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Energy and environmental issues have triggered the search for new sources of green energy alternatives in recent years. Biofuel production from renewable sources is widely considered one of the most sustainable alternatives for environmental and economic sustainability. Microalgae are currently being promoted as one of the most promising liquid biofuel feedstocks due to their rapid growth, high lipid production capacity, and carbon–neutral cycle. In this study, whole microalgae cells were utilized as raw material to produce solid biofuel, i.e., Bio-Coke, and this study aimed to investigate the possibility of microalgae Bio-Coke as an alternative to coal coke. The results show that Bio-Coke can be produced from microalgae in the temperature range of 80–100 °C. The apparent density is between 1.253 and 1.261 g/cm3, comparable to the apparent density of lignocellulosic Bio-Coke. Additionally, the calorific value is higher than the calorific value of lignocellulosic Bio-Coke and within the range of the calorific value of subbituminous coal. Therefore, microalgae Bio-Coke can be utilized to replace coal coke usage in the future. more...

Tropical peatlands account for one of the largest carbon stores in the form of organic matter due to the accumulation of plant litter and waterlogged conditions. Recent anthropogenic disturbances, such as forest fires, agricultural conversion and drainage, in tropical peatlands have caused a vast amount of carbon to be released into the atmosphere, and microbial activities are impacted by these changes. A recent study showed that many phenol- and lignin-degrading bacteria prefer alkaline and neutral pH conditions, while tropical peatland conditions are acidic, possibly changing the mechanisms of the utilization of organic matter from peat soil. The purpose of this study was to isolate and characterize phenolic compound-degrading bacteria from tropical peatlands under acidic conditions due to the lack of information on how the biological processes of microorganisms occur in this unique habitat. Two isolates show the capability to utilize phenolic aldehydes based on building blocks of lignin that are abundant in tropical peatlands, including hydroxyphenyl, guaiacyl and syringyl units. The identification of these isolates by 16S rRNA gene sequence shows that strain S38 is similar to Stenotrophomonas sp., while strain S46 is similar to Burkholderia sp. Further characterization of these isolates shows their ability to degrade 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and vanillin into phenolic acids within 24 hours of incubation and syringaldehyde within 7 days of incubation. In conclusion, these isolated bacteria show the ability to withstand the acidic environment of tropical peatlands and utilize lignin monomers through unknown metabolic pathways. more...

Electronic waste has been the fastest increasing waste generated globally and is predicted to surpass 111 million tons per year by 2050. This trend is concerning, not just due to the growing volume but also due to its high composition of heavy metal elements, leading to potential environmental pollution if not managed properly. However, this issue opens a new prospect in material acquisition through the concept of urban mining via the metal extraction from electronic waste. A conventional method of extraction, i.e., chemical leaching, possesses harmful environmental impact with the production of its residual leachate. Thus, an alternative extraction technique is proposed, known as bioleaching, in which the microbial activity from bacteria mobilized metal into a more soluble form. In this study, bacterial strains were isolated from Malaysia sanitary landfill for bioleaching of copper from waste printed circuit boards (wPCB) with minimal mechanical pre-processing procedure. They were grown in low pH media to utilize their activity for copper bioleaching from the wPCB. Four bacterial strains were successfully isolated. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the isolates were identified as Bacillus sp. strain SE, Bacillus sp. strain SC, Lysinibacillus sp. strain SE2, and Oryzobacter terrae strain S1A. All the isolates showed appropriate bioleaching ability, with strain SC demonstrated the highest copper extraction with up to 23.36 ppm through the two-step bioleaching process. This strain was further evaluated using a copper strip to observe the actual copper extraction and demonstrated a total of 0.80 ±0.02 mg/g copper recovery. These results suggest that copper bioleaching of wPCB is viable as a standalone process. more...

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria can form a symbiotic relationship with several members of the major plant groups and with fungi. Here, we present the draft genome sequences of three nitrogen-fixing strains isolated from soil cooled for growing temperate root crops in a tropical climate. more...

Musty odor production by actinomycetes is usually related to the presence of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB), which are synthesized by enzymes encoded by the geoA and tpc genes, respectively. Streptomyces spp. strain S10, which was isolated from a water reservoir in Malaysia, has the ability to produce geosmin when cultivated in a basal salt (BS) solid medium, but no 2-MIB production occurred during growth in BS medium. Strain S10 could produce higher levels of geosmin when the phosphate concentration was limited to 0.05 mg/L, with a yield of 17.53 ± 3.12 ✕ 105 ng/L, compared with growth in BS medium. Interestingly, 2-MIB production was suddenly detected when the nitrate concentration was limited to 1.0 mg/L, with a yield of 1.4 ± 0.11 ✕ 105 ng/L. Therefore, it was concluded that phosphate- and nitrate-limiting conditions could induce the initial production of geosmin and 2-MIB by strain S10. Furthermore, a positive amplicon of geoA was detected in strain S10, but no tpc amplicon was detected by PCR analysis. Draft genome sequence analysis showed that one open reading frame (ORF) contained a conserved motif of geosmin synthase with 95% identity with geoA in Streptomyces coelicolor A3 (2). In the case of the tpc genes, it was found that one ORF showed 23% identity to the known tpc gene in S. coelicolor A3(2), but strain S10 lacked one motif in the N-terminus. more...

Depletion of fossil fuels and the adverse impacts burning these fuels has increased the attention towards utilizing biomass energy sources, thus increasing the focus on Bio-Coke technology, which can fully convert biomass waste into alternative fuels. This study analyzed the characteristics of Bio-Coke conversion from biomass abundantly found in Malaysia, which included rice husk, rubber wood sawdust, coconut husk, sugarcane bagasse, oil palm frond, oil palm trunk and empty fruit bunch (EFB). Results indicated better physical feature characteristics of biomass solid fuel. For example, Bio-Coke produced from EFB showed an apparent density of 1.414 g/cm3, combustion duration of 1664 s, and maximum compressive strength at room temperature (25 °C) and 700 °C of 95.107 and 9.412 MPa, respectively, which were found to be higher than that of wood pellet. This study showed Bio-Cokes can be potentially used as an alternative fuel to reduce the usage of coal coke in the future. more...

The aims of this research were to extract sugar-based products from oil palm biomass, oil palm fronds (OPFs) and oil palm fruit pressed fibers (FPFs) via a hydrothermal process using accelerated solvent extraction and to identify the sugar content of the aqueous phase at different temperatures and reaction times. The liquid products obtained from accelerated solvent extraction were further analyzed for the total sugar content and number of sugar components using the phenol-sulfuric acid method and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The highest sugar contents of the FPF and OPF samples were detected at 180 °C and at reaction times of 10 min and 30 min. Further extension of the reaction time at 180 °C showed that the optimal hydrolysis durations were 50 min for FPFs and 40 min for OPFs. These results may have been due to the physical structures and compositions of the samples. Analysis of the qualitative data indicated the presence of more sugar components in the FPF sample than in the OPF sample. This result was possibly due to the presence of unique and unidentified sugar components in the OPF sample. Hydrothermal processing via accelerated solvent extraction is a promising solution for the hydrolysis and fractionation of oil palm biomass to extract total sugars. more...

Spent mushroom substrate (SMS), defined as the residual biomass after mushroom cultivation, has been known to cause serious pollution, especially river pollution, as it is produced in large quantities and has been disposed of without consideration of the environment. Thus, there is growing interest in converting this biomass waste into Bio-Coke as an alternative solid fuel to be used in a boiler to generate steam for mushroom substrate pasteurization. This study analyzes the physical characteristics of Bio-Coke conversion from SMS in Malaysia, and it was found to have better physical characteristics than other types of conventional biomass fuel. The results indicate that Bio-Coke from SMS at a formation temperature of 170 °C had an apparent density of 1.397 g/cm3 and a combustion period of 1890 s. Its maximum compressive strength at room temperature (25 °C) and 700 °C was 105.2 and 5.302 MPa, respectively, which is ideal for a biomass solid fuel. Its high apparent density and mechanical strength provide evidence that SMS Bio-Coke is structurally robust and can remain intact when compressed at high pressure and burned at high temperature in a boiler. Thus, the use of SMS Bio-Coke presents itself as a potential strategy for biomass waste management in Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia. Trial registration number: Date of registration “retrospectively registered” more...

The conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into bioethanol or biochemical products requires a crucial pretreatment process to breakdown the recalcitrant lignin structure. This research focuses on the isolation and characterization of a lignin-degrading bacterial strain from a decaying oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB). The isolated strain, identified as Streptomyces sp. S6, grew in a minimal medium with Kraft lignin (KL) as the sole carbon source. Several known ligninolytic enzyme assays were performed, and lignin peroxidase (LiP), laccase (Lac), dye-decolorizing peroxidase (DyP) and aryl-alcohol oxidase (AAO) activities were detected. A 55.3% reduction in the molecular weight (Mw) of KL was observed after 7 days of incubation with Streptomyces sp. S6 based on gel-permeation chromatography (GPC). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) also successfully highlighted the production of lignin-derived aromatic compounds, such as 3-methyl-butanoic acid, guaiacol derivatives, and 4,6-dimethyl-dodecane, after treatment of KL with strain S6. Finally, draft genome analysis of Streptomyces sp. S6 also revealed the presence of strong lignin degradation machinery and identified various candidate genes responsible for lignin depolymerization, as well as for the mineralization of the lower molecular weight compounds, confirming the lignin degradation capability of the bacterial strain. more...

Cancer is ranked as the second most common cause of death worldwide and searching new therapeutic agents for cancer treatment remains a major challenge. Despite the remarkable developments in cancer therapy in past decades, there is still an insistent necessity for innovative drugs in cancer biology, particularly in the under-explored area of marine anticancer compounds. Algae are photosynthetic organisms consisting of a total of 30,000 species that thrive in a watery environment. The identification of novel natural products and metabolites extracted from algae with anticancer potential is a major step forward in cancer therapeutic studies. Considering the huge potential for developing innovative drugs from natural compounds derived from marine algae, only a few substances have been used in cancer therapy. In this review, the authors discussed the potential antitumor effect of various species of algae for future applications in pharmaceutical industries. more...

Prazosin (PRZ), a drug used to treat hypertensive patients, is an emergent contaminant in water systems. PRZ is an alpha-adrenergic receptor blocker used to treat anxiety, and is believed to reach the environment through human excretion, irresponsible disposal of unused medicine, and waste products from manufacturing plants. The purpose of this research was to isolate and characterize potential microbes for PRZ biodegradation and to identify the degradation pathway. After screening, isolated strain STP3 showed a capability for PRZ degradation and was chosen for further analysis. Resting cell assays with PRZ were conducted to identify the intermediate metabolites formed from biodegradation by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR MS) analysis. Two metabolites degraded from PRZ by STP3 were successfully found, and as these metabolites are derived from the main structure of PRZ, their presence proved PRZ degradation. Draft genome sequencing analysis of STP3 was performed to identify potential enzymes for PRZ biodegradation based on the metabolites found. more...

Staphylococcus sp. as Gram-positive and Escherichia coli as Gram-negative are bacterial pathogens and can cause primary bloodstream infections and food poisoning. Coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation processes could be a reliable treatment for bacterial removal because suspended, colloidal, and soluble particles can be removed. Chemical coagulants, such as alum, are commonly used. However, these chemical coagulants are not environmentally friendly. This present study evaluated the effectiveness of coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation processes for removing Staphylococcus sp. and E. coli using diatomite with standard jar test equipment at different pH values. Staphylococcus sp. demonstrated 85.61% and 77.23% significant removal in diatomite and alum, respectively, at pH 5. At pH 7, the removal efficiency decreased to 79.41% and 64.13% for Staphylococcus sp. and E. coli, respectively. At pH 9, there was a decrease in Staphylococcus sp. after adding diatomite or alum compared with that of E. coli. The different removal efficiencies of the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria could be owing to the membrane composition and different structures in the bacteria. This study indicates that diatomite has higher efficiency in removing bacteria at pH 5 and can be considered as a potential coagulant to replace alum for removing bacteria by the coagulation process. more...

The canonical complement component 5a (C5a) receptor (C5aR) 1 has well-described roles in tumorigenesis but the contribution of the second receptor, C5aR2, is unclear. The present study demonstrates that B16.F0 melanoma cells express mRNA for both C5aR1 and C5aR2 and signal through ERK and p38 MAPKs in response to C5a. Despite this, C5a had no impact on melanoma cell proliferation or migration in vitro. In vivo studies demonstrated that the growth of B16.F0 melanoma tumors was increased in C5aR2-/- mice but reduced in C5aR1-/- mice and wild-type mice treated with a C5aR1 antagonist. Analysis of tumor-infiltrating leukocyte populations showed no significant differences between wild-type and C5aR2-/- mice. Conversely, percentages of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, macrophages, and regulatory T lymphocytes were lower in tumors from C5aR1-/- mice, whereas total (CD3+) T lymphocytes and CD4+ subsets were higher. Analysis of cytokine and chemokine levels also showed plasma IFN-γ was higher and tumor C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 was lower in the absence of C5aR1. The results suggest that C5aR1 signaling supports melanoma growth by promoting infiltration of immunosuppressive leukocyte populations into the tumor microenvironment, whereas C5aR2 has a more restricted but beneficial role in limiting tumor growth. Overall, these data support the potential of C5aR1-inhibitory therapies for melanoma.-Nabizadeh, J. A., Manthey, H. D., Panagides, N., Steyn, F. J., Lee, J. D., Li, X. X., Akhir, F. N. M., Chen, W., Boyle, G. M., Taylor, S. M., Woodruff, T. M., Rolfe, B. E. C5a receptors C5aR1 and C5aR2 mediate opposing pathologies in a mouse model of melanoma. more...

We report the draft genome sequence of Agrobacterium sp. strain S2, isolated from a decaying oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, which yields potential genes encoding lignin degradation enzymes. This genome of 9,722,071 bp exhibited 58.9% GC content, 10,416 coding genes, and 12 RNAs. more...

We report the draft genome sequence of Agrobacterium sp. strain S2, isolated from a decaying oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, which yields potential genes encoding lignin degradation enzymes. This genome of 9,722,071 bp exhibited 58.9% GC content, 10,416 coding genes, and 12 RNAs. more...

Staphylococcus spp. are Gram-positive bacteria that reside within the normal microbiota of humans and animals but pose a health threat as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance genes. Here, we present the draft genome sequences of three Staphylococcus sp. strains isolated from hospital wastewater in Malaysia that demonstrated resistance to multiple antibiotics. more...

Electronic waste has been the fastest increasing waste generated globally and predicted to surpass 111 million tons per year by the end of 2050. The amount of e-waste is a concern not just due to its volume, but also due to its high composition of heavy metal elements, which has leads to increased development of urban mining in terms of heavy metal extraction. One common method of extraction, i.e., acid leaching, is known for its harmful residual leachate, in which can have a high impact on the environment. This focuses on the alternative leaching techniques known as bioleaching, which take advantages of microbial activity in mobilization of metal into a more soluble form. Strains from sanitary landfill soil were isolated in acidic media and identified as Bacillus sp. strain SE, Lysinibacillus sp. strain SE2, Bacillus sp. strain S1A, and Oryzobacter sp. strain SC. Among the isolated stains, the identified strain Oryzobacter sp. strain SC was able to extract up to 23.36 ppm copper from waste printed circuit boards using a two-step bioleaching process, confirming the ability of the strain to perform bioleaching of copper from e-waste. more...

Musty odor production by actinomycetes is usually related to the presence of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB), which are synthesized by enzymes encoded by the geoA and tpc genes, respectively. Streptomyces spp. strain S10, which was isolated from a water reservoir in Malaysia, has the ability to produce geosmin when cultivated in a basal salt (BS) solid medium, but no 2-MIB production occurred during growth in BS medium. Strain S10 could produce higher levels of geosmin when the phosphate concentration was limited to 0.05 mg/L, with a yield of 17.53 ± 3.12 ✕ 10 more...

This study gives the first picture of whole RNA-Sequencing analysis of a PCB-degrading microbe, Rhodococcus jostii RHA1. Genes that were highly expressed in biphenyl-grown cells, compared with pyruvate-grown cells, were chosen based on the Reads Per Kilobase Million (RPKM) value and were summarized based on the criteria of RPKM ≥100 and fold change ≥2.0. Consequently, 266 total genes were identified as genes expressed particularly for the degradation of biphenyl. After comparison with previous microarray data that identified highly-expressed genes, based on a fold change ≥2.0 and p-value ≤0.05, 62 highly-expressed genes from biphenyl-grown cells were determined from both analytical platforms. As these 62 genes involve known PCB degradation genes, such as bph, etb, and ebd, the genes identified in this study can be considered as essential genes for PCB/biphenyl degradation. In the 62 genes, eleven genes encoding hypothetical proteins were highly expressed in the biphenyl-grown cells. Meanwhile, we identified several highly-expressed unannotated DNA regions on the opposite strand. In order to verify the encoded proteins, two regions were cloned into an expression vector. A protein was successfully obtained from one region at approximately 25 kDa from the unannotated strand. Thus, the genome sequence with transcriptomic analysis gives new insight, considering re-annotation of the genome of R. jostii RHA1, and provides a clearer picture of PCB/biphenyl degradation in this strain. more...

Streptomyces spp. are bacteria that are responsible for the degradation of aromatic compounds and produce secondary metabolites. Here, we present a complete genome sequence of Streptomyces sp. strain S6, which was isolated from an oil palm plantation, with a 7.8-Mbp liner chromosome, a GC content of 72%, and 4,266 coding sequences. more...

Streptomyces spp. are bacteria that are responsible for the degradation of aromatic compounds and produce secondary metabolites. Here, we present a complete genome sequence of Streptomyces sp. strain S6, which was isolated from an oil palm plantation, with a 7.8-Mbp liner chromosome, a GC content of 72%, and 4,266 coding sequences. more...

Prazosin (PRZ), a drug used to treat hypertensive patients, is an emergent contaminant in water systems. PRZ is an alpha-adrenergic receptor blocker used to treat anxiety, and is believed to reach the environment through human excretion, irresponsible disposal of unused medicine, and waste products from manufacturing plants. The purpose of this research was to isolate and characterize potential microbes for PRZ biodegradation and to identify the degradation pathway. After screening, isolated strain STP3 showed a capability for PRZ degradation and was chosen for further analysis. Resting cell assays with PRZ were conducted to identify the intermediate metabolites formed from biodegradation by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR MS) analysis. Two metabolites degraded from PRZ by STP3 were successfully found, and as these metabolites are derived from the main structure of PRZ, their presence proved PRZ degradation. Draft genome sequencing analysis of STP3 was performed to identify potential enzymes for PRZ biodegradation based on the metabolites found. more...

The demand for affordable energy will continue to increase. On the other side, the utilization of fossil fuels is causing drastic changes to our climate forcing us to search for more sustainable sources of energy. Lignocellulosic biomass waste from palm oil industry in Malaysia is one of the most abundant and economically attractive sources of renewable energy. This can be utilized as the raw material for solid biofuel, i.e., Bio-Coke. Some efforts have been made to improve the quality of Bio-Coke in recent years. This study aims to determine the influence of biological pretreatment of oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) on its subsequent Bio-Coke characteristics. The results show after pretreatment, the fiber structure of EFB could be seen clearly and a looser connection between single fibers is observed. The pretreatment leads to the biologically pretreated Bio-Coke having higher apparent density and longer combustion duration than the Bio-Coke without pretreatment. more...

Empty fruit bunches from palm oil production contain lignin, which can be a source of valuable aromatic chemicals such as protocatechuic acid. In this study, empty fruit bunches were utilized in the hydrothermal pretreatment at different temperatures (100–200 °C) to produce liquid fractions containing depolymerized lignin such as single aromatic chemicals. The liquid fractions then underwent microbial processing by a mutant, ∆pcaHG Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 for six days to produce protocatechuic acid. Hydrothermal pretreatment temperature influenced the types of single aromatic chemicals produced and the sum of area of the single aromatic chemicals in both ethyl acetate extracts and TMS derivatives. The single aromatic chemicals obtained at 160 °C, 180 °C, and 200 °C act as precursors to accumulate protocatechuic acid by ∆pcaHG Rhodococcus jostii RHA1 on the third day of incubation. The role of single aromatic chemicals that acted as either precursors or inhibitors of protocatechuic acid was discussed. more...

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimated, one-third of the food produced worldwide i.e.1.3 billion tons is either lost or wasted throughout the food supply chain from primary production to final consumption. According to The Food Sustainability Index (FSI), the sustainable food system has three pillars namely food loss and food waste, sustainable agriculture and nutritional challenge. Food waste can be classified into food products that are lost during the production phase, unavoidable food waste that lost during the consumption phase and avoidable food waste that could have been eaten but lost during the consumption phase. There are several popular treatment methods of food waste that have been widely applied in developing countries including animal feeding, composting, anaerobic digestion, incineration, and landfills. The common treatment of food waste in developing countries is dumping or landfills. About 95% of food waste ends at landfill sites in which food waste is converted into methane and other greenhouse gasses that affect climate change. Therefore, reducing food waste contributes to abating interlinked sustainability challenges including food waste and food safety, climate change and stress to natural resources. This paper sets out recommendations on how to reduce food waste generation by using six strategies that are food waste separation or composting behavior, eating behavior, cooking behavior, consumer’s environmental knowledge of food waste, consumer’s environmental awareness and government policy on household food waste management, which can contribute to the nation’s goal for sustainable development. more...

Previous studies on screening of lignin-degrading bacteria mainly focused on the ligninolytic ability of the isolated bacteria for the utilization of lignin monomers. In this study, we focused on the depolymerization of alkali lignin to prove the ability of the isolated thermophilic bacterial strains to utilize and depolymerize more than a monomer of alkali lignin within 7 days of incubation. Indigenous thermophilic bacterial isolates from the palm oil plantation were used to evaluate the depolymerization and utilization of alkali lignin. The confirmation of the bacterium-mediated depolymerization of oil palm empty fruit bunch was achieved through the removal of silica bodies, as observed with scanning electron microscopy. Stenotrophomonas sp. S2 and Bacillus subtilis S11Y were able to reduce approximately 50% and 20% of alkali lignin at 7 days of incubation without the requirement for additional carbon sources. more...

Food waste is a serious issue that has significant environmental, economic, and social impacts. Huge amounts of food are lost worldwide during the process of food production, from the stage of agricultural production to the disposal of food waste. This paper presents a review on: (1) the delivery of food waste reduction programs that aim to motivate a change in consumer behavior at the household level, (2) the impacts, and (3) the conditions or approaches for conducting these programs based on household food waste programs in developed and developing countries. In other words, we discuss the delivery and impacts of program measures that have been adopted to reduce food waste. In developed and developing countries, many activities (e.g., campaigns, talks, exhibitions, the publication of articles) have been implemented to raise awareness about how to make significant impacts concerning food waste issues. While environmental and economic approaches have been widely used in intervention programs, the application of a faith-based approach has not been investigated in detail. So, in this review paper, we gathered all of the cases that have been conducted in both developed and developing countries to compare what has been done to curb the food waste issue. Although many activities to reduce food waste have been conducted in developing countries, their impacts are not always completely reported, and in some cases, the corresponding programs were discontinued due to financial constraints. For future studies, a faith-based approach should also be considered as a way to educate people in food waste reduction. more...

The complement peptide C3a is a key component of the innate immune system and a major fragment produced following complement activation. We used a murine model of melanoma (B16-F0) to identify a hitherto unknown role for C3a–C3aR signaling in promoting tumor growth. The results show that the development and growth of B16-F0 melanomas is retarded in mice lacking C3aR, whereas growth of established melanomas can be arrested by C3aR antagonism. Flow cytometric analysis showed alterations in tumor-infiltrating leukocytes in the absence of C3aR. Specifically, neutrophils and CD4+ T lymphocyte subpopulations were increased, whereas macrophages were reduced. The central role of neutrophils was confirmed by depletion experiments that reversed the tumor inhibitory effects observed in C3aR-deficient mice and returned tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T cells to control levels. Analysis of the tumor microenvironment showed upregulation of inflammatory genes that may contribute to the enhanced antitumor response observed in C3aR-deficient mice. C3aR deficiency/inhibition was also protective in murine models of BRAFV600E mutant melanoma and colon and breast cancer, suggesting a tumor-promoting role for C3aR signaling in a range of tumor types. We propose that C3aR activation alters the tumor inflammatory milieu, thereby promoting tumor growth. Therapeutic inhibition of C3aR may therefore be an effective means to trigger an antitumor response in melanoma and other cancers. more...

Grape has become a fast growing agricultural sector in Malaysia producing between 0.62 kg to 2.03 kg waste per vinestock. This study aims to generate useful information on anti-oxidative properties as well as polyphenolic composition of grapevine waste. Stems and leaves of Vitis vinifera cultivated in Perlis, Malaysia were extracted using methanol, ethyl acetate and petroleum ether. Ethyl acetate stems extract exhibited highest total phenolic content. While in DPPH assay, methanolic stems extract show the highest antioxidant activities. This result indicates that total phenolic content in the extracts may not contribute directly to the antioxidant activities. Thin Layer Chromatograms of all crude extracts exhibited good separation under solvent system petroleum ether-ethyl acetate (2:3) resulted in detection of resveratrol in ethyl acetate stems crude extract. more...