1.Dengue: an overview
Sekaran SD ; Rathakrishnan A ; Yeo ASL
Journal of University of Malaya Medical Centre 2014;17(2):23-32
Dengue is one of the highest occurring vector-borne diseases. It is caused by dengue viruses 1- 4. Currently,
the disease is classified into dengue with or without warning signs and severe dengue based on WHO 2009
dengue classification. As of today, neither specific drugs nor commercial vaccine exist for dengue. The best
treatment yet would be support, management and proper medical care. With no pathognomonic features
that could differentiate it from other febrile illnesses, clinical diagnosis alone is insufficient. Yet, despite the
current advances and existence of various laboratory diagnostic methods of dengue, a consensus singular
method has not been established. There are several hypotheses or theories regarding the vaguely understood
immunopathogenesis of dengue. Amongst these are the viral factors, host-immune factors and host-genetic
factors. In addition to these, the occurrence of asymptomatic dengue has further complicated the disease.
However, these individuals provide opportunities in the search for protective factors against dengue.
Dengue
2.Phyllanthus sp a local plant with multiple medicinal properties
Tang YQ ; Lee SH ; Sekaran SD
Journal of University of Malaya Medical Centre 2014;17(2):1-8
The plants of the genus Phyllanthus (Euphorbiaceae) are distributed in most tropical and subtropical regions
of world. This plant has been long used as a traditional medicine to treat problems such as stomach, intestinal
infections, kidney and urinary bladder disturbances, diabetes, and hepatitis B. There has been considerable
interest in these plants in recent years. This review discusses the antiviral and anticancer aspects of Phyllanthus
species. Scientific studies have demonstrated that extracts and purified isolated compounds (flavonoids,
lignans, phenols, and terpenes) obtained from these plants possess antiviral effects against herpes simplex
(HSV) and dengue virus infections (DENV). These observations are associated with the disruption of essential
proteins needed during viral cycle, thus halting the viral replication. In addition, the Phyllanthus species have
also been shown to exert inhibitory effects against selected cancers types. In these studies anti-proliferative,
anti-metastatic, anti-angiogenic effects and induced apoptosis of human cancers cell lines were observed.
These may be explained by the disruption of multiple survival pathways and differential protein expression.
CONLCUSION:As a conclusion, tThe Phyllanthus plant possesses multiple medicinal properties, including
antiviral and anticancer activities which may potentially be used as a medicinal source for many disease locally.
Antineoplastic Agents
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Dengue
3.Net charge, hydrophobicity and specific amino acids contribute to the activity of antimicrobial peptides.
Jindal MH ; Le CF ; Mohd Yusof MY ; Sekaran SD
Journal of University of Malaya Medical Centre 2014;17(1):1-7
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have gained increasing attention as a potential candidate in the development
of novel antimicrobial agent. Designing AMPs with enhanced antimicrobial activity while reducing the cell
toxicity level is desired especially against the antibiotic-resistant microbes. Various approaches towards the
design of AMPs have been described and physicochemical properties of AMPs represent the primary factors
determining the antimicrobial potency of AMPs. The most common parameters include net charge and
hydrophobicity, which greatly influence the antimicrobial activity of AMPs. Moreover, certain amino acids
would have critical importance in affecting the antimicrobial activity as well as cell cytotoxicity of AMPS. In this
review, net charge, hydrophobicity, and specific amino acid residues were discussed as factors contributing
to the antimicrobial activity of AMPs.
Anti-Infective Agents