The aim of this research was to determine the changes in the physicochemical properties of palm oil and its blends by FTIR and rheological measurements. Application of heat produces some chemical compounds as impurities and even toxic compounds in oils and fats that give absorbance at different region. FTIR spectra of pure palm olein shows an absorbance at 3002 cm(-1) whereas other pure oils show maximum absorption at around 3007 cm(-1) due to C-H stretching vibration of cis-double bond (=C-H). By blending of high unsaturated oils with palm olein, a clear shift of 3007 cm(-1) band to 3005 cm(-1) occurs. Viscosity of palm olein was found higher among all oils while it subsequently and substantially reduced by blending with other oils. Since it is a function of temperature, viscosity of pure oils and their blends decreases with the increase of temperature. The loss modulus (G''), for all oil blends before and after frying, in rheological experiment was found higher for all oils than the storage modulus (G'), therefore, the viscous property was found higher than elastic property of oils and blends. However, the critical stress for all oil blends was found higher than that of pure oils.
The growing demand for high value aromatic herb Polygonum minus-based products have increased in recent years, for its antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory potentials. Although few reports have indicated the chemical profiles and antioxidative effects of Polygonum minus, no study has been conducted to assess the benefits of micro-environmental manipulation (different shading levels) on the growth, leaf gas exchange and secondary metabolites in Polygonum minus. Therefore, two shading levels (50%:T2 and 70%:T3) and one absolute control (0%:T1) were studied under eight weeks and 16 weeks of exposures on Polygonum minus after two weeks. It was found that P. minus under T2 obtained the highest photosynthesis rate (14.892 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1), followed by T3 = T1. The increase in photosynthesis rate was contributed by the enhancement of the leaf pigments content (chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b). This was shown by the positive significant correlations observed between photosynthesis rate with chlorophyll a (r2 = 0.536; p ≤ 0.05) and chlorophyll b (r2 = 0.540; p ≤ 0.05). As the shading levels and time interval increased, the production of total anthocyanin content (TAC) and antioxidant properties of Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) and 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) also increased. The total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were also significantly enhanced under T2 and T3. The current study suggested that P.minus induce the production of more leaf pigments and secondary metabolites as their special adaptation mechanism under low light condition. Although the biomass was affected under low light, the purpose of conducting the study to boost the bioactive properties in Polygonum minus has been fulfilled by 50% shading under 16 weeks' exposure.
Due to their sessile nature, plants are exposed to various environmental stressors such as exposure to high levels of harmful ultraviolet (UV), ionizing, and non-ionizing radiations. This exposure may result in various damages, ranging from DNA and chromosomal aberrations to phenotypic abnormalities. As an adaptation, plants have evolved efficient DNA repair mechanisms to detect and repair any damage caused by exposure to these harmful stressors to ensure their survival. In this study, the effects of gamma radiation (as a source of ionizing radiation) on clonal Ananas comosus var. MD2 was evaluated. The morphology and physiology of the clonal plantlets before and after exposure to gamma radiation were monitored at specific time intervals. The degree of genetic variation between the samples pre- and post-irradiation was also analyzed by using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. The resulting data revealed that the heights of the irradiated plantlets were significantly reduced (compared to control), but improved with the recovery period. Irradiated samples also exhibited relatively good photosynthetic efficiency that further improved as the plantlets recover. These observations were supported by the ISSR analysis, where the genetic dissimilarities between the irradiated samples and control were reduced by 0.1017, after 4 weeks of recovery. Overall, our findings suggested that the phenotype recovery of the clonal A. comosus var. MD2 plantlets was contributed by their ability to detect and repair the DNA lesions (as exemplified by the reduction in genetic dissimilarity after 4 weeks) and hence allow the plantlets to undergo phenotype reversion to normal plant stature.
Image analysis techniques are gaining popularity in the studies of civil engineering materials. However, the current established image analysis methods often require advanced machinery and strict image acquisition procedures which may be challenging in actual construction practices. In this study, we develop a simplified image analysis technique that uses images with only a digital camera and does not have a strict image acquisition regime. Mortar with 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% pozzolanic material as cement replacement are prepared for the study. The properties of mortar are evaluated with flow table test, compressive strength test, water absorption test, and surface porosity based on the proposed image analysis technique. The experimental results show that mortar specimens with 20% processed spent bleaching earth (PSBE) achieve the highest 28-day compressive strength and lowest water absorption. The quantified image analysis results show accurate representation of mortar quality with 20% PSBE mortar having the lowest porosity. The regression analysis found strong correlations between all experimental data and the compressive strength. Hence, the developed technique is verified to be feasible as supplementary mortar properties for the study of mortar with pozzolanic material.
The invasive weed Asystasia gangetica was investigated for its potential as a biomonitor and as a phytoremediator of potentially toxic metals (PTMs) (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in Peninsular Malaysia owing to its ecological resistance towards unfavourable environments. The biomonitoring potential of PTMs was determined based on the correlation analysis of the metals in the different parts of the plant (leaves, stems, and roots) and its habitat topsoils. In the roots, the concentrations (mg/kg dry weight) of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn ranged from 0.03 to 2.18, 9.22 to 139, 0.63 to 5.47, 2.43 to 10.5, and 50.7 to 300, respectively. In the leaves, the concentrations (mg/kg dry weight) of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn ranged from 0.03 to 1.16, 7.94 to 20.2, 0.03 to 6.13, 2.10 to 21.8, and 18.8 to 160, respectively. In the stems, the concentrations (mg/kg dry weight) of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn ranged from 0.03 to 1.25, 5.57 to 11.8, 0.23 to 3.69, 0.01 to 7.79, and 26.4 to 246, respectively. On the other hand, the phytoremediation potential of the five metals was estimated based on the bioconcentration factor (BCF) and the translocation factor (TF) values. Correlation analysis revealed that the roots and stems could be used as biomonitors of Cu, the stems as biomonitors of Ni, the roots and leaves as biomonitors of Pb, and all three parts of the plant as biomonitors of Zn. According to the BCF values, in the topsoil, the "easily, freely, leachable, or exchangeable" geochemical fractions of the five metals could be more easily transferred to the roots, leaves, and stems when compared with total concentrations. Based on the TF values of Cd, Ni, and Pb, the metal transfer to the stems (or leaves) from the roots was efficient (>1.0) at most sampling sites. The results of BCF and TF showed that A. gangetica was a good phytoextractor for Cd and Ni, and a good phytostabilizer for Cu, Pb, and Zn. Therefore, A. gangetica is a good candidate as a biomonitor and a phytoremediator of Ni, Pb, and Zn for sustainable contaminant remediation subject to suitable field management strategies.
Undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly metastatic disease that is consistently associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. In this study, we have investigated the contribution of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) signalling to the pathogenesis of NPC. Here we demonstrate two distinct functional roles for LPA in NPC. First, we show that LPA enhances the migration of NPC cells and second, that it can inhibit the activity of EBV-specific cytotoxic T cells. Focusing on the first of these phenotypes, we show that one of the LPA receptors, LPA receptor 5 (LPAR5), is down-regulated in primary NPC tissues and that this down-regulation promotes the LPA-induced migration of NPC cell lines. Furthermore, we found that EBV infection or ectopic expression of the EBV-encoded LMP2A was sufficient to down-regulate LPAR5 in NPC cell lines. Our data point to a central role for EBV in mediating the oncogenic effects of LPA in NPC and identify LPA signalling as a potential therapeutic target in this disease.
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a lethal disease with a 5-year mortality rate of around 50%. Molecular targeted therapies are not in routine use and novel therapeutic targets are required. Our previous microarray data indicated sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) metabolism and signalling was deregulated in OSCC. In this study, we have investigated the contribution of S1P signalling to the pathogenesis of OSCC. We show that the expression of the two major enzymes that regulate S1P levels were altered in OSCC: SPHK1 was significantly upregulated in OSCC tissues compared to normal oral mucosa and low levels of SGPL1 mRNA correlated with a worse overall survival. In in vitro studies, S1P enhanced the migration/invasion of OSCC cells and attenuated cisplatin-induced death. We also demonstrate that S1P receptor expression is deregulated in primary OSCCs and that S1PR2 is over-expressed in a subset of tumours, which in part mediates S1P-induced migration of OSCC cells. Lastly, we demonstrate that FTY720 induced significantly more apoptosis in OSCC cells compared to non-malignant cells and that FTY720 acted synergistically with cisplatin to induce cell death. Taken together, our data show that S1P signalling promotes tumour aggressiveness in OSCC and identify S1P signalling as a potential therapeutic target.
Human activities due to different land uses are being studied widely in many countries. This study aimed to determine the ecological risks and human health risk assessments (HHRA) of Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu, and Zn in the topsoils of six land uses in Peninsular Malaysia. The ranges of the potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in the soils (mg/kg, dry weight) of this study were 0.24-12.43 for Cd (mean: 1.94), 4.66-2363 for Cu (mean: 228), 2576-116,344 for Fe (mean: 32,618), 2.38-75.67 for Ni (mean: 16.04), 7.22-969 for Pb (mean: 115) and 11.03-3820 for Zn (mean: 512). For the ecological risk assessments, the potential ecological risk index (PERI) for single metals indicated that the severity of pollution of the five metals decreased in the following sequence: Cd > Cu > Pb > Zn > Ni. It was found that industry, landfill, rubbish heap, and mining areas were categorized as "very high ecological risk". For HHRA, the land uses of industry, landfill and rubbish heap were found to have higher hazard quotient (HQ) values for the three pathways (with the order: ingestion > dermal contact > inhalation ingestion) of the five metals for children and adults, when compared to the mining, plantation, and residential areas. The values for both the non-carcinogenic (Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn), and carcinogenic risks (CR) for inhalation (Cd and Ni) obtained for children and adults in this study showed no serious adverse health impacts on their health. However, of public concern, the hazard index (HI), for Pb of children at the landfill (L-3) and the rubbish heap (RH-3) sites exceeded 1.0, indicating non-carcinogenic risk (NCR) for children. Therefore, these PERI and HHRA results provided fundamental data for PTMs pollution mitigation and environmental management in areas of different land uses in Peninsular Malaysia.