Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 32 in total

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  1. Fulltext Structure and Principal Components Analyses Reveal an Intervarietal Fusion in Malaysian Mistletoe Fig (Ficus deltoidea Jack) Populations
    Zimisuhara B, Valdiani A, Shaharuddin NA, Qamaruzzaman F, Maziah M
    Int J Mol Sci, 2015 Jun 24;16(7):14369-94.
    PMID: 26114389 DOI: 10.3390/ijms160714369
    Genetic structure and biodiversity of the medicinal plant Ficus deltoidea have rarely been scrutinized. To fill these lacunae, five varieties, consisting of 30 F. deltoidea accessions were collected across the country and studied on the basis of molecular and morphological data. Molecular analysis of the accessions was performed using nine Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers, seven of which were detected as polymorphic markers. ISSR-based clustering generated four clusters supporting the geographical distribution of the accessions to some extent. The Jaccard's similarity coefficient implied the existence of low diversity (0.50-0.75) in the studied population. STRUCTURE analysis showed a low differentiation among the sampling sites, while a moderate varietal differentiation was unveiled with two main populations of F. deltoidea. Our observations confirmed the occurrence of gene flow among the accessions; however, the highest degree of this genetic interference was related to the three accessions of FDDJ10, FDTT16 and FDKT25. These three accessions may be the genetic intervarietal fusion points of the plant's population. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) relying on quantitative morphological characteristics resulted in two principal components with Eigenvalue >1 which made up 89.96% of the total variation. The cluster analysis performed by the eight quantitative characteristics led to grouping the accessions into four clusters with a Euclidean distance ranged between 0.06 and 1.10. Similarly, a four-cluster dendrogram was generated using qualitative traits. The qualitative characteristics were found to be more discriminating in the cluster and PCA analyses, while ISSRs were more informative on the evolution and genetic structure of the population.
  2. A simple 18S rDNA approach for the identification of cultured eukaryotic microalgae with an emphasis on primers
    Khaw YS, Khong NMH, Shaharuddin NA, Yusoff FM
    J Microbiol Methods, 2020 05;172:105890.
    PMID: 32179080 DOI: 10.1016/j.mimet.2020.105890
    Any forms of valorization of microorganisms would require accurate identity recognition to ensure repeatability, reproducibility and quality assurance. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of different primers for identifying cultured eukaryotic microalgae using a simple 18S rDNA approach. A total of 34 isolated microalgae and one culture collection were utilized in the search for an effective molecular identification method for microalgae. Ammonium formate was applied to marine microalgae prior to DNA extraction. The microalgal DNA was extracted using a commercial kit and subjected directly to PCR amplification using four different published 18S rDNA primers. The DNA sequences were analysed using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) and phylogenetic trees to determine the microalgae identity. The identity was further validated with conventional morphological taxonomic identification, and the relationship of microalgal morphology and genetic materials was also determined. The microalgal DNA was successfully amplified, including marine species without prior cleaning. In addition, the ss5 + ss3 primer pair was found to be an ideal primer set among the tested primers for identifying microalgae. Overall, molecular identification showed relative matching with morphological identification (82.86%). This study is important because it serves as a platform to develop a standardized eukaryotic microalgae identification method. In addition, this method could help to ease the eukaryotic microalgae identification process and enrich the current reference databases such as GenBank.
  3. Fulltext HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory activity and phytocomponent investigation of Basella alba leaf extract as a treatment for hypercholesterolemia
    Baskaran G, Salvamani S, Ahmad SA, Shaharuddin NA, Pattiram PD, Shukor MY
    Drug Des Devel Ther, 2015;9:509-17.
    PMID: 25609924 DOI: 10.2147/DDDT.S75056
    The enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase is the key enzyme of the mevalonate pathway that produces cholesterol. Inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase reduces cholesterol biosynthesis in the liver. Synthetic drugs, statins, are commonly used for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Due to the side effects of statins, natural HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors of plant origin are needed. In this study, 25 medicinal plant methanol extracts were screened for anti-HMG-CoA reductase activity. Basella alba leaf extract showed the highest inhibitory effect at about 74%. Thus, B. alba was examined in order to investigate its phytochemical components. Gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry and reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed the presence of phenol 2,6-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl), 1-heptatriacotanol, oleic acid, eicosyl ester, naringin, apigenin, luteolin, ascorbic acid, and α-tocopherol, which have been reported to possess antihypercholesterolemic effects. Further investigation of in vivo models should be performed in order to confirm its potential as an alternative treatment for hypercholesterolemia and related cardiovascular diseases.
  4. Fulltext Antiartherosclerotic effects of plant flavonoids
    Salvamani S, Gunasekaran B, Shaharuddin NA, Ahmad SA, Shukor MY
    Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:480258.
    PMID: 24971331 DOI: 10.1155/2014/480258
    Atherosclerosis is the process of hardening and narrowing the arteries. Atherosclerosis is generally associated with cardiovascular diseases such as strokes, heart attacks, and peripheral vascular diseases. Since the usage of the synthetic drug, statins, leads to various side effects, the plants flavonoids with antiartherosclerotic activity gained much attention and were proven to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis in vitro and in vivo based on different animal models. The flavonoids compounds also exhibit lipid lowering effects and anti-inflammatory and antiatherogenic properties. The future development of flavonoids-based drugs is believed to provide significant effects on atherosclerosis and its related diseases. This paper discusses the antiatherosclerotic effects of selected plant flavonoids such as quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin, rutin, naringenin, catechin, fisetin, and gossypetin.
  5. Fulltext Functional characterization of sesquiterpene synthase from Polygonum minus
    Ee SF, Mohamed-Hussein ZA, Othman R, Shaharuddin NA, Ismail I, Zainal Z
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:840592.
    PMID: 24678279 DOI: 10.1155/2014/840592
    Polygonum minus is an aromatic plant, which contains high abundance of terpenoids, especially the sesquiterpenes C15H24. Sesquiterpenes were believed to contribute to the many useful biological properties in plants. This study aimed to functionally characterize a full length sesquiterpene synthase gene from P. minus. P. minus sesquiterpene synthase (PmSTS) has a complete open reading frame (ORF) of 1689 base pairs encoding a 562 amino acid protein. Similar to other sesquiterpene synthases, PmSTS has two large domains: the N-terminal domain and the C-terminal metal-binding domain. It also consists of three conserved motifs: the DDXXD, NSE/DTE, and RXR. A three-dimensional protein model for PmSTS built clearly distinguished the two main domains, where conserved motifs were highlighted. We also constructed a phylogenetic tree, which showed that PmSTS belongs to the angiosperm sesquiterpene synthase subfamily Tps-a. To examine the function of PmSTS, we expressed this gene in Arabidopsis thaliana. Two transgenic lines, designated as OE3 and OE7, were further characterized, both molecularly and functionally. The transgenic plants demonstrated smaller basal rosette leaves, shorter and fewer flowering stems, and fewer seeds compared to wild type plants. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the transgenic plants showed that PmSTS was responsible for the production of β -sesquiphellandrene.
  6. Fulltext Molecular cloning and characterization of novel phytocystatin gene from turmeric, Curcuma longa
    Chan SN, Abu Bakar N, Mahmood M, Ho CL, Shaharuddin NA
    Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:973790.
    PMID: 25853138 DOI: 10.1155/2014/973790
    Phytocystatin, a type of protease inhibitor (PI), plays major roles in plant defense mechanisms and has been reported to show antipathogenic properties and plant stress tolerance. Recombinant plant PIs are gaining popularity as potential candidates in engineering of crop protection and in synthesizing medicine. It is therefore crucial to identify PI from novel sources like Curcuma longa as it is more effective in combating against pathogens due to its novelty. In this study, a novel cDNA fragment encoding phytocystatin was isolated using degenerate PCR primers, designed from consensus regions of phytocystatin from other plant species. A full-length cDNA of the phytocystatin gene, designated CypCl, was acquired using 5'/3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends method and it has been deposited in NCBI database (accession number KF545954.1). It has a 687 bp long open reading frame (ORF) which encodes 228 amino acids. BLAST result indicated that CypCl is similar to cystatin protease inhibitor from Cucumis sativus with 74% max identity. Sequence analysis showed that CypCl contains most of the motifs found in a cystatin, including a G residue, LARFAV-, QxVxG sequence, PW dipeptide, and SNSL sequence at C-terminal extension. Phylogenetic studies also showed that CypCl is related to phytocystatin from Elaeis guineensis.
  7. Fulltext Hexavalent molybdenum reduction to mo-blue by a sodium-dodecyl-sulfate-degrading Klebsiella oxytoca strain DRY14
    Halmi MI, Zuhainis SW, Yusof MT, Shaharuddin NA, Helmi W, Shukor Y, et al.
    Biomed Res Int, 2013;2013:384541.
    PMID: 24383052 DOI: 10.1155/2013/384541
    Bacteria with the ability to tolerate, remove, and/or degrade several xenobiotics simultaneously are urgently needed for remediation of polluted sites. A previously isolated bacterium with sodium dodecyl sulfate- (SDS-) degrading capacity was found to be able to reduce molybdenum to the nontoxic molybdenum blue. The optimal pH, carbon source, molybdate concentration, and temperature supporting molybdate reduction were pH 7.0, glucose at 1.5% (w/v), between 25 and 30 mM, and 25°C, respectively. The optimum phosphate concentration for molybdate reduction was 5 mM. The Mo-blue produced exhibits an absorption spectrum with a maximum peak at 865 nm and a shoulder at 700 nm. None of the respiratory inhibitors tested showed any inhibition to the molybdenum-reducing activity suggesting that the electron transport system of this bacterium is not the site of molybdenum reduction. Chromium, cadmium, silver, copper, mercury, and lead caused approximately 77, 65, 77, 89, 80, and 80% inhibition of the molybdenum-reducing activity, respectively. Ferrous and stannous ions markedly increased the activity of molybdenum-reducing activity in this bacterium. The maximum tolerable concentration of SDS as a cocontaminant was 3 g/L. The characteristics of this bacterium make it a suitable candidate for molybdenum bioremediation of sites cocontaminated with detergent pollutant.
  8. Characterization of promoter of EgPAL1, a novel PAL gene from the oil palm Elaeis guineensis Jacq
    Yusuf CYL, Abdullah JO, Shaharuddin NA, Abu Seman I, Abdullah MP
    Plant Cell Rep, 2018 Feb;37(2):265-278.
    PMID: 29090330 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-017-2228-7
    KEY MESSAGE: The oil palm EgPAL1 gene promoter and its regulatory region were functional as a promoter in the heterologous system of Arabidopsis according to the cis-acting elements present in that region. The promoter was developmentally regulated, vascular tissue specific and responsive to water stress agents. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL, EC 4.3.1.24) is the key enzyme of the phenylpropanoid pathway which plays important roles in plant development and adaptation. To date, there is no report on the study of PAL from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), an economically important oil crop. In this study, the 5' regulatory sequence of a highly divergent oil palm PAL gene (EgPAL1) was isolated and fused with GUS in Arabidopsis to create two transgenic plants carrying the minimal promoter with (2302 bp) and without its regulatory elements (139 bp). The regulatory sequence contained cis-acting elements known to be important for plant development and stress response including the AC-II element for lignin biosynthesis and several stress responsive elements. The promoter and its regulatory region were fully functional in Arabidopsis. Its activities were characterised by two common fundamental features of PAL which are responsive to plant internal developmental programme and external factors. The promoter was developmentally regulated in certain organs; highly active in young organs but less active or inactive in mature organs. The presence of the AC elements and global activity of the EgPAL1 promoter in all organs resembled the property of lignin-related genes. The existence of the MBS element and enhancement of the promoter activity by PEG reflected the behaviour of drought-responsive genes. Our findings provide a platform for evaluating oil palm gene promoters in the heterologous system of Arabidopsis and give insights into the activities of EgPAL1 promoter in oil palm.
  9. Fulltext Proteome of rice roots treated with exogenous proline
    Teh CY, Ho CL, Shaharuddin NA, Lai KS, Mahmood M
    3 Biotech, 2019 Mar;9(3):101.
    PMID: 30800612 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-019-1615-x
    Proteomic analysis was conducted to identify the rice root proteins induced by exogenous proline and their involvement in root growth. Proteins were extracted from the root tissues grown under two conditions, T1 (control) and T2 (10 mM proline), and profiled by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Seventeen of 30 differentially expressed proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. Proline-treated rice roots showed up-regulation and down-regulation of nine and eight proteins, respectively, when compared to those in the control. Among the differentially expressed proteins, the down-regulation of glutathione reductase and peroxidase could be involved in the regulation of cellular hydrogen peroxide and reactive oxygen species levels that modulate the root cell wall structure. Differentially expressed proteins identified as pathogenesis-related proteins might be related to stress adaptive mechanisms in response to exogenous proline treatment. In addition, differentially expressed protein identified as the fructose-bisphosphate aldolases and cytochrome c oxidase might be associated with energy metabolism, which is needed during root developmental process. This is the first attempt to study the changes in rice root proteome treated with proline. The acquired information could open new avenues for further functional studies on the involvement of proline in modulating root development and its relation to stress adaptation of plants.
  10. Fulltext A Review and Bibliometric Analysis on Applications of Microbial Degradation of Hydrocarbon Contaminants in Arctic Marine Environment at Metagenomic and Enzymatic Levels
    Verasoundarapandian G, Wong CY, Shaharuddin NA, Gomez-Fuentes C, Zulkharnain A, Ahmad SA
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 02 09;18(4).
    PMID: 33572432 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18041671
    The globe is presently reliant on natural resources, fossil fuels, and crude oil to support the world's energy requirements. Human exploration for oil resources is always associated with irreversible effects. Primary sources of hydrocarbon pollution are instigated through oil exploration, extraction, and transportation in the Arctic region. To address the state of pollution, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms and processes of the bioremediation of hydrocarbons. The application of various microbial communities originated from the Arctic can provide a better interpretation on the mechanisms of specific microbes in the biodegradation process. The composition of oil and consequences of hydrocarbon pollutants to the various marine environments are also discussed in this paper. An overview of emerging trends on literature or research publications published in the last decade was compiled via bibliometric analysis in relation to the topic of interest, which is the microbial community present in the Arctic and Antarctic marine environments. This review also presents the hydrocarbon-degrading microbial community present in the Arctic, biodegradation metabolic pathways (enzymatic level), and capacity of microbial degradation from the perspective of metagenomics. The limitations are stated and recommendations are proposed for future research prospects on biodegradation of oil contaminants by microbial community at the low temperature regions of the Arctic.
  11. Fulltext Diesel in Antarctica and a Bibliometric Study on Its Indigenous Microorganisms as Remediation Agent
    Wong RR, Lim ZS, Shaharuddin NA, Zulkharnain A, Gomez-Fuentes C, Ahmad SA
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 02 05;18(4).
    PMID: 33562609 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18041512
    Diesel acts as a main energy source to complement human activities in Antarctica. However, the increased expedition in Antarctica has threatened the environment as well as its living organisms. While more efforts on the use of renewable energy are being done, most activities in Antarctica still depend heavily on the use of diesel. Diesel contaminants in their natural state are known to be persistent, complex and toxic. The low temperature in Antarctica worsens these issues, making pollutants more significantly toxic to their environment and indigenous organisms. A bibliometric analysis had demonstrated a gradual increase in the number of studies on the microbial hydrocarbon remediation in Antarctica over the year. It was also found that these studies were dominated by those that used bacteria as remediating agents, whereas very little focus was given on fungi and microalgae. This review presents a summary of the collective and past understanding to the current findings of Antarctic microbial enzymatic degradation of hydrocarbons as well as its genotypic adaptation to the extreme low temperature.
  12. Fulltext EgJUB1 and EgERF113 transcription factors as potential master regulators of defense response in Elaeis guineensis against the hemibiotrophic Ganoderma boninense
    Sakeh NM, Abdullah SNA, Bahari MNA, Azzeme AM, Shaharuddin NA, Idris AS
    BMC Plant Biol, 2021 Jan 22;21(1):59.
    PMID: 33482731 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-020-02812-7
    BACKGROUND: Hemibiotrophic pathogen such as the fungal pathogen Ganoderma boninense that is destructive to oil palm, manipulates host defense mechanism by strategically switching from biotrophic to necrotrophic phase. Our previous study revealed two distinguishable expression profiles of oil palm genes that formed the basis in deducing biotrophic phase at early interaction which switched to necrotrophic phase at a later stage of infection.

    RESULTS: The present report is a continuing study from our previous published transcriptomic profiling of oil palm seedlings against G. boninense. We focused on identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) encoding transcription factors (TFs) from the same RNA-seq data; resulting in 106 upregulated and 108 downregulated TFs being identified. The DEGs are involved in four established defense-related pathways responsible for cell wall modification, reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated signaling, programmed cell death (PCD) and plant innate immunity. We discovered upregulation of JUNGBRUNNEN 1 (EgJUB1) during the fungal biotrophic phase while Ethylene Responsive Factor 113 (EgERF113) demonstrated prominent upregulation when the palm switches to defense against necrotrophic phase. EgJUB1 was shown to have a binding activity to a 19 bp palindromic SNBE1 element, WNNYBTNNNNNNNAMGNHW found in the promoter region of co-expressing EgHSFC-2b. Further in silico analysis of promoter regions revealed co-expression of EgJUB1 with TFs containing SNBE1 element with single nucleotide change at either the 5th or 18th position. Meanwhile, EgERF113 binds to both GCC and DRE/CRT elements promoting plasticity in upregulating the downstream defense-related genes. Both TFs were proven to be nuclear-localized based on subcellular localization experiment using onion epidermal cells.

    CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated unprecedented transcriptional reprogramming of specific TFs potentially to enable regulation of a specific set of genes during different infection phases of this hemibiotrophic fungal pathogen. The results propose the intricacy of oil palm defense response in orchestrating EgJUB1 during biotrophic and EgERF113 during the subsequent transition to the necrotrophic phase. Binding of EgJUB1 to SNBE motif instead of NACBS while EgERF113 to GCC-box and DRE/CRT motifs is unconventional and not normally associated with pathogen infection. Identification of these phase-specific oil palm TFs is important in designing strategies to tackle or attenuate the progress of infection.

  13. Fulltext A Recommendation for a Pre-Standardized Marine Microalgal Dry Weight Determination Protocol for Laboratory Scale Culture Using Ammonium Formate as a Washing Agent
    Khaw YS, Tan HT, Sopawong A, Shaharuddin NA, Omar AR, Yusoff FM
    Biology (Basel), 2021 Aug 19;10(8).
    PMID: 34440031 DOI: 10.3390/biology10080799
    Microalgal biomass is one of the crucial criteria in microalgal studies. Many reported methods, even the well-established protocol on microalgal dry weight (DW) determination, vary greatly, and reliable comparative assessment amongst published results could be problematic. This study aimed to determine the best condition of critical parameters in marine microalgal DW determination for laboratory-scale culture using four different marine microalgal species. These parameters included the washing process, grades of glass microfiber filter (GMF), GMF pretreatment conditions, washing agent (ammonium formate) concentrations, culture: washing agent ratios (v:v) and washing cycles. GMF grade GF/A with precombustion at 450 °C provided the most satisfactory DW and the highest ash-free dry weight (AFDW)/DW ratio. Furthermore, 0.05 M ammonium formate with 1:2 culture: washing agent ratio and a minimum of two washing cycles appeared to be the best settings of microalgal DW determination. The present treatment increased the AFDW/DW ratio of the four respective microalgae by a minimum of 19%. The findings of this study could serve as a pivotal reference in developing a standardized protocol of marine microalgal DW determination to obtain veracious and reliable marine microalgal DW.
  14. Fulltext RNA-Seq analysis revealed genes associated with UV-induced cell necrosis through MAPK/TNF-α pathways in human dermal fibroblast cells as an inducer of premature photoaging
    Alafiatayo AA, Lai KS, Ahmad S, Mahmood M, Shaharuddin NA
    Genomics, 2020 01;112(1):484-493.
    PMID: 30946891 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2019.03.011
    Exposing the skin to solar UV radiation induces cascades of signaling pathways and biological alterations such as redox imbalance, suppression of antioxidant genes and programmed cell death. Therefore, the aim of this study was to use RNA-Seq to unravel the effects of UV radiation on Normal Human Adult Fibroblast cells (NHDF). Cells were exposed to UV (20 mJ/cm2 for 3 mins) and incubated for 24 h. Total mRNA from the cells generated libraries of 72,080,648 and 40,750,939 raw reads from UV-treated and control cells respectively. Of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) produced 2,007 were up-regulated and 2,791 were down-regulated (fold change ≥2, p 
  15. Fulltext Identification of Oil Palm's Consistently Upregulated Genes during Early Infections of Ganoderma boninense via RNA-Seq Technology and Real-Time Quantitative PCR
    Zuhar LM, Madihah AZ, Ahmad SA, Zainal Z, Idris AS, Shaharuddin NA
    Plants (Basel), 2021 Sep 27;10(10).
    PMID: 34685835 DOI: 10.3390/plants10102026
    Basal stem rot (BSR) disease caused by pathogenic fungus Ganoderma boninense is a significant concern in the oil palm industry. G. boninense infection in oil palm induces defense-related genes. To understand oil palm defense mechanisms in response to fungal invasion, we analyzed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) derived from RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) transcriptomic libraries of oil palm roots infected with G. boninense. A total of 126 DEGs were detected from the transcriptomic libraries of G. boninense-infected root tissues at different infection stages. Functional annotation via pathway enrichment analyses revealed that the DEGs were involved in the defense response against the pathogen. The expression of the selected DEGs was further confirmed using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) on independent oil palm seedlings and mature palm samples. Seven putative defense-related DEGs consistently showed upregulation in seedlings and mature plants during G. boninense infection. These seven genes might potentially be developed as biomarkers for the early detection of BSR in oil palm.
  16. A Critical Review of the Concept of Transgenic Plants: Insights into Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Molecular Farming
    Abiri R, Valdiani A, Maziah M, Shaharuddin NA, Sahebi M, Yusof ZN, et al.
    Curr Issues Mol Biol, 2016;18:21-42.
    PMID: 25944541
    Using transgenic plants for the production of high-value recombinant proteins for industrial and clinical applications has become a promising alternative to using conventional bioproduction systems, such as bacteria, yeast, and cultured insect and animal cells. This novel system offers several advantages over conventional systems in terms of safety, scale, cost-effectiveness, and the ease of distribution and storage. Currently, plant systems are being utilised as recombinant bio-factories for the expression of various proteins, including potential vaccines and pharmaceuticals, through employing several adaptations of recombinant processes and utilizing the most suitable tools and strategies. The level of protein expression is a critical factor in plant molecular farming, and this level fluctuates according to the plant species and the organs involved. The production of recombinant native and engineered proteins is a complicated procedure that requires an inter- and multi-disciplinary effort involving a wide variety of scientific and technological disciplines, ranging from basic biotechnology, biochemistry, and cell biology to advanced production systems. This review considers important plant resources, affecting factors, and the recombinant-protein expression techniques relevant to the plant molecular farming process.
  17. Fulltext Uncovering Research Trends of Phycobiliproteins Using Bibliometric Approach
    Tan HT, Yusoff FM, Khaw YS, Ahmad SA, Shaharuddin NA
    Plants (Basel), 2021 Nov 01;10(11).
    PMID: 34834721 DOI: 10.3390/plants10112358
    Phycobiliproteins are gaining popularity as long-term, high-value natural products which can be alternatives to synthetic products. This study analyzed research trends of phycobiliproteins from 1909 to 2020 using a bibliometric approach based on the Scopus database. The current findings showed that phycobiliprotein is a burgeoning field in terms of publications outputs with "biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology" as the most related and focused subject. The Journal of Applied Phycology was the most productive journal in publishing articles on phycobiliproteins. Although the United States of America (U.S.A.) contributed the most publications on phycobiliproteins, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (China) is the institution with the largest number of publications. The most productive author on phycobiliproteins was Glazer, Alexander N. (U.S.A.). The U.S.A. and Germany were at the forefront of international collaboration in this field. According to the keyword analysis, the most explored theme was the optimization of microalgae culture parameters and phycobiliproteins extraction methods. The bioactivity properties and extraction of phycobiliproteins were identified as future research priorities. Synechococcus and Arthrospira were the most cited genera. This study serves as an initial step in fortifying the phycobiliproteins market, which is expected to exponentially expand in the future. Moreover, further research and global collaboration are necessary to commercialize phycobiliproteins and increase the consumer acceptability of the pigments and their products.
  18. Fulltext Anti-HMG-CoA Reductase, Antioxidant, and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Amaranthus viridis Leaf Extract as a Potential Treatment for Hypercholesterolemia
    Salvamani S, Gunasekaran B, Shukor MY, Shaharuddin NA, Sabullah MK, Ahmad SA
    Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2016;2016:8090841.
    PMID: 27051453 DOI: 10.1155/2016/8090841
    Inflammation and oxidative stress are believed to contribute to the pathology of several chronic diseases including hypercholesterolemia (elevated levels of cholesterol in blood) and atherosclerosis. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors of plant origin are needed as synthetic drugs, such as statins, which are known to cause adverse effects on the liver and muscles. Amaranthus viridis (A. viridis) has been used from ancient times for its supposedly medically beneficial properties. In the current study, different parts of A. viridis (leaf, stem, and seed) were evaluated for potential anti-HMG-CoA reductase, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. The putative HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory activity of A. viridis extracts at different concentrations was determined spectrophotometrically by NADPH oxidation, using HMG-CoA as substrate. A. viridis leaf extract revealed the highest HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory effect at about 71%, with noncompetitive inhibition in Lineweaver-Burk plot analysis. The leaf extract showed good inhibition of hydroperoxides, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), nitric oxide (NO), and ferric ion radicals in various concentrations. A. viridis leaf extract was proven to be an effective inhibitor of hyaluronidase, lipoxygenase, and xanthine oxidase enzymes. The experimental data suggest that A. viridis leaf extract is a source of potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent and may modulate cholesterol metabolism by inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase.
  19. Fulltext Phytochemical Evaluation, Embryotoxicity, and Teratogenic Effects of Curcuma longa Extract on Zebrafish (Danio rerio)
    Alafiatayo AA, Lai KS, Syahida A, Mahmood M, Shaharuddin NA
    Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2019;2019:3807207.
    PMID: 30949217 DOI: 10.1155/2019/3807207
    Curcuma longa L. is a rhizome plant often used as traditional medicinal preparations in Southeast Asia. The dried powder is commonly known as cure-all herbal medicine with a wider spectrum of pharmaceutical activities. In spite of the widely reported therapeutic applications of C. longa, research on its safety and teratogenic effects on zebrafish embryos and larvae is still limited. Hence, this research aimed to assess the toxicity of C. longa extract on zebrafish. Using a reflux flask, methanol extract of C. longa was extracted and the identification and quantification of total flavonoids were carried out with HPLC. Twelve fertilized embryos were selected to test the embryotoxicity and teratogenicity at different concentration points. The embryos were exposed to the extract in the E3M medium while the control was only exposed to E3M and different developmental endpoints were recorded with the therapeutic index calculated using the ratio of LC50/EC50. C. longa extract was detected to be highly rich in flavonoids with catechin, epicatechin, and naringenin as the 3 most abundant with concentrations of 3,531.34, 688.70, and 523.83μg/mL, respectively. The toxicity effects were discovered to be dose-dependent at dosage above 62.50μg/mL, while, at 125.0μg/mL, mortality of embryos was observed and physical body deformities of larvae were recorded among the hatched embryos at higher concentrations. Teratogenic effect of the extract was severe at higher concentrations producing physical body deformities such as kink tail, bend trunk, and enlarged yolk sac edema. Finally, the therapeutic index (TI) values calculated were approximately the same for different concentration points tested. Overall, the result revealed that plants having therapeutic potential could also pose threats when consumed at higher doses especially on the embryos. Therefore, detailed toxicity analysis should be carried out on medicinal plants to ascertain their safety on the embryos and its development.
  20. GCTTCA as a novel motif for regulating mesocarp-specific expression of the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) stearoyl-ACP desaturase gene
    Hanifiah FHA, Abdullah SNA, Othman A, Shaharuddin NA, Saud HM, Hasnulhadi HAH, et al.
    Plant Cell Rep, 2018 Aug;37(8):1127-1143.
    PMID: 29789886 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-018-2300-y
    KEY MESSAGE: TAAAAT and a novel motif, GCTTCA found in the oil palm stearoyl-ACP desaturase (SAD1) promoter are involved in regulating mesocarp-specific expression. Two key fatty acid biosynthetic genes, stearoyl-ACP desaturase (SAD1), and acyl-carrier protein (ACP3) in Elaeis guineensis (oil palm) showed high level of expression during the period of oil synthesis in the mesocarp [12-19 weeks after anthesis (w.a.a.)] and kernel (12-15 w.a.a.). Both genes are expressed in spear leaves at much lower levels and the expression increased by 1.5-fold to 2.5-fold following treatments with ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA). Both SAD1 and ACP3 promoters contain phytohormone-responsive, light-responsive, abiotic factors/wounding-responsive, endosperm specificity and fruit maturation/ripening regulatory motifs. The activities of the full length and six 5' deletion fragments of the SAD1 promoter were analyzed in transiently transformed oil palm tissues by quantitative β-glucuronidase (GUS) fluorometric assay. The highest SAD1 promoter activity was observed in the mesocarp followed by kernel and the least in the leaves. GUS activity in the D3 deletion construct (- 486 to + 108) was the highest, while the D2 (- 535 to + 108) gave the lowest suggesting the presence of negative cis-acting regulatory element(s) in the deleted - 535 to - 486 (49 bp). It was found that the 49-bp region binds to the nuclear protein extract from mesocarp but not from leaves in electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Further fine-tuned analysis of this 49-bp region using truncated DNA led to the identification of GCTTCA as a novel motif in the SAD1 promoter. Interestingly, another known fruit ripening-related motif, LECPLEACS2 (TAAAAT) was found to be required for effective binding of the novel motif to the mesocarp nuclear protein extract.
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