Antibiotics are regarded as a miracle in the medical field as it prevents disease caused by pathogenic bacteria. Since the discovery of penicillin, antibiotics have become the foundation for modern medical discoveries. However, bacteria soon became resistant to antibiotics, which puts a burden on the healthcare system. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become one of the most prominent antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the world since 1961. MRSA primarily developed resistance to beta-lactamases antibiotics and can be easily spread in the healthcare system. Thus, alternatives to combat MRSA are urgently required. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), an innate host immune agent and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), are gaining interest as alternative treatments against MRSA. Both agents have broad-spectrum properties which are suitable candidates for controlling MRSA. Although both agents can exhibit antimicrobial effects independently, the combination of both can be synergistic and complementary to each other to exhibit stronger antimicrobial activity. The combination of AMPs and AgNPs also reduces their own weaknesses as their own, which can be developed as a potential agent to combat antibiotic resistance especially towards MRSA. Thus, this review aims to discuss the potential of antimicrobial peptides and silver nanoparticles towards controlling MRSA pathogen growth.
The non-hazardous silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesised using the extract of a biological organism has gained widespread attention for various applications, mainly in healthcare. This study aimed at synthesising AgNPs using the aqueous extract of Marphysa moribidii (Annelida, Polychaeta) and to evaluate their antibacterial activities. AgNPs were synthesised in response to silver nitrate (AgNO3) with polychaete crude extract for 24 h incubation; the polychaete crude extract acted as both reducing and stabilising agents. The presence of biosynthesised AgNPs was confirmed by an analysis of colour variations from pinkish to yellowish-brown, as well as the appearance of surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) bands at 398–400 nm using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. Biosynthesised AgNPs were characterised by dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Biosynthesised AgNPs showed a significant effect (p < 0.05) on Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and S.epidermidis) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pnemoniae, Salmonella typhimurium, Serratia sp., Shigella sonnei, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Thus, the crude extract of M. moribidii has a potential as a reducing agent for the development of future nanometal-based antibacterial agent, AgNPs, for the treatment of infectious diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria.
26 January 2017 in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Many studies revealed the potential of honey consumption in controlling obesity. However, no study has been conducted using Malaysian honey. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of two local Malaysian honey types: Gelam and Acacia honey in reducing excess weight gain and other parameters related to obesity. The quality of both honey types was determined through physicochemical analysis and contents of phenolic and flavonoid. Male Sprague‐Dawley rats were induced to become obese using high fat diet (HFD) prior to introduction with/without honey or orlistat for four weeks. Significant reductions in excess weight gain and adiposity index were observed in rats fed with Gelam honey compared to HFD rats. Moreover, levels of plasma glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol, plasma leptin and resistin, liver enzymes, renal function test, and relative organ weight in Gelam and Acacia honey treated groups were reduced significantly when compared to rats fed with HFD only. Similar results were also displayed in rats treated with orlistat, but with hepatotoxicity effects. In conclusion, consumption of honey can be used to control obesity by regulating lipid metabolism and appears to be more effective than orlistat.
1 December 2021 in Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
Insulin resistance is a key factor in metabolic disorders like hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia, which are promoted by obesity and may later lead to Type II diabetes mellitus. In recent years, researchers have identified links between insulin resistance and many noncommunicable illnesses other than diabetes. Hence, studying insulin resistance is of particular importance in unravelling the pathways employed by such diseases. In this review, mechanisms involving free fatty acids, adipocytokines such as TNFαand PPARγand serine kinases like JNK and IKKβ, asserted to be responsible in the development of insulin resistance, will be discussed. Suggested mechanisms for actions in normal and disrupted states were also visualised in several manually constructed diagrams to capture an overall view of the insulin-signalling pathway and its related components. The underlying constituents of medicinal significance found in theStevia rebaudianaBertoni plant (among other plants that potentiate antihyperglycemic activities) were explored in further depth. Understanding these factors and their mechanisms may be essential for comprehending the progression of insulin resistance towards the development of diabetes mellitus.
In veterinary medicine, the concept of disease is critical because it related to the survivability rate of the veterinary, especially livestock. Chicken was the most popular livestock that was observed in veterinary medicine. However, veterinary books were less popular compared to article and conference paper in global academic. This study's goal was to look how was the depiction of topic disease was used in veterinary textbooks that were related to the embryo of chicken as well as the trend of that topic. This study gathered 90 books meta-data donwloaded from Scopus website in form of CSV file. The data were analyzed using Vosviewer and biblioshiny of R Studio software to see the topic trend, citation, and number of book pages. Literature review also used to see the depiction of disease inside samples. Result showed that authors' keywords, heart and disease were closely related with a keyword chicken embryo. Moreover, each book get at least 10–11 citations globally. Moreover, repetitive keywords used in abstract of samples of this study were cells/cell, gene, and human. Those repetitive words were closely related to a word disease. It could be means that cell of the embryo of chicken also played the important role in determining its resistance against disease.