Seng Joe Lim

National University of Malaysia | ukm · Department of Food Sciences

Sarang Burung Walit (SBW) yang diperbuat daripada air liur burung spesies Aerodramus fuciphagus mempunyai banyak manfaat kesihatan seperti melambatkan proses penuaan serta menguatkan sistem imun manusia. Bagi memaksimumkan penggunaan SBW, hasil sampingan SBW daripada pembersihan awal digunakan oleh pengilang dengan mengekstrak semula glikopeptida y...

Annona muricata atau durian belanda adalah sejenis tumbuhan yang berada daripada famili Annonaceae, sering digunakan sebagai ubat tradisi untuk merawat pelbagai penyakit termasuk kanser, artritis dan malaria. Tumbuhan herba ini mengandungi sebatian bioaktif yang berpolar dan tidak berpolar. Penggunaan pelarut yang sesuai amat penting untuk mengekst...

Edible bird's nest (EBN) is a valuable natural product consisting of sialylated mucin (SiaMuc) glycoproteins produced by swiftlets. It is recognized for its nutritional, therapeutic, and medicinal properties. Studies have identified bioactive attributes of EBN with a focus on glycan recognition, side chains and peptides influencing their biological...

Various parts of Garcinia atroviridis have long been used to address various health issues and as a seasoning. Past research has highlighted the leaf extracts' diverse medicinal properties, including antioxidant, antihyperlipidaemic, antibacterial, antitumor, anti‐inflammatory, and antifungal effects. No research has explored the therapeutic effect...

Brown seaweed is a natural source of fucoidan, a polysaccharide known for its remarkable bioactivities. This study investigated the anti‐obesity effects of fucoidan (Fsar) from Malaysian brown seaweed (Sargassum binderi) using Sprague Dawley rats. The rats were divided into four dietary groups, including normal diet (ND), high‐fat diet (HFD), HFD w...

The angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) plays a pivotal role in hypertension, and while ACE inhibitors are conventional in hypertension management, synthetic medications often carry undesirable side effects. This has spurred interest in alternative ACE inhibitors derived from natural sources, such as edible insects. The silkworm, recognized for i...

This study aimed to optimise the production of silkworm hydrolysate powder (SHP) from Thai's mature silkworm with potent ACE inhibition properties using commercial protease enzymes. Thai's mature silkworm (TMS) powder was hydrolysed with Alcalase® 2.4 L, Neutrase® 0.8 L and Flavourzyme® 500MG at varying enzyme concentrations and temperatures. The m...

This study explores enhancing lipid recovery from the lipid‐rich marine microalgae Aurantiochytrium sp. SW1, known for its robust cell wall posing challenges, which necessitates energy‐intensive cell‐disruption for efficient intracellular lipid extraction. Despite advancements in other microalgae, there is lack of reports on efficient cell disrupti...

This study investigated the impact of heating temperatures (70 °C to 90 °C for up to 14 h) on lycopene and β‐carotene degradation kinetics in gac aril paste. Carotenoids extracted via low‐volume hexane‐assisted ultrasonic extraction revealed a first‐order degradation pattern with high correlation coefficients (0.96–0.97). Lycopene degraded faster a...

Kajian terdahulu menunjukkan bahawa glikoprotein sarang burung walit boleh dihidrolisis dan dipulihkan sebagai hidrolisat sarang burung walit (SBWh) yang boleh dimakan dalam bentuk serbuk. Kajian ini adalah kerja sambungan daripada kajian terdahulu, yang mana pelbagai kepekatan enzim transglutaminase (TG) telah digunakan dalam pembentukan semula be...

Bioactive peptides generated from food proteins have gained much interest as functional foods. Recently, the application of lactic acid fermentation has developed rapidly thanks to the discovery of probiotic functions in lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Aside from converting a fermentable carbohydrate into lactic acid, many strains of LAB were found to...

Neurodegenerative diseases are often associated with the accumulation of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. Edible bird’s nest (EBN) is a glycoprotein (sialylated mucin glycopeptides) found to be beneficial against neurodegenerative diseases. Antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties of EBN in preserving neuronal cells we...

Plants are the primary source of the food chain and are rich in nutrients and biochemical compounds that mainly give beneficial effects to humans as well as other living organisms. Curcuma caesia Roxb. is a family member of Zingiberaceae commonly known as black turmeric. The leaves and rhizomes of this plant are extensively used in Ayurvedic medici...

The bioplastic industry's demand for D-lactic acid is increasing due to the widespread use of polylactic acid (PLA). Presently, D-lactic acid production exploits lignocellulosic biomass as carbon sources for fermentation gaining major attention. Mature coconut husk (MCH) and young coconut husk (YCH) hydrolysates were used as fermentation broth for...

This study was conducted to recover edible bird’s nest (EBN) hydrolysates from different grades of EBN, including the industrial by-products, using enzymatic treatment. The nutrient, physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of the recovered hydrolysates at different hydrolysis times were evaluated. Results showed that the recovery yiel...

This research was conducted to determine the monosaccharide profile and antioxidant activities of the sulphated polysaccharide fucoidan, extracted from Sargassum sp. harvested in Batam, Indonesia. Crude fucoidan (Fsar) was extracted using low pH (pH 2) acid method, obtaining a yield of 5.5% (w/w), and the chemical properties of Fsar were subsequent...

Kombucha adalah sejenis minuman yang terhasil daripada penapaian teh manis dengan menggunakan kultur simbiotik bakteria dan yis. Fukoidan merupakan sejenis polisakarida fungsian daripada rumpai laut yang dipercayai mempunyai kesan kesihatan yang baik. Penyelidikan ini telah dijalankan bertujuan untuk mengetahui kesan kepekatan fukoidan (0, 0.25, 0....

Edible bird's nest (EBN) is a salivary secretion of swiftlets which consist of protein and carbohydrate rich glycoproteins. This natural ingredient is very valuable, nutritional and medically valuable. The EBN industry have grown rapidly and benefited the Malaysian economy, hence, it is viewed seriously and it is actively supported by the governmen...

Fucoxanthin is an algae-specific xanthophyll of aquatic carotenoid. It is prevalent in brown seaweed because it functions as a light-harvesting complex for algal photosynthesis and photoprotection. Its exceptional chemical structure exhibits numerous biological activities that benefit human health. Due to these valuable properties, fucoxanthin’s po...

Edible bird’s nest (EBN) hydrolysates have been proven to exhibit enhanced bioactivities. However, being a macromolecule, fractions with different molecular weights would have different properties and bioactivities. Hence, this research was aimed to determine the chemical properties and antioxidant activities of freeze-dried (EBNFD) and spray-dried...

Alpinia mutica Roxb. (Zingiberaceae), juga dikenali sebagai halia hutan ialah sejenis tumbuhan yang kaya dengan sumber bahan bioaktif, berupaya menentang sel kanser dan berpotensi untuk bertindak sebagai agen antioksidan. Kajian ini dijalankan untuk mengkaji kesan kaedah pengeringan (pengeringan ketuhar (PK) dan sejuk beku (PB)) serta penggunaan ca...

The swiftlet’s nest is an edible bird’s nest (EBN) produced from dried gelatinized saliva secreted by swiftlets during the breeding season. It is widely used in industries for its high nutritional values and health benefits. However, the utilization of ESN is restricted due to its physicochemical properties, such as insolubility. The recently inven...

Lactic acid has become one of the most important chemical substances used in various sectors. Its global market demand has significantly increased in recent years, with a CAGR of 18.7% from 2019 to 2025. Fermentation has been considered the preferred method for producing high-purity lactic acid in the industry over chemical synthesis. However, the...

Sialic acids are a group of nine-carbon α-keto acids. Sialic acid exists in more than 50 forms, with the natural types discovered as N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac), deaminoneuraminic acid (2-keto-3-deoxy-nonulononic acid or Kdn), and N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc). Sialic acid level varies depending on the source, where edible bird’s nest (EB...

Functional food is a type of food which delivers additional or enhanced benefits over and above its basic nutritional value. Over the years, research efforts on functional food led to the global interest on translating research outcomes to address health issues and medical needs. Malaysia, as a developing country, blessed with abundant natural reso...

Mature coconut husk (MCH) and young coconut husk (YCH) are abundantly generated as a by-product from coconut-based industry, which eventually lead to environmental pollution. However, the lignocellulose content in both types of coconut husk has the potential to be exploited as feedstock by way of biochemical processes through the concept of biorefi...

Objective The objective of this study was to characterize the structure, physicochemical and toxicity properties of Dioscorea Pentaphylla tuber’s starch. Methods Starch was extracted from Dioscorea Pentaphylla tuber’s and analyzed to determine their properties such as pH, water binding capacity, solubility, swelling power, chemical composition, th...

Background Edible swiftlet's nest (ESN) is dried gelatinized saliva secreted by swiftlets during the breeding season. The ESN has been widely consumed as a food and medicine since the ancient dynasty of China, particularly in the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). As a food with health-promoting effects, this made ESN a potential funct...

Agro-industrial waste is a by-product of agriculture-based industries which are often rich in lignocellulosic materials and bioactive compounds. The management of these wastes is poorly regulated by the industries where it is commonly discarded in uncontrolled practices. Such activities have created an adverse effect on ecosystem and the economy as...

The use of microalgae as an alternative source of biofuel production has become an emerging topic of interest in recent years. However, the main challenge in the microalgae downstream process lies in the separation of microalgae from the growth media (harvesting process). This study proposed the use of different organic flocculants, namely, cationi...

This study presents the isolation of SNC from sago starch and its performance as proficient particle emulsifier. It highlights the impact of SNC on the stability and rheological properties of oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions. The percentage yield of the SNC obtained was equivalent to 25 ± 0.1% (w/w) with particle diameters ranging from 25 to 100 nm. A...

Soursop (Annona muricata L.) is a highly perishable fruit and is often rejected by the market due to external injury or rapid aging process that leads to unacceptable senescence for further processing. A previous study has optimised the alcoholic fermentation of soursop to produce soursop wine using an alternative fermentative starter culture. Ther...

Bioactive edible swiftlet's nest (ESN) sialylated-mucin (SiaMuc) hydrolysate is produced by alcalase hydrolysis. Enzymatic hydrolysis of ESN breakdown high-valued ESN SiaMuc-glycoprotein into bioactive SiaMuc-glycopeptide. This is a breakthrough for the issue of insolubility and low extraction rate in ESN, and even increases the bioavailability of...

Xanthorrhizol (XNT), is a bioactive compound found in Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. This study aimed to determine the potential targets of the XNT via computational target fishing method. This compound obeyed Lipinski’s and Veber’s rules where it has a molecular weight (MW) of 218.37 gmol ⁻¹ , TPSA of 20.23, rotatable bonds (RBN) of 4, hydrogen accept...

Brown seaweeds are rich source of functional polysaccharides that exhibit various bioactivities. However, Malaysian seaweeds are under-utilised, leading to low revenue throughout the supply chain of the seaweed industry. The aims of this study were to extract the functional polysaccharides, namely fucoidan (F), laminaran (L) and alginate (A) from M...

Edible Bird’s Nest (EBN) is perceived as a priced product due to the complexity and laborious cleaning process to remove impurities embedded in the bird’s nest. However, during this operation, huge amount of EBN waste, which contains mainly of feathers with glycoproteins attached, are discarded. This research was aimed to recover EBN glycopeptides...

Costus plant is considered as a medicinal plant especially in therapeutic intervention. The current study reports the composition, phytochemical and antioxidant properties of red button ginger (Costus woodsonii) using sequential extraction. Solvents of different polarities (hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol and water) were used to sequentially extrac...

The mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) is a common edible insect in many countries. However, the impact of thermal processing, especially regarding Thai silkworm powder, is poorly known. We, therefore, determined the optimum time for treatment in hot water and subsequent drying temperatures in the production of silkworm powder. The silkworms expose...

Previous studies indicated that enzymatic hydrolysis of edible bird's nest (EBN) glycoproteins to glycopeptides resulted in higher bioactivities than raw EBN. However, a drying process is necessary to remove water after hydrolysis to increase the shelf-life and broaden its application. The current work was carried out to study the properties of EBN...

This study was conducted to produce innovative mayonnaise by Carotino oil and subsequently to determine its effect on the oxidative stability as well as sensory acceptance. Mayonnaise sample was formulated by (a) Carotino oil (MC), (b) mixture of palm oil and Carotino oil (MCS), and (c) palm oil (MS)—as control. The samples were then undergone acce...

BACKGROUND Processing of edible bird's nest (EBN) requires extensive washing to remove impurities and produces huge amounts of EBN co‐products, which contain mainly feathers with glycoproteins attached, which are usually discarded. This study was conducted to recover the valuable EBN glycoproteins from the waste material. Enzymatic hydrolysis was a...

Among the seafood items, Sea Cucumbers are one of those popular seafood products in the Chinese community, fetching with reasonable high pricing. A major issue with Sea Cucumber is the waste generated up to 30-40% waste. Sea Cucumber internal Organs (SCiO) and washed water, containing soluble components usually discarded as waste in the industry ha...

Edible bird’s nest (EBN), the swiftlet’s nest, has been consumed for centuries as a tonic or health food. The information upon the usage and benefits of the EBN are largely based on historical and observational reports since its discovery, until some were proven scientifically at recent times. Studies have been conducted on the major components of...

BACKGROUND Wines are produced via the alcoholic fermentation of suitable substrates, usually sugar (sugar cane, grapes) and carbohydrates (wheat, grain). However, conventional alcoholic fermentation is limited by the inhibition of yeast by ethanol produced, usually at approximately 13–14%. Aside from that, soursop fruit is a very nutritious fruit,...

Purpose Edible bird’s nest (EBN) has been considered as one of the nutritious foods and was also claimed to aid in digestion problems. Potential prebiotic of the EBN for gut health by the presence of glycan within the complex structure of the EBN glycoprotein to date has not been reported. The gut health can contribute to the overall consumers’ hea...

One major factor shaping the composition and physiology of colon microbiota is the availability of glycans, most of which cannot be digested by enzymes encoded in the human genome. Gut microbiota can digest the indigestible glycans and further produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which serve as nutrients for colonocytes and other gut epithelial...

Lentinula edodes or better known as Shiitake mushroom contains β-1,3;1,6-glucan as part of the cell wall components and studies have shown that it has the ability to enhance the immune system and work as anticancer. The aim of this study is to create potential strain of L. edodes with the high content of β-1,3;1,6-glucan, which has the potential fo...

Edible bird nest (EBN) is a dried glutinous secretion from the salivary glands of swiftlet species commonly found in the Southeast Asian region, including Malaysia. It is consumed traditionally by the Chinese as food delicacy and also considered as an important ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine for its beneficial health effects. The aim of...

White pepper is the dried seeds obtained from pepper berries (Piper nigrum L.) after the removal of the pericarp. It has been widely used as seasoning and condiments in food preparation. Globally, white pepper fetches a higher price compared to black pepper due to its lighter colour, preferable milder flavour and pungency. Increasing global demand...

A new dipeptide, (-)-glaciantarcin (1) and three known compounds, cyclo(-Pro-Gly) (2), 1-(2-deoxypentofuranosyl)-5-methyl-2,4(1H,3H)-pyrimidinedione (3) and vidarabine (Ara-A) (4), were isolated from Glaciozyma antarctica PI12, a cold-adapted yeast. The chemical structures were elucidated by FT-IR, NMR and mass spectrometry. The cytotoxicity and an...

This study was conducted to develop and optimise an alternative fermentation model system using mushrooms (Pleurotus pulmonarius and Volvariella volvacea) and yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as the starter cultures, while standard glucose solution was used as the substrate for fermentation. The optimisation was performed on two factors, fermentati...

Fermentation has been long used as a method to produce beverage of various health benefits. In this research, ripe papaya (Carica papaya) was fermented through alcoholic fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, followed by acetous fermentation using Acetobacter spp. from mother of vinegar, to reduce wastage of this highly perishable Malaysian f...

Fucoidan is a sulphated polysaccharide, made up mainly of L-fucose, which is found in brown seaweeds. Its chemical structure is diverse and depends on maturity, species and geographical location. The objective of this study was to elucidate the chemical structure of fucoidan from Cladosiphon okamuranus harvested in Japan. The fucoidan was subject t...

Edible bird nest (EBN) is a powerful and nutritious food usually consumed by the Chinese Community and it is considered among the most expensive animal products which are made up by salivation of swiftlets (Aerodramus fuciphagus). The other 5% to 10% are made up of foreign matters such as feathers, faecal matter and dirt. The EBN is graded based on...

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of extraction methods on the yield, fucose content and purity of fucoidan that had been isolated from brown seaweed, Sargassum sp. The extraction of fucoidan was carried out based on the factorial design assigned, which involved three different parameters including two types of extraction (aci...

Fucoidan is a type of sulfated water-soluble polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweeds. It exhibits strong biological activities, including, antibacterial, antiviral, antitumor, anticoagulant, and antioxidant activities. This sulfated polysaccharide has very diverse chemical structures and compositions, which vary significantly depending on the...

Vinegar is a liquid product that undergoes both alcoholic and acetous fermentation of sugar (carbohydrate) sources. Soursop (Annona muricata) is easily available in Malaysia throughout the year. However, it is also highly perishable and has a short shelf-life. Therefore, in this research, soursop was used in the production of vinegar, to increase i...

Our previous studies on fucoidan from Malaysian brown seaweed, Sargassum binderi, found that it exhibited significant secondary anti-oxidative activity and showed non-toxicity. In order to exploit its health benefits, fucoidan-rich seaweed tea was developed in this study. A total of 4 different brewing time treatments were performed on Sargassum bi...

Fucoidan is a unique marine algae derivative that exhibit many bioactivities. However, the distinct unpleasant odour limits its application in food products. In the present study, fucoidans were deodorised using three different methods; activated carbon, (Fac), ion exchange resin (Fresin) and calcium carbonate (FCaCO3). Subsequently, the effects of...

Vinegars are liquid products produced from the alcoholic and subsequent acetous fermentation of carbohydrate sources. They have been used as remedies in many cultures and have been reported to provide beneficial health effects when consumed regularly. Such benefits are due to various types of polyphenols, micronutrients and other bioactive compound...

Starch from Dioscorea pyrifolia tubers was characterized for its proximate composition, physicochemical properties and toxicity. This starch contains 44.47 ± 1.86% amylose, 4.84 ± 0.29% moisture, 0.88 ± 0.21% ash, 1.34 ± 0.11% proteins and 92.73 ± 0.48% carbohydrates. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed a type-C starch with a relative crystalli...

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of extraction solvent on the fucose content in fucoidan that had been isolated from Sargassum sp., which is a type of brown seaweed that was harvested in Pulau Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia. There were three different solvents that were used in the extraction process in order to isolate the crude...

Fucoidan is a biologically active polysaccharide that were made up of complex mixture of fucose, sulfate and uronic acid. This study was conducted to identify the volatile compositions of crude fucoidan and deodorized fucoidans extracted from brown seaweed Sargassum sp. (Fsar). The volatile compositions was also compared with a standard commercial...

Vinegar is a liquid product that undergoes double fermentations, which are alcoholic and acetous fermentation. Sugar source was converted to ethanol in alcoholic fermentation, meanwhile ethanol was oxidised to acetic acid during acetous fermentation. Soursop (Annona muricata) was the starting material in this study, as it is easily available in Mal...