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Fulltext Protective effects of pulp and kernel oils from Canarium odontophyllum fruit in normal and hypercholesterolemic rabbits

Faridah Hanim, S, Azrina, A., Khoo, H. E, Amin, I.

International Food Research Journal, 2015;22(4):1318-1326.
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This study aimed to determine the protective effects of CO pulp and kernel oils supplementation to normocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Rabbits from the treatment groups were supplemented with CO pulp and kernel oils for four weeks. Bloods were drawn from all experimental groups at baseline and fourth week to determine protective effects of CO oils supplementation on plasma total antioxidant status (TAS) and catalase (CAT) activity. Liver function tests (ALT, AST, and GGT activities) were also determined for all the groups. The results showed that CO oil supplementation increased plasma TAS in both normal and hypercholesterolemic groups. Plasma CAT activities in the hypercholesterolemic groups supplemented with CO oils were significantly reduced but not for the normocholesterolemic groups. Significant reduction of plasma AST was observed for the hypercholesterolemic rabbits given CO pulp and kernel oils compared with the hypercholesterolemic control rabbits, but not for plasma ALT and GGT. In the normocholesterolemic rabbits, CO pulp oil had caused a significant elevation of plasma ALT, AST, and GGT levels as compared to the negative control rabbits. Therefore, CO pulp and kernel oils are somehow not hepatotoxic, and the oils are potent functional foods.
Effect of autohydrolysis and enzymatic treatment on oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) frond fibres for xylose and xylooligosaccharides production

Sabiha-Hanim S, Noor MA, Rosma A

Bioresour Technol, 2011 Jan;102(2):1234-9.
PMID: 20797853 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2010.08.017

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is one of the most important commercial crops for the production of palm oil, which generates 10.88 tons of oil palm fronds per hectare of plantation as a by-product. In this study, oil palm frond fibres were subjected to an autohydrolysis treatment using an autoclave, operated at 121 °C for 20-80 min, to facilitate the separation of hemicelluloses. The hemicellulose-rich solution (autohydrolysate) was subjected to further hydrolysis with 4-16 U of mixed Trichoderma viride endo-(1,4)-β-xylanases (EC 3.2.1.8) per 100 mg of autohydrolysate. Autoclaving of palm fronds at 121°C for 60 min (a severity factor of 2.40) recovered 75% of the solid residue, containing 57.9% cellulose and 18% Klason lignin, and an autohydrolysate containing 14.94% hemicellulose, with a fractionation efficiency of 49.20%. Subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis of the autohydrolysate with 8 U of endoxylanase at 40 °C for 24 h produced a solution containing 17.5% xylooligosaccharides and 25.6% xylose. The results clearly indicate the potential utilization of oil palm frond, an abundantly available lignocellulosic biomass for the production of xylose and xylooligosaccharides which can serve as functional food ingredients.
Fractionation of oil palm frond hemicelluloses by water or alkaline impregnation and steam explosion

Sabiha-Hanim S, Mohd Noor MA, Rosma A

Carbohydr Polym, 2015 Jan 22;115:533-9.
PMID: 25439929 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2014.08.087

Steam explosion of oil palm frond has been carried out under different temperatures between 180 and 210°C for 4 min (severity of 2.96-3.84) after impregnation of the frond chips with water or KOH solution. The effects of impregnation and steam explosion conditions of oil palm fronds on the water soluble fraction and insoluble fraction were investigated. The maximum yield of hemicelluloses in water soluble fractions recovered was 23.49% and 25.33% for water and KOH impregnation, treated with steam explosion at temperature of 210°C (severity of 3.84) with a fractionation efficiency of 77.30% and 83.32%, respectively. Under this condition, the water insoluble fractions contained celluloses at 60.83% and 64.80% for water and KOH impregnation, respectively. The steam explosion temperature of 210°C for 4 min (logR(o) 3.84) was found to be the best condition in the extraction of hemicelluloses from OPF for both types of impregnation.
Fulltext A novel rare copy number variant of the ABCF1 gene identified among dengue fever patients from Peninsular Malaysia

Hoh BP, Sam SS, Umi SH, Mahiran M, Nik Khairudin NY, Rafidah Hanim S, et al.

Genet. Mol. Res., 2014;13(1):980-5.
PMID: 24634119 DOI: 10.4238/2014.February.19.9

Copy number variation (CNV) is a form of genetic variation in addition to single nucleotide polymorphisms. The significance of CNV in the manifestation of a number of diseases is only recently receiving considerable attention. We genotyped 163 dengue patients from Peninsular Malaysia for genes possibly linked to dengue infection using quantitative real-time PCR. Here, we report a serendipitous discovery of a novel rare CNV of the ABCF1 gene among the dengue patients. Among these patients, two had a gain of 1 copy (CN = 3) and one had lost 1 copy (CN = 1), indicating that a rare CNV of the ABCF1 gene was detected among dengue patients from Peninsular Malaysia. Although the gene is suspected to regulate inflammatory responses and pathogen-induced cytokine storm, its relevance to dengue requires further investigation.
Fulltext The Best Online Tools Based on Media Preference Reflected by Health Information Received on Social Media amongst Diabetic Patients in Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Siti Zuhaida H, Chung HC, Mohd Said F, Tumingan K, Sahar Shah N, Hanim S, et al.

Malays J Med Sci, 2021 Jun;28(3):118-128.
PMID: 34285650 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2021.28.3.11

Background: Diabetes mellitus has become a major public health problem globally. Social media could be useful in assisting clinical practice and sharing health-related information to improve self-management and to promote a positive behavioural change. This study aims to develop a guide on the best online tools by determining the media preference reflected by health-related information received from social media amongst diabetic patients in Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
Methods: This study was conducted cross-sectional on 174 respondents, who were selected by using a simple random sampling method. Socio-demographic data and the use of the internet and media for health-related information were obtained via questionnaires.
Results: The most preferred social media used for searching and sharing health-related information was WhatsApp (73.6%), followed by Facebook (67.8%), Instagram (18.4%) and Twitter (17.2%). The social media preference related to socio-demographic data of age was statistically significant (P < 0.002), which had a medium effect. Furthermore, the media preference was not significantly related to health-related information searched or shared on social media and the frequency of usage.
Conclusion: Indeed, the social media have been an essential media platform to enhance public awareness concerning public health. This calls for evolution to further enhance the use of social media amongst healthcare practitioners to emphasise health promotion and empower the patients to play an active role in their healthcare. This study provides a guideline for the medical researchers, practitioners or healthcare providers in choosing WhatsApp as an online medium to communicate with diabetic patients in the future, specifically in Malaysia.
Fulltext Common variants of chemokine receptor gene CXCR3 and its ligands CXCL10 and CXCL11 associated with vascular permeability of dengue infection in peninsular Malaysia

Hoh BP, Umi-Shakina H, Zuraihan Z, Zaiharina MZ, Rafidah-Hanim S, Mahiran M, et al.

Hum Immunol, 2015 Jun;76(6):421-6.
PMID: 25858769 DOI: 10.1016/j.humimm.2015.03.019

Dengue causes significantly more human disease than any other arboviruses. It causes a spectrum of illness, ranging from mild self-limited fever, to severe and fatal dengue hemorrhagic fever, as evidenced by vascular leakage and multifactorial hemostatic abnormalities. There is no specific treatment available till date. Evidence shows that chemokines CXCL10, CXCL11 and their receptor CXCR3 are involved in severity of dengue, but their genetic association with the susceptibility of vascular leakage during dengue infection has not been reported. We genotyped 14 common variants of these candidate genes in 176 patients infected with dengue. rs4859584 and rs8878 (CXCL10) were significantly associated with vascular permeability of dengue infection (P<0.05); while variants of CXCL11 showed moderate significance of association (P=0.0527). Haplotype blocks were constructed for genes CXCL10 and CXCL11 (5 and 7 common variants respectively). Haplotype association tests performed revealed that, "CCCCA" of gene CXCL10 and "AGTTTAC" of CXCL11 were found to be significantly associated with vascular leakage (P=0.0154 and 0.0366 respectively). In summary, our association study further strengthens the evidence of the involvement of CXCL10 and CXCL11 in the pathogenesis of dengue infection.