Health risk assessment of adults consuming commercial fish contaminated with formaldehyde.

The health benefits of consuming fish as a source of omega-3 fatty acids have been established. It can reduce cholesterol levels and the incidence of stroke and can protect against cardiovascular disease, improve cognitive development in children and slow cognitive decline in the elderly. Formaldehyde was used as antibacterial agent and preservative in food processing such as dried food, fish, certain oil and fats and disinfectants for container. Formaldehyde classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in the Group 1 as carcinogenic to humans. If the amount of formaldehyde is small, it does not harm health. However, it can cause minor to serious problems such as pain, vomiting, coma and possible death when with large doses of formaldehyde is taken. Survey was conducted for adults, teenagers and children to identify the commercial fish consumption pattern in order to assess the risks of consuming different commercial fish contaminated with formaldehyde. Seven types of commercial fish species based on the survey were analysed. All the samples were purchased in different wet market and analysed under different circumstances; fresh, boiled and fried. Formaldehyde were determined in all fish circumstances analysed. Formaldehyde content was in range 2.38 to 2.95 μg/g for fresh, 2.08 to 2.35 μg/g for boiled and 2.28 to 2.49 μg/g for fried. This study showed that there is formaldehyde content in fish sample analysis. However, formaldehyde content among all fish species and fish circumstances were still lower than amount that set by Malaysian Food Act (1985) and Malaysian Food Regulation (1985) that the maximum limit value for formaldehyde in fish and fish products are 5 mg/kg. The effect of cooking shows a reduction of the formaldehyde content. There is no adverse health effects on human related to the fish consumption contaminated with formaldehyde from the risk assessment calculation. Thus, the fish from wet market can be considered safe for consumption because of low formaldehyde content. Furthermore, some methods have suggested cooking and washing can potentially reduce the formaldehyde content in fish

Comparison of phytochemicals, antioxidant and anti-cholinesterase activity of unripe and ripe fruit of sonneratia caseolaris

Sonneratia caseolaris, also known as mangrove apple produces the edible fruit which can be found mainly on tidal mud in mangroves area. Since this fruit is considered as underutilized fruit as it is not fully discovered for its potential health benefits and not fully commercialized, hence this study aimed to determine the phytochemicals contents (i.e. total flavonoid, phenolic, anthocyanins and carotenoids contents), antioxidant and anti-cholinesterase activity of different parts (flesh and stem cap) of the unripe and ripe fruit extracts. Phytochemicals, antioxidant and anti-cholinesterase activities were determined using standard methods of spectrophotometric analysis. The flesh part of unripe S. caseolaris displayed the highest total phenolic, flavonoid and carotenoid contents as compared to the other parts in 80% methanol extract with the values of 67.67±0.10 mg (GAE/g), 37.06±0.30 mg (RE/g) and 5.41±0.10 mg (BC/100 g), respectively. The flesh part of unripe S. caseolaris in 80% methanol extract exhibited the best antioxidant properties in three different assays (i.e. DPPH, FRAP and ABTS) with the values of 98.32±0.28%, 67.72±0.74 mmol/g and 91.24±1.23 mg/g, respectively. The acetylcholinesterase inhibition also was found to be higher in the flesh part of unripe 80% methanol S. caseolaris extract with 47.18±0.68% at the concentration of 250 µg/mL. Therefore, utilization of this fruit as natural antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibition sources may develop new pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products

Preliminary Phytochemical and Antimycobacterial Investigation of Some Selected Medicinal Plants of Endau Rompin, Johor, Malaysia

Tuberculosis (TB), the primary cause of morbidity and mortality globally is a great public health challenge especially in developing countries of Africa and Asia. Existing TB treatment involves multiple therapies and requires long duration leading to poor patient compliance. The local people of Kampung Peta, Endau Rompin claimed that local preparations of some plants are used in a TB symptoms treatment. Hence, there is need to validate the claim scientifically.  Thus, the present study was designed to investigate the in vitro anti-mycobacterial properties and to screen the phytochemicals present in the extracts qualitatively. The medicinal plants were extracted using decoction and successive maceration. The disc diffusion assay was used to evaluate the anti-mycobacterial activity, and the extracts were subjected to qualitative phytochemical screening using standard chemical tests. The findings revealed that at 100 mg/ml concentration, the methanol extract of Nepenthes ampularia displayed largest inhibition zone (DIZ=18.67 ± 0.58), followed by ethyl acetate extract of N. ampularia (17.67 ± 1.15) and ethyl acetate extract of Musa gracilis (17.00 ± 1.00). The phytochemical investigation of these extracts showed the existence of tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, and steroids. The pronounced anti-mycobacterial properties displayed by the screened medicinal plants scientifically proved the claim by traditional people of Endau Rompin Johor. It is suggested that the extracts may be considered for further evaluation

Preparation and characterization of PMMA-AgNPs polymer composite as a dental prosthesis

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been used for centuries in the field of medicine due to the antimicrobial properties. AgNPs has been synthesized and incorporated in different aspects of biomaterials. It is reported that AgNPs as a result of its small size, it provides sufficient antimicrobial effect at lower filler level, thus can be used in dentistry for prevention and reduction of biofilm formation on a surfaces of dental prosthesis. The purpose of this study is to develop AgNPs antimicrobial acrylic resin for dental prosthesis. The effect of AgNPs incorporated into acrylic resin poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) on the bacterial biofilm was studied in terms of bacterial growth and the incorporating effect on the thermal stability of these polymeric biocides was evaluated. Silver nanoparticles in colloidal form was added to PMMA(ONDA-CRYL) using microwave and make four dental prosthesis at the different concentration. The specimens were delivered to the four toothless patients for 21 days. The formed biofilm was tested for microbiological study (taxonomic profile). After setting, the specimens were characterized to determine the spatial distribution of AgNPs on the PMMA matrix through scanning electron microscope and the thermal stability was examined using TGA and DSC. The modified PMMA prosthesis base containing AgNPs, which exhibited good in vivo antimicrobial properties without altering their thermal properties of degradation as well as their mechanical properties and minimize the maximum infectious signs by reducing the formation of microbial biofilm forming on the surfaces of dental prostheses. As the modification of PMMA with AgNPs improved the anti-biofilm properties without altering its mechanical and thermals properties to the degradation, it could be used as a dental prosthesis

Identification and Characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing Genotype Strain SBH163, Isolated in Sabah, Malaysia

This is a report on the whole-genome sequence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain SBH163, which was isolated from a patient in the Malaysian Borneo state of Sabah. This report provides insight into the molecular characteristics of an M. tuberculosis Beijing genotype strain related to strains from Russia and South Africa

Biomechanical response of the upper body during prostration in salat and the child's pose: a preliminary study

[Purpose] Salat is the prayer practiced by Muslims and it involves several physical motions, namely standing, bowing and prostrating, which can be considered as a form of slow moderate exercise. The purpose of this research was to investigate the activities of the upper body muscles and the body composition during Salat’s prostration and the child’s pose. [Subjects] Eight healthy male and female university students were recruited for this study. [Methods] The body composition of each subject was first measured. The subjects were then asked to perform Salat’s prostration motion followed by the child’s pose posture. Electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded from the biceps brachii, triceps brachii, scapula muscle, and pectoralis major muscles. The signals were converted to root mean square values. The Mann-Whitney U non-parametric test was conducted to investigate the significance of differences in EMG mean values and body composition in both postures. [Results] The findings show that all the muscles were activated in both postures with the triceps brachii recording the highest value. For the triceps brachii, the prostration posture gave higher values. However, no significant difference was found in the body composition. [Conclusion] The prostration posture produces musculoskeletal effects similar to the child’s pose

Tissue paper from banana peels: a preliminary study

Banana was originally from Malaysia and it is a herbaceous plant of the genus of Musa and family of Musaceae. Banana is contributing 16% of the world’s total fruit productions [1]. The cultivation of the banana plant is mainly for its fruits. In some countries, banana fruit and its peel are considered to be the golden fruit of nature because they are providing healthy digestion and promote natural beauty to the body with essential nutrients. Moreover, banana fruit help in preventing anemia, stress, ulcers, and other minor illness. Banana is also considered to be a functional food source against cancer and heart disease and a good source of natural antioxidants for foods [2]. A large quantity of bananas is produced annually and its peel, which accounts for about 35% of the whole fruit weight, is mostly discarded as waste. Approximately 36 million tonnes of banana peel is generated every year and this is a potential material for further utilisation [3]

The role of solvent hydroxyl functional groups on the interaction energy and growth of form I paracetamol crystal facets

The morphology of a crystal grown in a solvent can change depending on the solvent used during the crystallization process. Modification of the morphology of a crystal can be engineered based on information conferred by the functional groups of the facets of interest and the functional groups of the solvent. This study aims to predict the effect of the alcoholic functional group of amyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, and phenol on the {002}, {011}, and {110} facets of Form I paracetamol. Prediction and simulation studies were carried out using an embedded tool available in Material Studio. The interaction between the solvents (phenol, benzyl alcohol, and amyl alcohol) and the surfaces used in this study revealed that the {011} facet had the most negative nonbonded energy, followed by the {110} and {002} facets. Overall, the nonbonded interactions between the solvents and the facets were dominated by Coulombic interactions, accounting for more than 90% of the energies, which is within the range from −2566 to −3613 kcal/mol. The binding energy for amyl and benzyl alcohols on the facets of the crystal, ranked from the strongest to the weakest, was in the order {002} > {110} > {011}, while for phenol, the rank was {002} > {011} > {110}. This result is in line with the observed crystal morphology of Form I paracetamol crystallized in a polar protic solvent, in which the most favorable solvent binding on the {002} facets delayed the growth of the elongated hexagonal morphology along the c-axis and formed prismatic-like morphology. Using benzyl alcohol as a case study, an assessment of synthon formation on facets {002} and {011} showed that synthon B is an important synthon for the growth of units of these facets, while synthon F is an important building block synthon for the {110} facet

Demanded competencies of the entry-level position in the restaurant industry: employers’ perspectives

Researchers advocated that there are many issues of fresh graduates' competencies, including insufficient skills to meet the requirement as expected by the industry. The purpose of this study was to discover the entry-level competencies demanded by the restaurant employers towards fresh graduates. The dynamic workforce and the mismatch competencies claimed by employers are the issues that trigger education stakeholders, particularly in Malaysia. Responses were obtained from eight restaurant managers in Klang Valley, through a semi-structured interview. The data were then analyzed using thematic analysis. There were nine competencies emerged from this study, which reflect the entry-level competencies demanded by restaurant managers towards fresh graduates, namely: 1) attitude and behavior, 2) cognitive skill, 3) communication skill, 4) knowledge in the discipline area, 5) professionalism and work ethics, 6) technical skill, 7) teamwork, 8) leadership and 9) experience. It is anticipated that the findings will be able to fulfill the restaurant's needs by giving a clear picture of the essential competencies that need to be infused in the university's curriculum. Besides, both educators and fresh graduates will have an insight into the preparation for working in the restaurant industry