Understanding the Relationship between Atherogenic Index of Plasma and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors among Staff of an University in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) was found to be one of the strongest markers in predicting the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. This study was to determine the AIP and its relationship with other CVD risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was done among 349 staff of a public university in Sarawak. Data were collected using questionnaire, blood sampling, and anthropometric and blood pressure measurement. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 20. RESULTS: A total of 349 respondents participated with majority females (66.8%), aged 38.5 ± 7.82 years. Nearly 80% of the respondents were overweight and obese, 87.1% with high and very high body fat, and 46.9% with abnormal visceral fat. For AIP category, 8.9% were found to be in intermediate and 16.4% were at high risk. Elevated lipid profile showed that total cholesterol (TC) is 15.5%, low density lipoprotein (LDL) is 16.1%, and triglyceride (TG) is 10.6%. AIP was significantly correlated with body mass index (r=0.25), visceral fat (r=0.37), TC (r=0.22), LDL (0.24), HDL (r=-0.72), TG (r=0.84), glucose (r=0.32), systolic blood pressure (r=0.22), and diastolic blood pressure (r=0.28). CONCLUSION: It indicated that AIP is associated with other CVD risk factors. Modification of lifestyle is strongly recommended.

Enzymatic synthesis of two novel non-reducing oligosaccharides using transfructosylation activity with beta-fructofuranosidase from arthrobacter globiformis.

Two novel non-reducing oligosaccharides together with tri- and tetra-saccharides were synthesized by transfructosylation activity from sucrose as a donor and cellobiose or cellotriose as an acceptor with a purified beta-fructofuranosidase from Arthrobacter globiformis IFO 3062, and these oligosaccharides were identified as O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha,beta-D-fructofuranoside and O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha,beta-D-fructofuranoside by spectrometric analyses. Both oligosaccharides were stable under condition at 100 degrees C for 30 min, and showed no degradation at pH 2.

Cloning and heterologous expression of a beta-fructofuranosidase gene from Arthrobacter globiformis IFO 3062, and site-directed mutagenesis of the essential aspartic acid and glutamic acid of the active site.

We have cloned the gene encoding a beta-fructofuranosidase from Arthrobacter globiformis IFO 3062, and subsequently, the gene was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. This beta-fructofuranosidase gene encodes a protein of 548 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 60,519 Da. We have examined the roles of three residues of A. globiformis IFO 3062 beta-fructofuranosidase by site-directed mutagenesis, and found that aspartic acid 130 and glutamic acid 392, which are two of the apparent catalytic residues, are essential for hydrolase activity. This study provides the first experimental evidence showing that these two amino acid residues of beta-fructofuranosidase play a critical role in hydrolyzing sucrose.