Introduction
The Cardiovascular, Diabetes and Nutrition Research Centre (CDNRC) was established on 16 April 2001 when the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) underwent a restructuring exercise. Presently, the Centre comprises of the Diabetes and Endocrine Unit, and the Nutrition Unit.
The Diabetes and Endocrine Unit focused its research activities in preclinical studies on metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiovascular health and endocrine-related diseases using techniques ranging from microarray, real-time-PCR, cell-based assays to routine immunoassays and biochemical tests. The Unit will also collaborate in clinical trials and will continue to serve as the training laboratory for sub-specialty fellowship program in endocrinology for medical professionals.
The Nutrition Unit offers research expertise in nutritional biochemistry including urinary iodine measurement by an in-house micro-method, kit reagents for measuring iodine in water and salt, and is actively embarking into research in functional food and analytical food chemistry.
The centre continues to provide expert technical advisory services in various endocrine-related areas, priority setting for nutrition research, iodine deficiency eradication program, nutritional biochemical analysis, food analysis, Food Laws and Regulation, national and international Codex issues, Malaysian dietary guidelines and recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) and various aspects of food safety.
Activities
- In-vitro and in-vivo studies in endocrine and diet-related diseases especially diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular health;
- Nutritional biochemistry of functional foods or dietary supplements with focus on generating pre-clinical data for clinical trials.
The Centre current research projects are:
- Metabolic Syndrome Study in Malaysia (Collaboration with USM, UKM, UM, Monash Malaysia, UMS and Penang Medical College).
- Biological activities of Labisia pumila (Collaboration with Karolinska Institutet, Sweden).
- Biomarkers for Diabetic Nephropathy (Collaboration with USM, UKM, Putrajaya Hospital and Penang Medical Centre).
- Effect of dietary intake of Salba seed (Salvia hispanica L) on serum high sensitive c-reactive protein level and biochemical profiles of high fat diet induced-obese male sprague dawley rats.
- Nutritional value of Malaysian bird's nest (Collaboration with PERHILITAN).
- Study of Sialic acid (N-acetylneuraminic acid) transportation using Caco2 cells Model (Collaboration with PERHILITAN).
- Effects of edible bird's nest on the mRNA expression and protein synthesis of TNF-? in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells.
- Determination of biogenic amines levels and microbial contamination in local fish-based food and identifying best manufacturing practices to reduce biogenic amines levels and contaminants (Collaboration with UPM).
- Establishment of a simple and cheap method based on hanging mercury drop electrode for detection of heavy metal contamination in vegetables and fruits.
- Iodine deficiency disorders among pregnant women (Collaboration with UKM)
- National Reference Laboratory for Research in Iodine Deficiency Disorders.
- The efficacy of commercial sanitizers on the native micro flora of mung bean (Vigna radiata) seeds and sprouts
