Anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects elicited by short chain fatty acids produced by Escherichia coli isolated from healthy human gut microbiota.

Background: Extracellular metabolites of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) excreted by gut microbiota have been reported to play an important role in the regulation of intestinal homeostasis. Apart from supplying energy, SCFA also elicit immune stimulation in animal and human cells. Therefore, an attempt was conducted to isolate SCFA producing bacteria from healthy human microbiota.

Perturbations in Amino Acid Metabolism in Reserpine-Treated Zebrafish Brain Detected by H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-Based Metabolomics.

Depression is a complex and disabling psychiatric disorder, which is expected to be a leading cause for disability by 2030. According to World Health Organization, about 350 million people are suffering with mental health disorders around the globe, especially depression. However, the mechanisms involved in stress-induced depression have not been fully elucidated.

Bioconversion of agro-industry sourced biowaste into biomaterials via microbial factories - A viable domain of circular economy.

Global increase in demand for food supply has resulted in surplus generation of wastes. What was once considered wastes, has now become a resource. Studies were carried out on the conversion of biowastes into wealth using methods such as extraction, incineration and microbial intervention.

New Insights on the Evolution of the Sweet Taste Receptor of Primates Adapted to Harsh Environments.

Taste perception is an essential function that provides valuable dietary and sensory information, which is crucial for the survival of animals. Studies into the evolution of the sweet taste receptor gene () are scarce, especially for Bornean endemic primates such as (proboscis monkey), (Bornean orangutan), and (Muller's Bornean gibbon). Primates are the perfect taxa to study as they are diverse dietary feeders, comprising specialist folivores, frugivores, gummivores, herbivores, and omnivores.

Imidazole-rich copper peptides as catalysts in xenobiotic degradation.

Laccases, oxidative copper-enzymes found in fungi and bacteria were used as the basis in the design of nona- and tetrapeptides. Laccases are known to be excellent catalysts for the degradation of phenolic xenobiotic waste. However, since solvent extraction of laccases is environmentally-unfriendly and yields obtained are low, they are less preferred compared to synthetic catalysts.

The effects of dietary edible bird nest supplementation on learning and memory functions of multigenerational mice.

Introduction: Edible bird nest (EBN) is a natural food product produced from edible nest swiftlet's saliva which consists of glycoproteins as one of its main components; these glycoproteins contain an abundant of sialic acid. The dietary EBN supplementation has been reported to enhance brain functions in mammals and that the bioactivities and nutritional value of EBN are important during periods of rapid brain growth particularly for preterm infant. However, the effects of EBN in maternal on multigeneration learning and memory function still remain unclear.

The effects of Piper sarmentosum aqueous extracts on zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos and caudal fin tissue regeneration.

In Malaysia, Piper sarmentosum or 'kaduk' is commonly used in traditional medicines. However, its biological effects including in vivo embryonic toxicity and tissue regenerative properties are relatively unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo toxicities and caudal fin tissue regeneration in the presence of P.

Antigenic membrane proteins of virulent variant of HM-1:IMSS.

Amoebiasis, caused by , is one of the leading parasitic infections in the world. This study was aimed at profiling antigenic membrane proteins of a virulent variant of HM-1:IMSS. The membrane proteins were extracted using ProteoExtract® kit (Merck, Darmstadt, Germany) or conventional method, separated using OFFGEL 3100 fractionator (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, California), followed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis.

Identification of potential dual -targets anti- toxoplasma gondii compounds through structure-based virtual screening and in-vitro studies.

Toxoplasma gondii is the etiologic agent of toxoplasmosis, a disease which can lead to morbidity and mortality of the fetus and immunocompromised individuals. Due to the limited effectiveness or side effects of existing drugs, the search for better drug candidates is still ongoing. In this study, we performed structure-based screening of potential dual-targets inhibitors of active sites of T.

Synthesis of symmetrical bis-Schiff base-disulfide hybrids as highly effective anti-leishmanial agents.

Leishmaniasis has affected a wider part of population around the globe. Most often, the existing regiments to battle against leishmaniasis are inadequate and limited. In our ongoing efforts to develop new leishmanicidal agents, we have synthesized a series of novel and symmetrical bis-Schiff base-disulfide hybrids 1-27.

Transcriptional regulation of retinol binding protein 4 by Interleukin-6 via peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and CCAAT/Enhancer binding proteins.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a major mediator of the acute phase response (APR) that regulates the transcription of acute phase proteins (APPs) in the liver. During APR, the plasma levels of negative APPs including retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) are reduced. Activation of the IL-6 receptor and subsequent signaling pathways leads to the activation of transcription factors, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP), which then modulate APP gene expression.

Current Status and Potential Applications of Underexplored Prokaryotes.

Thousands of prokaryotic genera have been published, but methodological bias in the study of prokaryotes is noted. Prokaryotes that are relatively easy to isolate have been well-studied from multiple aspects. Massive quantities of experimental findings and knowledge generated from the well-known prokaryotic strains are inundating scientific publications.

Comparative Proteomic Analysis on Fruit Ripening Processes in Two Varieties of Tropical Mango (Mangifera indica).

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is an economically important fruit. However, the marketability of mango is affected by the perishable nature and short shelf-life of the fruit.

(+)-Spectaline and Iso-6-Spectaline Induce a Possible Cross-Talk between Autophagy and Apoptosis in .

In our previous study, two known piperidine alkaloids (+)-spectaline () and iso-6-spectaline () were isolated from the leaves of and showed no toxic effect on L6 cells. In view of the potential use of piperidine alkaloids in for the treatment of sleeping sickness, further investigation on the cell death actions of the parasite after treatment with compound and suggested that the treated parasites died by a process of autophagy based on the characteristic morphological alterations observed in intracellular . In search for apoptosis, interestingly, trypanosomes treated with high concentration of compound and after 72 h significantly induced an early apoptosis-like programmed cell death (PCD) such as phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and caspases activation.

Drug ReposER: a web server for predicting similar amino acid arrangements to known drug binding interfaces for potential drug repositioning.

A common drug repositioning strategy is the re-application of an existing drug to address alternative targets. A crucial aspect to enable such repurposing is that the drug's binding site on the original target is similar to that on the alternative target. Based on the assumption that proteins with similar binding sites may bind to similar drugs, the 3D substructure similarity data can be used to identify similar sites in other proteins that are not known targets.

Transcriptome data of the carrageenophyte .

or commonly known as "Spinosum", is an economically important red alga that naturally grows on coral reefs with moderately strong currents in tropical and sub-tropical areas. This species is the primary source of iota-carrageenan which has high demands in the food, pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries, and as such it has been widely cultivated. The increasing global demand for carrageenan has led to extensive commercial cultivation of carrageenophytes mainly in the tropics.

Karyotypic and mtDNA based characterization of Malaysian water buffalo.

Background: In Malaysia, the domestic water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) are classified into the swamp and the murrah buffaloes. Identification of these buffaloes is usually made via their phenotypic appearances. This study characterizes the subspecies of water buffaloes using karyotype, molecular and phylogenetic analyses.

The inhibitory effects of mitragynine on P-glycoprotein in vitro.

Mitragynine is a major component isolated from Mitragyna speciosa Korth or kratom, a medicinal plant known for its opiate-like and euphoric properties. Multiple toxicity and fatal cases involving mitragynine or kratom have been reported but the underlying causes remain unclear. P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a multidrug transporter which modulates the pharmacokinetics of xenobiotics and plays a key role in mediating drug-drug interactions.

Development of a NS2B/NS3 protease inhibition assay using AlphaScreen beads for screening of anti-dengue activities.

Background: Dengue infection is an endemic infectious disease and it can lead to dengue fever, dengue hemorrhagic fever, and/or dengue shock syndromes. Dengue NS2B/NS3 protease complex is essential for viral replication and is a primary target for anti-dengue drug development. In this study, a NS2B/NS3 protease inhibition assay was developed using AlphaScreen beads and was used to screen compounds for their protease inhibition activities.

Comparative study of gut microbiota in wild and captive Malaysian Mahseer (Tor tambroides).

Aims: The aim of this study was to identify and compare the gut microbial community of wild and captive Tor tambroides through 16S rDNA metagenetic sequencing followed by functions prediction.

Methods And Results: The library of 16S rDNA V3-V4 hypervariable regions of gut microbiota was amplified and sequenced using Illumina MiSeq. The sequencing data were analyzed using Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology (QIIME) pipeline and Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt).

RNA-seq data of the L. shoot system.

L. or the physic nut is a monoecious shrub belonging to the family. The plant is an ideal feedstock for biodiesel production; oil-rich seed (37-42%), has a broad range of growth habitat such as arid, semi-arid and tropical and a relatively feasible process for conversion of crude oil into biodiesel.

Analysis of Entamoeba histolytica Membrane Proteome Using Three Extraction Methods.

Entamoeba histolytica membrane proteins are important players toward the pathogenesis of amoebiasis, but the roles of most of the proteins are not fully understood. Since efficient protein extraction method is crucial for a successful MS analysis, three extractions methods are evaluated for the use in studying the membrane proteome of E. histolytica: Two commercial kits (ProteoExtract from Calbiochem and ProteoPrep from Sigma), and a conventional laboratory method.

Identification of Cultivable Bacteria from Tropical Marine Sponges and Their Biotechnological Potentials.

Marine sponges are acknowledged as bacterial hotspots in the oceanic biome. Aquatic bacteria are being investigated comprehensively for bioactive complexes and secondary metabolites. Cultivable bacteria associated with different species of sea sponges in South China Sea waters adjacent to Bidong Island, Terengganu were identified.

Evaluation of disease resistance and tolerance to elevated temperature stress of the selected tissue-cultured Doty 1985 under optimized laboratory conditions.

Information on the abiotic stress tolerance and ice-ice disease resistance properties of tissue-cultured is scarce and can pose a big hurdle to a wider use of tissue-cultured seaweed in the industry. Here, we reported on a study of seaweed-associated bacteria diversity in farmed and tissue-cultured , and ice-ice disease resistance and elevated growth temperature tolerance of tissue-cultured in laboratory conditions. A total of 40 endophytic seaweed-associated bacteria strains were isolated from 4 types of samples based on their colony morphologies, Gram staining properties and 16S rRNA gene sequences.