Browsing by Author "Soraya Ismail"

Globally, snakebite cases are estimated to be around 5 million annually affecting mainly the residents of poorer counties like Africa and Asia, and in 2009 WHO has categorised it as a ‘neglected tropical disease’. Currently the standard treatment for snake envenomation is the use of anti-snake venom (ASV) therapy. However this is expensive and not readily available in smaller hospitals in the developing world. Herbal medicine has been and is still in use in some cultures for the treatment of snakebite and one such plant is Tamarindus indica. This plant is found in many countries where snake envenomation is also prevalent. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of using T. indica seed extract (TSE) to inhibit the effects of snake venom of three snakes; namely Naja kaouthia, Ophiophagus hannah and Daboia russelli. The testa of tamarind seed was used and it underwent ethanolic soxhlet extraction to obtain TSE. The inhibition of the activity of the following enzymes i.e phospholipase A2 (PLA2), proteinase and phosphomonoesterase (PME) in vitro by the three snake venoms with TSE was studied. SDS-PAGE experiment was conducted to observe the effects of TSE on venom proteins. In vivo acute subcutaneous (SC) toxicity of TSE in ICR mice was conducted. Study on the inhibition of lethality was conducted on each of the three snake venoms when SC TSE was injected into mice. Venom concentration and site were fixed but TSE concentration, time and site of injection were manipulated. Findings from venom enzymatic inhibition studies showed that, TSE was able to significantly reduce (p<0.05) all three venom enzymatic activities i.e PLA2, proteinase and PME. SDS-PAGE experiment showed that venom protein bands were disrupted when venom reacted with TSE. No signs of toxicity were observed over a period of 4 weeks when mice were exposed to SC TSE 60 mg/20 g body weight except for skin ulcers. Histological examination on liver, both kidneys and skin at the site of SC injection showed no changes compared to the control group injected with SC distilled water. TSE was able to increase the survival rate of ICR mice when exposed to each of the three snake venoms regardless of the site of injecting SC TSE. Mice injected with N. kaouthia or D. russelli venom, had increased 24 hour survival rate when SC TSE was given at 15 minutes; and of mice injected with O. hannah venom the 24 hour survival rate increased with higher TSE concentration when given sooner. In conclusion, SC TSE was safe to be injected up to 60mg/20 g and has the potential to delay the effects of venom from N. kaouthia, O. hannah and D. russelli.

BACKGROUND: Type I hypersensitivity is characterized by the production uf IgE antibodies against allergens. Hypersensitivity reaction comprises a group of syndromes that includes asthma, atopic dermatitis and rhinitis which tends to oxcur in a familial clustcr. OBJECnVK~: The primary objective of the research is to study the prevalence of sensitization in the Orang Asli respondents (OAR) and urban respondents (URR). The secondary objectives comprise of, to compare the prevalence of sensiti;<.ation between the OAR and URR; to analyze the rdationship between sensitization and the environmental factors of the OAR; to analyze the relil1ionship betw«n sensitization to house: dust mites, Blomia /ropicaJis or Periplaneta americana and sensitization to crustaceans amnngst the OAR; and lastly to analp.e the relationship between sensitiution and kinship (father, mother and siblings) amongst the OAR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This i$ a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study where two different populations wert: studied. The respondents were selected on the basis of purposive and convenience sampling. In all, 97 OAR and 71 URR were studied. The tools used were a self-reporting questionnaire and skin prick test ($pn. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of general sensiti7.ation in We OAR was 33.0% compared to 38.0"10 in URR. There was no significant difference in we prevalence of general sensitization in the two study population viz OAR and URR (x~.457, p---Q.499). In We OAR the wee most common factors in the environments to elicit hypersensitivity symptoms were daily exposure to pets and domestic animals (100"10), living in dusty homes (87.5%) and liviog in homes infested wiW cockroaches (81.3"`0). In all, 24."/. of the OAR were sensili~.ed to either Dermalophagoide.f sp, B. Impicalis or P. americana. From this subgroup, 12.5% were sensitized to onc of the crustacean allergens. This was not a significant association (`1.,2..1.330, F=0.359). In the kinship analysis, 28.6% of the OAR children who were sensitized and had a positive family history of sensitization. There was no significant association between positive familial sensitization and general sensitization in all children. However, in food allergen sensitization, there was a significant assoxiation between sibling food allergen sensitization history and the index child food allergen sensitization status (Xt..9.374, FE().OII).