Haruan or Channa striatus is source of protein that is widely consumed in the region and its extract
is well known for having medical values. It is of great advantage if this product could be taken
orally rather than by injection because the oral route of drug delivery is still preferred by the vast
majority of patients. However protein and peptides can be denatured or degraded by the acidic pH
of the stomach and the presence of endogenous enzymes. In order to protect or prevent digestion
and degradation of the protein in the stomach and to ensure the protein reaches the gastro
intestinal (GI) tract, Carboxymethyl Starch (CMS) nanogel system was developed using electron
irradiation method. However stability of HTE during the irradiation process needed to be studied
before being developed further. In this study, the HTE was irradiated using electron beams. Its
stability was analysed in terms of physical and chemical changes by looking at colour difference,
melting point by using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and molecular bonds by using
Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) respectively. The results of this study were that no apparent
colour difference was observed with HTE before and after irradiation. These observations were
supported by the FTIR and DSC results that showed that there were no changes in molecular bonds
and melting point, compared between no irradiation and irradiation HTE during electron
irradiation up to 10 kGy. Statistically the test showed no significant difference at p < 0.005 between
melting temperatures.
Background. Low birth weight is the single most important factor that determines the chances of child survival. A recent annual estimation indicated that nearly 8 million infants are born with low birth weight in India. The infant mortality rate is about 20 times greater for all low birth weight babies. Methods. A matched case-control study was conducted on 130 low birth weight babies and 130 controls for 12 months (from August 1, 2007, to July 31, 2008) at the Central Referral Hospital, Tadong, East District of Sikkim, India. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 10.0 for Windows. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression were applied. A P value less than .05 was considered as significant. Results. In the first phase of this study, 711 newborn babies, borne by 680 mothers, were screened at the Central Referral Hospital of Sikkim during the 1-year study period, and the proportion of low birth weight babies was determined to be 130 (18.3%). Conclusion. Multiple logistic regression analysis, conducted in the second phase, revealed that low or middle socioeconomic status, maternal underweight, twin pregnancy, previous history of delivery of low birth weight babies, smoking and consumption of alcohol during pregnancy, and congenital anomalies had independent significant association with low birth weight in this study population.
Background. Since 2008, we have observed an increasing number of Myanmarese refugees in Malaysia being admitted for acute/subacute onset peripheral neuropathy. Most of them had a preceding history of starvation. Methods. We retrospectively studied the clinical features of all Myanmarese patients admitted with peripheral neuropathy from September 2008 to January 2014. Results. A total of 24 patients from the Chin, Rohingya, and Rakhine ethnicities (mean age, 23.8 years; male, 96%) had symmetrical, ascending areflexic weakness with at least one additional presenting symptom of fever, lower limb swelling, vomiting, abdominal pain, or difficulty in breathing. Twenty (83.3%) had sensory symptoms. Ten (41.6%) had cranial nerve involvement. Nineteen patients had cerebrospinal fluid examinations but none with evidence of albuminocytological dissociation. Neurophysiological assessment revealed axonal polyneuropathy, predominantly a motor-sensory subtype. Folate and vitamin B12 deficiencies were detected in 31.5% of them. These findings suggested the presence of a polyneuropathy related to nutrition against a backdrop of other possible environmental factors such as infections, metabolic disorders, or exposure to unknown toxin. Supportive treatment with appropriate vitamins supplementation improved functional outcome in most patients. Conclusion. We report a spectrum of acquired reversible neurological manifestations among Myanmarese refugees likely to be multifactorial with micronutrient deficiencies playing an important role in the pathogenesis.
Objectives. The study was conducted to determine the correlation of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and anti-C1q antibody levels with SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) and standard SLE disease activity immunological markers (anti-dsDNA and sera C3 and C4). Study Design. This was a cross-sectional study. Materials and Methods. Blood samples were obtained from 95 SLE patients (45 active SLE and 50 nonactive SLE) and 50 controls. The subjects were assessed using SLEDAI and score of more than five is determined as having active SLE. The sera were tested for serum ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and anti-C1q (ELISA), anti-dsDNA (CLIFT), serum C3, and serum C4 (immunonephelometry). Results. Anti-dsDNA and anti-C1q antibody showed good positive correlations with SLEDAI (r = 0.529, P < 0.001 and r = 0.559, P < 0.001, resp.). VCAM-1 and sera C3 and C4 showed fair correlation with SLEDAI (r = 0.294, P = 0.004; r = -0.312, P = 0.002; and r = -0.382, P < 0.001, resp.). ICAM-1 level showed no significant correlation with SLEDAI (P = 0.062). There were significant correlations of VCAM-1 and anti-C1q antibody with anti-dsDNA (r = 0.226, P = 0.006 and r = 0.511, P < 0.001, resp.). VCAM-1 showed poor inverse correlation with serum C3 (r = -0.183, P = 0.028) and fair inverse correlation with serum C4 (r = -0.251, P = 0.002). Anti-C1q antibody demonstrated fair inverse correlation with both sera C3 and C4 (r = -0.420, P ≤ 0.001 and r = -0.398, P < 0.001, resp.). However, ICAM-1 showed no significant correlation with anti-dsDNA and sera C3 and C4 (P = 0.259, P = 0.626 and P = 0.338, resp.). Conclusions. The serum levels of anti-C1q antibody in SLE patients showed the best correlation with the SLEDAI and standard immunological tests for SLE disease activity. These data support that anti-C1q antibody is a useful marker for monitoring SLE global disease activity. The potential of VCAM-1 needs further confirmation.
Study site: Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM), Kubang Kerian, and Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II (HRPZ II), Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
The present study aims to evaluate the antioxidant and anxiolytic-like effect of Tualang honey in stressed ovariectomized (OVX) rats. The animals were divided into; (i) nonstressed sham-operated control rats, (ii) sham-operated control rats exposed to stress, (iii) nonstressed OVX rats, (iv) OVX rats exposed to stress, (v) OVX rats exposed to stress and treated with 17 β-oestradiol (E2) (20 μg daily, sc), and (vi) OVX rats exposed to stress and treated with Tualang honey (0.2 g/kg body weight, orally). The open field test was used to evaluate the anxiety-like behaviour and ELISA kits were used to measure oxidant/antioxidant status of the brain homogenates. The result showed that anxiety-like behavior was significantly increased in stressed OVX compared to other groups, and administering either E2 or Tualang honey significantly decreased anxiety-like behaviour in stressed OVX rats. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PCO) were significantly decreased while the levels/activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferases (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GR) were significantly increased in the brain homogenates of treated stressed OVX groups compared to untreated stressed OVX. In conclusion, Tualang honey has protective effects against brain oxidative stress and may be useful alternative anxiolytic agent especially for postmenopausal women.
A real valued neural network (RVNN) based energy detector (ED) is proposed and analyzed for cognitive radio (CR) application. This was developed using a known two-layered RVNN model to estimate the model coefficients of an autoregressive (AR) system. By using appropriate modules and a well-designed detector, the power spectral density (PSD) of the AR system transfer function was estimated and subsequent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of the detector generated and analyzed. A high detection performance with low false alarm rate was observed for varying signal to noise ratio (SNR), sample number, and model order conditions. The proposed RVNN based ED was then compared to the simple periodogram (SP), Welch periodogram (WP), multitaper (MT), Yule-Walker (YW), Burg (BG), and covariance (CV) based ED techniques. The proposed detector showed better performance than the SP, WP, and MT while providing better false alarm performance than the YW, BG, and CV. Data provided here support the effectiveness of the proposed RVNN based ED for CR application.
Vibrio parahaemolyticus is recognized as a frequent causal agent of human gastroenteritis due to the consumption of raw, undercooked or mishandled seafood in many Asian countries. The number of V. parahaemolyticus cases reported is on the rise, and this becomes a concern to the Asian countries as seafood is favoured by Asians. This study aimed to detect and quantify V. parahaemolyticus in raw oysters and to determine the risk associated with the consumption of raw oysters. A total of 30 oyster samples were collected and analysed in this study. MPN-PCR and MPN-Plating methods were employed and carried out concurrently to determine the prevalence of V. parahaemolyticus in raw oysters. The results showed that the prevalence of total V. parahaemolyticus in oysters was 50.00% (15/30) where the MPN/g range was < 3 – > 11000 MPN/g for MPN-PCR method, and 40.00% (12/30) where the MPN/g range was < 3 – 4300 MPN/g for MPN-Plating method. MPN-PCR method was able to estimate the level of virulence (tdh+ and trh+) V. parahaemolyticus in the raw oysters where 10.00% (3/30) of samples were identified to be in a range of 3 – 30 MPN/g. A microbial risk assessment was conducted based on the enumeration data obtained from MPN-PCR method using @risk. The probability of illness annually was 1.76 X 10-6 with a prediction of 31 cases to occur with respect to the exposed Malaysian population, while the rate per 100,000 people was estimated to be at 0.104. In addition, the antibiogram of V. parahaemolyticus was determined using Kirby Bauer Disk Diffusion Test and the results indicated that the isolates were highly resistant towards Bacitracin (100.00%), Vancomycin (100.00%) and were least resistant to Chloramphenicol (8.70%). The MAR index of the isolates ranged from 0.17 to 0.50. In accordance with the results from this study, the consumption of raw oysters is a risk factor for V. parahaemolyticus infection and proactive actions should be taken to reduce the risk of the pathogen in order to improve public health.
This study is conducted to investigate the effect of different concentrations of betel leaves extract on color, pH and microbiological in homemade chili bo. The homemade chili bo with different concentrations (0 mg/ml, 0.75 mg/ml, 1.25 mg/ml and 1.75 mg/ml) of betel leaves extract were prepared for analysis. The results showed that the color of chili bo became darker as the concentration of betel leaves extract increased. The extract showed significant in the pH of chili bo after 7 days in which the highest concentration of extract showed the highest value of pH 4.31. The aerobic microbial count was decreased as the concentration of betel leaves extract increased in chili bo. After 7 days of storage, the highest concentration of betel leaves extract showed the highest percentage of reduction (6%), while the control sample showed 2.41% of aerobic reduction. The study also found that the extract contain lesser yeast and mold count (5.22 log CFU/ml) in homemade chili bo compared to the control sample (5.31 log CFU/ml) after 7 days. Betel leaves extract can be considered as natural food preservatives in chili bo to reduce the growth of spoilage microorganism and thus enhance the shelf life of chili bo.
The plant extract serves not only as a good source of bioactive compounds but also as natural pigment that can be applied as colourants in food and pharmaceutical products. The aim of this study were to determine the anthocyanin content of Garcinia mangostana peel extract (GMPE), Clitoria ternatea extract (CTE) and Syzigium cumini extract (SCE) in relation to their antioxidant activity and their colour properties. The antioxidant activities related to the phenolic constituents including anthocyanin content were determined based on the EC50 of DPPH radical scavenging activity and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay. The colour properties of the plant extracts were measured based on their degradation index (DI), indices of polymeric colour (PC) and colour density (CD). GMPE showed higher FRAP value and lower EC50 value which were 79.37 mmoles/g and 0.11 mg/ml, respectively, as compared to SCE extract with FRAP value, 25.66 mmoles/g and EC50 value, 0.22 mg/ml. Total monomeric anthocyanin (tmAcy) exhibited a strong correlation between FRAP assay (r2 = 0.998) and DPPH assay (r2 = 0.859). GMPE showed high CD (1.63 AU), moderate PC (0.18 AU) but low in DI (1.19 AU) while SCE exhibited low in CD (0.55 AU) and PC (0.07 AU) but moderate DI (1.26 AU). CTE exhibited high in DI (5.39 AU) and PC (0.19 AU) but moderate in CD (0.55). Hence, it can be concluded that colour pigment obtained from GMPE exhibited high antioxidant activity and better colour properties as compared to SCE and the strong correlation between tmAcy and two antioxidant activity assays which are FRAP and DPPH indicated that monomeric anthocyanin plays a major role in antioxidant activity of these plant extracts.
In this work, oven-dried, freeze-dried and spray-dried agaro-oligosaccharide powders were characterized to investigate their physicochemical and antioxidant properties. Agaro-oligosaccharide powders were shown to exhibit high water solubility index (88.73 – 95.88%), water absorption capacity (0.96 – 2.57 g/g) and oil absorption capacity (0.40 – 0.45 g/g). Agaro-oligosaccharide powders were shown to possess moderate DPPH radical scavenging activity (10.65 – 14.59%), ABTS radical scavenging activity (44 .47 – 65.61%) and ferric reducing antioxidant activity (0.165 – 0.353). Agaro-oligosaccharide powders were further characterized with respect to thermal and pH stability. Agaro-oligosaccharide powders were shown to exhibit high temperature resistance (≤ 100oC) and acid/alkaline resistance.
The emerging studies suggest antioxidant may represent an important role in defence against certain diseases outlined the necessity of determining their contents in tamarillo (Cyphomandra betacea), cherry tomato (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme), and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). This study aims to determine the antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content and total flavonoid content in tamarillo, yellow cherry tomato, red cherry tomato, and tomato in 70% ethanol and water extracts. The ethanol extract showed the highest scavenging activity, ferric reducing activity, phenolic and flavonoid contents, whereas, the water extract showed higher value for antioxidant activity in β-Carotene bleaching assay. Tamarillo showed the highest antioxidant activity (22.92 ± 3.60%, 28.89 ± 3.85%), scavenging activity (44.25 ± 0.82 μg/ml, 47.38 ± 1.11 μg/ml), ferric reducing activity (12.17 ± 0.53 μM Fe (II)/g, 3.72 ± 0.20 μM Fe (II)/g), phenolic content (7.63 ± 0.37 mg GAE/g edible portion, 1.83 ± 0.50 mg GAE/g edible portion) and flavonoid content (6.44 ± 0.16 mg CE/g edible portion, 2.22 ± 0.31 mg CE/g edible portion) in ethanol and water extracts respectively. For ethanol extracts a positive correlations existed (0.66 ≤ r ≥ 0.97) between ferric reducing activity, antioxidant activity, phenolic content and flavonoid content. While, in water extract correlation test revealed a positive correlations between antioxidant activity, ferric reducing activity and phenolic content (0.645 ≤ r ≥ 0.706) and between antioxidant activity and flavonoid content (r = 0.820). In conclusion, tamarillo exhibits the highest antioxidant capacity, phenolic content and also flavonoid content.
The effectiveness of poultry stunning in producing swift slaughtering was analysed in response to the time needed for the chickens to become insensible upon neck cutting (Td) and the induction of myofiber apoptosis. In total, 49 chicken broilers (BW of 2.17 ± .24 kg) were sacrificed with pre-slaughter stunning, using a constant voltage stunner where the electric current varied between 7.2 to 124.3 mA, and without stunning. The electric current applied during stunning was found to have no effect on Td. Number of apoptotic myonuclei did not vary among stunned and unstunned meat. Apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) and caspase 3 expressions were also not detected in the meat samples of both stunned and unstunned groups at 1 d postmortem. Since the slaughtering process and stunning are associated with stress, the expression of 70 kDa-heat shock protein (Hsp70) was investigated. Moreover Hsp70 is also an inhibitor of apoptosis, by preventing the activation of AIF and apoptosome which stimulates caspase 3 activation. However, expression of Hsp70 was not induced in both stunned groups and unstunned groups. Together, this study found that poultry stunning does not affect Td and myofiber apoptosis.
Globally, agro-industrial by products such as fruit waste has attained immense recognition to be used for the extraction of valuable functional ingredients. Pectin is naturally occurring biopolymer that is widely recognized in food industry as well as in biotechnology. Keeping in view, current research was conducted for extraction, characterization and utilization of grapefruit peel pectin from Duncan cultivar. The extracted pectin was characterized for different parameters that explored its role in value added products. Acid extraction was carried out and then pectin was characterized for equivalent weight, ash content and methoxyl content. With the addition of extracted pectin, jam was prepared and analysed for physicochemical analysis and sensory attributes. The maximum extraction (22.55%) was done from grapefruit peel at temperature-120°C with pH-1.5, while minimum extraction (0.41%) was obtained at temperature-120°C with pH-2. Moreover, adding pectin in jam formulation resulted in significant effect on texture of the final product. Conclusively, pectin holds a great potential to be extracted and utilized in fruit based products for best quality and value addition.
High intake of trans fatty acids (TFA) may cause adverse changes in blood lipids as shown in many epidemiological studies. The major sources of TFA in human diet come from bakery products such as cookies, cakes, muffins, breads and pastries. In this study, total fat of baked products was determined using Soxhlet method while TFA content was determined on gas chromatograph using a highly polar capillary column and flame ionization detector. Exposure to TFA from the baked product was estimated based on Food Consumption Statistics of Malaysia 2003. High level of TFA was observed in muffins (3.21-7.34 g per 100 g food) followed by pastries (2.90-6.03 g per 100 g food) and cakes (2.26-8.36 g per 100 g food) regardless of products having brand name or not. Among the TFA isomers, trans 18:1 6t was the most abundant followed by trans 18:1 9t, trans 16:1 9t, trans 18:2 and small quantities of trans 18:1 11t. Exposure to TFA based on the Malaysian Food Consumption Statistics 2003 of the baked products was ranging from 0.14-0.18 g/day. Even with the low estimated exposure, actual intake of baked products must be monitored closely as other high fat food as these products is one of main contributor to TFA in the diet following their high frequency of daily intake.
Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce the risk of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and cancer as well as promote brain development among infants and children. This study was carried out to compare total protein, fat and omega-3 fatty acids content of raw and pressurized fish of P. pangasius (yellowtail catfish) and H. macrura (long tail shad). The fish was cooked using pressure cooker for six minute to be pressurized. The protein content was determined by using Kjedahl method while total fat was determined using solvent extraction using chloroform and methanol. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were prepared by a direct transesterification method, and quantified by gas chromatography using external standard. Results showed that marine fish H. macrura (long tail shad) had higher content (p < 0.05) of protein (18.30 ± 0.040 g/100 g), fat (10.965 ± 1.610 g/100 g), EPA (11.83 ± 0.02 g/100 g) and DHA (5.96 ± 0.31 g/100 g) compared to freshwater fish P. pangasius (yellowtail catfish). The protein content of pressurized fish was higher compare to raw fish, but there was no difference in total fat and omega-3 fatty acids content between raw and pressurized of freshwater fish P. pangasius and marine fish, H. macrura. In conclusion, marine fish are better source of protein, fat and omega-3 content, while pressurized fish shown to have comparable amount of protein, fat and omega-3 fatty acids content with raw fish. The result obtained assist the consumers to prepare a healthy menu in order to retain the protein and omega-3 fatty acids content of fish through healthy way of cooking.
The textural and sensorial properties of the cookies prepared by partial substitution of wheat flour with two types of unripe banana flour (UBF) were studied. The green matured unripe banana (Musa x paradisiaca var. Tanduk and Musa acuminata var. Emas) was used to partially substitute the usage of wheat flour at 0% (control), 25% and 50% level in the formulated plain cookies. Textural (hardness) and sensorial properties were conducted on all samples. Substitution of UBF to formulation of cookies had increased the hardness of cookies (ranging from 967 N to 1665 N) compared to the control except for substitution of Emas banana flour (EBF) at 50% which was not significantly difference (p > 0.05) with control sample. The substitution of 25% of Tanduk banana flour (TBF) showed the highest mean score in overall acceptability (6.81 ± 1.18) compared to all treated samples. TBF substitution is feasible up to 50% substitution while for EBF, the substitution only up to 25% level in this study.
MeSH terms: Dietary Fiber; Flour; Hardness; Triticum; Musa
This study aimed to determine the amount of the fish (Oreachromi sp, Clarias sp. and Pangasius sutchii) consumption in Malaysia; the quantity of heavy metal residues (arsenic, cadmium, mercury and plumbum) in the fish and the level of the risk exposure. About 1440 respondents from six main production districts were randomly interviewed and the body weight of the respondents was also measured. A total of 240 ready to eat fish from food premises were also stratified randomly sampled where each sample was weighted to determine the average weight of one serving unit sold at food premises. The heavy metal residues were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma–Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES) Optima 4300 DV (German). The level of heavy metals risk exposure was calculated as the percentage value of ’Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intakes’ (PTWI) and recalculated using computer programme @Risk 4.5 Excel (Palisade, USA). The result showed that 60.3% of the respondents consumed the fish. The level of heavy metal risk exposures were calculated as very low i.e. 0.14% (As), 0.31% (Cd), 0.09% (Hg) and 0.78% (Pb).
MeSH terms: Animals; Arsenic; Cadmium; Catfishes; Food; Malaysia; Mercury; Surveys and Questionnaires; Software; Metals, Heavy
Bakery products become a regular food in most part of the world and are essential commodities today. There is a high potential for business growth in selling bakery products. In the business world, Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are primarily engaged in the bakery business, but cannot compete with the branded bakery Industry. The SMEs in Malaysia are striving hard to achieve growth in the business of bakery products. The present case study deals with the issues faced by SMEs and provided some valid recommendations to resolve the existing problems in the bakery business. The case analysis and its findings reveal that SMEs have unstructured marketing strategies and needs enhancements in the areas of packaging, value add to the bakery products, focus on promotion and appropriate advertising strategies. Further, the analysis reveals that more coverage of selling points for bakery products, the increased number of distribution centers and proper incentives to the agents may definitely improve the marketing of bakery products.
In Malaysia, halal certification status for some surimi-based product is still suspicious due to the incorporation of non-halal plasma protein additives as part of the food ingredient. This study was conducted to determine the presence of plasma protein additives that have been incorporated into surimi-based product using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-Southern Hybridization method which able to differentiate 7 type (beef, chicken, duck, goat, buffalo, lamb and pork) of species on a single chip. A random of 17 (n = 17*3) different brands of surimi-based product was purchased from Selangor local market in January 2013. Of 17 brands, 3 (n = 3*3) brands were positive for chicken DNA and 1 (n = 1*3) brand was positive for goat DNA, while remainder 13 brands (n = 13*3) has no DNA species detected. In presence study, it is evidence that PCR-Southern Hybridization analysis offered a reliable result due to its highly specific and sensitive properties in detecting plasma protein incorporation in surimi-based product.
Vitamin D supplementation appears to be potential for reducing risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic diseases, existing evidence on its benefits and risks is inadequate and debatable. Questions remain as to whether supplementation of Vitamin D playing any role in the above mentioned diseases. In the absence of compelling evidence for benefit, taking supplement is producing any risk or not. While sorting the various positive and negative claims for Vitamin D, it attracts an urgent need for further research and review on reports to answer fundamental questions about the risks and benefits of supplementation. There still remains a great need to advance our understanding regarding the effectiveness of Vitamin D. This review gives an overview on disputes of Vitamin D supplementation that is convincing and interventional regarding burning issues of Vitamin D therapy. Beyond its use to prevent osteomalacia or rickets, the evidence for other health effects of vitamin D supplementation in the general inhabitants is conflicting. It is a well known predictability that any effective substance also has unwanted side effects, so clear cut evidence regarding the safety is required before supplementing Vitamin D for pathological conditions and other health benefits.