Mineralization of palm oil mill effluent by advanced oxidation processes: A review on current trends and the way forward.

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is regarded as deleterious to the environment, primarily owing to the substantial volume of waste it produces during palm oil extraction. In terms of contaminant composition, POME surpasses the pollutant content typically found in standard municipal sewage, therefore releasing it without treatment into water bodies would do irreparable damage to the environment. Main palm oil mills are normally located in the proximity of natural rivers in order to take advantage of the cheap and abundant water source. The same rivers are also used as a water source for many villages situated along the river banks. As such, it is imperative to degrade POME before its disposal into the water bodies for obvious reasons. The treatment methods used so far include the biological processes such as open ponding/land application, which consist of aerobic as well as anaerobic ponds, physicochemical treatment including membrane technology, adsorption and coagulation are successful for the mitigation of contaminants. As the above methods require large working area and it takes more time for contaminant degradation, and in consideration of the strict environmental policies as well as palm oil being the most sort of vegetable oil in several countries, numerous researchers have concentrated on the emerging technologies such as advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) to remediate POME. Methods such as the photocatalysis, Fenton process, sonocatalysis, sonophotocatalysis, ozonation have attained special importance for the degradation of POME because of their efficiency in complete mineralization of organic pollutants in situ. This review outlines the AOP technologies currently available for the mineralization of POME with importance given to sonophotocatalysis and ozonation as these treatment process removes the need to transfer the pollutant while possibly degrading the organic matter sufficiently to be used in other industry like fertilizer manufacturing.

A systematic review on physical mutagens in rice breeding in Southeast Asia.

In the 1920s, Lewis Stadler initiated the introduction of permanent improvements to the genetic makeup of irradiated plants. Since then, studies related to breeding mutations have grown, as efforts have been made to expand and improve crop productivity and quality. Stadler's discovery began with x-rays on corn and barley and later extended to the use of gamma-rays, thermal, and fast neutrons in crops. Radiation has since been shown to be an effective and unique method for increasing the genetic variability of species, including rice. Numerous systematic reviews have been conducted on the impact of physical mutagens on the production and grain quality of rice in Southeast Asia. However, the existing literature still lacks information on the type of radiation used, the rice planting materials used, the dosage of physical mutagens, and the differences in mutated characteristics. Therefore, this article aims to review existing literature on the use of physical mutagens in rice crops in Southeast Asian countries. Guided by the PRISMA Statement review method, 28 primary studies were identified through a systematic review of the Scopus, Science Direct, Emerald Insight, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing, and MDPI journal databases published between 2016 and 2020. The results show that 96% of the articles used seeds as planting materials, and 80% of the articles focused on gamma-rays as a source of physical mutagens. The optimal dosage of gamma-rays applied was around 100 to 250 Gy to improve plant development, abiotic stress, biochemical properties, and nutritional and industrial quality of rice.

Bioactive compounds derived from marine source: a potential immunotherapy treatment.

Immunotherapy using checkpoint inhibitors blocks the checkpoint proteins (programmed cell death receptor-1; PD-1) from binding with their corresponding ligands (programmed cell death receptor ligand-1; PD-L1) to regulate cell signaling pathways. The marine environment holds a huge source of small molecules that are understudied which can be developed as an inhibitor. Hence, this study investigated the inhibitory effect of 19 algae-derived small molecules against PD-L1 by using molecular docking, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination (ADME) properties and molecular dynamics simulations (MDS). The molecular docking revealed that the binding energy of the six best compounds ranges from -11.1 to -9.1 kcal/mol. Fucoxanthinol, in particular, has the strongest binding energy at -11.1 kcal/mol with three hydrogen bonds (ASN:63A, GLN:66A, and ASP:122A). Meanwhile, the MDS demonstrated that the ligands were strongly bound to the protein, indicating the stability of the complexes. In summary, the identified compounds are potential PD-L1 inhibitors in immunotherapy.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

A review of stingless bees' bioactivity in different parts of the world.

Stingless bees, also known as meliponines, live in beehives. However, reports on the distribution of stingless bees are scattered, resulting in a lack of precision. Honey and propolis are the main components that can be harvested from their beehive, with a great commercial value of up to 610 million USD. Despite the enormous potential profits, discrepancies in their bioactivities have been observed worldwide, leading to a lack of confidence. Therefore, this review provided oversight on the potential of stingless bee products and highlighted the differences between stingless bees in Asia, Australia, Africa, and America. The bioactivity of stingless bee products is diverse and exhibits great potential as an antimicrobial agent or in various diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers, and oral problems.

The prevalence of hospital-acquired infections in Southeast Asia (1990-2022).

INTRODUCTION: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) have continually affected the quality of hospital care. Despite medical interventions by healthcare personnel and improved healthcare facilities, the rates of morbidity and mortality due to HAIs is increasing. However, a systematic review of HAIs is lacking. Therefore, this systematic review aims to determine the prevalence rate, types, as well as causes of HAIs in Southeast Asian countries. METHODOLOGY: A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed, Cochrane library, World Health Organization database-Index Medicus for South-East Asia Region (WHO-IMSEAR), and Google Scholar databases. The search period was from 1st January 1990 until 12th May 2022. The prevalence of HAIs and subgroups were calculated using MetaXL software. RESULTS: The database search retrieved 3879 non-duplicate articles. After applying exclusion criteria, 31 articles with a total number of 47666 subjects were included and a total of 7658 cases of HAIs were recorded. The overall prevalence of HAIs in Southeast Asia was 21.6 % (95% CI: 15.5 - 29.1%) with heterogeneity statistics of I2 = 100%. Indonesia had the highest prevalence rate of 30.4% whereas Singapore had the lowest prevalence rate at 8.4%. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that the overall prevalence of HAIs was relatively high and the prevalence rate of each country was associated with socioeconomic status. Measures should be taken to examine and control the rates of HAIs in countries with high HAI prevalence.

The Role of Machine Learning and Deep Learning Approaches for the Detection of Skin Cancer.

Machine learning (ML) can enhance a dermatologist's work, from diagnosis to customized care. The development of ML algorithms in dermatology has been supported lately regarding links to digital data processing (e.g., electronic medical records, Image Archives, omics), quicker computing and cheaper data storage. This article describes the fundamentals of ML-based implementations, as well as future limits and concerns for the production of skin cancer detection and classification systems. We also explored five fields of dermatology using deep learning applications: (1) the classification of diseases by clinical photos, (2) der moto pathology visual classification of cancer, and (3) the measurement of skin diseases by smartphone applications and personal tracking systems. This analysis aims to provide dermatologists with a guide that helps demystify the basics of ML and its different applications to identify their possible challenges correctly. This paper surveyed studies on skin cancer detection using deep learning to assess the features and advantages of other techniques. Moreover, this paper also defined the basic requirements for creating a skin cancer detection application, which revolves around two main issues: the full segmentation image and the tracking of the lesion on the skin using deep learning. Most of the techniques found in this survey address these two problems. Some of the methods also categorize the type of cancer too.

Antimicrobial activities and phytochemical properties of Blumea balsamifera against pathogenic microorganisms.

Medicinal plants have been widely used in healthcare based on traditional knowledge. We investigated the antimicrobial activities and phytochemical contents of a plant known as Blumea balsamifera (B. balsamifera), which Sabah native people have used for health benefits. Methanolic extracts and fractions of the leaves of B. balsamifera were tested for their phytochemical contents and their antimicrobial activities against four Gram-negative and five Gram-positive strains of bacteria. The extracts of B. balsamifera showed antimicrobial activities against three Gram-positive, and one Gram-negative bacteria, with the zone of inhibition ranging from 7.8 mm±0.41 to 10.5 mm±0.71. Fraction CE.F7 exerted the broadest antimicrobial activity towards four Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria. The phytochemical constituents identified in the extracts were alkaloid, flavonoid, steroid, and cardiac glycosides. The plant extract demonstrated antimicrobial activities and contained multiple phytochemical constituents. Further investigations into potential antimicrobial agents containing promising fractions would validate the medicinal properties of B. balsamifera used in Sabah.

Bacteriocins as Potential Therapeutic Approaches in the Treatment of Various Cancers: A Review of In Vitro Studies.

Cancer is regarded as one of the most common and leading causes of death. Despite the availability of conventional treatments against cancer cells, current treatments are not the optimal treatment for cancer as they possess the possibility of causing various unwanted side effects to the body. As a result, this prompts a search for an alternative treatment without exhibiting any additional side effects. One of the promising novel therapeutic candidates against cancer is an antimicrobial peptide produced by bacteria called bacteriocin. It is a non-toxic peptide that is reported to exhibit potency against cancer cell lines. Experimental studies have outlined the therapeutic potential of bacteriocin against various cancer cell lines. In this review article, the paper focuses on the various bacteriocins and their cytotoxic effects, mode of action and efficacies as therapeutic agents against various cancer cell lines.

Probiotication of Nutritious Fruit and Vegetable Juices: An Alternative to Dairy-Based Probiotic Functional Products.

Fruits and vegetables are widely known to be rich in nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, dietary fiber, minerals, and a bioactive molecule, making them an essential component of a balanced diet with multiple documented positive effects on human health. The probiotication of plant-based juices for the production of functional and nutraceutical food serves as a healthy alternative to dairy probiotics. They are cholesterol free, lack several dairy allergens, and also encourage ingestion for people with lactose intolerance. This review highlights valuable claims regarding the efficacy of different probiotic strains on various diseases. A comprehensive nutrition comparison and the preference of plant-based over dairy probiotic drinks is also discussed, supported with updated market trends of probiotic drinks (dairy and non-dairy based). An extensive compilation of current plant-based probiotic drinks that are available in markets around the world is listed as a reference. The fermentability of carbon sources by probiotic microorganisms is crucial in addressing the development of plant-based drinks. Therefore, the pathway involved in metabolism of sucrose, glucose, fructose, and galactose in fruit and vegetable juice was also underlined. Finally, the key factors in monitoring the quality of probiotic products such as total soluble solids, sugar consumption, titratable acidity, pH, and stability at low storage temperatures were outlined.

The Prevalence of Insulin Resistance in Malaysia and Indonesia: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background and Objectives: Noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes are strongly associated with the insulin resistance (IR) status of an individual. However, the prevalence of insulin resistance in Southeast Asia is poorly reported. Hence, this study investigated the prevalence of IR in Southeast Asia from the year 2016 to 2021. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out according to PRISMA guidelines. The literature search was conducted utilizing the PubMed and SCOPUS databases from the year 2016 to 2021 using the keywords '(insulin AND resistance) OR (insulin AND sensitivity) OR (prevalence OR incidence) AND (Malaysia OR Thailand OR Singapore OR Brunei OR Cambodia OR Indonesia OR Laos OR Myanmar OR Philippines OR Timor leste OR Vietnam)'. Funnel plot and publication bias were assessed using Egger's tests. Data were expressed as the prevalence rate. Results: A total of 12 studies with 2198 subjects were considered in the meta-analysis. Significant heterogeneity (I2 > 94% and p-value < 0.001) was observed in the meta-analysis. The overall prevalence of IR in Southeast Asia was 44.3%, with Malaysia having the highest prevalence rate at 50.4%, followed by Indonesia at 44.2%. Bias was detected in the meta-analysis. It may be that reports published before the year 2016 met the study selection criteria, but were excluded from the meta-analysis. Conclusions: The results from the meta-analysis indicate that the prevalence of IR in Southeast Asia is very high. This provided insights for healthcare policy makers and public health officials in designing IR screening programs.

Bioactivities and Mode of Actions of Dibutyl Phthalates and Nocardamine from Streptomyces sp. H11809.

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) produced by Streptomyces sp. H11809 exerted inhibitory activity against human GSK-3ß (Hs GSK-3ß) and Plasmodiumfalciparum 3D7 (Pf 3D7) malaria parasites. The current study aimed to determine DBP's plausible mode of action against Hs GSK-3ß and Pf 3D7. Molecular docking analysis indicated that DBP has a higher binding affinity to the substrate-binding site (pocket 2; -6.9 kcal/mol) than the ATP-binding site (pocket 1; -6.1 kcal/mol) of Hs GSK-3ß. It was suggested that the esters of DBP play a pivotal role in the inhibition of Hs GSK-3ß through the formation of hydrogen bonds with Arg96/Glu97 amino acid residues in pocket 2. Subsequently, an in vitro Hs GSK-3ß enzymatic assay revealed that DBP inhibits the activity of Hs GSK-3ß via mixed inhibition inhibitory mechanisms, with a moderate IC50 of 2.0 µM. Furthermore, the decrease in Km value with an increasing DBP concentration suggested that DBP favors binding on free Hs GSK-3ß over its substrate-bound state. However, the antimalarial mode of action of DBP remains unknown since the generation of a Pf 3D7 DBP-resistant clone was not successful. Thus, the molecular target of DBP might be indispensable for Pf survival. We also identified nocardamine as another active compound from Streptomyces sp. H11809 chloroform extract. It showed potent antimalarial activity with an IC50 of 1.5 µM, which is ~10-fold more potent than DBP, but with no effect on Hs GSK-3ß. The addition of ≥12.5 µM ferric ions into the Pf culture reduced nocardamine antimalarial activity by 90% under in vitro settings. Hence, the iron-chelating ability of nocardamine was shown to starve the parasites from their iron source, eventually inhibiting their growth.

The Biosynthesis and Medicinal Properties of Taraxerol.

Taraxerol is a pentacyclic triterpenoid that is actively produced by some higher plants as part of a defense mechanism. The biosynthesis of taraxerol in plants occurs through the mevalonate pathway in the cytosol, in which dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) and isopentyl pyrophosphate (IPP) are first produced, followed by squalene. Squalene is the primary precursor for the synthesis of triterpenoids, including taraxerol, ß-amyrin, and lupeol, which are catalyzed by taraxerol synthase. Taraxerol has been extensively investigated for its medicinal and pharmacological properties, and various biotechnological approaches have been established to produce this compound using in vitro techniques. This review provides an in-depth summary of the hypothesized taraxerol biosynthetic pathway, the medicinal properties of taraxerol, and recent developments on tissue culture for the in vitro production of taraxerol.

Enterocin: Promising Biopreservative Produced by Enterococcus sp.

Food preservation is a method used to handle and treat food products to slow down food spoilage and subsequently reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Nowadays, the demand for natural preservatives over chemical preservatives in food is increasing due to the awareness of consuming healthy food products without the risk of harmful side effects. Thus, the research and development of preservation techniques, referred to as biopreservation, is growing rapidly. In biopreservation methods, microorganisms that are known as lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and their antimicrobial substances are used to extend shelf life and maintain the nutritional value of foods. Among the most studied LAB are from the genus Enterococcus, which produces a bacteriocin called enterocin. Bacteriocins are ribosomal-synthesized antimicrobial peptides that are capable of inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria that cause spoilage in food. LAB is generally regarded as safe (GRAS) for human consumption. The current application of LAB, notably Enterococcus sp. in the biopreservation of meat and meat-based products was highlighted in this review. This report also includes information on the effects of enzymes, temperature, and pH on the stability of bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus sp. An extensive compilation of numerous industry procedures for preserving meat has also been emphasized, highlighting the benefits and drawbacks of each method.

A Review: Underutilized Plant of Sabah and its Potential Value.

Underutilized plants are referred to a plant species whose potential is not fully utilized yet and they are usually found abundantly in certain local areas but are globally rare. Sabah is known for high biodiversity and contains many underutilized plants. To our knowledge, this is the first review to provide overview information of the medicinal value and pharmacological properties of underutilized plants in Sabah. Extract and metabolites in different parts of several underutilized plants contain multiple beneficial bioactive compounds and the exploitation of these compounds was supported by additional data that plays various biological activities, including anti-atherosclerotic, anti-cancer antihypercholesterolemic and anti-ulcerogenic. A handful of pharmacological studies on these underutilized plants have conclusively outlined the mode of action in treatment of several diseases and in other health aspects. This paper limits its scope to review and highlight the potential of using underutilized plants in Sabah only which could serve as reliable resource for health product development in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical through continuous discovering of more active and sustainable resources as well as ingredients for food and medicine.

Review of Nephelium lappaceum and Nephelium ramboutan-ake: A High Potential Supplement.

Nephelium lappaceum (N. lappaceum) and Nephelium ramboutan-ake (N. ramboutan-ake) are tropical fruits that gain popularity worldwide due to their tastiness. Currently, their potential to be used as pharmaceutical agents is underestimated. Chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and aging have high incidence rates in the modern world. Furthermore, pharmaceutical agents targeting pathogenic microorganisms have been hampered by the growing of antimicrobial resistance threats. The idea of food therapy leads to extensive nutraceuticals research on the potential of exotic fruits such as N. lappaceum and N. ramboutan-ake to act as supplements. Phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds that present in the fruit act as potent antioxidants that contribute to the protective effects against diseases induced by oxidative stress. Fruit residuals such as the peel and seeds hold greater nutraceutical potential than the edible part. This review highlights the antioxidant and biological activities (anti-neoplastic, anti-microbial, hypoglycemic actions and anti-aging), and chemical contents of different parts of N. lappaceum and N. ramboutan-ake. These fruits contain a diverse and important chemical profile that can alleviate or cure diseases.

4-Thiazolidinone coumarin derivatives as two-component NS2B/NS3 DENV flavivirus serine protease inhibitors: synthesis, molecular docking, biological evaluation and structure-activity relationship studies.

A series of novel 4-thiazolidinone inhibitors SKYa-SKYg, containing coumarin as a core structure were synthesized via facile and efficient method. The structures of the synthesized compounds were established by extensive spectroscopic studies (FT IR, 1D NMR, 2D NMR, LC-MS) and elemental analysis. All the synthesized hybrids were further evaluated for their potential as anti-tubercular agents against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv ATCC 25618, and anti-bacterial agents against Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Salmonella typhi, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. Interestingly, the hybrids displayed potent bioactivity. However, compounds SKYc, SKYd, and SKYe appeared to be more effective against the tested bacterial strains, among which compound SKYb showed the highest inhibition against all the bacterial strains ranging from 41 to 165 µg/mL, as compared to the standards, streptomycin, kanamycin and vancomycin. Moreover, derivative SKYa was found to be the strongest against M. tuberculosis (83 µg/mL). Additionally, the anti-dengue potential of the coumarin hybrids as two-component NS2B/NS3 DENV flavivirus serine protease inhibitors was calculated using computational molecular docking approach, with reference to the standards 4-hydroxypanduratin, panduratin and ethyl 3-(4-(hydroxymethyl)-2-methoxy-5-nitrophenoxy)propanoate with DS of - 3.379, - 3.189 and - 3.381, respectively. The docking results revealed that the synthesized hybrids exhibited potent anti-dengue activity among which compounds SKYf, SKYd, SKYc and SKYe were found to be the best ones with docking scores of - 4.014, - 3.964, - 3.905 and - 3.889. In summary, we discovered 4-thiazolidinone coumarin derivatives as a new scaffold that may eventually yield useful compounds in the treatment of bacterial and viral infections.

Yeasts in sustainable bioethanol production: A review.

Bioethanol has been identified as the mostly used biofuel worldwide since it significantly contributes to the reduction of crude oil consumption and environmental pollution. It can be produced from various types of feedstocks such as sucrose, starch, lignocellulosic and algal biomass through fermentation process by microorganisms. Compared to other types of microoganisms, yeasts especially Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the common microbes employed in ethanol production due to its high ethanol productivity, high ethanol tolerance and ability of fermenting wide range of sugars. However, there are some challenges in yeast fermentation which inhibit ethanol production such as high temperature, high ethanol concentration and the ability to ferment pentose sugars. Various types of yeast strains have been used in fermentation for ethanol production including hybrid, recombinant and wild-type yeasts. Yeasts can directly ferment simple sugars into ethanol while other type of feedstocks must be converted to fermentable sugars before it can be fermented to ethanol. The common processes involves in ethanol production are pretreatment, hydrolysis and fermentation. Production of bioethanol during fermentation depends on several factors such as temperature, sugar concentration, pH, fermentation time, agitation rate, and inoculum size. The efficiency and productivity of ethanol can be enhanced by immobilizing the yeast cells. This review highlights the different types of yeast strains, fermentation process, factors affecting bioethanol production and immobilization of yeasts for better bioethanol production.