This study evaluated the effects of Averrhoa bilimbi juice extract and storage temperature
on lipid oxidation and microbial spoilage of spent chicken meat. Ten, 80 weeks old spent
chickens were slaughtered, eviscerated and aged for 24 h at 4oC. Thereafter, the Pectoralis
major muscles and right thighs were excised and marinated in either A. bilimbi juice extract,
pure distilled water, or no marination (control) for either 4 or 9 h at room temperature or 9 or 24
h at 4°C. Lipid oxidation was monitored on the Pectoralis major muscles while the right thighs
were assessed for Enterobacteriacea counts. Lipid oxidation was not significantly affected
by the type or duration of marination. Marination showed a temperature dependent effect on
Enterobacteriacea counts. At room temperature, samples that were marinated by distilled water
showed significantly higher Enterobacteriacea counts than the control while those that were
marinated with A. bilimbi juice extract showed no growth at both 4 and 9 h of marination. At
chilled temperature, marination had no significant effects on the growth of Enterobacteriacea
during the 9 or 24 h storage. These results indicated that A. bilimbi juice extract marinade has
some antibacterial activities but works better when combined with refrigerated storage.
The bioremediation of polluted groundwater, wastewater aeration pond and biopond sites was investigated using bacteria isolated from these sites located at the oil refinery Terengganu Malaysia. Out of 62 isolates, only 16 isolates from groundwater (8) and wastewater aeration pond (3) and biopond (5) were chosen based on growth medium containing 1% (v/v) Tapis crude oil. Only four isolates; Acinetobacter faecalis, Staphylococcus sp., Pseudomonas putida and Neisseria elongata showed percentage biodegradation of crude oil more than 50% after 5 days using Mineral Salts Medium (MSM). The effect of physical parameters (temperature, pH and agitation) on growth by all four strains showed a maximum growth in MSM medium with 1% Tapis crude oil at 37 degrees C with pH 7 and agitation of 130 rpm.
Cosmos caudatus, which is known as "Ulam Raja," is an herbal plant used in Malaysia to enhance vitality. This study focused on the evaluation of the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of different ethanolic extracts of C. caudatus. Six series of samples extracted with water, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% ethanol (EtOH) were employed. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and orthogonal partial least-squares (OPLS) analysis was used to correlate bioactivity of different extracts to different metabolite profiles of C. caudatus. The obtained OPLS scores indicated a distinct and remarkable separation into 6 clusters, which were indicative of the 6 different ethanol concentrations. GC-MS can be integrated with multivariate data analysis to identify compounds that inhibit α-glucosidase activity. In addition, catechin, α-linolenic acid, α-D-glucopyranoside, and vitamin E compounds were identified and indicate the potential α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of this herb.
We describe a rare case of a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with functional visual loss (FVL). A 30-year-old female had blindness in the left eye due to multiple episodes of optic neuritis with underlying SLE. She presented with blurred vision in the right eye after an upper respiratory tract infection. The visual acuity in the right eye was 6/24, while the left eye had no light perception. The right eye optic nerve function tests were within normal limits. There was a positive relative afferent pupillary defect in the left eye. Fundoscopy showed left optic atrophy, while the right fundus was normal. The patient was treated according to a diagnosis of right retrobulbar optic neuritis. However, despite a course of intravenous methylprednisolone, her right visual acuity deteriorated to light perception. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain and orbit was normal. The visual evoked potential (VEP) in the right eye was also normal. The patient was suspected of having FVL and was referred to a psychiatrist. She was diagnosed with major depressive disorder after a full psychiatric assessment.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a widely used dermal filler for soft tissue augmentation. We described a case of a 38-year-old transwoman who presented with sudden onset of severe respiratory distress following self-injection of HA dermal filler. She developed multiple episodes of pulmonary haemorrhage, and her chest X-ray showed diffuse ground-glass opacities consistent with diffuse alveolar haemorrhage (DAH). There were no relevant drugs or past medical histories. Anti-nuclear antibodies and rheumatoid factor were negative. Initially, the pulmonary haemorrhage episodes and ventilation requirement improved with systemic steroid, however she subsequently developed acute myocardial infarction with progressive clinical deterioration leading to death. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first HA-related DAH with myocardial infarction reported with a fatal outcome. This case highlights the importance of awareness and the necessity of having a high suspicion of DAH in patients with history of illicit HA dermal filler use.
Cosmos caudatus, which is a commonly consumed vegetable in Malaysia, is locally known as "Ulam Raja". It is a local Malaysian herb traditionally used as a food and medicinal herb to treat several maladies. Its bioactive or nutritional constituents consist of a wide range of metabolites, including glucosinolates, phenolics, amino acids, organic acids, and sugars. However, many of these metabolites are not stable and easily degraded or modified during storage. In order to investigate the metabolomics changes occurring during post-harvest storage, C. caudatus samples were subjected to seven different storage times (0 hours, 2 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, 8 hours, 10 hours, and 12 hours) at room temperature. As the model experiment, the metabolites identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were correlated with α-glucosidase inhibitory activity analyzed with multivariate data analysis (MVDA) to find out the variation among samples and metabolites contributing to the activity. Orthogonal partial least squares (OPLS) analysis was applied to investigate the metabolomics changes. A profound chemical alteration, both in primary and secondary metabolites, was observed. The α-tocopherol, catechin, cyclohexen-1-carboxylic acid, benzoic acid, myo-inositol, stigmasterol, and lycopene compounds were found to be the discriminating metabolites at early storage; however, sugars such as sucrose, α-d-galactopyranose, and turanose were detected, which was attributed to the discriminating metabolites for late storage. The result shows that the MVDA method is a promising technique to identify biomarker compounds relative to storage at different times.
Endogenous fungal endophthalmitis caused by an unusual fungus poses both diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. We report a case of endogenous endophthalmitis caused by a rare mold, namely Cladosporium spp., which presented with a foveal abscess. A 52-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with rectal carcinoma presented with pain, redness, and a loss of vision in the right eye. He had been experiencing the symptoms for 1 week. The patient had undergone gastrointestinal surgery 2 weeks before experiencing the eye complaint. His best-corrected visual acuity was hand movements. Fundus examination revealed a foveal abscess of around a half-disc diameter in size that simulated retinochoroiditis with vitritis. Optical coherence tomography of the macula revealed a hyperreflective lesion in the fovea, which breached the full thickness of the fovea and extended into the preretinal space. Ocular toxoplasmosis was considered. On that basis, oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole was given for 1 week, although the patient's condition worsened. A vitreous tap and an intravitreal combination of vancomycin, ceftazidime, and amphotericin B were administered twice but did not improve the patient's condition. Pars plana vitrectomy was performed and the vitreous biopsy results revealed the presence of Cladosporium spp. Intravitreal voriconazole was given three times and the foveal abscess resolved into a scar. Endophthalmitis caused by Cladosporium spp. is uncommon and published case reports are extremely limited. The present case may provide insight into the variable presentation of fungal endophthalmitis and, therefore, assist with the early diagnosis and appropriate management of the condition.