Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous endocrine disorder characterised by elevated levels of male hormones, acne and hirsutism. Hormonal imbalances in PCOS women can lead to immature eggs, anovulation and infertility. Plant extracts have been shown to improve PCOS however, there was a lack of systematic review on this topic. The aim of this paper was to review the plant extracts claimed to improve PCOS in the literature. In depth searches of the literature was carried out based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Me- ta-analyses (PRISMA) guideline. A bibliographic search was performed on MEDLINE, Science Direct, Web of Science and Cochrane library databases using the following search terms; [‘Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome’ or ‘PCOS’] and [‘plant extracts’]. A total of 38 studies were included in the final review. 15 plant extracts hypothesised to reduce PCOS were identified; Chinese herbal medicine (n=22), Black Cohosh (n=2), Jatamansi (n=1), Tribulus (n=1), Kacip Fatimah (n=1), Fenugreek seed (n=2), Coconut tree flower (n=1), Maitake mushroom (n=1), Wood Betony (n=1), Cinnamon (n=2), Marjoran (n=1), Korean Red Ginseng (n=1), Hazelnut (n=1), Adlay (n=1) and Northern White Ce- dar (n=1). Three different models were used; randomised control trials (n=23), animal models (n=14) and non-ran- domised surveillance study (n=1). PCOS characteristics were improved with the used of plant extracts by improving insulin resistance, pregnancy outcomes and ovarian morphology. However, most of these researches are at the early stages. Further researches are needed to elucidate the mechanisms of these plant extracts in treating PCOS.
As part of the lampenflora that inhabit limestone caves, microalgae play an important role in cave ecosystems but are understudied in tropical ecoregions. In the present study, the dominant eukaryotic and prokaryotic microalgae identified in lampenflora samples collected from Gua Tempurung, a cave in Malaysia, and growth stage-related microalgal attributes were determined. Stichococcus bacillaris, Synechococcus sp., and Trentepohlia aurea were selected and cultured in Bold's Basal Medium (S. bacillaris and T. aurea) or BG-11 medium (Synechococcus sp.) under laboratory conditions. The highest specific growth rate (0.72 ± 0.21 day-1) and dry weight (0.11 ± 0.04 mg L-1) were recorded in S. bacillaris in the early stationary phase. Trentepohlia aurea and Synechococcus sp. had the highest ash-free dry weight and total ash percentage (11.18 ± 4.64 mg L-1 and 8.55% ± 6.73%, respectively) in the early stationary phase. Stichococcus bacillaris had the highest moisture content (84.26% ± 0.64%) in the exponential phase. Chlorophylls a and b were highest in the early stationary phase in T. aurea (0.706 ± 0.40 mg L-1 and 1.094 ± 0.589 mg L-1, respectively). Carotenoid levels were highest in Synechococcus sp. in the early stationary stage (0.07 ± 0.02 mg L-1). Lipids were the major biochemical compound identified at the highest levels in Synechococcus sp. (67.87% ± 7.75%) in the early stationary phase, followed by protein recorded at the highest levels in T. aurea (57.99% ± 4.99%) in the early stationary phase. Carbohydrates were the compound identified least often with the highest recorded levels found in T. aurea (9.94% ± 0.49%) in the late stationary phase. Biomass, pigments, and biochemical accumulation varied at different growth stages in the studied microalgae, and this variation was species-specific. The present study provides a benchmark for the growth phases of aerophytic cave microalgae, which will be useful for determining their optimum harvest time and obtaining biochemical compounds of interest.
Background & Objectives: The burden of stroke is increasing, in part due to increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus. Given the high prevalence of diabetes in the Malaysian population (22.6%), we aimed to determine the prevalence of diabetes in our stroke population. We also aimed to study the stroke subtype associated with diabetes. We hypothesized that lacunar infarction would be more prevalent in diabetics. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data of consecutive patients with acute ischaemic stroke admitted from October 2004 to December 2010 from our stroke registry. Demographic data, risk factors profile and stroke subtypes were reviewed and analyzed. Results: Eight hundred and fifty eight patients were identified from the registry. As high as 59.3% (n=509) of our patients were diabetics, of which 49.2% (n=422) had pre-existing diabetes and 10.1% (n=87) were newly diagnosed. Lacunar infarction was the commonest stroke subtype, comprising 60.6% (n=519) of all strokes. Diabetes was significantly associated with lacunar infarction (OR 1.5, CI 95% 1.16-2.01, p=0.003), particularly in those aged ≤ 55 years (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.12-4.67) and HbA1C ≥ 6.5% (χ2=8.77, p=0.003). Conclusions: The prevalence of diabetes in our stroke patients is amongst the highest reported. Diabetes mellitus, particularly those with poor glycaemic control is strongly associated with lacunar infarction.