Ridhwan Abdul Wahab

Antioxidant activity and phenolic profile of various morphological parts of underutilised Baccaurea angulata fruit.

Baccaurea angulata is an underutilised tropical fruit of Borneo Island of Malaysia. The effect of solvents was examined on yield, total phenolic (TPC), total flavonoids (TFC), total carotene content (TCC), free radical scavenging activities and lipid peroxidation inhibition activities. The results indicated that the pulp (edible portion) had the highest yield, while methanol extracts were significantly (p < 0.01) found to contain higher TPC, TFC and TCC than phosphate buffered saline (PBS) extracts for all the fruits parts. The methanol extracts also showed remarkable antiradical activity and significant lipid peroxidation inhibition activities, with their IC50 results highly comparable to that of commercial blueberry. The variations in the results among the extracts suggest different interactions, such as negative or antagonistic (interference), additive and synergistic effect interactions. The study indicated that B. angulata like other underutilised tropical fruits contained remarkable primary antioxidants. Thus, the fruit has the potential to be sources of antioxidant components.

Identification of Cryptosporidium from Dairy Cattle in Pahang, Malaysia

Cryptosporidium, a protozoan parasite, can cause cryptosporidiosis which is a gastrointestinal disease that can infect humans and livestock. Cattle are the most common livestock that can be infected with this protozoan. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in cattle in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia and to find out the association between the occurrence of infection and 3 different ages of cattle (calves less than 1 year, yearling, and adult cattle). The samples were processed by using formol-ether concentration technique and stained by modified Ziehl Neelsen. The results showed that 15.9% (24/151) of cattle were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts. The occurrence of Cryptosporidium in calves less than 1 year was the highest with the percentage of 20.0% (11/55) followed by yearling and adult cattle, with the percentage occurrence of 15.6 % (7/45) and 11.8% (6/51), respectively. There was no significant association between the occurrence and age of cattle and presence of diarrhea. Good management practices and proper hygiene management must be taken in order to reduce the infection. It is highly important to control the infection since infected cattle may serve as potential reservoirs of the infection to other animals and humans, especially animal handlers.

Occurrence of intestinal parasitic contamination in selected consumed local raw vegetables and fruits in Kuantan, Pahang

Intestinal parasitic infections are one of the most common causes of human diseases that result in serious health and economic issues in many developing and developed countries. Raw vegetables and fruits play an important role in transmitting parasites to humans. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the parasitological contamination of select commonly consumed local leafy vegetables and fruits in Kuantan, Malaysia. One kilogram of locally consumed raw vegetables and fruits were collected randomly from the Kuantan wet market (Pasar Tani) during the monsoon season (November 2014-January 2015) and the dry season (February 2015-April 2015). A standard wet mount procedure and modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining were used for the detection of parasites. In the present study, the examination of vegetables revealed five different parasite species. The vegetable samples collected from Kuantans wet market were positive for both helminthes and protozoa. However, the fruits samples were negative for parasitic contamination. Pegaga was the most contaminated leafy vegetable in this study, and Strongyloides was the parasite found most frequently. Furthermore, there was a high diversity in the type of parasites observed during the dry season compared to the monsoon season. Therefore, further action should be taken to reduce the occurrence of parasitic contamination in vegetables by implementing the principles of good agricultural practice and improving water treatment efficacy.

Antimicrobial Effect of Baccaurea angulata Fruit Extracts against Human Pathogenic Microorganisms

The application and research for drugs and food supplements derived from plants extracts have increased in recent years. Plants extract and their constituents are recognized to be safe, either because of their traditional use without any documented detrimental impact or because of dedicated toxicological studies. The potential of higher plants as a source for new drugs is largely unexplored. Although hundreds of plant species have been tested for antimicrobial properties, the vast majority of medicinal plants have not been adequately evaluated. And an increasing number of pathogens are left off treatment, due to emergent resistance strains. Thus, a systematic investigation was undertaken to screen for antibacterial activity from Baccaurea angulata (BA). The Baccaurea angulata belongs to the family of Euphorbiaceae. Plant that belongs to the family is used as food as well as treatment of infectious diseases such as diarrhea, skin infections and gonorrhoea. The anti-microbial activity of the BA fruit extracts havee revealed different antimicrobial properties, that are various between three parts (whole fruit, fruit skin, and berry), three solvents (methanol, ethanol and aqueous), different methods (agar well diffusion, and microdilution method) and differently listed pathogens (Streptococcus pneumonia, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Klebsiella pneumonia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The highest observed antimicrobial activity was in ethanol extract of fruit skin using agar well diffusion against S. pneumonia. Among tested Gram negative bacteria K. pneumoniae was the most susceptible bacterium which showed the highest bactericidal and bacteriostatic activity using microdilution method.