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Background: Eurycoma longifolia (E. longifolia) or Tongkat Ali is a tree that grows in southeast Asia, the roots of which contain bioactive components that exhibit cytotoxic properties against various cancer cell lines. However, no study has been conducted to relate the cytotoxic properties against nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a type of cancer that shows poor prognosis for metastatic disease. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the E. longifolia root extract exerts cytotoxic activity against nasopharyngeal carcinoma (ORL-115) cell lines. Materials and Method: E. longifolia root extracts were obtained through Soxhlet extraction method and by using two different solvents; ethanol and dicholoromethane. MTS assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of the root extracts against ORL-115 cell line for three different incubation time which were 24-hour, 48-hour and 72-hour. Results: Ethanol extract was significantly more potent compared to DCM extract. Ethanol extract exhibited lower IC50 value compared to DCM extract. The IC50 of ethanol extract were 232.1 μg/ml, 66.86 μg/ml and 42.6 μg/ml. Meanwhile the IC50 of DCM extract were 678.87 μg/ml, 136.71 μg/ml, 73.72 μg/ml for 24-hour, 48-hour and 72-hour incubation period respectively. The cytotoxic activity of both extracts increased as the incubation time prolonged. The cytotoxic activity of ethanol extract at each incubation time was significantly different from DCM extract except at 72 hours. Conclusion: E. longifolia root extracts exerted cytotoxic activity against the nasopharyngeal carcinoma (ORL-115) cell line. Ethanol extract exhibited lower IC50 value compared to DCM extract. The cytotoxic activity of both extracts were dose dependent and time dependent. Key words: E. longifolia, Cytotoxic activity, Nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Introduction: The roots of E. longifolia jack (E.L.) or Tongkat Ali have been used in traditional medicine as well as supplements and food additives. Many chemical compounds have been detected in extracts of its roots which are believed to be responsible for its medicinal properties. In this study, our objectives were to study the effects of EL root extracts on the growth of Streptococcus Mutans, Lactobacillus and Candida Albicans isolated from saliva of adult patients with high caries risk. Materials and Methods: The ethanolic extract of the root of this plant was tested against saliva isolated Streptococcus Mutans, Lactobacillus and Candida Albicans via disc diffusion assay at a concentration of 200mg/mL. The minimum inhibitory concentration was carried out by the standard broth microdilution method. Cell viability of test microorganisms against different concentration of the extract and inhibition zones were calculated. Results: Disk diffusion assay showed positive zones of inhibition for all test microorganisms with S. mutans, Lactobacillus and C. albicans exhibiting zones of inhibition of 8.3 ± 0.7mm, 12.4 ± 2.4mm and 21.4 ± 2.7mm respectively. For minimum inhibitory concentration, the test microorganisms were tested at concentration of 250mg/ mL, 125mg/mL, 62.5mg/mL, 31.3mg/mL and 0mg/mL. The minimum inhibitory concentration showed that MIC of S. mutans was at 62.5mg/mL, Lactobacillus at 125mg/mL and C. albicans at 31.3mg/mL. Lastly, the cell viability results supported the MIC determined prior. Conclusion: Ethanol-based E. longifolia Jack root extract has an antimicrobial effect on the following microorganisms isolated from the saliva of high-risk caries adult patients: S. mutans, Lactobacillus and C. albicans.

Background and Objective: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the major health and economic problem through the world. The insufficiencies and severe adversarial special effects related with conventional medicines, led to a strong-minded search for alternative natural antidiabetic agents. The study was aimed to screen the in vitro antidiabetic activity of seven plant extracts. Materials and Methods: The bioactivity of the extracts was correlated through a Gas Chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-based analysis, while extracts with 50% inhibition activity were reported. Results: The α-amylase inhibitory activities of the chloroform extracts of Averrhoa bilimbi, Andrographis paniculata, Eurycoma longifolia and Punica granatum exhibited more than 50% inhibition (50.55, 68.24, 82.42 and 69.73% respectively), while chloroform extracts of A. paniculata, Orthosiphon stamineus and P. granatum exhibited 90.48, 52.00 and 62.00% of α-glucosidase inhibitory effects, respectively. Only ethanolic and methanolic extracts of E. longifolia exhibited α-glucosidase inhibitory effects of 57.80 and 53.31%, respectively. A combination of the ethanolic fraction of E. longifolia with the chloroform fraction of P. granatum at a ratio of 2:1 exhibited the highest α-glucosidase inhibition rate of 148.06%, while a combination of the ethanolic fraction of E. longifolia with the chloroform fraction of O. stamineus at the same ratio exhibited α-glucosidase inhibition rate of 137.43%. A phytochemical analysis based on GC-MS revealed the presence of fatty acids, with palmitic acid recording the highest percentage (100%) in the O. stamineus extract. Conclusion: The observed α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of these plant extracts suggested their potential usage as an alternative sources of antidiabetic agents.

Enterococci, especially Enterococcus faecalis and faecium, have emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen and represent a serious threat to patients with impaired host defenses. E. faecalis and faecium are part of the normal intestinal microbial flora of poultry and man under most conditions, they are considered as an opportunistic pathogen. In the current study, an investigation of Enterococcus spp. isolated from poultry feces and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern was studied, due to the worldwide attachment with poultry by human being. Samples were collected from different sites of Allahabad, India, 80 samples collected screened for the presence of E. faecalis and E. faecium and identified based on cultural and biochemical characteristics. Thirty-five isolates were identified as E. faecalis (57.37%), while 26 were E. faecium (42.62%). The pathogens isolated were tested for their susceptibility toward 10 different commonly prescribed antibiotics. Most of the isolates showed resistance toward antibiotics under study. E. faecalis strain suggested a higher percentage of possibility of infection estimated by 15% in comparison with E. faecium as it was found to be less in a screening. The high resistance rate also indicates the negative impact of the antibiotic therapy. To evaluate the extent of transmission and impact of such transmission on the effectiveness of the antibacterial use in human medicine, further study is imperative. Periodic monitoring of antibiotic resistance pattern to detect any change in it would be necessary for the effective treatment against these pathogens. Enterococci revealed an alarming rate of resistance to the standard antimicrobial agents used for therapy and raised MIC values to vancomycin. The importance and infection control were stressed.

Over the years, Korean red ginseng (RG), scientifically known as Panax ginseng, has been used to treat several diseases. It is a prominent and ancient medicinal herb in the Orient. Ginseng ginsenoside is the major component of RG which has been presumed to be responsible for the health benefits of RG. Many studies on P. ginseng have until now concentrated on the mechanism of action of the individual components of RG. However, despite the numerous research on the molecular basis of P. ginseng activities, it is still confusing how several active components can simultaneously interact with several targets to give the diverse effects in different diseases. This overview covered the positive and negative effects of using the Korean RG; it also outlined the major chemical components of the Korean RG.

SUMMARY Research background Antioxidants are important compounds present at low concentrations that inhibit oxidation processes. Due to the side effects of synthetic antioxidants, research interest has increased considerably towards finding natural sources of antioxidants that can replace the synthetic ones. The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance require the development of new drugs or some potential sources of novel medicine. This work aims to extract the secondary metabolites of Saccharomyces cerevisiae using ethyl acetate as a solvent and to determine the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of these extracted metabolites. Experimental approach The antioxidant activity of the secondary metabolites of S. cerevisiae were determined using DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays. Furthermore, the antimicrobial potential of the ethyl acetate extract of S. cerevisiae against Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis was assessed. Results and conclusion Five out of 13 of the extracted secondary metabolites were identified as antioxidants. The antioxidant activity of the S. cerevisiae extract exhibited relatively high IC50 of 455.26 and 294.51 μg/mL for DPPH and ABTS respectively, while the obtained FRAP value, expressed as ascorbic acid equivalents, was 44.40 μg/mL. Moreover, the extract had a significant antibacterial activity (p

l -asparaginase is an efficient anti-cancer enzyme due to its remarkable property in hydrolyzing essential amino acid of acute lymphoblastic leukemia cancer ( l -asparagine) into aspartic acid and ammonia. Various sources of l -asparaginase had been identified including extraction from animal or plant as well as through microbial fermentation. Generally, researchers preferred to generate l -asparaginase by engaging microbe as the l -asparaginase producer because the abundant amount of l -asparaginase can be harvested in an affordable manner. The present study aimed at screening, optimization, and purification of microbial production l -asparaginase in presence of cooked chicken bone wastes as substrate. Different controlling parameters were studied including physiological (incubation period and temperature, initial pH-value, and substrate concentration), nutritional (carbon and nitrogen sources) and microbial parameters (inoculum sizes). As a result, the highest amount of l -asparaginase was harvested when the fermentation was incubated at 40 °C for 2 days at pH 9 in presence of 1% w/v of cooked chicken bone waste as a sole substrate. Besides that, starch and ammonium chloride were discovered as the best-supplemented carbon and nitrogen sources respectively when 12% v/v of Escherichia coli ATCC 10536 suspension was inoculated. The harvested l -asparaginase has proceeded with a series of purification and the specific activity achieved after partial purification was 0.549 IU/mg. In conclusion, optimization of controlling parameters as well as supplementation of cooked chicken bone as substrate capable to further enhance the production of l -asparaginase.

Moringa oleifera (MO) is a multipurpose tree with considerable potential and its cultivation is currently being actively promoted in many developing countries. Seeds of this tropical tree contain water-soluble, positively charged proteins that act as an effective coagulant for water and wastewater treatment. Based on this, water quality of “Sungai baluk” river was examined before and after the treatment using MO seed. MO seed exhibited high efficiency in the reduction and prevention of the bacterial growth in both wastewater and “Sungai baluk” river samples. The turbidity was removed up to 85–94% and dissolved oxygen (DO) was improved from 2.58 ± 0.01 to 4.00 ± 0.00 mg/L. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) were increased after the treatment from 99.5 ± 0.71 to 164.0 ± 2.83 mg/L for COD and from 48.00 ± 0.42 to 76.65 ± 2.33 mg/L for BOD, respectively. Nevertheless, there was no significant alteration of pH, conductivity, salinity and total dissolved solid after the treatment. Heavy metals such as Fe were fully eliminated, whereas Cu and Cd were successfully removed by up to 98%. The reduction of Pb was also achieved by up to 78.1%. Overall, 1% of MO seed cake was enough to remove heavy metals from the water samples. This preliminary laboratory result confirms the great potential of MO seed in wastewater treatment applications.

In this study, the effect of process parameters (incubation period, temperature, initial pH-value, concentration of PAHs in the medium, and bacterial inoculum size) on the biodegradation of PAHs using Mycobacteria confluentis was studied using One-Factor-At-a-Time (OFAT) method. From the results of the study, it was observed that the studied parameters had significant effects on the degradation process. The capability of Mycobacteria confluentis on the degradation of PAHs was found to be maximum when the initial pH of the PAH was 7, temperature 40 °, PAH concentration of 50 μL, bacterial concentration of 7.5 mL, and incubated for 3 to 5 days. This condition gave a PAH degradation percentage of 40 to 50 %, showing a similarity to most previous studies where the maximum percentage of degradation has been around 40 to 50 %. This study, therefore, concludes that Mycobacteria confluentis is a good PAHs degrader which can be of significant important in the management of oil polluted fields and environments.

Dental caries considered as one of the most common infectious diseases affecting mankind today, the dissolution of tooth structure by acid produced as a result of the fermentation of dietary carbohydrates by oral bacteria. The antimicrobial susceptibility of medicinal plants including black pepper, black cumin, cinnamon, cardamom on toothpaste and mouthwash against oral isolates for healthcare improvement was studied. Different oral isolates from 50 selected individuals aged 3 to 60 years were obtained from both genders, and a total of 59 bacterial and yeast isolates were collected, purified, and tested against four different commercial medicinal plants extracts for antimicrobial susceptibility profile. A total of 10 mouthwashes was purchased, and the combined action of the medicinal plants with mouthwash was studied against oral isolates. We found a higher bacterial population was in the age group of 3–40 years than other two groups, with approximately 44%. In addition, the combined action of acetone plant extracts (alone) against oral isolates showed increasing effect profile up to 61.02% when combination A (Ci/N) was added. Also, While, the combined action of medicinal plants with mouthwash was improved 100% with combination C. We conclude that the combination C (P/N/Ca/Ci) with mouthwash showed high susceptibility against oral isolates.

Sugar-cane bagasse (SCB) is used for pectinases production from Thermomyceslanuginosus at 55°C under solid-state fermentation (SSF).The study aims to purify total PNL and PL enzymes produced from SCB as the sole carbon source at 55°C using microbial fermentation technology, and to evaluate the fermented bagasse residuals as fertilizer for the purpose of combatting soil desertification and then detect the amino acids content. The total PNL and PL enzymes were purified and showed two identical peaks, each representing one enzyme. Biotechnological applications of fermented bagasse obtained at 55°C,used as biofertilizer at different concentrations, were cultivated with Zea mays for 30 days to indicate the growth on sandy soil, and induced plant growth which gives an indication of applying the present biofertilizer in reclaimed sandy soils. Only 13 amino acids were detected and were obviously glycine/histidine-containing enzymes. It is apparent that the fermented bagasse successfully improved the sandy soil as biofertilizer and total PNL and PL enzymes were accurately purified at thermophilic conditions under SSF.

Most of water treatments require higher expenditure. Chemical coagulant requires higher cost and has some drawback after treatment such as pH changes. Moringa oleifera cake residue (MOCR) is one of the alternatives to replace chemical coagulant. A jar test apparatus was used to monitor water treatment. Water quality of Gebeng River (GR) and waste water (WW) was examined before and after treatment. Different parameters using (MOCR) was investigated. Preliminary laboratory results showed the great potential of the (MOCR) to be used in water treatment. MOCR shows an excellent reduction in turbidity (97 % was removed). The bacteria were reduced from 1.7 × 105 to 8 × 103 CFU/ml. Dissolved oxygen (DO) was improved that elevated from 1.06 ± 0.04 to 5.09 ± 0.03 mg/L. However, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) were increased from 520.5 ± 0.71 to 865.0 ± 2.12 mg/L and from 120.5 ± 2.12 to 270.5 ± 2.12 mg/L respectively. Nevertheless, there is no significant alteration of pH, conductivity, salinity and total dissolved solid (TDS) after treatment. The iron (Fe) was fully removed while copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd) were successfully removed up to 98%. The reduction of lead (Pb) also achieved 82.17%. Also, (MOCR) can be stored for long time up to 6 months without affecting the biological properties of MO.

Various phytochemicals and bioactive compounds are sourced from medicinal plants. This study focused on finding the most potent plant extracts whose combination could exhibit better antioxidant and antimicrobial activities compared to the efficacy of the individual extracts. The combined plant extracts were O. stamineus, E. longifolia, A. bilimbi, P. granatum, and M. nigra. Ultrasound extraction technique was used for the extraction of the plant material before screening the extracts for the presence of several phytochemical groups. After the screening for the presence of phytochemicals, the extracts were evaluated for antimicrobial activity against five microorganisms (S. aureus, B. subtilis, P. vulgaris, E. coli, and C. albicans) at 3 different concentrations (600, 400 and 200 mg/mL) using disc diffusion method. The aim of this antimicrobial screening was to identify and select the most potent extracts for the combination study. From the screening result, P. ganatum and M. nigra had the highest antimicrobial activity against all the tested organisms, as well as the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity of 95.40 % (IC50 = 120.2 μg/mL) and 90.20 % (IC50 = 330.0 μg/mL), respectively. Hence, both extracts were combined and screened for antimicrobial and antioxidant activities at the same concentration range but at different combination ratios of 1:1, 1:2 and 2:1 (v/v). The results showed the extract mixtures at different combination ratios of 1:1, 1:2 and 2:1 (v/v) to exhibit good antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. However, the combination ratio of 1:1 gave the best antioxidant activity as it achieved an IC50 value of 82.0 μg/mL. Therefore, it is concluded that the mixture of the selected extracts exhibited strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, coupled with a significant level of antifungal activity.

This study aims to evaluate the constituent compounds of plant extracts and their antimicrobial activity. Four different ethnomedicinal plant extracts including Piper nigrum, Nigella sativa, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, and Elettaria cardamomum were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility profile identified using GC-Mass and demonstrated TLC analysis. We found the combined action of ethanol plant extracts (alone) against oral isolates showed a synergistic effect profile up to 32.20% when combination A (Ci/Ca) was added. The stearic and palmitic acids were the major constituent compounds of plant extracts which was exhibited high antimicrobial susceptibility against the bacterial isolates. We conclude that the stearic and palmitic acids were major constituent compounds of plant extracts.

This research is aims to access the potential of natural occurring bacteria for pollutant degradation. The study was carried out in Galing River, Kuantan, Pahang. There were four sampling sites that were chosen along the river and the samples were analyzed to identify specific bacteria that useful for pollution control. The identification shows that different bacteria isolates were identified, mention as a positive (+) or negative (—). Screening for lipolytic activity by using Tween 20, Rhodamine B and phenol red was done. The results revealed that, the bacterial consortium in Galing River can be utilized as biodegradation agent. Screening using Tween 20 showed two areas were positive has lipolytic activity. However, screening using Rhodamine B, exhibited that all samples showed high positive lipolytic activity. While, phenol red, was positive only for two of the sampling points. Biodegradation studies showed, the bacteria could degrade the oil after 3 days incubation.

The protozoan parasites such as Cryptosporidiumparvum and Giardialamblia have been recognized as a frequent cause of recent waterborne disease outbreaks because of their strong resistance against chlorine disinfection. In this study, ozone and Fe(VI) (i.e., FeO(4)(2-)) were compared in terms of inactivation efficiency for Bacillus subtilis spores which are commonly utilized as an indicator of protozoan pathogens. Both oxidants highly depended on water pH and temperature in the spore inactivation. Since redox potential of Fe(VI) is almost the same as that of ozone, spore inactivation efficiency of Fe(VI) was expected to be similar with that of ozone. However, it was found that ozone was definitely superior over Fe(VI): at pH 7 and 20°C, ozone with the product of concentration×contact time (C¯T) of 10mgL(-1)min inactivate the spores more than 99.9% within 10min, while Fe(VI) with C¯T of 30mgL(-1) min could inactivate 90% spores. The large difference between ozone and Fe(VI) in spore inactivation was attributed mainly to Fe(III) produced from Fe(VI) decomposition at the spore coat layer which might coagulate spores and make it difficult for free Fe(VI) to attack live spores.

Biodiesel (methyl esters) is a clean alternative fuel which can be produced from many renewable resources. Palm oil, like other vegetable oils, can be used as feedstock for biodiesel production through transesterification to produce palm oil methyl ester. Various microorganisms like bacteria and fungi have a diversity application which could be used as catalysts in a series of degradation reactions, such as transesterification. Malaysia is rich in palm oil and therefore, lots of bacteria surviving by consuming palm oil residue resource in palm oil plantation. In this study, eighteen (18) bacterial strains were successfully isolated from local soil samples and some of their characteristics determined. The optimum temperatures of all strains were in the range of 30 to 37°C, and the optimum batch culture times of all strains were in the range of 24 to 48 hours. All strains were submitted for Gram-staining. Three (3) strains denominated as A, B and C that was involved in the most significant transesterification reaction was selected for identification by submitting them to biochemical tests using the commercial API kit. The same three (3) isolates were submitted to identification by molecular technique. Two bacteria were identified to be Pseudomonas geniculata (A) and Stenotrophomonas maltoplilia (C), while the second bacteria (B) identified to be Bacillus pseudomycoides B-60.

Jabor landfill commonly known as Kuantan landfill receives more than 500 tons per day waste with a composition of 60% of domestic waste and 40% of industrial waste. Landfill system always produce leachate. This waste contains many types of bacteria which potential to degrade the waste compound. Samples were taken from different places, landfill soil and leachate. Bacteria found in landfill soil were 19 different species of bacteria which are three Gram positive and 16 Gram negative bacteria. Bacteria were found in leachate tank were found to be 18 different species of bacteria. Those are five Gram positive and 13 Gram negative bacteria. Almost all of the bacteria in the soil and landfill leachate are able to produce amylase and protease enzymes, but only a few bacteria produce the lipase enzyme. The best bacteria are Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus ruris and Kocuria varians.

The antimicrobial susceptibility of forty-five bacterial isolates obtained from different pharmaceutical raw materials of several companies in Cairo, Egypt during June to august, 2008 was determined using agar diffusion method. Only fourteen out of forty-five antibiotic resistant bacterial isolates were selected according to their sensitivity to equal or more than two antibiotics used. Isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The percent of resistance to seven antibiotics were Colis. (16.7%), Azithr. (78.6%), Oxytet. (0.0%), Amox. (21.4%), Kan. (42.8%), Cipro. (0.0%), and Spictin. (100.0%). Active potency of the raw materials was determined by incubating the drugs with and without microbes using HPLC and UV spectrophotometer. Among 14 selected isolates two were found to contain plasmids that are probably related to their drug resistance.

Fungi are important natural product sources that have enormous potential for the production of novel compounds for use in pharmacology, agricultural applications and industry. Compared with other natural sources such as plants, fungi are highly diverse but understudied. However, research on Cladosporium cladosporioides revealed the existence of bioactive products such as p-methylbenzoic acid, ergosterol peroxide (EP) and calphostin C as well as enzymes including pectin methylesterase (PME), polygalacturonase (PG) and chlorpyrifos hydrolase. p-Methylbenzoic acid has ability to synthesise 1,5-benzodiazepine and its derivatives, polyethylene terephthalate and eicosapentaenoic acid. EP has anticancer, antiangiogenic, antibacterial, anti-oxidative and immunosuppressive properties. Calphostin C inhibits protein kinase C (PKC) by inactivating both PKC-epsilon and PKC-alpha. In addition, calphostin C stimulates apoptosis in WEHI-231 cells and vascular smooth muscle cells. Based on the stimulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress in some types of cancer, calphostin C has also been evaluated as a potential photodynamic therapeutic agent. Methylesterase (PME) and PG have garnered attention because of their usage in the food processing industry and significant physiological function in plants. Chlorpyrifos, a human, animal and plant toxin, can be degraded and eliminated by chlorpyrifos hydrolase.