Roswanira A. B. Wahab

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia | UTM · Department of Chemistry

Being commonly found at crime scenes, fingerprints are crucial for human identification, attributable to their uniqueness, persistence and systematic classification of ridge patterns. In addition to latent fingerprints being invisible to the naked eye, the escalating trends of disposing forensic evidence bearing such prints in watery bodies would f...

An isolation ward requires a highly controlled and contamination-free environment since the settling of bacteria carrying particles (shed by medical staff) on patients’ wounds could cause infections. The present study examines the effect of medical staff’s walking movement on airflow distribution and particle dispersion. Three different walking spe...

A proper ventilation strategy in an isolation ward could promote better indoor air quality for the occupants. This could also reduce the risk of immunocompromised patients contracting healthcare-associated infections (HAI) or airborne diseases such as COVID-19, tuberculosis, and measles among others. This study aims to propose and examine appropria...

(SUBMITTED VERSION FOR THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE) The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was responsible for the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The respiratory illness has rapidly spread worldwide and has claimed millions of lives. Although most countries have entered the endemic phase, health authorities w...

The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) was responsible for the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID‐19). The respiratory illness has rapidly spread worldwide and has claimed millions of lives. Although most countries have entered the endemic phase, health authorities warned that future variants could be more virule...

Efforts to restrict the emergence and progression of multidrug-resistant bacterial strains should heavily involve the scientific community, including government bodies, researchers, and industries, in developing new and effective photocatalytic antimicrobial agents. Such changes warrant the modernization and upscaling of materials synthesis laborat...

Wound healing is a complex process driven by a series of stages that require a suitable wound closure environment, attributable to many factors. However, several factors contribute to delay in healing processes, including infection and the presence of certain diseases. Under unfortunate circumstances, an inadequate wound healing process could lead...

Plastic or microplastic pollution is a global threat affecting ecosystems, with the current generation reaching as much as 400 metric tons per/year. Soil ecosystems comprising agricultural lands act as microplastics sinks, though the impact could be unexpectedly more far-reaching. This is troubling as most plastic forms, such as polyethylene tereph...

An indoor environment in a hospital building requires a high indoor air quality (IAQ) to overcome patients’ risks of getting wound infections without interrupting the recovery process. However, several problems arose in obtaining a satisfactory IAQ, such as poor ventilation design strategies, insufficient air exchange, improper medical equipment pl...

In recent years, the molecular modeling method has become vital in developing and designing more suitable organic corrosion inhibitors (CI) to protect metal surfaces in pipelines. An in-depth study of organic corrosion inhibitors' electronic properties and behavior in protecting metal surfaces alongside experimental procedures offers a crucial unde...

The ventilation system in an operating room (OR) plays a vital role in reducing the risk of patients contracting an infection while undergoing a surgical procedure. The clean air supplied from the ceiling-mounted diffuser removes the airborne particles from the surgical site. The clean air, however, is often obstructed by the medical staff and othe...

The discovery of forensic evidence (e.g. weapons) during forensic underwater investigations has seen an increasing trend. To date, small particle reagent (SPR) has been one of the routinely used methods for visualising fingerprints on wet, non-porous substrates. However, the long term use of SPR is detrimental to humans and environment due to the u...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global chronic disease characterized by hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. The unsavory severe gastrointestinal side-effects of synthetic drugs to regulate hyperglycemia have warranted the search for alternative treatments to inhibit the carbohydrate digestive enzymes (e.g. α-amylase and α-glucosidase). Certain phytoc...

The airflow distribution in an operating room plays a vital role in preventing surgical site infection by diluting and removing particles released by medical staff, lowering particle settlement on a patient. This study aims to computationally examine the efficiency of a ceiling-mounted air curtain in reducing particle distribution in a surgical zon...

The airflow distribution in an operating room plays a vital role in preventing surgical site infection by diluting and removing particles released by medical staff, lowering particle settlement on a patient. This study aims to computationally examine the efficiency of a ceiling-mounted air curtain in reducing particle distribution in a surgical zon...

Green honey is exclusively available on the island of Banggi in Sabah, and its uniqueness sees the commodity being sold at a high market price. Therefore, green honey is prone to adulteration by unscrupulous individuals, possibly compromising the health of those consuming this food commodity for its curative properties. Moreover, an established sta...

The present study examines the effect of medical staff’s turning movements on particle concentration in the surgical zone and settlement on the patient under single large diffuser (SLD) ventilation. A computational domain representing the operating room (OR) was constructed using computer-aided design (CAD) software. The airflow and particle models...

This study was performed to develop and characterize a bio-film composed of Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis), green banana Saba (Musa acuminata x balbisiana), and curcumin for the detection of Fe2+ ions. Cross-linking interaction between banana starch-aloe vera gel and banana starch-curcumin enhanced l the sensing performance of the composite film towa...

The widespread use of disposable face masks as a preventative strategy to address transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been a key environmental concern since the pandemic began. This has led to an unprecedented new form of contamination from improperly disposed masks, which liberates significant amounts of heavy metals and toxic chemicals in ad...

Ananas comosus peels (AcP) are among the agro-industrial biomasses contributing to a significant volume of waste in Malaysia. Thus, the AcP extract (AcPE) may prove useful for other applications, such as an ingredient in a nanocream for controlled delivery for dermal application. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an oil-in-water (O/W) nanocrea...

Alternative solutions are eminently needed to combat the escalating number of infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria are promising candidates for next-generation antibiotics. Studies have found that these stable and nontoxic ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptide...

Background: Honey produced by Heterotrigona itama is highly preferred among consumers due to its high-value as a functional food and beneficial lactic acid bacteria (LAB) reservoir. Fructophilic lactic acid bacteria (FLAB) are a group of LAB with unique growth characteristics and are regarded as promising producers of bioactive compounds. Hence, i...

The anthocyanin (ACN)-rich roselle extract has the potential to inhibit lung cancer. However, the compounds demonstrate low bioavailability and stability in biological applications. The present study proposed a stable formulation of a water-in-oil (w/o) roselle extract nanoemulsion by combining low (hot temperature inversion) and high-energy approa...

Efficacy of a β-1,4-glucosidase from Trichoderma harzianum T12 (ThBglT12) in disrupting the cell wall of the phytopathogenic fungus M. phaseolina (Macrophomina phaseolina) was studied, as the underlying molecular mechanisms of cell wall recognition remains elusive. In this study, the binding location identified by a consensus of residues predicted...

Fungal plant diseases can severely damage oil palm crops and compromise agricultural yields. To ensure a high crop yield while keeping the fungal pathogens at bay, microbial control to combat such diseases offers a more sustainable alternative to chemical control. It is safer to replace chemical fungicides with eco-friendly bio formulations contain...

Macrofungi belonging to the family "Polyporaceae" in the phylum Basidiomycota are among the commonplace causal agents of plant diseases. In the present study, we reported the molecular characterization of a macrofungi basidiomycetous brown-rot fungal phytopathogen Fomitopsis strain MM4. The fungal phytopatho-gen was identified and molecularly chara...

Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn. (Roselle) is a good source of the anti-diabetic agents like cyanidin-3-sambubioside, delphinidin-3-sambubioside, and delphinidin-3-glucoside. However, their rapid degradation nullifies their maximal dosage delivery to the human body to adequately impart their therapeutic benefits. Hence, this work aimed to improve the abso...

As the top grocery list priorities, the primary challenge when purchasing fruits and vegetables from supermarkets is obtaining fresh, minimally processed perishable goods. This source of diet is critical for obtaining vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fibres. However, the short shelf life caused by moisture content in rapid deterioration and de...

Despite the benefits of bio-based enzyme biocatalysts, high production-and separation from reaction mixture costs hinders their industrial applications. Whereas enzymes are usually immobilized on solid supports for improving stability, recovery and activity, there are concerns that the synthetic and non-biodegradable nature of the support materials...

A novel greener MNC/PES membrane was developed through an electrospinning technique for lipase immobilization to catalyze the synthesis of ethyl valerate (EV). In this study, the covalent immobilization of Aspergillus oryzae lipase (AOL) onto an electrospun nanofibrous membrane consisting of magnetic nanocellulose (MNC) and polyethersulfone (PES) t...

Microbial-assisted removal of natural or synthetic pollutants is the prevailing green, low-cost technology to treat polluted environments. However, the challenge with enzyme-assisted bioremediation is the laborious nature of dehalogenase-producing microorganisms’ bioprospecting. This bottleneck could be circumvented by in-silico analysis of certain...

Biobased ternary nanocomposites can stabilize enzymes for greater stability, catalytic activity and easy recovery. This study aimed to optimize biogenic silica/magnetite/graphene oxide nanocomposite supported Candida rugosa lipase (CRL/SiO2/Fe3O4/GO) for ethyl valerate (EV) synthesis and characterize the biocatalysts’ physicochemical properties and...

Corrosion of metal pipelines is a huge industrial concern, with potential environmental pollution and economic loss. The implementation of a cost-effective technology in using waste palm oil as biobased corrosion inhibitors (CIs) has risen. However, the inhibition mechanism of CIs remains unclear due to the lack of comprehensive review and a small...

This research aimed to isolate protease-producing bacteria from Sidoarjo shrimp paste for extracting collagen from milkfish scales. This study began with isolation, followed by screening and purification of protease-producing bacterial isolates. Further confirmation of the isolates’ proteolytic indices and the crude protease production, the enzymes...

Inorganic biopolymer-based nanocomposites are useful for stabilizing lipases for enhanced catalytic performance and easy separation. Herein, we report the operational stability, re-generability, and thermodynamics studies of the ternary biogenic silica/magnetite/graphene oxide nanocomposite (SiO2/Fe3O4/GO) as a support for Candida rugosa lipase (CR...

Nanoemulsion is a delivery system used to enhance bioavailability of plant-based compounds across the stratum corneum. Elaeis guineensis leaves are rich source of polyphenolic antioxidants, viz. gallic acid and catechin. The optimal E. guineensis leaves extract water-in-oil nanoemulsion was stable against coalescence, but it was under significant i...

Pollution of the environment by organohalide compounds is a worldwide issue. Organohalide-degrading microbes isolated from such contaminated environments or extreme habitats could be key agents for the bioremediation of pollutants. We previously identified this bacterium as Bacillus thuringiensis H2 based on biochemical and 16S rRNA analysis. Howev...

This is the first structural model of L-haloacid dehalogenase (DehLBHS1) isolated from alkalotolerant Bacillus megaterium BHS1, which has been known to degrading halogenated environmental contaminants. The study suggested five important key amino acid residues of DehLBHS1, namely Arg40, Phe59, Asn118, Asn176 and Trp178 important for catalysis and m...

The present study reports the groundwork for preparing a greener catalyst, Candida rugosa lipase (CRL), supported on biomass-based nanocellulose-silica-reinforced polyethersulfone membrane (NC-SiO2-PES) and proved its stability in synthesizing pentyl valerate. The NC-SiO2-PES/CRL-catalyzed synthesis of the ester exhibited a ping-pong bi-bi mechanis...

In this study, a series of mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) was successfully synthesized using different ionic liquids (ILs) as a template. Five ILs and a surfactant with different alkyl side chains and types of anion namely 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide ([C12mim][I]), 3-diethylamino propanol vanillate (DV), 2-butylamino ethanol salicyla...

Oil palm leaves (OPL) silica (SiO2) can replace the energy-intensive, commercially produced SiO2. Moreover, the agronomically sourced biogenic SiO2 is more biocompatible and cost-effective enzyme support, which properties could be improved by the addition of magnetite (Fe3O4) and graphene oxide (GO) to yield better ternary support to immobilize enz...

A greener processing route to replace the current environmentally-unfriendly esterification technique to produce biofuels such as pentyl valerate (PeVa) was explored. This study statistically optimized the covalent immobilization of Candida rugosa lipase (CRL) onto biomass-based nanocellulose-silica (NC-SiO2) reinforced polyethersulfone (PES) membr...

Aims: The surplus use of herbicide Dalapon® contains 2,2-dichloropropionic acid (2,2-DCP) poses great danger to human and ecosystem due to its toxicity. Hence, this study focused on the isolation and characterization of a dehalogenase producing bacteria from Sungai Skudai, Johor, capable of utilizing 2,2-DCP as a carbon source and in silico analysi...

The cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) contains a significant amount of antioxidants, especially when harvested at the right time. The present study evaluated differences in nutrients, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity of cucumbers grown in Kundasang, Malaysia, at the semi-ripe fruit (SR) and ripe fruit (R) maturation stages. Independent...

Increased scientific interest has led to the rise in biotechnological uses of halophilic and halotolerant microbes for hypersaline wastewater bioremediation. Hence, this study performed molecular docking, molecular dynamic (MD) simulations, and validation by Molecular Mechanic Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) calculations on the DehH2 from...

As the largest organ in the human body, the skin should be protected from various harmful chemicals and pollutants from the surrounding environment and ultraviolet (UVA/UVB) radiation emitted from sunlight. This has prompted formulation scientists to embark on new technology to formulate cosmetics free of synthetic chemicals using natural plant-bas...

Currently, the catalytic residue of the highly prolific fungal β-glucosidase (BGL) of Trichoderma asperellum UC1 remains unvalidated. The study used the alanine scanning method to confirm the catalytic residues of the BGL as Glu165, Asp226, and Glu423. This method cancels out all intermolecular hydrogen bonds with substrates, lignin, hemicellulose,...

Objective Optimisation of the green novel nanobio-based reagent (NBR) for rapid visualisation of groomed fingerprints on wet non-porous substrates using response surface methodology and assessment of its stability and sensitivity were attempted for forensic applications. Results Scanning electron microscopy images demonstrated successful attachmen...

The maturation stage of Cucumis sativus is among the important factors affecting its composition and quality. Hence, this study monitored the differences in total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, pigment and colour of Keningau-grown cucumbers (Cucumis sativus L.) at two stages of maturities, namely the semi-ripe (SR) and ripe (R). The...

The research was carried out to synthesize a stable kojic acid (KA) encapsulated nanoemulsion as a whitening agent for topical skin usage. In this study, the oil-in-water (O/W) KA nanoemulsion was formulated using integrated low and high energy methods that combined ultrasonic and hot temperature inversion methods. Several different combinations of...

An integral approach to decoding both culturable and uncultured microorganisms' metabolic activity involves the whole genome sequencing (WGS) of individual/complex microbial communities. WGS of culturable microbes, amplicon sequencing, metagenomics, and single-cell genome analysis are selective techniques integrating genetic information and biochem...

BACKGROUND The growing demand for cellulases and xylanases in lignocellulosic degradation and reutilization has spurred the need for their improved production at a reduced cost. The abundantly available oil palm leaves (OPL) promises an alternative and sustainable substrate for producing the enzymes, in the degradation and biotransformation of unwa...

Purpose: Bacillus megaterium strain BHS1, isolated from an alkaline water sample taken from Mavi Gölü (Blue Lake, Turkey), can grow on minimal medium containing 2,2-dichloropropionic acid. We characterized this bacterium at the genomic level. Methods: The HiSeq platform was used to carry out genome sequencing, de novo assembly, and scaffolding with...

Oil palm leaves (OPL), as the major component of oil palm biomass, was capitalized for the isolation of nanocellulose (NC) by unified ternary acoustic, chemical- and enzyme-assisted techniques. This study aimed to statistically optimize the extraction parameters via the Taguchi Design for sonication time, duration of enzymatic hydrolysis, the conce...

Methoxylation is a relevant technological process applied in the production of high-value α-pinene derivatives. This report investigates the use of potassium alum [KAl(SO4)2 · 12H2O] as a catalyst in the methoxylation of α-pinene. In this study, the methoxylation reaction was optimized for the highest conversion of α-pinene and selectivity, assesse...

Objective Optimisation of the green novel nanobio-based reagent (NBR) for rapid visualisation of groomed fingerprints on wet non-porous substrates using response surface methodology and assessment of its stability and sensitivity were attempted for forensic applications. Results Scanning electron microscopy images demonstrated successful attachmen...

The 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing technique is a key aspect of studies of microbial communities but does not provide direct evidence of a community’s functional capabilities. This work aimed to assess the structure of the uncultured bacterial communities from two locations in Lake Tuz in Turkey to provide information on their roles in the lake ecosy...

A greener processing route to replace the current environmentally-unfriendly esterification technique to produce biofuels such as pentyl valerate (PeVa) was explored. This study statistically optimized the covalent immobilization of Candida rugosa lipase (CRL) onto biomass-based nanocellulose-silica (NC-SiO 2) reinforced polyethersulfone (PES) memb...

An acid, 2,2-dichloropropionic acid (2,2-DCP) is an active ingredient in herbicide (Dalapon®). Using 2,2-DCP as a model substrate, an alkalotolerant bacterium was successfully isolated from the Blue Lake, Turkey. This bacterium is a potential bioremediation agent of recalcitrant xenobiotic halogenated compounds. This stu-dy aimed to prove the effic...