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Background. Approximately 10% of cancer patients worldwide have colorectal cancer (CRC), a prevalent gastrointestinal malignancy with substantial mortality and morbidity. The purpose of this work was to investigate the APOC1 gene’s expression patterns in the CRC tumor microenvironment and, using the findings from bioinformatics, to assess the biological function of APOC1 in the development of CRC. Methods. The TCGA portal was employed in this investigation to find APOC1 expression in CRC. Its correlation with other genes and clinicopathological data was examined using the UALCAN database. To validate APOC1’s cellular location, the Human Protein was employed. In order to forecast the relationship between APOC1 expression and prognosis in CRC patients, the Kaplan–Meier plotter database was used. TISIDB was also employed to evaluate the connection between immune responses and APOC1 expression in CRC. The interactions of APOC1 with other proteins were predicted using STRING. In order to understand the factors that contribute to liver metastasis from CRC, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was done on one patient who had the disease. This procedure included sampling preoperative blood and the main colorectal cancer tissues, surrounding colorectal cancer normal tissues, liver metastatic cancer tissues, and normal liver tissues. Finally, an in vitro knockdown method was used to assess how APOC1 expression in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) affected CRC cancer cell growth and migration. Results. When compared to paracancerous tissues, APOC1 expression was considerably higher in CRC tissues. The clinicopathological stage and the prognosis of CRC patients had a positive correlation with APOC1 upregulation and a negative correlation, respectively. APOC1 proteins are mostly found in cell cytosols where they may interact with APOE, RAB42, and TREM2. APOC1 was also discovered to have a substantial relationship with immunoinhibitors (CD274, IDO1, and IL10) and immunostimulators (PVR, CD86, and ICOS). According to the results of scRNA-seq, we found that TAMs of CRC tissues had considerably more APOC1 than other cell groups. The proliferation and migration of CRC cells were impeded in vitro by APOC1 knockdown in TAMs. Conclusion. Based on scRNA-seq research, the current study shows that APOC1 was overexpressed in TAMs from CRC tissues. By inhibiting APOC1 in TAMs, CRC progression was reduced in vitro, offering a new tactic and giving CRC patients fresh hope.

A complex of Zn and carnosine, called Zinc-L-carnosine (ZnC), enjoys a wide application as part of a Zn supplement therapeutic method as well as in treating peptic ulcers. However, researches fail to confirm the biological functions possessed by ZnC as well as tumor immune microenvironment in colorectal cancer (CRC).Cell counting kit 8(CCK8), 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), transwell and wound healing assays were conducted to study the influence of ZnC in the proliferating, invading and migrating processes of CRC cell lines (HCT116, LOVO)According to CCK8, EdU, transwell and wound healing assays, ZnC inhibited CRC cell lines in terms of proliferation, invasion and migration. ZnC could inhibit miR-570 for up-regulating PD-L1 expression.The present study reveals that ZnC slows the progression of CRC by inhibiting CRC cells in terms of proliferation, invasion and migration, meanwhile up-regulating PD-L1 expression via inhibiting miR-570. The ZnC-anti-PD1 co-treatment assists in synergically increasing anti-tumor efficacy in CRC therapy.

Background: Personalised nutrition and medicine are the future of healthcare. In relation to cancer, public and healthcare professionals often seek dietary recommendations for cancer prevention. Among the important cancers that can be prevented by diet and lifestyle is colorectal cancer (CRC). CRC is one of the commonest cancers globally, and is a major health concern in Malaysia as it presents with high mortality and morbidity rates, causing a significant socioeconomic burden to the country. While extensive research has been conducted on the treatment and mechanisms of cancer, there have been no reports on the associations between metabolites, novel biomarkers of cancer, and dietary patterns in the context of cancer prevention in the Malaysian multiethnic population. Methods: A case control study will be conducted in Malaysia, involving patients diagnosed with CRC, colorectal adenoma and a group of healthy participants. Multiple endpoints will be analyzed, namely metabolomic signatures, epigenetic marks, inflammatory markers and relationship with dietary patterns will be established. Multiple machine learning models will then be used to develop personalised risk stratification algorithms. Recruitment began in July 2019 and is ongoing due to COVID-19 pandemic. Discussion: This study will be the first to identify alterations in metabolites, inflammatory markers and epigenetic marks associated with dietary patterns and CRC risk in Malaysia. Understanding on how dietary patterns influence CRC risk in the multi-ethnic Malaysian population and identification of novel oncometabolites for CRC risk, will allow for development of personalised evidence-based recommendations in reducing individual risks of CRC.

Objective:Misreporting of energy intake (EI) in nutritional epidemiology is common and even severe among adolescents. Thus, the current study aims to examine the presence, bias and impact introduced by implausible reporters.Design:Cross-sectional.Setting:Central and eastern regions of Peninsular Malaysia.Participants:A stratified random sampling was employed to select 917 secondary school-going adolescents (aged 15–17 years).Results:The prevalence of under-reporters was 17·4 %, while no over-reporters were identified. Under-reporters had higher body composition and lower dietary intakes (except for vitamin C, Cr and Fl) compared with plausible reporters (P < 0·05). Adolescents with overweight and obesity had a higher odds of under-reporting compared with under-/normal weight adolescents (P < 0·001). In model 3, the highest regression coefficient (R2 = 0·404, P < 0·001) was obtained after adjusting for reporting status.Conclusions:Overweight and obese adolescents were more likely to under-report their food intake and consequently affect nutrient intakes estimates. Future analyses that include nutrient intake data should adjust for reporting status so that the impact of misreporting on study outcomes can be conceded and consequently improve the accuracy of dietary-related results.

AIM The present study aims to determine the association of trace elements and oxidative and DNA damage biomarkers with fall incidence among community-dwelling older adults. METHODS This study is part of the Long-term Research Grant Scheme - Towards Useful Ageing cohort study in Malaysia. Of a total of 174 participants with complete trace elements and oxidative and DNA damage data during baseline, only 147 (84.5%) were successfully followed up after 18 months. Participants who experienced any fall events in the previous 18 months during the follow-up were categorized as fallers. RESULTS Thirty participants (20.4%) reported at least one fall in the previous 18 months. The mean concentrations of aluminium, lead and zinc were significantly higher (P

The incidence of cancer globally is increasing, partly due to lifestyle factors. Despite a better understanding of cancer biology and advancement in cancer management and therapies, current strategies in cancer treatment remain costly and cause socioeconomic burden especially in Asian countries. Hence, instead of putting more efforts in searches for new cancer cures, attention has now shifted to understanding how to mitigate cancer risk by modulating lifestyle factors. It has been established that carcinogenesis is multifactorial, and the important detrimental role of oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and genomic instability is evident. To date, there is no study linking dietary pattern and genomic stability in cancer risk in the Asian food landscape. Thus, this present review article discusses recent literature on dietary pattern and genomic stability and its relationship with cancer risk in Asia.

The Malaysia 2022 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Adolescents provides evidence-based assessment across 12 indicators of physical activity-related behaviors, individual characteristics, settings and sources of influence, and strategies and investments for children and adolescents.The development process follows the systematic steps recommended by the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance was used. Nationally representative data from 2016 to 2021, government reports and unpublished data were reviewed and consolidated by a panel of experts. Letter grades were assigned based on predefined benchmarks to 12 indicators including 10 core physical activity indicators that are common to Global Matrix 4.0 and two additional indicators (Diet and Weight Status). The current grading was then compared against those obtained in 2016.Four of six indicators in the Daily Behaviors category received D- or C grades [Overall Physical Activity, Active Transportation and Diet (D-); Sedentary Behaviors (C)], which remains poor, similar to the 2016 report card. School indicator was graded for the Settings and Sources of Influence category, which showed an improvement from grade B (2016) to A- (2022). As for the Strategies and Investments category, B was again assigned to the Government indicator. Two new indicators were added after the 2016 Report Card, and they were graded B (Physical Fitness) and B- (Weight Status). Four indicators (Organized Sports and Physical Activity, Active Play, Family and Peers, and Community and Environment) were again graded Incomplete due to a lack of nationally representative data.The 2022 Report Card revealed that Malaysian children and adolescents are still caught in the "inactivity epidemic". This warrants more engagement from all stakeholders, public health actions, and timely research, to comprehensively evaluate all indicators and drive a cultural shift to see Malaysian children and adolescents moving more every day.

Oxidative stress, DNA damage, and unresolved inflammation are the predisposing factors of many chronic and degenerative diseases, including cancer. Stingless bee honey (SBH) is recognized to have high medicinal value by traditional medicine practitioners and has been used to treat various illnesses traditionally. This study aimed to determine the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and genoprotective effects of SBH by using in vitro cell culture models. The sugar content, total phenolic content, radical scavenging activity, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of SBH were determined in this study. Then, the protective effect of SBH against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced cell death and DNA damage was studied by using WIL2-NS human lymphoblastoid cell line, while the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 murine macrophages cell line was used to study the anti-inflammatory effects of SBH. Results from this present study showed that the major sugar contents of SBH were fructose (19.39 + 0.01%) and glucose (14.03 ± 0.03%). Besides, the total phenolic content, the radical scavenging activity, and the FRAP value of SBH were 15.38 ± 0.02 mg GAE/100 g of honey, 34.04 ± 0.21%, and 206.77 + 1.76 μM AAE/100 g honey respectively. Pretreatment with SBH protected WIL2-NS cells from H2O2-induced cell death and DNA damage (p

Background Falls incidence rate and comprehensive data on factors that predict occasional and repeated falls from large population-based studies are scarce. In this study, we aimed to determine the incidence of falls and identify predictors of occasional and recurrent falls. This was done in the social, medical, physical, nutritional, biochemical, cognitive dimensions among community-dwelling older Malaysians. Methods Data from 1,763 Malaysian community-dwelling older persons aged ≥ 60 years were obtained from the LRGS-TUA longitudinal study. Participants were categorized into three groups according to the presence of a single fall (occasional fallers), ≥two falls (recurrent fallers), or absence of falls (non-fallers) at an 18-month follow-up. Results Three hundred and nine (17.53 %) participants reported fall occurrences at an 18-month follow-up, of whom 85 (27.51 %) had two or more falls. The incidence rate for occasional and recurrent falls was 8.47 and 3.21 per 100 person-years, respectively. Following multifactorial adjustments, being female (OR: 1.57; 95 % CI: 1.04–2.36), being single (OR: 5.31; 95 % CI: 3.36–37.48), having history of fall (OR: 1.86; 95 % CI: 1.19–2.92) higher depression scale score (OR: 1.10; 95 % CI: 1.02–1.20), lower hemoglobin levels (OR: 0.90; 95 % CI: 0.81-1.00) and lower chair stand test score (OR: 0.93; 95 % CI: 0.87-1.00) remained independent predictors of occasional falls. While, having history of falls (OR: 2.74; 95 % CI: 1.45–5.19), being a stroke survivor (OR: 8.57; 95 % CI: 2.12–34.65), higher percentage of body fat (OR: 1.04; 95 % CI: 1.01–1.08) and lower chair stand test score (OR: 0.87; 95 % CI: 0.77–0.97) appeared as recurrent falls predictors. Conclusions Having history of falls and lower muscle strength were predictors for both occasional and recurrent falls among Malaysian community-dwelling older persons. Modifying these predictors may be beneficial in falls prevention and management strategies among older persons.

The main objective of this study is to determine the association of various trace elements’ status with the 5-year mortality rate among community-dwelling older adults in Malaysia. This study was part of the Long-term Research Grant Scheme—Towards Useful Ageing (LRGS-TUA). The participants were followed up for five years, and their mortality status was identified through the Mortality Data Matching Service provided by the National Registration Department, Malaysia. Of the 303 participants included in this study, 34 (11.2%) participants had died within five years after baseline data collection. As compared to the survivors, participants who died earlier were more likely (p < 0.05) to be men, smokers, have a lower intake of total dietary fiber and molybdenum, higher intake of manganese, lower zinc levels in toenail samples, lower calcium and higher lead levels in hair samples during baseline. Following the multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis, lower total dietary fiber intake (HR: 0.681; 0.532–0.871), lower calcium (HR: 0.999; 95% CI: 0.999–1.000) and higher lead (HR: 1.309; 95% CI: 1.061–1.616) levels in hair samples appeared as the predictors of mortality. In conclusion, higher lead and lower calcium levels are associated with higher risk of mortality among community-dwelling older adults in Malaysia. Our current findings provide a better understanding of how the trace elements’ status may affect older populations’ well-being and mortality rate.

Zinc L-carnosine (ZnC) is the chelate form of zinc and L-carnosine and is one of the zinc supplements available in the market. This study aims to determine the protective effects of ZnC against L-buthionine sulfoximine (BSO)-induced oxidative stress in CCD-18co human normal colon fibroblast cell line. CCD-18co cells were pretreated with ZnC (0-100 μM) for 24 h before the induction of oxidative stress by BSO (1 mM) for another 24 h. Results from this present study demonstrated that ZnC up to the concentration of 100 μM was not cytotoxic to CCD-18co cells. Induction with BSO significantly increased the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and reduced the intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels in CCD-18co cells. Pretreatment with ZnC was able to attenuate the increment in intracellular ROS level in CCD-18co cells significantly in a concentration-dependent manner. However, ZnC did not have any effects on intracellular GSH levels and Nrf2 activation. Mechanistically, pretreatment with ZnC was able to upregulate the expression of metallothionein (MT) and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) in CCD-18co cells. Results from dual-luciferase reporter gene assay reported that ZnC was able to increase the MRE-mediated relative luciferase activities in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting that the induction of MT expression by ZnC was due to the activation of MTF-1 signaling pathway. Taken together, our current findings suggest that ZnC can protect CCD-18co cells from BSO-induced oxidative stress via the induction of MT and SOD1 expression.

Dysregulation in the secretion of high mobility group box 1(HMGB1) protein has been shown to modulate the progression of sepsis. Hence, the primary objective of this study is to explore the potential of zinc L-carnosine (ZnC) in inhibiting the secretion of HMGB1 from RAW 264.7 murine macrophages after induced with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Generally, RAW 264.7 cells were pretreated with ZnC (0–100 µM) for 2 hours before challenged with LPS (1 µg/mL). After 22 hours of LPS induction, RAW 264.7 cells pretreated with ZnC showed significantly higher intracellular HMGB1 protein levels in a dose-dependent manner, indicating that ZnC was capable to suppress the secretion of HMGB1 protein into the extracellular compartments. Besides, significant increment in intracellular free thiol level was also detected in ZnC pretreated cells. In addition, ZnC was demonstrated to inhibit the late phase NF-κB activation, but not the early phase NF-κB activation. Moreover, after induced with LPS for 30 minutes, pretreatment with ZnC was also demonstrated to increase the phosphorylated-Akt/Akt ratio in RAW 264.7 cells, indicating that the immunomodulatory effects of ZnC may associated with the Akt signaling pathway. In summary, ZnC can prevent the secretion of HMGB1 from RAW 264.7 cells and suppress the NF-κB activation after induction with LPS. Results from this present study propose that ZnC possesses good potential to be used in the management and treatment of sepsis by inhibiting the secretion of HMGB1 from immune cells.

Panic disorder (PD) being one of the most intensively investigated anxiety disorders is considered a heterogeneous psychiatric disease which has difficulties with early diagnosis. The disorder is recurrent and usually associated with low remission rates and high rates of relapse which may exacerbated social and quality of life, causes unnecessary cost and increased risk for complication and suicide. Current pharmacotherapy for PD are available but these drugs have slow therapeutic onset, several side effects and most patients do not fully respond to these standard pharmacological treatments. Ongoing investigations indicate the need for new and promising agents for the treatment of PD. This article will cover the importance of immediate and proper treatment, the gap in the current management of PD with special emphasis on pharmacotherapy, and evidence regarding the novel anti-panic drugs including the drugs in developments such as metabotropic glutamate (mGlu 2/3) agonist and levetiracetam. Preliminary results suggest the anti-panic properties and the efficacy of duloxetine, reboxetine, mirtazapine, nefazodone, risperidone and inositol as a monotherapy drug. Apart for their effectiveness, the aforementioned compounds were generally well tolerated compared to the standard available pharmacotherapy drugs, indicating their potential therapeutic usefulness for ambivalent and hypervigilance patient. Further strong clinical trials will provide an ample support to these novel compounds as an alternative monotherapy for PD treatment-resistant patient.

Aim The 36-month Long-Term Research Grant Scheme project: Towards Usual Aging - Neuroprotective Model for Healthy Longevity among Malaysian Elderly was designed to address multidimensional aspects including psychosocial, biophysical health, nutrition and dietary pattern, and auditory and visual function to highlight the magnitude of these associations in a single study. Methods A total of 2322 respondents aged ≥60 years were recruited at baseline using the multistage sampling method, followed up at 18 months and 36 months. Results Response rates at baseline, 18 months and 36 months were 87.8%, 77.3% and 67.1%, respectively. At baseline, the prevalence of successful aging, usual aging and mild cognitive impairment was 11%, 73% and 16%, respectively. The prevalence of single and multimorbidity at baseline were 25.9% and 50.3%, respectively. The incidence rates of mild cognitive impairment at 18 months and 36 months were 6.5 and 5.6 per 100 person-years. The incidence rates of multimorbidity at 18 months and 36 months were 23.7 and 21.5 per 100 person-years, respectively. Conclusions The Long-Term Research Grant Scheme project: Towards Usual Aging study provides an opportunity to investigate the interactions between wide ranges of aspects of the older population in a nationally representative sample of the older population. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 233-239.

Zinc (Zn) has an existence within large quantities in the human brain, while accumulating within synaptic vesicle. There is growing evidence that Zn metabolic equilibrium breaking participates into different diseases (e.g., vascular dementia, carcinoma, Alzheimer's disease). Carnosine refers to an endogenic dipeptide abundant in skeletal muscle and brains and exerts a variety of positive influences (e.g., carcinoma resistance, crosslinking resistance, metal chelation and oxidation limitation). A complex of Zn and carnosine, called Zinc-L-carnosine (ZnC), has been extensively employed within Zn supplement therapeutic method and the treating approach for ulcers. ZnC has been shown to play a variety of roles in the body, including inhibiting intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS) and free radical levels, inhibiting inflammation, supplementing zinc enzymes and promoting wound healing and mucosal cell repair. The present study conducting a reviewing process for the advances of ZnC in tumor adjuvant therapy.

Estimating the spread of disease like COVID-19 is a crucial task that can reduce its impact and help the authorities to respond. Currently, the number of active cases in Malaysia is less than 50% of the accumulated points. This paper will present the most accurate machine learning model to predict the number of new possibilities for 01/04-15/04/2020 (15 days). Notably, four machine learning models and one traditional statistical prediction analysis ARIMA have been trained, tested and evaluated. The results are compared to the actual data. We found that the multilayer perceptron neural network has outperformed all models in estimating the number of new positive cases in a specific time range. However, the ARIMA model performs better in predicting recovered and death cases than the machine learning models. We have applied the root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute predictive error (MAPE) evaluation metrics to assess the model performance. The proposed approach can be viewed as a feasible alternative to forecast the new COVID-19 cases in Malaysia, where there is no constant seasonal trend and no past data sources for comparison. The proposed methodology is easily tractable and computationally efficient to demonstrate the number of new cases that are useful and beneficial in terms of control management.

Divya Vanoh,1 Suzana Shahar,2 Hanis Mastura Yahya,2 Normah Che Din,2 Arimi Fitri Mat Ludin,2 Devinder Kaur Ajit Singh,2 Razinah Sharif,2 Nor Fadilah Rajab2 1Nutrition & Dietetics Programme, School of Health Science, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia; 2Center for Healthy Aging and Wellness (H‐Care), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaCorrespondence: Suzana ShaharCenter for Healthy Aging and Wellness (H‐Care), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaEmail suzana.shahar@ukm.edu.myPurpose: Use of dietary supplements by older adults has been increasing for improving micronutrient deficiencies, cognitive function, and overall health status. Thus, the objective of this secondary investigation is to explore the longitudinal association of baseline supplement intake in improving cognitive function, biochemical parameters, anthropometric variables and physical fitness among older adults.Methods: Towards Useful Aging (TUA) is a three-year longitudinal study conducted at baseline (2013– 2014) and at follow-up (2015– 2017) surveys. The number of participants dropped from 2322 during baseline study to 1787 and 1560 during the 18th and 36th month follow-up, respectively. Data on socio-demography, use of dietary supplement, biochemical indices, anthropometry, cognitive function, physical fitness and depressive symptoms were obtained. Longitudinal associations were done using the linear mixed model analysis among 1285 subjects with complete data.Results: The most common vitamin and mineral supplementations consumed were multivitamin, B-complex, and calcium. Meanwhile, the herbal supplements consumed by participants were Eurycoma longifolia, Morinda citrifolia and Orthosiphon aristatus. Longitudinal analysis adjusted for multiple covariates showed improvement in both supplement users and non-users for global cognitive function, working memory, visual memory, 2-minute step test, chair stand test, chair sit and reach and time up and go test, waist circumference and hip circumference in both the supplement users and non-users.Conclusion: Our findings indicated that dietary supplement intake is not associated with cognitive function, physical fitness, nutritional status, depressive symptoms or biochemical indices since improvement in the parameters was observed among both supplement users and non-users.Keywords: dietary supplement, cognitive function, physical fitness, depressive symptoms, nutritional status, biochemical

Background: Falls incidence rate and comprehensive data on factors that predict occasional and repeated falls from large population-based studies are scarce. This study aimed to determine the incidence of falls and identify predictors of occasional and recurrent falls within the social, medical, physical, nutritional, biochemical, cognitive dimensions among community-dwelling older Malaysians. Methods: Data from 1,763 Malaysian community-dwelling older adults aged ≥60 years were obtained from the LRGS-TUA longitudinal study. Participants were categorized into three groups according to the presence of a single fall (occasional fallers), ≥two falls (recurrent fallers), or absence of falls (non-fallers) at an 18-month follow-up. Results: Three hundred and nine (17.5%) participants reported fall occurrence at 18-month follow-up, of whom 85 (27.5%) had two or more falls. The incidence rate for occasional falls and recurrent falls was 8.47 and 3.21 per 100 person-years, respectively. Following multifactorial adjustments, being single (OR: 5.310: 95% CI: 1.963-14.361), having higher depression score (OR: 1.123; 95% CI: 1.045-1.207), lower hemoglobin level (OR: 0.873; 95% CI: 0.797-0.956), and taking a longer time to complete the chair stand test (OR: 0.936; 95% CI: 0.881-0.995) remained independent predictors of occasional falls. While, having higher depression score (OR: 1.116; 95% CI: 1.010-1.233), being a stroke survivor (OR: 5.639; 95% CI: 1.502-21.129), having higher percentage of body fat (OR: 1.038; 95% CI: 1.010-1.067), lower hemoglobin level (OR: 0.853; 95% CI: 0.741-0.982), and taking longer time to complete the chair stand test (OR: 0.907; 95% CI: 0.824-0.998) appeared as recurrent falls predictors.Conclusions: Having depression, lower muscle strength and hemoglobin levels predict both occasional and recurrent falls among Malaysian community-dwelling older adults. This finding has implications for future research planning, which should aim to identify effective strategies for preventing falls among older adults by modifying these identified predictors.

The repeatability of most questionnaires utilized in previous studies related to the consumption of dietary supplements (DS) among youth has not been well documented. Thus, a simple and easy-to-administer questionnaire to capture the habitual use of DS in the past one year known as the dietary supplement questionnaire (DiSQ) was developed and supported with external reliability evaluation. Analyses were done based on a convenience sample of 46 secondary school students. To elicit information regarding the intake of DS, the questionnaire was partitioned into two domains. The first domain was used to identify vitamin/mineral (VM) supplements, while the second domain was utilized to identify non-vitamin/non-mineral (NVNM) supplements. Cohen&rsquo, s kappa coefficient (k) was used to evaluate the test&ndash, retest reliability of the questionnaire. Questionnaire administration to the respondents was done twice whereby a retest was given two weeks after the first test. Between test and retest, the reliability of individual items ranged from moderate to almost perfect for the VM (k = 0.53&ndash, 1.00) and NVNM (k = 0.63&ndash, 1.00) domains. None of the items had &ldquo, fair&rdquo, or &rdquo, poor&rdquo, agreement. Various correlation coefficients can be obtained for the DiSQ but are generally reliable over time for assessing information on the consumption of supplements among the adolescent population.

Intermittent fasting (IF) refers to various dietary regimens that cycle between a period of non-fasting and a period of total fasting. This study aimed to determine the effects of IF on cognitive function among elderly individuals who practice IF who have mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A total of 99 elderly subjects with MCI of Malay ethnicity without any terminal illness were recruited from a larger cohort study, LRGS TUA. The subjects were divided into three groups, comprising those who were regularly practicing IF (r-IF), irregularly practicing IF (i-IF), and non-fasters (n-IF). Upon 36 months of follow-up, more MCI subjects in the r-IF group reverted to successful aging with no cognitive impairment and diseases (24.3%) compared to those in i-IF (14.2%) and n-IF groups (3.7%). The r-IF group&rsquo, s subjects exhibited significant increment in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and reduction in body weight, levels of insulin, fasting blood glucose, malondialdehyde (MDA), C-reactive protein (CRP), and DNA damage. Moreover, metabolomics analysis showed that IF may modulate cognitive function via various metabolite pathways, including the synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies, butanoate metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and glycolysis and gluconeogenesis pathways. Overall, the MCI-afflicted older adults who practiced IF regularly had better cognitive scores and reverted to better cognitive function at 36 months follow-up.

Zinc L-carnosine (ZnC) is a chelated compound of zinc and L-carnosine. The present study aims to determine the protective effects of ZnC against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress an...

This study aimed to determine the effects of tropical fruit juice mixture (pomegranate, white guava, and Roselle) on biochemical, behavioral, and histopathological changes of β-amyloid- (Aβ-) induced rats. Formulation 8 (F8) of tropical fruit juice mixture was chosen for this present study due to its high phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. Forty Wistar male rats were divided into five groups: dPBS (sham-operated control), dAβ (Aβ control), JPBS (F8 and PBS), JAβ (F8 and Aβ), and IBFAβ (ibuprofen and Aβ). F8 (5 ml/kg BW), and ibuprofen (10 ml/kg BW) was given orally daily for four weeks before the intracerebroventricular infusion of Aβ for two weeks. Histological analysis and neuronal count of hippocampus tissue in the Cornu Ammonis (CA1) region showed that supplementation with F8 was able to prevent Aβ-induced tissue damage and neuronal shrinkage. However, no significant difference in locomotor activity and novel object recognition (NOR) percentage was detected among different groups at day 7 and day 14 following Aβ infusion. Only effect of time differences (main effect of day) was observed at day 7 as compared to day 14, where reduction in locomotor activity and NOR percentage was observed in all groups, with F (1, 7) = 6.940, p<0.05 and F (1, 7) = 7.152, p<0.05, respectively. Besides, the MDA level of the JAβ group was significantly lower (p<0.01) than that of the dPBS group. However, no significant changes in SOD activity were detected among different groups. Significant reduction in plasma CRH level (p<0.05) and iNOS expression (p<0.01) in the brain was detected in the JAβ group as compared to the dAβ group. Hence, our current findings suggest that the tropical fruit juice mixture (F8) has the potential to protect the rats from Aβ-induced neurotoxicity in brain hippocampus tissue possibly via its antioxidant properties and the suppression of iNOS expression and CRH production.

Iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anaemia are associated with oxidative stress, but their role is largely unclear. Information is scarce on the effects of iron supplementation on biomarkers of oxidative stress in humans.This study evaluated the effectiveness of iron supplementation and nutrition education on improving the levels of haemoglobin and ferritin, and decreasing oxidative stress among iron-deficient female adolescents in Gaza, Palestine.A total 131 iron-deficient female adolescents were recruited and allocated randomly into 3 different groups. The iron supplementation group (A) received 200 mg of ferrous fumarate weekly during the 3-month intervention, the iron supplementation with nutrition education group (B) received iron supplements with nutrition education sessions, and the control group (C) did not receive any intervention. The levels of haemoglobin, ferritin and malonyl dialdehyde were measured at baseline, after 3 months (at which point the intervention was stopped), and then 3 months later. Trial registration number: ACTRN12618000960257.Haemoglobin levels increased significantly after supplementation in both groups A and B. At the follow-up stage (3 months after stopping the intervention), iron and haemoglobin levels in group B continued to increase and malonyl dialdehyde decreased. In Group A, haemoglobin, ferritin and malonyl dialdehyde levels decreased after 3 months of stopping the intervention. No changes were seen in Group C.A nutrition programme should be adopted and integrated into comprehensive intervention programmes to target iron-deficiency anaemia among female adolescents in Palestine.أثر مكمّلات الحديد و التثقيف التغذوي على مستويات الهيموجلوبين والفيريتين والإجهاد التأكسدي لدى المراهقات اللائي تعانين من نقص الحديد في فلسطين: تجربة ضابطة عشوائية.مروان جلمبو، نوريما كريم، إيهاب نصر، رازينة شاريف.يرتبط نقص الحديد وفقر الدم الناجم عن نقص الحديد بالإجهاد التأكسدي، إلا أن دور كل منها يظل غير واضح بدرجة كبيرة. ولا تتوفر سوى معلومات شحيحة بشأن آثار مكمّلات الحديد على العلامات البيولوجية للإجهاد التأكسدي في البشر.عمدت هذه الدراسة إلى تقييم فعالية مكمّلات الحديد والتثقيف التغذوي على تحسن مستويات الهيموجلوبين والفيريتين، وتضاؤل مستوى الإجهاد التأكسدي في صفوف المراهقات اللائي تعانين من نقص الحديد في قطاع غزة بفلسطين.ضمت هذه الدراسة 131 مراهقة ممن تعانين من نقص الحديد، تم توزيعهن بشكل عشوائي على 3 مجموعات مختلفة. فتلقّت مجموعة مكمّلات الحديد (المجموعة ألف) 200 ملليجرام من فومارات الحديد أسبوعيا خلال فترة التدخل الممتدة لثلاثة أشهر، وتلقت مجموعة مكمّلات الحديد والتثقيف التغذوي (المجموعة باء) مكمّلات للحديد مع عقد جلسات للتثقيف التغذوي، ولم تتلق المجموعة الضابطة (المجموعة جيم) أي تدخلات. وقيست مستويات الهيموجلوبين والفيريتين وثنائي ألدهيد المالون مقابل خط الأساس، أي بعد ثلاثة أشهر (وهي وقت توقف التدخل)، ثم بعد ثلاثة أشهر أخرى.ارتفعت مستويات الهيموجلوبين ارتفاعا دالا بعد استخدام المكمّلات في كلتا المجموعتين ألف وباء. وفي مرحلة المتابعة (بعد ثلاثة أشهر من وقف التدخل)، استمرت مستويات الحديد والهيموجلوبين في المجموعة باء في الارتفاع وانخفض مستوى ثنائي ألدهيد المالون. وفي المجموعة ألف، انخفضت مستويات الهيموجلوبين والفيريتين وثنائي ألدهيد المالون بعد ثلاثة أشهر من إيقاف التدخل. ولم تشاهد أي تغييرات في المجموعة جيم.ينبغي اعتماد برنامج للتغذية وإدماجه في برامج التدخل الشاملة لاستهداف فقر الدم الناجم عن نقص الحديد في صفوف المراهقات في فلسطين.Effets de la supplémentation en fer et de l’éducation nutritionnelle sur l’hémoglobine, la ferritine et le stress oxydatif chez des adolescentes carencées en fer (Palestine) : essai contrôlé randomisé.Les carences en fer et l’anémie ferriprive sont associées au stress oxydatif, mais leur rôle reste grandement méconnu. Les informations portant sur les effets de la supplémentation en fer sur les biomarqueurs du stress oxydatif chez l’homme sont peu nombreuses.La présente étude a évalué l’efficacité de la supplémentation en fer et de l’éducation nutritionnelle sur l’amélioration des taux d’hémoglobine et de ferritine, ainsi que sur la réduction du stress oxydatif chez les adolescentes carencées en fer à Gaza (Palestine).Au total, 131 adolescentes carencées en fer ont été recrutées et réparties de façon aléatoire en trois groupes distincts. Le groupe de supplémentation en fer (A) a reçu 200 mg de fumarate de fer sur une base hebdomadaire au cours d’une intervention de trois mois. Le groupe de supplémentation en fer avec éducation nutritionnelle (B) a reçu des suppléments en fer et a assisté à des sessions d’éducation nutritionnelle. Le groupe témoin (C) n’a bénéficié d’aucune intervention. Les taux d’hémoglobine, de ferritine et de malonyl–dialdéhyde ont été mesurés au début, après trois mois (stade auquel l’intervention a été interrompue) et ensuite trois mois plus tard. (Numéro d’enregistrement de l’essai : ACTRN12618000960257).Les taux d’hémoglobine des groupes A et B augmentaient significativement après une supplémentation. À l’étape de suivi (trois mois après l’arrêt de l’intervention), les taux de fer et d’hémoglobine du groupe B continuaient d’augmenter et les taux de malonyl–dialdéhyde diminuaient. Dans le groupe A, les taux d’hémoglobine, de ferritine et de malonyl–dialdéhyde diminuaient trois mois après l’arrêt de l’intervention. Aucun changement n’a été observé dans le groupe C.Un programme de nutrition devrait être adopté et intégré aux programmes d’intervention globaux de façon à cibler l’anémie ferriprive chez les adolescentes en Palestine.

Studies found that deep fried starchy foods may contain potential compound to increase cancer risk known as acrylamide. Identification of acrylamide health risk assessment in deep fried starchy food among students in Kolej Tun Syed Nasir, Kuala Lumpur was investigated. A survey was conducted to obtain data on types of deep fried starchy food preferred by the subjects, the food source, intake frequency and also the serving size. Acrylamide in the food sample was quantified using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Based on this study, the estimated acrylamide intake are 0.042 µg/kg/day for fries, 0.012 µg/kg/day for fried banana, 0.129 µg/kg/day for fried sweet potato and 6.101 µg/kg/day for the coated fried chicken, while the acrylamide level in anchovies’ fritter cannot be detected (N/A). Based on the hazard quotient (HQ) calculated, the intake of french fries, fried banana and fries sweet potato do not give a significant health risk (HQ < 1). However, for the coated fried chicken, the HQ value is more than 1 which could possibly cause a health risk. Based on individual excess lifetime cancer risk (IELCR) calculated, the deep fried starchy food intake cancer risk of coated fried chicken is higher (3x10 -2 ) compared to fried sweet potato (5.81x10 -4 ), french fries (1.89x10 -4 ) and anchovies fritter (5.4x10 -5 ). The students’ intake of coated fried chicken can give a significant health risk compare to other tested food, however in term of cancer risk, all of the tested food give a high number of probability of increased risk of cancer. DOI : http://dx.doi.org./10.17576/JSKM-2018-1602-14

Globally, prevalence of overweight and obesity among children has increased rapidly in the recent decades. Thus, development of effective interventions to prevent childhood obesity in Malaysia is urgently needed. This paper describes the study design of a 12-week multi-component, school-based nutrition education programme aimed at managing childhood obesity. The objective of Juara Sihat™ is to determine the effectiveness of a nutrition education programme in improving anthropometric status, knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of nutrition, eating habits and physical activity level among overweight and obese children. This quasi-experimental study involves two primary schools in Kuala Lumpur with similar demographic characteristics. Eligibility criteria of research participants are overweight and obese children aged 9 to 11 years. The main components of the Juara Sihat™ intervention are nutrition education classes on healthy eating and active lifestyle; physical activity sessions; and active involvements of parents and teachers. The control school does not receive any interventions. The primary outcome is BMI z-score, while other outcomes include waist circumference, body fat percentage, KAP of nutrition score, dietary intake, physical activity level, sedentary behaviour and biochemical profile. Outcome measures will be assessed at three intervals: baseline, post-intervention 1 (3-month follow-up), and post-intervention 2 (6-month follow-up). The Juara Sihat™ programme represents a promising approach to examining the effectiveness of a school-based childhood obesity intervention with strong empowerment of Parents’ and Teachers’ Association (PTA). We anticipate that this study may provide insights towards the development of more effective strategies in formulating childhood obesity interventions. DOI : http://dx.doi.org./10.17576/JSKM-2018-17

Modern science has found that most traditional practice of using stingless bee honey has great potential as an added value in modern medicine and considered to have a higher medicinal value than other bee species. However, due to the relatively low output of honey compared to other honey so, focus on this honey is limited. Hence, this systematic review provides the updated result on the potential value of stingless bee honey as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity and antimicrobial. The search strategy was developed in four databases (Scopus, Medline and Ovid, EMBASE and PubMed) with the search terms "("honey" and "Kelulut", "honey" and "stingless bee", "honey" and "Trigona", "honey" and "pot honey", and "honey" and "Melipon")". The merged data was assessed using PRISMA guidelines and after the duplicates were removed, 1271 articles were segregated. Afterwards, 1232 articles were eliminated because they do not meet the inclusion criteria and 39 articles were reevaluated again for eligibility. Finally, after the evaluation process, only 26 of the articles were chosen for this review. The data of 26 articles of stingless bee honey were deliberated based on antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity and analysis of antimicrobial activity. Three articles reported on antioxidant properties, one article on anti-inflammatory analysis, two articles on cytotoxicity analysis, and twenty articles on analysis of antimicrobial activity. Based on the feasible affirmation from the literature, stingless bee honey has an antioxidant capacity that able to decrease the ROS. ROS able to lead a variety of health problems thus stingless bee honey can be a dietary supplement to overcome this problem.

Cancer is one of the major causes of death worldwide, and the incidence and mortality rates of cancer are expected to rise tremendously in the near future. Despite a better understanding of cancer biology and advancement in cancer management, current strategies in cancer treatment remain costly and ineffective. Hence, instead of putting more efforts to search for new cancer cures, attention has now been shifted to the development of cancer chemopreventive agents as a preventive measure for cancer formation. It is well known that neoplastic transformation of cells is multifactorial, and the occurrence of oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and genomic instability events has been implicated in the carcinogenesis of cells. Zinc l-carnosine (ZnC), which is clinically used as gastric ulcer treatment in Japan, has been suggested to have the potential in preventing cancer development. Multiple studies have revealed that ZnC possesses potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and genomic stability enhancement effects. Thus, this review provides some mechanistic insight into the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and genomic stability enhancement effects of ZnC in relevance to its chemopreventive potential.

This study aimed to assess the nutritional and physical activity status among adults living in low-cost housing area. This cross-sectional study involved 115 adults aged from 18 to 59 years old (46 male and 69 female). Anthropometric and body composition measurements of height, weight, body fat percentage, waist and hip circumference were taken. Biochemical measurements included blood glucose, blood cholesterol and blood pressure. Dietary intake was evaluated by interviewing subjects using Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ). Physical activity status was determined by interviewing subjects using International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Most of the subjects were found to be mainly on low socioeconomic status and working as blue collar workers. The mean body mass index (BMI) for men and women were 27.3 ± 6.3 kg/m2 and 28.5 ± 5.3 kg/m2, respectively. The waist-hip ratio of men and women were 0.92 ± 0.07 and 0.86 ± 0.06, respectively. Mean blood pressure observed was 128.8 ± 18.8 mmHg (systolic) and 78.2 ± 12.1 mmHg (diastolic). Mean blood glucose was reported to be 6.6 ± 3.2 mmol/L while the mean blood cholesterol was 5.2 ± 1.0 mmol/L. Overall energy intake was 2705 ± 603 kcal with the contribution of 53.4% carbohydrate, 13.5% protein and 32.5% fat to overall energy intake. The nutrients that did not achieve Malaysia’s Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) were calcium (73.1%), thiamine (70.5%), folate (25.0%) and vitamin A (19.6%). The mean physical activity of subjects was 6739.8 ± 8135.6 MET-min/week (high physical activity). In conclusion, the adults living in low-cost housing have unsatisfactory nutritional status yet they have good physical activity level which might be contributed by their occupation. DOI : http://dx.doi.org./10.17576/JSKM-2016-1402-10

This study aimed to investigate the role of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathway in the anti-inflammatory effects of zinc carnosine (ZnC) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Cells were pretreated with ZnC (0-100 μM) for 2 h prior to the addition of LPS (1 μg/ml). Following 24 h of treatment, ZnC was found not to be cytotoxic to RAW 264.7 cells up to the concentration of 100 μM. Our current findings showed that ZnC did not protect RAW 264.7 cells from LPS-induced "respiratory burst". Significant increment in intracellular glutathione (GSH) level and reduction in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) concentration can only be observed in cell pretreated with high doses of ZnC only (50 and 100 μM for GSH and 100 μM only for TBARS). On the other hand, pretreatment of cells with ZnC was able to inhibit LPS-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression significantly. Furthermore, results from immunoblotting showed that ZnC was able to suppress nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) activation, and highest suppression can be observed at 100 μM of ZnC pretreatment. However, pretreatment of ZnC did not inhibit the early activation of MAPKs. In conclusion, pretreatment with ZnC was able to inhibit the expression of inflammatory mediators in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells, mainly via suppression of NF-κB activation, and is independent of the MAPKs signaling pathway.

ObjectiveThe present study aimed to determine the prevalence of anaemia, iron deficiency (ID) and iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) among female adolescents in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, as well as the risk factors involved in these conditions.DesignThe study was conducted using the quantitative descriptive method with a cross-sectional design. Data were collected using an FFQ and sociodemographic, sedentary behaviour and physical activity questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements and blood analyses were also conducted.SettingThe study population included all Palestinian female adolescents enrolled in secondary schools in the academic years 2015–2016. Five female secondary schools were selected randomly from five governorates of the Gaza Strip.SubjectsFemale adolescents (n330) aged 15–19 years in the selected secondary schools were enrolled randomly.ResultsPrevalence of anaemia, ID and IDA among female adolescents in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, was 35·8, 40·3 and 26·0 %, respectively. A significant association (PConclusionsThe study shows that there is an alarming problem of anaemia and IDA in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. This may indicate that there are insufficient nutrition education programmes, particularly inside schools or by the mass media.

The 36-month Long-Term Research Grant Scheme project: Towards Usual Aging - Neuroprotective Model for Healthy Longevity among Malaysian Elderly was designed to address multidimensional aspects including psychosocial, biophysical health, nutrition and dietary pattern, and auditory and visual function to highlight the magnitude of these associations in a single study.A total of 2322 respondents aged ≥60 years were recruited at baseline using the multistage sampling method, followed up at 18 months and 36 months.Response rates at baseline, 18 months and 36 months were 87.8%, 77.3% and 67.1%, respectively. At baseline, the prevalence of successful aging, usual aging and mild cognitive impairment was 11%, 73% and 16%, respectively. The prevalence of single and multimorbidity at baseline were 25.9% and 50.3%, respectively. The incidence rates of mild cognitive impairment at 18 months and 36 months were 6.5 and 5.6 per 100 person-years. The incidence rates of multimorbidity at 18 months and 36 months were 23.7 and 21.5 per 100 person-years, respectively.The Long-Term Research Grant Scheme project: Towards Usual Aging study provides an opportunity to investigate the interactions between wide ranges of aspects of the older population in a nationally representative sample of the older population. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2019; 19: 233-239.

Cognitive impairments are often related to aging and micronutrient deficiencies. Various essential micronutrients in the diet are involved in age-altered biological functions such as, zinc, copper, iron, and selenium that play pivotal roles either in maintaining and reinforcing the antioxidant performances or in affecting the complex network of genes (nutrigenomic approach) involved in encoding proteins for biological functions. Genomic stability is one of the leading causes of cognitive decline and deficiencies or excess in trace elements are two of the factors relating to it. In this review, we report and discuss the role of micronutrients in cognitive impairment in relation to genomic stability in an aging population. Telomere integrity will also be discussed in relation to aging and cognitive impairment, as well as, the micronutrients related to these events. This review will provide an understanding on how these three aspects can relate with each other and why it is important to keep a homeostasis of micronutrients in relation to healthy aging. Micronutrient deficiencies and aging process can lead to genomic instability.

Zinc L-carnosine (ZnC) is a chelate of Zn and L-carnosine and is used clinically in the treatment of peptic ulcer.In this study, we aim to investigate the involvement of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the anti-inflammatory effects of ZnC in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 murine macrophages.We used immunoblotting analysis to evaluate the involvement of HO-1 in the anti-inflammatory effects of ZnC and the signaling pathway involved was measured using Dual luciferase reporter assay.Results from immunoblotting analysis demonstrated that pretreatment of cells with ZnC enhanced the expression of HO-1 in RAW 264.7 cells. Pretreatment of cells with HO-1 inhibitor (tin protoporphyrin IX dichloride) significantly attenuated the inhibitory effects of ZnC on nitric oxide (NO) production, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and NF-κB activation in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells, suggesting that HO-1 play an important role in the suppression of inflammatory responses induced by ZnC. Furthermore, results from co-immunoprecipitation of Nrf2 and Keap1 and dual luciferase reporter assay showed that pretreatment of ZnC was able to activate the Nrf2 signaling pathway. Treatment of cells with p38 inhibitor (SB203580), c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor (SP600125), and MEK 1/2 inhibitor (U0126) did not significantly suppress the induction of HO-1 by ZnC. Moreover, our present findings suggest that the effects of ZnC on NO production, HO-1 expression, and Nrf2 activation were attributed to its Zn subcomponent, but not l-carnosine.Pretreatment with ZnC was able to activate Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, thus suppressing the expression of inflammatory mediators, such as NO and iNOS in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells.

A cross sectional study was conducted in a group of 317 subjects older than 60 in Malaysia, aimed to determine risk factors associated with cognitive impairment in older adults, focusing on trace elements and DNA damage. Cognitive decline was determined by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde-MDA and superoxide dismutase-SOD) were determined and DNA damage was assayed using Alkaline Comet Assay. Toenail samples were taken and analyzed using ICP-MS to determine trace element levels. A total of 62.1 % of subjects had cognitive impairment. Subjects with cognitive impairment had significantly higher levels of MDA and DNA damage as compared to the group with normal cognitive function; MDA (2.07 ± 0.05 nmol/L vs 1.85 ± 0.06 nmol/L) (p

Zinc (Zn) is an essential trace element required for maintaining both optimal human health and genomic stability. Zn plays a critical role in the regulation of DNA repair mechanisms, cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis involving the action of various transcriptional factors and DNA or RNA polymerases. Zn is an essential cofactor or structural component for important antioxidant defence proteins and DNA repair enzymes such as Cu/Zn SOD, OGG1, APE and PARP and may also affect activities of enzymes such as BHMT and MTR involved in methylation reactions in the folate-methionine cycle. This review focuses on the role of Zn in the maintenance of genome integrity and the effects of deficiency or excess on genomic stability events and cell death.

Telomere shortening is an important risk factor for cancer and accelerated aging. However, it is becoming evident that oxidatively damaged DNA within the telomere sequence may also cause telomere dysfunction. Here we describe a reliable, cost-effective quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based method to measure the amount of oxidized residues within telomeric DNA that are recognized and excised by formamidopyridine DNA glycosylase (FPG). We also report that in an in vitro model of oxidative stress oxidized base lesions measured using this method are more prevalent within telomeric sequences. Furthermore, this method is sufficiently sensitive to detect changes in oxidative stress induced by zinc deficiency and hydrogen peroxide within the physiological range.

Zinc (Zn) is an essential component of Zn-finger proteins and acts as a cofactor for enzymes required for cellular metabolism and in the maintenance of DNA integrity. The study investigated the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of Zn deficiency or excess in a primary human oral keratinocyte cell line and determined the optimal concentration of two Zn compounds (Zn Sulphate (ZnSO4) and Zn Carnosine (ZnC)) to minimise DNA damage. Zn-deficient medium (0 μM) was produced using Chelex treatment, and the two Zn compounds ZnSO4 and ZnC were tested at concentrations of 0.0, 0.4, 4.0, 16.0, 32.0 and 100.0 μM. Cell viability was decreased in Zn-depleted cells (0 μM) as well as at 32 μM and 100 μM for both Zn compounds (P