Ideal extraction temperature for antioxidants from holy basil and bunching onion

This study aimed to determine ideal temperature for antioxidants from holy basil and bunching onion. Holy Basil (Ocimum Tenuiflorum) and Onion (Allium Fistulosum) were extracted with various temperatures ranging from 75 – 100 °C with two solvents i.e. methanol and water (room temperature & boiling). Total phenolic contents (TPC) and total flavonoid contents (TFC) were determined in the extracts by using the Folin-Ciocalteau and Aluminum chloride complex formation assays respectively. Extracts were analyzed in triplicates statistically compared using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the difference between the mean was ascertained at 95% confidence interval (P<0.05) using Tukey's honest significance test. In both holy basil and bunching onion the TPC and TFC values for methanolic extracts were significantly (P<0.01, P<0.001) higher than the water extracts. The best temperature among the various temperature used was 85˚C where maximum TPC and TFC were observed in the extracts. This study shows that using optimum temperature helps in extraction of maximum antioxidants with methanol

Effects of spices and herbal extract on Preadipocyte Cell Differentiation:preliminary results

Type 2 diabetes is multifactorial and polygenic diseases associated with an increased risk of mortality and morbidity. The causes and cure of diabetes are not entirely clear but diet certainly plays an important role in the etiology of type 2 diabetes. Recent research has shown that there is negative association between adipokines and prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Therefore, the normal amounts of the adipokines are considered important for the normal functioning of the body (glucose homeostasis). This project was designed to study the effect of selected Malaysian spices and herbs (based on the traditional use in the treatment of type 2 diabetes). The spices and herbs namely Syzgium colyanthum, Peronema canescens, Orthosiphon stamineus, Lagerostroemia speciosa, Momordica charantia, Tinospara crispa, Pithecellobium jiringa, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, and Andrographis paniculata were procured through local supplier and water extracts were obtained and freeze dried. The extracts effects were studied on cell growth using an in-vitro model of 3T3-L1 adipocyte cell line. The preliminary test carried out was to know the effect of the listed extracts to induce changes from preadipocyte to adipocyte. This test was performed by using a mixture of dexamethasone, 1-isobutyl-3-methylxantine (IBMX) and the extracts from the aforementioned spices and herbs. Preliminary results indicate that among the extracts used, Orthosiphon stamineus and Lagerostroemia speciosa had stronger activity/effect on preadipocyte differentiation. This is of clinical importance both for type 2 diabetes as well as for obesity. The extracts from the same sources will be incorporated to preadipocytes culture for further tests including protein analysis, adipogenesis and adipolysis assays using appropriate kits. Lastly, the adipocytes will be assessed for adiponectin and leptin protein concentration using competitive colorimetric enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit known as the B-bridge adiponectin ELISA kit method. Preliminary results indicate that Orthosiphon stamineus and Lagerostroemia speciosa induce cell differentiation in preadipocytes which will be further investigated

Barriers and enablers to make lifestyle changes among type 2 diabetes patients: a review

Type 2 diabetes is a non-communicable disease that affects most people around the world and is generally the result of excessive food intake and physical inactivity. Therefore, the purpose of this review was to identify facilitators and barriers for lifestyle modifications among type 2 diabetes patients. We combined quantitative and qualitative studies for this systematic narrative review. A literary search was carried out using EBSCO, HighWire Press, Medline, PsycInfo, PubMed and Scopus. Narrative review was used to extract results from quantitative studies, while thematic synthesis was used to extract results from qualitative studies. Twenty-three studies were included in this review, with a total of 2287 participants from Western, Arab and Asian populations. The two main themes generated from this review are intrinsic factors and extrinsic factors that can either be facilitators or barriers to implementing lifestyle change. Among the barriers faced by the participants are established food habits, lack of self-efficacy, lack of motivation, lack of social support, inadequate knowledge, low socio-economic status, food culture and poor time management. In contrast, the facilitating factors generated are strong self-efficacy, high motivation, good habits, and sufficient knowledge. In general, patients with diabetes observed more barriers than facilitators to implementing healthy lifestyle changes

Study of antihyperglycaemic properties of selected Malaysian antidiabetic plants in cultured 3T3-L1 cells

Diabetes Mellitus is a metabolic disease occuring worldwide caused by defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or most commonly both. Diabetes mellitus is probably the fastest growing metabolic disease in the world and as knowledge of the heterogeneous nature of the disease increases so does the need for more challenging and appropriate therapies. The aim of the research is to evaluate the antidiabetic properties of selected antidiabetic plants used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The selection of plants was based on traditional reputation of usefulness in treating diabetes. Water extracts of Syzgium Polyanthum, Peronema canescens, Orthosiphon Stamineus, Lagerostroemia Speciosa, Momordica Charantia, Tinospara Crispa, Archidendrau Jiringa, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum, and Andrographis Paniculata were selected. Insulin was used as a positive control. The plants were studied on the bioactive peptides (adipokines) using an in-vitro model. 3T3-L1 adipocyte cell line is selected for this study because it plays an important role in lipid storage and glucose homeostasis. The first test is to know the ability of the plants to induce preadipocyte to adipocyte cell by using the mixture of dexamethasone, 1-isobutyl-3-methylxantine and the plant extracts. Then, continue with the MTT assay to study the toxicity level in order to get appropriate dose of the extracts. After that, protein analysis is conduct to demonstrate the plant activity that mimics insulin action. Adipogenesis, adipolysis, adiponectin and leptin protein were analyzed to assess the effect of the extract on lipid synthesis and degradation in the cultured 3T3-L1 cells by using ELISA kit. The result confirms that a preadipocyte cell was differentiated to adipocyte. Preliminary result shows that A. Paniculata and L. Speciosa extracts have strong activity in inducing lipid formation

Anti-inflammatory effects of trihoney in hypercholesterolemic atherosclerotic rabbits: a comparative study with atorvastatin

Introduction: Hypercholesterolemia has been proven as a main pathogenic trigger for pathogenesis of atherosclero- sis. Atherosclerosis characterised by chronic inflammatory process and increased expression of inflammatory mark- ers. 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 Tri- honey (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 gly- caemic status. Results: Trihoney treated group showed significantly lower (p<0.05) serum IL-1β and IL-6 compared to the HCD group. Trihoney supplementation resulted in significant (p<0.001) reduction of serum TNF-α compared to HCD group. Experimental group HCD had serum homocysteine level comparable to that of the control groups with- out any significant difference despite little increase in the mean value. Trihoney treated group had serum homocys- teine comparable to the controls. All experimental groups showed fasting serum glucose comparable to the control. Conclusion: This study showed that Trihoney has an anti-inflammatory function and may be used as an adjuvant to statins for management of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases even in diabetic subjects. Keywords: Atherosclerosis, Atorvastatin, Inflammatory markers, Trihone

Hepatoprotective effects of a Novel Trihoney against Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A comparative study with Atorvastatin

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disorder worldwide with no curative therapy.+eaim of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of a novel Trihoney against biochemical and histological manifestations of NAFLD in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Methodology. Forty-eight male New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits were grouped into normal diet (C), normal diet with 0.6 g/kg/day of Trihoney (C + H), 1% cholesterol diet (HCD), 1% cholesterol diet with 0.3 g/kg/ day of Trihoney (HCD +H1), 1% cholesterol diet with 0.6 g/kg/day of Trihoney (HCD +H2), and 1% cholesterol diet with 2 mg/kg/ day of atorvastatin (HCD + At.). Animals were sacrificed after 12 weeks of treatment. Serum lipids and liver function test (LFT) were measured prior to and at the endpoint of the experiment for total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-c), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and total bilirubin (T. Bil.). Liver was processed for histopathology study. Liver homogenate was analysed for oxidative stress parameters: superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Results. Lipid analysis approved the induction of hypercholesterolemia. A significant elevation (p < 0.01) of serum AST and ALT levels showed by the HCD group was compared to C and C+H groups. Trihoney exhibited a significant reduction (p < 0.001) of AST and ALT compared to the HCD group. Likewise, AST and ALT reduced significantly in the HCD+ At. group (p < 0.001). Trihoney supplementation induced significant (p < 0.05) enhancement of SOD and GPx activities. Atorvastatin treatment was associated with significant (p < 0.05) reduction of SOD and GPx activities in the liver. Trihoney and atorvastatin showed marked (p < 0.001) reduction of hepatic lipid peroxidation. Trihoney showed histological protection against progression of NAFLD to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Atorvastatin exhibited no beneficial impact on hepatic architecture. Conclusion. Trihoney was able to maintain normal liver function and showed hepatoprotection against progression of NAFLD to NASH probably through hypocholesterolaemic and antioxidant functions

Hepatoprotective effects of a novel trihoney against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a comparative study with atorvastatin

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disorder worldwide with no curative therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of a novel Trihoney against biochemical and histological manifestations of NAFLD in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Methodology. Forty-eight male New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits were grouped into normal diet (C), normal diet with 0.6 g/kg/day of Trihoney (C + H), 1% cholesterol diet (HCD), 1% cholesterol diet with 0.3 g/kg/day of Trihoney (HCD + H1), 1% cholesterol diet with 0.6 g/kg/day of Trihoney (HCD + H2), and 1% cholesterol diet with 2 mg/kg/day of atorvastatin (HCD + At.). Animals were sacrificed after 12 weeks of treatment. Serum lipids and liver function test (LFT) were measured prior to and at the endpoint of the experiment for total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-c), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and total bilirubin (T. Bil.). Liver was processed for histopathology study. Liver homogenate was analysed for oxidative stress parameters: superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Results. Lipid analysis approved the induction of hypercholesterolemia. A significant elevation (p < 0.01) of serum AST and ALT levels showed by the HCD group was compared to C and C + H groups. Trihoney exhibited a significant reduction (p < 0.001) of AST and ALT compared to the HCD group. Likewise, AST and ALT reduced significantly in the HCD + At. group (p < 0.001). Trihoney supplementation induced significant (p < 0.05) enhancement of SOD and GPx activities. Atorvastatin treatment was associated with significant (p < 0.05) reduction of SOD and GPx activities in the liver. Trihoney and atorvastatin showed marked (p < 0.001) reduction of hepatic lipid peroxidation. Trihoney showed histological protection against progression of NAFLD to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Atorvastatin exhibited no beneficial impact on hepatic architecture. Conclusion. Trihoney was able to maintain normal liver function and showed hepatoprotection against progression of NAFLD to NASH probably through hypocholesterolaemic and antioxidant functions

A systematic review of the green tea effects on anthropometric parameters of PCOS patients

Introduction: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine illness affecting reproductive-aged women that is characterized by irregular menstruation periods, infertility, hirsutism and obesity. Natural therapies, such as extract green tea supplementation, have recently received interest owing to their possible therapeutic properties. However, only a few studies linked green tea with PCOS patients. Hence, this study aimed to review the effects of green tea on anthropometric parameters of patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Method: Articles were identified through PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Google Scholar electronic databases based on PCOS OR “polycystic ovar* syndrome” AND “green tea” OR “Camelia Sinensis” AND “anthropomet* parameters” OR “weight” OR “body mass index (BMI)” keywords and were included if they met the following criteria: in-vivo studies, female, studies of green tea, PCOS patient, English paper and article from year 2006 until 2023. The reviewing process was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta- Analyses (PRISMA 2020) method. Results: A total of 34 relevant abstracts were screened and 5 full-text articles were reviewed. The findings found that green tea have a significant effect in reduction of weight, BMI, waist circumference and body fat percentage. The recommended daily dose is ranging from 500 mg to 540 mg while the working duration is 12 weeks. Conclusions: Green tea supplementation may have some potential advantages for weight loss and maintenance in those with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) depending on the amount and period of consumption. Nonetheless, more clinical studies are needed to corroborate these findings and identify the proper use of abstract green tea as an additional treatment for PCOS control

Association between chrononutrition profile and diet quality among IIUM Kuantan students

Introduction: Chrononutrition is explained as a relationship between our body's circadian rhythm, that is 24 hours cycle changes that occur in the body in terms of physical, mental and behavioral changes. Certain physiological effects play an important part in regulating 24-hour cycle body clocks, affecting a person’s eating behavior. The patterns of chrononutrition that were assessed in this study is important aspects that indicate the diet quality of IIUM Kuantan students since students are vulnerable to practice unhealthy lifestyles and poor dietary choices. Therefore, this study is aimed to determine whether there are association between chrononutrition profile and diet quality among IIUM Kuantan students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in order to determining the association between chrononutrition profiles and diet quality. A total of 129 undergraduate students participated in this study. Two questionnaires, which are Malaysia-translated version Chrononutrition Profile questionnaire (CPQ-M) and Malaysia Healthy Eating Index (M-HEI) were distributed to the targeted participants and the data was collected to be analyzed for the results of the study. Results: The data obtained were statistically analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 26.0). The result showed no statistical significant for association between chrononutrition profile and diet quality (p>0.05). This contradicts with our prediction, where poor or good chrononutrition profile may influence the diet quality of the students. Conclusion: Thus, there was no association between chrononutrition profiles and diet quality among IIUM Kuantan students who live in the campus

Health benefits and toxicities of the consumption of Centella Asiatica: a scoping review

Introduction: Centella Asiatica is a well-known herb used in alternative medicine. Despite being widely used, few papers investigated the health benefits of C. asiatica in depth. Other than concerning its up-to-date benefits, the toxicity of C. asiatica needs to be addressed as well. As previous studies did not show any toxicities of this herb in detail, further investigation is necessary. Hence, the main objective of this review is to investigate the benefits and toxicities of the consumption of Centella Asiatica. Methods: A scoping review was conducted according to the Arksey and O’Malley framework in two different phases: primary phase using electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar, and a secondary phase known as manual literature search. Results: Finally, 21 articles were included in the review. The health benefits of C. asiatica included neuroprotective, antihyperglycemic, anti-cancer, antioxidant, gastroprotective, nephroprotective, hepatoprotective, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic and antidepressant, and antiepileptic benefits. Unfortunately, all the papers did not discuss the toxicities of C. asiatica although two of them mentioned the positive herb-drug interactions of C. asiatica. Within the themes extracted from all reviewed studies, a neuroprotective benefit was the most largely mentioned with some of the chemical components of C. asiatica such as asiatic acid (AA) being primarily investigated in some papers. Conclusions: All the studies mainly investigate the same areas of health benefits of C. asiatica while some research discovers new areas, particularly in mental-related conditions. This study evaluates the breadth of information contained in the available literature and identifies the potential for a future systematic evaluation of specific updated health benefits or toxicities that have yet to be examined due to a lack of data