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Fulltext Evaluation of antidiabetic properties of Momordica charantia in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats using metabolomics approach

Perumal, V., Khoo, W.C., Abdul-Hamid, A., Ismail, A., Saari, K., Murugesu, S., et al.

International Food Research Journal, 2015;22(3):1298-1306.
MyJurnal

Momordica charantia, also known as bitter melon or ‘peria katak’ in Malaysia, is a member of the family Cucurbitaceae. Bitter melon is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals that made it extensively nutritious. Moreover, the seed, fruit and leave of the plant contain bioactive compounds with a wide range of biological activities that have been used in traditional medicines in the treatment of several diseases, including inflammation, infections, obesity and diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in urinary metabolite profile of the normal, streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes and M. charantia treated diabetic rats using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) -based metabolomics profiling. Study had been carried out by inducing diabetes in the rats through injection of streptozotocin, which exhibited type 1 diabetes. M. charantia extract (100 and 200 mg/kg body weight) was administrated to the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats for one week. Blood glucose level after administration was measured to examine hypoglycemic effect of the extract. The results obtained indicated that M. charantia was effective in lowering blood glucose level of the diabetic rats. The loading plot of Partial Least Square (PLS) component 1 showed that diabetic rats had increased levels of lactate and glucose in urine whereas normal and the extract treated diabetic rats had higher levels of succinate, creatine, creatinine, urea and phenylacetylglycine in urine. While the loading plot of PLS component 2 showed a higher levels of succinate, citrate, creatine, creatinine, sugars, and hippurate in urine of normal rat compared to the extract treated diabetic rat. Administration of M. charantia extract was found to be able to regulate the altered metabolic processes. Thus, it could be potentially used to treat the diabetic patients.
Geofractionation of heavy metals and application of indices for pollution prediction in paddy field soil of Tumpat, Malaysia

Sow AY, Ismail A, Zulkifli SZ

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2013 Dec;20(12):8964-73.
PMID: 23757028 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-013-1857-9

The present study investigates the concentration of Pb, Cd, Ni, Zn, and Cu in the paddy field soils collected from Tumpat, Kelantan. Soil samples were treated with sequential extraction to distinguish the anthropogenic and lithogenic origin of Pb, Cd, Ni, Zn, and Cu. ELFE and oxidizable-organic fractions were detected as the lowest accumulation of Pb, Cd, Ni, Zn, and Cu. Therefore, all the heavy metals examined were concentrated, particularly in resistant fraction, indicating that those heavy metals occurred and accumulated in an unavailable form. The utilization of agrochemical fertilizers and pesticides might not elevate the levels of heavy metals in the paddy field soils. In comparison, the enrichment factor and geoaccumulation index for Pb, Cd, Ni, Zn, and Cu suggest that these heavy metals have the potential to cause environmental risk, although they present abundance in resistant fraction. Therefore, a complete study should be conducted based on the paddy cycle, which in turn could provide a clear picture of heavy metals distribution in the paddy field soils.
Fulltext Parents' and healthcare professionals' perception toward the introduction of a new fully liquid hexavalent vaccine in the Malaysian national immunization program: a cross-sectional study instrument development and its application

Al Bashir L, Ismail A, Aljunid SM

Front Immunol, 2023;14:1052450.
PMID: 37180162 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1052450

A newly developed fully liquid hexavalent vaccine that comprises six antigens for Diphtheria, Tetanus, acellular Pertussis, Inactivated Poliomyelitis, Haemophilus Influenza type b., and Hepatitis B, is proposed to be introduced in the Malaysian national immunization program, instead of the non-fully liquid pentavalent vaccine and monovalent Hepatitis B vaccine that is currently employed in the immunization schedule. Although the introduction of new vaccines is a necessary intervention, it still needs to be accepted by parents and healthcare professionals. Hence, this study aimed to develop three structured questionnaires and to investigate the participants' perception and acceptability toward the incorporation of the new fully liquid hexavalent vaccine. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of 346 parents, 100 nurses, and 50 physicians attending twenty-two primary health care centers in the states of Selangor and the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya during 2019-2020. The study found that Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the study instruments ranged from 0.825 to 0.918. Principal components analysis produced a good fit with KMO>0.6. For the parents' perception questionnaire, the only extracted factor explained 73.9 % of the total variance; for the nurses' perception toward a non-fully and fully liquid combined vaccine, there was a sole extracted factor that explained 65.2 % and 79.2% of the total variance, respectively. Whereas for the physicians' perception, there was one factor extracted that explains 71.8 % of the total variance. The median score for all the questionnaire items ranged from 4 to 5 (Q1 and Q3 vary between 3-5). Parents' ethnicity was significantly associated (P-value ≤ 0.05) with the perception that the new hexavalent vaccine would reduce their transportation expenses. Moreover, a significant association (P-value ≤ 0.05) was found between physicians' age and the perception of the hexavalent vaccine's ability to decrease patient overcrowding in primary healthcare centers. The instruments used in this study were valid and reliable. Parents of Malay ethnicity were the most concerned about transportation expenses since they have the lowest income and are more concentrated in rural areas compared to other races. Younger physicians were concerned about reducing patient crowding and hence reducing their workload and burnout.
Fulltext Diagnostic techniques for COVID-19 and new developments

Sheikhzadeh E, Eissa S, Ismail A, Zourob M

Talanta, 2020 Dec 01;220:121392.
PMID: 32928412 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121392

COVID-19 pandemic is a serious global health issue today due to the rapid human to human transmission of SARS-CoV-2, a new type of coronavirus that causes fatal pneumonia. SARS -CoV-2 has a faster rate of transmission than other coronaviruses such as SARS and MERS and until now there are no approved specific drugs or vaccines for treatment. Thus, early diagnosis is crucial to prevent the extensive spread of the disease. The reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the most routinely used method until now to detect SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, several other faster and accurate assays are being developed for the diagnosis of COVID-19 aiming to control the spread of infection through the identification of patients and immediate isolation. In this review, we will discuss the various detection methods of the SARS-CoV-2 virus including the recent developments in immunological assays, amplification techniques as well as biosensors.
Isolation, purification and characterization of β-glucan from cereals - A review

Sujithra S, Arthanareeswaran G, Ismail AF, Taweepreda W

Int J Biol Macromol, 2024 Jan;256(Pt 1):128255.
PMID: 37984576 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128255

β-glucans are soluble fibers found in cereal compounds, including barley, oats etc., as an active component. They are used as a dietary fiber to treat cholesterol, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. These polysaccharides are important because they can provide many therapeutic benefits related to their biological activity in human like inhibiting tumour growth, anti-inflammatory action, etc. All these activities were usually attached to their molecular weight, structure and degree of branching. The present manuscript reviews the background of β-glucan, its characterization techniques, the possible ways to extract β-glucan and mainly focuses on membrane-based purification techniques. The β-glucan separation methods using polymeric membranes, their operational characteristics, purification methods which may yield pure or crude β-glucan and structural analysis methods were also discussed. Future direction in research and development related to β-glucan recovery from cereal were also offered.
Toxicities and tolerances of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in a primary producer (Isochrysis galbana) and in a primary consumer (Perna viridis)

Yap CK, Ismail A, Omar H, Tan SG

Environ Int, 2004 Feb;29(8):1097-104.
PMID: 14680893

Studies on toxicities and tolerances of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in the brown alga Isochrysis galbana and in the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis were conducted by short-term bioassays using endpoints growth production and mortality, respectively. The 5-day EC(50) and 24-h LC(50) of these heavy metals were determined in the brown alga and mussel, respectively. The EC(50) values calculated for the alga were 0.74 mg/l for Cd, 0.91 mg/l for Cu, 1.40 mg/l for Pb and 0.60 mg/l for Zn. The LC(50) values for the mussels were 1.53 mg/l for Cd, 0.25 mg/l for Cu, 4.12 mg/l for Pb and 3.20 mg/l for Zn. These LC(50) values were within the concentration ranges as reported by other authors who used P. viridis as the test organism. Based on these EC(50) and LC(50) values, the alga was most sensitive to Zn, followed by Cd, Cu and Pb while the mussel was most sensitive to Cu, followed by Cd, Zn and Pb. Differences in the trophic levels, metal handling strategies, biology and ecology of the primary producer (brown alga) and the primary consumer (mussel) are believed to be the plausible causes for the different toxicities and tolerances of the metals studied.
Allozyme polymorphisms and heavy metal levels in the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis (Linnaeus) collected from contaminated and uncontaminated sites in Malaysia

Yap CK, Tan SG, Ismail A, Omar H

Environ Int, 2004 Mar;30(1):39-46.
PMID: 14664863

It has been widely reported that heavy metal contamination in coastal waters can modify the allozyme profiles of marine organisms. Previous studies have recorded elevated metal concentrations in sediments and mussel tissues off Peninsular Malaysia. In the present study, horizontal starch gel electrophoresis was carried out to estimate the levels of allelic variation of the green-lipped mussel, Perna viridis, collected from one contaminated and three relatively uncontaminated sites off Peninsular Malaysia. Fourteen polymorphic loci were observed. In addition, the concentrations of cadmium, copper, lead, mercury and zinc were determined in the sediments and in the soft tissues of the mussels. Mussels from contaminated site, evidenced by high metal pollution indices (MPI) of the sediment and the mussel tissues, showed the highest percentage of polymorphic loci (78.6%), while those collected from the uncontaminated sites had lower MPI of the sediment and mussel tissue, and exhibited lower percentages of polymorphic loci (35.7-57.1%). The population from the contaminated site showed the highest excess of heterozygosity (0.289) when compared to that of the populations from the three uncontaminated sites (0.108-0.149). Allozyme frequencies at the phosphoglucomutase (PGM; E.C. 2.7.5.1) locus also differed between the contaminated and uncontaminated populations. Previous studies have shown that exposure to heavy metals can select or counter-select for particular alleles at this locus. The present results suggest that allozyme polymorphism in P. viridis is a potential biomonitoring tool for heavy metal contamination but further validation is required.
Can the byssus of green-lipped mussel Perna viridis (Linnaeus) from the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia be a biomonitoring organ for Cd, Pb and Zn? Field and laboratory studies

Yap CK, Ismail A, Tan SG

Environ Int, 2003 Jul;29(4):521-8.
PMID: 12705949

Concentrations of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in total soft tissues (ST) and byssus (BYS) of the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis from 11 different geographical locations off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia were determined. The metal concentrations distributed between the BYS and ST were compared. The results of this study indicated that higher levels of Cd (1.31 microg/g), Pb (38.49 microg/g) and Zn (206.52 microg/g) were accumulated in the BYS than in the total ST (Cd: 0.29 microg/g; Pb: 8.27 microg/g; Zn: 102.6 microg/g). Semi-static and short period controlled laboratory experiments were also conducted for the accumulation and depuration of Cd, Pb and Zn in the total ST and BYS of P. viridis. The ratios (BYS/ST) for Pb and Cd from the laboratory experiments showed that the total ST accumulated more metals than the BYS. Therefore, these laboratory results disagreed with those found for the field samples. However, the laboratory results for the Zn ratio (BYS/ST) agreed with those of the field samples. It was evident that when compared to the ST, the BYS was a more sensitive biomonitoring organ for Zn while it could be a complementary organ for Cd and Pb in the total ST. Since total ST of P. viridis had been reported to have regulative mechanism for Zn, its BYS can be used as a biomonitoring organ for the identification of coastal areas exposed to Zn pollution.
Concentrations of Cu and Pb in the offshore and intertidal sediments of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia

Yap CK, Ismail A, Tan SG, Omar H

Environ Int, 2002 Dec;28(6):467-79.
PMID: 12503912

Malaysia is now a developing country and on her way towards being an industrialised one by the year 2020. Most of her industries and urban areas are located on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. In addition, the offshore area of the west coast is now one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. These two phenomena make the intertidal and offshore areas of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia interesting for scientific studies. Therefore, this study focused on both the offshore and intertidal sediments of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Sampling for sediment samples were done from the northern to the southern ends of the peninsula and these sediment samples were analysed for Cu and Pb. It was found that total Cu concentrations ranged from 0.25 to 13.8 and 0.40 to 315 microg/g dry weight (dw) for offshore and intertidal sediments, respectively. For Pb, it ranged from 3.59 to 25.4 and 0.96 to 69.8 microg/g dw for the offshore and intertidal sediments, respectively. The ranges of Cu and Pb found from the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia were low in comparison to regional data. However, some intertidal areas were identified as receiving anthropogenic Cu and Pb. Geochemical studies revealed that the 'nonresistant' fraction for Pb contributed about 70.0% to 75.0% and 54.0% of the total Pb concentration in the offshore and intertidal sediments, respectively. As for Cu, the 'nonresistant' fraction contributed about 46.2% to 60.4% and 46.3% of the total Cu concentration in the offshore and intertidal sediments, respectively. The 'nonresistant' fraction contained mostly of anthropogenic metals besides natural origins. These 'nonresistant' percentages indicated that both the offshore and intertidal areas could have received anthropogenic-derived metals, which could be influenced by physico-chemical properties of the sediments. Although the present data indicated that contamination due to Cu and Pb in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia especially in the offshore areas were not serious, regular biomonitoring studies along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia are recommended.
Correlations between speciation of Cd, Cu, Pb And Zn in sediment and their concentrations in total soft tissue of green-lipped mussel Perna viridis from the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia

Yap CK, Ismail A, Tan SG, Omar H

Environ Int, 2002 Apr;28(1-2):117-26.
PMID: 12046948

Total concentrations and speciation of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in surface sediment samples were correlated with the respective metal measured in the total soft tissue of the green-lipped mussel Perna viridis, collected from water off the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The aim of this study is to relate the possible differences in the accumulation patterns of the heavy metals in P. viridis to those in the surface sediment. The sequential extraction technique was employed to fractionate the sediment into 'freely leachable and exchangeable' (EFLE), 'acid-reducible,' 'oxidisable-organic' and 'resistant' fractions. The results showed that significant (P .05) was found between Zn in P viridis and all the sediment geochemical fractions of Zn and total Zn in the sediment. This indicated that Zn was possibly regulated from the soft tissue of P. viridis. The present results supported the use of P viridis as a suitable biomonitoring agent for Cd, Cu and Pb.
Fulltext Data science technology course: The design, assessment and computing environment perspectives

Ismail A, Mutalib S, Haron H

Educ Inf Technol (Dordr), 2023 Jan 24.
PMID: 36714440 DOI: 10.1007/s10639-022-11558-8

This article discusses the key elements of the Data Science Technology course offered to postgraduate students enrolled in the Master of Data Science program. This course complements the existing curriculum by providing the skills to handle the Big Data platform and tools, in addition to data science activities. We tackle the discussion about this course based on three main requirements, which are related to the need to exploit the key skills from two dimensions, namely, Data Science and Big Data, and the need for a cluster-based computing platform and its accessibility. We address these requirements by presenting the course design and its assessments, the configuration of the computing platform, and the strategy to enable flexible accessibility. In terms of course design, the offered course contributes to several innovative elements and has covered multiple key areas of the data science body of knowledge and multiple quadrants of the job and skills matrix. In the case of the computing platform, a stable deployment of a Hadoop cluster with flexible accessibility, triggered by the pandemic situation, has been established. Furthermore, through our experience with the implementation of the cluster, it has shown the ability of the cluster to handle computing problems with a larger dataset than the one used for the semesters within the scope of the study. We also provide some reflections and highlight future improvements.
Fulltext Ficus deltoidea: A Potential Alternative Medicine for Diabetes Mellitus

Adam Z, Khamis S, Ismail A, Hamid M

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2012;2012:632763.
PMID: 22701507 DOI: 10.1155/2012/632763

Ficus deltoidea from the Moraceae family has been scientifically proven to reduce hyperglycemia at different prandial states. In this study, we evaluate the mechanisms that underlie antihyperglycemic action of Ficus deltoidea. The results had shown that hot aqueous extract of Ficus deltoidea stimulated insulin secretion significantly with the highest magnitude of stimulation was 7.31-fold (P < 0.001). The insulin secretory actions of the hot aqueous extract involved K(+) (ATP) channel-dependent and K(+) (ATP)-channel-independent pathway. The extract also has the ability to induce the usage of intracellular Ca(2+) to trigger insulin release. The ethanolic and methanolic extracts enhanced basal and insulin-mediated glucose uptake into adipocytes cells. The extracts possess either insulin-mimetic or insulin-sensitizing property or combination of both properties during enhancing glucose uptake into such cells. Meanwhile, the hot aqueous and methanolic extracts augmented basal and insulin-stimulated adiponectin secretion from adipocytes cells. From this study, it is suggested that Ficus deltoidea has the potential to be developed as future oral antidiabetic agent.
Heavy Metals Uptake by Asian Swamp Eel, Monopterus albus from Paddy Fields of Kelantan, Peninsular Malaysia: Preliminary Study

Yin SA, Ismail A, Zulkifli SZ

Trop Life Sci Res, 2012 Dec;23(2):27-38.
PMID: 24575231 MyJurnal

Swamp eel, Monopterus albus is one of the common fish in paddy fields, thus it is suitable to be a bio-monitor for heavy metals pollution studies in paddy fields. This study was conducted to assess heavy metals levels in swamp eels collected from paddy fields in Kelantan, Malaysia. The results showed zinc [Zn (86.40 μg/g dry weight)] was the highest accumulated metal in the kidney, liver, bone, gill, muscle and skin. Among the selected organs, gill had the highest concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) whereas muscle showed the lowest total metal accumulation of Zn, Pb, copper (Cu), Cd and Ni. Based on the Malaysian Food Regulation, the levels of Zn and Cu in edible parts (muscle and skin) were within the safety limits. However, Cd, Pb and Ni exceeded the permissible limits. By comparing with the maximum level intake (MLI), Pb, Ni and Cd in edible parts can still be consumed. This investigation indicated that M. albus from paddy fields of Kelantan are safe for human consumption with little precaution.
Fulltext Autonomic Receptors and Nitric-Oxide Involvements in Mediating Vasorelaxation Effect Induced by Syzygium polyanthum Leaves Extract

Ismail A, Wan Ahmad WAN

Pharmacognosy Res, 2017 Dec;9(Suppl 1):S9-S14.
PMID: 29333036 DOI: 10.4103/pr.pr_69_17

Context: Syzygium polyanthum (Wight) Walp leaves are traditionally used by Malays for treating hypertension. Our previous study showed that aqueous extract of S. polyanthum (AESP) and methanolic extract of S. polyanthum (MESP) extracts of S. polyanthum leaves significantly reduced blood pressure of normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).
Aims: This study aimed to investigate their vasorelaxation potential and the possible involvement of autonomic receptors and nitric oxide in mediating their effect.
Settings and Design: Both extracts will be tested on isolated thoracic aorta rings of WKY and SHR. The involvement of autonomic receptors and nitric oxide will be elucidated using respective blockers.
Materials and Methods: Isolated thoracic aorta rings from WKY and SHR were mounted onto myograph chambers to measure changes in the aorta tension. Increasing concentrations of AESP and MESP, from 1 μg/ml to 10 mg/ml were added onto the myograph chambers. Blockers such as atropine (1 μM), phentolamine (1 μM), propranolol (1 μM), and Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (100 μM) were preincubated before addition of extracts to check for involvement of muscarinic, α- and β-adrenergic receptors (AR) as well as nitric oxide, respectively.
Statistical Analysis Used: Two-way ANOVA, followed by post hoc Bonferroni test was used, where P < 0.05 (two-tailed) was considered statistically significant.
Results: AESP and MESP caused significant vasorelaxations through nitric oxide pathway. The former was mediated through α-AR while the latter was mediated by β-adrenergic and muscarinic receptors.
Conclusion: Vasorelaxation effect by AESP and MESP involved nitric oxide pathway which is possibly mediated by the autonomic receptors.
SUMMARY: This is the first study that reveals significant vasorelaxation effect induced by Syzygium polyanthum leaves extract. Vasorelaxation maybe one of the possible mechanisms for its ability to reduce blood pressure. This study also suggested that the vasorelaxation effect by this plant extract may involve nitric oxide pathway mediated by the autonomic receptors. Abbreviations Used: AESP: Aqueous extract of Syzygium polyanthum leaves. MESP: Methanolic extract of Syzygium polyanthum leaves. SHR: spontaneously hypertensive rat, WKY: Wistar-Kyoto rat.
Fulltext The Impact on Family among Down syndrome Children with Early Intervention

Mohammed Nawi A, Ismail A, Abdullah S

Iran J Public Health, 2013 Sep;42(9):996-1006.
PMID: 26060660

BACKGROUND:
Child with Down's syndrome is an individual who is suitable and eligible to receive early intervention services. This study aimed to measure the family outcome among parents of Down syndrome children, on the impact of receiving early intervention and identify the factors influencing it.

METHODS:
A cross sectional was conducted from April 2009 until January 2010 with a total of 125 parents of children with Down syndrome. There are five domains of family outcomes that has been studied which are understanding the strengths, abilities and special needs of children, knowing the rights and talk on children behalf, assisting the child to grow and learn, having a support system and be involved in the community. Children with Down syndrome aged four to 15 years was chosen as the respondents when they were accompanying their children in seven rehabilitation centers or during house visits.

RESULTS:
Family outcomes among parents of Down syndrome children who receive early intervention is better, 67.3 percent, compared to parents of Down syndrome children who receive late intervention, 41.4 percent. There are significant relationship between the acceptance level of intervention, parents education level, family income and the family outcomes. Parents of children who receive early intervention were more positive in understanding the strengths, abilities and special needs of their children compared to other family outcomes.

CONCLUSION:
Families whom children received early intervention had indirectly proved the importance and benefit of early intervention, not only for children with special needs, but for their family as well.

KEYWORDS:
Down syndrome children; intervention; special needs
Healthy Ageing in Malaysia by 2030: Needs, Challenges and Future Directions

Abdullah JM, Ismail A, Yusoff MSB

Malays J Med Sci, 2024 Aug;31(4):1-13.
PMID: 39247109 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2024.31.4.1

This Editorial addresses the critical need for developing a healthy ageing society in Malaysia by 2030. With the country's elderly population projected to increase significantly, the article explores current challenges, including healthcare disparities, a shortage of geriatric specialists and malnutrition. It evaluates existing policies and highlights successful international and local initiatives, suggesting specific recommendations to improve healthcare infrastructure, healthy ageing support and technological integration. Emphasising the importance of engaging private sectors, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community groups, this Editorial calls for a collaborative approach to address the economic and cultural aspects of ageing. This comprehensive strategy aims to ensure a resilient, healthy and inclusive environment for Malaysia's ageing population by 2030.
Effect of biphasic calcium phosphate scaffold porosities on odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp cells

AbdulQader ST, Rahman IA, Thirumulu KP, Ismail H, Mahmood Z

J Biomater Appl, 2016 Apr;30(9):1300-11.
PMID: 26740503 DOI: 10.1177/0885328215625759

Calcium phosphates (CaP) of different porosities have been widely and successfully used as scaffolds with osteoblast cells for bone tissue regeneration. However, the effects of scaffold porosities on cell viability and differentiation of human dental pulp cells for dentin tissue regeneration are not well known. In this study, biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) scaffolds of 20/80 hydroxyapatite to beta tricalcium phosphate ratio with a mean pore size of 300 μm were prepared into BCP1, BCP2, BCP3, and BCP4 of 25%, 50%, 65%, and 75% of total porosities, respectively. The extracts of these scaffolds were assessed with regard to cell viability, proliferation, and differentiation of human dental pulp cells. The high alkalinity, and more calcium and phosphate ions release that were exhibited by BCP3 and BCP4 decreased the viability and proliferation of human dental pulp cells as compared to BCP1 and BCP2. BCP2 significantly increased both cell viability and cell proliferation. However, the cells cultured with BCP3 extract revealed high alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and high expression of odontoblast related genes, collagen type I alpha 1, dentin matrix protein-1, and dentin sialophosphoprotein as compared to that cultured with BCP1, BCP2, and BCP4 extracts. The results highlight the effect of different scaffold porosities on the cell microenvironment and demonstrate that BCP3 scaffold of 65% porosity can support human dental pulp cells differentiation for dentin tissue regeneration.
Telescopium telescopium as potential biomonitors of Cu, Zn, and Pb for the tropical intertidal area

Yap CK, Noorhaidah A, Azlan A, Nor Azwady AA, Ismail A, Ismail AR, et al.

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 2009 Feb;72(2):496-506.
PMID: 18243309 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2007.12.005

The distributions of Cu, Zn, and Pb concentrations in the selected soft tissues (foot, cephalic tentacle, mantle, muscle, gill, digestive caecum, and remaining soft tissues) and shells of the mud-flat snail Telescopium telescopium were determined in snails from eight geographical sites in the south-western intertidal area of Peninsular Malaysia. Generally, the digestive caecum compared with other selected soft tissues, accumulated higher concentration of Zn (214.35+/-14.56 microg/g dry weight), indicating that the digestive caecum has higher affinity for the essential Zn to bind to metallothionein. The shell demonstrated higher concentrations of Pb (41.23+/-1.20 microg/g dry weight) when compared to the selected soft tissues except gill from Kuala Sg. Ayam (95.76+/-5.32 microg/g dry weight). The use of different soft tissues also can solve the problem of defecation to reduce error in interpreting the bioavailability of heavy metals in the intertidal area.
Dietary cocoa protects against colitis-associated cancer by activating the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway

Pandurangan AK, Saadatdoust Z, Esa NM, Hamzah H, Ismail A

Biofactors, 2015 Jan-Feb;41(1):1-14.
PMID: 25545372 DOI: 10.1002/biof.1195

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignancy in males and the second most common cancer worldwide. Chronic colonic inflammation is a known risk factor for CRC. Cocoa contains many polyphenolic compounds that have beneficial effects in humans. The objective of this study is to explore the antioxidant properties of cocoa in the mouse model of azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis-associated cancer, focusing on the activation of Nrf2 signaling. Mice were treated with AOM/DSS and randomized to receive either a control diet or a 5 and 10% cocoa diet during the study period. On day 62 of the experiment, the entire colon was processed for biochemical and histopathological examination and further evaluations. Increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) were observed in AOM/DSS-induced mice; however, subsequent administration of cocoa decreased the MDA. Enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase, were decreased in the AOM/DSS mice. Cocoa treatment increases the activities/levels of enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants. Inflammatory mediators, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, were elevated during AOM/DSS-induction, and treatment with 5 and 10% cocoa effectively decreases the expression of iNOS and COX-2. The NF-E2-related factor 2 and its downstream targets, such as NQO1 and UDP-GT, were increased by cocoa treatment. The results of our study suggest that cocoa may merit further clinical investigation as a chemopreventive agent that helps prevent CAC.
Transcriptomics expression analysis to unveil the molecular mechanisms underlying the cocoa polyphenol treatment in diet-induced obesity rats

Ali F, Ismail A, Esa NM, Pei CP

Genomics, 2015 Jan;105(1):23-30.
PMID: 25451742 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2014.11.002

Cocoa polyphenol (CP), due to their biological actions, may be supplementary treatments for adipose tissue-fat gain. However, the molecular mechanism of CPs is still ambiguous. This study investigated the hypothesis that CP treatment modulates expressing of lipid metabolism genes in mesenteric white adipose tissue (MES-WAT). Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed a low-fat (LF) or high-fat (HF) diet for 12 weeks. Thereafter, HFD rats (n = 10/group) were treated at a dose of 600 mg/kg bw/day CPs (HFD + CPs) for 4 weeks. DNA microarray analysis resulted in 753 genes of the 13,008 genes expressed. Bioinformatics tools showed CP treatment significantly decreased gene expression levels for lipogenic enzymes, while increased the mRNA levels responsible for lipolysis enzymes. CP administration differentially regulates gene expression involved in lipid metabolism in MES-WAT. These data unveil a new insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the pharmacological effect of CPs on obesity biomarkers in obese rats.

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