Hepatotoxicity is a major global public health concern. Despite advances in modern medicine, the demerits of chemically prepared drugs outweigh their merits. In addition, the treatment of liver diseases based on modern medical principles has been found to produce several undesired side effects. Therefore, the exploration of medicinal plants has gained worldwide attention for treating various diseases, including liver diseases, owing to their potential efficacy and cost effectiveness. Several plants, including Andrographis paniculata, Bauhinia purpurea, Commelina nudiflora, Dillenia suffruticosa, Elaeis guineensis, Lygodium microphyllum, and Nephrolepis biserrata, have been reported with hepatoprotection. Moreover, these plants have been shown to play a vital role in ameliorating cellular damage because they contain several phytochemicals, including alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, steroids, polyphenols, and diterpenoid lactones. The following antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and hepatoprotective compounds have been found in these plants: andrographolide, rosmarinic acid, phenol, eugenol, 9,12-octadecadienoic, n-hexadecanoic acid, dihydroxy dimethoxy flavone, sitosterol, demethoxycurcumin, quercetin, linoleic acid, stigmasterol, kojic acid, indole-2-one, α-terpinol, linalool, kaempferol, catechin, ellagic acid, and oleanolic acid. This paper aimed to provide an in-depth review of in vivo studies on Malaysian medicinal plants possessing hepatoprotective properties, phytochemical ingredients, and antioxidant mechanisms, with an emphasis on the species proven particularly useful for treating hepatic disorders.

COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease-2019) is an infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus, known as the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This is a highly contagious disease that has already affected more than 220 countries globally, infecting more than 212 million people and resulting in the death of over 4.4 million people. This review aims to highlight the pertinent documentary evidence upon the adverse effects of the SARS-CoV-2 infection on several vital human organs. SARS-CoV-2 primarily targets the lung tissue by causing diffuse alveolar damage and may result in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). SARS-CoV-2 infects the cell via cell surface receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Besides lungs, SARS-CoV-2 critically damage tissues in other vital human organs such as the heart, kidney, liver, brain, and gastrointestinal tract. The effect on the heart includes muscle dysfunction (acute or protracted heart failure), myocarditis, and cell necrosis. Within hepatic tissue, it alters serum aminotransferase, total bilirubin, and gamma-glutamyl transferase levels. It contributes to acute kidney injury (AKI). Localized infection of the brain can lead to loss or attenuation of olfaction, muscular pain, headaches, encephalopathy, dizziness, dysgeusia, psychomotor disorders, and stroke; while the gastrointestinal symptoms include the disruption of the normal intestinal mucosa, leading to diarrhea and abdominal pain. This review encompassed a topical streak of systemic malfunctions caused by the SARS-CoV-2 infection. As the pandemic is still in progress, more studies will enrich our understanding and analysis of this disease.

Malaysia has a long coastline surrounded by various islands, including North Borneo, that provide a suitable environment for the growth of diverse species of seaweeds. Some of the important North Bornean seaweed species are Kappaphycus alvarezii, Eucheuma denticulatum, Halymenia durvillaei (Rhodophyta), Caulerpa lentillifera, Caulerpa racemosa (Chlorophyta), Dictyota dichotoma and Sargassum polycystum (Ochrophyta). This review aims to highlight the therapeutic potential of North Bornean seaweeds and their nutraceutical profiling. North Bornean seaweeds have demonstrated anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, cardiovascular protective, neuroprotective, renal protective and hepatic protective potentials. The protective roles of the seaweeds might be due to the presence of a wide variety of nutraceuticals, including phthalic anhydride, 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, 2-pentylthiophene, furoic acid (K. alvarezii), eicosapentaenoic acid, palmitoleic acid, fucoxanthin, β-carotene (E. denticulatum), eucalyptol, oleic acid, dodecanal, pentadecane (H. durvillaei), canthaxanthin, oleic acid, pentadecanoic acid, eicosane (C. lentillifera), pseudoephedrine, palmitic acid, monocaprin (C. racemosa), dictyohydroperoxide, squalene, fucosterol, saringosterol (D. dichotoma), and lutein, neophytadiene, cholest-4-en-3-one and cis-vaccenic acid (S. polycystum). Extensive studies on the seaweed isolates are highly recommended to understand their bioactivity and mechanisms of action, while highlighting their commercialization potential.

Natural products serve as a valuable source of antioxidants with potential health benefits for various conditions. Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R. Br., also known as Old World climbing fern, is an invasive climbing fern native to Southeast Asia, Africa, South America, Australia, and Melanesia. It has been reported to possess interesting pharmacological properties including hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. This study analyzed the potential bioactive metabolites that contribute to the antioxidant and antimicrobial effects of L. microphyllum (LM) by profiling the crude extract using high-resolution LC-MS/MS and GC-MS systems. Several classes of compounds such as phenolics, flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, macrolides, vitamins, lipids, and other hydrocarbons were found in the crude extract of LM through non-targeted analysis. A total of 74 compounds were detected in LC-MS/MS, whereas a total of nine compounds were identified in GC-MS. Out of the 74 compounds detected in LC-MS/MS, 34 compounds, primarily quercetin, kaempferol, trifolin, pyroglutamic acid, arachidonic acid, and rutin were reported with antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective activities. The presence of phenolic and flavonoid compounds with reported bioactivities in the crude extract of LM evidence its pharmacological properties.

In Southeast Asian nations, cultured hybrid groupers are facing serious infestation by the marine parasitic leech Zeylanicobdella arugamensis (Annelida, Hirudinea). They attach to the hybrid groupers by sucking and biting on the surface of the skin, paving the way for secondary infection upon the fish. The objective of the study is to utilize the locally available seaweed to control the infestation of parasitic leeches. The methanol extracts of the brown alga Sargassum polycystum C. Agardh, 1824 (Phaeophyceae) from Sabah were prepared and investigated for antiparasitic efficacy against Z. arugamensis through in vitro bioassay. A total of 126 adult leeches from the host hybrid groupers were obtained from the fish hatchery. The parasitic leeches were treated with the methanol extracts of S. polycystum for 180 min by preparing five different dosages at concentrations of 100, 50, 25, 12.5, and 6.25 mg/mL. The brown alga was found to have high antiparasitic efficacy, resulting in 100% leech mortality over a short period of time. It showed the highest antiparasitic efficacy (total mortality of leeches) in a short time limit of 0.96 ± 0.44 min, for 100 mg/mL of the extract. Observations on leech behavior in the positive control and the seaweed extract treatments showed vigorous swimming before mortality. LC-MS/MS analysis was used to reveal the phytochemical composition of the extract to understand the nature of the main components responsible for its antiparasitic activities. A total of 29 metabolites were identified via Q Exactive HF Orbitrap mass spectrometry, including two flavonoids (ephedrannin A and hinokiflavone), two organoarsenics (1-dimethylarsinoyl-heptadecane and cacodylic acid), four heterocyclic compounds, and two chlorophyll breakdown products. The presence of bioactive compounds could increase the mortality rate of parasitic leeches. Thus, this study concludes that the brown alga showed high efficacy in its antiparasitic activities and can be effectively applied for treatment in grouper aquaculture farms for sustainable aquaculture.

Zeylanicobdella arugamensis (Hirudinea), a marine parasitic leech, not only resulted in the mortality of the host fish (Groupers) but also caused economic losses. The current study aimed to elucidate the antiparasitic efficacy of the aqueous extract of the Azadirachta indica leaves against Z. arugamensis and to profile the composition via LC-Q Exactive HF Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Different concentrations (25, 50 and 100 mg/mL) of A. indica extract were prepared and tested on the parasitic leeches. The total mortality of leeches was noticed with an exposure to the A. indica aqueous extract. The average times required for the aqueous extract at concentrations of 25, 50 and 100 mg/mL to kill the leeches were 42.65 ± 9.20, 11.69 ± 1.11 and 6.45 ± 0.45 min, respectively, in a dose-dependent manner. The Orbitrap mass spectrometry analysis indicated the presence of five flavonoids (myricetin 3-O-galactoside, trifolin, isorhamnetin, quercetin and kaempferol), four aromatics (4-methoxy benzaldehyde, scopoletin, indole-3-acrylic acid and 2,4-quinolinediol), three phenolics (p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid and phloretin) and two terpenoids (pulegone and caryophyllene oxide). Thus, our study indicates that A. indica aqueous extract is a good source of metabolites with the potential to act as a biocontrol agent against the marine parasitic leech in aquaculture.