Abstrak: Jangkitan parasit usus adalah salah satu penyakit manusia yang lazimnya menyebabkan masalah kesihatan yang serius dan mengakibatkan isu-isu ekonomi di negara-negara maju dan membangun. Sayur-sayuran mentah dan buah-buahan memainkan peranan yang penting sebagai medium jangkitan parasit ke dalam manusia. Oleh itu, tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk menyiasat pencemaran parasitologi daripada sayur-sayuran berdaun dan buah-buahan yang biasa dimakan serta dipilih penduduk tempatan di Kuantan, Malaysia. Sebanyak satu kilogram sayur-sayuran tempatan yang dimakan mentah dan buah-buahan telah dikumpulkan secara rawak dari pasar basah Kuantan (Pasar Tani) semasa musim tengkujuh (November 2014-Januari 2015) dan musim kering (Februari 2015-April 2015. Prosedur lazim "wet mount" dan teknik perwarnaan Ziehl-Neelsen yang dimodifikasi telah digunakan untuk mengesan parasit. Dalam kajian ini, pemeriksaan sayur-sayuran mendedahkan lima spesies parasite yang berbeza. Sampel sayur-sayuran yang diambil daripada pasar basah Kuantan adalah positif untuk kedua-dua helmin dan protozoa. Walau bagaimanapun, sampel buah-buahan adalah negatif untuk pencemaran parasit. Pegaga merupakan sayuran yang paling tercemar dalam kajian ini dan Strongyloides adalah parasit yang paling kerap ditemui. Tambahan pula, terdapat kepelbagaian yang tinggi dalam jenis parasit yang telah diperhatikan semasa musim kering berbanding musim tengkujuh. Oleh itu, tindakan lanjut perlu diambil untuk mengurangkan berlakunya pencemaran parasit didalam sayur-sayuran dengan melaksanakan prinsip-prinsip amalan pertanian yang baik serta keberkesanan rawatan air perlu dipertingkatkan. 24parasites 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 Kuantan's 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.

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BackgroundAtherosclerosis is the most common disease of large and medium-sized arteries linked to oxidative stress, dyslipidemia as well as chronic inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential health benefits of Baccaurea angulata (BA) fruit juice on the aorta of diet-induced hypercholesterolemic rabbits, to detect an accumulation of fatty streak and evaluate the percentage of atherosclerotic lesion accrued.MethodsThirty-five healthy male adults New Zealand White rabbits were assigned to seven different groups. Four groups were fed 1% cholesterol diet and 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mL of BA fruit juice per kg of rabbit daily (atherogenic groups), while the other three groups were fed commercial rabbit pellet and 0, 0.5, and 1.0 mL of juice per kg of rabbit daily (normocholesterolemic groups) for 90 days. The thoracic and abdominal aorta between the heart origin and bifurcation into iliac arteries of all the rabbits were carefully removed and analyzed accordingly.ResultsThe supplementation of the high-cholesterol diet of hypercholesterolemic rabbits with only 0.5 mL BA/kg rabbit per day significantly (p < 0.001) improved aortic lipid profile, attenuated aortic fatty streak development and reduced intima thickening. Higher BA doses used (1.0 and 1.5 mL/kg rabbit per day) also significantly (p < 0.001) decreased further the development of aortic fatty streaks, reduced the thickening of the tunica intima layer and preserved endothelial healing following arterial injury.ConclusionTherefore, BA fruit is a potential novel functional food with effective anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic and hypocholesterolemic activities.

Stem cells provide various potential applications in regenerative medicine through its ability of self-renewal and differentiation. Among the various stem cells, dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have shown encouraging results in their ability to regenerate. Honey has been used in traditional culture as a natural medicine in supporting wound healing. Yet, very few studies on honey were conducted for its potential as a proliferative agent for stem cells. The aim of this study is to evaluate the stability of two Trigona spp. honeys (1 and 2) added in culture media and its proliferative effect on DPSCs. Both honeys were diluted with standard culture medium through dilution process to prepare the concentrations of 0.01%, 0.04%, 0.10% and 0.25%. DPSCs were treated with the diluted honeys for 24 hours. The proliferative activity was determined through the images taken using an inverted microscope for every six hours. In addition, the MTT assay was conducted to determine the cell viability of DPSCs when treated with both honey 1 and 2 at various concentrations. The results showed a stable culture media added with honey for three days and a dose-dependent proliferative effect of both Trigona spp. honey samples on DPSCs. Optimum proliferative effects were observed at 24 hours for both Trigona spp. honey 1 and 2 on DPSCs. The optimum concentration of Trigona spp. honey 1 was from 0.04% to 0.10% and Trigona spp. honey 2 was below 0.01%. It is concluded that Trigona spp. honey has a promising proliferative effect on DPSCs.

The apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium is well-known for its capability to induce cryptosporidiosis, a severe diarrheal disease in human and animals. Cryptosporidium can also be a potential pathogen in human for cancer progression, particularly colorectal cancer. This review was designed to outline the information about the life cycle of the Cryptosporidium, the consequences of Cryptosporidium infection into the response mechanism in immune compromised host and finally the regulation of oncomiRNAs and tumor suppressor miRNAs upon Cryptosporidium infection. Host-Cryptosporidium interaction caused alteration of expression of a series of microRNAs or miRNAs as a result of controlling defense mechanism. Regulation of miRNAs in the infected cells may be identified as possible biomarkers in cancer progression. Upregulation of oncomicroRNAs or oncomiRNAs and the downregulation of tumor suppressor miRNAs in the host epithelial cells due to the Cryptosporidium infection may lead to cancer initiation on human.