Ficus deltoidea Jack (Moraceae) has had a long history of use in traditional medicine among the Malays to alleviate and heal ailments such as sores, wounds, and rheumatism and as an after-birth tonic and an antidiabetic drug. Modern pharmacological studies demonstrated that this plant has a wide variety of beneficial attributes for human health. Despite its importance, a review of this species has not been published in the scientific literature to date. Here, we review and summarize the historic and current literature concerning the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects, and toxicity of this wonder plant. This summary could be beneficial for future research aiming to exploit the therapeutic potential of this useful, medicinal species.
The toxin-producing dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum is responsible for the outbreaks of harmful algae bloom (HABs). It is a widely distributed species and is responsible for producing paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins. However, the information associated with the environmental adaptation pathway and toxin biosynthesis in this species is still lacking. Therefore, this study focuses on the functional characterization of A. minutum unigenes obtained from transcriptome sequencing using the Illumina Hiseq 4000 sequencing platform. A total of 58,802 (47.05%) unigenes were successfully annotated using public databases such as NCBI-Nr, UniprotKB, EggNOG, KEGG, InterPRO and Gene Ontology (GO). This study has successfully identified key features that enable A. minutum to adapt to the marine environment, including several carbon metabolic pathways, assimilation of various sources of nitrogen and phosphorus. A. minutum was found to encode homologues for several proteins involved in saxitoxin biosynthesis, including the first three proteins in the pathway of saxitoxin biosynthesis, namely sxtA, sxtG and sxtB. The comprehensive transcriptome analysis presented in this study represents a valuable resource for understanding the dinoflagellates molecular metabolic model regarding nutrient acquisition and biosynthesis of saxitoxin.
This study investigates bacterial diversity and potential pathogens in the international ships' ballast water at Tanjung Pelepas Port, Malaysia, using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Thirty-four bacterial phylum, 305 families, 577 genera, and 941 species were detected in eight ballast water samples of different origins. The similarity of the bacterial composition between samples was found to be random and not tied to geographical locations. The bacterial abundance did not seem to be affected by related physicochemical except for temperature. Ballast water samples with a temperature lower than 25 °C showed a relatively lower bacterial abundance. A total of 33 potential pathogens were detected from all ballast water samples. Pseudomonas spp., Tenacibaculum spp., Flavobacteriaceae spp., Halomonas spp., and Acinetobacter junii are the potential pathogens with more than 10% OTU prevalence. This study would provide beneficial information for further enhancing ballast water microorganism guidelines in Malaysia.
Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) is a leading cause of cassava losses in East and Central Africa, and is currently having a severe impact on food security. The disease is caused by two viruses within the Potyviridae family: Cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) and Ugandan cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV), which both encode atypical Ham1 proteins with highly conserved inosine triphosphate (ITP) pyrophosphohydrolase (ITPase) domains. ITPase proteins are widely encoded by plant, animal, and archaea. They selectively hydrolyse mutagenic nucleotide triphosphates to prevent their incorporation into nucleic acid and thereby function to reduce mutation rates. It has previously been hypothesized that U/CBSVs encode Ham1 proteins with ITPase activity to reduce viral mutation rates during infection. In this study, we investigate the potential roles of U/CBSV Ham1 proteins. We show that both CBSV and UCBSV Ham1 proteins have ITPase activities through in vitro enzyme assays. Deep-sequencing experiments found no evidence of the U/CBSV Ham1 proteins providing mutagenic protection during infections of Nicotiana hosts. Manipulations of the CBSV_Tanza infectious clone were performed, including a Ham1 deletion, ITPase point mutations, and UCBSV Ham1 chimera. Unlike severely necrotic wild-type CBSV_Tanza infections, infections of Nicotiana benthamiana with the manipulated CBSV infectious clones do not develop necrosis, indicating that that the CBSV Ham1 is a necrosis determinant. We propose that the presence of U/CBSV Ham1 proteins with highly conserved ITPase motifs indicates that they serve highly selectable functions during infections of cassava and may represent a euphorbia host adaptation that could be targeted in antiviral strategies.
Food waste (FW) minimization at the source by using food waste biodigester (FWBs) has a vast potential to lower down the impact of increasing organic fraction in municipal solid waste generation. To this end, this research sought to check the performance of locally isolated hydrolase-producing bacteria (HPB) to improve food waste biodegradation rate. Two under-explored HPB identified as Bacillus paralicheniformis GRA2 and Bacillus velezensis TAP5 were able to produce maximum amylase, cellulase, protease and lipase activities, and demonstrated a significant hydrolase synergy in co-culture fermentation. In vitro biodegradation analysis of both autoclaved and non-autoclaved FW revealed that the HPB inoculation was effective to degrade total solids (>62%), protein (>19%), total fat (>51), total sugar (>86%), reducing sugar (>38%) and starch (>50%) after 8-day incubation. All co-culture treatments were recorded superior to the respective monocultures and the uninoculated control. The results of FW biodegradation using batch-biodigester trial indicated that the 1500 mL and 1000 mL inoculum size of HPB inoculant reached a plateau on the 4th day, with gross biodegradation percentage (GBP) of >85% as compared to control (66.4%). The 1000 mL inoculum was sufficient to achieve the maximum GBP (>90%) of FW after an 8-day biodigestion in a FWB.
Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) has major impacts on yield and quality of the tuberous roots of cassava in Eastern and Central Arica. At least two Potyviridae species cause the disease: Cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) and Ugandan cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV). Cloned viral genome sequences known as infectious clones (ICs) have been important in the study of other viruses, both as a means of standardising infectious material and characterising viral gene function. IC construction is often technically challenging for Potyviridae due to sequence instability in E. coli. Here, we evaluate three methods for the construction of infectious clones for CBSD. Whilst a simple IC for in vitro transcription was made for UCBSV isolate 'Kikombe', such an approach failed to deliver full-length clones for CBSV isolates 'Nampula' or 'Tanza', necessitating more complex approaches for their construction. The ICs successfully generated symptomatic infection in the model host N. benthamiana and in the natural host cassava. This shows that whilst generating ICs for CBSV is still a technical challenge, a structured approach, evaluating both in vitro and in planta transcription systems should successfully deliver ICs, allowing further study into the symptomology and virulence factors in this important disease complex.
Wounds are considered to be a serious problem that affects the healthcare sector in many countries, primarily due to diabetes and obesity. Wounds become worse because of unhealthy lifestyles and habits. Wound healing is a complicated physiological process that is essential for restoring the epithelial barrier after an injury. Numerous studies have reported that flavonoids possess wound-healing properties due to their well-acclaimed anti-inflammatory, angiogenesis, re-epithelialization, and antioxidant effects. They have been shown to be able to act on the wound-healing process via expression of biomarkers respective to the pathways that mainly include Wnt/β-catenin, Hippo, Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-β), Hedgehog, c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase (JNK), NF-E2-related factor 2/antioxidant responsive element (Nrf2/ARE), Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB), MAPK/ERK, Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt, Nitric oxide (NO) pathways, etc. Hence, we have compiled existing evidence on the manipulation of flavonoids towards achieving skin wound healing, together with current limitations and future perspectives in support of these polyphenolic compounds as safe wound-healing agents, in this review.
Neuronal models are an important tool in neuroscientific research. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a major risk factor of neuronal oxidative stress, initiates a cascade of neuronal cell death. Polygonum minus Huds, known as 'kesum', is widely used in traditional medicine. P. minus has been reported to exhibit a few medicinal and pharmacological properties. The current study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of P. minus ethanolic extract (PMEE) on H2O2-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. LC-MS/MS revealed the presence of 28 metabolites in PMEE. Our study showed that the PMEE provided neuroprotection against H2O2-induced oxidative stress by activating the Nrf2/ARE, NF-κB/IκB and MAPK signaling pathways in PMEE pre-treated differentiated SH-SY5Y cells. Meanwhile, the acetylcholine (ACH) level was increased in the oxidative stress-induced treatment group after 4 h of exposure with H2O2. Molecular docking results with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) depicted that quercitrin showed the highest docking score at -9.5 kcal/mol followed by aloe-emodin, afzelin, and citreorosein at -9.4, -9.3 and -9.0 kcal/mol, respectively, compared to the other PMEE's identified compounds, which show lower docking scores. The results indicate that PMEE has neuroprotective effects on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells in vitro. In conclusion, PMEE may aid in reducing oxidative stress as a preventative therapy for neurodegenerative diseases.
Mitragynine is one of the main psychoactive alkaloids in Mitragyna speciosa Korth. (kratom). It has opium-like effects by acting on μ-, δ-, and κ-opioid receptors in the brain. The compound also interacts with other receptors, such as adrenergic and serotonergic receptors and neuronal Ca2+ channels in the central nervous system to have its neuropharmacological effects. Mitragynine has the potential to treat diseases related to neurodegeneration such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, as its modulation on the opioid receptors has been reported extensively. This review aimed to provide an up-to-date and critical overview on the neuropharmacological effects, mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics and safety of mitragynine as a prospective psychotropic agent. Its multiple neuropharmacological effects on the brain include antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, sedative, stimulant, cognitive, and anxiolytic activities. The potential of mitragynine to manage opioid withdrawal symptoms related to opioid dependence, its pharmacokinetics and toxic effects were also discussed. The interaction of mitragynine with various receptors in the brain produce diverse neuropharmacological effects, which have beneficial properties in neurological disorders. However, further studies need to be carried out on mitragynine to uncover its complex mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamic profiles, addictive potential, and safe dosage to prevent harmful side effects.
Preserving fresh food, such as meat, is significant in the effort of combating global food scarcity. Meat drying is a common way of preserving meat with a rich history in many cultures around the globe. In modern days, dried meat has become a well enjoyed food product in the market because of its long shelf-life, taste and health benefits. This review aims to compile information on how the types of meat, ingredients and the used drying technologies influence the characteristics of dried meat in physicochemical, microbial, biochemical and safety features along with technological future prospects in the dried meat industry. The quality of dried meat can be influenced by a variety of factors, including its production conditions and the major biochemical changes that occur throughout the drying process, which are also discussed in this review. Additionally, the sensory attributes of dried meat are also reviewed, whereby the texture of meat and the preference of the market are emphasized. There are other aspects and concerning issues that are suggested for future studies. It is well-known that reducing the water content in meat helps in preventing microbial growth, which in turn prevents the presence of harmful substances in meat. However, drying the meat can change the characteristics of the meat itself, making consumers concerned on whether dried meat is safe to be consumed on a regular basis. It is important to consider the role of microbial enzymes and microbes in the preservation of their flavor when discussing dried meats and dried meat products. The sensory, microbiological, and safety elements of dried meat are also affected by these distinctive changes, which revolve around customer preferences and health concerns, particularly how drying is efficient in eliminating/reducing hazardous bacteria from the fish. Interestingly, some studies have concentrated on increasing the efficiency of dried meat production to produce a safer range of dried meat products with less effort and time. This review compiled important information from all available online research databases. This review may help the food sector in improving the efficiency and safety of meat drying, reducing food waste, while maintaining the quality and nutritional content of dried meat.