Prenylated flavonols from the Leaves of Macaranga gigantea (Rchb.f. & Zoll.) / M. Sulaiman M. Johari … [et al.]

The genus Macaranga comes from the family of Euphorbiaceae and it is the only genus in the subtribe Macaranginae that have a large genus with 300 species of which 27 species were found in Peninsular Malaysia. This plant grows as shrubs or trees that can grow up to 15 m tall and known for their mutual associations with ants. Fresh or dried leaves of some Macaranga species were used by traditional healers to treat swellings, cuts, sores, boils and bruises. The isolation of chemical constituent from this genus has been shown to produce numerous results of phenolic compounds, such as flavonoids and stilbenoids. In this paper, we report the isolation of a prenylated flavonol, glyasperinA (1), together with a simple flavone apigenin (2) from the methanolic extract of the leaves of Macaranga gigantea. The structure of both compounds has been elucidated based on its spectroscopic data, including mass spectroscopy (MS), infrared (IR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra and comparison with the previous literature

Comparison of monsoon variations over groundwater hydrochemistry changes in small Tropical Island and its repercussion on quality

Study on the spatial and temporal distribution of groundwater hydrochemistry in the small tropical islands is important as their insular character may expose the groundwater aquifer to too many sources of pollution, especially salinization. A total of 216 groundwater samples were collected from the monitoring boreholes during two different monsoon seasons; pre- and post-monsoon. As overall, data of groundwater concentration illustrated a trend of Ca > Na > Mg > K and HCO3 > Cl > SO4 dominations with the major finding of two different groundwater types. Pre-monsoon reported Na-HCO3 and Ca-HCO3 types while post-monsoon were only dominated by the Ca-HCO3 type. The statistical analysis shows the in situ parameters (Temp, pH, EC, Salinity, DO, TDS and Eh) and major ions (Ca, Mg, Na, K, HCO3, Cl and SO4) were strongly correlated with the monsoon changes (p < 0.01). From the analysis, its reveals that the seasonal changes have significantly affects the groundwater composition. While, the analytical calculations of the ionic ratio (Na vs. Cl; Cl/HCO3 vs. Cl; Ca + Mg vs. SO4 + HCO3) describes the groundwater is influenced by the cation exchanges processes, simple mixing and water–rock interaction. Saturation indices of carbonate minerals shows strong correlationship (p < 0.01) with Ca constituent indicating solubility on minerals, which led to dissolution or precipitation condition of water. Results of present study contribute to a better understanding of a complex groundwater system and the hydrochemical processes related

The Glaciozyma antarctica genome reveals an array of systems that provide sustained responses towards temperature variations in a persistently cold habitat

Extremely low temperatures present various challenges to life that include ice formation and effects on metabolic capacity. Psyhcrophilic microorganisms typically have an array of mechanisms to enable survival in cold temperatures. In this study, we sequenced and analysed the genome of a psychrophilic yeast isolated in the Antarctic region, Glaciozyma antarctica. The genome annotation identified 7857 protein coding sequences. From the genome sequence analysis we were able to identify genes that encoded for proteins known to be associated with cold survival, in addition to annotating genes that are unique to G. antarctica. For genes that are known to be involved in cold adaptation such as anti-freeze proteins (AFPs), our gene expression analysis revealed that they were differentially transcribed over time and in response to different temperatures. This indicated the presence of an array of adaptation systems that can respond to a changing but persistent cold environment. We were also able to validate the activity of all the AFPs annotated where the recombinant AFPs demonstrated anti-freeze capacity. This work is an important foundation for further collective exploration into psychrophilic microbiology where among other potential, the genes unique to this species may represent a pool of novel mechanisms for cold survival

Induction of selective cytotoxicity and apoptosis in human T4-lymphoblastoid cell line (CEMss) by boesenbergin a isolated from boesenbergia rotunda rhizomes involves mitochondrial pathway, activation of caspase 3 and G2/M phase cell cycle arrest

Background Boesenbergia rotunda (Roxb.) Schlecht (family zingiberaceae) is a rhizomatous herb that is distributed from north-eastern India to south-east Asia, especially in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. Previous research has shown that the crude extract of this plant has cytotoxic properties. The current study examines the cytotoxic properties of boesenbergin A isolated from Boesenbergia rotunda. Methods MTT assay was used to check the cytotoxicity of boesenbergin A. The morphological assessment of apoptosis was monitored using normal and fluorescence microscopy. The early and late phase of apoptosis was investigated using annexin V and DNA laddering assays, respectively. The mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was assessed by fluorescence microscopy. Human apoptosis proteome profiler assays were performed to investigate the mechanism of cell death. In addition, the protein levels of Bax, Bcl2 and HSP 70 were also analyzed using western blot. Assays of caspase =-3/7, -8 and =-9 were carried out in order to test for induction during treatment. Lastly, cell cycle progression was analyzed using flow cytometry. Results Boesenbergin A was found to have the highest toxicity towards CEMss cancer cells (IC50 = 8 μg/ml). The morphology of CEMss cells after treatment showed evidence of apoptosis that included blebbing and chromatin condensation. The annexin V assay revealed that early apoptosis is induced after treatment. The DNA laddering assay confirmed that DNA fragmentation had occurred during late apoptosis. The cell cycle analysis indicated that boesenbergin A was able to induce G2/M phase arrest in CEMss cells. The activity of caspases -3/7, -8 and -9 was increased after treatment which indicates both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways are induced during apoptosis. The involvement of mitochondria was established by increased mitochondrial membrane potential and up and down regulation of Bcl2 and Bax proteins as well as HSP70. Conclusion In conclusion, the results demonstrated that boesenbergin A induced apoptosis of CEMss cells through Bcl2/Bax signaling pathways with the involvement of caspases and G2/M phase cell cycle arrest. The current findings warrant further research on boesenbergin A as a novel chemotherapeutic agent for leukemia intervention including studies in animal models

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P &lt; 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Aceh Merdeka

xiv+176 hal; 24 c

Agresivitas, revolusi dan pemberontakan Aceh 1942-1962

xiii+652hlm.;29c

Dimensi sosial budaya dalam pembangunan

12+hlm.;27c