Fadzilah Adibah Abdul Majid

Honey provides both nutritional and therapeutic benefits, making it important to evaluate its quality to ensure safe and effective consumption. The present work intended to examine the physicochemical properties, mineral composition, and antioxidant capacity of Kelulut and Tualang honeys, obtained from different regions in Malaysia. Kelulut honey was collected from Kedah (KH1) and Kelantan (KH2), whereas wild (TUW) and farmed (TUF) Tualang honey were collected from the state of Pahang, Malaysia. These honeys are unique due to their distinct floral sources, harvesting environments, and bee species, all of which may contribute to differences in their nutritional composition, bioactive compounds, and therapeutic potential. Findings revealed that KH1 had the highest dietary fiber (0.612 ± 0.027 g/100g) and carotenoid content (13.324 ± 0.778 µg BC/100g), while KH2 had greater moisture (30.586 ± 0.109 g/100g) and ash content (0.766 ± 0.010 g/100g). The concentration of protein in TUW was the highest with the value of 1.776 ± 0.040 g/100g, whereas TUF recorded 79.980 ± 0.280 g/100g of carbohydrate level, which was the highest among the samples. TUW was richer in fructose (33.500 ± 3.473), while KH1 contained the most glucose (40.983 ± 0.941 g/100g). KH2 exhibited the highest concentrations of calcium, magnesium, and potassium among the samples analyzed, while KH1 showed the lowest pH, indicating higher acidity. KH2 also exhibited the highest electrical conductivity and colour intensity, whereas TUW had the lowest water activity and TUF recorded the highest total soluble solid. Overall, although each honey sample exhibited distinct nutritional and physicochemical characteristics, KH2 demonstrated the most prominent quality attributes, including superior mineral composition and physicochemical properties, particularly reflected in its elevated phenolic (33.711 ± 0.590 mg GAE/100 g) and flavonoid contents (2.217 ± 0.126 mg CE/100 g), highlighting its potential as a nutritionally valuable honey with enhanced antioxidant capacity and health-promoting properties.

Andrographolide, a diterpenoid lactone derived from the medicinal plant Andrographis paniculata, exhibits a wide range of pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antihyperglycemic effects. However, its clinical application remains limited due to its low solubility, rapid systemic clearance, and poor bioavailability. This review critically assessed the efficacy of andrographolide encapsulation, particularly focusing on liposomal delivery systems as a promising strategy to enhance therapeutic outcomes in anticancer treatment. Employing a bibliometric analysis of literature from 2013 to 2023 sourced from Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and Scopus, the study used VOSviewer to conduct a detailed network analysis of keywords, authorship patterns, institutional affiliations, and regional research distribution. The review identified a significant concentration of studies in Asian countries, predominantly China and India, with key contributions from researchers such as Meiwan Chen, Yitao Wang, and Jinming Wang. Despite identifying 302 relevant articles, only 16 specifically addressed the encapsulation of andrographolide for anticancer treatment, with six focusing on liposomal systems. The findings suggested that liposomal encapsulation not only enhances andrographolide’s therapeutic efficacy but also mitigates its pharmacokinetic limitations by improving solubility, stability, and targeted delivery. The study underscored the need for further investigation into optimized liposomal formulations and potential clinical applications, positioning liposomal systems as a compelling avenue for advancing andrographolide-based anticancer therapeutics.

This manuscript describes the potential contribution of Gymnema sylvestre in combination with Metformin to lowering FBG and its biochemical responses based on experiments carried out on high fat diet-STZ induced rats. The authors have reported releva...

Andrographis paniculata is a herbal plant that has been used traditionally for decades to treat a wide range of diseases. To this date, no research on the integration of in silico, in vitro, and in vivo pharmacokinetics (PK) has been documented on andrographolide (AG), the primary bioactive compound in A. paniculata. In this study, we employed an in silico approach to predict the physicochemical properties, metabolism, and toxicity of AG. PK properties were validated using in vitro assays and further tested in Wistar rats. Based on in silico prediction, AG demonstrated to be a soluble, permeant, and lipophilic drug. AG was regarded as a non-mutagenic and non-carcinogenic drug with a low risk of oral absorption. In vitro assays showed that AG was stable at all pH levels tested, had a high equilibrium solubility and moderately stable in the mouse plasma. AG was also permeant across the Caco-2 monolayer with Papp values of 9.627 × 10−6 cm/s (apical) and 18.1 × 10−6 cm/s (basolateral). It had a stable metabolism in the liver microsomes and did not have any inhibitory effects on the enzymes CYP2C8, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, or CYP3A4 (MDZ). Based on in vivo results, the volume of distribution and clearance were both high, with a short elimination half-life (0.17 ± 0.0 h) contributing to the low oral bioavailability (~2%). Rapid oral absorption was shown with Tmax of 0.25 h. Our data revealed promising drug-like properties of AG, and its pharmacokinetics profiles support its potential in developing andrographolide-based products from natural resources.

Objective: Syzygium aromaticum and Coffea canephora are acknowledged for their outstanding antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and nerve-stimulant properties, showcasing potential in brain protection. Therefore, this study aims to quantitatively review existing literature and assess the potential of using it to formulate a herbal tea blend for managing stress and anxiety.Methods: Data was retrieved from the Scopus database, and a bibliometric analysis was performed using VOSviewer software.Results: Following a screening process, a total of 121 articles were identified, with S. aromaticum yielding a higher number compared to C. canephora. A detailed exploration of each plant revealed active components such as eugenol, β-caryophyllene, α-humulene, caffeine, mangiferin, and chlorogenic acids, each exhibiting stimulatory effects alongside antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The neuroprotective effects were attributed to the reduction of oxidative stress and inflammation, coupled with the stimulation of neurotransmitters and hormones like dopamine, serotonin, cortisol, and adrenaline.Conclusions: The review showed that these plants positively affect mood and cognition by influencing the brain's pleasure system. This suggests the need for further research to combine these plant extracts for developing "Tenang tea," a potential herbal blend for managing stress and anxiety.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a transmittable disease caused by severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The outbreak of the disease has affected the world in a negative manner. The development and on-going vaccination efforts has reduced the mortality rate in people with existing comorbidities and lowered virus transmission rate. However, there are still the needs for prescribed medicines that can be consumed by COVID-19 infected persons. Momordica charantia L. has been used in traditional medicines to treat various diseases including anti-diabetic and cancer. Pharmacological studies on Momordica charantia L. revealed that the plant stored many useful phytoconstituents that might be exploited for producing drug compounds to treat COVID-19. Nowadays, computational-aided drug methods are widely used in drug discovery process as it requires minimal compound design and improve the development pipeline. In this study, molecular docking of five phytochemicals from Momordica charantia L. were carried out against SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro). The results obtained revealed that some of the phytochemicals showed a better dock score compared to the drug molnupiravir. Based on the dock score and the medicinal properties of each compound, it is suggested that these compounds can be further studied for potential drugs against COVID-19.

Vernonia cinerea (VC) is a ubiquitous weed in tropical and subtropical regions. It was traditionally used to treat health issues by various cultures, but today little is known to the new generation about its high medicinal values, how to use it as a quick first aid, and its commercialization potential. A literature search found that VC has been extracted using various kinds of solvents for different polarities of phytochemical extraction. Interestingly, the food-grade solvents such as ethanol and water were found to be suitable to extract the active ingredients from VC for major therapeutic applications such as antioxidants, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-microbial as well as being a wound healer, hepato-protective, and ease the smoking withdrawals symptoms. The spray-dried water extracts are currently innovated into different forms of nutraceutical products. The high toxicity threshold allows the utilisation of VC as home remedies in the form of fresh, dried, and water extracts for oral intake, while the extracts using common alcohol/spirit and oil can be made for topical applications. This review aimed to give an insight into the commercialization potential of VC as a nutraceutical product and the reestablishment of homemade first-aid remedies for various health conditions especially among the people in rural areas.

The manuscript is well written and clearly elaborates on the study. It is a very good effort by the research team to come out with this simple study, yet it produces very meaningful data for the world to refer to. There are a few comments for improve...