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Displaying publications 101 - 120 of 152 in total

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Evaluation of cultivation conditions in hydrogel systems to enhance Chlorella vulgaris growth

Yang G, Li M, Zhang J, Zhou J, Cheah WY, Abdullah R, et al.

Int Microbiol, 2025 May 08.
PMID: 40338463 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-025-00670-7

Microalgae have gained significant attention as sustainable alternatives to traditional agriculture and energy resources. The cultivation efficiency of microalgae within hydrogel systems presents a promising avenue for spatially efficient bio-production. However, the optimum cultivation conditions of hydrogel cultivation systems have not been elucidated. This study focused on evaluating the hydrogel-based cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris in symbiosis with Bacillus Strain Salmah Ismail (SI) 139SI. It investigated the impact of hydrogel concentration, pH, light exposure, and system thickness on the growth and chlorophyll production of the algae. Our findings highlighted that, in coculture, a 7% (w/v) hydrogel concentration, pH of 7.4, a 12-h light/dark cycle at a hydrogel concentration of 7% but continuous light exposure under 5% hydrogel concentration, and a system thickness of 10 mm have provided the most favorable environmental conditions for the proliferation and chlorophyll production of C. vulgaris. These conditions significantly enhanced the biomass yields, suggesting that tailored hydrogel environments can substantially improve microalgae productivity.
The intersubject reliability of cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP) in pediatric cochlear implant recipients: comparisons between acoustic and electrical stimulations

Abdullah R, Maamor N, Zakaria MN, Nik Othman NA, Othman BF, Abdul Wahab NA

Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol, 2025 Apr;282(4):1825-1833.
PMID: 39572413 DOI: 10.1007/s00405-024-09080-3

PURPOSE: To compare the intersubject reliability of cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP) elicited by acoustic and electrical stimulations in pediatric cochlear implant (CI) recipients.
METHODS: Twenty-two MED-EL CI recipients (aged 13-93 months) participated in this study. The acoustic CAEP (aCAEP) waveforms were elicited using four speech stimuli (/ba/, /m/, /g/, and /t/) presented at 65 dB SPL in a free-field condition. The electrical CAEP (eCAEP) responses were obtained by presenting electrical pulses through apical, medial, and basal electrodes. The aCAEP and eCAEP data (n = 28 ears) were analyzed using coefficient of variation (CV) and other appropriate statistics.
RESULTS: P1, N1, and P2 peaks were observed in most of the children (92.9% response rate). The CV values were smaller for the latency metric (13.6-34.2%) relative to the amplitude metric (51.3-92.4%), and the differences were statistically significant (p
Fulltext Coumarin-Based Sulfonamide Derivatives as Potential DPP-IV Inhibitors: Pre-ADME Analysis, Toxicity Profile, Computational Analysis, and In Vitro Enzyme Assay

Vawhal PK, Jadhav SB, Kaushik S, Panigrahi KC, Nayak C, Urmee H, et al.

Molecules, 2023 Jan 19;28(3).
PMID: 36770672 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031004

Recent research on dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitors has made it feasible to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with minimal side effects. Therefore, in the present investigation, we aimed to discover and develop some coumarin-based sulphonamides as potential DPP-IV inhibitors in light of the fact that molecular hybridization of many bioactive pharmacophores frequently results in synergistic activity. Each of the proposed derivatives was subjected to an in silico virtual screening, and those that met all of the criteria and had a higher binding affinity with the DPP-IV enzyme were then subjected to wet lab synthesis, followed by an in vitro biological evaluation. The results of the pre-ADME and pre-tox predictions indicated that compounds 6e, 6f, 6h, and 6m to 6q were inferior and violated the most drug-like criteria. It was observed that 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6i, 6j, 6r, 6s, and 6t displayed less binding free energy (PDB ID: 5Y7H) than the reference inhibitor and demonstrated drug-likeness properties, hence being selected for wet lab synthesis and the structures being confirmed by spectral analysis. In the in vitro enzyme assay, the standard drug Sitagliptin had an IC50 of 0.018 µM in the experiment which is the most potent. All the tested compounds also displayed significant inhibition of the DPP-IV enzyme, but 6i and 6j demonstrated 10.98 and 10.14 µM IC50 values, respectively, i.e., the most potent among the synthesized compounds. Based on our findings, we concluded that coumarin-based sulphonamide derivatives have significant DPP-IV binding ability and exhibit optimal enzyme inhibition in an in vitro enzyme assay.
Fulltext Characterization and toxicity of citral incorporated with nanostructured lipid carrier

Nordin N, Yeap SK, Zamberi NR, Abu N, Mohamad NE, Rahman HS, et al.

PeerJ, 2018;6:e3916.
PMID: 29312812 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3916

The nanoparticle as a cancer drug delivery vehicle is rapidly under investigation due to its promising applicability as a novel drug delivery system for anticancer agents. This study describes the development, characterization and toxicity studies of a nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) system for citral. Citral was loaded into the NLC using high pressure homogenization methods. The characterizations of NLC-citral were then determined through various methods. Based on Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) analysis, NLC-Citral showed a spherical shape with an average diameter size of 54.12 ± 0.30 nm and a polydipersity index of 0.224 ± 0.005. The zeta potential of NLC-Citral was -12.73 ± 0.34 mV with an entrapment efficiency of 98.9 ± 0.124%, and drug loading of 9.84 ± 0.041%. Safety profile of the formulation was examined via in vitro and in vivo routes to study its effects toward normal cells. NLC-Citral exhibited no toxic effects towards the proliferation of mice splenocytes. Moreover, no mortality and toxic signs were observed in the treated groups after 28 days of treatment. There were also no significant alterations in serum biochemical analysis for all treatments. Increase in immunomodulatory effects of treated NLC-Citral and Citral groups was verified from the increase in CD4/CD3 and CD8/CD3 T cell population in both NLC-citral and citral treated splenocytes. This study suggests that NLC is a promising drug delivery system for citral as it has the potential in sustaining drug release without inducing any toxicity.
Fulltext In vitro cytotoxicity and anticancer effects of citral nanostructured lipid carrier on MDA MBA-231 human breast cancer cells

Nordin N, Yeap SK, Rahman HS, Zamberi NR, Abu N, Mohamad NE, et al.

Sci Rep, 2019 02 07;9(1):1614.
PMID: 30733560 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-38214-x

Very recently, we postulated that the incorporation of citral into nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC-Citral) improves solubility and delivery of the citral without toxic effects in vivo. Thus, the objective of this study is to evaluate anti-cancer effects of NLC-Citral in MDA MB-231 cells in vitro through the Annexin V, cell cycle, JC-1 and fluorometric assays. Additionally, this study is aimed to effects of NLC-Citral in reducing the tumor weight and size in 4T1 induced murine breast cancer model. Results showed that NLC-Citral induced apoptosis and G2/M arrest in MDA MB-231 cells. Furthermore, a prominent anti-metastatic ability of NLC-Citral was demonstrated in vitro using scratch, migration and invasion assays. A significant reduction of migrated and invaded cells was observed in the NLC-Citral treated MDA MB-231 cells. To further evaluate the apoptotic and anti-metastatic mechanism of NLC-Citral at the molecular level, microarray-based gene expression and proteomic profiling were conducted. Based on the result obtained, NLC-Citral was found to regulate several important signaling pathways related to cancer development such as apoptosis, cell cycle, and metastasis signaling pathways. Additionally, gene expression analysis was validated through the targeted RNA sequencing and real-time polymerase chain reaction. In conclusion, the NLC-Citral inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells in vitro, majorly through the induction of apoptosis, anti-metastasis, anti-angiogenesis potentials, and reducing the tumor weight and size without altering the therapeutic effects of citral.
Fulltext Cyclophilin A as a target in the treatment of cytomegalovirus infections

A Abdullah A, Abdullah R, A Nazariah Z, N Balakrishnan K, Firdaus J Abdullah F, A Bala J, et al.

Antivir Chem Chemother, 2018;26:2040206618811413.
PMID: 30449131 DOI: 10.1177/2040206618811413

BACKGROUND: Viruses are obligate parasites that depend on the cellular machinery of the host to regenerate and manufacture their proteins. Most antiviral drugs on the market today target viral proteins. However, the more recent strategies involve targeting the host cell proteins or pathways that mediate viral replication. This new approach would be effective for most viruses while minimizing drug resistance and toxicity.
METHODS: Cytomegalovirus replication, latency, and immune response are mediated by the intermediate early protein 2, the main protein that determines the effectiveness of drugs in cytomegalovirus inhibition. This review explains how intermediate early protein 2 can modify the action of cyclosporin A, an immunosuppressive, and antiviral drug. It also links all the pathways mediated by cyclosporin A, cytomegalovirus replication, and its encoded proteins.
RESULTS: Intermediate early protein 2 can influence the cellular cyclophilin A pathway, affecting cyclosporin A as a mediator of viral replication or anti-cytomegalovirus drug.
CONCLUSION: Cyclosporin A has a dual function in cytomegalovirus pathogenesis. It has the immunosuppressive effect that establishes virus replication through the inhibition of T-cell function. It also has an anti-cytomegalovirus effect mediated by intermediate early protein 2. Both of these functions involve cyclophilin A pathway.
The application of naked DNA plasmid (DrZP3) and recombinant adenovirus (Ad-rZP3) in rat animal model to determine comparative efficacy of ZP3-Immunocontraceptive vaccines

Mohd-Lila MA, Yee LK, Cen LS, Bala JA, Balakrishnan KN, Allaudin ZN, et al.

Microb Pathog, 2019 Sep;134:103572.
PMID: 31163251 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2019.103572

The common physical and chemical methods for controlling rat pest are less than satisfactory and inhumane. Immunocontraception approach has been considered more humane and it can be accomplished by inducing the relevant host immune response that block further development of reproductive gametes. ZP3 proteins are known to play very important role during sperm-ovum fertilization. It is a self-antigen and only localized in female ovaries. Therefore, an immunization with ZP3 protein elsewhere will induce a generalize host immune response against ZP3 protein. This study employed rat ZP3 (rZP3) gene prepared from its cDNA of Rattus rattus diardii. It was delivered and expressed in vivo by naked plamid DNA (DrZP3) or recombinant ZP3-Adenovirus (Ad-rZP3). Expression studies in vitro with DrZP3 or Ad-ZP3 showed rZP3 proteins were successfully expressed in Vero cells. Hyperimmune serum against rZP3 that were prepared by immunizing several rats with purified rZP3-pichia yeast fusion protein showed it blocked sperms from binding DrZP3-transfected Vero cells. Female Sprague Dawley rats immunized with DrZP3 demonstrated a long-term effect for significant reduction of fertility up to 92.6%. Ovaries from rats immunized with DrZP3 were severely atrophied with disappearance of primordial follicles from ovarian cortex with an increased in the amount of oocyte-free cell clusters. Female rats immunized with Ad-rZP3 demonstrated 27% reduction of fertility. The infertility induced by Ad-rZP3 is comparatively low and ineffective. This could be due to a strong host immune response that suppresses the recombinant virus itself resulted in minimum rZP3 protein presentation to the host immune system. As a result, low antibody titers produced against rZP3 is insufficient to block oocytes from maturity and fertilization. Therefore, immunization with DrZP3 for immunocontraception is more effective than Ad-rZP3 recombinant adenovirus. It is proposed to explore further on the use of adenovirus or other alternative viruses to deliver ZP3 protein and for the development of enhanced expression of rZP3 in target host.
Fulltext Synergetic Influence of Bismuth Oxide Nanoparticles, Cisplatin and Baicalein-Rich Fraction on Reactive Oxygen Species Generation and Radiosensitization Effects for Clinical Radiotherapy Beams

Talik Sisin NN, Abdul Razak K, Zainal Abidin S, Che Mat NF, Abdullah R, Ab Rashid R, et al.

Int J Nanomedicine, 2020;15:7805-7823.
PMID: 33116502 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S269214

Purpose: This study aimed to quantify synergetic effects induced by bismuth oxide nanoparticles (BiONPs), cisplatin (Cis) and baicalein-rich fraction (BRF) natural-based agent on the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and radiosensitization effects under irradiation of clinical radiotherapy beams of photon, electron and HDR-brachytherapy. The combined therapeutic responses of each compound and clinical radiotherapy beam were evaluated on breast cancer and normal fibroblast cell line.
Methods: In this study, individual BiONPs, Cis, and BRF, as well as combinations of BiONPs-Cis (BC), BiONPs-BRF (BB) and BiONPs-Cis-BRF (BCB) were treated to the cells before irradiation using HDR brachytherapy with 0.38 MeV iridium-192 source, 6 MV photon beam and 6 MeV electron beam. The individual or synergetic effects from the application of the treatment components during the radiotherapy were elucidated by quantifying the ROS generation and radiosensitization effects on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines as well as NIH/3T3 normal cell line.
Results: The ROS generated in the presence of Cis stimulated the most substantial amount of ROS compared to the BiONPs and BRF. Meanwhile, the combination of the components had induced the higher ROS levels for photon beam than the brachytherapy and electron beam. The highest ROS enhancement relative to the control is attributable to the presence of BC combination in MDA-MB-231 cells, in comparison to the BB and BCB combinations. The radiosensitization effects which were quantified using the sensitization enhancement ratio (SER) indicate the highest value by BC in MCF-7 cells, followed by BCB and BB treatment. The radiosensitization effects are found to be more prominent for brachytherapy in comparison to photon and electron beam.
Conclusion: The BiONPs, Cis and BRF are the potential radiosensitizers that could improve the efficiency of radiotherapy to eradicate the cancer cells. The combination of these potent radiosensitizers might produce multiple effects when applied in radiotherapy. The BC combination is found to have the highest SER, followed by the BCB combination. This study is also the first to investigate the effect of BRF in combination with BiONPs (BB) and BC (BCB) treatments.
Fulltext Antitumor and Anti-Metastatic Effects of Citral-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carrier in 4T1-Induced Breast Cancer Mouse Model

Nordin N, Yeap SK, Rahman HS, Zamberi NR, Mohamad NE, Abu N, et al.

Molecules, 2020 Jun 09;25(11).
PMID: 32526880 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25112670

Cancer nano-therapy has been progressing rapidly with the introduction of many novel drug delivery systems. The previous study has reported on the in vitro cytotoxicity of citral-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC-Citral) on MDA-MB-231 cells and some preliminary in vivo antitumor effects on 4T1 breast cancer cells challenged mice. However, the in vivo apoptosis induction and anti-metastatic effects of NLC-Citral have yet to be reported. In this study, the in vitro cytotoxic, anti-migration, and anti-invasion effects of NLC-Citral were tested on 4T1 breast cancer cells. In addition, the in vivo antitumor effects of oral delivery of NLC-Citral was also evaluated on BALB/c mice induced with 4T1 cells. In vitro cytotoxicity results showed that NLC-Citral and citral gave similar IC50 values on 4T1 cells. However, wound healing, migration, and invasion assays reflected better in vitro anti-metastasis potential for NLC-Citral than citral alone. Results from the in vivo study indicated that both NLC-Citral and citral have anti-tumor and anti-metastasis effects, whereby the NLC-Citral showed better efficacy than citral in all experiments. Also, the delay of tumor progression was through the suppression of the c-myc gene expression and induction of apoptosis in the tumor. In addition, the inhibition of metastasis of 4T1 cells to lung and bone marrow by the NLC-Citral and citral treatments was correlated with the downregulation of metastasis-related genes expression including MMP-9, ICAM, iNOS, and NF-kB and the angiogenesis-related proteins including G-CSF alpha, Eotaxin, bFGF, VEGF, IL-1alpha, and M-CSF in the tumor. Moreover, NLC-Citral showed greater downregulation of MMP-9, iNOS, ICAM, Eotaxin, bFGF, VEGF, and M-CSF than citral treatment in the 4T1-challenged mice, which may contribute to the better anti-metastatic effect of the encapsulated citral. This study suggests that NLC is a potential and effective delivery system for citral to target triple-negative breast cancer.
Fulltext Characteristics of Glycerolized Chitosan: NH4NO3-Based Polymer Electrolyte for Energy Storage Devices with Extremely High Specific Capacitance and Energy Density Over 1000 Cycles

Aziz SB, Brza MA, Brevik I, Hamsan MH, Abdulwahid RT, Majid SR, et al.

Polymers (Basel), 2020 Nov 17;12(11).
PMID: 33212879 DOI: 10.3390/polym12112718

In this work, plasticized polymer electrolyte films consisting of chitosan, ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) and glycerol for utilization in energy storage devices was presented. Various microscopic, spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques were used to characterize the concerned electrolyte and the electrical double-layer capacitor (EDLC) assembly. The nature of complexation between the polymer electrolyte components was examined via X-ray diffraction analysis. In the morphological study, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was used to investigate the impact of glycerol as a plasticizer on the morphology of films. The polymer electrolyte (conducting membrane) was found to have a conductivity of 3.21 × 10-3 S/cm. It is indicated that the number density (n), mobility (μ) and diffusion coefficient (D) of ions are increased with the glycerol amount. The mechanism of charge storing was clarified, which implies a non-Faradaic process. The voltage window of the polymer electrolyte is 2.32 V. It was proved that the ion is responsible for charge-carrying via measuring the transference number (TNM). It was also determined that the internal resistance of the EDLC assembly lay between 39 and 50 Ω. The parameters associated with the EDLC assembly are of great importance and the specific capacitance (Cspe) was determined to be almost constant over 1 to 1000 cycles with an average of 124 F/g. Other decisive parameters were found: energy density (18 Wh/kg) and power density (2700 W/kg).
Fulltext An Overview of In Vitro, In Vivo, and Computational Techniques for Cancer-Associated Angiogenesis Studies

Rahman HS, Tan BL, Othman HH, Chartrand MS, Pathak Y, Mohan S, et al.

Biomed Res Int, 2020;2020:8857428.
PMID: 33381591 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8857428

Angiogenesis is a crucial area in scientific research because it involves many important physiological and pathological processes. Indeed, angiogenesis is critical for normal physiological processes, including wound healing and embryonic development, as well as being a component of many disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, and diabetic retinopathies. Investigations of angiogenic mechanisms require assays that can activate the critical steps of angiogenesis as well as provide a tool for assessing the efficacy of therapeutic agents. Thus, angiogenesis assays are key tools for studying the mechanisms of angiogenesis and identifying the potential therapeutic strategies to modulate neovascularization. However, the regulation of angiogenesis is highly complex and not fully understood. Difficulties in assessing the regulators of angiogenic response have necessitated the development of an alternative approach. In this paper, we review the standard models for the study of tumor angiogenesis on the macroscopic scale that include in vitro, in vivo, and computational models. We also highlight the differences in several modeling approaches and describe key advances in understanding the computational models that contributed to the knowledge base of the field.
Fulltext Nutritional assessment of pre-school children in rural villages of the family dynamics, lifestyles and nutrition study (1997-2001) I. Socio-economic status of households

Chee HL, Khor G, Arshad F, Wanmuda W, Shabdin A, Abusamah A, et al.

Malays J Nutr, 2002 Mar;8(1):13-31.
PMID: 22692437

This paper presents the socio-economic profile of households in the Family Dynamics Study (FDS) (1997-2001) and makes comparisons with the earlier Functional Groups Study (FGS) (1992-1996). For the current study, FGS villages with a high prevalence of child malnutrition were purposively selected. In each village selected, all households were included, and interviews with a structured questionnaire were conducted in April-May 1998. Incomes were generally low and incidence of poverty was high; 49.6% of the households were under the poverty line income, of which 37.2% were poor and 12.4% were hard core poor. Overall, only 23.2% of heads of households were in agricultural occupations, others being primarily waged workers and petty traders. Livestock rearing was widespread (57.8%), and most households (90.4%) owned at least one motorised vehicle, the most common being the motorcycle. The majority of households had refrigerators (73.6%), washing machines (58.8%), and televisions (91.1%); but telephones (42.2%), mobile phones (6.1%) and computers (2.3%) were less common. Although 99.7% of households had electricity supply and 95.1% had either a flush or pour flush latrine, only 57.4% had piped water supply. In comparison to the FGS, poverty in the current study is lower (49.6% of FDS households are poor compared to 55.2% of FGS households), the proportion of household heads in agricultural occupations is also lower (26.9% compared to 55.3%), while all other socioeconomic indicators were better, except for piped water supply, which remains inadequate for households in the current study.
Fulltext Clausenidin induces caspase-dependent apoptosis in colon cancer

Waziri PM, Abdullah R, Yeap SK, Omar AR, Kassim NK, Malami I, et al.

BMC Complement Altern Med, 2016 Jul 29;16:256.
PMID: 27473055 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-016-1247-1

BACKGROUND: Clausena excavata Burm.f. is a shrub traditionally used to treat cancer patients in Asia. The main bioactive chemical components of the plant are alkaloids and coumarins. In this study, we isolated clausenidin from the roots of C. excavata to determine its apoptotic effect on the colon cancer (HT-29) cell line.
METHOD: We examined the effect of clausenidin on cell viability, ROS generation, DNA fragmentation, mitochondrial membrane potential in HT-29 cells. Ultrastructural analysis was conducted for morphological evidence of apoptosis in the treated HT-29 cells. In addition, we also evaluated the effect of clausenidin treatment on the expression of caspase 3 and 9 genes and proteins in HT-29 cells.
RESULT: Clausenidin induced a G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in HT-29 cells with significant (p
Fulltext Crude Extracts, Flavokawain B and Alpinetin Compounds from the Rhizome of Alpinia mutica Induce Cell Death via UCK2 Enzyme Inhibition and in Turn Reduce 18S rRNA Biosynthesis in HT-29 Cells

Malami I, Abdul AB, Abdullah R, Kassim NK, Rosli R, Yeap SK, et al.

PLoS One, 2017;12(1):e0170233.
PMID: 28103302 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170233

Uridine-cytidine kinase 2 is an enzyme that is overexpressed in abnormal cell growth and its implication is considered a hallmark of cancer. Due to the selective expression of UCK2 in cancer cells, a selective inhibition of this key enzyme necessitates the discovery of its potential inhibitors for cancer chemotherapy. The present study was carried out to demonstrate the potentials of natural phytochemicals from the rhizome of Alpinia mutica to inhibit UCK2 useful for colorectal cancer. Here, we employed the used of in vitro to investigate the effectiveness of natural UCK2 inhibitors to cause HT-29 cell death. Extracts, flavokawain B, and alpinetin compound from the rhizome of Alpinia mutica was used in the study. The study demonstrated that the expression of UCK2 mRNA were substantially reduced in treated HT-29 cells. In addition, downregulation in expression of 18S ribosomal RNA was also observed in all treated HT-29 cells. This was confirmed by fluorescence imaging to measure the level of expression of 18S ribosomal RNA in live cell images. The study suggests the possibility of MDM2 protein was downregulated and its suppression subsequently activates the expression of p53 during inhibition of UCK2 enzyme. The expression of p53 is directly linked to a blockage of cell cycle progression at G0/G1 phase and upregulates Bax, cytochrome c, and caspase 3 while Bcl2 was deregulated. In this respect, apoptosis induction and DNA fragmentation were observed in treated HT-29 cells. Initial results from in vitro studies have shown the ability of the bioactive compounds of flavokawain B and alpinetin to target UCK2 enzyme specifically, inducing cell cycle arrest and subsequently leading to cancer cell death, possibly through interfering the MDM2-p53 signalling pathway. These phenomena have proven that the bioactive compounds could be useful for future therapeutic use in colon cancer.
Clausenidin from Clausena excavata induces apoptosis in hepG2 cells via the mitochondrial pathway

Waziri PM, Abdullah R, Yeap SK, Omar AR, Abdul AB, Kassim NK, et al.

J Ethnopharmacol, 2016 Dec 24;194:549-558.
PMID: 27729282 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.10.030

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Clausena excavata Burm.f. is used locally in folk medicine for the treatment of cancer in South East Asia.
AIM OF THE STUDY: To determine the mechanism of action of pure clausenidin crystals in the induction of hepatocellular carcinoma (hepG2) cells apoptosis.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pure clausenidin was isolated from Clausena excavata Burm.f. and characterized using (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra. Clausenidin-induced cytotoxicity was determined by MTT assay. The morphology of hepG2 after treatment with clausenidin was determined by fluorescence and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The effect of clausenidin on the apoptotic genes and proteins were determined by real-time qPCR and protein array profiling, respectively. The involvement of the mitochondria in clausenidin-induced apoptosis was investigated using MMP, caspase 3 and 9 assays.
RESULTS: Clausenidin induced significant (p<0.05) and dose-dependent apoptosis of hepG2 cells. Cell cycle assay showed that clausenidin induced a G2/M phase arrest, caused mitochondrial membrane depolarization and significantly (p<0.05) increased expression of caspases 3 and 9, which suggest the involvement of the mitochondria in the apoptotic signals. In addition, clausenidin caused decreased expression of the anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl 2 and increased expression of the pro-apoptotic protein, Bax. This finding was confirmed by the downregulation of Bcl-2 gene and upregulation of the Bax gene in the treated hepG2 cells.
CONCLUSION: Clausenidin extracted from Clausena excavata Burm.f. is an anti-hepG2 cell compound as shown by its ability to induce apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. Clausenidin can potentially be developed into an anticancer compound.
Physiological and electroencephalographic changes in goats subjected to transportation, lairage, and slaughter

Othman AH, Goh YM, Mohamed Mustapha N, Raghazli R, Kaka U, Imlan JC, et al.

Anim Sci J, 2021 Dec;92(1):e13610.
PMID: 34390058 DOI: 10.1111/asj.13610

This preliminary trial investigated the effect of transportation and lairage periods on physiological parameters of goats subjected to slaughter. Nine male Boer cross goats aged 8-12 months were transported for 6 h and kept at lairage for 3, 6, or 16 h (n = 3). Blood samples were collected at pre- (pre-T) and post-transportation (post-T), and post-slaughter (post-S) for determination of hematological parameters, serum enzyme, protein, and cortisol concentrations. Electroencephalogram readings were taken at pre-T, post-T, pre-slaughter (pre-S), and post-S to determine the median frequency (F50 ) and total power (Ptot) values. At post-T, there were manifestations of stress leukogram; increase in hematocrit, total protein, and muscle enzyme concentrations; and decrease in Ptot (p
Fulltext Cytotoxicity and Apoptosis Effects of Curcumin Analogue (2E,6E)-2,6-Bis(2,3-Dimethoxybenzylidine) Cyclohexanone (DMCH) on Human Colon Cancer Cells HT29 and SW620 In Vitro

Rahim NFC, Hussin Y, Aziz MNM, Mohamad NE, Yeap SK, Masarudin MJ, et al.

Molecules, 2021 Feb 26;26(5).
PMID: 33652694 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26051261

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer worldwide and a leading cause of cancer death. According to the Malaysian National Cancer Registry Report 2012-2016, colorectal cancer was the second most common cancer in Malaysia after breast cancer. Recent treatments for colon cancer cases have caused side effects and recurrence in patients. One of the alternative ways to fight cancer is by using natural products. Curcumin is a compound of the rhizomes of Curcuma longa that possesses a broad range of pharmacological activities. Curcumin has been studied for decades but due to its low bioavailability, its usage as a therapeutic agent has been compromised. This has led to the development of a chemically synthesized curcuminoid analogue, (2E,6E)-2,6-bis(2,3-dimethoxybenzylidine) cyclohexanone (DMCH), to overcome the drawbacks. This study aims to examine the potential of DMCH for cytotoxicity, apoptosis induction, and activation of apoptosis-related proteins on the colon cancer cell lines HT29 and SW620. The cytotoxic activity of DMCH was evaluated using the [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] (MTT) cell viability assay on both of the cell lines, HT29 and SW620. To determine the mode of cell death, an acridine orange/propidium iodide (AO/PI) assay was conducted, followed by Annexin V/FITC, cell cycle analysis, and JC-1 assay using a flow cytometer. A proteome profiler angiogenesis assay was conducted to determine the protein expression. The inhibitory concentration (IC50) of DMCH in SW620 and HT29 was 7.50 ± 1.19 and 9.80 ± 0.55 µg/mL, respectively. The treated cells displayed morphological features characteristic of apoptosis. The flow cytometry analysis confirmed that DMCH induced apoptosis as shown by an increase in the sub-G0/G1 population and an increase in the early apoptosis and late apoptosis populations compared with untreated cells. A higher number of apoptotic cells were observed on treated SW620 cells as compared to HT29 cells. Human apoptosis proteome profiler analysis revealed upregulation of Bax and Bad proteins and downregulation of Livin proteins in both the HT29 and SW620 cell lines. Collectively, DMCH induced cell death via apoptosis, and the effect was more pronounced on SW620 metastatic colon cancer cells, suggesting its potential effects as an antimetastatic agent targeting colon cancer cells.
Fulltext Plasticized Sodium-Ion Conducting PVA Based Polymer Electrolyte for Electrochemical Energy Storage-EEC Modeling, Transport Properties, and Charge-Discharge Characteristics

Aziz SB, Nofal MM, Abdulwahid RT, O Ghareeb H, Dannoun EMA, M Abdullah R, et al.

Polymers (Basel), 2021 Mar 05;13(5).
PMID: 33807956 DOI: 10.3390/polym13050803

This report presents the preparation of plasticized sodium ion-conducting polymer electrolytes based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)via solution cast technique. The prepared plasticized polymer electrolytes were utilized in the device fabrication of electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs). On an assembly EDLC system, cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), transfer number measurement (TNM) and charge-discharging responses were performed. The influence of plasticization on polymer electrolytes was investigated in terms of electrochemical properties applying EIS and TNM. The EIS was fitted with electrical equivalent circuit (EEC) models and ion transport parameters were estimated with the highest conductivity of 1.17 × 10-3 S cm-1 was recorded. The CV and charge-discharging responses were used to evaluate the capacitance and the equivalent series resistance (ESR), respectively. The ESR of the highest conductive sample was found to be 91.2 Ω at the first cycle, with the decomposition voltage of 2.12 V. The TNM measurement has shown the dominancy of ions with tion = 0.982 for the highest conducting sample. The absence of redox peaks was proved via CV, indicating the charge storing process that comprised ion accumulation at the interfacial region. The fabricated EDLC device is stable for up to 400 cycles. At the first cycle, a high specific capacitance of 169 F/g, an energy density of 19 Wh/kg, and a power density of 600 W/kg were obtained.
Fulltext The transmission modes and sources of COVID-19: A systematic review

Rahman HS, Aziz MS, Hussein RH, Othman HH, Salih Omer SH, Khalid ES, et al.

Int J Surg Open, 2020;26:125-136.
PMID: 34568614 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijso.2020.08.017

The current rampant coronavirus infection in humans, commonly known as COVID-19, a pandemic that may cause mortality in humans, has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO). The morbidity and mortality rates due to the pandemic are increasing rapidly worldwide, with the USA most affected by the disease. The source COVID-19 is not absolutely clear; however, the disease may be transmitted by either by COVID-19-positive individuals or from a contaminated environment. In this review, we focused on how the COVID-19 virus is transmitted in the community. An extensive literature search was conducted using specific keywords and criteria. Based on the published report, it is concluded that COVID-19 is primarily transmitted human-to-human via oral and respiratory aerosols and droplets with the virus-contaminated environment play a lesser role in the propagation of disease. Healthcare providers and the elderly with comorbidities are especially susceptible to the infection.
Fulltext Induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in caspase-3 deficient MCF-7 cells by Dillenia suffruticosa root extract via multiple signalling pathways

Foo JB, Yazan LS, Tor YS, Armania N, Ismail N, Imam MU, et al.

BMC Complement Altern Med, 2014;14:197.
PMID: 24947113 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6882-14-197

Dillenia suffruticosa root dichloromethane extract (DCM-DS) has been reported to exhibit strong cytotoxicity towards breast cancer cells. The present study was designed to investigate the cell cycle profile, mode of cell death and signalling pathways of DCM-DS-treated human caspase-3 deficient MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

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