Comparison between conventional and microwave-assisted hydrodistillation methods towards extraction of essential oils from Murraya koenigii (Curry leaves)

Study on the extraction of essential oils from leaves of Murraya koenigii had been carried out by conventional hydrodistillation (HD) and microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD) methods. Time of the first oil droplet, percentage yield of the extracted oils and the chemical components of the extracted essential oils from both methods were compared. The running time for MAHD was set at one and half hour while running time for HD was 5 hours. The major components from the essential oils obtained from HD method were β-copaene (41.5%), α-selinene (10.0%) and α-humulene (8.4%). Meanwhile, major chemical components extracted from MAHD method were β-caryophyllene (19.5%), terpine-4-ol (17.6%) and linalool (9.8%). A total of 79.6% of chemical components were identified from essential oil extracted through HD method while MAHD method was 75.7%. The first oil droplet for HD method was found to be at 34 minutes and 20 minutes for MAHD method. MAHD is more preferable method for extracting essential oils from Murraya koenigii as it provides high extraction efficiency with less time taken

The effects of different indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) concentrations, two light regimes of in vitro rooting and acclimatization of in vitro teak (Tectona grandis L.f) plantlets

Effects of different indole-3-butyric (IBA) concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 5.0 mg/l), two light regimes of in vitro rooting and acclimatization on in vitro teak (Tectona grandis L.f) were investigated. Shoots incubated in the light produced higher mean number of roots (2.0) and mean root length of 15.0 and 4.5 mm when supplemented with low IBA concentrations of 0.5 and 1.0 mg/l, respectively. Conversely, when shoots were incubated in the dark, higher mean number of roots (8.0 and 3.0) and mean root lengths (14.0 and 8.8 mm) were produced when supplemented with higher IBA concentrations of 2.0 and 3.0 mg/l, respectively. IBA was found necessary for root induction and growth in light and dark where 2.0 mg/l was optimum as it recorded high mean number of root (6.0 and 8.0) with mean root lengths of 11.8 and 14.0 mm, respectively. High survival percentage of 80% was recorded for those plantlets raised in "jiffy-7" but survival reduced to 40% when grown in the autoclaved soil after one week

EMG Signals Analysis of BF and RF Muscles In Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) During Walking

This paper presents the analysis of Electromyography (EMG) signals at lower limb muscles during walking. The muscles of Biceps Femoris (BF) and Rectus Femoris (RF) were examined between ASD and TD children. The EMG signals pattern will be observed over one gait cycle and the statistical analysis will be used to compare the significant difference of two muscles between ASD and TD children. The result shows that there are significant differences in RF muscle for both ASD and TD children at 70% of gait cycle (p value is equal to 0.007) and at 90% of gait cycle (p value is equal to 0.023). From this result, the RF muscle shall be considered as the vital muscle for rehabilitation plan

Intensive care in severe malaria: report from the task force on tropical diseases by the World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine

Severe malaria is common in tropical countries in Africa, Asia, Oceania and South and Central America. It may also occur in travelers returning from endemic areas. Plasmodium falciparum accounts for most cases, although P vivax is increasingly found to cause severe malaria in Asia. Cerebral malaria is common in children in Africa, manifests as coma and seizures, and has a high morbidity and mortality. In other regions, adults may also develop cerebral malaria but neurological sequelae in survivors are rare. Acute kidney injury, liver dysfunction, thrombocytopenia, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are also common in severe malaria. Metabolic abnormalities include hypoglycemia, hyponatremia and lactic acidosis. Bacterial infection may coexist in patients presenting with shock or ARDS and this along with a high parasite load has a high mortality. Intravenous artesunate has replaced quinine as the antimalarial agent of choice. Critical care management as per severe sepsis is also applicable to severe malaria. Aggressive fluid boluses may not be appropriate in children. Blood transfusions may be required and treatment of seizures and raised intracranial pressure is important in cerebral malaria in children. Mortality in severe disease ranges from 8 to 30% despite treatment

Assessment of chain-of-custody certification costs for sawnwood manufacturers in Peninsular Malaysia

In response to environmental concerns, over the past two decades, many environmental organisations, government entities, wood product manufacturers and other companies in wood products supply chains have developed standards to encourage consumers to purchase wood originating from certified sustainable forests. This paper focuses on the chain-of-custody (CoC) component of certification. A study involving sawnwood manufacturers in Malaysia was conducted to determine an accurate cost of obtaining a Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) CoC certificate. There are three types of costs to obtain a MTCC–CoC certificate: (1) cost to meet CoC standard or requirement (an indirect cost), (2) auditing cost (a direct cost) and (3) surveillance visit cost (a direct cost). Results indicated that the cost to meet CoC standard is the major component involving 96% of the total cost of certification, whereas the auditing and surveillance visit each only involved 2% of the total certification cost. None of the three CoC costs were statistically correlated with company size (as measured by annual sales) but there was a statistically significant relationship between cost of surveillance visit and company size when measured by annual production

A cytotoxicity and sub-acute toxicity study on tea leaves cultivated in Sabah

The present work investigated the cytotoxicity capacity of the MDA-MB-231 (human cancer-derived), A549 (human lung cancer-derived), Caov3 (human ovarian cancer-derived), and HeLa (human cervical cancer-derived) cell lines on a wide range of tea leaves; green tea, black tea, tea waste, and compost from Sabah. A group of male and female Sprague Dawley rats was used to screen the sub-acute toxicity of green tea extract in tea leaves from Sabah for 28 d. Results revealed that the ethanol extract of tea leaves had strong cytotoxic activity against all cancer lines. Tea waste showed higher cytotoxicity when extracted using hot water. The ethanol extract of black tea leaves exhibited the highest inhibitory activity against the proliferation of Caov3, whereas the ethanol extract of green tea leaves exhibited a promising cytotoxic activity against MDA-MB-231 and HeLa cell lines. Toxicity studies showed decreased testes weight and increased liver weight in male rats that were administered with 5000 mg/kg of tea extract. This coincided with the significant increase portrayed by enzyme alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the serum of treated male rats in the 5000 mg/kg dose group. Moreover, there was an increase of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and ALT for the female rats in the 5000 mg/kg dose group. The increased levels of ALT and ALP enzymes, as well as liver weight, signified mechanical trauma in the liver of male and female rats in the 5000 mg/kg dose group

Heavy metal biomarker: Fish behavior, cellular alteration, enzymatic reaction and proteomics approaches

Due to the latest industrial development, many dangerous chemicals have been released directly or indirectly which resulted in the polluted water bodies. Water rehabilitation is an alternative way to restore the quality of water, followed by the environmental management to control the waste discharge to ensure the balance of the degradation rates or detoxifying by environmental factors. However, this process consumed a lot of time and cost. Besides, most of the metal ions, especially copper which is capable to bio accumulate in aquatic organism and at the elevated level may cause physiological and biochemical alteration which leads to mortality. Environmental monitoring is the initial step presupposed evaluating the potential toxicity of effluent gushing at its purpose to discharge, avoiding the determining effects of contaminant in water bodies. Due to the high sensitivity of the aquatic life towards dissolving toxicant, the fish has been utilized as the biological measurement (Biomarker) to indicate the existence of toxicant exposure and/or the impact towards the evaluation of molecular, cellular to physiological level. Thus, this paper gives an overview of the manipulation of fish as a biomarker of heavy metals through behavior response, hepatocyte alteration, enzymatic reaction and proteomic studies which have proven to be very useful in the environmental pollution monitoring

Contemporary challenges of soot build-up in IC engine and their tribological implications

Confronted with the contemporary challenges of maximizing energy efficiency with minimal impact on the environment, the automotive industry has developed various technologies to tackle them. Most of these technologies, however,have wider implications on the tribological performance of the automotive engines due to resultant soot build-up. This paper reviews the effects that attempts by stakeholders to satisfy requirements for reduced fuel consumption, reduced emissions and extended service intervals havehad on increasing soot levels to an extent that can lead to engine component failure.Three areas have been identified that have either not been explored or not widely explored in the study of automotive soot, namely: numerical simulation and modelling of soot wear, soot effects on wear of actual engine components and the wear and friction performance of non-metallic materials used in ICEs. A paper-grading system is also utilised to present an overview of how sooty oil related research covers various areas

Sepsis in tropical regions: Report from the task force on tropical diseases by the World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine

Sepsis and septic shock in the tropics are caused by a wide array of organisms. These infections are encountered mainly in low and middle-income countries (LMIC) where a lack of infrastructure and medical facilities contribute to the high morbidity and mortality. Published sepsis guidelines are based on studies primarily performed in high income countries and as such recommendations may or may not be relevant to practice in the tropics. Failure to adhere to guidelines, particularly among non-intensive care specialists even in high-income countries, is an area of concern for sepsis management. Additionally, inappropriate use of antimicrobials has led to significant antimicrobial resistance. Access to rapid, low-cost, and accurate diagnostic tests is critical in countries where tropical diseases are prevalent to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment. Implementation of performance improvement programs may improve outcomes for patients with sepsis and the addition of resuscitation and treatment bundles may further reduce mortality. Associated co-morbidities such as malnutrition and HIV influence outcomes and must be considered