In vitro study of anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of honey: a systematic review

This review explores the beneficial effects of honey on Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. The research of the effectiveness of honey on H. pylori infection using electronic databases was done, these include Medline via Ovid Medline, Scopus and ScienceDirect published from the year 2000 to 2018. The articles were evaluated and selected based on the criteria which report on the effects of honey on gastric ulcer and duodenum ulcer caused by H. pylori infection. There are 53 articles were identified, which stated to the studies that relate to the criteria. Afterwards, nine articles on honey and its extracts were selected and assessed accordingly in this review. All studies reported positive effects of honey on H. pylori-induced gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. Most of the studies showed at minimum 10% of honey concentration were effective as anti-H. pylori activity. This systematic review emphasized the potential of honey used to inhibit the H. pylori infection in-vitro. Future extensive studies are required to find the active component and molecular mechanism of honey before animal and human observational studies could be conducted to deliver valid evidence

Kesan suplementasi tokotrienol ke atas perubahan hormon dan katekolamin otak tikus aruhan stres

Stres merupakan sebarang gangguan, cabaran atau ancaman kepada seseorang individu yang merangsang perubahan respon fizikal, mental dan emosi. Hormon stres dan katekolamin dirembeskan di dalam otak sebagai respon terhadap stres. Kajian ini mengenal pasti kesan tokotrienol tulen dan vitamin E sawit ke atas perubahan hormon stres dan katekolamin pada tikus yang diaruhkan stres imobilisasi rendaman air. Sebanyak 32 ekor tikus Wistar jantan telah dibahagikan secara rawak kepada empat kumpulan kajian. Dua kumpulan kawalan; kumpulan tanpa stres (NS) dan kumpulan tanpa stres (CS) serta dua kumpulan rawatan yang diberikan tokotrienol (TTS) atau vitamin E sawit (TFS) secara oral paksaan pada dos 60 mg/kg berat badan selama 28 hari. Setelah tamat tempoh rawatan, tikus daripada kumpulan CS, TTS dan TFS telah didedahkan kepada stres imobilisasi rendaman air selama tiga setengan jam. Kemudian, otak tikus diambil untuk pengukuran hormon pelepasan kotikotrofin (CRH), hormon adenokortikotropik (ACTH), norepinefrin, dopamin dan serotonin. Keputusan kajian mendapati peningkatan kandungan CRH, ACTH, norepinefrin dan dopamine di dalam otak tikus yang diaruh stres berbanding kumpulan kawalan tanpa stres. Kandungan serotonin pula menurun akibat stres. Walau bagaimanapun, tikus yang diberi suplementasi tokotrienol dan vitamin E sawit menunjukkan penurunan signifikan kandungan CRH, ACTH, norepinefrin dan dopamin serta peningkatan kandungan dan serotonin sehingga hampir ke aras normal. Tiada perbezaan antara pemberian tokotrienol dan vitamin E sawit. Sebagai kesimpulan, tokotrienol dan vitamin E sawit berkesan dalam mengawal perubahan hormon stres serta katekolamin pada otak tikus yang teraruh stres

Tocotrienol Attenuates Stress-Induced Gastric Lesions via Activation of Prostaglandin and Upregulation of COX-1 mRNA

The present study aims to distinguish the effect of tocotrienol on an important gastric protective factor, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), in stress-induced gastric injury. Twenty-eight Wistar rats were divided into four groups of seven rats each. Two control groups were fed commercial rat diet, and two treatment groups were fed the same diet but with additional dose of omeprazole (20 mg/kg) or tocotrienol (60 mg/kg). After 28 days, rats from one control group and both treated groups were subjected to water-immersion restraint stress for 3.5 hours once. The rats were then sacrificed, their stomach isolated and gastric juice collected, lesions examined, and gastric PGE2 content and cyclooxygenase (COX) mRNA expression were determined. Both the regimes significantly attenuated the total lesion area in the stomach compared to the control. Gastric acidity, which was increased in stress, was significantly reduced in rats supplemented with omeprazole and tocotrienol. The PGE2 content was also significantly higher in the rats given tocotrienol supplementation compared to the control followed by an increase in COX-1 mRNA expression. We conclude that tocotrienol supplementation protected rat gastric mucosa against stress-induced lesions possibly by reducing gastric acidity and preserving gastric PGE2 by increasing COX-1 mRNA

Preventive effects of Moringa oleifera on obesity and hyperlipidaemia : a systematic review

Obesity and hyperlipidaemia are metabolic dysregulations, arising from poor lifestyle and excessive dietary intakes which may contribute to many chronic diseases if not treated. Studies have shown that plant-based supplementations can suppress this metabolic dysregulation. Moringa oleifera (MO) is a plant that is known to be nutritious and can alleviate obesity and hyperlipidaemia owing to its medicinal properties. A literature search on the effects of MO on obesity and hyperlipidaemia using electronic databases which included Ovid Medline and Scopus was performed. Specific descriptors were used to perform the search strategy. The articles were selected based on the principles that report on the effects of MO on obesity and hyperlipidaemia. Titles of the articles were screened for Moringa oleifera OR obesity OR hyperlipidaemia. Twenty-nine articles, 19 from Ovid Medline and 10 from Scopus were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A flow chart was created to represent the study selection. Based on the chosen articles, MO was shown to suppress obesity and hyperlipidaemia directly and indirectly through the regulation of gene expression, enzyme activity and adipocytokines. Through animal trials, MO demonstrated promising results in alleviating obesity and hyperlipidaemia. More human trials should be performed to strengthen the accomplished effects seen on animals. As there were no side effects identified in animal studies, it could be recommended to patients with obesity and hyperlipidaemia

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice among house officers in UKM Medical Centre on needle stick injuries

Needle stick injury is one of the most serious occupational hazards among house officers in which it may lead to possible severe consequences such as HIV, Hepatitis B, and C infection. The aim of the study was to explore and compare the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) among house officers of UKM Medical Centre (UKMMC) regarding needle stick injury. A cross-sectional study was conducted with the total of 151 self-administered questionnaires from house officers in UKMMC within the period of five months. The data was collected via universal sampling method. Components evaluated were prevalence, demographic data and scores on KAP concerning needle stick injury among house officers. Out of the 151 house officers recruited for the study, 34.9% of them had a history of needle stick injury during their practice, with 6.7% of the injury that occurred in their current posting department. There was a significant association (p<0.05) between history of needle stick injury and the practice of house officers (p=0.035). House officers with a history of needle stick injury had a lower mean score of practice (8.65 ± 2.00) compared to those without history (9.40 ± 1.09). This study also demonstrated that there were significant correlations between Knowledge-Practice (r=0.194, p=0.018) and Attitude-Practice (r=0.182, p=0.026) of UKMMC house officers. These findings demonstrated that a good level of knowledge and attitude results in better practice of house officers hence reducing the incidence of needle stick injury. Therefore, suitable health education programs with regards to needle stick injury and preventive measures should be intensively implemented on all house officers prior to and during their practice

Brain volumetric changes in menopausal women and its association with cognitive function: a structured review

The menopausal transition has been proposed to put women at risk for undesirable neurological symptoms, including cognitive decline. Previous studies suggest that alterations in the hormonal milieu modulate brain structures associated with cognitive function. This structured review provides an overview of the relevant studies that have utilized MRI to report volumetric differences in the brain following menopause, and its correlations with the evaluated cognitive functions. We performed an electronic literature search using Medline (Ovid) and Scopus to identify studies that assessed the influence of menopause on brain structure with MRI. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Brain volumetric differences have been reported most frequently in the frontal and temporal cortices as well as the hippocampus. These regions are important for higher cognitive tasks and memory. Additionally, the deficit in verbal and visuospatial memory in postmenopausal women has been associated with smaller regional brain volumes. Nevertheless, the limited number of eligible studies and cross-sectional study designs warrant further research to draw more robust conclusions

Brain volumetric changes in menopausal women and its association with cognitive function: a structured review

The menopausal transition has been proposed to put women at risk for undesirable neurological symptoms, including cognitive decline. Previous studies suggest that alterations in the hormonal milieu modulate brain structures associated with cognitive function. This structured review provides an overview of the relevant studies that have utilized MRI to report volumetric differences in the brain following menopause, and its correlations with the evaluated cognitive functions. We performed an electronic literature search using Medline (Ovid) and Scopus to identify studies that assessed the influence of menopause on brain structure with MRI. Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Brain volumetric differences have been reported most frequently in the frontal and temporal cortices as well as the hippocampus. These regions are important for higher cognitive tasks and memory. Additionally, the deficit in verbal and visuospatial memory in postmenopausal women has been associated with smaller regional brain volumes. Nevertheless, the limited number of eligible studies and cross-sectional study designs warrant further research to draw more robust conclusions

The Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Diaminopimelic Acid Derivatives as Potential dapF Inhibitors Preventing Lysine Biosynthesis for Antibacterial Activity

We created thiazole and oxazole analogues of diaminopimelic acid (DAP) by replacing its carboxyl groups and substituting sulphur for the central carbon atom. Toxicity, ADME, molecular docking, and in vitro antimicrobial studies of the synthesized compounds were carried out. These compounds displayed significant antibacterial efficacy, with MICs of 70–80 µg/mL against all tested bacteria. Comparative values of the MIC, MBC, and ZOI of the synthesized compound were noticed when compared with ciprofloxacin. At 200 µg/mL, thio-DAP (1) had a ZOI of 22.67 ± 0.58, while ciprofloxacin had a ZOI of 23.67 ± 0.58. To synthesize thio-DAP (1) and oxa-DAP (2), l-cysteine was used as a precursor for the L-stereocenter (l-cysteine), which is recognized by the dapF enzyme’s active site and selectively binds to the ligand’s L-stereocenter. Docking studies of these compounds were carried out using the programme version 11.5 Schrodinger to reveal the hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties of these complexes. The docking scores of compounds one and two were −9.823 and −10.098 kcal/mol, respectively, as compared with LL-DAP (−9.426 kcal/mol.). This suggests that compounds one and two interact more precisely with dapF than LL-DAP. Chemicals one and two were synthesized via the SBDD (structure-based drug design) approach and these act as inhibitors of the dapF in the lysine pathway of bacterial cell wall synthesis

Kesan suplimentasi tokotrienol dan tokoferol ke atas perubahan status oksidatif hepar dan aktiviti enzim antioksidan tikus aruhan stres

Kajian ini telah dijalankan untuk menentukan kesan suplimentasi tokotrienol (TT) dan tokoferol (TF) ke atas status oksidatif dan aktiviti enzim antioksidan pada hepar tikus dalam keadaan stres. Sebanyak 24 ekor tikus Sprague-Dawley jantan telah dibahagikan secara rawak kepada empat kumpulan. Dua kumpulan kawalan, kumpulan stres (CS) dan kumpulan tanpa stres (C) serta dua kumpulan rawatan yang diberikan tokotrienol (TTS) atau tokoferol (TFS) secara oral paksaan pada dos 60 mg/kg berat badan selama 28 hari dan didedahkan kepada stres. Setelah tamat tempoh rawatan, tikus-tikus daripada kumpulan CS, TTS dan TFS telah didedahkan kepada stres restain selama dua jam sehari untuk empat hari berturut-turut. Kemudian, darah tikus diambil untuk menentukan aktiviti enzim antioksidan iaitu superoksid dismutas (SOD) dan glutation peroksidase (GPx) manakala hepar diambil untuk menentukan kandungan malondialdehid (MDA) dan tahap glutation. Hasil kajian mendapati kandungan MDA meningkat dan glutation menurun secara signifikan pada tisu hepar pada kumpulan CS setelah diaruh stres, berbanding kumpulan tanpa stres. Walau bagaimanapun, tikus yang diberi suplimentasi tokotrienol dan tokoferol menunjukkan penurunan signifikan kandungan MDA dan peningkatan glutation berbanding kumpulan kawalan. Keputusan kajian ini mencadangkan bahawa tokotrienol dan tokoferol mampu menghalang tekanan oksidatif pada hepar akibat stres. Hasil daripada kajian ini juga menunjukkan peningkatan yang signifikan dalam aktiviti GPx plasma tikus pada kumpulan CS. Kumpulan tikus yang disuplimentasikan dengan tokotrienol menunjukkan penurunan yang signifikan dalam aktiviti GPx berbanding kumpulan CS. Sebagai kesimpulan, tokotrienol dan tokoferol berkesan dalam mengurangkan status oksidatif pada hepar tikus dan ini dapat diperhatikan dengan peningkatan glutation hepar dan penurunan aktiviti GPx plasma tikus yang teraruh stres