An Overview of Traditional Malay Medicine in the Malaysian Healthcare System

Network pharmacology based anti-diabetic attributes of bioactive compounds from Ocimum gratissimum L. through computational approach

The present research was framed to determine the key compounds present in the plant Ocimum gratissimum L. targeting protein molecules of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) by employing In-silico approaches. Phytochemicals previously reported to be present in this herb were collated through literature survey and public phytochemical databases, and their probable targets were anticipated using BindingDB (p ≥ 0.7). STRING and KEGG pathway databases were employed for pathway enrichment analysis. Homology modelling was executed to elucidate the structures of therapeutic targets. Further, Phytocompounds from O. gratissimum were subjected for docking with four therapeutic targets of DM by using AutoDock vina through POAP pipeline implementation. 30 compounds were predicted to target 136 protein molecules including aldose reductase, DPP4, alpha-amylase, and alpha-glucosidase. Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, MAPK, PI3K-Akt, starch and insulin resistance were predicted to have potentially modulation by phytocompounds. Based on the phytocompound's binding score with the four targets of DM, Rutin scored the lowest binding energy (-11 kcal/mol) with Aldose reductase by forming 17 intermolecular interactions. In conclusion, based on the network and binding score, phytocompounds from O. gratissimum have a synergistic and considerable effect in the management of DM via multi-compound, multi-target, and multi-pathway mechanisms.

Knowledge and Perception of Facial Candling for Allergic Rhinitis among University Staff and Students

INTRODUCTION

Facial candling is a traditional method used for relieving symptoms of allergic rhinitis (AR). This study aims to investigate the knowledge and perception of facial candling in a sample of staff and students in a public university in Malaysia.

METHODS

An online questionnaire survey method was used. Based on sample size calculation, a total of 1,508 UiTM staff and students from ten selected campuses of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) were invited to participate in this survey. An up-to-date e-mail list of staff in the selected campuses was used as the sampling frame for the study, whereas the students were recruited from the official university student Facebook portal.

RESULTS

A total of 788 respondents participated in this survey, 72.2% of them knew about facial candling, though only 35.4% had tried the treatment. Approximately one-fifth of respondents agreed that facial candling might treat AR. It was found that a higher number of users than nonusers agreed that facial candling was a traditional medicine (78.9% vs 55.0%); could be used on the face and ears (83.5% vs 45.4%); and could be self-administered at home (83.5 vs 45.4%). Interestingly, more than half of them were uncertain about its long-term effects and adverse reactions.

CONCLUSION

This study confirms the facial candling use among patients with AR although the percentage is low. The patients and general public need to be better informed about the use of facial candling in AR and its associated risks.

Contextual factors that shape recovery after stroke in Malaysia

Purpose: A stroke is a sudden event which may leave individuals and their families ill-prepared to deal with the resultant disability. Several contextual factors can influence the recovery process. These factors, internal and external, exist interactively in the lived experiences of the survivors. The limited availability of rehabilitation centres that are located in urban centres meant that recovery predominately occurred outside of the biomedical health and instead relied upon the resources available to individuals and their families.Methods: A qualitative approach with data from in-depth interviews and observations were used to identify contextual factors that shaped recovery following stroke in a community. Twenty-seven individuals with stroke were drawn from a health and demographic surveillance system in Malaysia.Results: Hope and optimism, coping strategies, motivation and support from family and friends, and the use of alternative and complementary medicine shaped the process of recovery within a context where infrastructure is extremely limited.Conclusion: The identification of factors that facilitate the recovery process provides a background in which health care providers can utilise to improve their understanding of the stroke experience. Such understanding could be instrumental in aiding health professionals to offer the most effective help to their clients.Implications for rehabilitationIdentification of contextual factors provides a background for the understanding of the stroke experience.Incorporation of religion into rehabilitation could support and maintain hope in recovery for the survivors and aid acceptance.A collaboration of healthcare professionals with traditional medicine therapists may prove beneficial for the rehabilitation of stroke survivors in Malaysia.

Combining MucilAir™ and Vitrocell® Powder Chamber for the In Vitro Evaluation of Nasal Ointments in the Context of Aerosolized Pollen

Hay fever is notoriously triggered when nasal mucosa is exposed to allergenic pollen. One possibility to overcome this pollen exposure may be the application of an ointment with physical protective effects. In this context, we have investigated Bepanthen^® Eye and Nose Ointment and the ointment basis petrolatum as reference while using contemporary in vitro techniques. Pollen from false ragweed (Iva xanthiifolia) was used as an allergy-causing model deposited as aerosol using the Vitrocell^® Powder Chamber (VPC) on Transwell^® inserts, while being coated with either Bepanthen^® Eye and Nose Ointment and petrolatum. No pollen penetration into ointments was observed upon confocal scanning laser microscopy during an incubation period of 2 h at 37 °C. The cellular response was further investigated by integrating the MucilAir™ cell system in the VPC and by applying pollen to Bepanthen^® Eye and Nose Ointment covered cell cultures. For comparison, MucilAir™ were stimulated by lipopolysaccharides (LPS). No increased cytokine release of IL-6, TNF-α, or IL-8 was found after 4 h of pollen exposure, which demonstrates the safety of such ointments. Since nasal ointments act as a physical barrier against pollen, such preparations might support the prevention and management of hay fever.