidant activities were further determined using DPPH radical, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), hydroxyl radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging and phosphomolybdenum method. Dacryodes Rostrata seed had the highest total phenolic content with 50% ethanol as the most efficient extraction solvent. The highest total flavonoid content was obtained in ethyl acetate extract of fruit pulp, whereas peel extracted with hexane and 50% ethanol was the highest in total carotenoid content and total anthocyanin content, respectively. The seed extracted with 50% ethanol exhibited the strongest DPPH radical scavenging activity. Iron chelating activity measured by FRAP assay was the best in seed extracts, particularly in those polar extracts derived from water and 50% ethanol. Antioxidant activities of 50% ethanol extract of D. rostrata seed was the highest when determined by FRAP and phosphomolydenum assays. However, the influence of extraction solvents is not distinctly shown by hydroxyl radical and superoxide anion radical scavenging activities. This is the first report on the effect of various extraction solvents on the recovery of phytochemicals in D. rostrata fruit parts and the seed of D. rostrata is a potential source of polar antioxidants.
The study aimed to isolate and elucidate the chemical compounds that are found in banana
(Musa balbisiana cv. Saba) inflorescences. Banana inflorescence buds were extracted using
methanol and the resulted methanolic extract was partitioned using chloroform, ethyl acetate
and butanol against deionized water. The chloroform partition was further separated into
fractions using column chromatography assisted by thin layer chromatography. The structure
elucidation was performed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (NMR). Three
triterpenes were isolated namely 31-norcyclolaudenone (1), cycloartenol (2) and (24R)-4a,24-
trimethyl-5a-cholesta-8,25(27)-dien-3b-ol (3). This is the first report on the isolation of these
triterpenes from Musa balbisiana inflorescence. The discovery of new triterpenes from banana
inflorescence should be further explored to open a new perspective that banana by-products
might serve as new source of natural products for food and pharmaceutical applications.
Marine fungus Fusarium proliferatum derived from marine sponge collected along Pulau Tinggi, Malaysia was cultivated on Potato Dextrose Broth and incubated for 7 days at 30oC. The liquid cultures were then extracted using ethyl acetate. The crude extract was investigated for its anti-microbial activity and was passed through Sephadex column and the fractions were collected. Reverse phase HPLC was used to monitor the component of crude extract. HPLC guided purification of crude extract resulted in the isolation of linoleic acid, 4-hydroxy phenethyl alcohol, 2,5-furandimethanol and adenosine. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods.
In this study, cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) were produced using acid hydrolysis method. Kenaf core was pretreated with 4
wt. % sodium hydroxide (NaOH), followed by bleaching using 1.7 wt. % sodium chlorite (NaClO2
) in acetate buffer. The
bleached fiber was acid hydrolyzed for 45 and 55 min using 64 wt. % sulfuric acid (H2
SO4
). The size distribution of the
CNC segregated via differential centrifugation with different speed was also investigated. The CNC suspension obtained
was centrifuged at 3000, 6000, 9000 and 12000 rpm. The resultant CNC suspension collected was characterized using
Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). FTIR
results showed the progressive removal of non-cellulosic constituents for each subsequent treatment. It also showed that
the CNC produced after hydrolysing for 55 min has the highest degree of crystallinity (81.15%). CNC produced from acid
hydrolysis process of 45 min have lengths between 50 and 270 nm while CNC produced from acid hydrolysis process of
55 min have length around 40 to 370 nm.
Recent developments have found the viability of chitosan as a new alternative additive in the pulp and paper technology.
This study was carried out to investigate the effect of chitosan as a paper coating which were prepared by dissolution in
acetic acid solution. The mechanical properties of coated paper were improved significantly compared with non-coated
paper. The FT-IR spectra showed peak evolution at 1558 cm-1 for coated paper due to the existence of amine group. Since
FT-IR spectra for the coated paper was almost identical to the chitosan spectrum, it is assumed that there is an obvious
physical interaction rather than the chemical interaction. The SEM micrographs showed that some of the chitosan has
occupied the pores and some of them adhered only on the surface. This may be due to the chemical similarities between
cellulose and chitosan which enhanced the strength of fiber matrixes via hydrogen bonding. The antibacterial property
of coated paper showed that chitosan in dried form has no significant effect but effective when applied as wet solution.
The development of efficient tissue culture protocol for somatic embryo would facilitate the genetic modification breeding program. The callus induction and regeneration were studied by using different parameters i.e., auxins, cytokinins, and desiccation treatment. Scanning electron microscopy and histological analysis were performed to identify the embryogenic callus for regeneration. The callus percentage results showed that MS (Murashige and Skoog) basal medium supplemented with 3 mg/L 2, 4-D and 30g/L maltose were the optimal callus induction medium for MR220 (80%) and MR220-CL2 (95%). The morphology of the embryogenic callus was confirmed by the SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) (presence of extracellular matrix surface network) and later by histological analysis. Finally, MS media supplemented with 0.5 mg/L NAA (Naphthalene Acetic Acid), 2 mg/L kin, and 1 mg/L BAP were selected as the optimum regeneration media treatment while callus desiccated for 48 h was proved to produce more plantlets in MR220 (60%) and MR220-CL2 (73.33%) compared to control treatment (without desiccation). The protocol presented here showed the necessity for the inclusion of partial desiccation as an important step in the tissue culture protocol of Malaysian indica rice genotypes in order to enhance their regeneration potential.
Zingiber zerumbet has been traditionally used as an anti-inflammation and antioxidant agent. The present study
investigates the neuroprotective effects of ethyl acetate extract of Z. zerumbet against oxidative stress on paraquat
(PQ)-induced Parkinsonism in rats. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: Negative control
(normal saline), positive control (N-acetylcysteine, NAC 20 mg/kg + PQ 10 mg/kg), PQ only, 200 mg/kg Z. zerumbet +
PQ and 400 mg/kg Z. zerumbet + PQ. The extract was given orally for 19 consecutive days and PQ was administered
intraperitoneally on day 8-12th of the treatment regime. Both serum and fresh brains containing substantia nigra (SN)
region were taken for biochemical and histological analysis. Administration of both 200 and 400 mg/kg ethyl acetate
Z. zerumbet extracts to the PQ-treated groups have resulted in: Decreased levels of MDA and PC in the SN homogenates;
and increased SOD, GPx; and CAT activities in the SN and serum. Overall, ethyl acetate extract of Z. zerumbet reduced
oxidative stress in the SN of PQ-induced neuronal damages, therefore, has the potential to be developed as a preventive
agent for neurodegenerative disorders caused by environmental toxins.