A rapid reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic method using a monolithic column for the determination of eight catechin monomers and caffeine was developed. Using a mobile phase of water:acetonitrile:methanol (83:6:11) at a flow rate of 1.4 mL min(-1), the catechins and caffeine were isocratically separated in about 7 min. The limits of detection and quantification were in the range of 0.11-0.29 and 0.33-0.87 mg L(-1), respectively. Satisfactory recoveries were obtained (94.2-105.2 ± 1.8%) for all samples when spiked at three concentrations (5, 40 and 70 mg L(-1)). In combination with microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), the method was applied to the determination of the catechins and caffeine in eleven tea samples (6 green, 3 black and 2 oolong teas). Relatively high levels of caffeine were found in black tea, but higher levels of the catechins, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) were found in green teas.
Asia Pacific region has been witnessing numerous public health emergencies in recent years with the Nipah outbreak in North Kerala (2018), India, needs special mention. Threats posed and experiences gained have compelled health systems to draft frameworks nationally and internationally for preparedness, outbreak response, and recovery. Our failure to obtain comprehensive guiding frameworks for application in the Indian context for Ebola, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Influenza A (H1N1), and Nipah outbreaks led us to the search outside India for frameworks that have worked in the past. A thorough review of the WHO, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Malaysian framework was done to identify explicit components and replicable objectives to the national context. In the absence of a specific framework, Nipah recovery and response experience that worked in Kerala outbreak (2018) was compared against novel H1N1 (2015) guidelines at national level. This article provides the groundwork and insights as a value addition toward an India-specific framework of action for response and recovery for Nipah outbreaks in future.
This article reports on the structural characteristics and antioxidant activity of unmodified autohydrolyzed ethanol organosolv lignin (AH EOL) extracted from oil palm fronds (OPF) and modified autohydrolyzed ethanol organosolv lignin via incorporation of p-nitrophenol (AHNP EOL). The isolated lignin were analyzed by FTIR, (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, 2D NMR; HSQC and HMBC, CHN analysis, molecular weight distribution using GPC analyzer, thermal analysis; TGA and DSC. The chemical modification by utilizing an organic scavenger during delignification process provided smaller lignin fragments and enhanced the solubility of lignin by reducing its hydrophobicity properties. It was revealed that the antioxidant properties increased as compared to the unmodified organosolv lignin. Additionally, the modified lignin has better solubility in water (DAHNP EOL=35%>DAH EOL=25%).
Biofuels and chemicals can be produced from lignocellulosic feedstocks using biotechnological processes. The effective utilization of carbohydrates from biomass for the production of biofuels necessitates the development of pretreatment technologies to enhance their enzymatic digestibility. Among all the various pretreatment methods currently studied and developed, the organosolv processes, in which organic solvents or aqueous organic solvent mixtures are used as the pretreatment medium, appear to be specially promising in the context of the biorefinery because (1) they produce cellulosic pulp with a good enzymatic digestibility for monomeric glucose production and (2) they allow a clean fractionation of the major biomass components (cellulose, lignin, and hemicelluloses) into three process streams. In this chapter we give an updated overview of organosolv methods using conventional solvents and ionic liquids which have recently gained considerable interest as solvents for lignocellulosic biomass and pretreatment.
Metastasis to the pituitary gland is an unusual situation in clinical practice and is typically observed in those with underlying malignancy with breast and lung being the commonest primary site. However, we report a case of an apparently well 49-year-old female with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma who presented with visual disturbance and diabetes insipidus related to pituitary metastasis as an initial presentation.
Spontaneous absorption of lenses or cataracts is rare. We report a case of bilateral spontaneous lens absorption in a 36-year-old woman for which no cause could be determined despite extensive laboratory testing.
A series of experiments were carried out to determine the best medium for the recovery of cobalt by means of an electrogenerative system. Use of the electrogenerative system with a chloride medium had shown promising performance with the highest free energy of -389.8 kJ mol(-1) compared to that with sulphate and nitrate media. Subsequently, the influence of catholyte concentrations on cobalt recovery using the electrogenerative process was carried out by varying the initial cobalt concentration and sodium chloride concentration. The results showed that almost 100% recovery was attained within 1-4 h of the recovery process. Influence of pH was investigated where the electrogenerative system performed best between pH 5.0 and 7.0. Maximum cell performance of 83% with 99% cobalt removal was obtained at 90 min when 100 mg L(-1) of Co(2+) in 0.5 M NaCl was taken as catholyte solution. The values of ΔH(o) and ΔS(o) of the process were evaluated as 33.41 kJ mol(-1) and 0.13 kJ mol(-1), respectively.
In Malaysia, colorectal cancer is the most common cancer in males and the third most common in females. Mortality due to colorectal cancer can be effectively reduced with early diagnosis. This study was designed to look into colorectal cancer screening participation and its barriers among average risk individuals in Malaysia. A cross sectional study was conducted from August 2009 till April 2010 involving average risk individuals from 44 primary care clinics in West Malaysia. Each individual was asked whether they have performed any of the colorectal cancer screening methods in the past five years. The barrier questions had three domains: patient factors, test factors and health care provider factors. Descriptive analysis was achieved using Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 12.0. A total of 1,905 average risk individuals responded making a response rate of 93.8%. Only 13 (0.7%) respondents had undergone any of the colorectal cancer screening methods in the past five years. The main patient and test factors for not participating were embarrassment (35.2%) and feeling uncomfortable (30.0%), respectively. There were 11.2% of respondents who never received any advice to do screening. The main reason for them to undergo screening was being advised by health care providers (84.6%). The study showed that participation in colorectal cancer screening in Malaysia is extremely low and multiple factors contribute to this situation. Given the importance of the disease, efforts should be made to increase colorectal cancer screening activities in Malaysia.
The antioxidant activity of fresh and dried plant extracts of Paederia foetida and Syzygium aqueum were studied using beta-carotene bleaching and the 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation assay. The percentage of antioxidant activity for all extract samples using both assays was between 58 and 80%. The fresh samples of both plants had higher antioxidant activity than the dried samples. The results of the beta-carotene bleaching assay were correlated (R(2) = 0.9849) with those of the ABTS assay.
This study reports on the effects of unmodified autohydrolyzed ethanol organosolv lignin (AH EOL) and modified autohydrolyzed ethanol organosolv lignin on the structural characteristics and antioxidant properties upon incorporation of p-hydroxyacetophenone (AHP EOL). The lignin samples isolated from black liquor of oil palm fronds (OPF) were evaluated and compared using various complementary analyses; FTIR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, 2D-NMR spectroscopy (HMBC and HSQC), CHN, GPC, HPLC and thermal analyses (TGA and DSC). Chemically modified organosolv lignin (AHP EOL) provided lignin with lower molecular weight (Mw), which has smaller fragments that leads to higher solubility rate in water in comparison to unmodified organosolv lignin, AH EOL (DAHP EOL: 19.8% > DAH EOL: 14.0%). It was evident that the antioxidant properties of modified organosolv lignin has better reducing power in comparison to the unmodified organosolv lignin. Therefore, the functionalization of lignin polymers enhanced their antioxidant properties and structural features towards a various alternative approach in lignin-based applications.
A sensitive and rapid reversed-phase ultra performance liquid chromatographic (UPLC) method for the simultaneous determination of tocopherols (α-, β-, γ-, δ-), tocotrienols (α-, β-, γ-, δ-), α-tocopherol acetate and α-tocopherol nicotinate is described. The separation was achieved using a Kinetex pentafluorophenyl (PFP) column (150 × 2.1mm, 2.6 µm) with both photodiode array (PDA) and fluorescence (FL) detectors that were connected in series. Column was thermostated at 42°C. Under a gradient system consisting of methanol and water at a constant flow rate of 0.38 mL min(-1), all the ten analytes were well separated in less than 9.5 min. The method was validated in terms of linearity, limits of detection and quantitation, precision and recoveries. Calibration curves of the ten compounds were well correlated (r(2)>0.999) within the range of 100 to 25,000 μg L(-1) for α-tocopherol acetate and α-tocopherol nicotinate, 10 to 25,000 μg L(-1) for α-tocotrienol and 5 to 25,000 μg L(-1) for the other components. The method is simple and sensitive with detection limits (S/N, 3) of 1.0 to 3.0 μg L(-1) (FL detection) and 30 to 74 μg L(-1) (PDA detection). Relative standard deviations for intra- and inter-day retention times (<1%) and peak areas (≤ 4%) were obtained. The method was successfully applied to the determination of vitamin E in vegetable oils (extra virgin olive, virgin olive, pomace olive, blended virgin and refined olive, sunflower, soybean, palm olein, carotino, crude palm, walnut, rice bran and grape seed), margarines and supplements.
The adulteration of edible fats is a kind of fraud that impairs the physical and chemical features of the original lipid materials. It has been detected in various food, pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical products. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is the robust thermo-analytical machine that permits to fingerprint the primary crystallisation of triacylglycerols (TAGs) molecules and their transition behaviours. The aims of this study was to assess the cross-contamination caused by lard concentration of 0.5-5% in the mixture systems containing beef tallow (BT) and chicken fat (CF) separately. TAGs species of pure and adulterated lipids in relation to their crystallisation and melting parameters were studied using principal components analysis (PCA). The results showed that by using the heating profiles the discrimination of LD from BT and CF was very clear even at low dose of less than 1%. Same observation was depicted from the crystallisation profiles of BT adulterated by LD doses ranging from 0.1% to 1% and from 2% to 5%, respectively. Furthermore, CF adulterated with LD did not exhibit clear changes on its crystallisation profiles. Consequently, DSC coupled with PCA is one of the techniques that might use to monitor and differentiate the minimum adulteration levels caused by LD in different animal fats.
The possible cytotoxic effects of vancomycin and its complex with beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) on human glial cell line (CRL 8621) were studied accordingly by means of MTS assay. The cultured cells were incubated with various concentrations of vancomycin, β-CD as well as β-CD/vancomycin complex ranging from 4.69 to 300 ug/ml. A linear dose-dependency cytotoxicity followed by hermetic-like biphasic dose-dependence was observed after incubation period of 72 hours. In general, significant increase (p<0.001) of cell proliferation was observed at lower concentrations: <18.75 μg/ml for cells treated with β-CD and their complex while < 9.38 μg/ml for cells treated with vancomycin. In contrary, regardless of the treatments given, significant (p<0.001) reduce in cell survival was found at higher concentrations >150 μg/ml. In particular, 50 % inhibitory in vitro was achieved at the concentrations of 115.95 μg/ml (for β-CD), 116.48 μg/ml (for vancomycin) and 115.44 μg/ml (for β-CD/vancomycin complex).
Fresh water, coupled with soil salinization in many areas has resulted in an increased need forscreening of salt tolerant turf grasses. Relative salinity tolerance of eightwarm season turfgrass species were examined in this study in sand culture. Grasses were grown in a glasshouse, irrigated with either distilled water or saline sea water adjusted to 24, 48 or 72 dSm-1. Salt tolerances of the grasses were assessed on the basis of their shoot and root growth, leaf firing and turf quality. Regression analysis indicated that Zoysiajaponica (Japanese lawn grass) (JG), Stenotaphrum secundatum (St. Augustine) (SA), Cynodon dactylon (satiri) (BS), Zoysia teneuifolia (Korean grass) (KG), Digitaria didactyla (Serangoon grass) (SG), Cynodon dactylon (Tifdwarf) (TD), Paspalum notatum (Bahia grass) (BG) and Axonopus compressus(Pearl blue) (PB) suffered a 50% shoot growth reduction at 36.0, 31.8, 30.9, 28.4, 26.4, 25.7, 20.0 and 18.6 dSm1 of salinity, respectively and a root growth reduction at44.9, 43.7, 33.4, 31.0, 29.5 27.5, 21.5 and 21.4 dSm- of salinity, respectively. Leaf firing and turf quality of the selected species, as a whole, were also found to be affected harmoniously with the change in root and shoot growth. On the basis of the experimental results the selected species were ranked for salinity tolerance as JG>SA>BS>KG>SG >TD>BG>PB.
Whether the exceptionally low prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection reported among Malays is also present among aborigines (the Orang Asli) living in northeastern Peninsular Malaysia is unknown. We studied asymptomatic Orang Asli from settlements situated 210 km from the city of Kota Bharu. The HP infection status was confirmed by a validated serology test. Nineteen percent of 480 Orang Asli tested positive for HP infection. The prevalence was 40.6% in the birth cohort of the 1940s and declined steadily in later cohorts to under 10% among 12-30 year olds. This may be related to the phases of relocation from the jungles into resettlement camps and ultimately into designated villages near rivers. The low prevalence pattern after the 1970s was probably partly a result of improvement in sanitation and hygiene practice in these villages but other unidentified factors may also be operating.
Ammonia loss significantly reduces the urea-N use efficiency in crop production. Efforts to reduce this problem are mostly laboratory oriented. This paper reports the effects of urea amended with triple superphosphate (TSP) and zeolite (Clinoptilolite) on soil pH, nitrate, exchangeable ammonium, dry matter production, N uptake, fresh cob production, and urea-N uptake efficiency in maize (Zea mays) cultivation on an acid soil in actual field conditions. Urea-amended TSP and zeolite treatments and urea only (urea without additives) did not have long-term effect on soil pH and accumulation of soil exchangeable ammonium and nitrate. Treatments with higher amounts of TSP and zeolite significantly increased the dry matter (stem and leaf) production of Swan (test crop). All the treatments had no significant effect on urea-N concentration in the leaf and stem of the test crop. In terms of urea-N uptake in the leaf and stem tissues of Swan, only the treatment with the highest amount of TSP and zeolite significantly increased urea-N uptake in the leaf of the test crop. Irrespective of treatment, fresh cob production was statistically not different. However, all the treatments with additives improved urea-N uptake efficiency compared to urea without additives or amendment. This suggests that urea amended with TSP and zeolite has a potential of reducing ammonia loss from surface-applied urea.
In Malaysia, pineapples are grown on peat soils, but most K fertilizer recommendations do not take into account K loss through leaching. The objective of this study was to determine applied K use efficiency under a conventionally recommended fertilization regime in pineapple cultivation with residues removal. Results showed that K recovery from applied K fertilizer in pineapple cultivation on tropical peat soil was low, estimated at 28%. At a depth of 0-10 cm, there was a sharp decrease of soil total K, exchangeable K, and soil solution K days after planting (DAP) for plots with K fertilizer. This decline continued until the end of the study. Soil total, exchangeable, and solution K at the end of the study were generally lower than prior values before the study. There was no significant accumulation of K at depths of 10-25 and 25-45 cm. However, K concentrations throughout the study period were generally lower or equal to their initial status in the soil indicating leaching of the applied K and partly explained the low K recovery. Potassium losses through leaching in pineapple cultivation on tropical peat soils need to be considered in fertilizer recommendations for efficient recovery of applied K.
Here, we report the complete genome sequence of Paenibacillus durus type strain ATCC 35681, which can fix atmospheric nitrogen even in the presence of nitrate.
The tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) from palm oil contains vitamin E, which possesses potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic joint inflammatory disease characterised by severe joint pain, cartilage destruction, and bone erosion owing to the effects of various pro-inflammatory mediators and cytokines. Here, we investigated the therapeutic effects of TRF in a rat model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Arthritis was induced by a single intradermal injection of collagen type II in Dark Agouti (DA) rats. Rats were then treated with or without TRF by oral gavage from day 28 after the first collagen injection. Arthritic rats supplemented with TRF showed decreased articular index scores, ankle circumferences, paw volumes, and radiographic scores when compared with untreated rats. The untreated arthritic rats showed higher plasma C-reactive protein levels (p