GOVPH

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Sex: Female

Education:
Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience, Seoul National University, 2023
Bachelor of Science in Human Biology, De La Salle University Dasmariñas, 2015

Field of Specialization:
Rodent Stereotaxic Surgery
Behavioral Testing
Neuropharmacology
Behavioral Analysis
Cellular Neuroscience
Immunohistochemistry
Neurotransmission
Molecular Neuroscience
Neurobiology and Brain Physiology
Behavioral Neuroscience

Read more: Dr. Ellane Barcelon

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Sex: Male

Education:
Master of Science in Physical Therapy, Neurologic Rehabilitation, Our Lady of Fatima University, 2014

Field of Specialization:
Neurologic Physiotherapy
Stroke Rehabilitation
Health-Related Quality of Life
Neurorehabilitation
Postural Balance
Movement Analysis

Read more: Dr. Hernan C. Labao

Details

Sex: Female

Education:
Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science, University of Otago, New Zealand, 2020
Master of Science in Food Science Technology, Visayas State University, 2013
Bachelor of Science in Food Science Technology, Visayas State University, 2008

Field of Specialization:
Food Science
Food Technology

Researches:

Article title: Effects of Taro (Colocasia esculenta) Water-Soluble Non-Starch Polysaccharide, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium breve, Bifidobacterium infantis, and Their Synbiotic Mixtures on Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Interleukin-8 Production
Authors: Mylene Anwar, Sonya Mros, Michelle McConnell and Alaa El-Din A. Bekhit
Publication title: Nutrients 14(10):2128, May 2022

Abstract:
In the past decades, the regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine production, including interleukin-8 (IL-8), has been the goal of many targeted therapeutic interventions for Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), a gastrointestinal disease commonly associated with a very low birth weight in preterm infants. In this study, the ability to regulate the production of IL-8 of the water-soluble non-starch polysaccharide (WS-NSP) from taro corm (Tc-WS-NSP) extracted using a conventional (CE) or improved conventional (ICE) extraction method, of the probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium breve, and Bifidobacterium infantis, and their synbiotic mixtures were evaluated. The TNF-α stimulated HT-29 cells were incubated with undigested or digested Tc-WS-NSPs (CE or ICE), probiotics, and their synbiotic mixtures with Klebsiella oxytoca, an NEC-positive-associated pathogen. Overall, the synbiotic mixtures of digested Tc-WS-NSP-ICE and high bacterial concentrations of L. acidophilus (5.57 × 109), B. breve (2.7 × 108 CFU/mL), and B. infantis (1.53 × 108) demonstrated higher (42.0%, 45.0%, 43.1%, respectively) ability to downregulate IL-8 compared to the sole use of Tc-WS-NSPs (24.5%), or the probiotics L. acidophilus (32.3%), B. breve (37.8%), or B. infantis (33.1%). The ability demonstrated by the Tc-WS-NSPs, the probiotics, and their synbiotics mixtures to downregulate IL-8 production in the presence of an NEC-positive-associated pathogen may be useful in the development of novel prophylactic agents against NEC.
Full text link https://tinyurl.com/mr4aft6y

Article title: Fruit pomace-lignin as a sustainable biopolymer for biomedical applications
Authors: Oseweuba Valentine Okoro, Andrew Amenaghawon, Daria Podstawczyk, Houman Alimoradi, Mohammad Reza Khalili, Mylene Anwar, Peiman Brouki Milan, Lei Niel Amin Shavandi
Publication title: Journal of Cleaner Production 328(1):129498, December 2021

Abstract:
Previous studies have explored the potential of pomace valorization, with an emphasis on the transformation of polysaccharide biopolymers of pomace-cellulose and hemicellulose to produce high-value bioproducts such as microcrystalline cellulose. Notably, opportunities for the exploration of the biopolymer of pomace-lignin for its employment in biomedical applications such as tissue engineering have not been comprehensively explored. There is, therefore, a need for an intervention to highlight the potential of utilizing pomace-lignin as a high-value biomass resource. This review explores potential biomedical applications of pomace-lignin and highlights some of the factors that hinder the industrial utilization of pomace-lignin. In addition, the present review covers lignin chemistry, extraction methods, depolymerization approaches, and prospects of lignin utilization in biomedical applications. It is anticipated that this review will aid future decisions regarding the preferred approaches for the valorization of pomace-lignin.
Full text available upon request to the author/s.

Article title: Effects of extraction methods on the digestibility, cytotoxicity, prebiotic potential and immunomodulatory activity of taro (Colocasia esculenta) water-soluble non-starch polysaccharide
Authors: Mylene Anwar, Sonya Mros, Michelle McConnell, Alaa El-Din A. Bekhit
Publication title: Food Hydrocolloids 121(1):107068, July 2021

Abstract:
In this study, water-soluble non-starch polysaccharide (WS-NSP) from taro corm (Tc-WS-NSP) extracted using conventional extraction (Tc-WS-NSP-CE) and improved conventional extraction (Tc-WS-NSP-ICE) methods was used to compare the effects of these in vitro on the digestibility, cytotoxicity in HT-29 cells, prebiotic action on probiotic strains Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium breve, and Bifidobacterium infantis, and immunomodulatory activity measured by the ability to regulate the production of the pro-inflammatory chemokine IL-8 following TNF-α stimulation of HT-29 cells. Tc-WS-NSP-ICE was more resistant to digestion with lower digestibility (4.1%) compared to Tc-WS-NSP-CE (11.5%). Digested Tc-WS-NSP-ICE had higher carbohydrate (98.4 ± 0.9 g/100g) and lower protein (2.1 ± 0.3 g/100g) contents than the carbohydrate (96.4 ± 0.2 g/100g) and protein (5.4 ± 0.3 g/100g) contents of Tc-WS-NSP-CE. Digested Tc-WS-NSP-CE and Tc-WS-NSP-ICE contained the monosaccharides arabinose, galactose, glucose and mannose, the functional groups –OH, C=O, -COOH, –CH3, nitro and amino groups in their FTIR spectra, and were highly amorphous. The extraction methods did not significantly affect the cytotoxicity to HT-29 cells and the ability to enhance the growth of the probiotics L. acidophilus, B. breve, and B. infantis of the undigested and digested Tc-WS-NSP-CE and Tc-WS-NSP-ICE samples. The use of the ICE method resulted in a Tc-WS-NSP exhibiting better immunomodulatory activity than the CE where undigested (20.7%) and digested (25.0%) Tc-WS-NSP-ICEs demonstrated higher IL-8 down-regulation capacities than undigested (18.3%) and digested (22.2%) Tc-WS-NSP-CEs. Overall, the study demonstrated that extraction method can affect, and specifically enhance some property (i.e., digestibility) and biological activity (i.e., immunomodulatory activity) of the extracted biomaterial.
Full text available upon request to the author/s.

Article title: Utilization of ultrasound and pulse electric field for the extraction of water-soluble non-starch polysaccharide from taro (Colocasia esculenta) peel
Authors: Mylene Anwar, Greeshma Babu, Alaa El-Din Bekhit
Publication title: Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies 70(2015):102691, April 2021

Abstract:
This study investigated the effects of different extraction methods (i.e. conventional (CE), ultrasound-assisted (UAE), and pulse electric field-assisted (PEFAE)) on the yield and physico-chemical properties of the water-soluble non-starch polysaccharide (WS-NSP) from taro peel (Tp). The use of UAE resulted in a significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher yield (3.65 g/100 g) than PEFAE (2.25 g/100 g) and CE (2.10 g/100 g). Tp-WS-NSP-UAE and Tp-WS-NSP-PEFAE had fewer impurities indicated by the lower amount of ash (UAE: 0.41; PEFAE: 0.20 g/100 g) and protein (UAE: 0.55; PEFAE: 0.42 g/100 g), had lighter color (UAE: L = 39.13; PEFAE: L = 34.72), and higher degradation temperatures (UAE: 252.68; PEFAE: 251.75 °C) than Tp-WS-NSP-CE (ash: 0.47; protein: 1.23 g/100 g; L = 34.18; < 250 °C). All Tp-WS-NSP samples contained the sugars arabinose, galactose, glucose, and mannose, had comparable functional groups in their FTIR spectra, were amorphous, and exhibited shear-thinning behavior (n < 1).
Full text available upon request to the author/s.

Article title: New freeze-thaw method for improved extraction of water-soluble non-starch polysaccharide from taro (Colocasia esculenta): Optimization and comprehensive characterization of physico-chemical and structural properties
Authors: Mylene Anwar, Michelle McConnell, Alaa El-DinBekhit
Publication title: Food Chemistry 349(2015):129210, February 2021

Abstract:
This study investigated the effects of an improved extraction method that utilized freeze-thaw, termed improved conventional extraction (ICE), on the yield and properties of the water-soluble non-starch polysaccharide of taro (Tc-WS-NSP) and compared this method to the conventional extraction (CE) method. The freeze-thaw condition was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) based on yield. The use of the ICE method resulted in a 227.8% increase in yield of Tc-WS-NSP compared to the CE method. The Tc-WS-NSP-ICE had higher purity, lighter color, larger particle size, and higher ζ-potential than Tc-WS-NSP-CE. Both of the samples contain the sugar arabinose, galactose, glucose, and mannose and exhibited comparative FTIR, 1H, and 13C NMR spectra. The Tc-WS-NSP-ICE had a semi-crystalline structure resulting in higher thermal stability and had a higher consistency index than Tc-WS-NSP-CE. Overall, the use of the ICE method provided a simple, efficient, and green alternative to CE for the extraction of Tc-WS-NSP.
Full text available upon request to the author/s.

Article title: Water-soluble non-starch polysaccharides of root and tuber crops: extraction, characteristics, properties, bioactivities, and applications
Authors: Mylene Anwar, Edward John Birch, Yu Ding, Alaa El-Din Bekhit
Publication title: Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 62(2), December 2020

Abstract:
This review critically evaluates and discusses groundwork and recent studies on the extraction, characteristics, properties, bioactivities, and applications of the water-soluble non-starch polysaccharides (WS-NSPs) of root and tuber crops. Early studies have focused on the use of conventional extraction methods for the extraction of the WS-NSPs and there are limited information on the characteristics and properties of the extracted materials. In recent years, novel extraction techniques such as microwave, ultrasound, and enzyme-assisted extractions have been utilized to improve the yield and functionality of the WS-NSPs. However, low yield and co-extraction of other biological compounds remain a challenging obstacle for commercial uses. A better understanding of the characteristics and properties was recently afforded by employing advanced analytical techniques to investigate the chemical composition and molecular structures of the WS-NSPs. Recent bioactivities of the WS-NSPs that demonstrated their potential in the prevention and management of metabolic diseases like diabetes, obesity, cancer, and in improving gut health and immunity had received considerable attention. Also, many studies have confirmed the potential use of the WS-NSPs of root and tuber crops in a wide range of food and pharmaceutical applications. These bioactivities of WS-NSPs warrant further investigations on this interesting biomaterial.
Full text available upon request to the author/s.