Displaying publications 161 - 180 of 16746 in total

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  1. Fulltext The Influence of Heavy Metals and Water Parameters on the Composition and Abundance of Water Bugs (Insecta: Hemiptera) in the Kerian River Basin, Perak, Malaysia
    Ishadi NA, Rawi CS, Ahmad AH, Abdul NH
    Trop Life Sci Res, 2014 Dec;25(2):61-79.
    PMID: 27073600 MyJurnal
    The hemipteran (Insecta) diversity in the upper part of the Kerian River Basin was low with only 8 families and 16 genera recorded at 4 study sites from 3 rivers. Water bug composition varied among sampling sites (Kruskal-Wallis χ (2) = 0.00, p<0.05) but was not affected by wet-dry seasons (Z = 0.00, p>0.05). All recorded water parameters were weakly associated with generic abundance but the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), Water Quality Index (WQI) and heavy metals (zinc and manganese) showed relatively strong positive or negative relations with hemipteran diversity and richness (H' and R2). Within the ranges of measured water parameters, the WQI was negatively associated with hemipteran diversity and richness, implying the tolerance of the water bugs to the level of pollution encountered in the river basin. Based on its highest abundance and occurrence (ISI), Rhagovelia was the most important genus and along with Rheumatogonus and Paraplea, these genera were common at all study sites. In conclusion, habitat availability and suitability together with some environmental parameters influenced the abundance and composition of hemipterans in this river basin.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  2. Identification of Stingless Bee Honey Adulteration Using Visible-Near Infrared Spectroscopy Combined with Aquaphotomics
    Raypah ME, Omar AF, Muncan J, Zulkurnain M, Abdul Najib AR
    Molecules, 2022 Apr 03;27(7).
    PMID: 35408723 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27072324
    Honey is a natural product that is considered globally one of the most widely important foods. Various studies on authenticity detection of honey have been fulfilled using visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy techniques. However, there are limited studies on stingless bee honey (SBH) despite the increase of market demand for this food product. The objective of this work was to present the potential of Vis-NIR absorbance spectroscopy for profiling, classifying, and quantifying the adulterated SBH. The SBH sample was mixed with various percentages (10−90%) of adulterants, including distilled water, apple cider vinegar, and high fructose syrup. The results showed that the region at 400−1100 nm that is related to the color and water properties of the samples was effective to discriminate and quantify the adulterated SBH. By applying the principal component analysis (PCA) on adulterants and honey samples, the PCA score plot revealed the classification of the adulterants and adulterated SBHs. A partial least squares regression (PLSR) model was developed to quantify the contamination level in the SBH samples. The general PLSR model with the highest coefficient of determination and lowest root means square error of cross-validation (RCV2=0.96 and RMSECV=5.88 %) was acquired. The aquaphotomics analysis of adulteration in SBH with the three adulterants utilizing the short-wavelength NIR region (800−1100 nm) was presented. The structural changes of SBH due to adulteration were described in terms of the changes in the water molecular matrix, and the aquagrams were used to visualize the results. It was revealed that the integration of NIR spectroscopy with aquaphotomics could be used to detect the water molecular structures in the adulterated SBH.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  3. Fulltext Radioprotective Effects of Kelulut Honey in Zebrafish Model
    Adenan MNH, Yazan LS, Christianus A, Md Hashim NF, Mohd Noor S, Shamsudin S, et al.
    Molecules, 2021 Mar 12;26(6).
    PMID: 33809054 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26061557
    Large doses of ionizing radiation can damage human tissues. Therefore, there is a need to investigate the radiation effects as well as identify effective and non-toxic radioprotectors. This study evaluated the radioprotective effects of Kelulut honey (KH) from stingless bee (Trigona sp.) on zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. Viable zebrafish embryos at 24 hpf were dechorionated and divided into four groups, namely untreated and non-irradiated, untreated and irradiated, KH pre-treatment and amifostine pre-treatment. The embryos were first treated with KH (8 mg/mL) or amifostine (4 mM) before irradiation at doses of 11 Gy to 20 Gy using gamma ray source, caesium-137 (137Cs). Lethality and abnormality analysis were performed on all of the embryos in the study. Immunohistochemistry assay was also performed using selected proteins, namely γ-H2AX and caspase-3, to investigate DNA damages and incidences of apoptosis. KH was found to reduce coagulation effects at up to 20 Gy in the lethality analysis. The embryos developed combinations of abnormality, namely microphthalmia (M), body curvature and microphthalmia (BM), body curvature with microphthalmia and microcephaly (BMC), microphthalmia and pericardial oedema (MO), pericardial oedema (O), microphthalmia with microcephaly and pericardial oedema (MCO) and all of the abnormalities (AA). There were more abnormalities developed from 24 to 72 h (h) post-irradiation in all groups. At 96 h post-irradiation, KH was identified to reduce body curvature effect in the irradiated embryos (up to 16 Gy). γ-H2AX and caspase-3 intensities in the embryos pre-treated with KH were also found to be lower than the untreated group at gamma irradiation doses of 11 Gy to 20 Gy and 11 Gy to 19 Gy, respectively. KH was proven to increase the survival rate of zebrafish embryos and exhibited protection against organ-specific abnormality. KH was also found to possess cellular protective mechanism by reducing DNA damage and apoptosis proteins expression.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  4. Fulltext Genetic structure and preliminary findings of cryptic diversity of the Malaysian Mahseer (Tor tambroides Valenciennes: Cyprinidae) inferred from mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite analyses
    Esa Y, Abdul Rahim KA
    Biomed Res Int, 2013;2013:170980.
    PMID: 24455674 DOI: 10.1155/2013/170980
    This study examines the population genetic structure of Tor tambroides, an important freshwater fish species in Malaysia, using fifteen polymorphic microsatellite loci and sequencing of 464 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene. A total of 152 mahseer samples were collected from eight populations throughout the Malaysia river system. Microsatellites results found high levels of intrapopulation variations, but mitochondrial COI results found high levels of interpopulations differentiation. The possible reasons for their discrepancies might be the varying influence of genetic drift on each marker or the small sample sizes used in most of the populations. The Kelantan population showed very low levels of genetic variations using both mitochondrial and microsatellite analyses. Phylogenetic analysis of the COI gene found a unique haplotype (ER8∗), possibly representing a cryptic lineage of T. douronensis, from the Endau-Rompin population. Nevertheless, the inclusion of nuclear microsatellite analyses could not fully resolve the genetic identity of haplotype ER8∗ in the present study. Overall, the findings showed a serious need for more comprehensive and larger scale samplings, especially in remote river systems, in combination with molecular analyses using multiple markers, in order to discover more cryptic lineages or undescribed "genetic species" of mahseer.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  5. Novel antimicrobial development using genome-scale metabolic model of Gram-negative pathogens: a review
    Chung WY, Zhu Y, Mahamad Maifiah MH, Shivashekaregowda NKH, Wong EH, Abdul Rahim N
    J Antibiot (Tokyo), 2021 02;74(2):95-104.
    PMID: 32901119 DOI: 10.1038/s41429-020-00366-2
    Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens the effective prevention and treatment of a wide range of infections. Governments around the world are beginning to devote effort for innovative treatment development to treat these resistant bacteria. Systems biology methods have been applied extensively to provide valuable insights into metabolic processes at system level. Genome-scale metabolic models serve as platforms for constraint-based computational techniques which aid in novel drug discovery. Tools for automated reconstruction of metabolic models have been developed to support system level metabolic analysis. We discuss features of such software platforms for potential users to best fit their purpose of research. In this work, we focus to review the development of genome-scale metabolic models of Gram-negative pathogens and also metabolic network approach for identification of antimicrobial drugs targets.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  6. Fulltext Effects of lysine and methionine in a low crude protein diet on the growth performance and gene expression of immunity genes in broilers
    Lee CY, Song AA, Loh TC, Abdul Rahim R
    Poult Sci, 2020 Jun;99(6):2916-2925.
    PMID: 32475425 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2020.03.013
    Globally, the poultry industry is 1 of the most advanced livestock industries. Feed contributes to the biggest proportion (65-70%) of the production cost. Most feed ingredients in Malaysia are imported, which contributes to the high food bill annually, and alternative feed formulation may help decrease the cost of poultry feed. Feed formulation are improved to efficiently meet the dietary requirements of the broilers and 1 of the ways is by reducing the level of crude protein in the diet while supplementing essential amino acids. In this study, the effects of methionine and lysine, which are the 2 most limiting amino acids in the chicken diet, were supplemented in a low crude protein diet, and its effects on the growth and expression of immunity genes such as MUC2, SLC, GAL6, and LEAP-2 were studied. A total of 300 Cobb500 broilers were tested with 10 different dietary treatments. Experimental treatment diets consist of high, standard, and low levels of methionine and lysine in the diet with reduced crude protein. The control group consists of diet with standard levels of lysine, methionine, and crude protein as recommended for Cobb500 broilers. Ribonucleic acid was extracted from the jejunum, spleen, and liver for gene expression analysis which was performed with real-time polymerase chain reaction using SYBR Green chemistry. Results of the growth performance at 6 wk showed improved feed conversion ratio when lysine was increased by 0.2% in a low crude protein diet at 1.96 ± 0.11. Gene expression of MUC2 gene in the jejunum showed a significant increase across all experimental diets with the treatment with higher lysine in low crude protein diet with the highest increase of 3.8 times as compared with the control diet. The other genes expressed in the spleen and liver were mostly downregulated. It was concluded that supplementation of high lysine with standard methionine in a low crude protein diet performed better in terms of lowest feed conversion ratio and high upregulation of MUC2 gene.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  7. Pencirian hidrokimia air tanah dan air bawah tanah di Kerpan Kedah
    Umar Hamzah, Yong CY, Bashillah Baharudin, Abdul Rahim Samsudin
    Sains Malaysiana, 2008;37.
    Analisis kimia air telah dilakukan terhadap larutan yang diekstrak dari 85 sampel tanah yang dipungut di kawasan ternakan udang harimau di Kerpan. Sampel tanah dikorek pada kedalaman 2 m bermula dari garis pantai sehingga 20 km ke arah daratan. Selain daripada tanah, air bawah tanah juga disampel dengan penggerudian yang berkedalaman 10 hingga 25 m untuk dilakukan analisis kimia air. Hasil analisis hidrokimia larutan yang diekstrasi dari sampel tanah yang diambil pada kedalaman 1-2 m menunjukkan kepekatan klorida berjulat dari 12 hingga 6500 mg/L. Berdasarkan kepekatan ion tersebut, kawasan kajian telah dibahagikan kepada beberapa zon-zon iaitu zon masin dan payau. Kepekatan pepejal terlarut yang diukur adalah dalam julat 100 hingga 40,000 mg/L dengan julat ini merangkumi zon berair segar hingga masin. Zon berair masin yang ditafsir berdasarkan kepekatan pepejal terlarut adalah dalam lingkungan 1 km dari pantai manakala berdasarkan kepekatan klorida sempadan ini adalah disekitar 4-5 km. Kehadiran air masin boleh berasal dari penerobosan langsung dari laut ataupun melalui proses air pasang-surut dimana air laut masuk melalui sungai atau terusan berhampiran ke kawasan kajian. Kehadiran air masin juga disokong oleh pertambahan kepekatan unsur-unsur seperti naterium, kalium dan kalsium ke arah laut. Berdasarkan peta taburan spatial kepekatan klorida, pola kontur kemasinan tinggi didapati mengikut bentuk kolam ternakan udang. Oleh itu besar kemungkinan pengaruh air masin adalah dari proses infiltrasi air kolam ke kawasan sekitar. Untuk melihat samada proses penerobosan juga turut memainkan peranan dalam mempengaruhi kemasinan di kawasan kajian, sampel air dari lubang gerudi pada kedalaman 10-25 meter juga turut dibuat. Sampel air yang dipam dari lubang gerudi menunjukkan kepekatan klorida dalam julat 2030 hingga 13,000 mg/L manakala kepekatan pepejal terlarut berjulat 3233 hingga 9280 mg/L. Berdasarkan nilai kepekatan klorida dan pepejal terlarut sampel air lubang gerudi, kawasan di sekitar lubang gerudi khususnya pada jarak hampir 1 km dari pantai telah tercemar dengan kesan penerobosan air laut.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  8. Survei keberintangan geoelektrik untuk mengesan terowong di Bukit Tenggek, Setiu, Terengganu
    Siti Nazira Masrom, Mohd Hariri Arifin, Abd Rahim Harun, Abdul Rahim Samsudin
    Sains Malaysiana, 2011;40:1223-1229.
    Survei keberintangan geoelektrik ini telah dijalankan di kawasan Bukit Tenggek, Setiu, Terengganu untuk mengesan kemungkinan wujudnya terowong lama yang dipercayai berada di kawasan berkenaan. Kaedah keberintangan geoelektrik ini bukanlah asing dan didapati amat berkesan di dalam eksplorasi mencari bahan arkeologi dan struktur terkambus di bawah tanah (terowong dan bahan artifak). Survei keberintangan geoelektrik ini dijalankan dengan menggunakan peralatan ABEM Terrameter SAS1000 dan susun atur elektrod jenis Wenner. Kawasan kajian terletak di kawasan lembah yang lembap dan terdapat anak sungai yang merentasi kawasan tersebut. Imej keberintangan 2-D menunjukkan wujudnya beberapa kawasan beranomali yang boleh dikaitkan dengan struktur yang dicari. Nilai keberintangan yang rendah mewakili kawasan yang dianggarkan wujudnya terowong lama. Manakala anomali yang menunjukkan bentuk gugusan dianggarkan berasosiasi dengan lokasi tong/bahan artifak. Profil keberintangan 3-D menunjukkan anomali yang mungkin disebabkan oleh wujudnya satu terowong mendatar dan dua terowong menegak. Namun, kerja galicari perlu dilakukan bagi menentukan punca sebenar anomali tersebut.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  9. Fulltext First report of pathogenic Leptospira spp. isolated from urine and kidneys of naturally infected cats
    Alashraf AR, Lau SF, Khairani-Bejo S, Khor KH, Ajat M, Radzi R, et al.
    PLoS One, 2020;15(3):e0230048.
    PMID: 32155209 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230048
    Leptospirosis is one of the most widespread zoonotic diseases and can infect both humans and animals worldwide. Healthy cat, as a potential source of exposure to humans, are likely underestimated owing to the lack of overt clinical signs associated with Leptospira spp. infection in this species. The aim of the study was to determine the exposure, shedding, and carrier status of leptospires in shelter cats in Malaysia by using serological, molecular, and bacteriological methods. For this study, 82 healthy cats from two shelters were sampled. The blood, urine, and kidneys were tested using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and bacterial culture. On the basis of serological, molecular, and/or culture techniques, the total detection of leptospiral infection was 29.3% (n = 24/82). Through culture techniques, 16.7% (n = 4/24) of the cats that tested positive were carriers with positive kidney cultures, and one cat was culture positive for both urine and kidney. The Leptospira spp. isolates were identified as pathogenic L. interrogans serovar Bataviae through serological and molecular methods. Through serological techniques, 87.5% (n = 21/24) had positive antibody titers (100-1600) and most of the Bataviae serogroup (n = 19/21). Using PCR, 16.7% (n = 4/24) of cats were shown to have pathogenic Leptospira spp. DNA in their urine. Furthermore, three out of four culture positive cats were serology negative. The present study reports the first retrieval of pathogenic leptospires from urine and kidneys obtained from naturally infected cats. The results provide evidence of the potential role of naturally infected cats in the transmission of leptospires. Additionally, leptospiral infection occurs sub-clinically in cats. The culture isolation provides evidence that healthy cats could be reservoirs of leptospiral infection, and this information may promote the development of disease prevention strategies for the cat population.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  10. Fulltext Optimization of Protective Agents for The Freeze-Drying of Paenibacillus polymyxa Kp10 as a Potential Biofungicide
    Nasran HS, Mohd Yusof H, Halim M, Abdul Rahman N
    Molecules, 2020 Jun 04;25(11).
    PMID: 32512825 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25112618
    Anthracnose is a fungal disease causing major losses in crop production. Chemical fungicides widely used in crop plantations to combat fungal infections can be a threat to the environment and humans in the long term. Recently, biofungicides have gained much interest as an alternative to chemical fungicides due to their environmentally friendly nature. Biofungicide products in powder form can be formulated using the freeze-drying technique to provide convenient storage. Protective agent formulation is needed in maintaining the optimal viable cells of biofungicide products. In this study, 8.10 log colony-forming unit (CFU)/mL was the highest cell viability of Paenibacillus polymyxa Kp10 at 22 h during incubation. The effects of several selected protective agents on the viability of P. polymyxa Kp10 after freeze-drying were studied. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used for optimizing formulation for the protective agents. The combination of lactose (10% w/v), skim milk (20% w/v), and sucrose (27.5% w/v) was found to be suitable for preserving P. polymyxa Kp10 during freeze-drying. Further, P. polymyxa Kp10 demonstrated the ability to inhibit fungal pathogens, Colletotrichum truncatum and C. gloeosporioides, at 60.18% and 66.52% of inhibition of radial growth, respectively.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  11. Fulltext Swiftlets and edible bird’s nest industry in Asia
    Looi, Qi Hao, Abdul Rahman Omar
    The Pertanika Journal of Scholarly Research Reviews, 2016;2(1):32-48.
    MyJurnal
    Swiftlet
    s
    are small insectivorous birds which breed throughout Southeast Asia and
    the South Pacific.
    Among many swiftle
    t species, only a few are notable to produce edible bird’s
    nest
    s
    (EBN) from the secreted saliva during breeding seasons.
    The taxonomy of swiftlet
    s
    remains one of the most controversial in the avian species due to the high similarity in
    morphological charac
    teristics among the species. Over the last few decades, researchers have
    studied the taxonomy of swiftlet
    s
    based on the morphological
    trade
    , behavior, and genetic
    traits
    .
    However, despite all the efforts,
    the
    swiftlet taxonomy remains unsolved.
    The
    EBN is one of
    the
    most expensive animal products
    and frequently being referred
    to
    as the “
    Caviar of the East
    ”.
    The
    EBN market value varies from
    US
    $1000.00 to
    US
    $10,000.00 per kilogram depend
    ing
    on
    its grade, shape, type and origin.
    Hence, bird’s nest harve
    sting is considered a lucrative industry
    in many countries in Southeast Asia.
    However,
    the
    industry faced several challenges over the
    decades such as the authenticity of the EBN, the quality assurance and the depletion of swiftlet
    population. Furthermore,
    there is limited scientific evidence regarding EBN’s medical benefits
    as
    claimed by manufacturers. This paper reviews the taxonomy of swiftlet
    s
    , its morphological
    characteristics, the challenges currently encountered by the industry, and finally the
    compos
    ition and medical benefits of EBN.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  12. Indigenous use and trade of dugong (Dugong dugon) in Sabah, Malaysia
    Rajamani L, Cabanban AS, Abdul Rahman R
    Ambio, 2006 Aug;35(5):266-8.
    PMID: 16989512
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  13. Fulltext Combination of VP3 and CD147-knockdown enhance apoptosis and tumor growth delay index in colorectal tumor allograft
    Ismail R, Allaudin ZN, Abdullah R, Mohd Lila MA, Nik Abd Rahman NM, Abdul Rahman SO
    BMC Cancer, 2016 07 13;16:461.
    PMID: 27411985 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-016-2530-8
    BACKGROUND: Cancer therapies that kill cancer cells without affecting normal cells is the ultimate mode of treating cancers. The VP3, an avian virus-derived protein, can specifically initiate cell death through several signal transduction pathways leading to apoptosis. In cancer, chemoresistance and cell survivability implicate the cell surface protein, CD147.

    METHODS: In this study, transfection of VP3 and silencing of CD147 genes was achieved through the treatment of tumors with pVIVO1-GFP/VP3 (VP3), psiRNA-CD147/2 (shCD147/2), and their combination of CT26 colon cancer cell-induced in mice. The effectiveness of tumor-treatment was ascertained by electrophoresis, TUNEL assay, and flow cytometry analysis. While histopathological and biochemical analysis were used as toxic side effect identification.

    RESULTS: The tumor growth delay index (TGDI) after treatment with VP3, shCD147/2, and their combination treatments increased by 1.3-, 1.2-, 2.0- and 2.3-fold respectively, over untreated control. The VP3-shCD147/2 combination treatment was more efficacious then either VP3 or shCD147/2 alone in the retardation of mouse CT26 colorectal cell tumor allograft.

    CONCLUSION: The antitumor effect of the combination treatment is the result of synergistic effects of VP3 and shCD147/2 on the tumor cells resulting in apoptosis. Thus, the study shows that combination of VP3 and shCD147/2 treatment can be developed into a potential approach for anticolorectal cancer treatment regimen.

    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  14. Co-regulative effects of chitosan-fennel seed extract system on the hormonal and biochemical factors involved in the polycystic ovarian syndrome
    Bayrami A, Shirdel A, Rahim Pouran S, Mahmoudi F, Habibi-Yangjeh A, Singh R, et al.
    Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl, 2020 Dec;117:111351.
    PMID: 32919695 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2020.111351
    There is a renewed interest in the application of chitosan-based drug delivery systems over the last few years. In this study, the ionic gelation method was used to prepare chitosan-engaged tripolyphosphate ions, as the cross-linking molecule, (Chit-TPP) and concurrent loading of the biomolecules of the ethanolic extract of fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, seed (FEC@NBC). The samples were characterized by SEM, DLS, TGA, FTIR, XRD, GC-MS, and zeta potential, and their effects on the related hormonal and biochemical factors of the rats with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) were assessed. The estradiol valerate-induced PCOS in female rats was confirmed by vaginal smear test and subsequent histological screening. The PCOS-induced rats were treated by fennel seed extract (FSX), Chit-TPP, and FEC@NBC. The process of treatment was monitored by measuring the serum levels of testosterone, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, insulin, glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, and total triglyceride after 16 days of treatment and compared with healthy control and untreated PCOS-control groups. The FEC@NBC administration contributed to the remarkable hormonal, glucose, and lipid profile regulation in the rats with PCOS. The significance of FEC@NBC performance in dealing with PCOS complications compared to that of the only extract could be resulted from the effective targeted delivery and stability of phytomolecules when encapsulated in Chit-TPP.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  15. Physicochemical and biological status of Aghlagan river, Iran: effects of seasonal changes and point source pollution
    Asadi Sharif E, Yahyavi B, Bayrami A, Rahim Pouran S, Atazadeh E, Singh R, et al.
    Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2021 Mar;28(12):15339-15349.
    PMID: 33236302 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-11660-9
    Although the macroinvertebrates have been widely used as bio-indicator for river water quality assessment in developed countries, its application is new in Iran and data on the health status of the most ecologically important rivers in Iran is scarce. The present study aimed at monitoring and assessing the ecological quality of Aghlagan river, northwest of Iran, using integrated physicochemical-biological approaches. A total of 14,423 samplings were carried out from the headwater to downstream sites at four stations (S1, 2, 3, 4) by a Surber sampler (30 cm × 30 cm) from June 2018 to April 2019. The results obtained from macroinvertebrate biotic index revealed that the genera of Gammarus (Amphipoda) and Baetis (Ephemeroptera) were the most abundant in all seasons. The PAST software was applied to analyze the diversity indices (Shannon-Weiner diversity, Evenness, and Simpson indices). Based on the cluster analysis, S3 established the least similarity to other stations. The average frequency of each macroinvertebrate species was determined by one-factor analysis of similarities (ANOSIM). In accordance with canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), temperature and phosphate were found as the dominant factors effecting the macroinvertebrate assemblage and distribution. Moreover, the results obtained from the biological indices concluded very good quality of S4 by Helsinhoff and EPT indices and fair quality using BMWP index. The data on the macrobenthos assemblage and dynamics in the Aghlagan river across a hydraulic gradient provided useful information on water management efforts that assist us to find sustainable solutions for the enhanced quality of the river by balancing environmental and human values.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  16. Fulltext Classical and alternative receptors for SARS-CoV-2 therapeutic strategy
    Masre SF, Jufri NF, Ibrahim FW, Abdul Raub SH
    Rev Med Virol, 2021 09;31(5):1-9.
    PMID: 33368788 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2207
    Understanding the molecules that are essential for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) entry can provide insights into viral infection and dissemination. Recently, it has been identified from several studies that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor and transmembrane serine protease 2 are the main entry molecules for the SARS-CoV-2, which produced the pandemic of Covid-19. However, additional evidence showed several other viral receptors and cellular proteases that are also important in facilitating viral entry and transmission in the target cells. In this review, we summarized the types of SARS-CoV-2 entry molecules and discussed their crucial roles for virus binding, protein priming and fusion to the cellular membrane important for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  17. Fulltext Differentiation of dental pulp stem cells into neuron-like cells in serum-free medium
    Zainal Ariffin SH, Kermani S, Zainol Abidin IZ, Megat Abdul Wahab R, Yamamoto Z, Senafi S, et al.
    Stem Cells Int, 2013;2013:250740.
    PMID: 24348580 DOI: 10.1155/2013/250740
    Dental pulp tissue contains dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). Dental pulp cells (also known as dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells) are capable of differentiating into multilineage cells including neuron-like cells. The aim of this study was to examine the capability of DPSCs to differentiate into neuron-like cells without using any reagents or growth factors. DPSCs were isolated from teeth extracted from 6- to 8-week-old mice and maintained in complete medium. The cells from the fourth passage were induced to differentiate by culturing in medium without serum or growth factors. RT-PCR molecular analysis showed characteristics of Cd146(+) , Cd166(+) , and Cd31(-) in DPSCs, indicating that these cells are mesenchymal stem cells rather than hematopoietic stem cells. After 5 days of neuronal differentiation, the cells showed neuron-like morphological changes and expressed MAP2 protein. The activation of Nestin was observed at low level prior to differentiation and increased after 5 days of culture in differentiation medium, whereas Tub3 was activated only after 5 days of neuronal differentiation. The proliferation of the differentiated cells decreased in comparison to that of the control cells. Dental pulp stem cells are induced to differentiate into neuron-like cells when cultured in serum- and growth factor-free medium.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  18. Fulltext In vitro chondrogenesis transformation study of mouse dental pulp stem cells
    Zainal Ariffin SH, Kermani S, Megat Abdul Wahab R, Senafi S, Zainal Ariffin Z, Abdul Razak M
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2012;2012:827149.
    PMID: 22919354 DOI: 10.1100/2012/827149
    A major challenge in the application of mesenchymal stem cells in cartilage reconstruction is that whether the cells are able to differentiate into fully mature chondrocytes before grafting. The aim of this study was to isolate mouse dental pulp stem cells (DPSC) and differentiate them into chondrocytes. For this investigation, morphological, molecular, and biochemical analyses for differentiated cells were used. To induce the chondrocyte differentiation, DPSC were cultured in chondrogenic medium (Zen-Bio, Inc.). Based on morphological analyses using toluidine blue staining, proteoglycan products appear in DPSC after 21 days of chondrocyte induction. Biochemical analyses in differentiated group showed that alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly increased at day 14 as compared to control (P < 0.05). Cell viability analyses during the differentiation to chondrocytes also showed that these cells were viable during differentiation. However, after the 14th day of differentiation, there was a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in the viability proportion among differentiated cells as compared to the control cells. In RT-PCR molecular analyses, mouse DPSC expressed Cd146 and Cd166 which indicated that these cells belong to mesenchymal stem cells. Coll I and Coll II markers showed high expression after 14 and 21 days, respectively. In conclusion, this study showed that DPSC successfully differentiated into chondrocytes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  19. Fishmeal replacement with Spirulina Platensis and Chlorella vulgaris in African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) diet: Effect on antioxidant enzyme activities and haematological parameters
    Raji AA, Alaba PA, Yusuf H, Abu Bakar NH, Mohd Taufek N, Muin H, et al.
    Res Vet Sci, 2018 Aug;119:67-75.
    PMID: 29864632 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2018.05.013
    This study explored fishmeal replacement with two freshwater microalgae: Spirulina Platensis and Chlorella vulgaris in African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) diet. The effect of inclusion of the two microalgae on biomarkers of oxidative stress, haematological parameters, enzyme activities and growth performance were investigated. The juvenile fish were given 3 distinct treatments with isonitrogenous (35.01-36.57%) and isoenergetic (417.24-422.27 Kcal 100 g-1) diets containing 50% S. platensis (50SP), 75% S. platensis (75SP), 50% C. vulgaris (50CL), 75% C. vulgaris (75CL) and 100% fishmeal (100% FM) was used as the control diet. The result shows that all the diets substituted with both S. platensis, and C. vulgaris boosted the growth performance based on specific growth rate (SGR) and body weight gain (BDWG) when compared with the control diet. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) was significantly influenced by all the supplementations. The haematological analysis of the fish shows a significant increase in the value of red and white blood cells upon supplementation with 50SP and 50CL but decrease slightly when increased to 75SP and 75CL. Furthermore, the value of haematocrit and haemoglobin also increased upon supplementation with 50SP and 50CL but decrease slightly when increased to 75SP and 75CL. The white blood cell (WBC), red blood cell (RBC) increased, while total cholesterol (TCL), and Plasma glucose levels decreased significantly upon supplementation of algae. This is a clear indication that S. platensis and C. vulgaris are a promising replacement for fishmeal, which is a source protein in the C. gariepinus diet.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals
  20. Fulltext Serological prevalance of leptospiral infection in captive Malayan porcupiness (Hystrix brachyura)
    Siti-Nurdyana, A.K., Bahaman, A.R., Sharma, R.S.K., Azlan, C.M., Abdul Razak, M.F.A.
    Jurnal Veterinar Malaysia, 2016;28(2):1-3.
    MyJurnal
    Leptospirosis is recognised as one of the leading zoonotic diseases and rodents have been implicated as one of the natural reservoirs of the disease. The Malayan porcupines (Hystrix brachyura) which are also a rodent could possibly be a carrier of leptospiral organisms. This study was conducted to determine the serological prevalence of leptospiral infection among captive Malayan porcupines and to disclose the possibility of porcupines as a reservoir for leptospiral infection. Fifty serum samples were obtained from the Malayan porcupines kept in captivity at the Wildlife Conservation Centre, Sungai Dusun, Malaysia. The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) was performed on the serum samples to detect the presence of agglutinating antibodies to a panel of 16 Leptospira serovars (Australis, Autumnalis, Ballum, Bataviae, Canicola, Celledoni, Djasiman, Hardjobovis, Hardjopratjino, Hebdomadis, Hurstbridge, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Javanica, Pomona, Pyrogenes and Sejroe). From the serological test, 18% (n=9/50) of the Malayan porcupines tested had leptospiral antibodies to serovars Javanica (8%), Hurstbridge (4%), Ballum (2%), Celledoni (2%) and Hardjoprajitno (2%). It is seen that this study disclosed a high prevalence of leptospiral infection in the Malayan porcupines tested and indicated that the Malayan porcupines could possibly be a source of leptospirosis to other animals including humans and that they might play an important role in the epidemiology of leptospiral infection in the country.
    Matched MeSH terms: Animals; Animals, Wild
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