The Concentration of Manganese, Copper, Zinc, Lead and Thorium in Sediments of Paka Estuary,Terengganu, Malaysia

14 cm cores sediments from the Paka River were analyzed for Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb and Th using the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Generally, the concentrations of all elements decreased with depth and have significantly higher concentration at the surface depth of the core. The concentration of Mn and Cu have average value of 151.1 ± 59.1 mg/g dry weights and 29.2 ± 6.9 mg/g dry weights, while Zn and Pb averaged at 72.5 ± 15.5 mg/g dry weights and 54.9 ± 2.5 mg/g dry weights, respectively. Th were slightly varied widely and ranged from 0.6 mg/g dry weights to 1.4 mg/g dry weights. In this study, only Mn and Th have enrichment factor (EF) values close to unity and may therefore be considered to be predominantly terrigenous in origin. On the contrary, the higher EF values found for Cu, Zn and Pb indicate that these metals might have some influenced from the anthropogenic inpu

Kadar Pengenapan dan Kepekatan Beberapa Logam Berat pada Permukaan Sedimen di Hutan Paya Bakau Bebar, Pahang

Sampel permukaan yang dikutip dari 3 transet (54 stesen pensampelan) di hutan paya bakau Bebar telah diukur kadar pemendapan, ciri-ciri sedimen dan kepekatan beberapa logam. Dalam kajian ini, kadar sedimentasi diukur dengan menggunakan kaedah penunjuk tiruan mendatar di mana purata pemendapan sebanyak 0.52 cm.thn·' telah diperoleh. Min saiz partikel sedimen permukaan didapati beljulat di antara dari pasir halus (5.151/» hingga kelodak halus (6.911/». Min saiz partikel menunjukkan hubungan signifikan (P<0.05) terhadap perubahan musim dengan penurunan nilainya ketika musim monsun. Bagi logam Cr, Cu, Pb dan Zn didapati menunjukkan perubahan mengikut jarak dengan purata kepekatan yang rendah di kawasan muara dan tinggi secara relatif di kawasan yang lebih jauh dari muara

Particle Size Distribution in the Bottom Sediments of the Kemaman River Estuarine System, Terengganu, Malaysia

Surface sediment samples from the Kemaman River estuarine system were analysed for the grain size in order to understand better the sedimentation processes in the estuary and along the Kemaman river. Their statistical values do not vary significantly according to the seasonal changes but show some relatively lower phi (0) values during the non-monsoon season compared to the monsoon season. The characteristics of deposited sediments at each station are very dependent upon the combination of physical forces such as freshwater runoffs, tidal currents and waves

The determination of accretion rate in Setiu Mangrove, Malaysia: Thorium-230 versus artificial horizontal marker method

In this study, determination of sediment accretion rate using the 230Th and the artificial horizon marker method in Setiu mangrove were done. Applying the 230Th excess method, an average accretion rate of 0.62 cm yr1 was obtained. This is comparable to that of an artificial horizon marker method giving an average of 0.61 cm yr1• The 230Th method provides a rapid and simple method of evaluating 230Th accumulation histories in sediment cores. Sample preparation is also significantly simplified, thus providing a relatively quick and easy method for the determination of the accretion rate in mangrove areas. Assuming that the accretion rate values are accurate, this may imply that the sediments in the upper 100 cm were deposited during the last 163 years

Accumulation of Barium, Uranium, Cadmium and Manganese in the Sediment Core from the Pulau Cik Wan Dagang Mangrove Forests, Terengganu, Malaysia

The accumulation of elements Ba, U, Cd and Mn with respect to depth was determined in a 150 cm sediment core obtained from the mangrove forests of Pulau Cik Wan Dagang, Kuala Kemaman, Terengganu, Malaysia. Generally, all elements except Mn decrease with depth and their vertical profiles show a clear boundary at about 70 cm deep. In order to assess the influence of heavy metal pollution more precisely, enrichment factors (EF) were calculated. In this study, U and Cd have EF values significantly greater than unity and may therefore be considered to be predominantly anthropogenic in origin whereas Ba and Mn which have EF values about unity are considered to be predominantly terigenous in origin

Bactericidal and Anti-biofilm Effects of Polyhexamethylene Biguanide in Models of Intracellular and Biofilm of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Bovine Mastitis

Staphylococcus aureus infection is a common cause of mastitis, reducing milk yield, affecting animal welfare and causing huge economic losses within the dairy industry. In addition to the problem of acquired drug resistance, bacterial invasion into udder cells and the formation of surface biofilms are believed to reduce antibiotic efficacy, leading to treatment failure. Here, we investigated the antimicrobial activities of enrofloxacin, an antibiotic that is commonly used in mastitis therapy and polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB), an antimicrobial polymer. The antimicrobial activities were tested against intracellular S. aureus in infected Mac-T cells (host cells). Also, fluorescein-tagged PHMB was used to study PHMB uptake and localization with S. aureus within the infected Mac-T cells. Anti-biofilm activities were tested by treating S. aureus biofilms and measuring effects on biofilm mass in vitro. Enrofloxacin and PHMB at 15 mg/L killed between 42 to 92 and 99.9% of intracellular S. aureus, respectively. PHMB-FITC entered and colocalized with the intracellular S. aureus, suggesting direct interaction of the drug with the bacteria inside the host cells. Enrofloxacin and PHMB at 15 mg/L reduced between 10 to 27% and 28 to 37% of biofilms’ mass, respectively. The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) obtained from a cytotoxicity assay were 345 ± 91 and 21 ± 2 mg/L for enrofloxacin and PHMB, respectively; therefore, both compounds were tolerated by the host cells at high concentrations. These findings suggest that both antimicrobials are effective against intracellular S. aureus and can disrupt biofilm structures, with PHMB being more potent against intracellular S. aureus, highlighting the potential application of PHMB in mastitis therapy

HEAVY METALS IN TUNA SPECIES MEAT AND POTENTIAL CONSUMER HEALTH RISK : A REVIEW

Marine fishes are one of the protein sources and they form a significant part of human diet around the world. In particular, tuna fisheries are considered as the largest and most specialized commercially important group of species among all commercial fishes. The preparing tuna methods such as cooking and canning might alter the level of heavy metals inside the meat. The heat that applied to the meat might be decreased the moisture content in tuna meat, thus give some effects to the heavy metal level. Other than that, the different composition and function of different parts of tuna can contribute to the various level of heavy metals analysed. The metal contamination in tuna species meat has put serious question to the safety level of fish intake to the community. It represent an abiding threat to human health as it has been linked to some adverse health effects such as mental retardation, kidney damage, and various types of cancer and even worse, death could occur.The following review articles presents the findings of the work carried out by the various researchers in the past on the heavy metal pollution in samples of Tuna species around the world

Identification of bioactive compounds with GC Q-TOF MS in the extracts from Clinacanthus nutans using subcritical carbon dioxide extraction

Subcritical carbon dioxide Soxhlet extraction of biologically active compounds from Clincanthus nutans was investigated by full factorial design to identify and optimize the factors (particle size and co-solvent) affecting extract yield, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. An average of 3.103% yield, 98.90% antioxidant activity, 49.40 mg/g (GAE) TPC, 43.76 mg/g (RE), and 88.58% AGI activity can be achieved using the optimum levels of independent variables. The GC-Q-TOF MS identification of optimized extract shown that different classes of phytoconstituents were successfully separated by CO2-Soxhlet to produce potential antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity

Techniques for the extraction of phytosterols and their benefits in human health: a review

This review summarizes the information on the health-promoting effects of phytosterols and the techniques for their extraction. The extraction and analysis processes of phytosterols are complex and have not been fully established. Phytosterols have significant roles in the areas of foods, nutrition, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Free phytosterols extracted from plant sources are widely used in fortified foods and dietary supplements. Most phytosterols are extracted from plant matrices using organic solvents which are health and environmental hazards. However, the application of supercritical fluid in the extraction of phytosterols has offered a promising green technology in overcoming the limitations of conventional extraction

The geoaccumulation index and enrichment factor of mercury in mangrove sediment of Port Klang, Selangor, Malaysia.

Mangrove areas are important to the ecosystem. One of its crucial functions is as a sink of pollutants, especially metal ions. However, the accumulation of metals in mangrove sediment can generate negative impacts on plant growth, microbial activity, and soil fertility. Apart from that, the severity of the impact is highly influenced by the type of metal found in the sediment and the quality of sediment itself. One of the metals that have adverse effects on the environment is mercury. The objectives of this study are to determine the concentration and distribution of mercury and to assess the enrichment of mercury in Port Klang mangrove sediment by using geoaccumulation index and enrichment factor. Sediment samples were collected from 30 sampling points that cover Langat River and Klang River estuaries, Lumut Straits, Pulau Klang, and Pulau Indah. During sampling, water parameters such as pH, salinity, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids were measured in situ, whereas the total mercury in sediment samples was determined at the laboratory using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In this study, mercury was found to be concentrated along Lumut Strait especially in the mixing zone near the confluence of Langat River and at the jetty to Pulau Ketam. The geoaccumulation index and enrichment factor (calculated using logarithmized data of the reference element) found that three stations were enriched with mercury. In addition, geoaccumulation index was also observed to be more objective compared to enrichment factor whose results were influenced by the concentration of reference element used