Mariam Ahmad

Universiti Sains Malaysia | USM · School of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) is becoming popular among Malaysian's communities and has been planted commercially in Malaysia. The fruit contains high nutritional value and can promote health. However, there is a little information regarding the lipid lowering effect of red dragon fruit extract on Sprague-Dawley rats. The anti-hyperchole...

(1) Background: An earlier study on the hypoglycemic activity of S. polyanthum (Wight.) leaf methanol extract identified squalene as the major chemical compound. The present study was conducted to assess the hypoglycemic effect of fractions and subfractions of the methanol extract of S. polyanthum compared to the squalene using a bioassay-guided in...

Background Strobilanthes crispus (L.) Bremek (Acanthaceae) leaves are used traditionally in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia for anti-diabetic, anti-lytic, diuretic, and laxative purposes. Herb-drug interactions may potentiate or antagonize the absorption and metabolism of drugs which may result in potential toxicity. The aim of the present study...

Background The leaves of Gongronema latifolium Benth. have long been recognized traditionally as a remedy for a variety of ailments in Africa. This study was conducted to evaluate the safety profile of the ethanolic extract of G. latifolium (GLES) leaves through a repeated dose 90-day oral toxicity study in male and female of Sprague Dawley rats....

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Citrus reticulatae Pericarpium (Chen pi) was widely used as an important ingredient in the prescription of TCM to treat phlegm fluid retention type hypertension. Since Chen pi is involved in treatment as antihypertensive TCM formula, we have reasonable expectation in believing that it might possess vasorelaxant activ...

After the publication of this article [1] it came to our attention that one author, Boon Yin Khoo, was erroneously omitted from the authorship list.

The growth of adipose tissues is considered angiogenesis-dependent during non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We have recently reported that our standardized 50% methanolic extract (ME) of Phyllanthus niruri (50% ME of P. niruri) has alleviated NAFLD in Sprague–Dawley rats. This study aimed to assess the molecular mechanisms of action, and t...

The seeds of Swietenia macrophylla King (SM) (Meliaceae) are used as a folk medicine for the treatment of hypertension in Malaysia. However, the antihypertensive and vasorelaxant effects of SM seeds are still not widely studied. Thus, this study was designed to investigate the in vivo antihypertensive effects and in vitro mechanism of vasorelaxatio...

Purpose: The leaves of Gongronema latifolium Benth. (Apocynaceae) are consumed in Nigeria as spices and treatment for diabetes mellitus. In our laboratory, we previously reported on the use of an ethanolic extract of the leaves, GLES, in diabetic rats. This article evaluates the possible toxic effects of long-­term use of GLES in male and female Sp...

Although Banxia Baizhu Tianma Tang (BBT) has been long administered for hypertensive treatment in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the ratio of the herbal components that makes up the formulation has not been optimized with respect to the anti-hypertensive effect that it inherently possesses. A newly amended BBT (ABBT) formulation was developed...

Context: Vernonia amygdalina Del. (VA) (Asteraceae) is commonly used to treat hypertension in Malaysia. Objective: This study investigates the vasorelaxant mechanism of VA ethanol extract (VAE) and analyzes its tri-step FTIR spectroscopy fingerprint. Materials and methods: Dried VA leaves were extracted with ethanol through maceration and concentra...

Hypertension, one of the famous "silent killers" that can attack people at any age, is a current hot topic among scientists due to multiple syndromic behavior and concomitant diseases. The new scientific-based Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formulation approach was used in a previous study by combining five TCM herbs, including Gastrodia elata...

Background: An aqueous extract (AE) of vinegar made from Nypa fruticans Wurmb. can improve postprandial glucose levels in normoglycaemic rats. The aim of this study was to evaluate its antihyperglycaemic activity further using in vivo and in vitro approaches. Methods: AE was administered to streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats twice daily...

Uncaria rhynchophylla is one of the major components included in Traditional Chinese Medicine prescriptions for hypertensive treatment. Previous studies have suggested that U. rhynchophylla might contain vasodilation-mediating active compounds, especially indole alkaloids. Hence, this study was carried out to determine the vasodilatory effects of U...

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the major global health issues, strongly correlated with insulin resistance, obesity and oxidative stress. The current study aimed to evaluate anti-NAFLD effects of three different extracts of Phyllanthusniruri (P.niruri). NAFLD was induced in male Sprague–Dawley rats using a special high-fat diet...

To decompose and reformulate Banxia Baizhu Tianma Decoction (BBT) in order to optimize its ratio for vasodilatory effect. The fingerprints of these six component herbs were also studied via Tri-step FTIR analysis.

Recently, a new syndromic disease combination theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for hypertensive treatment has been introduced. In the wake of this new concept, a new science-based TCM formula that counteracts various syndromes is needed. The objective of this study was to develop such a formula. Five of the most clinically prescribed TC...

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Glycyrrhiza uralensis (G. uralensis) is one of the herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and serves as an envoy medicinal. Since G. uralensis plays a major role in the anti-hypertensive TCM formulae, we believe that G. uralensis might possess vasorelaxation activity. Aim of the study: This study is desi...

Orthosiphon stamineus Benth. (Lamiaceae) is an important plant in traditional folk medicine that is used to treat hypertension and kidney stones. In humans, this plant has been tested as an addition regiment for antihypertensive treatment. Among the treatments for hypertension, O. stamineus had been to have diuretic and vasorelaxant effects in anim...

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to investigate the activities of Malaysian local herbs (Clinacanthus nutans Lindau, Strobilanthes crispus, Murdannia bracteata, Elephantopus scaber Linn., Pereskia bleo, Pereskia grandifolia Haw., Vernonia amygdalina, and Swietenia macrophylla King) for anti-hypertensive and vasorelaxant activity. An infrared (...

Previous studies demonstrated that eupatorin content in O. stamineus fractions correlated with their vasorelaxation activity. Even with previous studies, there is still very little information on the vasorelaxation effect of eupatorin, and not many scientific studies had been carried out. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the...

Background: Gongronema latifolium Benth. (GL) possesses considerable glucose lowering effects able to be utilized on a large-scale. This paper investigates the effects of a Soxhlet extract on hyperglycemia, Langerhans islets and glucose uptake by abdominal muscles. Methods: Ethanol and a Soxhlet apparatus were used to obtain GL ethanolic Soxhlet...

This paper is a review on the types of antagonists and the signaling mechanism pathways that have been used to determine the mechanisms of action employed for vasodilation by test compounds. Thus, we exhaustively reviewed and analyzed reports related to this topic published in PubMed between the years of 2010 till 2015. The aim of this paperis to s...

Eugenia polyantha Wight (E. polyantha) has been widely used as culinary additives especially in Indonesia. This plant also used as medicinal herb to treat several illnesses like diarrhea, skin infection and diabetes. Three antioxidant assays were used to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of its four different extracts, petroleum ether (PE), chlorof...

In the present study, a 50% ethanolic extract of Orthosiphon stamineus was tested for its α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. In vivo assays of the extract (containing 1.02%, 3.76%, and 3.03% of 3′hydroxy-5,6,7,4′-tetramethoxyflavone, sinensetin, and eupatorin, resp.) showed that it possessed an inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase in normal ra...

Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta) is good source of natural antioxidants. Natural antioxidants are very important in the food industry for preparation of functional foods. The aim of this study was to evaluate antimicrobial activity against selected bacteria and antiradical potency of ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of dehulled hazelnut kernel. Dried...

Syzygium polyanthum (S. polyanthum), a plant belonging to Myrtaceae, is widely used in Indonesian and Malaysian cuisines. Diabetic patients in Indonesia also commonly use it as a traditional medicine. Hence, this study was conducted to investigate the antihyperglycemic effect of the methanol extract (ME) of S. polyanthum leaf and its possible mecha...

The abstract of this article has been published in a conference paper in Public Health Genomics. Abstract: Nypa fruticans Wurmb. vinegar, commonly known as nipa palm vinegar (NPV) has been used as a folklore medicine among the Malay community to treat diabetes. Early work has shown that aqueous extract (AE) of NPV exerts a potent antihyperglycemic...

To study the antidiabetic and antioxidant activities of nipa palm vinegar (NPV) used in traditional Malay medicine for treating diabetes. NPV was extracted using liquid-liquid extraction method and the obtained samples were subjected to antidiabetic studies using normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat models whereas antidoxidant activities...

Objective: Gongronema latifolium is one of the African folk medicines for diabetes mellitus. Previous studies justified its use based on its antioxidant and glucose lowering potential. This study evaluated the effect of Gongronema latifolium ethanolic extract on blood glucose tolerance, β-cell effect, and in vitro glucose uptake. Materials and Met...

Background This study evaluated the impact of Vernonia amygdalina (VA) on the transcription of key enzymes involved in cellular modulation of glucose in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats in a bid to understand the possible anti-diabetic mechanism of VA. Methods The chloroform fraction of VA (200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg body weight) was administered...

Gongronema latifolium has been traditionally cooked as a vegetable soup and eaten as such for diabetes. Recent reports confirmed the antihyperglycemic effect of G. latifolium and attributed an insulin-like and an insulin-releasing activity to its extracts. This study reports, for the first time, the effect of G. latifolium ethanolic extract on β-ce...

Background Recently, there has been increasing interest in Ficus deltoidea Jack. (Moraceae) due to its chemical composition and the potential health benefits. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of extracts of F. deltoidea leaves on diabetes. Methods The petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol extracts of F. deltoidea were...

Gongronema latifolium, commonly known as “Utazi” in Nigeria, is one of the African folk medicines for diabetes mellitus. Previous studies justified its use based on its antioxidant and glucose lowering potential. In this study, the effect of the ethanolic extract of G. latifolium on blood glucose levels and the lipid profile were investigated using...

The objective of this study was to evaluate antiradical activities of methanol and 50% aqueous methanol extracts of dehulled kernels of almond, apricot and pumpkin. All the extracts showed 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl, superoxide anion, and nitric oxide radicals scavenging activities. The activities of the methanol extracts were higher than 50% aqu...

The present study evaluated the antioxidant activity and potential toxicity of 50% methanolic extract of Orthosiphon stamineus (Lamiaceae) leaves (MEOS) after acute and subchronic administration in rats. Superoxide radical scavenging, hydroxyl radical scavenging, and ferrous ion chelating methods were used to evaluate the antioxidant properties of...

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignancy that occurs in the epithelium of the nasopharynx. The standard treatment of NPC patients with locoregionally advanced stages is problematic and is often associated with toxicities. Therefore, it is essential to screen for naturally occurring compounds with strong apoptosis-inducing activity and minimal...

Background One vital therapeutic approach for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus is the use of agents that can decrease postprandial hyperglycaemia by inhibiting carbohydrate digesting enzymes. The present study investigated the effects of bioassay-guided extract and fractions of the dried fruit pericarp of Phaleria macrocarpa, a traditional...

The aim of this study was to determine the major boactive constituents, trans-cinnamic acid and transcinnamaldehyde, and anti-oxidative activities of 50% aqueous methanol and water extracts of Cinnamomum burmannii Blume stem bark. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to analyse the extracts. The content of trans-cinnalmadeyde quant...

Objective The aim of the present study is to develop liquid chromatography (LC)/Time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF/MS) profile for methanol and water extracts of Orthosiphon stamineus leaf using SEN and RA as flavonoid and non-flavonoid polyphenolic markers in the extracts. The study also evaluates in vitro nitric oxide radical scavenging effect...

An earlier anti-hyperglycemic study with serial crude extracts of Phaleria macrocarpa (PM) fruit indicated methanol extract (ME) as the most effective. In the present investigation, the methanol extract was further fractionated to obtain chloroform (CF), ethyl acetate (EAF), n-butanol (NBF) and aqueous (AF) fractions, which were tested for antidiab...

The stepping forces of normal and Freund Complete Adjuvant (FCA)-induced arthritic rats were studied in vivo using a proposed novel analgesic meter. An infrared charge-coupled device (CCD) camera and a data acquisition system were incorporated into the analgesic meter to determine and measure the weight of loads on the right hind paw before and aft...

The effect of extraction solvents (methanol, 95%ethanol, and water) on total phenolic contents and free radical scavenging activity (FRSA) of Gynura procumbens leaf was investigated. The contents of total phenolic and in vitro FRSA were significantly higher in the methanol extract compared to the 95% ethanol and water extracts. Consequently, the ef...

Orthosiphon stamineus extracts contain three flavonoids (3'-hydroxy-5,6,7,4'-tetramethoxyflavone, sinensetin, and eupatorin) as bioactive substances. Previous reported high performance liquid chromatography- ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) methods for the determination of these flavonoids have several disadvantages, including unsatisfactory separation times...

This study was carried out to evaluate the anti-obesity effect of Vernonia amygdalina Del. (VA) supplemented diet. VA leaf powder was fed at 5% and 15% to diet-induced obese rats for 4 weeks and its effect compared with orlistat (5.14 mg/kg p.o.), an anti-obesity drug. Food intake, body and organ weights, total body fat, some lipid components and a...

This study was carried out to evaluate the anti-obesity effect of Vernonia amygdalina Del. (VA) supplemented diet. VA leaf powder was fed at 5% and 15% to diet-induced obese rats for 4 weeks and its effect compared with orlistat (5.14 mg/kg p.o.), an anti-obesity drug. Food intake, body and organ weights, total body fat, some lipid components and a...

A decoction from a combination of herbs is commonly used in Traditional African Medicine for the management of chronic ailments. In Nigeria, the leaves of Vernonia amygdalina Del. (VA) and Azadirachta indica A. Juss (AI) are used traditionally as a remedy against diabetes mellitus for which empirical evidence attests to its efficacy. To evaluate th...

Behavioural assessment of experimental pain is an essential method for analysing and measuring pain levels. Rodent models, which are widely used in behavioural tests, are often subject to external forces and stressful manipulations that cause variability of the parameters measured during the experiment. Therefore, these parameters may be inappropri...

Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr (family Compositae) is cultivated in Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, for medicinal purposes. This study evaluated the in vivo hypoglycemic properties of the water extract of G. procumbens following 14 days of treatment and in vitro in RIN-5F cells. Glucose absorption from the intestines an...

Murdannia bracteata (C. B. Clarke) is a local plant that is widely used in Malaysia as a traditional remedy for various diseases of the kidney and liver, including inflammation and cancer. In the present study, we investigated the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of M. bracteata methanol extract (MB). 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radic...

The study was done at the aim to assess the functionality and viability of the beta cells of the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats model following repetitive dosage of administration of ethanolic extracts of Andrographis paniculata. Materials and Methods: The diabetic rats were treated with the extracts for fourteen days and at the dose given wa...

Orthosiphon stamineus Benth., which is used as a gastroprotective herbal remedy in Malaysia, was assessed for its anti-ulcerogenic activity against ethanol-induced ulcers in rats. Fifty percent methanol was used to extract the oven-dried O. stamineus leaves. The extract was then lyophilized with a rotary evaporator and freeze-dried. Oral administra...

Gynura procumbens (Merr.), which is known as "Sambung nyawa", is widely used in South East Asian countries in the traditional treatment of many ailments. However, there is little toxicological information available regarding safety following repeated exposure. The present investigation describes the toxicity of a methanol extract of Gynura procumbe...

A simple and validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with UV detection has been used to determine the content of andrographolide (AP) and 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide (DIAP) in rat plasma after oral dose of methanol extract (1 g/kg body weight) of Andrographis paniculata leaf. An increase in plasma concentration of...

The effect of extraction temperature on total phenolic contents and free radical scavenging activity of Gynura procumbens leaf extract was investigated. The content of total phenolic were not significantly different (P > 0.5) at the extraction temperature of 40 °C and 50 °C. However, decrease in total phenolic content was observed from extraction t...

The current study evaluated the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of Elephantopus tomentosus. L. (Asteraceae) ethanol extract (ET). In the experiment, total antioxidant capacity, reducing capacity, DPPH* and hydrogen peroxide scavenging, and Fe3 +-induced lipid peroxidation inhibiting activities of ET were determined. The results indicate...

A simple high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed to determine the content of andrographolide (AP) and 14-deoxy-11,12-dideoxyandrographolide (DIAP) in a pooled urine of rat obtained within 24h after an oral dose of Andrographis paniculata leaf extract at 1g/kg body weight. Cumulative urinary excretion of AP and DIAP in 24h...

The methanol extract of the leaves of Gynura procumbens was partitioned between chloroform, ethyl acetate and n -butanol. Qualitative HPLC identification of the major flavonoid constituents in the n -butanol fraction and separation of standard mixture of isolated compounds from the n -butanol fraction are given. Blood glucose levels in streptozotoc...

The present study investigates the effect of oral administration of the aqueous extract of Gynura procumbens on blood glucose levels in normal and streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic rats. However, the mechanism of its action is still not known. Hence, in vivo and in vitro studies were carried out to study the role of G. procumbens on blood glucose lower...

Andrographis paniculata is a Malaysian traditional herb for treatment of fever-causing diseases and diabetes. The aim of the present study was to examine the antihyperglycemic effects of different extracts (95, 50, and 20% ethanol extracts and water extracts) of A. paniculata in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Only the treatment wi...

Central venous catheter (CVC) placement in the intensive care unit (ICU) is a common practice and is being increasingly used also in general wards. Its use is associated with both mechanical and infectious complications. To determine the infectious and mechanical complication rate of central venous catheterization in an ICU. A retrospective study a...

A rapid method based on HPTLC and RP-HPLC with UV detection for quantitative determination of two major bioactive compounds in Andrographis paniculata, andrographolide and 14-deoxy-11, 12-didehydroandrographolide, is described. The recoveries of the two compounds were between 96.5–99.0% by HPTLC method and 98.1–99.2% by HPLC assay. The relative sta...

Preliminary investigations were carried out to evaluate the effects of the aqueous extract of O. stamineus on the blood glucose levels in both normal and diabetic rats. Significant hypoglycaemic effect was observed in normal rats treated orally with 1.0 g/kg of the extract. Also the hyperglycaemic effect induced by streptozotocin was inhibited by t...