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Fulltext Baccaurea angulata fruit juice protects rabbit's liver from hypercholesterolemia-induced injury

Idris Adewale Ahmed, Maryam Abimbola Mikail, Muhammad Ibrahim

Malaysian Journal of Medical Research, 2018;1(4):18-21.
MyJurnal

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a clinicopathological syndrome strongly associated with
hyperlipidemia, hypertriglyceridemia, insulin resistance and obesity. The objective of this study is to evaluate the
potential health benefits of Baccaurea angulata fruit in preventing liver damage due to hypercholesterolemia.
Twenty-five healthy adult New Zealand White rabbits were assigned to five groups for 90 days diet and
intervention plan. While four groups (atherogenic groups) were fed 1% cholesterol diet and 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mL
of B. angulata juice kg/per day, the fifth group (negative control) was fed with commercial rabbit pellet only.
After overnight fasting and sacrifice, the thoracic cavity was opened and the liver was carefully removed,
specifically observing for any presence of a gross lesion and then immediately fixing in 4% paraformaldehyde for
at least 48 hours for histopathological analysis. The hepatoprotective effect of B. angulata fruit juice was evident
in the histological examination of liver tissues. The results indicate the potential health benefits of the antioxidantrich
B. angulata fruit juice as a functional food with a therapeutic effect against hypercholesterolemia-induced
liver injury.
Self-Practice Program for Beating-Heart Minimally Invasive Coronary Anastomosis Using a Homemade Low-Fidelity Simulator: A Proof of Concept

Azmi MI, Nair AK, Hashim SA

Innovations (Phila), 2024;19(2):175-183.
PMID: 38577864 DOI: 10.1177/15569845241238999

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the effectiveness of a consistent and structured self-practice coronary anastomosis program using a homemade low-fidelity beating-heart simulator.
METHODS: An intermediary trainee was subjected to an 8-week structured self-practice program. The program was divided into 2 parts of nonbeating and beating practices with a minimum number of timed anastomoses. Each part was followed by an assessment using an objective skills assessment tool score. The beating-heart simulator was built using motorized toy blocks connected wirelessly to a smartphone application. This was coded to enable rate selection. A junior consultant was compared to the subject at the end of the program. Both were tasked to perform 1 coronary anastomosis for both off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) and minimally invasive CAB (MICS) setup. The primary outcomes were anastomotic time and score compared with the junior consultant. Secondary outcomes were progression of anastomotic time and score throughout the program.
RESULTS: Overall performance of the studied subject approached the performance of the junior consultant in terms of time (OPCAB, 489 vs 605 s; MICS, 712 vs 652 s) and scores (OPCAB, 21 vs 20.7; MICS, 19 vs 20.6). There were inverse correlations between anastomosis time and number of practices for both nonbeating and beating anastomoses. Overall improvement was observed in terms of assessment scoring by 26.6%.
CONCLUSIONS: A structured self-practice program using an affordable and accessible simulator was able to help trainees overcome the MICS anastomosis learning curve quicker when introduced earlier. This may encourage earlier adoption of MICS among surgeons.
Physico-chemical characteristics of disturbed soils affected by Accumulate of different texture in South Korea

Muhammad Ibrahim, Kyung HH, Sang KH, Young SZ, Seung OH

Sains Malaysiana, 2012;41:285-291.

Anthropogenically disturbed soils have unique properties. In most of the ecosystems, especially under disturbed soil conditions, the soil properties are controlled by the accumulated materials. However, the equilibrium between the already present soil mass and the accumulated soil mass is very fragile and is affected by many factors. There are diversity of views about their identification and interpretations. This paper reports on the physico-chemical properties of the investigated
sites under different texture soil accumulate. Three sites namely Chung-nam university field (Site-I), Chung-buk Geosan (Site-II) and Yong-in (Site-III) were investigated for diversity in physico-chemical properties. In situ and ex situ physical and chemical properties were determined and comparisons were made for soil profiles examined at three sites. The classification of disturbed soils largely depends upon the system followed for classification. The objectives of this paper
were to compare the properties of the disturbed soils and to classify for further research investigations of such soils. Abrupt change in electrical conductivity at Site-III was recorded ranged between 10.7 dS m–1 and 1.1 dS m–1 below 20 cm depth. Sudden and abrupt changes in infiltration rates at all sites were also calculated. The data suggested that the soil texture of the accumulated soil had also affected the properties of the underlying soil. Apparently, the difference in the properties seems to be the result of overlying soil accumulates with different texture. The disturbed soils need to be studied in detail and groupings be made on the basis of genesis and similarities.
Assessing the effect of climate change and financial development on agricultural production in ASEAN-4: the role of renewable energy, institutional quality, and human capital as moderators

Chandio AA, Shah MI, Sethi N, Mushtaq Z

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2022 Feb;29(9):13211-13225.
PMID: 34585355 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16670-9

This paper examines the effect of climate change and financial development on agricultural production in ASEAN-4, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand from 1990 to 2016. Further, we explore the role of renewable energy, institutional quality, and human capital on agricultural production. Since the shocks in one country affect another country, we use second-generation modeling techniques to find out the relationship among the variables. The Westerlund (2007) cointegration tests confirm long-run relationship among the variables. The results from cross-sectionally augmented autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) model reveal that climate change negatively affects agricultural production; on the other hand, renewable energy, human capital, and institutional quality affect positively agricultural production. Moreover, renewable energy utilization, human capital, and intuitional quality moderates the effect of carbon emission on agricultural production. In addition, a U-shaped relationship exists between financial development and agricultural production, suggesting that financial development improves agricultural production only after reaching a certain threshold. Hence, this study suggests that ASEAN-4 countries must adopt flexible financial and agricultural policies so that farmers would be benefitted and agricultural production can be increased.
The roles of energy, natural resources, agriculture and regional integration on CO2 emissions in selected countries of ASEAN: does political constraint matter?

Shah MI, AbdulKareem HKK, Ishola BD, Abbas S

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Feb;30(10):26063-26077.
PMID: 36350445 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-23871-3

This paper empirically examines the effects of energy, natural resources, agriculture, political constraint and regional integration on CO2 emissions in four ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries of Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. We distinguish between renewable and fossil fuel energy consumption to see their individual impacts on CO2 emissions. The study employed a panel data from 1990 to 2019 derived from sources such as World Development Indicators, which were then analysed using Common-Correlated Effect Mean Group (CCEMG) and Augmented Mean Group (AMG) estimates. The findings show that renewable energy consumption has a negative impact on CO2 emissions while fossil fuel energy degrades the environment. The role of natural resources was found to be favourable for environmental quality with the impact of agriculture being found to be detrimental. For regional trade integration, its influence was not significant enough to offset CO2 emission. Furthermore, we discovered that political constraint induces CO2 emission. Based on the result, it is recommended that the selected ASEAN countries promote the use of renewable energy and clean technologies in their manufacturing processes, conserve natural resources, adopt eco-friendly political policies and intensify regional integration to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.
Fulltext Anti-inflammatory effects of trihoney in hypercholesterolemic atherosclerotic rabbits: a comparative study with atorvastatin

Hamad Alfarisi, Hamad Abdulsalam, Nuraniza Azahari, Muhammad Ibrahim, Mohamed, Zenab Hamad, Asmah Hanim Hamdan, Che Anuar Che Mohamad

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2020;16(2):230-236.
MyJurnal

Introduction: Hypercholesterolemia has been proven as a main pathogenic trigger for pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis characterised by chronic inflammatory process and increased expression of inflammatory markers. In this study; Trihoney (a combination of three types of natural honey namely: Trigona, mellifera, and Dorsata)
was investigated for its anti-inflammatory effect in hypercholesterolemic atherosclerotic rabbits. Methods: Thirty
male New Zealand white rabbits (NZW) were grouped into: normal diet (C), normal diet with 0.6g/kg/day of Trihoney (C+H), 1% cholesterol diet (HCD), 1% cholesterol diet with 0.6g/kg/day of Trihoney (HCD+H), and 1%
cholesterol diet with 2mg/kg/day of atorvastatin (HCD+At.). After 12 weeks of starting the experiment, animals were
sacrificed and serum analysed for homocysteine and pro-atherogenic inflammatory markers such as: interleukin-1β
(IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Fasting serum glucose was analysed to assess glycaemic status. Results: Trihoney treated group showed significantly lower (p
Fulltext Abdominal obesity and high-sensitivity c-reactive protein level among malay obese adults in Kuantan, Malaysia

Siti Zuhaidah Shahadan, Muhammad Lokman Md. Isa, Azlina Daud, Ali Aminuddin Mohd Rasani, Muhammad Ibrahim, Samsul Deraman

International Medical Journal Malaysia, 2018;17(1):79-86.
MyJurnal

Introduction: Abdominal obesity and inflammation are two independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. However, the inter-relationship between these two factors among Malay population is fragmented. The purpose of this study is to determine the association between waist circumference as a measure of abdominal obesity and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein as an indicator of inflammation status among Malay obese adults in Kuantan, Pahang. Materials and Methods: Ninety-three apparently healthy obese adults (BMI between 27.5 and 39.9 kg/m2 ) aged between 20 to 62 years old were recruited in this study (68% men and 32% women). Circumference tape was used to measure the waist circumference and fasting venous blood was obtained to determine the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level. Results: On average, the waist circumference of obese men and women was 103 cm (SD = 8.7) and 94 cm (SD = 7.0), respectively. The median (IQR) of the hs-CRP level of the study participant was 3.80 mg/L (1.5, 10.1). The Kendall’s Tau correlation reveals that there is a significant positive linear correlation between waist circumference and hs -CRP level in obese men (r (30) = 0.355, p = 0.006) and women (r (63) = 0.177, p = 0.043). Conclusion: There is a significant inter-relationship between waist circumference and hs-CRP level among apparently healthy obese adults in Kuantan, Pahang. This study suggests that assessment of hs-CRP level is beneficial to predict the risk for future cardiovascular disease event and facilitate the management of obesity in this population. A prospective clinical study is recommended to confirm the findings.
Fulltext The prophetic foods consumption among exclusively breastfeeding mothers in Kuantan, Pahang: an exploratory study

Siti Munirah Abdul Basir, Radiah Abdul Ghani, Muhammad Ibrahim, Muhammad Muzaffar Ali Khan Khattak, Muhammad Nor Omar, Nor Azwani Mohd Shukri

International Journal of Allied Health Sciences, 2018;2(1):234-243.
MyJurnal

The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) strongly advocate exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months after birth as the optimal way of feeding infants. Nutritional inadequacy during breastfeeding period may lead to breastfeeding problems such as inadequate milk production which is a common reason to early breastfeeding termination.
Galactagogue is one of the solutions seek by breastfeeding mothers to overcome this problem. Within the topic of prophetic medicine, scholars discussed the foods consumed by Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) and their health benefits. Among the plants mentioned in Islamic literature are F.carica (figs), O.europea (olive), P.granatum (pomegranate) and N.sativa (habbatussauda). Studies on prophetic foods consumption among lactating mothers is limited in the literature. Thus, the aims of this study to explore on prophetic food consumption, among Malay mothers during
exclusive breastfeeding period. Ten subjects are interviewed by in-depth semistructured interview guide. Inclusion criteria include Malay mothers aged 18 to 40 years, deliver full term babies and were exclusively breastfeeding. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim in Malay and translated into English. Translated transcripts were then analysed thematically with the help of NVivo software. Thematic analysis revealed three themes that represents participants’ knowledge, attitude and practice on prophetic foods consumption. The themes were 1) prophetic diet is related to Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H)’s practice on foods and eating manners, 2) perceived benefits and effectiveness of prophetic foods consumption, and 3) Practice of prophetic foods consumption during exclusive breastfeeding period. This study provides an insight to the understanding and
perception on prophetic foods consumption during exclusive breastfeeding period among breastfeeding mothers. It is acknowledged that prophetic foods, particularly dates may have lactogenic function. Further studies should be carried out to investigate the relationship between prophetic foods consumption and lactogenic activity.
Fulltext Maternal diet and its association with human milk energy and macronutrient composition among exclusively breastfeeding Malaysian Malay mothers

Siti Munirah Abdul Basir, Radiah Abdul Ghani, Muhammad Ibrahim, Khattak, Muhammad Muzaffar Ali Khan, Muhammad Nor Omar, Nor Azwani Mohd Shukri

Malays J Nutr, 2019;25(3):309-320.
MyJurnal

Introduction: This study aimed to determine the relationship of maternal dietary
intake with human milk nutritional composition, among Malay mothers during the
postpartum period of exclusive breastfeeding. Methods: Human milk samples (20-
30ml) were collected from mothers (n=32) at least once monthly for six months
postpartum. Macronutrients and fatty acids contents were determined using
proximate analysis and gas chromatography methods, respectively. Maternal
dietary intakes were recorded using the multiple-pass diet recall method prior
to each milk sampling and were analysed using the Nutritionist ProTM software.
Associations between the milk composition and maternal diet were tested using
Spearman correlation. Results: The energy content ranged between 49.6-59.2
kcal/100ml, protein 1.3-1.4 g/100ml, carbohydrate 6.5-9.7 g/100ml and total
fat 6.5-9.7 g/100ml. The polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and saturated fatty
acids concentrations were 10.5-19.1 %, 40.6-43.5 %, and 38.0-49.7 %, respectively.
During confinement (first month postpartum), total energy and total fat content of
human milk were the highest whereas total carbohydrate was the lowest, compared
to the rest of the exclusive breastfeeding period. In contrast, intakes of total calorie
and total fat were the lowest, whereas protein was the highest during this period.
However, no associations were detected between human milk nutritional contents
and maternal dietary intake. Conclusion: In our study population, the composition
of maternal diet and nutritional content of human milk differed between confinement
and post-confinement periods. However, the association between maternal diet and
human milk composition itself warrants further investigation.
Effect of acute stevia consumption on blood glucose response in healthy malay young adults

Norazlanshah Hazali, Azizah Mohamed, Muhammad Ibrahim, Mashita Masri, Fazlyla Nadya Mohd Fadzlan, Khairil Anuar Md Isa, et al.

Sains Malaysiana, 2014;43:649-654.

Previously, researchers had initiated investigation to find an alternative drug that can treat diabetes mellitus without dragging patients into more complicated health problems. After many studies, they found a new and high potential plant-based drug named stevia that is able to reduce diabetic patients’ blood glucose. This study aimed to determine the effect of stevia on blood glucose of healthy subjects. The study was carried out by comparing the glycemic response between sucrose and stevia (500 and 1000 mg) among 32 subjects aged between 18 and 23 years old. Subjects were required to fast 8 to 10 h prior to each test which was done on different days. Finger prick test were done on 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min to construct a blood sugar response curve for 2 h period. There is a significant difference between the glycemic response of sucrose and stevia 500 mg. Sucrose significantly increased the post prandial blood glucose while stevia 500 mg reduced blood glucose after 30 min of consumption. Sucrose also produced higher glycemic response at min-30 when compared with stevia 1000 mg. There is no significant difference between the glycemic response of stevia of different dose, 500 and 1000 mg. No dose-dependent effect was observed in this study. In conclusion, stevia does not raise blood glucose significantly when consumed in short period. Stevia is effective to be used by healthy people to maintain blood glucose even when consumed in short length of time.
Proximate composition and antioxidant activity of dried belimbing dayak (Baccaurea angulata) fruits

Nurhazni Khir Jauhari, Darina Ibrahim, Muhammad Ibrahim, Norazlanshah Hazali, Mohammad Nor Adros Yahya, Norazmir Md Nor, et al.

Sains Malaysiana, 2013;42:129-134.

Baccaurea angulata or locally known as ‘belimbing dayak’ or ‘belimbing hutan’ is an underutilized fruit indigenous to Borneo with its proximate analysis and antioxidant values are yet to be explored. Proximate analysis and antioxidative properties of oven-dried B. angulata fruits of three fractions; whole fruit, skins and berries were evaluated. From the analysis conducted, whole fruit, berries and skins fraction of B. angulata contained 2.83%, 5.15% and 0.28% of total fat; 3.11%, 3.43% and 3.89% of protein; 16.66%, 19.09% and 11.37% of moisture; 4.57%, 3.68% and 7.28% of total ash and water activity (Aw) of 0.41, 0.44 and 0.44, respectively. Evaluation of antioxidant activities using ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), 1,1-diphenyl-2-pycrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Trolox/ABTS equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) revealed that the skins fraction exhibits highest antioxidant activities (p<0.05) followed by whole fruit and berries fractions. The antioxidant activities were significantly correlated (p<0.05) with total phenolic and total flavonoid content but not to anthocyanins. Considering the nutritional values it contained, B. angulata is another good source of natural antioxidants with significant health benefits and high value for commercialization.
Fulltext Dietary intake of mothers who practised traditional confinement during exclusive breastfeeding period

Siti Munirah Abdul Basir, Radiah Abdul Ghani, Muhammad Ibrahim, Muhammad Muzaffar Ali Khan Khattak, Muhammad Nor Omar, Nor Azwani Mohd Shukri

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2019;15(2):39-46.
MyJurnal

Introduction: Nutritional requirements increase during lactation. However, maternal dietary intakes of Malaysian
mothers are subjected to restrictions commonly included in traditional postpartum practices. This study aimed to
assess the maternal dietary intake status during the recommended six month exclusive breastfeeding (part of which
included the traditional confinement) period. Methods: Thirty-two Malay mothers aged 18-35 years, who had delivered full-term (at ≥37 weeks) singleton babies and were exclusively breastfeeding, were included in the study.
Maternal dietary intake was assessed using multiple-pass diet recall on Days 10, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180,
postpartum. The average total energy and macronutrient intakes were compared against recommended values. Results: The findings of this study demonstrated that maternal intakes of total energy ranged from 1,500-2,000kcal/day,
carbohydrate 189-272g/day, protein 58-72g/day, and total fat 32-70g/day. Total calorie intake was the lowest during
confinement period (Days 10 and 30) compared to the rest of the exclusive breastfeeding period. This is similar with
total fat consumption. On the other hand, protein intake was the highest during confinement period whereas carbohydrate intake was consistent throughout the six-month period. Despite the increased requirements, intakes of total
calories, protein, total fat, dietary fibre, and water, did not meet the recommended values throughout the exclusive
breastfeeding period. Conclusion: Mothers’ inability to fulfil their nutritional requirements during exclusive breastfeeding period may be associated with traditional postpartum dietary practices. Dietary advice with consideration
for cultural food taboos practiced by local mothers during confinement may help to improve maternal nutritional
intakes during this crucial time.
Fulltext Student satisfaction and academic efficacy during online learning with the mediating effect of student engagement: A multi-country study

Sharif Nia H, Marôco J, She L, Khoshnavay Fomani F, Rahmatpour P, Stepanovic Ilic I, et al.

PLoS One, 2023;18(10):e0285315.
PMID: 37792853 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285315

The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented changes to educational institutions, forcing their closure and a subsequent shift to online education to cater to student learning requirements. However, successful online learning depends on several factors and may also vary between countries. As such, this cross-sectional study sought to investigate how engagement of university students, a major driver of online learning, was influenced by course content, online interaction, student acceptance, and satisfaction with online learning, as well as self-efficacy across nine countries (China, India, Iran, Italy, Malaysia, Portugal, Serbia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a questionnaire-based approach, data collected from 6,489 university students showed that student engagement was strongly linked to perception of the quality of the course content and online interactions (p < .001). The current study also indicated that online interactions are a major determinant of academic efficacy but only if mediated by engagement within the online learning context. A negative correlation between student engagement and satisfaction with online learning was found, demonstrating the importance of students being engaged behaviorally, emotionally, and cognitively to feel satisfied with learning. Academic efficacy and student satisfaction were explained by course content, online interaction, and online learning acceptance, being mediated by student engagement. Student satisfaction and, to a lesser degree academic efficacy, were also associated with online learning acceptance. Overall, the structural equation model was a good fit for the data collected from all nine countries (CFI = .947, TLI = .943; RMSEA = .068; SRMR = .048), despite differences in the percentage variations explained by each factor (no invariance), likely due to differences in levels of technology use, learning management systems, and the preparedness of teachers to migrate to full online instruction. Despite limitations, the results of this study highlight the most important factors affecting online learning, providing insight into potential approaches for improving student experiences in online learning environments.
Fulltext Characterization of Sphingobacterium sp. Ab3 Lipase and Its Coexpression with LEA Peptides

Ng YK, Ikeno S, Kadhim Almansoori AK, Muhammad I, Abdul Rahim R

Microbiol Spectr, 2022 Dec 21;10(6):e0142221.
PMID: 36314920 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01422-21

Sphingobacterium sp. is a yellowish Gram-negative bacterium that is usually characterized by high concentrations of sphingophospholipids as lipid components. As microbial enzymes have been in high demand in industrial fields in the past few decades, this study hopes to provide significant information on lipase activities of Sphingobacterium sp., since limited studies have been conducted on the Sphingobacterium sp. lipase. A microbe from one collected Artic soil sample, ARC4, was identified as psychrotolerant Sphingobacterium sp., and it could grow in temperatures ranging from 0°C to 24°C. The expression of Sphingobacterium sp. lipase was successfully performed through an efficient approach of utilizing mutated group 3 late embryogenesis abundant (G3LEA) proteins developed from Polypedilum vanderplanki. Purified enzyme was characterized using a few parameters, such as temperature, pH, metal ion cofactors, organic solvents, and detergents. The expressed enzyme is reported to be cold adapted and has the capability to work efficiently under neutral pH (pH 5.0 to 7.0), cofactors like Na+ ion, and the water-like solvent methanol. Addition of nonionic detergents greatly enhanced the activity of purified enzyme. IMPORTANCE The mechanism of action of LEA proteins has remained unknown to many; in this study we reveal their presence and improved protein expression due to the molecular shielding effect reported by others. This paper should be regarded as a useful example of using such proteins to influence an existing expression system to produce difficult-to-express proteins.

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