Objective: To investigate the antibacterial activities of green vegetables (pennywort, mint, garlic, parsley and celery) against four common enteric bacteria [Salmonella enterica (ATCC 25957) (S. enterica), Shigella flexneri (ATCC 12022) (S. flexneri), Escherichia coli (ATCC 43889) (E. coli) and Enterobacter cloacae (ATCC 13047) (E. cloacae)] as an alternative medicine for controlling food borne diarrhea disease and the synergistic effect of green vegetables against those bacteria. Methods: Five common vegetables (pennywort, mint, garlic, parsley and celery) were purchased and extracted. The antimicrobial activities of these extracts were tested against four common enteric bacteria (S. enterica, S. flexneri, E. coli and E. cloacae). Ten different concentrations of the extracts (from 640 to 1.25 mg/mL) were prepared and used for the study. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by the broth dilution method. The antimicrobial activities were assessed by using both well diffusion and disc diffusion methods. Results: Garlic extract showed excellent inhibitory effects on all enteric bacteria. Other plants (parsley, celery, mint and pennywort) were not effective against enteric bacteria. The MIC of garlic against S. flexneri and E. cloacae was 40 mg/mL. The MIC of S. enterica and E. coli were 20 and 10 mg/mL, respectively. The performance of the well diffusion method was better than that of the disc diffusion method with clear and sharp inhibition zones of tested bacteria against plant extracts. Conclusions: Garlic had excellent antimicrobial effects against enteric bacteria and was recommended to be given to patients with gastroenteritis. The other vegetables (pennywort, mint, parsley and celery) showed no inhibitory effects on enteric bacteria but still can be used for its richness in vitamins and fibers. The performance of the well diffusion method was better than that of the disc diffusion method in detecting the antibacterial effects of green vegetables.

Objective: This study is a preliminary work to develop a Malay version questionnaire named ‘Inventori Persepsi bagi Muslim yang Memiliki Masalah Pendengaran (IPM3P)’ to assess the perception on Islamic understanding and practice among Muslim adults with hearing impairment. Methods: The scale development involved three phases: i) generation of domains based on the literature, ii) generation of sub-domains based on literature review and Islamic panel survey, and iii) generation of items. Results: Preliminary version of IPM3P consists of 59 items was produced, representing three domains: Obligation (18 items), Practice (21 items), and Difficulty (20 items), and seven sub-domains (‘Ibadah’, ‘Aqidah’, ‘Muamalat’, ‘Tasawwuf’, ‘Akhlak’,‘Da’wah’, and ‘Sirah’). Conclusion: The preliminary version of IPM3P needs to be psychometrically tested. This pioneering study may become an impetus towards more research pertaining to understanding the effect of hearing loss towards religious life in the future in Malaysia.