Aims: To determine the mechanism underlying the serum cholesterol reduction effect by probiotics isolated from local fermented tapioca (Tapai). Methods and Results: Lactic acid bacteria strains were isolated and examined for acid tolerance, bile salt resistance and hypocholesterolemic properties. Among the isolates, Lactobacillus plantarum TAR4 showed the highest cholesterol reduction ability (48Á01%). The focus in the in vivo trial was to elucidate the cholesterol balance from findings pertaining to serum cholesterol reduction in rat model fed with high fat diet via oral administration. Rats fed with high-cholesterol diet supplemented with Lact. plantarum TAR4 showed significant reduction in serum total cholesterol (29Á55%), serum triglyceride (45Á31%) and liver triglyceride (23Á44%) as compared to high-cholesterol diet (HCD) group. There was a significant increment in faecal triglyceride (45Á83%) and faecal total bile acid (384Á95%) as compared to HCD group. Conclusions: The findings showed that probiotic Lact. plantarum TAR4 supplementation reduced the absorption of bile acids for enterohepatic recycling and increased the catabolism of cholesterol to bile acids and not by suppressing the rate of cholesterol synthesis. Significance and Impact of Study: Probiotic supplements could provide a new nonpharmacological alternative to reduce cardiovascular risk factors. Key Points • Lactobacillus plantarum TAR4 exhibited an excellent tolerance to acid and bile salts. • Lactobacillus plantarum TAR4 was able to assimilate cholesterol in vitro. • Lactobacillus plantarum TAR4 had the ability to regulate cholesterol metabolism levels in rats. • Hypocholesterolemic effect related to cholesterol binding and deconjugation of bile acid by Lactobacillus plantarum TAR4.

Uniform anisotropic sulfur particles of 5.5 ± 0.4 µm in length, 3.9 ± 0.4 µm in width/thickness and an aspect ratio of 1.4 were successfully synthesized for the first time via the reaction of thiosulfate with a weak acid in the presence of sodium alginate which acted as a surfactant to impart water dispersibility and bestow particle size control. The sulfur particles with a zeta potential measured to be −29.5 mV were structurally characterized using PXRD and FESEM. After purification, the alginate-protected sulfur particles were discharged into a calcium chloride solution to produce fibrous calcium alginate-encapsulated sulfur composite (Ca-Alg-S) via ionotropic gelation. Ca-Alg-S was tested as absorbent of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and compared to Ca-Alg gel absorbent. The Ag NPs were produced using sodium alginate as both surfactant and reducing agent under microwave-assisted heating to ensure the effect of surfactant on Ag capture was minimized. The effect of contact time on the removal efficiency of Ag NPs was established by tracking the decreasing absorbance of Ag NPs at 400 nm which was due to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band of Ag NPs of 10-20 nm in size. As high as 90% of Ag NP capture efficiency was achieved using Ca-Alg-S within 8 h under ambient conditions. The application of Ca-Alg-S may be extended in the future to other heavy metals including Hg, Cd, Ni and Pd which are known to react readily with sulfur, allowing effective wastewater treatment without the use of toxic sulfide or costly nanofiltration system.

Introduction: The methanolic extracts of Clinacanthus nutans (CME) and Strobilanthes crispus (SME) are used in Malaysia as a complementary and alternative medicine for cancer. Objective: The present study aimed to determine the antioxidative and photocytotoxic effects of CME and SME toward liver cancer cells. Materials and Methods: Cell-based (2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate) and chemical-based (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl [DPPH]) experiments were utilized to determine the antioxidative properties of both herbal extracts. CME and SME were also tested for their photocytotoxic potentials after photodynamic therapy (PDT). Phytochemical analysis was performed to identify the phytocompounds present in the extracts. Results: Both the extracts demonstrated dose-dependent DPPH radical scavenging activities, while SME was found to be a stronger reactive oxygen species scavenger than CME at all concentrations tested on liver cells. Interestingly, on PDT, HepG2 cells treated with SME and CME at nontoxic doses showed a decrease in cellular viability charting half-maximal inhibitory concentration of 13.45 μg/mL and 81.03 μg/mL, respectively. Total phenolic content of SME (36.27 ± 1.31 mg GAE/g extract) was slightly higher than CME (31.76 ± 0.10 mg GAE/g extract). On the contrary, the total flavonoid content of CME (11.32 ± 0.28 mg QE/g extract) was approximately seven times more than SME (1.69 ± 0.03 mg QE/g extract). Phenolic acids, flavonoids, and pheophorbide-a were identified in both extracts. In view of this, these phytocompounds present in CME and SME could lead to the observed beneficial effects. Conclusion: CME and SME, especially the latter, are strong antioxidants with photosensitizing potentials that should be further investigated.

A simple and scalable liquid-based method was developed to produce a nanocomposite photocatalyst which was comprised of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (4-5 nm) decorated indium hydroxide nanorods (mean width 33 nm and average aspect ratio 2-3). The nanocomposite was produced at 25 ℃ in water via a hydroxide-induced co-precipitation ensued by a cathodic reduction during which the non-magnetic Fe(OH)3 intermediate was reduced to magnetic Fe3O4 at 20 V within 1 h. The incorporation of Fe3O4 nanoparticles served to bestow magnetic recoverability to the photocatalyst and helped enhance visible light absorption simultaneously. Interestingly, the addition of Fe3+ led to the formation of In(OH)3 nanorods rather than the commonly observed nanocubes. In comparison to the In(OH)3 system having a band gap of 4.60 eV), the band gap of the Fe3O4/In(OH)3 nanocomposite produced was determined to be 2.85 eV using the Tauc’s plot method. The effective reduction in band gap is expected to allow better absorption of visible light which in turns should help boost its photocatalytic performance. The Fe3O4/In(OH)3 nanocomposite was structurally characterized using a combination of PXRD, FESEM, EDS, and TEM and its paramagnetic property was proven with a positive mass susceptibility measured to be 1.30´10−5 cm3.g−1. Under visible light, a photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 83% was recorded within 1 hr for the nanocomposite using methylene blue as a dye. The photocatalytically-active Fe3O4/In(OH)3 should have good potential in visible-light driven waste water degradation once further optimized. Copyright © 2021 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

In the past, the Cratoxylum genus has often been utilized as traditional medicines, culinary ingredients, health supplements, as well as manufacturing materials. This flowering plant genus belongs to the family Hypericaceae and is classified into six species: Cratoxylum arborescens, Cratoxylum cochinchinense, Cratoxylum formosum, Cratoxylum glaucum, Cratoxylum maingayi, and Cratoxylum sumatranum. The Cratoxylum genus is native to Asia as a traditional medicinal plant. It is currently being translated into conventional therapeutics as a preventive agent for diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. The phytochemical analysis and pharmacological investigations on the Cratoxylum species have unveiled the wide spectrum of phytoconstituents, including xanthones, triterpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds. These compounds are attributed to their significant pharmacological effects, such as antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, antimalarial, anti-gastric ulcer, anti-HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, antidiabetic, and anticancer activities. These research findings have strengthened the foundation of the Cratoxylum genus as a traditional medicinal plant to be further developed and applied as selective therapeutic drugs for various ailments. This paper discusses the Cratoxylum genus regarding its traditional uses, phytochemical compounds, and pharmacological properties.