Zalilawati Mat Rashid

Coc Coconut sap, locally known as neera, is a sweet, oyster-white liquid collected from the unblossomed spadix of the coconut tree (Cocos nucifera). Although the sap has economic importance and is well-known for its outstanding nutritional profile, studies on the influence of collection times and seasonal variation on its properties remain limited in Malaysia. It is important to know how the seasons and tapping time can affect its nutritional quality and consumer acceptance. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the physicochemical characteristics, proximate composition and sensory attributes of the coconut sap collected at different sampling times (8 am, 5 pm and 12 am) from both wet Northeast Monsoon (NW) and dry Southwest Monsoon (ND) seasons. The physicochemical analyses (pH, total soluble solids (TSS) and colour), proximate composition (moisture, ash, crude protein, crude fat and carbohydrate) and food energy determination were conducted. The acceptance test was evaluated by 50 untrained panelists using a 9-point hedonic scale. The findings demonstrated that NWs (86.85%-88.10%) and NDs (85.93%-86.89%) did not significantly differ in terms of moisture content during both seasons. In contrast, NW8 has the lowest ash content (0.22±0.01%), crude protein (0.15±0.01%), and carbohydrates (11.51±0.05%) across the seasons and sampling times. The crude fat content is not significantly different across all samples. Meanwhile, the pH, TSS and colour of all samples are not significantly different by sampling times but vary across seasons. NWs have a higher pH (6.85±0.67) than NDs (5.94±0.18), and NDs possessed a higher value of TSS (15.89±4.21°Brix) than NWs (14.2±1.80°Brix). The colour determination was done using CIE Lab* colour system. NWs exhibited a lighter color as indicated by a higher L* value (37.21±0.72) than NDs (17.69±1.07). Sensory evaluation further indicated that NW samples were more acceptable, particularly in terms of color, sweetness and aftertaste, with NW12 (6.28 ± 1.80) having the “slightly like” score. Thus, this study highlights that the proximate and physicochemical values of coconut sap vary between seasons, but not by different sampling times.

The efficacy of goniothalamin, a styryl-lactone derivative as an alternative drug for leukemiatreatment has generated interest among natural products scientists. However, the studies ongoniothalamin treatment effects on serum biochemicals in relation to haematology have beenlacking. This study evaluated the effect of goniothalamin (GTN) isolated from Goniothalamusandersonii supplemented into induced leukemia BALB/c mice model to determine the serumbiochemicals and hematological markers changes post supplementation. The mice werecategorized into normal mice (NM), untreated leukemia (LM) and goniothalamin-treatedleukemia (GTN-LM) groups. Treated mice were supplemented with 40 mg goniothalamin per kgb.w. from day-14 and every alternate day until day-28. The present study showed that the enlargedspleen of leukemia mice was reduced toward normal dimension following GTN treatment.Besides, the serum biochemicals related to kidney and liver functions including urea (8.43 ± 0.85mmol/L), creatinine (20.33 ± 0.67 µmol/L), total bilirubin (1.78 ± 0.17 µmol/L), alaninetransaminase (ALT) (65.33 ± 23.51 U/L) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (245.00 ± 36.17U/L) of the GTN-LM group were found to be significantly different than LM group. Conversely,the insignificant difference of these biomarkers between GTN-LM and NM groups had indicatedthe improvement of leukemia toxicity to normal condition. The GTN-LM peripheral bloodcontaining lower immature granulocytes and monocytes as well as had higher apoptotic index(35%) as compared to LM signified that goniothalamin had induced the apoptotic cell death. Thus,this finding highlighted the potential of goniothalamin as an alternative medicine againstleukemia.

‘Giant Green’ is one of the Syzygium samarangense cultivars planted throughout Malaysia because it has great potential for benefitting human health. However, its variation in chemical compounds, especially in the leaves at different maturity stages, cannot be systematically discriminated. Hence, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GCMS) coupled with chemometric tools were applied to discriminate between the different stages of leaves, namely, young, mature, and old leaves. The chemical variability among the samples was evaluated by using principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) techniques. For discrimination, partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) was applied, and then partial least squares (PLS) was used to determine the correlation between biological activities (antioxidant and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory assay) and maturity stages of ‘Giant Green’ leaves. As a result, the PCA, HCA, and PLS-DA of the FTIR and GC-MS data showed the separation between clusters for the different maturity stages of the leaves. Additionally, the PLS result demonstrated that the young leaves showed a strong correlation between metabolite quantities and biological activities. The findings of this study revealed that FTIR and GC-MS coupled with chemometric analyses can be used as a rapid method for the discrimination of bioactive structural functions in relation to their biological activity.

The stingless bee bread formation in the beehives occurs via lactic acid fermentation of the pollen mixed with nectar and bee salivary enzymes. The lack of research and studies about the effect of different extraction solvents in retaining the chemicals and the antioxidant activity of stingless bee bread were noticed. Hence, the objectives of this study were to determine the chemical contents and DPPH scavenging activity of different extracts of Heterotrigona itama stingless bee bread. The bee bread sample was macerated with four different extraction solvents including 95% ethanol (95EE), 70% ethanol (70EE), dichloromethane (DE) and hexane (HE). The chemicals analyses were proximate analysis, resorcinol-sulfuric acid assay and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, while antioxidant activity was measured using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. As a result, the bee bread of H. itama was found to contain 46.88% carbohydrates, 24.72% moisture content, 21.10% crude proteins, 3.41% crude fats, 2.32% ash and 1.75% crude fibers. The highest yield of extract was recorded by 70EE (41.1%, w/w). Resorcinol-sulfuric acid assay revealed that 70EE contained more total carbohydrates (842.585 mg/mL) compared to 95EE (738.178 mg/mL). In addition, intense FTIR signals at 3100–3600 cm-1 were found in 95EE and 70EE, indicating the presence of hydroxyl group, while strong 2800–3000 cm-1 signals found in HE revealed the presence of aliphatic group, and an intense carbonyl group signal at 1550–1750 cm-1 were detected in DE. Furthermore, 70EE also showed the strongest antioxidant activity compared to other extracts with IC50 value of DPPH radicals scavenging was 0.5173 mg/mL. Thus, these findings would provide the information about chemical composition and antioxidant activity of bee bread, as well as help in promoting the bee bread as a healthy functional food.

Syzygium samarangense cv. ‘Giant Green’ is an underutilised fruit that can be found in Malaysia and other Asian countries. Since this fruit is not fully commercialised, the information about its potential health benefits is limited. Thus, this study was carried out to determine the polyphenolic contents (total phenolic and total flavonoid) and biological activities (antioxidant, alpha-glucosidase and antibacterial assay) of ‘Giant Green’ leaves and fruits at different maturity stages. The young, mature and old leaves, and unripe, half-ripened and ripened fruits were analysed. The results showed that the young leaves increased the TPC and TFC by 35% and 41%, over the old leaves. Similarly, TPC and TFC contents were 37% and 54% higher in unripe fruits compared to the ripened fruits. In addition, young leaves exhibited the strongest scavenging activity towards DPPH, NO and ABTS radicals with IC₅₀ values increasing 1.6-fold, 1.7-fold and 2.3-fold, respectively, over the old leaves. However, in fruit samples, only unripe fruits were able to inhibit more than 50% of radicals. A comparable trend was observed in alpha-glucosidase inhibitory assay whereas young leaves and unripe fruits recorded 81% and 99% increases in IC₅₀ values, respectively, from young leaves to old leaves and unripe fruits to ripened fruits. Identically, young leaves also showed a significant effect in antibacterial assay with an inhibition zone increase of 19%, 36%, 32%, and 31% in S. aureus, E. faecalis, S. typhimurium and E. coli, respectively, over the old leaves. However, only unripe fruits were most effective against all tested bacteria while half-ripened fruits were only effective against E. faecalis with a 1.1-fold increase in the inhibition zone compared to unripe fruits. Ripened fruits were resistant to all of the bacteria. These results suggest that the young leaves and unripe fruits of ‘Giant Green’ cultivar of S. samarangense could be a potential candidate for the management of some diseases coming from harmful free radicals or bacterial infection.

Introduction: Ficus deltoidea is one of the common Malaysian medicinal plants and currently commercialized as raw ingredients in some local food products. However, those products do not discriminate the varieties of Ficus deltoidea used. Methods: FTIR-based metabolomics coupled with chemometric technique was applied to discriminate chemical components in ethanolic extracts of syconia of seven varieties of Ficus deltoidea namely; var. deltoidea, var. trengganuensis, var. kunstleri, var. angustifolia, var. bilobata, var. intermedia and var. motleyana. Unsupervised multivariate data analysis (MVDA) including principal component analysis (PCA) was used as to evaluate chemical variability among the seven varieties. For discrimination, orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was applied, while partial least square (PLS) was used to evaluate the relationship between the alpha-glucosidase inhibition, antioxidant activity and Ficus deltoidea varieties. Results: As a result, OPLS-DA successfully discriminated the seven varieties. The FTIR fingerprints which were responsible for the discrimination includes 1729, 1705, 1448, 1095, 453, 443 cm-1. In addition, PPLS model demonstrated the correlation between var. kunstleri, var. deltoidea and var. intermedia respective chemicals fingerprints and their bioactivity (DPPH, FRAP and α-glucosidase inhibition). Conclusion: The findings revealed that FTIR spectroscopy, in combination with MVDA, can be used for structural functional discrimination in relation to the sample bioactivity.

Objective: To investigate phenolics, fatty acids composition and biological activities of various extracts and fractions of Malaysian Aaptos aaptos. Methods: Fatty acid methyl ester was analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. Antioxidant activity was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay and total phenolics content by Folin-Ciocalteu procedure. Vero cells viability was evaluated using methyl thiazole tetrazolium and the inactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1 by neutral red uptake assay. p-Hydroxybenzamide isolated by column chromatography was characterized by utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and electron impact mass spectrometry. Results: The chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Aaptos aaptos produced higher portions of straight-chain saturated fatty acid, while hexane extract mainly consisted of unsaturated fatty acid. The five majors of fatty acid methyl ester were identified as behenic acid, cis-10-heptadecenoic acid and cis-10-pentadecenoic acids, palmitic acid and tricosanoic acid. In addition, among all organic extracts, chloroform extract inactivated herpes simplex virus type 1 while exhibited weak cytotoxic activity against normal Vero cells and also exhibited strong cytotoxic activity on HL-60, MCF-7, K562, CEM-SS and WEHI-3B cells. A phenolic compound, p-hydroxybenzamide was also isolated from the sponge. Conclusions: Aaptos aaptos could be a source to derive the potential antiviral and anticancer agents. However, further studies are needed to determine the mechanism involved in the process.

Crude methanol extracts of a marine sponge, Aaptos aaptos, collected from three different localities namely Kapas, Perhentian and Redang Islands, Terengganu, Malaysia, were tested in vitro on a pathogenic Acanthamoeba castellanii (IMR isolate) to examine their anti-amoebic potential. The examination of anti-Acanthamoebic activity of the extracts was conducted in 24 well plates for 72 h at 30 °C. All extracts possessed anti-amoebic activity with their IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.615 to 0.876 mg/mL. The effect of the methanol extracts on the surface morphology of A. castellanii was analysed under scanning electron microscopy. The ability of the extracts to disrupt the amoeba cell membrane was indicated by extensive cell’s blebbing, changes in the surface morphology, reduced in cell size and with cystic appearance of extract-treated Acanthamoeba. Number of acanthapodia and food cup was also reduced in this Acanthamoeba. Morphological criteria of apoptosis in Acanthamoeba following treatment with the sponge’s extracts was determined by acridine orange-propidium iodide staining and observed by fluorescence microscopy. By this technique, apoptotic and necrotic cells can be visualized and quantified. The genotoxic potential of the methanol extracts was performed by the alkaline comet assay. All methanol extracts used were significantly induced DNA damage compared to untreated Acanthamoeba by having high percentage of scores 1, 2, and 3 of the DNA damage. Results from cytotoxicity and genotoxicity studies carried out in the present study suggest that all methanol extracts of A. aaptos have anti-amoebic properties against A. castellanii.