Psychological symptoms among healthcare workers handling COVID-19 patients.

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare workers serve as the frontliners against the coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) and this puts them most at risk of infection as they attend to numerous patients with unknown status. This study aimed to examine stress, anxiety, and depression among healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients in Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), Malaysia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study conducted in SGH during the pandemic with an online self-administered questionnaire composed of two parts, the socio-demographic characteristics, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). RESULTS: A total of 105 healthcare workers responded to this study. A questionnaire in both Bahasa Melayu and English was used. The findings showed that all healthcare workers had mild anxiety, with the majority experiencing mild stress (57.1%), and almost half of the respondents experiencing mild depression (41%). Female subjects had a significant higher mean score in anxiety level and stress level compared to male subjects (10.0±3.20 vs. 8.6±2.93, p<0.05; 14.1±4.76 vs. 10.7±3.70, p<0.05, respectively). Staff who were transferred from other units to handle COVID-19 cases experienced more psychological symptoms. There were significant correlations between the depression, anxiety and stress levels among the healthcare workers and the number of children they had (r=0.739, p=0.001; r=0.642, p=0.001; r=1, p =0.001 respectively). However, the stress level among the healthcare workers was reversely correlated with their years of working experience (r=-0.199, p=0.042). CONCLUSION: This study identified some socio-demographic factors associated with increased levels of stress, anxiety and depression among the healthcare workers during pandemic, which may lay ground for future interventions.

Synthesis of 2,3-dioxo-5-(substituted)-arylpyrroles and their 2-oxo-5-aryl-3-hydrazone pyrrolidine derivatives.

Some novel 2,3-dioxo-5-(substituted)-arylpyrroles have been synthesized. Among these, pyrrolidine compound 1b was converted to 2,3-dioxo-5-aryl pyrrolidine 2b. Finally a set of hydrazone derivatives was obtained from the reaction of 2b with various hydrazine salts. The structures of all the new synthesized compounds were confirmed by elemental analyses, IR and 1H-NMR spectra.

Evaluation of antioxidant and nitric oxide inhibitory activities of selected Malaysian medicinal plants.

Methanol extracts of seven Malaysian medicinal plants were screened for antioxidant and nitric oxide inhibitory activities. Antioxidant activity was measured by using FTC, TBA and DPPH free radical scavenging methods and Griess assay was used for the measurement of nitric oxide inhibition in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-treated RAW 264.7 cells. All the extracts showed strong antioxidant activity comparable to or higher than that of alpha-tocopherol, BHT and quercetin in FTC and TBA methods. The extracts from Leea indica and Spermacoce articularis showed strong DPPH free radical scavenging activity comparable with quercetin, BHT and Vit C. Spermacoce exilis showed only moderate activity but other species were weak as compared to the standards. In the Griess assay Lasianthus oblongus, Chasalia chartacea, Hedyotis verticillata, Spermacoce articularis and Leea indica showed strong inhibitory activity on nitric oxide production in LPS and IFN-gamma-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Extracts from Psychotria rostrata and Spermacoce exilis also inhibited NO production but this was due to their cytotoxic effects upon cells during culture.

Malaysianol B, an oligostilbenoid derivative from Dryobalanops lanceolata.

A new oligostilbenoid tetramer, malaysianol B (1), was isolated from the acetone extract of the stem bark of Dryobalanops lanceolata along with seven oligostilbenoids tetramers; hopeaphenol (2), stenophyllol A (3), nepalensinol B (4), vaticanol B (5) and C (6), upunaphenol D (7), and flexuosol A (8). The structures of the isolated compounds were established on the basis of their spectroscopic data evidence. The antibacterial activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated using resazurin microtitre-plate assay.

Malaysianol A, a new trimer resveratrol oligomer from the stem bark of Dryobalanops aromatica.

A new resveratrol trimer, malaysianol A (1), five known resveratrol oligomers: laevifonol (2), ampelopsin E (3), α-viniferin (4), ε-viniferin (5), diptoindonesin A (6), and bergenin (7) have been isolated from the acetone extract of the stem bark of Dryobalanops aromatica by combination of vacuum and radial chromatography techniques. Their structures were established on the basis of their spectroscopic evidence and comparison with the published data. The cytotoxic activity of the compounds was tested against several cell lines in which compound 4 was found to inhibit strongly the growth of HL-60 cell line.

Benzylidene derivatives of andrographolide inhibit growth of breast and colon cancer cells in vitro by inducing G(1) arrest and apoptosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Andrographolide, the major phytoconstituent of Andrographis paniculata, was previously shown by us to have activity against breast cancer. This led to synthesis of new andrographolide analogues to find compounds with better activity than the parent compound. Selected benzylidene derivatives were investigated for their mechanisms of action by studying their effects on the cell cycle progression and cell death. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Microculture tetrazolium, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and sulphorhodamine B (SRB) assays were utilized in assessing the in vitro growth inhibition and cytotoxicity of compounds. Flow cytometry was used to analyse the cell cycle distribution of control and treated cells. CDK1 and CDK4 levels were determined by western blotting. Apoptotic cell death was assessed by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. KEY RESULTS: Compounds, in nanomolar to micromolar concentrations, exhibited growth inhibition and cytotoxicity in MCF-7 (breast) and HCT-116 (colon) cancer cells. In the NCI screen, 3,19-(2-bromobenzylidene) andrographolide (SRJ09) and 3,19-(3-chloro-4-fluorobenzylidene) andrographolide (SRJ23) showed greater cytotoxic potency and selectivity than andrographolide. SRJ09 and SRJ23 induced G(1) arrest and apoptosis in MCF-7 and HCT-116 cells, respectively. SRJ09 downregulated CDK4 but not CDK1 level in MCF-7 cells. Apoptosis induced by SRJ09 and SRJ23 in HCT-116 cells was confirmed by annexin V-FITC/PI flow cytometry analysis. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: The new benzylidene derivatives of andrographolide are potential anticancer agents. SRJ09 emerged as the lead compound in this study, exhibiting anticancer activity by downregulating CDK4 to promote a G(1) phase cell cycle arrest, coupled with induction of apoptosis.