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Fulltext Effect of tiger milk mushroom (Lignosus rhinocerus) supplementation on respiratory health, immunity and antioxidant status: an open-label prospective study

Tan ESS, Leo TK, Tan CK

Sci Rep, 2021 06 03;11(1):11781.
PMID: 34083710 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91256-6

Tiger milk mushroom (TMM; Lignosus rhinocerus) have been used for a long time by indigenous communities in South East Asia regions as traditional medicine for different ailments, including respiratory disorders. The beneficial effects of TMM have been proven through in vivo and in vitro models, but these effects have yet to be validated in a clinical study. In this study, the beneficial effects of TMM supplementation were investigated in 50 voluntary participants. Participants were required to take 300 mg of TMM twice daily for three months. Level of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin 8 (IL-8), immunoglobulin A (IgA), total antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde (MDA), 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), pulmonary function and respiratory symptoms were assessed during baseline and monthly follow-up visits. Results demonstrated that supplementation of TMM significantly (p
Mercury contamination in facial skin lightening creams and its health risks to user

Ho YB, Abdullah NH, Hamsan H, Tan ESS

Regul Toxicol Pharmacol, 2017 Aug;88:72-76.
PMID: 28554823 DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2017.05.018

This study aims to determine concentrations of mercury in facial skin lightening cream according to different price categories (category I:
Occurrence of pesticides in surface water, pesticides removal efficiency in drinking water treatment plant and potential health risk to consumers in Tengi River Basin, Malaysia

Elfikrie N, Ho YB, Zaidon SZ, Juahir H, Tan ESS

Sci Total Environ, 2020 Apr 10;712:136540.
PMID: 32050383 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136540

Agricultural activities have been arising along with the use of pesticides. The use of pesticides can impact not only on vector or other pest but also able to harm human health. Pesticide may leach from the irrigation of plant into the groundwater and in surface water. These waters could be sources of drinking water in a pesticides polluted area. This study aims to determine the occurrence pesticides in surface water and pesticides removal efficiency in a conventional drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) and the potential health risk to consumers. The study was conducted in Tanjung Karang, Selangor, Malaysia. Thirty river water samples and eighteen water samples from DWTP were collected. The water samples were extracted using solid phase extraction (SPE) before injected to the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Five hundreds and ten respondents were interviewed using questionnaires to obtain information for health risk assessments. The results showed that propiconazole had the highest mean concentration (4493.1 ng/L) while pymetrozine had the lowest mean concentration (1.3 ng/L) in river water samples. The pesticides removal efficiencies in the conventional DWTP were 77% (imidacloprid), 86% (propiconazole and buprofezin), 88% (tebuconazole) and 100% (pymetrozine, tricyclazole, chlorantraniliprole, azoxystrobin and trifloxystrobin), respectively. The hazard quotients (HQs) and hazard index (HI) for all target pesticides were <1, indicating there was no significant chronic non-carcinogenic health risk due to consumption of the drinking water. Conventional DWTP was not able to completely remove four pesticide; thus, advanced treatment systems need to be considered to safeguard the health of the community in future.
Fulltext Acne vulgaris and its association with dietary intake: a Malaysian perspective

Suppiah TSS, Sundram TKM, Tan ESS, Lee CK, Bustami NA, Tan CK

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2018 10 3;27(5):1141-1145.
PMID: 30272862 DOI: 10.6133/apjcn.072018.01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Acne vulgaris is a common skin condition among adolescents and young adults. Its relationship with the dietary intake is highly debatable and equivocal. This study aimed to identify the association between acne vulgaris and dietary intake among Malaysians.
METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A case-control study was conducted involving 57 acne vulgaris patients and 57 age-, gender- and ethnicity-matched controls. All participants were aged 14 and above. The Comprehensive Acne Severity Scale (CASS) was used to categorise patients (grades 2 to 5) and controls (grades 0 to 1). Information such as the demographics, family history, smoking habits and dietary intake were collected using a self-administered questionnaire.
RESULTS: In the patient arm, the gender ratio of male to female was 1.5:1. 43 patients (75.4%) had a family history of acne vulgaris. No significant association was found for acne in patients with a history of smoking. Milk consumption was significantly higher in patients (63.2%, n=36) versus controls (43.9%, n=25), (OR=2.19, p<0.05). In addition, chocolate consumption was also significantly higher in patients (43.9%, n=25) versus controls (24.6%, n=14), (OR=2.4, p<0.05). No significant association was found with the intakes of sweets, potatoes, chips, nuts, yoghurt, ice-cream or carbonated drinks.
CONCLUSIONS: Dietary intake of milk and chocolate may play a role in acne vulgaris. Prospective cohort and intervention studies are recommended to explore whether a causal relationship might obtain.
Fulltext Mental Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observational Evidence from Malaysia

Tan ESS, Chin SAFX, Sathapan MSP, Dewi AD, Amini F, Bustami NA, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2023 Feb 24;20(5).
PMID: 36901057 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20054046

The interplay of physical, social, and economic factors during the pandemic adversely affected the mental health of healthy people and exacerbated pre-existing mental disorders. This study aimed to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the general population in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study involving 1246 participants was conducted. A validated questionnaire consisting of the level of knowledge and practice of precautionary behaviors, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) was used as an instrument to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results revealed that most participants possessed a high level of knowledge about COVID-19 and practiced wearing face masks daily as a precautionary measure. The average DASS scores were beyond the mild to moderate cut-off point for all three domains. The present study found that prolonged lockdowns had significantly impacted (p < 0.05), the mental health of the general population in Malaysia, reducing quality of life during the pandemic. Employment status, financial instability, and low annual incomes appeared to be risk factors (p < 0.05) contributing to mental distress, while older age played a protective role (p < 0.05). This is the first large-scale study in Malaysia to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general population.