Publications by authors named "Lai Zee Wei"

Brewer's spent grain (BSG) is a major by-product in the beer-brewing process which contributes to 85% of the entire generated by-product in the brewing process. BSG is rich in proteins, and most of the malt proteins (74-78%) remain insoluble in BSG after the mashing process. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) is a promising bioprocess that enables microorganisms to survive in environments with minimal water and has shown to enhance the nutritional composition of BSG.

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Kojic acid (KA), a fungal secondary metabolite, is commonly used in the cosmetic industry as a skin-whitening agent because of its ability to inhibit tyrosinase, the enzyme involved in melanin production. However, KA has shown poor depigmenting effects and becomes unstable after prolonged storage. Its use in cosmetics products has also been restricted due to its hydrophilic nature.

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Incontinentia pigmenti (IP) is an X-linked dominant genodermatosis. The disease is known to be caused by recurrent deletion of exons 4-10 of the Inhibitor Of Nuclear Factor Kappa B Kinase Regulatory Subunit Gamma ( gene located at the Xq28 chromosomal region, which encodes for NEMO/IKKgamma, a regulatory protein involved in the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. NF-κB plays a prominent role in the modulation of cellular proliferation, apoptosis, and inflammation.

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Hyaluronic acid (HA), a major component of extracellular matrix has been widely applied in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries due to its reported pharmacological properties. Various types of HA drug delivery system including nanoparticles, cryogel-based formulations, microneedle patches, and nano-emulsions were developed. There are studies reporting that several HA-based transdermal delivery systems exhibit excellent biocompatibility, enhanced permeability and efficient localized release of anti-psoriasis drugs and have shown to inhibit psoriasis-associated skin inflammation.

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The potential use of n-dodecane and n-hexadecane as oxygen vectors for enhancing hyaluronic acid (HA) biosynthesis by Streptococcus zooepidemicus ATCC 39920 was investigated using a 2-L stirred-tank bioreactor equipped with helical ribbon or Rushton turbine impellers. The volumetric fraction of the oxygen vector influenced the gas-liquid volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient (K(L)a) positively. Batch HA fermentation with 1% (v/v) n-dodecane or 0.

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High cell density cultivation of microalgae via heterotrophic growth mechanism could effectively address the issues of low productivity and operational constraints presently affecting the solar driven biodiesel production. This paper reviews the progress made so far in the development of commercial-scale heterotrophic microalgae cultivation processes. The review also discusses on patentable concepts and innovations disclosed in the past four years with regards to new approaches to microalgal cultivation technique, improvisation on the process flow designs to economically produced biodiesel and genetic manipulation to confer desirable traits leading to much valued high lipid-bearing microalgae strains.

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