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Selena Shen KL, Cheow JJ, Cheung AB, Koh RJR, Koh Xiao Mun A, Lee YN, Lim YZ, Namatame M, Peng E, Vintenbakh V, Lim EX, Wainwright BJ. DNA barcoding continues to identify endangered species of shark sold as food in a globally significant shark fin trade hub. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16647. [PMID: 38188178 PMCID: PMC10771092 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Shark fins are a delicacy consumed throughout Southeast Asia. The life history characteristics of sharks and the challenges associated with regulating fisheries and the fin trade make sharks particularly susceptible to overfishing. Here, we used DNA barcoding techniques to investigate the composition of the shark fin trade in Singapore, a globally significant trade hub. We collected 505 shark fin samples from 25 different local seafood and Traditional Chinese Medicine shops. From this, we identified 27 species of shark, three species are listed as Critically Endangered, four as Endangered and ten as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Six species are listed on CITES Appendix II, meaning that trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival. All dried fins collected in this study were sold under the generic term "shark fin"; this vague labelling prevents accurate monitoring of the species involved in the trade, the effective implementation of policy and conservation strategy, and could unwittingly expose consumers to unsafe concentrations of toxic metals. The top five most frequently encountered species in this study are Rhizoprionodon acutus, Carcharhinus falciformis, Galeorhinus galeus, Sphyrna lewini and Sphyrna zygaena. Accurate labelling that indicates the species of shark that a fin came from, along with details of where it was caught, allows consumers to make an informed choice on the products they are consuming. Doing this could facilitate the avoidance of species that are endangered, and similarly the consumer can choose not to purchase species that are documented to contain elevated concentrations of toxic metals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jin Jie Cheow
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | | | - Yun Ning Lee
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yan Zhen Lim
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Maya Namatame
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Eileen Peng
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Elisa X.Y. Lim
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Benjamin John Wainwright
- Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Lim YZ, Teoh BT, Sam SS, Azizan NS, Khor CS, Nor'e SS, Abd-Jamil J, AbuBakar S. A TaqMan minor groove binder probe-based quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for detection and quantification of chikungunya virus. Trop Biomed 2023; 40:313-319. [PMID: 37897164 DOI: 10.47665/tb.40.3.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus with widespread distribution across the globe. Since 2016, CHIKV re-emerged in several countries including Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. A proper diagnostic tool for early diagnosis of CHIKV infection is crucial to facilitate patient management and control virus transmission at the earliest stage of outbreak. Therefore, a TaqMan minor groove binder (MGB) probe-based quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay was developed to detect and quantify the CHIKV. The primers and probe were designed based on a conserved genomic region of 730 global CHIKV sequences that is located between nsP1 and nsP2 genes. The nucleotide mismatches of primers and probe with 730 global CHIKV sequences and 13 alphaviruses were then analysed in silico. In this study, the last 5 nucleotides at 3' end of primers and 5' end of probe were considered to be the critical regions for priming. In silico analysis revealed that the critical regions of primers and probe were at least 99.6% matched with the 730 global CHIKV sequences. Besides, the primers and probe showed at least 5/20 (25.0%) and 4/17 (23.5%) nucleotide mismatches with 13 alphaviruses respectively. The amplification efficiency of qRT-PCR assay was 100.59% (95% CI= 93.06, 109.33) with a R2 score of 0.957. Its limit of detection (LOD) at 95% probability level was 16.6 CHIKV RNA copies (95% CI= 12.9, 28.9). The qRT-PCR assay was specific to CHIKV without cross-reacting with all dengue virus serotypes, Getah virus, Tembusu virus and Zika virus. The diagnostic results of qRT-PCR assay were perfectly agreed (k=1.000, p=0.003) with a commercial trioplex assay, with sensitivity of 100% (95% CI= 61, 100) and specificity of 100% (95% CI= 44, 100). Overall, the developed qRT-PCR assay is ideal for rapid, sensitive and specific detection as well as quantification of CHIKV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Z Lim
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Institute for Advanced Studies, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - B T Teoh
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - S S Sam
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - N S Azizan
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - C S Khor
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - S S Nor'e
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - J Abd-Jamil
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - S AbuBakar
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Lim YZ, Poh YH, Lee KC, Pointing SB, Wainwright BJ, Tan EJ. Influence of native and exotic plant diet on the gut microbiome of the Gray's Malayan stick insect, Lonchodes brevipes. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1199187. [PMID: 37577436 PMCID: PMC10412900 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1199187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Herbivorous insects require an active lignocellulolytic microbiome to process their diet. Stick insects (phasmids) are common in the tropics and display a cosmopolitan host plant feeding preference. The microbiomes of social insects are vertically transmitted to offspring, while for solitary species, such as phasmids, it has been assumed that microbiomes are acquired from their diet. This study reports the characterization of the gut microbiome for the Gray's Malayan stick insect, Lonchodes brevipes, reared on native and introduced species of host plants and compared to the microbiome of the host plant and surrounding soil to gain insight into possible sources of recruitment. Clear differences in the gut microbiome occurred between insects fed on native and exotic plant diets, and the native diet displayed a more species-rich fungal microbiome. While the findings suggest that phasmids may be capable of adapting their gut microbiome to changing diets, it is uncertain whether this may lead to any change in dietary efficiency or organismal fitness. Further insight in this regard may assist conservation and management decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhen Lim
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yan Hong Poh
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kevin C. Lee
- School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Stephen Brian Pointing
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Benjamin J. Wainwright
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Eunice Jingmei Tan
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Lim YZ, Wang Y, Estee M, Abidi J, Udaya Kumar M, Hussain SM, Wluka AE, Little CB, Cicuttini FM. Metformin as a potential disease-modifying drug in osteoarthritis: a systematic review of pre-clinical and human studies. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2022; 30:1434-1442. [PMID: 35597372 DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Osteoarthritis causes significant pain and disability with no approved disease-modifying drugs. We systematically reviewed the evidence from both pre-clinical and human studies for the potential disease-modifying effect of metformin in osteoarthritis. METHODS Ovid Medline, Embase and CINAHL were searched between inception and June 2021 using MeSH terms and key words to identify studies examining the association between metformin use and outcome measures related to osteoarthritis. Two reviewers performed the risk of bias assessment and 3 reviewers extracted data independently. Qualitative evidence synthesis was performed. This systematic review is registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021261052 and CRD42021261060). RESULTS Fifteen (10 pre-clinical and 5 human) studies were included. Most studies (10 pre-clinical and 3 human) assessed the effect of metformin using knee osteoarthritis models. In pre-clinical studies, metformin was assessed for the effect on structural outcomes (n = 10); immunomodulation (n = 5); pain (n = 4); and molecular pathways of its effect in osteoarthritis (n = 7). For human studies, metformin was evaluated for the effect on structural progression (n = 3); pain (n = 1); and immunomodulation (n = 1). Overall, pre-clinical studies consistently showed metformin having a chondroprotective, immunomodulatory and analgesic effect in osteoarthritis, predominantly mediated by adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase activation. Evidence from human studies, although limited, was consistent with findings in pre-clinical studies. CONCLUSION We found consistent evidence across pre-clinical and human studies to support a favourable effect of metformin on chondroprotection, immunomodulation and pain reduction in knee osteoarthritis. Further high-quality clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings as metformin could be a novel therapeutic drug for the treatment of osteoarthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Z Lim
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
| | - Y Wang
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
| | - M Estee
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
| | - J Abidi
- Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
| | | | - S M Hussain
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
| | - A E Wluka
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
| | - C B Little
- Raymond Purves Bone and Joint Research Laboratories, Kolling Institute, The University of Sydney Faculty of Medicine and Health, St Leonards, NSW, Australia.
| | - F M Cicuttini
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
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