Norhasnida Zawawi

Universiti Putra Malaysia | UPM

BACKGROUND The nutritional composition of stingless bee honey (SBH) can be affected by different climates and soil composition across different geographical areas. However, the range of attributes set for a honey quality standard should be inclusive. This study analysed the sugar profile's physiochemical properties, including quantifying the rare s...

Stingless bee (Meliponini) honey has long been considered a high-value functional food, but the perceived therapeutic value has lacked attribution to specific bioactive components. Examination of honey from five different stingless bee species across Neotropical and Indo-Australian regions has enabled for the first time the identification of the un...

Stingless bee honey (SBH) of four stingless bee species (Heterotrigona itama, Geniotrigona thoracica, Tetragonula carbonaria, and Tetragonula hockingsi) from two geographic regions (Malaysia and Australia, n=36) were studied for their physicochemical parameters, including total phenolic and multi-elemental contents. Sugar analysis confirmed the pro...

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) seed is a non-conventional edible oilseed that can be valorized into various food products. There is a recent discovery of kenaf seed beverage (KSB) potential as a novel plant-based beverage. KSB had less crude protein than soybean (SB) but more carbohydrate, magnesium, and phosphorus contents. Levels of crude fat, ph...

Introduction: The increase of Type 2 diabetes mellitus has prompted numerous research toward finding an alternative to manage the disease through the oxidant-antioxidant balance, mainly through bioactive compounds in natural products. This study explored the antioxidant and antidiabetic properties of phenolic-rich extract (PRE) from Stingless bee h...

Diabetes is associated with an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants, leading to oxidative stress. This imbalance contributes to the development and progression of diabetic complications. Similarly, renal and liver diseases are characterised by oxidative stress, where an excess of oxidants overwhelms the antioxidant defense mechanisms, causin...

This study evaluated the acute and sub-acute toxicity of B. amyloliquefaciens HTI-19 (iso-lated from stingless bee honey) in female Sprague Dawley rats. In an acute toxicity study, the rats received a low dosage (1 × 10 9 CFU·mL −1), medium dosage (3 × 10 9 CFU·mL −1), or high dosage (1x10 10 CFU·mL −1) of B. amyloliquefaciens HTI-19 daily orally b...

Over recent years, there had been many studies by Malaysian researchers focusing on kelulut (stingless bee) honey chemical profile. One of the ultimate purposes of carrying out the chemical profiling activity was to search for suitable unique biomarkers that can be used as quality as well as authenticity indicators. Both aspects are crucial in orde...

Kelulut (stingless bee) honey (KH) possesses a wide range of benefits for human consumption and can exhibit medical effects. Due to its high value, this premium honey is often adulterated with different types of cheaper sugars, causing low nutrients and potential food safety threats in the final product. This study aims to determine the physicochem...

This study evaluates the macronutrients and Dietary Fiber (DF) of kenaf seeds and their secondary by-products to promote food sustainability and support the zero-waste concept. The first part concentrates on macronutrients and potential DF sources of kenaf seeds and their by-products, i.e., kenaf seed meals and dregs. Following this, the DF from th...

This review of analytical methods for pot-honey research is intended to provide concise references to our contributions to a 35-day post-harvest at 30 °C, in an integrated study. Diverse methods were selected from specialized literature, from the AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists), and the International Honey Commission. Besides the...

Plants represent a significant part of the human diet. Humans have utilized every part of plants for survival, and seeds are no exception. Seeds offer high protein, unsaturated fats, fibre, essential vitamins, and minerals for various food applications. They are also a promising reservoir of bioactive compounds, where various phytochemicals, such a...

The excellent health benefits of oil extracted from seeds have increased its application in foods, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. This trend leads to a growing research area on their by-products, oilseed meals, to minimize environmental and economic issues. Examples of these by-products are soybean, peanut, kenaf seed, hemp, sesame, and ch...

Kenaf seeds are underutilized source of food with good source of dietary fiber, protein, essential oil, and phytocompounds. The objectives of this study were to determine the nutritional composition of kenaf seeds, the techno-functional properties of kenaf seeds dietary fibre (KSDF), and sensory analysis of pan bread fortified with dietary fibre th...

This study compared the protein content and yield of rice bran protein concentrates (RBPC) extracted via enzymatic and alkaline methods. Enzymatic extraction using xylanase produced RBPC containing 47.17% protein and a 19.80% protein yield. The optimal alkaline extraction conditions (pH 9, 30 °C) obtained 44.29% protein content and 21.80% protein y...

In the honey industry, heat treatments are usually applied to maintain honey’s quality and shelf life. Heat treatment is used to avoid crystallisation and allow the easy use of honey, but treatment with heat might affect the antioxidant and antibacterial activities, which are the immediate health effects of honey. This study will determine the effe...

Kenaf seed gum (KSG) is a novel potential hydrocolloid extracted from kenaf seed. The physicochemical and functional characteristics of KSG were compared with guar gum (GG) and locust bean gum (LBG). The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis of KSG revealed representative peaks of polysaccharides in the regions of 3272, 2923, 1744, 1623, 1448,...

The recent COVID-19, a viral outbreak calls for a high demand for non-conventional antiviral agents that can reduce the risk of infections and promote fast recovery. Fermented foods and their probiotics bacteria have recently received increasing interest due to the reported potential of high antiviral activity. Several probiotics strains demonstrat...

The recent COVID-19, a viral outbreak calls for a high demand for non-conventional antiviral agents that can reduce the risk of infections and promote fast recovery. Fermented foods and their probiotics bacteria have recently received increasing interest due to the reported potential of high antiviral activity. Several probiotics strains demonstrat...

Honey is a well-known natural sweetener and is rich in natural antioxidants that prevent the occurrence of oxidative stress, which is responsible for many human diseases. Some of the biochemical compounds in honey that contribute to this property are vitamins and phenolic compounds such as phenolic acids and flavonoids. However, the extent to which...

Dietary fiber (DF) has wide applications, especially in the food and pharmaceutical industries due to its health-promoting effects and potential techno-functional properties in developing functional food products. There is a growing interest in studies related to DF; nevertheless, there is less focus on the fractionation and characterization of DF....

Bee bread is rich in phenolic compounds and recently has gained attention as a food additive, which provides an alternative use to synthetic preservatives. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the proximate composition and antioxidant and antibacterial activities of fish sausages fortified with Heterotrigona itama bee bread ethanolic (BBE) extract...

Stingless bee-collected pollen (bee bread) is a mixture of bee pollen, bee salivary enzymes, and regurgitated honey, fermented by indigenous microbes during storage in the cerumen pot. Current literature data for bee bread is overshadowed by bee pollen, particularly of honeybee Apis. In regions such as South America, Australia, and Southeast Asia,...

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) seed is rich in protein, fat, fiber, and other essential nutrients. Kenaf seed comprises of high protein (22–31%) and oil (22–25%) contents which suggested its high potential food application. This chapter discusses the potential and early development of kenaf-based plant-milk and tofu. The step-by-step processes invo...

Most cultivable microbes associated with stingless bees are bacteria. Studies about bacteria related to stingless bee colonies were only limited to bacterial isolation and identification, while a few studies consider their potential applications. Information on their biological roles and functions are scarce. Bacteria classified under the genera Ba...

Pollen collected by stingless bee is stored and packed in honey pots following the addition of various enzymes and nectar, or honey which contains microorganisms to undergo lactic acid fermentation to produce bee bread. Naturally fermented foods are known to contain probiotic bacteria. Thus, the aim of this study was to isolate probiotic bacteria f...

Bee bread is the bee-collected pollen with the mixture of honey and bee salivary enzymes, stored inside the bee hive. Malaysia has limited information on bee bread collected by the stingless bee Heterotrigona itama. Therefore, this study aims to determine the botanical origin and nutritional values of bee bread from H. itama. Melissopalynological a...

This study aimed to isolate, identify, and evaluate the probiotic properties of Bacillus species from honey of the stingless bee Heterotrigona itama. Bacillus spp. were isolated from five different H. itama meliponicultures, and the isolates were characterized through Gram-staining and a catalase test. Tolerance to acidic conditions and bile salt (...

Kappaphycus alvarezii is a species of red algae, and one of the most important carrageenan sources for food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. It is commercially cultivated in the eastern part of Malaysia. Although K. alvarezii is rich in nutrients, it is limited in its integration into Malaysian food products. Therefore, the present work wa...

Kenaf belongs to the family Malvaceae noted for their economic and horticultural importance. Kenaf seed is a valuable component of kenaf plant. For several years, it has been primarily used as a cordage crop and secondarily as a livestock feed. The potential for using kenaf seeds as a source of food‐based products has not been fully exploited. Cons...

Introduction: In Malaysia, Heterotrigona itama sp. (stingless bee) industries start to grow rapidly since 2015 but the study on its health benefit is still lacking. This study was aimed to analyse and compare the sugar content, minerals and antioxidant properties of stingless bee honey collected from forest and suburban area in Malaysia. Methods: S...

Honey is a widely available natural sweetener containing sugars, and small quantities of vitamins and minerals, proteins, amino acids and fatty acids. Owing to its nutritious components, commercial honeys are sold in bulk blends or as trendy and premium products. Meanwhile, honey bees are considered as environmental monitors and have the potential...

Both honeybees (Apis spp.) and stingless bees (Trigona spp.) produce honeys with high nutritional and therapeutics value. Until recently, the information regarding potential health benefits of stingless bee honey (SBH) in medical databases is still scarce as compared to the common European bee honey (EBH) which is well known for their properties as...

Background: Strobilanthes crispus (S. crispus) leaves were traditionally consumed for its body weight lowering effect. In this study, we investigated the anti-obesity effect of S. crispus leaves extract (SCE). Methods: Mice (n = 48) were fed high-fat diet (HFD) for 25 weeks to induce obesity, after which half were maintained on HFD and half swit...

Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder with established, well-defined precursors. Obesity and insulin resistance are amongst most important factors in predisposition to diabetes. Rice is a staple for about half the global population and its consumption has been strongly linked with diabetogenesis. We assert that tackling the prevalence of predispo...

Diet-related metabolic diseases, and especially obesity, are metabolic disorders with multifactorial aetiologies. Diet has been a cornerstone in both the aetiology and management of this metabolic disorders. Rice, a staple food for over half of the world's population, could be exploited as part of the solution to check this menace which has been sk...

Background: Neptunia oleracea is a plant consumed as vegetable and used as folk remedy for several diseases. Herein, two regression models (partial least square, PLS and random forest, RF) in metabolomics approach were compared and applied for the evaluation of relationship between phenolics and bioactivities of N. oleracea. In addition, the effec...

Neptunia oleracea is a plant consumed as vegetable and used as a traditional herb to treat several ailments. This study evaluated metabolite variations among N. oleracea leaf and stem subjected to air drying (AD), freeze drying (FD) and oven drying (OD) using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) based metabolomics. The correlation was also st...

Background: Clinacanthus nutans is used traditionally in many parts of Asia to improve well-being, but there are limited studies on its efficacy. We explored the potential use of C. nutans for prevention of high fat and high cholesterol diet-(HFHC-) induced insulin resistance in rats. Methods: The leaf of C. nutans was extracted using water (AL...

Clinacanthus nutans is used as traditional medicine in Asia but there are limited scientific studies to support its use. In this study, the stem and leaf of C. nutans were extracted using solvents of differing polarities, and their antioxidant capacities were determined using multiple antioxidant assays. The water and aqueous methanolic leaf extrac...

The aim of the present study was to assess the anti-obesity and lipolysis effects of Strobilanthes crispus leaves extract (SCE) in diet-induced obese (DIO) rats by administering 1% (w/w) of SCE in drinking water. Methods: Normal Sprague-Dawley rats were induced obese using a high-fat (HF) diet formulation for 14 weeks. DIO rats were subsequently tr...

The table shows the food composition of the normal pellet, and High Fat and High Cholesterol (HFHC) Diets. The rats were allowed to adapt to their environment for at least 10 days on normal pellet diet prior to commencement of interventions. The rats were then randomly divided into nine groups of seven rats each; the normal control (NC) received no...

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) seeds have always being wasted as agricultural waste. Recent studies revealed that the seeds contain high fiber. The purpose of this study is to develop defatted kenaf seeds yellow noodles (DKSY) and assess the nutritional and physicohemical properties of the noodles. Defatted kenaf flour at 25% and 75% were used to make...

Obesity is a disease that has reached epidemic proportions across the world. Many types of treatments have been used to combat obesity including using synthetic drugs such as sibutramine and orlistat. However, the high cost and potentially hazardous side-effects of anti-obesity drugs have led many researchers to turn to naturally occurring compound...