Therapeutic Potential of Malaysian Stingless Bee Propolis Extract Targeting Macrophages in Atherogenesis: A Review

Propolis is a sticky substance that originates from the collection of plant saps and resins by stingless bees. The bees blend this material with pollen and wax flakes, and their salivary fluids combine with the mixture to produce a potent compound that contains various chemical constituents, such as flavonoids and phenolic compounds. Numerous studies have revealed that propolis from stingless bees displays anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and cardioprotective properties. Geniotrigona thoracica is one of the Malaysian stingless bee species, and propolis from this species is composed of a wide array of biochemical compounds and antioxidant properties that may have an anti-atherogenic effect. This review highlights the possible role of propolis from the Malaysian stingless bee G. thoracica as a macrophage-targeted therapeutic in atherogenesis, as macrophage-derived foam cell formation is integral to the development of atherosclerosis. The review first describes the characteristics, chemical content, and antioxidant properties of propolis from G. thoracica. It then discusses the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, with a focus on macrophage-derived foam cell formation. Subsequently, the anti-atherosclerotic effects of propolis from G. thoracica are presented, and recent studies on the anti-atherosclerotic effects of propolis from honeybees worldwide are summarized for comparison. Finally, future perspectives are emphasized, highlighting the knowledge gaps that need to be investigated by researchers in this field

Larval surveillance and habitat characterization of dengue vectors in Tangkak, Johor, Malaysia

Entomological surveillance based on larval surveys, provides vital information for dengue management. In addition, the knowledge on breeding habitat of Aedes species is crucial to provide better understanding of their population densities and distribution. The larval surveillance method was conducted in ten outbreak areas in Tangkak District, Johore, Malaysia. The larval surveillance indices; House Index (HI), Container Index (CI), and Breteau Index (BI) were evaluated to measure the density of Aedes mosquito population. Then, habitat characterization was analyzed by calculating the prevalence, productivity and efficiency of the collected container. Approximately 1163 houses were inspected in Tangkak District and 86 (7.4%) houses were classified as positive premise. The highest HI were found in Taman Sialang (HI: 25 %) meanwhile the highest CI was recorded at Taman Jalan Ong Siong (CI: 71.4%). Eight out of 10 localities were found exceed the BI threshold value of 5%. The highest BI was logged in Taman Sialang (BI: 70%). Ae. albopictus represent 58% of the collected larvae meanwhile another 42% was Ae. aegypti. Some of the most effective container that contribute to the Aedes breeding in the study area were CID2: Flower pot, CID3: Plastic scrap, and CID4: Pail, with the productivity of 30%, 27%, and 19.8%, respectively. However, only CID2 and CID3 indicate higher prevalence of Aedes larvae with container prevalence of 31.1% and 26.9% respectively. In overall, CID2 was found to be the most preferred container for Aedes breeding since this container record the highest container efficiency (CE) value of 9.6%. The findings of this study could assist the health authority in the early prevention and control of dengue outbreak in Tangkak, Johor

Piperaquine and Metabolites - Bioanalysis and Pharmacokinetics

Antimalarial piperaquine (PQ) is currently used as a partner drug with dihydroartemisinin (DHA), exhibiting high cure rates (>95%) for P. falciparum. Despite its raising usage worldwide with DHA, PQ is synthetically developed outside of big pharma pipelines. Thus, there is potentially some scientific gap in the information regarding disposition of the drug not being systematically established. This thesis comprised studies on bioanalysis- (Paper I), CYP3A4/5 inhibitory potential- (Paper II), protein binding- (Paper III) and pharmacokinetics (PK) of piperaquine and its metabolites (Paper IV) with intention of filling these scientific gaps. PQ in earlier studies metabolized to two main urinary metabolites, M1 which is a carboxylic acid cleavage product and M2, the mono N-oxide of PQ. PQ and M2 were found as potent CYP3A inhibitors whereby M2 showed greater inhibition in vitro. Simulation of PQ inhibitory effect, predicted the drug-drug interaction (DDI) between PQ and co-administered midazolam in healthy subjects during antimalarial PQ treatment. Bioanalytical method was developed using a highly sensitive analytical instrument, LC-MS/MS to determine PQ and its metabolites in human plasma. The simultaneous quantitation method of PQ and metabolites was developed and validated for the first time based on the FDA guidelines. The method was applied for PK studies of PQ and metabolites after oral administration of single and escalating dose regimen of Artekin® (DHA-PQ) in Vietnamese healthy subjects. PQ exhibited dose- and time independent kinetics. M2 was found to be circulating metabolites in plasma while M1 was hardly detected. Plasma protein binding of PQ and its metabolites were studied in vitro whereby PQ was extensively bound to plasma proteins with higher affinity towards AGP protein than to the albumin while metabolites, exhibited a much lower degree of binding. Unbound fractions of PQ and metabolites were successfully determined in human plasma by ultrafiltration. Generally, the utmost contribution of this thesis is the application of bioanalysis method to quantitate the antimalarial PQ and its metabolites for pharmacokinetics including CYPs- and protein binding studies. As other antimalarials, PQ nowadays should be carefully evaluated for its treatment benefit and risk potential considering the challenge of increasing antimalarial resistance. Furthermore, DHA-PQ is suggested for mass-drug-administration (MDA) to eliminate malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa

Allele Frequencies ofF13AOI, FESFPS and vWA STRs in random Dusun population of Malaysia

Short Tandem Repeats (STRs) loci are characterized by high level of length polymorphism within and among populations. This polymorphism makes it becomes a blue print for forensic purposes. In this study, STR is applied for determining the allele's frequencies in Duson population in Sabah. This is done by using three different STR loci F13AOI, FESFPS and vWA. About 100 buccal swab samples from Dusun population were collected. Each sample was separated into different envelopes and sealed. Then DNA was extracted from the samples using simple procedure describe by Promega followed by STR typing on the three locus using multiplex kits. Allele frequencies were calculated and statistical analysis was then carried out. Comparative studies were carried out with referring to allele distribution from other populations. This study produces a database for random Duson population and hopefully will help in human identification in Malaysia. We also fid out that the genotype frequency distributions do not deviate from Hardy-Weinberg expectations

Liquid Chromatographic Tandem Mass Spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) Determination of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) in the Yolk of Poultry Eggs in Malaysia

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are widely used in products, and are known for their water and grease repellent properties. The persistence nature and potential toxicity of these substances have raised substantial concerns about health effects. Regarding humans, food consumption has reportedly been a significant source of exposure for both compounds. Hence, this study was performed to develop and validate an analytical method for PFOS and PFOA in egg yolks using liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) followed by the determination of concentration of both compounds in the yolk of poultry eggs in Malaysia. A total of 47 poultry egg yolk samples were extracted by a simple protein precipitation technique using acetonitrile. The analytical method was developed using LC-MS/MS and validated based on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Bioanalytical Method Validation guidelines. The results revealed that PFOS was quantitatively detected in six samples, with the concentration range between 0.5 and 1.01 ng g−1. Among these, five samples were from home-produced chicken eggs, and one sample was from a quail egg. The levels of PFOA in all samples were below the quantifiable limit (<0.1 ng g−1). This indicated that the contamination of PFCs in poultry eggs were mostly attributed to the nature of free foraging animals, which had direct contact with the contaminants in soil and feed. In conclusion, a fast and robust analytical method for analyzing PFOS and PFOA in egg yolk samples using LC-MS/MS was successfully developed and validated. The presence of these emerging contaminants in this study signified widespread pollution in the environment

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, bisphenol and paraben compounds in dust collected from residential homes in Klang Valley, Malaysia

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a growing global concern due to their widespread use and potential harm to human and animal health. Several EDCs have been linked to cancer, obesity, and diabetes in children and adults. EDCs come from manufacturers or everyday products like cookware, textile, cosmetic, furniture, and plastic. Some EDCs are volatile and may be inhaled by the inhabitants where indoor exposure to EDCs is considered worse than outdoor exposure due to the limited and confined area allowing dermal contact and ingestion of EDCs. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020–2021, all Malaysians were confined to their homes, prompting the goal of this study to investigate EDCs in household dust collected from Klang Valley homes. A total of 57 dust samples were collected, filtered, and extracted using methanol. EDCs including perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), bisphenol and parabens were identified and quantified in dust samples by liquid chromatography mass tandem spectrometry (LCMS/MS). The presence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), butylparaben (BuP), methylparaben (MeP), ethylparaben (EtP), and propylparaben (PrP) was detected in 50–100% of dust samples, with range of concentration of 0.31–3693.96 ng/g, indicating that these compounds are common in indoor dust. Methylparaben was the most prevalent EDC in collected dust samples with mean concentration at 148. 18 ng/g, accounting for 54% of the concentration distribution, followed by BuP and PFOA. There were regional differences in EDC profiles, with higher PFAS and paraben levels in urban areas such as Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, and Petaling. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of EDCs from indoor dust ingestion varied by age, with infants having a significantly higher EDI (p < .01) than children and adults. Despite safe for consumption (Hazard Quotient, HQ < 1), these findings provide a baseline for assessing PFAS, bisphenol, and paraben in indoor dust from Malaysian homes

Quality of life and its association with psychological status among work-from-home parents during the Covid 19 pandemic

Introduction: The pandemic COVID-19 has profoundly disrupted the social and economic activities that lead to the trend of work from home. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress and their associations with quality of life among parents who work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic in Shah Alam. Methods: A total of 384 parents were included in this cross-sectional study through convenience and snowball sampling techniques. An online survey methodology, Google Form, involving Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Screening 21 Item Questionnaire and Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire were utilized to collect the data via WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram. Descriptive analysis, binary logistic regression, and Spearman’s correlation coefficient were used to analyse the recorded data using SPSS version 26. Results: Majority of participants were 40 - 49 years old, female, Malay, married and have three numbers of children. It was found that about 58.3%, 59.1%, and 38.8% of the participants were having depressed, anxious, and stressed, respectively. However, the findings indicated lower mean scores among participants in all SF-36 domains except vitality when compared with the Malaysian norm. Marital status was associated with depression and gender was associated with anxiety. No sociodemographic variable was associated with stress. All domains of SF-36 were negatively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. Conclusion: Higher level of depression, anxiety, and stress reduced the quality of life. Hence, effective interventions for better psychological status and quality of life of parents during a potential subsequent pandemic is necessary

Vinyl-functionalized mesoporous carbon for dispersive micro-solid phase extraction of azole antifungal agents from aqueous matrices

A simple, rapid and sensitive vinyl-functionalized mesoporous carbon-based dispersive micro-solid phase extraction method has been developed for the preconcentration and quantification of azole antifungal drugs in aqueous matrices. The effects of type of adsorbent, desorption solvent, amount of adsorbent, pH, desorption time, salt addition and extraction time were investigated. Under the optimized conditions, the method demonstrated good linearity over the range of 1–300 µg L−1 for water sample and 5–400 µg L−1 for biological samples, low limits of detection (0.4 µg L−1 to 1.6 µg L−1), good analyte recoveries (89.8–113.9%) and acceptable RSDs (7.5–13.4%)

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on depression, anxiety, and stress among teachers in Malaysia: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Educational sector in Malaysia had been severely affected by COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the erratic nature of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia for the past two years, teaching style has shifted back and forth between home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) sessions and face-to-face teaching. Teachers must be prepared for any unanticipated shifts that occurred throughout the pandemic due to the implementation of movement control orders that resulted in school closures. Thus, this study aims to measure the depression, anxiety, stress, and quality of life among Malaysian teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Between March 21st and June 1st, 2021, 391 teachers completed Google form questionnaires containing the DASS-21, SF-36, and socio-demographic data, which were distributed online via WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter, and Facebook. Results: : According to the findings of this study, most teachers (55.5 %) were anxious, followed by depression (39.9 %) and stress (27.6 %). Depression, anxiety, and stress were all statistically related to age (p<0.05), marital status (p<0.01), and the number of children (p<0.05). When it came to quality of life, teachers had the highest physical functioning score about 86 but the lowest vitality at 62.3. All domains of quality of life were found negatively correlated with depression, anxiety, and stress (p<0.05). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic affected the depression, anxiety, and stress among the Malaysian teachers. To improve teachers’ well-being and mental health, effective policies, guidelines, and planning, as well as massive resources and support from administrative authorities, would be necessary