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Fulltext The development of legume-based yogurt by using water kefir as starter culture

Lim, X. X., Koh, W. Y., Uthumporn, U., Maizura, M., Wan Rosli, W. I.

International Food Research Journal, 2019;26(4):1219-1228.
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The aim of the present work was to develop legume-based kefir yogurts to replace conventional dairy yogurts that are not suitable to be consumed by vegetarians and consumers who have lactose intolerance and milk allergy. Soy and black bean milk were incubated at 15°C and 20°C for 24 h with 35 g of water kefir grains to produce kefir yogurt. The proximate composition, physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics of the yogurts were evaluated. At 20°C, soy and black bean milk produced kefir yogurts with significantly lower pH, total soluble solids, and sucrose concentration, indicating that fermentation process carried out at 20°C had higher efficiency than 15°C; meanwhile, black bean milk produced better kefir yogurts than soymilk. Black bean kefir yogurt which was fermented at 20°C had higher level of total plate count (2.05 × 107 CFU/mL), yeast and mould count (6.95 × 106 CFU/mL), and lactobacilli count (8.3
× 105 CFU/mL) as compared to other kefir yogurts. In general, 20°C produced kefir yogurt with better technological properties. Both soymilk and black bean milk were good alternative substrates for kefir yogurt production.
Fulltext Carica papaya L. Leaf: A Systematic Scoping Review on Biological Safety and Herb-Drug Interactions

Lim XY, Chan JSW, Japri N, Lee JC, Tan TYC

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2021;2021:5511221.
PMID: 34040647 DOI: 10.1155/2021/5511221

INTRODUCTION: The Carica papaya L. leaf is gaining interest as a potential therapeutic agent for alleviating dengue- and non-dengue-associated thrombocytopaenia. In that regard, safety considerations are as important as efficacy potential. The safety evaluation of botanical products for human use is complicated by variable formulations, complex phytochemical composition, and extrinsic toxicants. This review aimed to systematically collate related safety clinical and preclinical data, as well as reports on herb-drug interactions of C. papaya leaf consumption.
METHODS: A systematic search using predetermined keywords on electronic databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane Library Central, LILACS, and Web of Science) and grey literature was conducted. Relevant clinical and preclinical studies were identified, screened, and analysed to present an overall safety profile of C. papaya leaf consumption.
RESULTS: A total of 41 articles were included (23 clinical, 5 ongoing trials, and 13 preclinical) for descriptive analysis on study characteristics, adverse reactions, toxicity findings, and herb-drug interactions, from which 13 randomised controlled and quasiexperimental trials were further assessed for risk of bias and reporting quality. Overall, C. papaya leaf consumption (in the form of juice and standardised aqueous extract) was well tolerated by adult humans for short durations (
Fulltext Eye-tracking as a measure of receptive vocabulary in non-verbal children with cerebral palsy

Joginder Singh S, Raman S, Lim X, Rajakumar V, A Razak R, Chu SY

PLoS One, 2025;20(6):e0325183.
PMID: 40460148 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0325183

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often struggle to participate in traditional language assessments due to their limited mobility, making it challenging for speech-language therapists (SLTs) to accurately assess their language abilities. In recent years, there has been evidence that eye-tracking is an effective way of measuring the receptive language abilities of children who demonstrate difficulties with traditional language assessments. This study aimed to (i) develop eye-tracking assessment materials based on a receptive vocabulary subtest of a Malay language assessment and (ii) evaluate the performance of children with CP on the receptive vocabulary assessment conducted via eye-tracking, compared to their performance on a traditional receptive vocabulary assessment. The first phase of the study focused on developing eye-tracking receptive vocabulary assessment materials from the Malay Preschool Language Assessment Tool and trialling the materials and assessment protocol. This phase involved 15 typically developing children aged 4-6 years. The finalized materials and protocol were administered to 15 children with CP in the second phase. Each child attended two assessment sessions: the first was a traditional receptive vocabulary assessment, and the second utilized eye-tracking technology. Children practiced eye-tracking through online games. Results showed that eight children with CP performed better in the eye-tracking assessment, two scored similarly across both methods, and five scored lower during eye-tracking. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test conducted revealed no significant difference in scores across both assessment methods (p > .05). Furthermore, most children exhibited poor consistency in their scores across the two methods. These findings suggest that while some children with CP may benefit from receptive vocabulary assessments conducted via eye-tracking, no single assessment method is optimal for all children with CP. Instead, children with CP may benefit from a combination of assessment methods, including eye-tracking, to increase the accuracy of assessment results.
Effectiveness of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid®) in preventing hospitalisation and death among COVID-19 patients: a prospective cohort study

Chew LS, Lim XJ, Chang CT, Kamaludin RS, Leow HL, Ong SY, et al.

Med J Malaysia, 2023 Sep;78(5):602-608.
PMID: 37775486

INTRODUCTION: Previous trials and real-world studies have shown that nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid®) reduces hospitalisation and deaths in symptomatic, high-risk, nonsevere COVID-19 patients. However, there was a scarcity of data on its effectiveness in the local setting. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Paxlovid® in reducing hospitalisation and mortality among COVID-19 patients and to identify the types of adverse events that occur after taking Paxlovid®.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A two-arm prospective cohort study was conducted among adult patients with COVID-19 categories 2 and 3 treated with Paxlovid® and a matched control group. A standard risk-stratified scoring system was used to establish Paxlovid® eligibility. All patients who were prescribed Paxlovid® and took at least one dose of Paxlovid® were included in the study. The control patients were selected from a centralised COVID-19 patient registry and matched based on age, gender and COVID-19 stage severity.
RESULTS: A total of 552 subjects were included in the study and evenly allocated to the treatment and control groups. There was no statistically significant difference in 28-day hospitalisation after diagnosis [Paxlovid®: 26 (9.4%), Control: 34 (12.3%), OR: 0.74; 95%CI, 0.43-1.27; p=0.274] or all-cause death [Paxlovid®: 2 (0.7%), Control: 3 (1.1%), OR 1.51; 95%CI, 0.25-9.09; p=0.999]. There was no significant reduction in hospitalisation duration, intensive care unit admission events or supplementary oxygen requirement in the treatment arm. Ethnicity, COVID-19 severity at diagnosis, comorbidities and vaccination status were predictors of hospitalisation events.
CONCLUSION: In this two-arm study, Paxlovid® did not significantly lower the incidence of hospitalisation, all-cause death and the need for supplemental oxygen. Adverse effects were frequent but not severe. Paxlovid® efficacy varied across settings and populations, warranting further real-world investigations.