Malaria remains a public health problem in tropical and subtropical regions. Resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to artemisinins in Southeast Asia is a great concern for disease control and research on discovery and development of new alternative antimalarial drugs is urgently required. In a previous study, the fruit of Piper chaba Hunt. was demonstrated to exhibit promising antimalarial activity against the asexual stage of 3D7 (chloroquine-sensitive) and K1 (chloroquine-resistant) P. falciparum clones. The aim of the present study was to further investigate the antimalarial activity of piperine, the major isolated constituent of Piper chaba Hunt. fruits against both P. falciparum clones. The antimalarial activity was determined using SYBR green-I-based assay and morphological change was observed under the light microscope with Giemsa staining. The median IC₅₀ (concentration that inhibits parasite growth by 50%) values of piperine against 3D7 and K1 P. falciparum were 111.5 and 59 μM, respectively. A marked change in parasite morphology was observed within 48 hours of piperine exposure. Results of real-time PCR showed no effect of piperine on modulating the expression of the three genes associated with antimalarial drug resistance in P. falciparum, i.e., pfcrt, pfmdr1, and pfmrp1. Piperine could be a promising candidate for further development as an antimalarial drug based on its antimalarial potency and low risk of resistance development.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) continues to pose a critical global health challenge, making ongoing monitoring vital for effective management and preventing its progression to end-stage renal disease. The urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) stands out as a reliable biomarker. MyACR was developed and validated as a novel point-of-care (POC) device for identifying and monitoring the progress of CKD. MyACR device operates using a colorimetric-based spectroscopy to quantify albumin and creatinine levels at 625 nm and 515 nm, respectively. Calculated uACR values were compared with results from the reference turbidimetry method using a dataset of 103 random urine samples from patients at high risk of advanced CKD. The device showed excellent performance in detecting severe nephropathy, with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 100%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. The PPV (positive predictive value) was 100%, indicating perfect identification of patients with severe nephropathy (uACR > 300 mg/g creatinine). The NPV (negative predictive value) was 100%, suggesting a strong ability to rule out severe nephropathy, though a small risk of false negatives remained. Bland–Altman analysis confirmed a high level of agreement, with 96.11% (for all data) and 95.87% (for uACR > 300 mg/g creatinine) of MyACR measurements falling within the 95% confidence interval (−27 to +19). Correlation analysis revealed a significant alignment between MyACR and the reference method (r² 0.9720 to 0.9836). The ROC analysis suggested that combining uACR with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) demonstrated strong predictive performance, yielding an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.933 (95% CI: 0.86–1.0). In conclusion, the MyACR device is a robust, affordable, and user-friendly tool for detecting nephropathy, showing performance comparable to the reference method. Its portability and cost-effectiveness make it particularly suitable for use in low-resource environments. Additionally, integrating uACR with eGFR enhances prognostic capabilities, offering a comprehensive approach to assessing kidney function and predicting CKD progression.

Microalbuminemia, characterized by a urinary albumin concentration between 20 and 200 mg/L, is a critical marker in assessing the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetic nephropathy, and various other chronic conditions. Previously, we developed and validated the MyACR point-of-care (PoC) device, which facilitates the monitoring of CKD progression through real-time data transmission, thus enhancing patient management. This device utilizes a spectrophotometric dye-binding assay to measure albumin and creatinine concentrations in urine samples, providing an albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) result. In the present study, we introduced a refined version of the PoC device, MyμAlbumin, designed to offer a simple, accurate, specific, sensitive, and rapid method for detecting microalbumin in urine as an early indicator of CKD and related diseases. The measurement is based on a specific immunoturbidimetric assay in a microcuvette, using a total solution volume of 125 µL (n = 5 for each validation test). The MyμAlbumin device demonstrated excellent performance, achieving high accuracy (%DMV ≤ 4.67) and precision (%CV < 5) and a strong correlation (R² > 0.995) with laboratory spectrophotometry (dye-binding assay) and reference hospital-based immunoturbidimetric assay. Its high sensitivity (LOQ = 5 mg/L) positions MyμAlbumin as a highly viable and cost-effective tool for clinical use. Additionally, the device supports real-time, seamless data transmission, making it ideal for integration into remote healthcare settings.

Atractylodin and β-eudesmol, the major bioactive compounds in Atractylodes lancea, are promising candidates for anti-cholangiocarcinoma. The inhibitory effects of both compounds on human rCYP1A2, rCYP2C9, rCYP2C19, rCYP2D6 and rCYP3A4 enzymes were investigated using luminogenic CYP450 kits. The modulatory effects were investigated in mouse livers following a daily oral dose of atractylodin or β-eudesmol at 100 mg/kg body weight for 1, 7, 14, and 21 days. The inhibitory effects of both compounds on all rCYP450s were weak (IC₅₀: 167 to >686 µM). β-Eudesmol showed the most potent inhibitory effect on rCYP2C19 (IC₅₀ = 172.7 µM) and rCYP3A4 (IC₅₀ = 218.6 µM). Results of the ex vivo study showed that short exposure (1–7 days) of atractylodin and β-eudesmol resulted in the upregulation of mRNA. Prolonged exposure to the daily oral dose for at least 14 days significantly downregulated the expressions of mRNA and proteins, which correlated with the decrease in the activities of mCYP1A2 and mCYP3A11. Based on the results of the ex vivo study, clinical uses of atractylodin or β-eudesmol for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma are of concern for the risk of toxicity due to hCYP3A4 inhibition following chronic dosing, as well as the metabolic interaction with the coadministered drugs that are metabolized by hCYP3A4.