1.Antibacterial Activity of Rafflesia cantleyi Solms-Laubach Extracts against Gram Positive and Negative
Nuramira Azizan ; Nihayah Mohamad ; Ahmad Zorin Sahalan
Malaysian Journal of Health Sciences 2011;9(2):51-54
Rafflesia cantleyi Solms-Laubach is a wild plant found in lowland Peninsular of Malaysia and used widely in traditional medicines. The main objective is to screen antibacterial activity of Rafflesia cantleyi extract. The plant was extracted with cold extraction involving three stages of extraction with solvents such as petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and finally ethanol. All extracts were tested against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29523, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Salmonella typhimurium using well diffusion method. As a result, ethyl acetate and methanol extract showed antibacterial inhibition against tested bacteria whereas petroleum ether failed to show any. Most bacteria are
more susceptible to ethyl acetate compared to ethanol extract. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) MICrodilution test and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was carried out on both of the extract. Ethyl acetate extract has MIC ranging between 6.25 – 12.5 mg/ml and MBC between 25.0 – 50.0 mg/ml. Ethanolic extract has much higher MIC and MBC value, which ranges between 25.0mg/ml to 50.0 mg/ml for it’s MIC and has the MBC of 100.0 mg/ml.
2.Factors Affected Chromium Levels Among Farmers in District of Bachok and Pasir Puteh, Kelantan
Nurfariha Firdaus ; Ismarulyusda Ishak ; Syarif Husin Lubis ; Nooraisyah Mansoor ; Hidayatul Fathi Othman ; Nihayah Mohammad ; Zariyantey Abdul Hamid ; Nurzakiah Mohd Saat ; Mohd Jamil Rafaai ; Mohamad Roff Mohd Noor
Malaysian Journal of Health Sciences 2014;12(2):27-31
Chromium is an essential mineral and cofactor for insulin that plays an important role as hormone that helps in the blood
sugar regulation. Kelantanese were known as sugar-based food consumer. Farmers have high risk of health problem
because of exposure to pesticide and sugar-based food intake can give an effect on the level of chromium. The objective
of this research was to study the status of chromium among farmers exposed to pesticides and fertilizer in Kelantan.
This was a cross-sectional study that was done at Bachok and Pasir Puteh, Kelantan. Respondent were 113 farmers who
had been exposed to pesticides or fertilizer for not less than one year. Subjects were interviewed to obtain information
on their demographic data by using validated knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) questionnaire. Nails and hair
chromium levels were analyzed by using acid digestion method and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy
(ICP-MS). Results showed that 81.4% were male while 18.6% were female. Farmer’s chromium level in nails (125.82
± 47.81 μg/L) and hair (39.63 ± 5.70 μg/L) were very much lower when compared with standard value in nails (6200
μg/L) and hair (100-2500 μg/L). No signifi cantly differences (p > 0.05) were found between chromium level according
to gender, age, level of pesticide exposure, dietary chromium intake and blood glucose. Chromium levels in nails and
hair of farmers who smoke was signifi cantly lower (p < 0.05) than non-smoking farmers. As a conclusion, the level of
chromium among farmers in Bachok and Pasir Puteh, Kelantan are lower than normal reference and farmers should
stop smoking because smoking can lower the chromium level
3.Adoption of the Mobile Health Screening Programme for Farming Communities: A Study Among Pesticide-Exposed Farmers from North East of Peninsular Malaysia
Zariyantey Abdul Hamid ; Zaliha Harun ; Syarif Husin Lubis ; Nihayah Mohamed ; Ismarulyusda Ishak ; Hidayatul Fathi Othman ; Nur Zakiah Mohd Saat ; Mohamad Roff Mohd Noor ; Saiful Zaimi Jamil ; Jamil Rafaai
Malaysian Journal of Health Sciences 2014;12(2):63-69
Health awareness promotion among farming communities are important for a sustainable agriculture activities. A crosssectional
study was conducted to assess health status among farming communities in Cameron Highlands, Pahang
(n = 61) and Bachok and Pasir Puteh, Kelantan (n = 143). Mobile Health Screening Programme composed of assessment
of blood glucose, blood cholesterol, haemoglobin, blood pressure, pterygium, lung function and nerve conductive velocity
was utilized. Our results indicate that the percentage of Cameron Highland’s farmers with hyperglycaemia, systolic
hypertension, diastolic hypertension and anaemia were 8.2%, 14.8%, 11.5% and 8.2%, respectively. However, higher
percentage of farmers in Bachok and Pasir Puteh, Kelantan with hyperglycaemia (32.8%), hypercholesterolaemia (83%),
anaemia (24.2%) and systolic hypertension (41.9%) were observed. Pterygium was positive for 88.6% of farmers in
Cameron Highlands and 94.4% in Bachok and Pasir Puteh. Lung function test shows that 61.7% and 11.4% of farmers
in Cameron Highlands had restrictive and obstructive lung, respectively. In Bachok and Pasir Puteh, a total of 19.8%,
55.5% and 23.9% of farmers were found to have obstructive, restrictive and combined obstructive and restrictive lung,
respectively. Current Perception Threshold (CPT) value which indicate nerve conductive velocity were signifi cantly
increased (p < 0.05) among Cameron Highland’s farmers for both median and peroneal nerve at all frequencies (5 Hz,
250 Hz and 2000 Hz). In Bachok and Pasir Puteh, the values of the CPT for median nerve was signifi cantly increased
(p < 0.05) for all frequencies (5, 250 and 2000 Hz). Meanwhile, a signifi cant increased (p < 0.05) was observed for
the CPT values for peroneal nerve at the frequencies of 250 and 2000 Hz as compared to control groups. In conclusion,
analysis revealed different health problem among the studied farming communities which could be infl uenced by the
differences in farming practices. Thus, employed Mobile Health Screening Programme offers a monitoring approach that
could highlight the need for suitable health services and awareness programmes for different farming communities