Displaying publications 161 - 180 of 180 in total

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  1. Aziz MNM, Hussin Y, Che Rahim NF, Nordin N, Mohamad NE, Yeap SK, et al.
    Molecules, 2018 Jan 05;23(1).
    PMID: 29303982 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23010075
    Osteosarcoma is one of the primary malignant bone tumors that confer low survival rates for patients even with intensive regime treatments. Therefore, discovery of novel anti-osteosarcoma drugs derived from natural products that are not harmful to the normal cells remains crucial. Curcumin is one of the natural substances that have been extensively studied due to its anti-cancer properties and is pharmacologically safe considering its ubiquitous consumption for centuries. However, curcumin suffers from a poor circulating bioavailability, which has led to the development of a chemically synthesized curcuminoid analog, namely (Z)-3-hydroxy-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-phenylprop-2-en-1-one (DK1). In this study, the cytotoxic effects of the curcumin analog DK1 was investigated in both U-2OS and MG-63 osteosarcoma cell lines using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and cell death was microscopically examined via acridine orange/propidium iodide (AO/PI) double staining. Flow cytometer analysis including Annexin V/Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), cell cycle analysis and JC-1 were adapted to determine the mode of cell death. Subsequently in order to determine the mechanism of cell death, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and proteome profiling was carried out to measure the expression of several apoptotic-related genes and proteins. Results indicated that DK1 induced U-2 OS and MG-63 morphological changes and substantially reduced cell numbers through induction of apoptosis. Several apoptotic genes and proteins were steadily expressed after treatment with DK1; including caspase 3, caspase 9, and BAX, which indicated that apoptosis occurred through a mitochondria-dependent signaling pathway. In conclusion, DK1 could be considered as a potential candidate for an anti-osteosarcoma drug in the near future, contingent upon its ability to induce apoptosis in osteosarcoma cell lines.
  2. Abu Bakar A, Akhtar MN, Mohd Ali N, Yeap SK, Quah CK, Loh WS, et al.
    Molecules, 2018 Mar 08;23(3).
    PMID: 29518053 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23030616
    Flavokawain B (1) is a natural chalcone extracted from the roots of Piper methysticum, and has been proven to be a potential cytotoxic compound. Using the partial structure of flavokawain B (FKB), about 23 analogs have been synthesized. Among them, compounds 8, 13 and 23 were found in new FKB derivatives. All compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic properties against two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, thus establishing the structure-activity relationship. The FKB derivatives 16 (IC50 = 6.50 ± 0.40 and 4.12 ± 0.20 μg/mL), 15 (IC50 = 5.50 ± 0.35 and 6.50 ± 1.40 μg/mL) and 13 (IC50 = 7.12 ± 0.80 and 4.04 ± 0.30 μg/mL) exhibited potential cytotoxic effects on the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. However, the methoxy group substituted in position three and four in compound 2 (IC50 = 8.90 ± 0.60 and 6.80 ± 0.35 μg/mL) and 22 (IC50 = 8.80 ± 0.35 and 14.16 ± 1.10 μg/mL) exhibited good cytotoxicity. The lead compound FKB (1) showed potential cytotoxicity (IC50 = 7.70 ± 0.30 and 5.90 ± 0.30 μg/mL) against two proposed breast cancer cell lines. It is evident that the FKB skeleton is unique for anticancer agents, additionally, the presence of halogens (Cl and F) in position 2 and 3 also improved the cytotoxicity in FKB series. These findings could help to improve the future drug discovery process to treat breast cancer. A molecular dynamics study of active compounds revealed stable interactions within the active site of Janus kinase. The structures of all compounds were determined by ¹H-NMR, EI-MS, IR and UV and X-ray crystallographic spectroscopy techniques.
  3. Zamrus SNH, Akhtar MN, Yeap SK, Quah CK, Loh WS, Alitheen NB, et al.
    Chem Cent J, 2018 Mar 19;12(1):31.
    PMID: 29556774 DOI: 10.1186/s13065-018-0398-1
    BACKGROUND: Curcumin is one of the leading compound extracted from the dry powder of Curcuma longa (Zingiberaceae family), which possess several pharmacological properties. However, in vivo administration exhibited limited applications in cancer therapies.

    RESULTS: Twenty-four curcumin derivatives have synthesized, which comprises cyclohexanone 1-10, acetone 11-17 and cyclopentanone 18-24 series. All the curcuminoids were synthesized by the acid or base catalyzed Claisen Schmidt condenstion reactions, in which β-diketone moiety of curcumin was modified with mono-ketone. These curcuminoids 1-24 were screened against HeLa, K562, MCF-7 (an estrogen-dependent) and MDA-MB-231 (an estrogen-independent) cancer cell lines. Among them, acetone series 11-17 were found to be more selective and potential cytotoxic agents. The compound 14 was exhibited (IC50 = 3.02 ± 1.20 and 1.52 ± 0.60 µg/mL) against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines. Among the cyclohexanone series, the compound 4 exhibited (IC50 = 11.04 ± 2.80, 6.50 ± 01.80, 8.70 ± 3.10 and 2.30 ± 1.60 µg/mL) potential cytotoxicity against four proposed cancer cell lines, respectively. All the curcucminoids were characterized with the detailed1H NMR, IR, UV-Vis, and mass spectroscopic techniques. The structure of compound 4 was confirmed by using the single X-ray crystallography. Additionally, we are going to report the first time spectral data of (2E,6E)-2,6-bis(2-methoxybenzylidene)cyclohexanone (1). Structure-activity relationships revealed that the mono-carbonyl with 2,5-dimethoxy substituted curcuminoids could be an essential for the future drugs against cancer diseases.

    CONCLUSIONS: Curcuminoids with diferuloyl(4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamoyl) moiety with mono carbonyl exhibiting potential cytotoxic properties. The compound 14 was exhibited (IC50 = 3.02 ± 1.20 and 1.52 ± 0.60 µg/mL) against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines.

  4. Palihaderu PADS, Mendis BILM, Premarathne JMKJK, Dias WKRR, Yeap SK, Ho WY, et al.
    Front Endocrinol (Lausanne), 2022;13:1028846.
    PMID: 36479211 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1028846
    The paradoxical action of insulin on hepatic glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism in the insulin-resistant state has been of much research interest in recent years. Generally, insulin resistance would promote hepatic gluconeogenesis and demote hepatic de novo lipogenesis. The underlying major drivers of these mechanisms were insulin-dependent, via FOXO-1-mediated gluconeogenesis and SREBP1c-mediated lipogenesis. However, insulin-resistant mouse models have shown high glucose levels as well as excess lipid accumulation. As suggested, the inert insulin resistance causes the activation of the FOXO-1 pathway promoting gluconeogenesis. However, it does not affect the SREBP1c pathway; therefore, cells continue de novo lipogenesis. Many hypotheses were suggested for this paradoxical action occurring in insulin-resistant rodent models. A "downstream branch point" in the insulin-mediated pathway was suggested to act differentially on the FOXO-1 and SREBP1c pathways. MicroRNAs have been widely studied for their action of pathway mediation via suppressing the intermediate protein expressions. Many in vitro studies have postulated the roles of hepato-specific expressions of miRNAs on insulin cascade. Thus, miRNA would play a pivotal role in selective hepatic insulin resistance. As observed, there were confirmations and contradictions between the outcomes of gene knockout studies conducted on selective hepatic insulin resistance and hepato-specific miRNA expression studies. Furthermore, these studies had evaluated only the effect of miRNAs on glucose metabolism and few on hepatic de novo lipogenesis, limiting the ability to conclude their role in selective hepatic insulin resistance. Future studies conducted on the role of miRNAs on selective hepatic insulin resistance warrant the understanding of this paradoxical action of insulin.
  5. Ali NM, Yeap SK, Abu N, Lim KL, Ky H, Pauzi AZM, et al.
    Cancer Cell Int, 2017;17:30.
    PMID: 28239299 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-017-0400-3
    AIMS: Curcumin is a lead compound of the rhizomes of Curcuma longa and possess a broad range of pharmacological activities. Chemically, curcumin is 1,3-dicarbonyl class of compound, which exhibits keto-enol tautomerism. Despite of its strong biological properties, curcumin has yet been recommended as a therapeutic agent because of its poor bioavailability.

    MAIN METHODS: A curcumin derivative (Z)-3-hydroxy-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-phenylprop-2-en-1-one (DK1) was synthesized and its cytotoxicity was tested on breast cancer cell MCF-7 and normal cell MCF-10A using MTT assay. Meanwhile, cell cycle regulation and apoptosis on MCF-7 cell were evaluated using flow cytometry. Regulation of cell cycle and apoptosis related genes expression was investigated by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot and caspases activity analyses. Activation of oxidative stress on MCF-7 were evaluated by measuring ROS and GSH levels.

    KEY FINDINGS: DK1 was found to possess selective cytotoxicity on breast cancer MCF-7 cell than normal MCF-10A cell. Flow cytometry cell cycle and AnnexinV/PI analyses reported that DK1 effectively arrested MCF-7 at G2/M phase and induced apoptosis after 72 h of incubation than curcumin. Upregulation of p53, p21 and downregulation of PLK-1 subsequently promote phosphorylation of CDC2 which were found contributed to the arrest of G2/M phase. Moreover, increased of reactive oxygen species and reduced of antioxidant glutathione level correlate with apoptosis observed with raised of cytochrome c and active caspase 9.

    SIGNIFICANCE: DK1 was found to be more effective in inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis against MCF-7 cell with much higher selectivity index of MCF-10A/MCF-7 than curcumin, which might be contributed by the overexpression of p53 protein.

  6. Najmuddin SUFS, Amin ZM, Tan SW, Yeap SK, Kalyanasundram J, Ani MAC, et al.
    Cancer Cell Int, 2020;20:278.
    PMID: 32612457 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-020-01372-y
    Background: Oncolytic viruses have emerged as an alternative therapeutic modality for cancer as they can replicate specifically in tumour cells and induce toxic effects leading to apoptosis. Despite the great potentials and promising results shown in multiple studies, it appears that their efficacy is still moderate and deemed as not sufficient in clinical studies. In addressing this issue, genetic/molecular engineering approach has paved its way to improve the therapeutic efficacy as observed in the case of herpes simplex virus (HSV) expressing granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). This study aimed to explore the cytotoxicity effects of recombinant NDV strain AF2240-i expressing interleukin-12 (rAF-IL12) against CT26 colon cancer cells.

    Methods: The cytotoxicity effect of rAF-IL12 against CT26 colon cancer cell line was determined by MTT assay. Based on the IC50 value from the anti-proliferative assay, further downward assays such as Annexin V FITC and cell cycle progression were carried out and measured by flow cytometry. Then, the in vivo study was conducted where the rAF-IL12 viral injections were given at the intra-tumoral site of the CT26 tumour-burden mice. At the end of the experiment, serum biochemical, T cell immunophenotyping, serum cytokine, histopathology of tumour and organ section, TUNEL assay, and Nanostring gene expression analysis were performed.

    Results: The rAF-IL12 induced apoptosis of CT26 colon cancer cells in vitro as revealed in the Annexin V FITC analysis and also arrested the cancer cells progression at G1 phase of the cell cycle analysis. On the other hand, the rAF-IL12 significantly (p 

  7. Ling L, Aldoghachi AF, Chong ZX, Ho WY, Yeap SK, Chin RJ, et al.
    Int J Mol Sci, 2022 Dec 06;23(23).
    PMID: 36499713 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315382
    Detecting breast cancer (BC) at the initial stages of progression has always been regarded as a lifesaving intervention. With modern technology, extensive studies have unraveled the complexity of BC, but the current standard practice of early breast cancer screening and clinical management of cancer progression is still heavily dependent on tissue biopsies, which are invasive and limited in capturing definitive cancer signatures for more comprehensive applications to improve outcomes in BC care and treatments. In recent years, reviews and studies have shown that liquid biopsies in the form of blood, containing free circulating and exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs), have become increasingly evident as a potential minimally invasive alternative to tissue biopsy or as a complement to biomarkers in assessing and classifying BC. As such, in this review, the potential of miRNAs as the key BC signatures in liquid biopsy are addressed, including the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning platforms (ML), in capitalizing on the big data of miRNA for a more comprehensive assessment of the cancer, leading to practical clinical utility in BC management.
  8. Boo L, Ho WY, Ali NM, Yeap SK, Ky H, Chan KG, et al.
    Int J Biol Sci, 2016;12(4):427-45.
    PMID: 27019627 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.12777
    Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide as most patients often suffer cancer relapse. The reason is often attributed to the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Recent studies revealed that dysregulation of microRNA (miRNA) are closely linked to breast cancer recurrence and metastasis. However, no specific study has comprehensively characterised the CSC characteristic and miRNA transcriptome in spheroid-enriched breast cells. This study described the generation of spheroid MCF-7 cell in serum-free condition and the comprehensive characterisation for their CSC properties. Subsequently, miRNA expression differences between the spheroid-enriched CSC cells and their parental cells were evaluated using next generation sequencing (NGS). Our results showed that the MCF-7 spheroid cells were enriched with CSCs properties, indicated by the ability to self-renew, increased expression of CSCs markers, and increased resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. Additionally, spheroid-enriched CSCs possessed greater cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and wound healing ability. A total of 134 significantly (p<0.05) differentially expressed miRNAs were identified between spheroids and parental cells using miRNA-NGS. MiRNA-NGS analysis revealed 25 up-regulated and 109 down-regulated miRNAs which includes some miRNAs previously reported in the regulation of breast CSCs. A number of miRNAs (miR-4492, miR-4532, miR-381, miR-4508, miR-4448, miR-1296, and miR-365a) which have not been previously reported in breast cancer were found to show potential association with breast cancer chemoresistance and self-renewal capability. The gene ontology (GO) analysis showed that the predicted genes were enriched in the regulation of metabolic processes, gene expression, DNA binding, and hormone receptor binding. The corresponding pathway analyses inferred from the GO results were closely related to the function of signalling pathway, self-renewability, chemoresistance, tumorigenesis, cytoskeletal proteins, and metastasis in breast cancer. Based on these results, we proposed that certain miRNAs identified in this study could be used as new potential biomarkers for breast cancer stem cell diagnosis and targeted therapy.
  9. Aldoghachi AF, Loh JK, Wang ML, Yang YP, Chien CS, Teh HX, et al.
    J Chin Med Assoc, 2023 Apr 01;86(4):356-365.
    PMID: 36762931 DOI: 10.1097/JCMA.0000000000000899
    Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells derived from adult human tissues that have the ability to proliferate in vitro and maintain their multipotency, making them attractive cell sources for regenerative medicine. However, MSCs reportedly show limited proliferative capacity with inconsistent therapeutic outcomes due to their heterogeneous nature. On the other hand, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) have emerged as an alternative source for the production of various specialized cell types via their ability to differentiate from all three primary germ layers, leading to applications in regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and drug therapy. Notably, iPSCs can differentiate into MSCs in monolayer, commonly referred to as induced mesenchymal stem cells (iMSCs). These cells show superior therapeutic qualities compared with adult MSCs as the applications of the latter are restricted by passage number and autoimmune rejection when applied in tissue regeneration trials. Furthermore, increasing evidence shows that the therapeutic properties of stem cells are a consequence of the paracrine effects mediated by their secretome such as from exosomes, a type of extracellular vesicle secreted by most cell types. Several studies that investigated the potential of exosomes in regenerative medicine and therapy have revealed promising results. Therefore, this review focuses on the recent findings of exosomes secreted from iMSCs as a potential noncell-based therapy.
  10. Talib N, Mohamad NE, Yeap SK, Ho CL, Masarudin MJ, Abd-Aziz S, et al.
    PMID: 37755545 DOI: 10.1007/s12602-023-10159-2
    The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is alarming because it is always linked to the increase in chronic diseases, mortality, and socioeconomic burden. Water kefir has a wide range of functional and probiotic characteristics attributed to the microorganisms present in the kefir grains. The present study aims to evaluate the in vivo anti-diabetic potential of the isolated Lactobacillus paracasei from Malaysian water kefir grains (MWKG) which was reported to have excellent probiotic properties and high antioxidant activities as reported previously. High-fat diet/streptozotocin (HFD/STZ) induction was used to obtain a T2DM model followed by treatment with the isolated L. paracasei from MWKG. The levels of glucose, insulin, and in vivo liver antioxidants were quantified after 14 weeks. Gene expression analysis of the liver was also carried out using microarray analysis, and several genes were selected for validation using quantitative real-time PCR. Insulin tolerance test demonstrated that the L. paracasei isolated from the MWKG alleviated T2DM by improving the area under the curve of the insulin tolerance test whereby low-dose and high-dose concentrations treated groups showed 2424.50 ± 437.02 mmol/L·min and 2017.50 ± 347.09 mmol/L·min, respectively, compared to untreated diabetic mice which was 3884.50 ± 39.36 mmol/L·min. Additionally, treatment with the isolated L. paracasei from MWKG regulated the expression of several genes related to glucose homeostasis and lipid metabolism in diabetic mice. These results suggested that the isolated L. paracasei from MWKG could be a potential dietary supplement for T2DM.
  11. Zulkawi N, Ng KH, Zamberi R, Yeap SK, Satharasinghe D, Jaganath IB, et al.
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2017 Jun 30;17(1):344.
    PMID: 28666436 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-017-1845-6
    BACKGROUND: Xeniji, produced by fermenting various types of foods with lactic acid bacteria and yeast, has been commonly consumed as functional food. However, nutrition value, bioactivities and safety of different fermented products maybe varies.

    METHODS: Organic acid and antioxidant profiles of Xeniji fermented foods were evaluated. Moreover, oral acute (5 g/kg body weight) and subchronic toxicity (0.1, 1 and 2 g/kg body weight) of Xeniji were tested on mice for 14 days and 30 days, respectively. Mortality, changes of body weight, organ weight and serum liver enzyme level were measured. Liver and spleen of mice from subchronic toxicity study were subjected to antioxidant and immunomodulation quantification.

    RESULTS: Xeniji was rich in β-carotene, phytonadione, polyphenol, citric acid and essential amino acids. No mortality and significant changes of body weight and serum liver enzyme level were recorded for both oral acute and subchronic toxicity studies. Antioxidant level in the liver and immunity of Xeniji treated mice were significantly upregulated in dosage dependent manner.

    CONCLUSION: Xeniji is a fermented functional food that rich in nutrients that enhanced antioxidant and immunity of mice. Xeniji that rich in β-carotene, phytonadione, polyphenol, citric acid and essential amino acids promote antioxidant and immunity in mice without causing toxic effect.

  12. Etti IC, Abdullah R, Kadir A, Hashim NM, Yeap SK, Imam MU, et al.
    PLoS One, 2017;12(8):e0182357.
    PMID: 28771532 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182357
    Nature has provided us with a wide spectrum of disease healing phytochemicals like Artonin E, obtained from the root bark of Artocarpus elasticus. This molecule had been predicted to be drug-like, possessing unique medicinal properties. Despite strides made in chemotherapy, prognosis of the heterogenous aggressive triple negative breast cancer is still poor. This study was conducted to investigate the mechanism of inhibition of Artonin E, a prenylated flavonoid on MDA-MB 231 triple negative breast cancer cell, with a view of mitigating the hallmarks displayed by these tumors. The anti-proliferative effect, mode of cell death and the mechanism of apoptosis induction were investigated. Artonin E, was seen to effectively relinquish MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cells of their apoptosis evading capacity, causing a half-maximal growth inhibition at low concentrations (14.3, 13.9 and 9.8 μM) after the tested time points (24, 48 and 72 hours), respectively. The mode of cell death was observed to be apoptosis with defined characteristics. Artonin E was seen to induce the activation of both extrinsic and intrinsic caspases initiators of apoptosis. It also enhanced the release of total reactive oxygen species which polarized the mitochondrial membrane, compounding the release of cytochrome c. Gene expression studies revealed the upregulation of TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand and proapoptotic genes with down regulation of anti-apoptotic genes and proteins. A G2/M cell cycle arrest was also observed and was attributed to the observed upregulation of p21 independent of the p53 status. Interestingly, livin, a new member of the inhibitors of apoptosis was confirmed to be significantly repressed. In all, Artonin E showed the potential as a promising candidate to combat the aggressive triple negative breast cancer.
  13. Abu N, Akhtar MN, Yeap SK, Lim KL, Ho WY, Zulfadli AJ, et al.
    PLoS One, 2014;9(10):e105244.
    PMID: 25286005 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105244
    INTRODUCTION: The kava-kava plant (Piper methsyticum) is traditionally known as the pacific elixir by the pacific islanders for its role in a wide range of biological activities. The extract of the roots of this plant contains a variety of interesting molecules including Flavokawain A and this molecule is known to have anti-cancer properties. Breast cancer is still one of the leading diagnosed cancers in women today. The metastatic process is also very pertinent in the progression of tumorigenesis.

    METHODS: MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 cells were treated with several concentrations of FKA. The apoptotic analysis was done through the MTT assay, BrdU assay, Annexin V analysis, cell cycle analysis, JC-1 mitochondrial dye, AO/PI dual staining, caspase 8/9 fluorometric assay, quantitative real time PCR and western blot. For the metastatic assays, the in vitro scratch assay, trans-well migration/invasion assay, HUVEC tube formation assay, ex vivo rat aortic ring assay, quantitative real time PCR and western blot were employed.

    RESULTS: We have investigated the effects of FKA on the apoptotic and metastatic process in two breast cancer cell lines. FKA induces apoptosis in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 in a dose dependent manner through the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway. Additionally, FKA selectively induces a G2/M arrest in the cell cycle machinery of MDA-MB231 and G1 arrest in MCF-7. This suggests that FKA's anti-cancer activity is dependent on the p53 status. Moreover, FKA also halted the migration and invasion process in MDA-MB231. The similar effects can be seen in the inhibition of the angiogenesis process as well.

    CONCLUSIONS: FKA managed to induce apoptosis and inhibit the metastatic process in two breast cancer cell lines, in vitro. Overall, FKA may serve as a promising candidate in the search of a new anti-cancer drug especially in halting the metastatic process but further in vivo evidence is needed.

  14. Mohamad NE, Yeap SK, Ky H, Liew NWC, Beh BK, Boo SY, et al.
    PMID: 33029159 DOI: 10.1155/2020/1257962
    Obesity is a pandemic metabolic syndrome with increasing incidences every year. Among the significant factors that lead to obesity, overconsumption of high-fat food in daily intake is always the main contributor. Functional foods have shown a positive effect on disease prevention and provide health benefits, including counteracting obesity problem. Vinegar is one of the fermented functional beverages that have been consumed for many years, and different types of vinegar showed different bioactivities and efficacies. In this study, we investigated the potential effects of pineapple vinegar as an antiobesity agent on a high-fat diet- (HFD-) induced C57BL/6 obese mice. C57BL/6 mice were treated with pineapple vinegar (1 mL/kg BW and 0.08 mL/kg BW) for 12 weeks after 24 weeks of HFD incubation. Serum biochemistry profiles, antioxidant assays, qPCR, proteome profiler, and 16S metagenomic were done posttreatment. Our data showed that a high concentration of pineapple vinegar (1 mL/kg BW) treatment significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the bodyweight (∼20%), restored lipid profiles, increased the antioxidant activities, and reduced the oxidative stress. Besides, significant (p < 0.05) regulation of several adipokines and inflammatory-related genes was recorded. Through the regulation of gut microbiota, we found a higher abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, a microbiota reported to be associated with obesity in the high concentration of pineapple vinegar treatment. Collectively, these data established the mechanism of pineapple vinegar as antiobesity in mice and revealed the potential of pineapple vinegar as a functional food for obesity.
  15. Yeap SK, Beh BK, Ho WY, Mohd Yusof H, Mohamad NE, Ali NM, et al.
    PMID: 26074993 DOI: 10.1155/2015/508029
    Legumes have previously been reported with hypolipidemic effect caused by the presence of flavonoid. This study was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant and hypolipidemic effects of fermented mung bean on hypercholesterolemic mice. Blood from all mice was collected and subjected to serum lipid and liver profiles biochemical analysis and quantitative RT-PCR for atherosclerosis related gene expressions. Besides, livers were collected for antioxidant assays and histopathology evaluation. Fermented mung bean was found to reduce the level of serum lipid and liver enzyme profiles of hypercholesterolemic mice. Furthermore, liver antioxidant and nitric oxide levels were also significantly restored by fermented mung bean in a dosage dependent manner. The gene expression study indicated that Apoe and Bcl2a1a were upregulated while Npy and Vwf expressions were downregulated after the treatment. The effects of fermented mung bean were greater than nonfermented mung bean. These results indicated that fermented mung bean possessed antioxidants that lead to its hypolipidemic effect on hypercholesterolemic mice.
  16. Yeap SK, Beh BK, Kong J, Ho WY, Mohd Yusof H, Mohamad NE, et al.
    PMID: 25031606 DOI: 10.1155/2014/707829
    Fermented red yeast rice has been traditionally consumed as medication in Asian cuisine. This study aimed to determine the in vivo hypocholesterolemic and antioxidant effects of fermented red yeast rice water extract produced using Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) Monascus purpureus strains in mice fed with high cholesterol diet. Absence of monacolin-k, lower level of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), higher content of total amino acids, and antioxidant activities were detected in MARDI fermented red yeast rice water extract (MFRYR). In vivo MFRYR treatment on hypercholesterolemic mice recorded similar lipid lowering effect as commercial red yeast rice extract (CRYR) as it helps to reduce the elevated serum liver enzyme and increased the antioxidant levels in liver. This effect was also associated with the upregulation of apolipoproteins-E and inhibition of Von Willebrand factor expression. In summary, MFRYR enriched in antioxidant and amino acid without monacolin-k showed similar hypocholesterolemic effect as CRYR that was rich in monacolin-k and GABA.
  17. Rahman HS, Rasedee A, How CW, Zeenathul NA, Chartrand MS, Yeap SK, et al.
    Int J Nanomedicine, 2015;10:1649-66.
    PMID: 25767386 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S67113
    Cancer nanotherapy is progressing rapidly with the introduction of many innovative drug delivery systems to replace conventional therapy. Although the antitumor activity of zerumbone (ZER) has been reported, there has been no information available on the effect of ZER-loaded nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) (ZER-NLC) on murine leukemia cells. In this study, the in vitro and in vivo effects of ZER-NLC on murine leukemia induced with WEHI-3B cells were investigated. The results from 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, Hoechst 33342, Annexin V, cell cycle, and caspase activity assays showed that the growth of leukemia cells in vitro was inhibited by ZER-NLC. In addition, outcomes of histopathology, transmission electron microscopy, and Tdt-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling analyses revealed that the number of leukemia cells in the spleen of BALB/c leukemia mice significantly decreased after 4 weeks of oral treatment with various doses of ZER-NLC. Western blotting and reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays confirmed the antileukemia effects of ZER-NLC. In conclusion, ZER-NLC was shown to induce a mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway in murine leukemia. Loading of ZER in NLC did not compromise the anticancer effect of the compound, suggesting ZER-NLC as a promising and effective delivery system for treatment of cancers.
  18. Yeap SK, Mohd Ali N, Akhtar MN, Razak NA, Chong ZX, Ho WY, et al.
    Molecules, 2021 Feb 26;26(5).
    PMID: 33652854 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26051277
    (2E,6E)-2,6-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)-cyclohexanone (BHMC) is a synthetic curcumin analogue, which has been reported to possess anti-tumor, anti-metastatic, and anti-invasion properties on estrogen receptor (ER) negative breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. However, the cytotoxic effects of BHMC on ER positive breast cancer cells were not widely reported. This study was aimed to investigate the cytotoxic potential of BHMC on MCF-7 cells using cell viability, cell cycle, and apoptotic assays. Besides, microarray and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were performed to identify the list of miRNAs and genes, which could be dysregulated following BHMC treatment. The current study discovered that BHMC exhibits selective cytotoxic effects on ER positive MCF-7 cells as compared to ER negative MDA-MB-231 cells and normal breast cells, MCF-10A. BHMC was shown to promote G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. Microarray and qPCR analysis demonstrated that BHMC treatment would upregulate several miRNAs like miR-3195 and miR-30a-3p and downregulate miRNAs such as miR-6813-5p and miR-6132 in MCF-7 cells. Besides, BHMC administration was also found to downregulate few tumor-promoting genes like VEGF and SNAIL in MCF-7. In conclusion, BHMC induced apoptosis in the MCF-7 cells by altering the expressions of apoptotic-regulating miRNAs and associated genes.
  19. Hussin Y, Aziz MNM, Che Rahim NF, Yeap SK, Mohamad NE, Masarudin MJ, et al.
    Int J Mol Sci, 2018 Apr 11;19(4).
    PMID: 29641445 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19041151
    Extensive research has been done in the search for innovative treatments against colon adenocarcinomas; however, the incidence rate of patients remains a major cause of cancer-related deaths in Malaysia. Natural bioactive compounds such as curcumin have been substantially studied as an alternative to anticancer drug therapies and have been surmised as a potent agent but, nevertheless, remain deficient due to its poor cellular uptake. Therefore, efforts now have shifted toward mimicking curcumin to synthesize novel compounds sharing similar effects. A synthetic analog, (Z)-3-hydroxy-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-phenylprop-2-ene-1-one (DK1), was recently synthesized and reported to confer improved bioavailability and selectivity toward human breast cancer cells. This study, therefore, aims to assess the anticancer mechanism of DK1 in relation to the induction of in vitro cell death in selected human colon cancer cell lines. Using the3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide(MTT) assay, the cytotoxicity of DK1 towards HT29 and SW620 cell lines were investigated. Acridine orange/propidium iodide (AO/PI) dual-staining assay and flow cytometry analyses (cell cycle analysis, Annexin/V-FITC and JC-1 assays) were incorporated to determine the mode of cell death. To further determine the mechanism of cell death, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and proteome profiling were conducted. Results from this study suggest that DK1 induced changes in cell morphology, leading to a decrease in cell viability and subsequent induction of apoptosis. DK1 treatment inhibited cell viability and proliferation 48 h post treatment with IC50 values of 7.5 ± 1.6 µM for HT29 cells and 14.5 ± 4.3 µM for SW620 cells, causing cell cycle arrest with increased accumulation of cell populations at the sub-G₀/G₁phaseof 74% and 23%, respectively. Flow cytometry analyses showed that DK1 treatment in cancer cells induced apoptosis, as indicated by DNA fragmentation and depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane. qRT-PCR results show significant upregulation in the expression of caspase-9 in both HT29 and SW620 cell lines, further supporting that cell death induction by DK1 is via an intrinsic pathway. These outcomes, therefore, demonstrate DK1 as a potential anticancer agent for colon adenocarcinoma due to its anti-apoptotic attributes.
  20. Mendis BILM, Palihaderu PADS, Karunanayake P, Satharasinghe DA, Premarathne JMKJK, Dias WKRR, et al.
    Front Psychol, 2023;14:1152002.
    PMID: 37397314 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1152002
    INTRODUCTION: Despite the availability of validated psychometrics tools to assess depression, there has not been any validated and reliable tool established to test perceived stress among Sri Lankans. The objective of this study is to test the validity and reliability of the Sinhalese Version of the Sheldon Cohen Perceived Stress Scale.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Standard and systematic procedures were adopted to translate the original English version of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 questionnaire into Sinhalese. Consecutive sampling was employed to recruit the Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) sample (n = 321), and a convenient sampling was used to recruit the Age and Sex matched Healthy Controls (ASMHC) (n = 101) and the Healthy Community Controls (HCC) groups (n = 75). Cronbach alpha was used to assess internal consistency and reliability was determined using test-retest method utilizing Spearman's correlation coefficient. Sensitivity was evaluated by comparing the mean scores of the Sinhalese Perceived Stress Scale (S-PSS-10) and Sinhalese Patient Health Questionnaire (S-PHQ-9) scores. Post-hoc comparisons were done using Bonferroni's method. Mean scores were compared between the T2DM, ASMHC, and HCC groups using the independent t-test. Explanatory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted using the principal component and Varimax rotation while the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed to assess the goodness-of-fit of the factor structure extracted from the EFA. Concurrent validity was assessed using the Pearson correlation between the S-PSS-10 and Patient Health Questionnaire measured by S-PHQ-9 (p 

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