Changes in taste sensation of sour, salty, sweet, bitter, umami, and spicy, as well as levels of malondialdehyde serum in radiographers

Background: Radiation used for any purpose certainly contains potential danger to humans. Radiographers are given a task, authority, and responsibility by the competent authority to conduct radiography and imaging in health services unit. Some researches on the effects of radiation on cancer patients show that radiation can cause an increase in bitterness and metal taste [in cancer patients] leading to discomfort in the oral cavity. In body, free radicals then can cause lipid peroxidation process. Lipid peroxidation is an oxidative destruction of polyunsaturated fatty acid producing malondialdehyde (MDA). Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effects of radiation on changes in the taste sensation of sour, salty, sweet, bitter, umami, and spicy as well as the levels of MDA serum in radiographers. Method: This study was an observational laboratory research using post- test control design. Samples were selected using simple random sampling technique. The samples were seven radiographers who have been working for five years in the laboratory and radiographic units in Surabaya. Result: Based on the results of statistical tests, it showed that there were no differences in the sensitivity of all tastes between the groups tested. Moreover, the results also depicted considerable value for the sour taste was 0.550, the saltiness was 0.775, the sweetness was 0.294, the bitter taste was 0.065, the umami taste was 0.705, and the spicy taste was 0.319 (p>0.05). However, the dramatic increase was higlighted in levels of MDA serum with a significant value of 0.065 (p>0.005). Conclusion. There were no changes in the sensitivity of sour, salty, sweet, bitter, umami, and spicy tastes, but there was a significant increased in level of MDA serum in the radiographers compared to the control group

Peningkatan jumlah makrofag pada proses penyembuhan luka pasca pencabutan gigi marmut (cavia cobaya) akibat pemberian gel ekstrak meniran (phyllanthus niruri lynn)

ABSTRACT Background: Meniran (Phyllanthus niruri Lynn) contain saponin, flavonoid, filantin, hipofilantin, kalium, damar dan tannin. Flavonoid as one of the ingredients of Phyllanthus niruri are suggested to have effect of increasing the activity of macrophage that stimulates pro-healing effect by stimulating regeneration, activating and proliferating fibroblast also angiogenesis. Purpose: The aim of this study is to know that Phyllanthus niruri extract gel can increase the amount of macrophage in wound healing process after Cavia cobaya’s tooth extraction. Methods: This study used experimental design with post-test only control group design. Experimental subject is male Cavia cobaya. Subject was divided into five groups, each group contains seven Cavia cobaya. For the negative control group we use CMC-Na3% and povidone iodine for the positive control group. The other five groups we use Phyllanthus niruri extract gel with different concentrations 22,5%, 45%, and 90%. Execution was held after three days by taking the mandibula to make hystopathologic preparat, examined under microscope with 400 times magnification, then counted for the amount of macrophage. The result of study tested with oneway ANOVA and LSD to look for the difference of macrophage count between groups. Result: One-way ANOVA’s result showed a significant difference between control and Phyllanthus niruri extract gel treated group. LSD’s result showed significant difference between negative control group and positive control, 22,5%, 45%, 90% Phyllanthus niruri extract gel treated group, but no significant difference between positive control group and 22,5% Phyllanthus niruri extract gel treated group. Conclusion: Application of Phyllanthus niruri extract gel can increase the amount of macrophage in wound healing process after Cavia cobaya’s tooth extraction and the optimal concentration is 45%

Antimicrobial proteins of Snail mucus (Achatina fulica) against Streptococcus mutans and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

Background: Achasin and mytimacin-AF are proteins of snail mucus (Achatina fulica) which have antimicrobial activity. Snail mucus is suspected to have other proteins which have antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus mutans and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans the oral pathologic bacteria. Purpose: The study were aimed to characterize the proteins of snail mucus (Achatina fulica) that have antimicrobial activities to Streptococcus mutans and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, and to compared the antimicrobial effect of achasin and mytimacin-AF. Methods: The sample of study was the mucus of snails which were taken from Yogyakarta Province. The isolation and characterization of protein were conducted by using SDS-PAGE method, electro-elution, and dialysis. Nano drop test was conducted to determine protein concentration. The sensitivity test was conducted by using dilution test, and followed by spectrophotometry and paper disc diffusion tests. Results: The study showed that proteins successfully characterized from snail mucus (Achatina fulica) were proteins with molecular weights of 83.67 kDa (achasin), 50.81 kDa, 15 kDa, 11.45 kDa (full amino acid sequence of mytimacin-AF) and 9.7 kDa (mytimacin-AF). Based on the dilution test, Achasin had better antimicrobial activities against Streptococcus mutans, while mytimacin-AF had better antimicrobial activities against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. But the paper disc diffusion test result showed that Achasin had antimicrobial activities against Streptococcus mutans and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, while mytimacin-AF had no antimicrobial activities. Conclusion: The proteins with molecular weights of 50.81 kDa, 15 kDa, 11.45 kDa were considered as new antimicrobial proteins isolated from snail mucus. Achasin, had better antimicrobial activities against Streptococcus mutans, while mytimacin-AF had better antimicrobial activities against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans