Synergistic antioxidant activity of selected medicinal plants in Brunei Darussalam and its application in developing fortified pasta

BACKGROUND

Developing functional foods by utilizing plants can often lead to compromised sensory properties. Thus this study investigates the combination of plants to produce synergistic effects and to incorporate these plant powders into a pasta formulation without affecting its sensory acceptance. Six common Brunei medicinal plants were evaluated for their in vitro antioxidant activity determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity (IC₅₀ ), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenziazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging assay. Aqueous extracts of Amaranthus tricolor, Breynia androgyna, Manihot esculenta, Polygonum minus, Apium graveolens and Coriandrum sativum were prepared.

RESULTS

Breynia androgyna had the highest FRAP value of 74.3 ± 5.33 mg g^-1 ascorbic acid equivalents (AAE), with DPPH IC₅₀ antioxidant activity of 70.3 ± 3.14 μg mL^-1 and ABTS scavenging activity of 44.0 ± 2.80 mg g^-1 AAE. This correlates well with the total flavonoid, flavonol and phenolic content (50.5 mg g^-1 gallic acid equivalents (GAE), 50.6 mg g^-1 GAE and 24.3 mg g^-1 GAE, respectively). Plant species powders were combined in pairs and evaluated for their synergistic antioxidant properties. With potential synergistic plant mixtures, fortification of these mixtures into functional food can be developed to improve its overall antioxidant capacity. Based on the synergistic IC₅₀ results of these mixtures, three fortified pastas were formulated by incorporating selected plant powder combinations of Amaranthus tricolor + P. minus, Apium graveolens + P. minus, and P. minus + B. androgyna into wheat pasta at 1:100 (w/w).

CONCLUSION

Fortification of pasta with the plant powder blends resulted a significant increase in DPPH antioxidant activity, while successfully maintaining indistinguishable features from the control pasta, including minimal cooking loss, agreeable measure of cohesiveness, springiness and chewiness, with good overall sensory acceptability. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

247 QUALITY IMPROVEMENT IN DEMENTIA CARE: STREAMLINING CARE PATHWAYS IN A PSYCHIATRY OF OLD AGE SERVICE

Background

Dementia is increasingly considered a public health priority worldwide in the context of predicted increased prevalence. In Ireland, there are an estimated 67,000 persons living with dementia and by 2041 it is expected to rise to 145,000 persons. Challenges in dementia care have been highlighted in health services across Europe and the ineffective structure of dementia care with fragmented non-person-centred pathways has been identified.

Methods

An initial review of the existing cognitive impairment diagnostic pathways in our specialised Psychiatry of Old Age (POA) Service was undertaken. This included surveying the multidisciplinary team to identify challenges, clinical chart review and audit of physical examination equipment. Diagnostic pathway was updated based on findings and informed by the developing national ‘Model of Care for Dementia in Ireland’ and best practice.

Results

Review findings included lack of standardisation of memory assessment, delays in accessing neuroimaging and laboratory results, gaps in staff training. A care pathway document was developed detailing requirements for care from the point of referral through to cognitive impairment diagnosis. Staff training was completed to accompany the introduction of standardised dementia assessment scales. Access to laboratory/radiology booking was enhanced. A cognitive remediation group was developed by Occupational Therapy as part of post-diagnostic supports for service users. Preliminary data indicates improvements in satisfaction of those attending the group. Physical examination equipment audit resulted in quality improvements.

Conclusion

We demonstrate that a quality improvement approach can be implemented to enhance assessment, diagnosis and care provided to support diagnosis of cognitive impairment and dementia in POA service. The enhanced diagnostic care pathways will be assessed over time to assess impact on care of service users. Preliminary findings are positive and it is an approach that can be adopted in other services and inform development of national memory service developments.

A Label-free Cardiac Troponin T Electrochemiluminescence Immunosensor Enhanced by Graphene Nanoplatelets

In this study, a direct and label-free immunosensor was designed and constructed by modifying the screen-printed electrode with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) for the detection of the cardiac troponin T (cTnT). Firstly, GNPs were drop-casted onto carbon working electrode. Monoclonal cTnT antibodies were then immobilized on the GNPs via physical adsorption; finally, BSA was introduced to block non-specific binding sites. The detection of cTnT was performed using an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) technique with tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chloride ([Ru(bpy)₃]Cl₂) used as a luminophore and TPrA (tripropylamine) as a co-reactant. The ECL intensity was demonstrated to be directly proportional to the cTnT concentration where a linear range from 100 pg mL^-1 to 5 fg mL^-1 of the cTnT detection was established. An extremely low limit of detection was achieved to be 0.05 fg mL^-1 with an outstanding specificity. Additionally, this immunosensor showed excellent percentage recovery for real samples analyses in artificially spiked human serum.

A label free electrochemical immunosensor for sensitive detection of porcine serum albumin as a marker for pork adulteration in raw meat

A label free electrochemical immunosensor for sensitive detection of porcine serum albumin (PSA) is reported in this work. The immunosensor was constructed by first electrochemically reducing 4-carboxyphenyl diazonium salt, which had been electrochemically generated in situ, to a stable 4-carboxyphenyl layer on carbon nanofiber-modified screen printed electrode. Antibodies were covalently attached onto the electrode using carbodiimide chemistry between the carboxylic groups of the 4-carboxyphenyl layer and amine groups of the antibody. Using the strong affinities of serum albumins towards anions, the increase in cathodic peak current in anionic redox probe after immunocomplex formation with antibodies was used for PSA detection. The reported immunosensor demonstrated a linear range from 0.5 to 500pg/mL for the measurement of PSA with detection limit of 0.5pg/mL in buffer solution. Cross-reactivity studies have shown excellent specificity with satisfactory recovery of PSA in fresh meat samples without the need of sample dilution.

Electrochemical immunosensors and their recent nanomaterial-based signal amplification strategies: a review

In recent years, tremendous advances have been made in biosensors based on nanoscale electrochemical immunosensors for use in the fields of agriculture, food safety, biomedicine, quality control, and environmental and industrial monitoring.

A carbon nanofiber-based label free immunosensor for high sensitive detection of recombinant bovine somatotropin

A carbon nanofiber-based label free electrochemical immunosensor for sensitive detection of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) was developed. In this immunosensor design, a mild site-directed antibody immobilization via interaction of boronic acid and oligosaccharide moiety found on Fc region of an antibody was performed to preserve the biological activity of antibody and improve the sensor's sensitivity. Electrochemical characterization of the immunosensor fabrication was carried out by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) in Fe(CN)6(3-)/Fe(CN)6(4-) probe. A comparison study between different transducer platforms showed carbon nanofiber gave higher current signal response than single-walled carbon nanotube. In this work, calibration curve was obtained from the decrease of DPV peak current of Fe(CN)6(3-)/Fe(CN)6(4-) after immunocomplexed was formed. A linear relationship between DPV current change signal response and rbST concentrations from 1 pg/mL to 10 ng/mL (correlation coefficient of 0.9721) was achieved with detection limit of 1 pg/mL. Our developed immunosensor demonstrated high selectivity in cross-reactivity studies and a good percentage recovery in spiked bovine serum sample.

A highly sensitive gold nanoparticle bioprobe based electrochemical immunosensor using screen printed graphene biochip

This study describes a highly sensitive electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) that uses gold nanoparticles (AuNP) as the electrochemical label and graphene as electrode material.

Optic neuritis in Singapore

INTRODUCTION

Optic neuritis (ON) is the commonest optic neuropathy encountered in the younger group of patients from the Singapore Neuro-Ophthalmology Study Group. Previous surveys in Asia and our study suggest that ON in Singapore differs from that in Western populations where the majority of cases are associated with multiple sclerosis (MS).

METHODS

Patients satisfying our entry criteria for ON seen between September 2002 and June 2004 were enrolled in the study. The data collected was recorded in a central database and analysed two years later.

RESULTS

The majority (60 percent) of our patients had anterior ON with optic disc swelling (papillitis), were idiopathic in 49.1 percent, and associated with MS in only 25.5 percent. Bilateral cases comprised 16.4 percent of our series and were usually of the anterior variety and mostly idiopathic, although it is still essential to rule out secondary causes. Recurrent ON is indicative of an underlying disease process.

CONCLUSION

The pattern of ON as seen in Singapore differs from that reported in Caucasian studies and from the seminal Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial. We found a higher incidence of optic disc swelling, i.e. anterior ON (papillitis), and a lesser association with MS; visual recovery is similarly good but our recurrence rate is lower.

Clinics in diagnostic imaging (120). Right rhinogenic optic neuritis secondary to mucocoele of the Onodi cell

Acute visual loss can be caused by retrobulbar optic neuritis, radiation optic neuropathy or ischaemic optic neuropathy. Sinusitis affecting the Onodi cell, a posterior ethmoidal air cell that has encroached on the adjacent sphenoid bone forming the optic canal, can present rarely with visual loss. We report a 60-year-old man, who developed a sudden ache on the nasal aspect of his right eye, and deterioration of the vision in his right eye. This case illustrates the typical radiological appearances of the Onodi cell on MR imaging and CT. The diagnosis of right rhinogenic optic neuritis secondary to mucocoele of the Onodi cell was confirmed at surgery. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery with decompression of the Onodi cell was performed. Physicians should be familiar with the presentation, performed. Physicians should be familiar with the presentation, diagnosis and management of this rare but important condition.

Polyurethane/poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid composite scaffolds fabricated by thermally induced phase separation

In this study, we present a novel composite scaffold fabricated using a thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) process from poly(lactic-co-glycolic) (PLGA) and biomedical polyurethane (PU). This processing method has been tuned to allow intimate (molecular) mixing of these two very different polymers, giving rise to a unique morphology that can be manipulated by controlling the phase separation behaviour of an initially homogenous polymer solution. Pure PLGA scaffolds possessed a smooth, directional fibrous sheet-like structure with pore sizes of 0.1-200mum, a porous Young's modulus of 93.5kPa and were relatively brittle to touch. Pure PU scaffolds had an isotropic emulsion-like structure, a porous Young's modulus of 15.7kPa and were much more elastic than the PLGA scaffolds. The composite PLGA/PU scaffold exhibits advantageous morphological, mechanical and cell adhesion and growth supporting properties, when compared with scaffolds fabricated from PLGA or PU alone. This novel method provides a mechanism for the formation of tailored bioactive scaffolds from nominally incompatible polymers, representing a significant step forward in scaffold processing for tissue-engineering applications.

The presentation, aetiology, management and outcome of optic neuritis in an Asian population

PURPOSE

To analyse the presentation, aetiology, management and outcome of patients with optic neuritis (ON) in Singapore.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study involving consecutive patients with ON presentng at the Singapore National Eye Centre between January 1997 and May 1999. The presenting features, investigatons, treatment and visual outcome after 6 months were studied.

RESULTS

A total of 31 patents (39 eyes) presented with ON during this period, 17 of whom had anterior ON. No aetiology was found in 26 patients (83.9%), two patients (6.5%) had multiple sclerosis, one had active syphilis, one had rheumatoid arthritis and another had pan-sinusitis. Seventeen patients (54.8%) were treated with intravenous methyl-prednisolone followed by oral prednisolone. Within the follow-up period 26 of 31 eyes (83.9%) wth idiopathic ON attained visual acuity of 6/12 or better with 12 (38.7%) recovering to 6/6 or better and only one eye ending with less than 6/60 visual acuity. The one patient with syphilis recovered 6/6 visual acuity bilaterally. Both patients with multiple sclerosis also had good visual recovery at 6 months. The visual outcome in those cases of ON associated with rheumatoid arthritis and pan-sinusitis was poor with visual acuity of less than 6/60 at 6 months follow up in each instance.

CONCLUSION

The majority of the cases of ON in this study were idiopathic. There was a low association with multiple sclerosis. Most patients had good visual recovery within 6 months.

Ophthalmic manifestations in human immunodeficiency virus infection in Singapore

The paper retrospectively reviews the spectrum of ophthalmic manifestations in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in Singapore between May 1995 and October 1996. One hundred and eighteen patients were examined for ocular abnormalities. Criteria for examination were 1) visual complaints, 2) absolute CD4 count of less than 50 cells/ul, 3) patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-defining illness or 4) any relevant systemic illnesses which may have ocular involvement. Only 25 patients (21.2%) had visual symptoms. Eighteen patients (15.3%) had abnormalities associated with microvasculature. Forty-four patients (37.3%) had opportunistic infection involving the eye of which 37 were that of cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR). Seven patients (5.9%) had neuro-ophthalmic disorders. One patient presented with proptosis due to orbital lymphoma. Four patients (3.4%) had episcleritis and 3 patients (2.5%) had symptomatic dry eyes. It is still not known if episcleritis and dry eyes are associated with HIV infection or are coincidental. Fifty-one patients (43.2%) had no ocular pathology and remained so throughout the period of study. Nine patients (7.6%) had more than one pathology. The major cause of visual loss was due to ocular infections, with CMVR being most prevalent. Recognising the ophthalmic signs in HIV patients will facilitate early diagnosis. Prompt treatment of eye involvement can prevent or delay blindness, which is psychologically and functionally important to these patients.