Pusat Pengajian Sains Kesihatan - Monograf
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- PublicationEtlingera elatior flower (bunga kantan) aqueous extract (eeae) as a potential agent for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (pilot study)(2026-01)Nazri, Tharwah Hidayah MohdNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a form of chronic liver disease and a growing global health problem closely associated with metabolic disorders, including obesity. Natural plant-derived antioxidants have attracted attention as potential therapeutic agents. The Etlingera elatior (E. elatior) flower has been utilised traditionally for its therapeutic properties. However, there is insufficient knowledge about the effect of E. elatior aqueous extract (EEAE) on NAFLD. This study identifies the presence of anthocyanin and determines the in vitro antioxidant properties of EEAE. This pilot study also aims to evaluate the potential effects of different concentrations of EEAE on NAFLD in high-fat diet (HFD) induced obese rats. Anthocyanins were identified using thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and in vitro antioxidant activity was assessed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Male Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to control, untreated, and EEAE-treated groups (500 and 1000 mg/kg). The study comprised induction and intervention phases: control rats received standard pellets, while the remaining groups were fed a high-fat diet for eight weeks, followed by EEAE treatment for eight weeks. Body mass index (BMI), liver function tests (LFT), and liver histopathology (H&E and Masson’s Trichrome staining) were evaluated. EEAE demonstrated high anthocyanin content and strong in vitro antioxidant activity, but did not significantly improve BMI or LFT. Untreated rats developed non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, whereas EEAE-treated rats showed dose-dependent histological improvement, with minimal steatosis observed at 1000 mg/kg. These findings suggest the potential of E. elatior aqueous extract as a natural antioxidant for the management of NAFLD.
- PublicationFunctional connectivity of alpha and alpha white noise during a 3-back task: an fmri study among university students(2026-01)TharminiWorking memory is essential for academic functioning and cognitive performance, particularly in young adulthood, which is characterized by increased cognitive demands during academic and professional development. Although auditory stimulation is becoming increasingly prevalent as a non-invasive method to modify cognition, the neural effects of different alpha-frequency stimuli remain poorly understood. This study examined the effects of alpha binaural beats (ABB) and alpha white noise (AWN) on working memory performance and large-scale functional brain connectivity. A within-subject functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was conducted in 30 university students performing a high-load 3-back task for ABB and AWN, with functional connectivity analyzed within and between conditions using functional connectivity multivariate pattern analysis (fcMVPA) followed by post-hoc region-of-interest analyses. The results demonstrated that ABB improved task accuracy and promoted more focused brain organization, as evidenced by higher involvement of frontoparietal and attention systems and decreased interaction with the default mode network, indicating greater neural efficiency under cognitive strain. In contrast, AWN triggered larger recruitment across attention, visual, sensorimotor, and default mode systems, indicating a stronger reliance on compensating brain resources. Behaviorally, ABB resulted in significant performance increases whereas20
- PublicationEvaluation of the effect of beta-caryophyllene on digestive vacuole pH in plasmodium falciparum(2026-01)Ting, Tan YiMalaria is a severe and potentially fatal disease caused by Plasmodium species. The emergence and spread of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum in endemic regions has intensified the need for antimalarial agents targeting alternative biological pathways. Beta-caryophyllene (BCP), a plant-derived sesquiterpene, has been reported to exhibit antimalarial activity. However, its effect on the pH of the parasite’s digestive vacuole (DV) has not been previously investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the antimalarial activity of BCP and to determine its effect on DV pH in P. falciparum. The antimalarial potential of BCP against the chloroquine-sensitive P. falciparum 3D7 strain was assessed by microscopic determination of parasitaemia using Giemsa-stained thin blood smears. BCP exhibited promising antimalarial activity with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 4.3 μM. A flow cytometry-based technique with fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-dextran) as a pH-sensitive ratiometric probe was used to quantify the DV pH. Mid-trophozoite stage malaria parasites grown in resealed erythrocytes containing FITC-dextran were treated with different concentrations of BCP based on the IC50 value. Parasites permeabilised with saponin were analysed to determine the ratio of green to yellow fluorescence intensity (Rgy), which was plotted against pH in a calibration curve for FITC-dextran. According to the pH calibration curve, the pH of the DV of the BCP-treated parasites was significantly changed (pH values ranged from 6.44–7.34) in a concentration-dependent manner compared to the untreated parasites (pH = 5.20) (p <0.001). This study provides a clue into the potential of BCP as a suitable compound for future antimalarial drug development.
- PublicationGeneration of in-silico DNA-aptamer as synthetic bioreceptor targeting PIVKA-II for early liver cancer detection(2026-01)Pranto, Shivnath DasProtein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) is a clinically validated biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma; however, its selective detection remains challenging due to structural homology among prothrombin-derived proteins. In this study, an in silico strategy was employed to design and evaluate DNA Aptamers of varying lengths (30-mer, 40-mer, and 50-mer) for selective recognition of PIVKA-II. Aptamer structural stability, binding affinity, and specificity were systematically investigated using secondary structure prediction, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations. Binding interactions were assessed at Pv6268 and Pv4n, representing distinct PIVKA-II binding sites, while Pv0 (prothrombin) was used as a non-target protein to evaluate crossreactivity. The 30-mer and 40-mer DNA Aptamers formed compact and conformationally stable structures and exhibited strong binding at the Pv4n sites with negligence crossreactivity toward Pv0. In contrast, the 50-mer DNA Aptamer displayed increased conformational flexibility, resulting in less selective in distinguishing between PIVKA-II protein variants and cross-reacted towards Pv0. These findings highlight the critical role of Aptamer conformational adaptability in achieving high disease specificity and provide a rational framework for the computational design of highly selective PIVKA-II-targeted Aptamers for hepatocellular carcinoma diagnostics..
- PublicationHistopathological changes in the brain, kidney and liver tissues of type 2 diabetic neuropathy rats model(2026-01)Azman, Qistina Tihani MohdDiabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and inflammation, leading to progressive damage across multiple organ systems. This study aimed to evaluate histopathological alterations in the brain, kidney, and liver tissues and to assess the protective effects of minocycline and gabapentin in a type 2 diabetic neuropathy (T2DM) rat model. Diabetes was experimentally induced, and animals were divided into five groups: normal control, diabetic control, minocycline-treated groups at low and high doses (40 and 80 mg/kg), and a gabapentin-treated group (100 mg/kg). Histopathological examinations of brain, kidney, and liver tissues were performed using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Lesion severity was evaluated using a semi-quantitative scoring system (0 = no lesions, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, and 3 = severe). Statistical analysis was conducted using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test. The diabetic control group exhibited severe histopathological abnormalities, including neuronal degeneration and demyelination in the brain, tubular and glomerular damage in the kidney, and vacuolar degeneration, congestion, and fatty changes in the liver. Treatment with minocycline significantly attenuated lesion severity in all examined organs in a dose-dependent manner, with the higher dose (80 mg/kg) demonstrating superior protective effects. In contrast, gabapentin treatment resulted in partial histological improvement, with persistent tissue damage observed. In conclusion, minocycline exerted significant dose-dependent protective effects against diabetes-induced histopathological damage in the brain, kidney, and liver. These findings suggest that minocycline may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for mitigating diabetes-related multi-organ complication.