MyMedR

Displaying all 10 publications

Abstract:

Sort:

Fulltext A rapid inhibitive enzyme assay for monitoring heavy metals pollution in the Juru Industrial Estate

Halmi, M.I.E., Baskaran Gunasekaran, Othman, A.R., Shukor, M.Y., Kamaruddin, K., Dahalan, F.A., et al.

Bioremediation Science and Technology Research, 2015;3(2):7-12.
MyJurnal

The volume of contaminated rivers in Malaysia continues to keep rising through the years. The
cost of instrumental monitoring is uneconomical and prohibits schedule monitoring of
contaminants particularly heavy metals. In this work, a rapid enzyme assay utilizing the
molybdenum-reducing enzyme as an inhibitive assay, prepared in crude form from the
molybdenum-reducing bacterium Serratia sp. strain DRY5 has been developed for monitoring
the heavy metals mercury, silver, copper and chromium in contaminated waters in the Juru
Industrial Estate. The crude enzyme extract transformed soluble molybdenum
(phosphomolybdate) into a deep blue solution, which is inhibited by heavy metals such as
mercury, silver, copper and chromium. The IC50 and Limits of Detection (LOD) values for
mercury, copper, silver and cadmium were 0.245, 0.298, 0.367, 0.326, and 0.124, 0.086, 0.088
and 0.094 mg L-1, respectively. The assay is rapid, and can be carried out in less than 10 minutes.
In addition, the assay can be carried out at ambient temperature. The IC50 values for these heavy
metals are more sensitive than several established assays. Water samples from various locations
in the month of November from the Juru Industrial Estate (Penang) were tested for the presence
of heavy metals using the developed assay. Enzyme activity was nearly inhibited for water
samples from several locations. The presence of heavy metals was confirmed instrumentally
using Atomic Emission Spectrometry and a Flow Injection Mercury System. The assay is rapid
and simple and can be used as a first screening method for large scale monitoring of heavy
metals.
Effects of buffer properties on cyclodextrin glucanotransferase reactions and cyclodextrin production from raw sago (Cycas revoluta) starch

Kamaruddin K, Illias RM, Aziz SA, Said M, Hassan O

Biotechnol Appl Biochem, 2005 Apr;41(Pt 2):117-25.
PMID: 15202937

Results from the present study have shown that the ionic species of buffers, pH values and reaction temperature can affect the enzyme unit activities and product specificity of Toruzyme (Novo Nordisk A/S Bagsvaerd, Denmark) CGTase (cyclodextrin glucanotransferase). Applying a similar reaction environment (acetate buffer, pH 6.0; temperature, 60 degrees C), the CGTase was found to be capable of producing pre dominantly beta-cyclodextrin from either raw or gelatinized sago (Cycas revoluta) starch. Changing the buffer from acetate to phosphate reduced the yield of beta-cyclodextrin from 2.48 to 1.42 mg/ml and also affected the product specificity, where production of both alpha- and beta-cyclodextrins were more pronounced. The decrease in the production of cyclodextrins in phosphate buffer was significant at both pH 6.0 and 7.0. However, changing the buffer to Tris/HCl (pH 7.0) showed a significant increase in beta-cyclodextrin production. Increasing the ionic strength of sodium acetate and Tris/HCl buffers at pH 6.0 and 7.0 to equivalent ionic strength of phosphate buffers showed no significant effects on cyclodextrin production. Higher yield of cyclodextrins at pH 7.0 when Tris/HCl was used might be due to the binding of chloride ions at the calcium-binding sites of the CGTase, resulting in the shift of the optimum pH close to physiological environment, leading to an increase in the activities and specificity.
Optimization of the enzyme-catalyzed synthesis of amino acid-based surfactants from palm oil fractions

Soo EL, Salleh AB, Basri M, Zaliha Raja Abdul Rahman RN, Kamaruddin K

J Biosci Bioeng, 2003;95(4):361-7.
PMID: 16233420

The feasibility of using palm oil fractions as cheap and abundant sources of raw material for the synthesis of amino acid surfactants was investigated. Of a number of enzymes screened, the best results were obtained with the immobilized enzyme, Lipozyme. The effects of temperature, solvent, incubation period, fatty substrate/amino acid molar ratio, enzyme amount, and water removal on the reactions were analyzed and compared to those on reactions with free fatty acids and pure triglycerides as fatty substrates. All reactions were most efficient when carried out at high temperatures (70-80 degrees C) in hexane as a solvent. However, while reactions with free fatty acids proceeded better when a slight excess of the free fatty acids over the amino acids was used, reactions with triglycerides and palm oil fractions were best performed at equimolar ratios. Also, the addition of molecular sieves slightly enhanced reactions with free fatty acids but adversely affected reactions with triglycerides and palm oil fractions. Although reactions with palm oil fractions took longer (6 d) to reach equilibrium compared to reactions with free fatty acids (4 d) and pure triglycerides (4 d), better yields were obtained. Such lipase-catalyzed transacylation of palm oil fractions with amino acids is potentially useful in the production of mixed medium- to long-chain surfactants for specific applications.
Fulltext The immediate effect of traditional Malay massage on substance P, inflammatory mediators, pain scale and functional outcome among patients with low back pain: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial

Sejari N, Kamaruddin K, Ramasamy K, Lim SM, Neoh CF, Ming LC

BMC Complement Altern Med, 2016 Jan 15;16:16.
PMID: 26767971 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-016-0988-1

BACKGROUND: The treatment of low back pain is very challenging due to the recurrent nature of the problem. It is believed that traditional Malay massage helps to relieve such back pain but there is a lack of scientific evidence to support both the practice of traditional Malay massage and the mechanism by which it exerts its effect. The aim of this study is to investigate the immediate effect of traditional Malay massage on the pain scale, substance P, inflammatory mediators, and functional outcomes among low back pain patients.
METHODS: A non-blinded, randomised controlled trial will be conducted. A total of sixty-six patients who fulfil the inclusion criteria will be recruited. The participants will be randomly allocated into intervention (traditional Malay massage) and control (relaxation position) groups. Blood and saliva samples will be collected before and immediately after intervention. All collected samples will be analysed. The primary outcomes are the changes in the level of substance P in both saliva and blood samples between both groups. The secondary outcomes include the levels of inflammatory mediators [i.e. TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-8, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, IL-6 and IL-10, and the soluble form of the intercellular adhesion molecule], the pain intensity as measured by a visual analogous scale and functional outcomes using the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire.
DISCUSSION: Massage is a type of physical therapy that has been proven to be potentially capable of reducing unpleasant pain sensations by a complex sensory response and chemical mediators such as substance P and various inflammatory mediators. Previous studies conducted using Thai, Swedish, or other forms of massage therapies, have showed inconsistent findings on substance P levels pre and post the interventions. Each massage genre varies in terms of massage and joint mobilization points, as well as the lumbar spinous process. Traditional Malay massage, known locally as "Urut Melayu", involves soft-tissue manipulation of the whole body applied using the hands and fingers. This massage technique combines both deep muscular tissue massage and spiritual rituals. This trial is expected to give rise to new knowledge underlying the mechanisms for pain and inflammation relief that are activated by traditional Malay massage.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials ACTRN12615000537550 .
Fulltext Effect of intercostal stretch on pulmonary function parameters among healthy males

Mohan V, Aziz KB, Kamaruddin K, Leonard JH, Das S, Jagannathan MG

EXCLI J, 2012;11:284-90.
PMID: 27418905

The use of manual stretching procedures has become more prevalent in cardiorespiratory physiotherapy to improve pulmonary functions. However, limited evidence exists regarding evaluation of their effectiveness. The study aimed to determine the impact of Intercostal (IC) stretch in improving the dynamic pulmonary function parameters (Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second (FEV1), Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC % and respiratory rate among healthy adults. Thirty healthy male subjects were recruited based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Subjects were assigned to the experimental group and the control group through random sampling method. In the experimental group, subjects underwent IC stretch for ten breaths on the inspiratory phase of the respiratory cycle with breathing control exercises in semi recumbent position, while in the control group, breathing control exercises alone were performed in the semi recumbent position. The results of the study showed, FEV1/FVC % in the experimental group significantly improved with P=0.017 (p<0.05) than the control group, which means IC stretch increased lung volume and lead to improved lung function. This study suggested the IC stretching with breathing control may be more effective in improving dynamic lung parameters especially FEV1/FVC % than breathing control alone.
Overexpression of Oil Palm Early Nodulin 93 Protein Gene (EgENOD93) Enhances In Vitro Shoot Regeneration in Arabidopsis thaliana

Nizan IEF, Kamaruddin K, Ong PW, Ramli Z, Singh R, Rose RJ, et al.

Mol Biotechnol, 2022 Feb 02.
PMID: 35107753 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-022-00450-y

EgENOD93 was first identified in a cDNA microarray study of oil palm tissue culture where it was highly expressed in leaf explants with embryogenic potential. Functional characterization via an RNA interference study of its orthologue in Medicago truncatula demonstrated a significant role of this gene in somatic embryo formation. In this study, EgENOD93 was overexpressed in the important model plant Arabidopsis thaliana to investigate the embryogenic potential of EgENOD93 transgenic Arabidopsis explants compared to explants from control plants (pMDC140 and WT). Experiments using leaf explants revealed higher numbers of regenerated shoots at day 27 in all the homozygous transgenic Arabidopsis cultures (Tg01, Tg02 and Tg03) compared to controls. The expression level of EgENOD93 in Arabidopsis cultures was quantified using reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). The results supported the overexpression of this gene in transgenic Arabidopsis cultures, with 6 and 10 times higher expression of EgENOD93 in callus at Day 9 and Day 20, respectively. Overall, the results support the role of EgENOD93 in the enhancement of shoot regeneration in transgenic Arabidopsis. This together with the previous results observed in oil palm and Medicago truncatula suggests that ENOD93 plays a key role in the induction of somatic embryogenesis. A similarity to early nodulation-like ontogeny is possible.
Hand Grip Strength and Myocardial Oxygen Consumption Index among Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Patients

Sokran SN, Mohan V, Kamaruddin K, Sulaiman MD, Awang Y, Othman IR, et al.

Iran J Med Sci, 2015 Jul;40(4):335-40.
PMID: 26170520

Hand grip strength (HGS) is a reliable indicator of peripheral muscle strength. Although, numerous studies have investigated the strength of hand grip; little attention has been given to coronary artery disease (CAD) patients, exploring the relationship between HGS and myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2) index. The current study aimed to evaluate the interaction between HGS and MVO2 index findings before and after cardiac surgery.
Fulltext An integrated linkage map of interspecific backcross 2 (BC2) populations reveals QTLs associated with fatty acid composition and vegetative parameters influencing compactness in oil palm

Yaakub Z, Kamaruddin K, Singh R, Mustafa S, Marjuni M, Ting NC, et al.

BMC Plant Biol, 2020 Jul 29;20(1):356.
PMID: 32727448 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-020-02563-5

BACKGROUND: Molecular breeding has opened new avenues for crop improvement with the potential for faster progress. As oil palm is the major producer of vegetable oil in the world, its improvement, such as developing compact planting materials and altering its oils' fatty acid composition for wider application, is important.
RESULTS: This study sought to identify the QTLs associated with fatty acid composition and vegetative traits for compactness in the crop. It integrated two interspecific backcross two (BC2) mapping populations to improve the genetic resolution and evaluate the consistency of the QTLs identified. A total 1963 markers (1814 SNPs and 149 SSRs) spanning a total map length of 1793 cM were integrated into a consensus map. For the first time, some QTLs associated with vegetative parameters and carotene content were identified in interspecific hybrids, apart from those associated with fatty acid composition. The analysis identified 8, 3 and 8 genomic loci significantly associated with fatty acids, carotene content and compactness, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Major genomic region influencing the traits for compactness and fatty acid composition was identified in the same chromosomal region in the two populations using two methods for QTL detection. Several significant loci influencing compactness, carotene content and FAC were common to both populations, while others were specific to particular genetic backgrounds. It is hoped that the QTLs identified will be useful tools for marker-assisted selection and accelerate the identification of desirable genotypes for breeding.
Fulltext Fine-mapping and cross-validation of QTLs linked to fatty acid composition in multiple independent interspecific crosses of oil palm

Ting NC, Yaakub Z, Kamaruddin K, Mayes S, Massawe F, Sambanthamurthi R, et al.

BMC Genomics, 2016;17(1):289.
PMID: 27079197 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2607-4

The commercial oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) produces a mesocarp oil (commonly called 'palm oil') with approximately equal proportions of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (FAs). An increase in unsaturated FAs content or iodine value (IV) as a measure of the degree of unsaturation would help to open up new markets for the oil. One way to manipulate the fatty acid composition (FAC) in palm oil is through introgression of favourable alleles from the American oil palm, E. oleifera, which has a more unsaturated oil.
Fulltext Expression of fatty acid and triacylglycerol synthesis genes in interspecific hybrids of oil palm

Ting NC, Sherbina K, Khoo JS, Kamaruddin K, Chan PL, Chan KL, et al.

Sci Rep, 2020 10 01;10(1):16296.
PMID: 33004875 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73170-5

Evaluation of transcriptome data in combination with QTL information has been applied in many crops to study the expression of genes responsible for specific phenotypes. In oil palm, the mesocarp oil extracted from E. oleifera × E. guineensis interspecific hybrids is known to have lower palmitic acid (C16:0) content compared to pure African palms. The present study demonstrates the effectiveness of transcriptome data in revealing the expression profiles of genes in the fatty acid (FA) and triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis processes in interspecific hybrids. The transcriptome assembly yielded 43,920 putative genes of which a large proportion were homologous to known genes in the public databases. Most of the genes encoding key enzymes involved in the FA and TAG synthesis pathways were identified. Of these, 27, including two candidate genes located within the QTL associated with C16:0 content, showed differential expression between developmental stages, populations and/or palms with contrasting C16:0 content. Further evaluation using quantitative real-time PCR revealed that differentially expressed patterns are generally consistent with those observed in the transcriptome data. Our results also suggest that different isoforms are likely to be responsible for some of the variation observed in FA composition of interspecific hybrids.