Displaying all 5 publications

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Atta M, Idris A, Bukhari A, Wahidin S
    Bioresour Technol, 2013 Nov;148:373-8.
    PMID: 24063820 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2013.08.162
    Light quality and the intensity are key factors which render microalgae as a potential source of biodiesel. In this study the effects of various intensities of blue light and its photoperiods on the growth and lipid content of Chlorella vulgaris were investigated by using LED (Light Emitting Diode) in batch culture. C. vulgaris was grown for 13 days at three different light intensities (100, 200 and 300 μmol m(-2)s(-1)). Effect of three different light and dark regimes (12:12, 16:08 and 24:00 h Light:Dark) were investigated for each light intensity at 25°C culture temperature. Maximum lipid content (23.5%) was obtained due to high efficiency and deep penetration of 200 μmol m(-2)s(-1) of blue light (12:12 L:D) with improved specific growth (1.26 d(-1)) within reduced cultivation time of 8 days. White light could produce 20.9% lipid content in 10 days at 16:08 h L:D.
  2. Wahidin S, Idris A, Shaleh SR
    Bioresour Technol, 2013 Feb;129:7-11.
    PMID: 23232218 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2012.11.032
    Illumination factors such as length of photoperiod and intensity can affect growth of microalgae and lipid content. In order to optimize microalgal growth in mass culture system and lipid content, the effects of light intensity and photoperiod cycle on the growth of the marine microalgae, Nannochloropsis sp. were studied in batch culture. Nannochloropsis sp. was grown aseptically for 9 days at three different light intensities (50, 100 and 200 μmol m(-2) s(-1)) and three different photoperiod cycles (24:0, 18:06 and 12:12 h light:dark) at 23 °C cultivation temperature. Under the light intensity of 100 μmol m(-2) s(-1) and photoperiod of 18 h light: 6 h dark cycle, Nannochloropsis sp. was found to grow favorably with a maximum cell concentration of 6.5×10(7) cells mL(-1), which corresponds to the growth rate of 0.339 d(-1) after 8 day cultivation and the lipid content was found to be 31.3%.
  3. Wahidin S, Idris A, Shaleh SR
    Bioresour Technol, 2016 Apr;206:150-4.
    PMID: 26851899 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2016.01.084
    The wet biomass microalgae of Nannochloropsis sp. was converted to biodiesel using direct transesterification (DT) by microwave technique and ionic liquid (IL) as the green solvent. Three different ionic liquids; 1-butyl-3-metyhlimidazolium chloride ([BMIM][Cl], 1-ethyl-3-methylimmidazolium methyl sulphate [EMIM][MeSO4] and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethane sulfonate [BMIM][CF3SO3]) and organic solvents (hexane and methanol) were used as co-solvents under microwave irradiation and their performances in terms of percentage disruption, cell walls ruptured and biodiesel yields were compared at different reaction times (5, 10 and 15 min). [EMIM][MeSO4] showed highest percentage cell disruption (99.73%) and biodiesel yield (36.79% per dried biomass) after 15 min of simultaneous reaction. The results demonstrated that simultaneous extraction-transesterification using ILs and microwave irradiation is a potential alternative method for biodiesel production.
  4. Azman S, Sekar M, Bonam SR, Gan SH, Wahidin S, Lum PT, et al.
    J Asthma Allergy, 2021;14:641-662.
    PMID: 34163178 DOI: 10.2147/JAA.S296391
    Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract in which the numerous immune cells, including eosinophils, neutrophils, macrophages, T-lymphocytes, mast cells and epithelial lining play key roles. The numerous anti-asthmatic drugs are available in modern medicine to treat asthma, but they have several disadvantages, including side effects and the cost variations, which compromise treatment compliance. The literature review reveals that traditional herbal medicines have good potential as alternative treatment and management for asthma. However, communities hesitated to use the traditional herbal medicines due to lack of established mechanism of action about their anti-asthmatic potential. The present review aimed to summarise the information stated in the literature about the potential effect of traditional medicinal plants (TMPs) conferring protection against ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma model. The literature search was conducted in database like PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect. After screening through the literature from 2011 to date, a total of 27 medicinal plants and two polyherbal extracts have been reported to be used as traditional herbal medicines and also utilised to be tested against OVA-induced asthma, were included. We found them to be an important alternative source of treatment for asthma, since some have comparable efficacies with drugs commonly used in the modern system against asthma. All the reported medicinal plants confirmed their traditional use against asthma or its related inflammation. The present review provides faith in traditional information and also offers new insight into the potential of natural products against asthma.
  5. Azman S, Sekar M, Wahidin S, Gan SH, Vaijanathappa J, Bonam SR, et al.
    J Asthma Allergy, 2021;14:1511-1525.
    PMID: 34938083 DOI: 10.2147/JAA.S298613
    BACKGROUND: Asthma is a chronic lung disease, which causes wheezing, tightness in the chest, shortness of breath and coughing. In the wake of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which affect the lungs, asthma patients are at high risk. Embelin, a natural benzoquinone obtained mainly from Embelia ribes Burm, has excellent biological properties, including protection against acute asthma. However, since asthma is a chronic and multi-factorial inflammatory disease, asthma conferred by a single allergen in an animal may not be clinically significant. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of embelin against ovalbumin (OVA)-lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced severe airway inflammation in experimental animals and to investigate the plausible mechanism of action.

    METHODS: Rats (n=36) were divided into six groups. Group I served as a normal control. Groups II-VI were sensitised with severe allergens (OVA and LPS) on day 7, 14 and 21, followed by OVA and LPS challenge for 30 min three times/week for 3 weeks. Group II acted as an asthmatic disease control and received only vehicle. On the other hand, groups III-V received embelin (12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg, P.O. respectively) while group VI received a standard dexamethasone (2.5 mg/kg, P.O.) for 15 days from day 27. Lung function parameters, including the respiratory rate, tidal volume and airflow rate were measured at the end of the experiment (day 42). The total and differential counts of leukocytes in the blood and bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF) were calculated. Th2-mediated serum pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5 and IL-13 levels were analyzed. At the end of the study protocol, the lung tissues were removed for a histopathology study. Additionally, a molecular docking simulation on embelin and standard dexamethasone was applied to support the in vivo findings.

    RESULTS: Significant inhibition of eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes in the blood and the BALF was seen in the groups, which received embelin (25 and 50 mg/kg) and dexamethasone (2.5 mg/kg). Moreover, the lung function parameters were normalised by embelin (25 and 50 mg/kg) treatment significantly. The lung histopathological changes confirmed the protective effect of embelin against severe airway inflammation. The docking findings indicated good binding efficacy of embelin to IL-13.

    CONCLUSION: Overall, our findings indicate that embelin can alleviate severe airway inflammation in OVA-LPS-induced model of allergic asthma occurring by suppression of Th2-mediated immune response. Due to its promising anti-asthmatic effect, it is recommended that embelin should be investigated in clinical trials against asthma. It should also be further explored against COVID-19 or COVID-like diseases due to its ameliorative effects on cytokines and immune cell infiltration.

Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links