Effect of dabai (Canarium odontophyllum) fruit extract on biochemical parameters of induced obese–diabetic rats

Dabai is one of the most popular indigenous fruits in Sarawak, and is rich in various nutrients. In this study, the effect of dabai fruit extract (300 and 600 mg/kg bw) on the biochemical parameters of obese–diabetic (Ob-db) rats was investigated. After a 4-week treatment period, the dabai extract at a concentration of 600 mg/kg bw (equivalent to 20 g of flesh with skin of fresh fruit) showed a pronounced effect in lowering the plasma glucose level compared with 300 mg extract/kg bw (equivalent to 10 g of flesh with skin of fresh fruit). The dabai extract also significantly reduced the plasma cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-c) levels and increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL-c). However, the dabai extract did not increase the insulin level but did increase its sensitivity and reduced insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). This study suggests that dabai extract possesses hypocholesterolaemic properties, has a short-term glucose-lowering effect and improves the lipid profile through synergistic effect of various polyphenols

Characterisation of fibre-rich powder and antioxidant capacity of Mangifera pajang K. fruit peels.

The composition of bambangan peel dietary fibre (DF) and several properties related to its nutritional quality were investigated. The physicochemical properties and antioxidant capacity for the fibre-rich powder (FRP) were investigated, and the chemical composition for soluble dietary fibre (SDF) and insoluble dietary fibre (IDF) were also studied. The FRP had a high amount of total dietary fibre (TDF; 72.3 g/100 g FRP) with a balanced SDF/IDF ratio (46.3/53.7%). The FRP had a high glucose retardation index, water-holding capacity (WHC), oil-holding capacity (OHC), and swelling. The antioxidant capacity of the FRP, as determined by the DPPHradical dot assay using an Elisa reader, exhibited a strong potency due to the presence of associated total polyphenols (98.3 mg/g FRP). These FRP characteristics indicated that bambangan peels are a rich source of DF, antioxidants, and other bioactive compounds that can be incorporated with food products to improve the nutraceutical properties of these products

Chemical compositions and antioxidative and antidiabetic properties of underutilized vegetable palm hearts from Plectocomiopsis geminiflora and Eugeissona insignis

Underutilized vegetables are currently studied not only for their nutrient values but also for their health-promoting components for protection against chronic diseases. The present study was performed to evaluate chemical compositions and antioxidant properties of underutilized vegetable palm hearts, namely, lalis (Plectocomiopsis geminiflora) and pantu (Eugeissona insignis). Additionally, the vegetable extracts were evaluated for their activities in the inhibition of digestive enzymes and effects on insulin secretion using BRIN BD11 pancreatic cell lines. Both vegetables contain valuable sources of dietary fiber, potassium, and zinc. For the first time, the phenolic compounds of the vegetables were identified and quantified using HPLC-DAD and LC-ESI-MS. Appreciable amounts of chlorogenic acid were found in the studied vegetables. The sample extracts exhibited potential antioxidant capacities through chemical and biological in vitro assays. High inhibition of α-amylase activity (>50%) was found from the extracts. Thus, it was suggested the vegetable consumption could fulfill the nutrient requirements among local communities

Effects of Bifidobacterium longum BB536 on lipid profile and histopathological changes in hypercholesterolaemic rats

The present study investigated the effects of Bifidobacterium longum BB536 on lipid profile, liver and kidney function, and body fat in hypercholesterolaemic rats. 40 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups. The negative control group received a standard diet. The positive control group received a cholesterol-enriched diet, whereas the intervention groups received a cholesterol-enriched diet supplemented with B. longum BB536 alone or in combination with inulin or Mangifera pajang fibrous polysaccharides. After 8 weeks, plasma lipids, and liver and kidney function were tested. Intake of the cholesterol-enriched diet increased total cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, creatinine, urea, liver weight, adipose tissue weight, liver lipid deposition and adipocyte size. B. longum BB536 supplementation significantly reduced total cholesterol, liver lipid deposition and adipocyte size, and positively affected liver and kidney function. These effects were significantly increased in the presence of inulin and M. pajang fibrous polysaccharides

Response surface optimisation for the extraction of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacities of underutilised Mangifera pajang Kosterm. peels.

The optimum extraction conditions for highest recovery of total phenolics content (TPC) and antioxidant capacities (AC) were analysed for Mangifera pajang peels (MPP), using response surface methodology. The effects of ethanol concentration (X1: 20-80%), extraction temperature (X2: 30-65°C) and liquid-to-solid ratio (X3: 20-50 mL/g) on the recovery of total phenolics (Y1) and antioxidant capacity (Y 2) were investigated. A second order polynomial model produced a satisfactory fitting of the experimental data with regard to total phenolic content (R2 = 0.9966, p < 0.0001) and antioxidant capacity (R 2 = 0.9953, p < 0.0001). The optimum extraction conditions for TPC were 68%, 55°C and 32.7 mL/g, and for AC were 68%, 56°C and 31.8 mL/g, respectively. Predicted values for extraction of TPC and AC agreed well with the experimental values. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry of the optimally obtained extracts from MPP revealed the major phytochemicals as mangiferin, gallic acid, catechin and epicatechin. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Functional properties and characterization of dietary fiber from mangifera pajang kort. Fruit pulp

A dried high fiber product from bambangan (Mangifera pajang Kort.) fruit pulp was prepared and evaluated for proximate composition, functional properties, and soluble and insoluble dietary fiber composition. Mangifera pajang fibrous (MPF) consisted of 4.7% moisture, 0.8% fat, 4% protein, and 30 mg total polyphenol per g of dry sample, and 9, 79 and 88% soluble, insoluble and total dietary fiber, respectively. Water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, swelling, and solubility were found to be 9 g/g dry sample, 4 g/g dry sample, 16 mL/g dry sample, and 11%, respectively. The glucose dialysis retardation index of MPF was approximately double that of cellulose fiber. Soluble dietary fiber contained mannose, arabinose, glucose, rhamnose, erythrose, galactose, xylose, and fucose at 1.51, 0.72, 0.39, 0.16, 0.14, 0.05, 0.04, and 0.01%, respectively, with 5.8% uronic acid, while insoluble dietary fiber was composed of arabinose (18.47%), glucose (4.46%), mannose (3.15%), rhamnose (1.65%), galactose (1.20%), xylose (0.99%), and fucose (0.26%) with 15.5% uronic acid and 33.1% klason lignin. These characteristics indicate that MPF is a rich source of dietary fiber and has physicochemical properties which make it suitable as an added ingredient in various food products and/or dietetic, low-calorie high-fiber foods to enhance their nutraceutical propertie

Accelerating L-shaped Two-stage Stochastic SCUC with Learning Integrated Benders Decomposition

Benders decomposition is widely used to solve large mixed-integer problems. This paper takes advantage of machine learning and proposes enhanced variants of Benders decomposition for solving two-stage stochastic security-constrained unit commitment (SCUC). The problem is decomposed into a master problem and subproblems corresponding to a load scenario. The goal is to reduce the computational costs and memory usage of Benders decomposition by creating tighter cuts and reducing the size of the master problem. Three approaches are proposed, namely regression Benders, classification Benders, and regression-classification Benders. A regressor reads load profile scenarios and predicts subproblem objective function proxy variables to form tighter cuts for the master problem. A criterion is defined to measure the level of usefulness of cuts with respect to their contribution to lower bound improvement. Useful cuts that contain the necessary information to form the feasible region are identified with and without a classification learner. Useful cuts are iteratively added to the master problem, and non-useful cuts are discarded to reduce the computational burden of each Benders iteration. Simulation studies on multiple test systems show the effectiveness of the proposed learning-aided Benders decomposition for solving two-stage SCUC as compared to conventional multi-cut Benders decomposition

Accelerating L-Shaped Two-Stage Stochastic SCUC with Learning Integrated Benders Decomposition

Benders decomposition is widely used to solve large mixed-integer problems. This article takes advantage of machine learning and proposes a variant of Benders decomposition to tackle two-stage stochastic security-constrained unit commitment (SCUC). The problem is decomposed into a master problem (MP) and subproblems (SPs) corresponding to individual load scenarios. The primary objective is to mitigate computational expenses and memory consumption associated with Benders decomposition by generating tighter cuts and reducing the MP\u27s dimensions. A regressor reads load profile scenarios and predicts objective function proxy values for the SPs, enabling the creation of tighter cuts for the MP. The numerical difference between cut values and proxy variable values serves as the basis for identifying useful cuts. Analytical cut-filtering and classification-assisted cut-filtering approaches are discussed and compared. Useful cuts contain the necessary information to form the feasible region and are iteratively added to the MP, whereas nonuseful cuts are discarded, thus reducing the computational burden at each Benders iteration. Simulation studies conducted across various test systems demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed learning-enhanced Benders decomposition in solving two-stage SCUC problems, showcasing superior performance compared to conventional multicut Benders decomposition and offering numerical advantages over cut classifier-based Benders approaches

Asymmetric Impact of Oil Prices and Stock Prices on Bank’s Profitability: Evidence from Saudi Islamic Banks

The soundness of financial institutions including banks depends on both internal factors and external factors. The profitability of the banks largely affected by external shocks like oil prices and stock prices. As an oil-exporting country, Saudi economy particularly its banking sector largely rely on the oil prices. This study examines the asymmetric impact of oil prices and stock prices on Saudi Islamic banks’ profitability for the period 2000-2020. Two Saudi Islamic banks’ profitability is examined by the factors like Return on Equity (ROE) and Return on Assets (ROA) with the help of a nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model. The estimated results are observed to be unbiased and robust. The results of this study show that OILP and STOCKP have significant role in determining the Islamic banks’ profitability in Saudi Arabia. Both higher oil prices and stock prices have positive influence on ROE and ROA of Saudi Islamic banks. This study suggest that development and efficiency of Saudi stock market is important and macroeconomic policy should support the country’s economic diversification. The management of Islamic banks need to focus on effective risk assessment and market monitoring tools to face the fluctuation of oil prices and their stock prices as these factors affect their profitability. Besides, Saudi Islamic banks need to diversify their investment portfolios into more productive and export oriented private sectors such as Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This strategic policy will enable Islamic banks to absorb any future shock of oil prices without affecting their profitability.

Asymmetric Impact of Oil Prices and Stock Prices on Bank’s Profitability: Evidence from Saudi Islamic Banks

The soundness of financial institutions including banks depends on both internal factors and external factors. The profitability of the banks largely affected by external shocks like oil prices and stock prices. As an oil-exporting country, Saudi economy particularly its banking sector largely rely on the oil prices. This study examines the asymmetric impact of oil prices and stock prices on Saudi Islamic banks’ profitability for the period 2000-2020. Two Saudi Islamic banks’ profitability is examined by the factors like Return on Equity (ROE) and Return on Assets (ROA) with the help of a nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model. The estimated results are observed to be unbiased and robust. The results of this study show that OILP and STOCKP have significant role in determining the Islamic banks’ profitability in Saudi Arabia. Both higher oil prices and stock prices have positive influence on ROE and ROA of Saudi Islamic banks. This study suggest that development and efficiency of Saudi stock market is important and macroeconomic policy should support the country’s economic diversification. The management of Islamic banks need to focus on effective risk assessment and market monitoring tools to face the fluctuation of oil prices and their stock prices as these factors affect their profitability. Besides, Saudi Islamic banks need to diversify their investment portfolios into more productive and export oriented private sectors such as Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This strategic policy will enable Islamic banks to absorb any future shock of oil prices without affecting their profitability.