Now showing 1 - 10 of 19
  • Publication
    Effects of steam pretreated rice biomass condensate containing soluble solid inhibitors on disruption of Pomacea Canaliculata egg
    ( 2023-07)
    Nor Azahanim Khamis
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    ;
    Muhammad Hafiz Zabidi
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    ;
    Ezyana Kamal Bahrin
    Pomacea canaliculata is an invasive freshwater snail species that has become a serious pest of rice in irrigation and paddy fields and is popularly known as the golden apple snail. They are species that are capable of surviving and spreading rapidly, causing significant changes in the ecosystem. The application of natural by-products of a physicochemical method of biomass steam pre-treated condensate is one option for disrupting Pomacea Canaliculata egg. This experiment was conducted to investigate the feasibility of steam pre-treated rice biomass condensate which contained soluble solid inhibitors as a biopesticide to eradicate Pomacea canaliculata. Rice straw, rice husk, and a combination of rice straw and rice husk (1:1) were pre-treated by the saturated steam pre-treatment in a batch reactor at high temperatures (190°C and 210°C) for 10 min. The steam condensate produced from this system was analysed for major degraded products or inhibitors such as furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), and phenol. The steam condensate which contained soluble solid inhibitors was then analysed for solubility test on P. canaliculata eggs. The effect of soluble solid inhibitors on the eggs was structurally examined by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results revealed that rice husk which was pre-treated at 210°C reflected the highest contents of furfural (0.300 g/L), HMF (1.670 g/L), and phenol (0.087 g/L). However, the combination of rice biomass sample (1:1) condensate at 210°C demonstrated the greatest solubility percentage (11.51%) when treated to the eggs P. canaliculata eggs. The image of the egg structure examined by SEM clearly displayed the fractures forming on the cuticle layer of the eggs. SEM results demonstrated that the condensate from saturated steam pre-treated rice biomass has the possibility to be used as a biopesticide to disrupt the eggs and eventually could prevent the snails’ invasion.
  • Publication
    The effect of harvesting time on the antioxidant and antidiabetic activity of Piper Crocatum (Sirih Merah) extract
    (IOP Publishing Ltd., 2020)
    Syarifah Rokiah Syd Kamaruzaman
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    ;
    Mahmad Nor Jaafar
    Piper crocatum is traditionally used as a treatment against diabetes mellitus, minor wounds and inflammation. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of harvesting time on the antioxidant and antidiabetic activity of P. crocatum harvested at 2, 4, 6 and 8 months and identification of the compounds responsible for antidiabetic activity. The antioxidant activity of the extracts is evaluated by DPPH scavenging activity, total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) tests while the antidiabetic activity is evaluated by alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase inhibition assays. The results show that extracts obtained from harvesting time at 8 months have the highest antioxidant activity with the DPPH scavenging activity, TPC and TFC being 74.90 ± 0.27%, 492.92 ± 1.40 mg GAE/g and 79.58 ± 1.17 mg QE/g respectively and the highest antidiabetic activity with the alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase inhibition activity being 87.05±0.64% and 88.70±0.42% respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) was also carried out and it is found that principle component 1 and 2 are associated with the harvesting time (81.7%) and extract concentration (12.4%) respectively. Five compounds are identified to be responsible for antidiabetic activity: caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, tannin and gallic acid.
  • Publication
    Bioprotein optimization from spent mushroom substrate for fish feed application
    (AIP Publishing, 2020) ;
    Z. Masyitah
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    ; ; ;
    Omar S. Dahham
    ;
    Saad S. Dahham
    The utilization of spent mushroom substrate as potential substrate for bioprotein production is being explored in this study. The objectives of this study were to screen three different types of fungi in bioprotein production from spent mushroom substrate and to optimize the process condition of the best fungi for production of bioprotein by using Design Expert Software. In this present study, screening of three different strains; Aspergillus terreus UniMAP AA-1, Aspergillus niger (ATCC 16404) and Phanerochaete chrysosporium (ATCC 24725), was done for bioprotein production by solid state fermentation process. P. chrysosporium produced the highest amount of protein on the sixth day, with the amount of 0.3951 mg/mL. Optimization of two parameters; substrate concentration and inoculum size for the selected fungi, P. chrysosporium was done conducted by Response Surface Methodology (RSM): Central Composite Design (CCD) to investigate optimal condition of bioprotein production. The optimum condition for P. chrysosporium to produce bioprotein using SMS was achieved at 60% of substrate concentration and 15% (w/v) of inoculum size with maximum protein concentration of 0.3812 mg/mL.
  • Publication
    Atomisation and vacuum drying studies on Malaysian honey encapsulation
    (The Korean Society of Food Preservation, 2023)
    Nurul Aisyah Rosli
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    ; ;
    Malaysian honey is rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds, which can be a healthy alternative to refined sugar in food production. However, liquid honey’s viscous and sticky nature makes it unpreferable in industrial handling. This study, an atomization system coupled with vacuum drying to produce honey powders to overcome the problem. Three types of Malaysian honey, namely Acacia, Gelam, and Tualang, were encapsulated in Ca-alginate gel beads using the atomization system. The density viscosity, and surface tension of the honey-alginate solutions were measured, and the concentration of honey and alginate influenced the physical properties of the solutions. Honey-encapsulated gel beads in the size range of 2.16-2.92 mm were produced using the atomization system with the air-liquid mass flow rate ratios of 0.22-0.31, Weber number (We) of 112-545, and Ohnersorges number (Oh) of 0.35-10.46. Gel bead diameter can be predicted using a simple mathematical model. After vacuum drying, the honey gel powder produced was in the size range of 1.50-1.79 mm. Results showed that honey gel powders with good encapsulation efficiency and high honey loading could be produced using the atomization system and vacuum drying.
  • Publication
    The total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and antioxidant properties of E.tirucalli L. extract partitioned using different solvents
    (Semarak Ilmu Publishing, 2025)
    Mangalagowri Sangar
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    ; ;
    Alwani Ibrahim
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    Farah Diana Mohd Daud
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    Roy Francis Navea
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    ;
    E.tirucalli L. is a succulent plant native to Africa renowned for its medicinal properties and antioxidant activity. This study aimed to evaluate the total phenolic and flavonoid content as well as the antioxidant activity of E.tirucalli L. extracts obtained using different solvents. Aqueous ethanol, hexane, and dichloromethane were used for extraction through Soxhlet extraction and partitioning. The total phenolic content was highest in the aqueous ethanol extract (2.501 mg GAE/g), followed by hexane (0.110 mg GAE/g) and dichloromethane (0.050 mg GAE/g) extracts. Similarly, the total flavonoid content was highest in the aqueous ethanol extract (1.307 mg QE/g), followed by hexane (0.164 mg QE/g) and dichloromethane (0.061 mg QE/g) extracts. The DPPH assay demonstrated that the aqueous ethanol extract exhibited the highest radical scavenging activity (RSA) with an IC50 value of 36.89 ± 0.05 μg/mL, followed by dichloromethane (50.94 ± 0.39 μg/mL) and hexane (62.42 ± 1.34 μg/mL) extracts. These findings indicate that aqueous ethanol is an effective solvent for extracting phenolic and flavonoid compounds with potent antioxidant activity from E.tirucalli L. extracts.
  • Publication
    Lycopene and β‐carotene thermal degradation kinetics and colour‐antioxidant changes in gac (Momordica cochinchinensis) fruit aril paste
    (Institute of Food Science & Technology, 2024-02)
    Nur Salina Syawalluddin
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    Hafeedza Abdul Rahman
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    Seng Joe Lim
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    Wan Aida Wan Mustapha
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    Noorul Syuhada Mohd Razali
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    ;
    Nurul Shahirah Aziz
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    Noor‐Soffalina Sofian‐Seng
    This study investigated the impact of heating temperatures (70 °C to 90 °C for up to 14 h) on lycopene and β-carotene degradation kinetics in gac aril paste. Carotenoids extracted via low-volume hexane-assisted ultrasonic extraction revealed a first-order degradation pattern with high correlation coefficients (0.96–0.97). Lycopene degraded faster at 90 °C (k = 12.05 × 102 h−1) than at 70 °C (5.41 × 102 h−1), while β-carotene displayed relatively slower degradation. Corresponding half-life (t1/2) values for lycopene ranged from 5.75 to 12.81 h, while β-carotene displayed values of 9.48–20.2 h. β-carotene showed superior thermal stability compared to lycopene across all temperatures. Additionally, colour changes indicated decreased brightness with increasing temperature. The DPPH radical scavenging activity and FRAP values decreased during gac fruit heating. Overall, this study emphasises temperature-induced declines in lycopene and β-carotene levels in gac aril paste and offers insights into their degradation kinetics under thermal processing.
  • Publication
    Antimicrobial activity and phytochemical analysis of Azadirachta Indica (neem) and Clinacanthus Nutans (snake grass) leaves extract
    (AIP Publishing, 2023) ;
    Siti Zulaika Zaini
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    Nurul Jannah Jamaluddin
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    ;
    Shaida Fariza Sulaiman
    Azadirachta indica (A. indica) and Clinacanthus nutans (C. nutans) is a traditional medicinal plant with a great medical impact on bacteria inflammation. They are few studies for the phytochemical and antimicrobial were conducted for both types of plants. Phytochemical analysis was performed using classical colorimetric methods, which is the folin-Ciocalteu method and aluminum chloride precipitation were employed for quantitative of total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). Meanwhile, antioxidant activity was estimated by DPPH scavenging value. Antimicrobial activity was determined by using the agar well diffusion method against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (Staphy. aureus). The methanol crude extract of A. indica and C. nutans showed low content of phenolic, 1.65 mg GAE/g, 0.18 mg GAE/g; flavonoid content is 43.56 mg QE/g and 26.07 mg QE/g respectively for both extracts. Meanwhile, the percentage of scavenging activity is 87.13% and 34.90% for A. indica and C. nutans. Regarding the antimicrobial activity, the A. indica extract inhibits the growth of target bacteria with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 31.25 mg/ml for both strains and almost no inhibitory concentration for C. nutans. Hence, aim this study is to determine two local plant varieties as a source of antimicrobial agents by used soxhlet extraction method.
      11  1
  • Publication
    A novel mosquitoes repellent soap based on Azadirachta indica and Eucalyptus citriodora oil
    ( 2005) ;
    Harbant, S.
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    Hunter, M.
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    Mohd Noor Ahmad
    The use of Azadirachta indica and Eucalyptus citriodora oil is a two stage repellent system for the soap, where E. citriodora offers short term repellency and the A. indica component offers longer term efficacy effects. Both materials (A. indica and E. citriodora) are from natural sources and locally available. This is the first time the two natural agents have been combined into a single product, thus providing synergy and longer term residual efficacy than present herbs and E. citriodora oil used in similar types of products in the market. This is cost effective product to combat mosquitoes as well as personal soap for everyday use.
      1  44
  • Publication
    Comparative study of various pretreatment on sugar production from mixed rice biomass
    (IOP Publishing, 2020)
    Lau Cheng Yee
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    ;
    The aim of this work was to study the effectiveness of pretreatment methods by developing a comparative study of diluted acetic acid and hydrothermal pretreatment on reducing sugar production and inhibitors formation (Furfural) from the mixed rice biomass. Diluted acetic acid and hydrothermal pretreatment were carried out over a range of temperature (150 – 190 ºC) within 30 minutes to observe the reducing sugar production and inhibitor formation (Furfural). Seamen Model was used to obtain the rate of reaction in depolymerisation of lignocellulosic biomass. This experiment data were fitted the first-order kinetic model to obtain the reaction rate constant of production and degradation of sugar. In addition, Arrhenius equation was used to determine the activation energy of the reaction. From the result, it showed that the diluted acetic acid pretreatment had higher rate on reducing sugar production and inhibitor formation than the hydrothermal pretreatment. The activation energy for the formation sugar in hydrothermal pretreatment is found 29.1 kJ/mol which is higher than acetic acid pretreatment (23.9 kJ/mol).
      15  1
  • Publication
    Quantification of polyphenols content and antioxidant activity of Euphorbia Tirucalli l. extracted using Maceration and Soxhlet method
    (Semarak Ilmu Publishing, 2025)
    Alwani Ibrahim
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    ; ; ; ;
    Mangalagowri Sangar
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    Farah Diana Mohd Daud
    ;
    Roy Francis Navea
    Euphorbia tirucalli L. (E. tirucalli) has gained attention for these past few years in terms of its phytochemical studies due to the antioxidant attribution of polyphenols source as its bioactive compounds in extracts. In order to extract important plant compounds, conventional extraction methods such as maceration and Soxhlet are still widely incorporated for plant extraction techniques due to their convenient application in laboratory settings. This study focused on the two conventional techniques; maceration and Soxhlet on polyphenols extraction of E. tirucalli using various extraction solvents. In order to provide insight into its potential for polyphenols extraction, yield percentage (%) and phytochemical tests such as Total Phenolic Content (TPC), Total Flavonoid Content (TFC), and antioxidant activity (%) were assessed. In terms of yield percentage, Soxhlet methanolic extract was found to be the best. The findings also suggest that both maceration and Soxhlet techniques are effective in extracting a significant amount of phenolics and flavonoid content in which highest value recorded were 17.26 ± 0.23 mgGAE/100g and 50.08 ± 1.13 mgQE/100g for maceration while 16.17 ± 0.21 mgGAE/100g and 43.02 ± 0.01 mgQE/100g for Soxhlet. Maceration with methanol solvent appears to be more effective for TPC and TFC while Soxhlet acetonic extract is chosen as the best for antioxidant activity with 75 .79 ± 0.04 % of radical scavenging activity in E. tirucalli extract. Thus, this study indicates the noteworthy potential of both maceration and Soxhlet techniques for polyphenols extraction.
      3  1