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Fulltext Evaluating bahulu the traditional food: From the perspective of consumers

Abdul Wahid, N., Mudor, H.

International Food Research Journal, 2016;23(6):2744-2751.
MyJurnal

Bahulu, a popular traditional food in Malaysia is produced mainly by the Small and Medium
Entrepreneurs (SMEs) who are often micro in size and function as both producers and sellers
of the food in the marketplace. A problem usually faced by these enterprises is on matching
their bahulu offer with consumers’ preferences that eventually will lead to loss of sales volume,
loss of customers and stunted business growth. This study attempts to find out how consumers
evaluate bahulu using various aspects of the food product offer. A survey on 671 consumers
from three different states in Malaysia (Penang, Perlis and Kedah) revealed that consumers
in general prioritize the product aspect more than on how it is packaged, priced and branded.
Overall, halal (label) is the most critical component expected by consumers, followed by
its color and softness (product), and manufacturer’s address (label). Interestingly, branding,
packaging and health aspect of the food were amongst the lowest ranked by consumers for this
product. Some similarities and slight differences in how each consumer group evaluates the
bahulu components were also found. The findings provide some insights for the bahulu micro
entrepreneurs (BMEs) on what to focus on when marketing the food.
Fulltext Automatic infant cry classification using radial basis function network

Wahid, N. S. A., Saad, P., Hariharan, M.

Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology, 2016;4(1):12-28.
MyJurnal

– This paper proposes the automatic infant cry classification to analyse infant cry signals.
The cry classification system consists of three stages: (1) feature extraction, (2) feature selection, and
(3) pattern classification. We extract features such as Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC),
Linear Prediction Cepstral Coefficients (LPCC), and dynamic features to represent the acoustic
characteristics of the cry signals. Due to the high dimensionality of data resulting from the feature
extraction stage, we perform feature selection in order to reduce the data dimensionality by selecting
only the relevant features. In this stage, five different feature selection techniques are experimented. In
pattern classification stage, two Artificial Neural Network (ANN) architectures: Multilayer Perceptron
(MLP) and Radial Basis Function Network (RBFN) are used for classifying the cry signals into binary
classes. Experimental results show that the best classification accuracy of 99.42% is obtained with
RBFN. Copyright © 2016 Penerbit Akademia Baru - All rights reserved.
Risk factors associated with flea infestation on cats

Azrizal-Wahid N, Sofian-Azirun M, Low VL

Trop Biomed, 2019 Dec 01;36(4):810-821.
PMID: 33597453

Fleas are the common cause of skin disorders in cats. They are well-known for transmitting various pathogens to both cats and humans. Accordingly, this study was conducted to gain insights on the risk factors associated with flea infestation on cats. Flea combing conducted on 426 cats from four distinct regions in Peninsular Malaysia revealed a relatively high rate of flea infestation on 306 cats (71.83%). A total of 651 fleas were collected, all of them were identified as Ctenocephalides felis with the total intensity of 2.13 and abundance of 1.53. The sex ratio of fleas was female-biased at 2.5:1 (♀=464, ♂=187). Statistical analysis of the data revealed that flea infestation was significantly (P<0.05) associated with several risk factors including region, age, weight, status (stray, sheltered, pet), body condition, and hair length. Higher flea prevalence was also observed in female cats (77.99%), big-sized cats (91.76%), stray cats (84.94%), cats with clean body condition (73.35%), and cats with long hairs (78.38%) as compared to their contemporaries within the same comparison variables. The high infestation of fleas in this study is indicative of cats as a flea reservoir particularly C. felis. Thus the findings of this study and the knowledge gained on the risk factors can be used to develop and improve control measures and management of flea infestations.
Flea-borne pathogens in the cat flea Ctenocephalides felis and their association with mtDNA diversity of the flea host

Azrizal-Wahid N, Sofian-Azirun M, Low VL

Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis, 2021 Apr;75:101621.
PMID: 33609991 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2021.101621

Flea-borne pathogens were screened from 100 individual cat fleas using a PCR approach, of which 38 % were infected with at least one bacterium. Overall, 28 % of the flea samples were positive for Bartonella as inferred from ITS DNA region. Of these, 25 % (7/28) were identified as Bartonella clarridgeiae, 42.9 % (12/28) as Bartonella henselae consisted of two different strains, and 32.1 % (9/28) as Bartonella koehlerae, which was detected for the first time in Malaysia. Sequencing of gltA amplicons detected Rickettsia DNA in 14 % of cat flea samples, all of them identified as Rickettsia asembonensis (100 %). None of the flea samples were positive for Mycoplasma DNA in 16S rRNA gene detection. Four fleas were co-infected with Bartonella and Rickettsia DNAs. Statistical analyses reveal no significant association between bacterial infection and mtDNA diversity of the cat flea. Nevertheless, in all types of pathogen infections, infected populations demonstrated lower nucleotide and haplotype diversities compared to uninfected populations. Moreover, lower haplotype numbers were observed in infected populations.
New insights into the haplotype diversity of the cosmopolitan cat flea Ctenocephalides felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae)

Azrizal-Wahid N, Sofian-Azirun M, Low VL

Vet Parasitol, 2020 May;281:109102.
PMID: 32289653 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2020.109102

The present study investigated the genetic profile of the cosmopolitan cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) from Malaysia and the reference data available in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank. A set of sequences of 100 Malaysian samples aligned as 550 characters of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) and 706 characters of the II (cox2) genes revealed ten haplotypes (A1-A10) and eight haplotypes (B1-B8), respectively. The concatenated sequences of cox1 and cox2 genes with a total of 1256 characters revealed 15 haplotypes (AB1-AB15). Analyses indicated that haplotype AB1 was the most frequent and the most widespread haplotype in Malaysia. Overall haplotype and nucleotide diversities of the concatenated sequences were 0.52909 and 0.00424, respectively, with moderate genetic differentiation (FST = 0.17522) and high gene flow (Nm = 1.18). The western population presented the highest genetic diversity (Hd = 0.78333, Pi = 0.01269, Nh = 9), whereas the southern population demonstrated the lowest diversity (Hd = 0.15667, Pi = 0.00019, Nh = 3). The concatenated sequences showed genetic distances ranged from 0.08 % to 4.39 %. There were three aberrant haplotypes in cox2 sequences that highly divergent, suggesting the presence of cryptic species or occurrence of introgression. In the global point of view, the aligned sequences of C. felis revealed 65 haplotypes (AA1-AA65) by the cox1 gene (n = 586), and 27 haplotypes (BB1-BB27) by the cox2 gene (n = 204). Mapping of the haplotype network showed that Malaysian C. felis possesses seven unique haplotypes in both genes with the common haplotypes demonstrated genetic affinity with C. felis from Southeast Asia for cox1 and South America for cox2. The topologies of cox1 and cox2 phylogenetic trees were concordant with relevant grouping pattern of haplotypes in the network but revealed two major lineages by which Malaysian haplotypes were closely related with haplotypes from the tropical region.
Tooth mortality in smokers and nonsmokers in a selected population in Sana'a, Yemen

Al-Bayaty FH, Wahid NA, Bulgiba AM

J Periodontal Res, 2008 Feb;43(1):9-13.
PMID: 18230101 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0765.2007.00988.x

Tobacco smoking has been shown to be a major risk factor for tooth loss. The present study was designed to examine tooth mortality and the patterns of tooth loss in smokers and nonsmokers over a wide age range in a selected population from Sana'a, Yemen.
Fulltext Genetic diversity and phylogeographic patterns of the peacock jewel-damselfly, Rhinocypha fenestrella (Rambur, 1842)

Noorhidayah M, Azrizal-Wahid N, Low VL, Yusoff NR

PLoS One, 2024;19(4):e0301392.
PMID: 38578719 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301392

Despite is known to have widespread distribution and the most active species of the family Chlorocyphidae, the molecular data of Rhinocypha fenestrella (Rambur, 1842) are relatively scarce. The present study is the first that examined the genetic diversity and phylogeographic pattern of the peacock jewel-damselfly R. fenestrella by sequencing the cytochrome C oxidase I (cox1) and 16S rRNA gene regions from 147 individuals representing eight populations in Malaysia. A total of 26 and 10 unique haplotypes were revealed by the cox1 and 16S rRNA genes, respectively, and 32 haplotypes were recovered by the concatenated sequences of cox1+16S. Analyses indicated that haplotype AB2 was the most frequent and the most widespread haplotype in Malaysia while haplotype AB1 was suggested as the common ancestor haplotype of the R. fenestrella that may arose from the Negeri Sembilan as discovered from cox1+16S haplotype network analysis. Overall haplotype and nucleotide diversities of the concatenated sequences were Hd = 0.8937 and Pi = 0.0028, respectively, with great genetic differentiation (FST = 0.6387) and low gene flow (Nm = 0.14). Population from Pahang presented the highest genetic diversity (Hd = 0.8889, Pi = 0.0022, Nh = 9), whereas Kedah population demonstrated the lowest diversity (Hd = 0.2842, Pi = 0.0003, Nh = 4). The concatenated sequences of cox1+16S showed genetic divergence ranging from 0.09% to 0.97%, whereas the genetic divergence for cox1 and 16S rRNA genes were 0.16% to 1.63% and 0.01% to 0.75% respectively. This study provides for the first-time insights on the intraspecific genetic diversity, phylogeographic pattern and ancestral haplotype of Rhinocypha fenestrella. The understanding of molecular data especially phylogeographic pattern can enhance the knowledge about insect origin, their diversity, and capability to disperse in particular environments.
Surfactants in runoff water at different locations in Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

Azmi WN, Latif MT, Wahid NB, Razak IS, Suratman S

Bull Environ Contam Toxicol, 2014 Mar;92(3):306-10.
PMID: 24414132 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-013-1194-1

A study has been conducted to determine the composition of surfactants in runoff water in the semi-urban area of Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia. Runoff samples were collected from five different locations with contrasting functional activities and the colorimetric method was used to analyze the concentrations of surfactants as methylene blue active substances (MBAS) for anionic surfactants and as disulphine blue active substances (DBAS) for cationic surfactants. The results showed that the highest surfactant concentrations of MBAS and DBAS in runoff water were recorded in the samples collected at the residential area, with the concentrations of 3.192 ± 0.727 and 0.170 ± 0.028 μmol/L, respectively. Anionic surfactants as MBAS were found to dominate the concentration of surfactants in both runoff and rainwater. The concentrations of both anionic and cationic surfactants in runoff water were recorded as being higher than in rainwater.
Source identification of particulate matter in a semi-urban area of Malaysia using multivariate techniques

Wahid NB, Latif MT, Suan LS, Dominick D, Sahani M, Jaafar SA, et al.

Bull Environ Contam Toxicol, 2014 Mar;92(3):317-22.
PMID: 24435135 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-014-1201-1

This study aims to determine the composition and sources of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 μm or less (PM10) in a semi-urban area. PM10 samples were collected using a high volume sampler. Heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Pb, Mn, Cu, Cd and Ni) and cations (Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+) and Mg(2+)) were detected using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, while anions (SO4 (2-), NO3 (-), Cl(-) and F(-)) were analysed using Ion Chromatography. Principle component analysis and multiple linear regressions were used to identify the source apportionment of PM10. Results showed the average concentration of PM10 was 29.5 ± 5.1 μg/m(3). The heavy metals found were dominated by Fe, followed by Zn, Pb, Cu, Mn, Cd and Ni. Na(+) was the dominant cation, followed by Ca(2+), K(+) and Mg(2+), whereas SO4 (2-) was the dominant anion, followed by NO3 (-), Cl(-) and F(-). The main sources of PM10 were the Earth's crust/road dust, followed by vehicle emissions, industrial emissions/road activity, and construction/biomass burning.
Bioactive oligostilbenoids from Shorea maxwelliana King and their chemotaxonomic significance

Zawawi NK, Ahmat N, Mazatulikhma MZ, Shafiq RM, Wahid NH, Sufian AS

Nat Prod Res, 2013;27(17):1589-93.
PMID: 23035830 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2012.730047

Phytochemical investigation on the stem bark of Shorea maxwelliana yielded five oligostilbenoids identified as α-viniferin (1), maximol A (2), vaticanol A (3), suffruticosol A (4) and vaticanol G (5). Chemotaxonomy of isolated compounds was discussed briefly. Major compounds were tested for neurotoxic and cytotoxic activities. Neurotoxicity for all tested compounds did not pose any toxic effect against cultured cell (cell viability range ±100-94%). Compounds 2-5 possessed active cyctotoxic activity against HL60 cell line with IC50 values range of 2.7-78 µg mL(-1).
Cat Owners' Perceptions toward Flea Infestation and Flea-borne Diseases: Impact for Public Health and Community Awareness

Azrizal-Wahid N, Sofian-Azirun M, Low VL, Chen CD, Shohaimi S

J Appl Anim Welf Sci, 2021 Sep 07.
PMID: 34493142 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2021.1975539

A structured questionnaire was distributed to a total of 531 cat owners in Peninsular Malaysia to evaluate their perceptions toward fleas and flea-borne diseases (FBD) using a knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP) approach. This study showed that majority of cat owners (50.5%) had a moderate level of knowledge on fleas, while 65.3% of them had a relatively low level of knowledge on FBD. However, most of them had positive attitudes (87.9%) and good practices (94.5%) toward efforts on prevention from flea infestation and FBD. Statistical analysis showed significant associations between knowledge on fleas and FBD toward demographic and pet ownership profiles of the respondents. Educated cat owners from urban area were more likely to have positive attitudes toward prevention of fleas and FBD. Female cat owners with monthly income of RM 5,001-7,000 ($1143-1600) were more likely to have good practices. Middle-aged cat owners showed the highest odds toward both positive attitudes and good practices. Correlation analyses indicated significant linear relationships between both knowledge, which were also associated with attitudes, but not with practices.
Bioefficacy of mosquito mat vaporizers and associated metabolic detoxication mechanisms in Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) in Selangor, Malaysia: A statewide assessment

Azratul-Hizayu T, Chen CD, Lau KW, Azrizal-Wahid N, Tan TK, Lim YAL, et al.

Trop Biomed, 2021 Sep 01;38(3):327-337.
PMID: 34508340 DOI: 10.47665/tb.38.3.073

This study aims to examine the efficacy of mosquito mat vaporizers on Aedes aegypti and their associated metabolic detoxication mechanisms. For this purpose, Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) was collected from nine districts in Selangor, Malaysia and tested with mosquito vaporizing mat bioassays. The same populations were also subjected to biochemical assays to investigate activities of detoxifying enzymes, namely non-specific esterase (EST), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and mixed function oxidase (MFO). The efficacy of Ae. aegypti on the active ingredients tested in decreasing order were d- allethrin > dimefluthrin > prallethrin with PBO > prallethrin. The results further indicated significant enhancement mean levels of EST, GST and MFO in pyrethroid-resistant populations. The mortality rate of Ae. aegypti in response to pyrethroid active ingredients was associated with MFO activity, suggesting it is an important detoxification enzyme for the populations tested. In view of the presence of resistance against household insecticide products, pyrethroid efficacy on Ae. aegypti populations needs to be monitored closely to ensure the implementation of an effective vector control program in Malaysia.
Phenotypic profile of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) exposed to pyrethroid-based mat vaporizers and underlying detoxification mechanisms: A statewide report in Selangor, Malaysia

Azratul-Hizayu T, Chen CD, Lau KW, Azrizal-Wahid N, Tan TK, Lim YAL, et al.

Parasitol Int, 2022 Feb;86:102483.
PMID: 34678492 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2021.102483

This study examines the biological efficacy of four mosquito mat vaporizers each containing different active ingredients: prallethrin with PBO, dimefluthrin, prallethrin, and d-allethrin. The glass chamber assay was used to evaluate their efficacy on Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae) from nine districts in Selangor, Malaysia. Aedes albopictus exhibited different knockdown rates, with 50% knockdown times, KT50, varying from 1.19 to 2.00 min, 1.22 to 2.20 min, 1.39 to 5.85 min, and 1.39 to 1.92 min for prallethrin with PBO, dimefluthrin, prallethrin and d-allethrin, respectively. In general, all populations of Ae. albopictus were completely knocked down after exposure to all active ingredients except Hulu Selangor population, which showed 96.00% knockdown against d-allethrin. On the contrary, mortality rates were observed from 84.00-100.00%, 84.00-100.00%, 90.67-100.00% and 90.67-100.00% in populations tested with prallethrin with PBO, dimefluthrin, prallethrin and d-allethrin, respectively. Moreover, significant correlations between mortality rates of prallethrin with PBO vs dimefluthrin (r = 0.836, P = 0.003), prallethrin with PBO vs prallethrin (r = 0.760, P = 0.011), and prallethrin vs d-allethrin (r = 0.694, P = 0.026) were also observed, suggesting cross-resistance among pyrethroids. d-allethrin was found to be high in insecticidal activity, followed by prallethrin, prallethrin with PBO, and dimefluthrin. In consistent with mortality due to insecticide exposure, elevated levels of enzyme activities were also demonstrated in Sabak Bernam, Hulu Selangor, Gombak, Petaling, Hulu Langat and Klang populations.
Lactobacillus plantarum DR7 alleviates stress and anxiety in adults: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Chong HX, Yusoff NAA, Hor YY, Lew LC, Jaafar MH, Choi SB, et al.

Benef Microbes, 2019 Apr 19;10(4):355-373.
PMID: 30882244 DOI: 10.3920/BM2018.0135

Probiotics have been reported to exert beneficial effects along the gut-brain axis. This randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled human study aimed to evaluate such properties of Lactobacillus plantarum DR7 and its accompanying mechanisms in stressed adults. One hundred and eleven (n=111; DR7 n=56, placebo n=55) stressed adults were recruited based on moderate stress levels using the PSS-10 questionnaire. The consumption of DR7 (1×109 cfu/day) for 12 weeks reduced symptoms of stress (P=0.024), anxiety (P=0.001), and total psychological scores (P=0.022) as early as 8 weeks among stressed adults compared to the placebo group as assessed by the DASS-42 questionnaire. Plasma cortisol level was reduced among DR7 subjects as compared to the placebo, accompanied by reduced plasma pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interferon-γ and transforming growth factor-α and increased plasma anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin 10 (P<0.05). DR7 better improved cognitive and memory functions in normal adults (>30 years old), such as basic attention, emotional cognition, and associate learning (P<0.05), as compared to the placebo and young adults (<30 years old). The administration of DR7 enhanced the serotonin pathway, as observed by lowered expressions of plasma dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase accompanied by increased expressions of tryptophan hydroxylase-2 and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor-6, while stabilising the dopamine pathway as observed via stabilised expressions of TH and DBH over 12 weeks as compared to the placebo (P<0.05). Our results indicated that DR7 fulfil the requirement of a probiotic strain as per recommendation of FAO/WHO and could be applicable as a natural strategy to improve psychological functions, cognitive health and memory in stressed adults.
Bifidobacterium longum BB536 alleviated upper respiratory illnesses and modulated gut microbiota profiles in Malaysian pre-school children

Lau AS, Yanagisawa N, Hor YY, Lew LC, Ong JS, Chuah LO, et al.

Benef Microbes, 2018 Jan 29;9(1):61-70.
PMID: 29065707 DOI: 10.3920/BM2017.0063

This 10-months randomised, double-blind, parallel and placebo-controlled study evaluated the effects of Bifidobacterium longum BB536 on diarrhoea and/or upper respiratory illnesses in 520 healthy Malaysian pre-school children aged 2-6 years old. The subjects randomly received a one-gram sachet containing either BB536 (5×109 cfu) or placebo daily. Data analysis was performed on 219 subjects who fully complied over 10-months (placebo n=110, BB536 n=109). While BB536 did not exert significant effects against diarrhoea in children, Poisson regression with generalised estimating equations model indicated significant intergroup difference in the mean number of times of respiratory illnesses over 10 months. The duration of sore throat was reduced by 46% (P=0.018), with marginal reduction for duration of fever (reduced by 27%, P=0.084), runny nose (reduced by 15%, P=0.087) and cough (reduced by 16%, P=0.087) as compared to the placebo. Principal coordinate analysis at genus level of the gut microbiota revealed significant differences between 0 and 10 months in the BB536 group (P<0.01) but not in placebo group (P>0.05). The abundance of the genus Faecalibacterium which is associated with anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory properties was significantly higher in the BB536 group (P<0.05) compared to the placebo group. Altogether, our present study illustrated the potential protective effects of BB536 against upper respiratory illnesses in pre-school Malaysian children, with gut microbiota modulating properties.
Probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum P8 alleviated stress and anxiety while enhancing memory and cognition in stressed adults: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Lew LC, Hor YY, Yusoff NAA, Choi SB, Yusoff MSB, Roslan NS, et al.

Clin Nutr, 2019 10;38(5):2053-2064.
PMID: 30266270 DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2018.09.010

BACKGROUND & AIMS: To investigate the effects of probiotic in alleviation of stress in stressed adults, along our focus to identify and justify strain specificity on selected health benefits with a precisely targeted population.
METHODS: This 12-weeks randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study investigated the effects of a probiotic (Lactobacillus plantarum P8; 10 log CFU daily) on psychological, memory and cognition parameters in one hundred and three (P8 n = 52, placebo n = 51) stressed adults with mean age of 31.7 ± 11.1 years old. All subjects fulfilled the criteria of moderate stress upon diagnosis using the PSS-10 questionnaire.
RESULTS: At the end of study, subjects on P8 showed reduced scores of stress (mean difference 2.94; 95% CI 0.08 to 5.73; P = 0.048), anxiety (mean difference 2.82; 95% CI 0.35 to 5.30; P = 0.031) and total score (mean difference 8.04; 95% CI 0.73 to 15.30; P = 0.041) as compared to placebo after 4-weeks, as assessed by the DASS-42 questionnaire. Although plasma cortisol levels were only marginally different between placebo and P8 (mean difference 3.28 ug/dl; 95% CI -7.09 to 0.52; P = 0.090), pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ (mean difference 8.07 pg/ml; 95% CI -11.2 to -4.93; P
Lactobacilli reduce recurrences of vaginal candidiasis in pregnant women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Ang XY, Chung FY, Lee BK, Azhar SNA, Sany S, Roslan NS, et al.

J Appl Microbiol, 2021 May 22.
PMID: 34022103 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15158

AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of lactobacilli strains in preventing the recurrences of vaginal candidiasis (VC) in 78 pregnant women with VC (lactobacilli, n = 39; placebo, n = 39) and the potential benefits on quality of life.
METHODS AND RESULTS: The lactobacilli putative probiotic (SynForU-HerCare; two capsules/day of 9·5 log CFU per capsule) or placebo was administered for 8-weeks in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Subjects were assessed for vaginal and gut health conditions at baseline, week-4 and week-8 via questionnaires. The vulvovaginal symptom questionnaire not only covered aspects pertaining to vulvovaginal symptoms but also the quality of life impacts such as emotional, social and sexual. The administration of lactobacilli reduced symptoms of irritation (P = 0·023) and discharge (P = 0·011) starting week-4 and continued after week-8 (P
Fulltext Lactobacillus plantarum DR7 improved upper respiratory tract infections via enhancing immune and inflammatory parameters: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Chong HX, Yusoff NAA, Hor YY, Lew LC, Jaafar MH, Choi SB, et al.

J Dairy Sci, 2019 Jun;102(6):4783-4797.
PMID: 30954261 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2018-16103

The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum DR7 isolated from bovine milk against upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and elucidate the possible mechanisms underlying immunomodulatory properties. The DR7 strain (9 log cfu/d) was administered for 12 wk in a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled human study involving 109 adults (DR7, n = 56; placebo, n = 53). Subjects were assessed for health conditions monthly via questionnaires, and blood samples were evaluated for cytokine concentrations, peroxidation and oxidative stress, and gene expression in T cells and natural killer (NK) cells. The administration of DR7 reduced the duration of nasal symptoms (mean difference 5.09 d; 95% CI: 0.42-9.75) and the frequency of URTI (mean difference 0.32; 95% CI: 0.01-0.63) after 12 and 4 wk, respectively, compared with the placebo. The DR7 treatment suppressed plasma proinflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α) in middle-aged adults (30 to 60 yr old), while enhancing anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10) in young adults (<30 yr old), accompanied by reduced plasma peroxidation and oxidative stress levels compared with the placebo. Young adults who received DR7 showed higher expression of plasma CD44 and CD117 by 4.50- and 2.22-fold, respectively, compared with the placebo. Meanwhile, middle-aged adults showed lower expression of plasma CD4 and CD8 by 11.26- and 1.80-fold, respectively, compared with the placebo, indicating less T-cell activation. In contrast, both young and middle-aged adults who received DR7 showed enhanced presence of nonresting and mature NK cells compared with those who received the placebo. We postulate that DR7 alleviated the symptoms of URTI by improving inflammatory parameters and enhancing immunomodulatory properties.

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