Hean-Chooi Ong

Malay ethno-medico botany in Machang, Kelantan, Malaysia

A survey of the Malay ethno-medico botany in the Machang district, Kelantan state, Malaysia, identified 146 species used by the villagers to treat various ailments.

Malay herbal medicine in Gemencheh, Negri Sembilan, Malaysia

A survey of the Malay herbal medicine in the Gemencheh settlement, Negri Sembilan state, Malaysia, identified 54 species used by the villagers to treat various ailments.

Ethno-medicinal Plants Used by the Temuan Villagers in Kampung Jeram Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

Abstract This report is based on information obtained through general conversation with elderly villagers of Kampung Jeram Kedah. A total of 56 species of medicinal plants with various uses was recorded. The plants are used to treat many types of ailments ranging from simple ones such as joint aches and pains to serious ailments such as diabetes, malaria and tumors. The most frequently used plant part in term of percentage of total number of species was the root (51.8%). This was followed by stem (17.9%), leaf (16.1%), whole plant (5.4%), root and leaf (3.6%), fruit (1.8%), inflorescence (1.8%), and rhizome (1.8%). Knowledge and usage of medicinal plants is decreasing due to various factors such as modern medicines are easily available, the younger generation are less interested in folk medicine, changes in habitat causing certain medicinal plants to be unavailable or less available.

Ethno-medicinal Resources Used By the Temuan in Ulu Kuang Village

Abstract Orang Asli is a term used for the aborigines in Peninsular Malaysia. This study reveals the ethno-medicines used by one of the tribes of Orang Asli, Temuan in Ulu Kuang Village, Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia. The study which was conducted through semi-constructed questionnaire found a total of 47 species of plants from 36 families, 7 species of mushrooms from 5 families, and 12 species of animals from 10 families being utilized as medicines by the villagers. Among the ailments treated, hypertension was shown to be the most treated ailment utilizing 12 species of natural resources in total. The most utilized species of plant, mushroom, and animal by the Temuan in Ulu Kuang Village for medicine are Eurycoma longifolia, Lignosus rhinocerus, and Hystrix brachyura, respectively.

Traditional Medicinal Plants Used by the Temuan Villagers in Kampung Tering, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

Abstract The authors report a total of 35 species of medicinal plants used by the villagers in Tering village. 20 species (57%) were native plants while 15 species (43%) were cultivated plants. The plants were used to treat various kinds of ailments and other health problems normally faced by these people. The common mode of administration was oral (54.3%) followed by external use (37.1%). Decoction was the more common method of preparing herbal medicine (48.6%) followed by pounded or mashed (25.7%).The plants were used to treat many types of ailments ranging from simple ones such as joint aches and pains to serious ailments such as bone fractures, hypertension and tumors. Traditional knowledge and usage of medicinal plants is decreasing due to various factors such as modern medicines are easily available, the younger generation are less interested in folk medicine, changes in habitat causing certain medicinal plants to be unavailable or less available.

Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants among the Malay villagers in Kampung Mak Kemas, Terengganu, Malaysia

Abstract This study was carried out to assess the traditional knowledge on medicinal plants in a Malay village in Malaysia. It was carried out through face to face interviews with respondents and collection and identification of medicinal plants in the village. A total of 56 species of medicinal plants were recorded during a series of folk botanical surveys at a village at Terengganu, Malaysia. A majority of these species are herbaceous angiosperms, followed by trees and shrubs. The most common part of plant used in preparing herbal medicine is the leaves. More plants are used for general health, to treat dermatological complaints, reproductive system, abdominal problems and fever compared to other ailments. The most common method of preparation is poultice, followed by decoction and infusion. Thus, more medicinal plants are used topically than orally.

Water fraction of edible medicinal fern Stenochlaena palustris is a potent α-glucosidase inhibitor with concurrent antioxidant activity.

This study aimed to isolate a potent antiglucosidase and antioxidant fraction from Stenochlaena palustris. Extraction was performed with hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water. Antiglucosidase, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays found methanol extract (ME) to be the most active. Water fraction (WF) of ME was a stronger α-glucosidase inhibitor (EC50 2.9 μg/mL) than quercetin, with weak antiamylase activity. WF was a competitive α-glucosidase inhibitor. DPPH scavenging activity of WF (EC50 7.7 μg/mL) was weaker than quercetin. WF (EC50 364 μg/mL) was a stronger hydrogen peroxide scavenger than gallic acid (EC50 838 μg/mL) and was equally strong as quercetin in scavenging superoxide. WF possessed moderate copper chelating activity. WF was enriched in total phenolics (TP) and hydroxycinnamic acids (THC). TP correlated with antioxidant activity (R(2) > 0.76). Only THC correlated with antiglucosidase activity (R(2) = 0.86). Overall, WF demonstrated concurrent, potent antiglucosidase and antioxidant activities.

Investigation of antibacterial mechanism and identification of bacterial protein targets mediated by antibacterial medicinal plant extracts

In this paper, we investigated the antibacterial mechanism and potential therapeutic targets of three antibacterial medicinal plants. Upon treatment with the plant extracts, bacterial proteins were extracted and resolved using denaturing gel electrophoresis. Differentially-expressed bacterial proteins were excised from the gels and subjected to sequence analysis by MALDI TOF-TOF mass spectrometry. From our study, seven differentially expressed bacterial proteins (triacylglycerol lipase, N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase, flagellin, outer membrane protein A, stringent starvation protein A, 30S ribosomal protein s1 and 60 kDa chaperonin) were identified. Additionally, scanning electron microscope study indicated morphological damages induced on bacterial cell surfaces. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first time these bacterial proteins are being reported, following treatments with the antibacterial plant extracts. Further studies in this direction could lead to the detailed understanding of their inhibition mechanism and discovery of target-specific antibacterial agents.

Traditional Medicinal Plants Used by the Kensiu Tribe of Lubuk Ulu Legong, Kedah, Malaysia

Abstract This study is based on information obtained through interviews with respondents, observations, collection and identification of medicinal plants in Kampung Orang Asli Lubuk Ulu Legong Baling, Kedah. A total of 39 species from 35 families of medicinal plants used for treating various ailments were recorded. 10.2% of the species were used to treat more than one ailment. The common mode of administration was oral (69.2%) followed by external use (30.8%).The common part of plant used is the root followed by leaves, stem, fruit, whole plant and tuber. Decoction (69.2%) is a common method of preparing herbal medicine followed by pounded (15.4%), mashed (7.7%), burned (2.6%), shredded and incantation (3%). 59% of the species were obtained from the wild, 28.2% were planted and 12.8% species of the species were both wild and planted.

Bioactivity-guided isolation and structural characterization of the antifungal compound, plumbagin, from Nepenthes gracilis

Abstract Context: Despite several phytochemical studies of Nepenthes gracilis Korth (Nepenthaceae), the biological activities of this pitcher plant remain to be explored. Objective: This study evaluates the antifungal activity of N. gracilis extracts, isolates, and characterizes its bioactive compound and evaluates the cytotoxicity of the isolated compound. Materials and methods: Fresh leaves of N. gracilis were sequentially extracted. The fungistatic and fungicidal activities of the extracts were evaluated against six species of fungi of medical importance using a colorimetric broth microdilution method. The most active extract was fractionated by liquid–liquid partitioning and further purified by a preparative thin layer chromatography. Structural elucidation was carried out using FT-IR, GC-MS, and NMR. Cytotoxicity testing against rhesus monkey kidney epithelial cells (LLC-MK2) was assessed by a neutral red uptake (NRU) assay. Results: The hexane extract, which showed the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC), both at 20 μg/mL against Candida albicans, Issatchenkia orientalis, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes, was subjected to bioactivity-guided fractionation. The isolated compound exhibited potent activity with the MIC values ranging from 2 to 31 μg/mL against all the fungi. The active compound was identified as plumbagin (5-hydroxy-2-methyl-naphthalene-1,4-dione). The 50% cytotoxicity concentration (CC50) of plumbagin was 0.60 μg/mL. Discussion and conclusion: The selectivity indices of plumbagin against all the fungi were less than 1.0, indicating that plumbagin is more toxic to mammalian than fungal cells. This study provides information on the antifungal properties of N. gracilis leaf extracts, as well as the antifungal and cytotoxicity properties of plumbagin.