Background: Currently, the key to combat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a global pandemic is relying mainly on vaccination, and several factors might affect the level of protection. This study aimed to determine the quantitative increase of neutralizing antibody titer against COVID-19 and the influence of gender, body mass index (BMI), routine consumption of vitamin C, D, and E towards the neutralizing antibodies after vaccination. Materials and methods: One hundred nine health workers from various health facilities were recruited. Sinovac inactivated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine was used in this study. Antibody titer measurements were carried out quantitatively using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) on day 14 after the first and second doses administration of the vaccine. Results: The average of antibody titers after the first and second doses were 109.1 and 191.6 U/mL, respectively. Antibody titer significantly increased (p=0.000) as much as 82.5 U/mL from the first to the second dose. There was a significant difference in the increase in antibody titer between respondents who consumed vitamin E regularly and those who did not (p=0.036). Routine consumption of vitamin C and D, gender, and BMI did not affect the increase in neutralizing antibody titer with p-values of 0.983, 0.337, 0.186, and 0.424, respectively. Conclusion: Routine consumption of vitamin E is associated with post-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination neutralizing antibody response. Gender, BMI, and the routine consumption of vitamin C and D have no association with the immune response. Keywords: COVID-19, neutralizing antibody, inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine

Background: Recently, there have been studies reporting a relationship between vitamin D levels in the blood and the immune system. This study aimed to analyze the association between vitamin D levels and symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Materials and methods: This study was an analytical survey study with a cross-sectional approach, with lecturers at Universitas Malahayati that have been infected with COVID-19 in 2022 as subjects. Total 47 subjects were included. Subjects were fasted overnight, then blood samples were taken from subjects in the next morning. The blood was centrifuged, then the serum was separated for examination by the direct competitive chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) method using Architect 25-OH Vitamin D Reagent. Data was analyzed using logistic regression. Results: None of the subjects had normal blood levels of 25(OH)D3 and almost half (48.9%) of the subjects had symptoms when infected with COVID-19. There was a significant relationship between the level of 25(OH)D3 (p=0.001) and the status of the COVID-19 vaccine (p=0.013) with the presence of symptoms in COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: The lower the level of 25(OH)D3 in the blood and the more incomplete the COVID-19 vaccine, the greater the onset potential of COVID-19 symptoms. It is necessary to maintain vitamin D intake and increase the coverage of the COVID-19 vaccine, especially at booster doses. Keywords: vitamin D, COVID-19, vaccination, health protocol

Background:Celastrus paniculatus is a herb used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine that has been reported to show multiple pharmacological properties. In this study, we explored the antioxidative, hypolipidaemic and hypoglycaemic potential of C. paniculatus methanolic seed extract (CPMSE) in high-fat diet (HFD)/streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats. Materials and methods: Seeds of C. paniculatus were extracted in methanol using Soxhlet extraction method. A total of 36 rats were induced with STZ and HFD and treated with glibenclamide or various concentrations of CPMSE. Upon treatment, blood samples were collected and kidney and liver samples were homogenised. Serum biochemical estimation was performed using several diagnostic kits. Protein was estimated by bicinchoninic acid (BCA) method. Oxidative stress was assessed by measuring malondialdehyde level and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity. Results: CPMSE caused improvements in glucose homeostasis, lipid profile, liver function and oxidative stress parameters in a dose-dependent manner. CPMSE significantly decreased the levels of fasting blood glucose and glycated haemoglobin as well as increased insulin level and total protein content. There was an increase in total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG) levels and reduction in high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) level. There was a decrease in serum levels of serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). CPMSE decreased LPO and increased CAT, SOD and GST activity. Conclusion: CPMSE has hypoglycaemic, hypolipidaemic and antioxidant properties by reducing the oxidative stress. Keywords: diabetes mellitus, Celastrus paniculatus, antioxidant, phytochemicals, phytonutrients, streptozotocin, high-fat diet

Background: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of diabetes mellitus microvascular complications. Engulfment and cell motility 1 (ELMO1) protein interacts with dedicator of cytokinesis 180 (DOCK180) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, which affects gene expression in extracellular matrix (ECM) and causes glomerular damage in several mechanisms, such as ECM accumulation and renal tubules thickening. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs741301 is one of the ELMO1 genetic polymorphisms involved in DKD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between ELMO1 rs741301 polymorphism and DKD in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among Balinese. Materials and methods: This study was an observational analytical study with case-control method. Subjects were divided into control and case groups comprising 40 subjects each. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) of DNA from T2DM patients were performed to detect the polymorphism in ELMO1 rs741301. Genotype and allele distribution obtained from this study was analyzed by chi-square (χ2) test and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium law (p<0.05; CI: 95%). Results: There was no significant difference between genotype or allele distribution of ELMO1 rs741301 with DKD incidence. Genotype AA against GG had odds ratio (OR) of 0.793 (p=0.814), AG against GG had OR of 0.602 (p=0.674), and A allele against G allele had OR of 0.761 (p=0.509). Conclusion: There is no significant relationship between ELMO1 rs741301 polymorphism and DKD in T2DM patients among Balinese. Keywords:ELMO1 gene, diabetic kidney disease, polymorphism

Background:Citrus amblycarpa has been known to have various pharmacological activities, such as antioxidants, anticancer, antitumor, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal. Hesperidin, naringin, quercetin, rutin, gamma (γ)-aminobutyric acid (GABA), neoeriocitrin, and poncirin from C. amblycarpa were the major constituents that potentially act on some obesity proteins, such as fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) protein, leptin, and resistin, the emerging targets in the treatment of obesity. This study aimed to investigate the interaction between major active compounds of C. amblycarpa with FTO, leptin and resistin. Materials and methods: The ligands of the docking study were seven major chemical compounds found in peel of C. amblycarpa, i.e., hesperidin, naringin, quercetin, rutin, GABA, neoeriocitrin, and poncirin. FTO, leptin and resistin structure were taken from Protein Data Bank, while the C. amblycarpa compounds were prepared using Open Babel integrated into PyRx 8.0. Molecular docking simulation was performed using Autodock Vina integrated into PyRx 8.0. Virtual prediction and visualization of protein–ligand complexes were analyzed and visualized using Discovery Studio. Results: All major compounds of C. amblycarpa peel used in this study did not have hepatotoxicity and AMES toxicity. Hesperidin had the lowest binding affinity score when interacted with FTO, leptin and resistin compared to other compounds. Moreover, GABA had the highest binding affinity score compared to other compounds. Conclusion: Hesperidin may be a candidate obesity protein antagonist and may have potential as a treatment for obesity. Keywords:Citrus amblycarpa, molecular docking, FTO, leptin, obesity, resistin

Recent research has demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) potentially benefit and enhance coronavirus disease (COVID-19) recovery. This benefit occurs via a mechanism that promotes viral clearance by phagocytes and macrophages. This action occurs through the innate (increase in IL-10 production and decrease in TNF-α and IL-12 production) and the adaptive immune system (decrease in IL-17 production, promote regulatory T cell proliferation and inhibit effectors T cell proliferation). MSCs are expected to act as an anti-inflammatory in the hyper-inflammatory state of COVID-19. MSCs enhance immune cell replacement that have been overwhelmed or have been lost due to cytokine storm. Although vaccines are the answer to this pandemic, MSCs can improve COVID-19 patients, especially in patients with chronic illnesses. The focus on keeping death-rates low is a great opportunity for MSCs-based therapy for severe or critically ill patients. MSCs and conditioned medium have the potential to serve as adjunctive therapy in preventing the body's overactive defense response or the so-called cytokine storm caused by COVID-19. Keywords: adjuvant therapy, COVID-19, mesenchymal stem cells, secretome

Background: Reprogrammed cell therapy has not been applied for clinical purposes due to the malignancy issue. The aim of this study was to design the recombinant vector of the transcription factors and analyze the effectiveness of cell-penetrating peptide delivering system for human primary fibroblast transfection to avoid the malignancy issue. Materials and methods: The constructions of CCAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (CEBPA), hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF4A), nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group I member 2 (NR1I2) were confirmed with DNA digestion and sequencing. Breast reduction (BRED) and palate (PAL) tissue were used as human primary fibroblast sources. The transcription factors were delivered into BRED and PAL with recombination of avian leukosis sarcoma virus (ALSV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) matrix, and regulator of expression of virion proteins (Rev) (ALMR), tagged with enhanced green fluorescence protein (eGFP). Post-transfection cells were then cultivated with optimized medium. Gene expression was measured with quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results: Gene expression levels of CEBPA, HNF4A, NR1I2, glutamate-ammonia ligase (GLUL), albumin (ALB), and cytochrome P450 (CYP) were increased. Transfection with ALMR, which were more efficient in BRED than PAL fibroblasts may have the advantage in autologous cell therapy for elderly patients. Conclusion: Transfection of transcription factors to human primary fibroblast may be performed by using constructions of plasmid as designed in this study. Keywords: recombinant plasmid, hepatocyte-like cells, primary fibroblasts, recombinant peptide, cell reprogramming, autologous cells therapy

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae is known as an extended spectrum beta (β)-lactamases (ESBLs)-producing bacteria, which produces enzymes that cause resistance to β-lactam antibiotics by degrading β-lactam ring. A solution is needed to prevent the degradation of the β-lactam ring. In this in silico study, combining β-lactam antibiotics with secondary metabolites has the possibility to inhibit the active site of the β-lactamase enzyme. This study aimed to explore the potential of the essential oil of yellow bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris) leaves as inhibitors of β-lactamase. Materials and methods: This research was conducted by simulating molecular docking to determine the interaction of ligands with proteins, pharmacological tests of compounds based on the Lipinski’s rule of five, and ligand toxicity tests with pkCSM. Results: The free bond energy values (∆G) were in the range of -4.3 to -8.0 kcal/mol. The ligands with the best ∆G value were sulfur pentafluoride (-8.0 kcal/mol), squalene (-7.3 kcal/mol), 3-aminodibenzofuran (-7.1 kcal/mol), and 2- monolaurin (-5.5 kcal/mol). Secondary metabolites from the essential oil of B. vulgaris leaves fulfilled Lipinski’s rule of five, so that oral use can be carried out except for squalene and tridecane. Conclusion: Secondary metabolite compounds in the essential oil that have potential as oral drugs based on the Lipinski pharmacological test and the pkCSM toxicity test are dipivaloylmethane, β-ocimene, 2-monolaurin, and undecane. Keywords: β-lactamase, Bambusa vulgaris, essential oil, Klebsiella pneumoniae

The experimental research on the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for burn therapy has been published several times. However, current clinical procedure remains a challenging discussion. This systematic review assesses the safety and efficacy of administering mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to burns and determines the most effective source of MSCs for burn therapy. We reviewed several studies through PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and DOAJ online databases. PRISMA-P 2020 method was used based on inclusion and exclusion criteria that were re-selected through Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tools. Results from 13 articles showed that MSCs are safe for burn therapy with minimal side effects/complications and have the potential to repair tissue and accelerate burn healing through several mechanisms. The treatment of MSCs in burns is influenced by donor characteristics and related to the severity and area of the burn. It can be concluded that the administration of MSCs is safe and effective in burn therapy. Keywords: burns, mesenchymal stem cells, therapeutic safety, therapeutic efficacy, wound healing

Background: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have a broad spectrum of applications in nanoscience and nanomedicine due to their flexible properties, such as antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-angiogenic. Present study investigated the interaction of chemically synthesized AgNPs with human major antiproteinase alpha-2-macroglobulin (α2M).Materials and methods: The first step of the study involved the synthesis and characterization of AgNPs using various biochemical and biophysical techniques, such as UV-visible spectroscopy, fluorescence quenching spectroscopy, synchronous fluorescence, and circular dichroism (CD). Different methods were used to explore the primary and secondary structural changes induced in α2M by the binding of AgNPs. Results: The UV-visible spectroscopy revealed hyperchromicity in the absorption spectra of α2M. The presence of a static quenching mechanism was indicated by the temperature-dependent fluorescence spectroscopy. The synchronous fluorescence revealed a change in the microenvironment of the tryptophan residues in α2M. The CD results showed the reduction in β-helical content of α2M. The activity of α2M decreased significantly with the increase of AgNPs concentration.Conclusion: Our result suggests that AgNPs cause modifications in the structure and functional activity of α2M. The interaction of nanoparticles with proteins is important for understanding their potential risks to human health. Keywords: alpha-2-macroglobulin, antiproteinase, silver nanoparticles, fluorescence quenching, FTIR, TEM