Palm oil kills breast cancer cells

Scientists in Singapore have discovered a natural compound in palm oil that can kill breast cancer cells.

The compound, called gamma-tocotrienol, which was extracted in its natural form from palm oil, demonstrated powerful cancer-killing properties, according to findings by Davos Life Science Singapore, a research and development centre.

In a statement today, the centre said the compound could be found at low levels in food sources such as palm oil, barley and rice bran.

The centre said its scientists partnered with the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong and the Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre in conducting the cancer study.

The study showed during in-vitro experiments, the natural compound demonstrated greater potency than ‘Docetaxel’, a commonly-used chemotherapy drug used to treat breast cancer.

This was the first tocotrienol study to identify the key upstream regulators that mediated breast cancer progression and invasion, the centre said.

The compound was also found to suppress the invasive ability of breast cancer cells to spread to other organs via metastasis.

While the doses of gamma-tocotrienol showed positive anti-cancer effects, they did not affect the normal cell functions of healthy cells, the study found.

Davos Life Science was set up in 2004, as a manufacturer that isolates and purifies natural tocotrienol, for use in supplements, functional food, personal care and pharmaceutical formulations. It has established the world’s largest R&D centre dedicated to tocotrienol and the world’s largest manufacturing facility for the production of natural tocotrienol. – Bernama

Definition Of Sustainability Dampens Palm Oil Exports To Europe

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 (Bernama) -- First it was the health issue, then the environment and now palm oil has to endure further sustainability criteria for imports to Europe.

"The definition of sustainability is being expanded. We are going to lose market share if we did not do anything," director-general of Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Datuk Dr Mohd Basri Wahid, told Bernama in Brussels recently.

Basri was a member of the recent palm oil and timber delegation to Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium headed by Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.

The mission was organised by Malaysian Palm Oil Council and Malaysian Timber Council.

Among others, it aims to improve market access for palm oil and timber products as well as disseminate information on efforts taken on the issue of their sustainability.

The European Union (EU) has set a target of 20 per cent renewable energy sources in its energy consumption by 2020 and that biofuel would account for 10 per cent of the renewable energy use in the transport sector.

Expecting a spike in demand, the EU Renewable Energy Directive has provided a number of sustainability criteria, among them, biofuel production must have minimum greenhouse gas (GHG) savings of 35 per cent by 2010 when compared to fossil fuel.

The directive also said areas with high carbon stock such as peatlands or areas with high biodiversity such as primary forest should not be used for biofuels production.

Basri said there was also the "indirect land use change" criteria, or "iLUC".

The "iLUC" is the unintended consequence of releasing more carbon emissions due to land use changes induced by the expansion of crop land for biofuel production, the phenomenon whereby producing biomass at one location, rainforests are destroyed at another.

The directive requires the European Commission to prepare a report by 2010 on the issue of iLUC, reviewing the impact that biofuels have, either directly or via displacement, on land use change and associated GHG emissions.

"They are going into iLUC without proper studies," said Basri, lamenting how palm oil was earlier subjected to one-sided view on its default value with regard to GHG savings.

He said under the EU calculations, palm oil has carbon emission savings of 19 per cent and soyabean 31 per cent, both below the 35 per cent threshold which showed some political manipulation.

"We provide our data but they don't. My researchers have gone to Brussels but they (the EU) never disclose (their data). They have the final say," he said.

It was reported that the GHG savings for rapeseed was 38 per cent, sunflower 51 per cent and sugar cane ethanol 71 per cent.

Basri said as the EU's GHG savings target would gradually be increased from 35 to 60 per cent by 2017, it was critical for Malaysian producers to trap the methane at the mills which would show a much higher GHG savings.

He said the government has provided a RM1.2 billion soft loan and it was up to the industry to take it up to improve their processes.

"If there is this lackadaisical attitude, don't blame us. The government has done its part with the money and now it is up to the private sector," he said.

Basri said Malaysia has also cooperated with Indonesia by forming sub-working groups to discuss common strategy with regard to the EU directive.

It was understood the sustainability criteria had been perceived by the palm oil industry in both countries as trade barriers, especially designed against palm oil.

He said the EU was singing the same tune in wanting to make sure that the production of palm oil was sustainable and after this, they would have to think of something else.

"While the recent palm oil mission saw some understanding by the ministers of the countries concerned, they still had to listen to the non-governmental organisations," he said.

Basri said for example, one of the ministers he met was convinced that palm oil production was sustainable but it would be a great task to convince all the other 26 states within the EU.

He said, however, there were people who understood the situation and hoped that Malaysian companies could enjoy incentives from EU government after certifying palm oil was sustainable.

BERNAMA

SELAMAT MENUNAIKAN FARDHU HAJI, ENCIK MARZUKI

Selamat menunaikan fardhu haji, semoga mendapat haji mabrur diucapkan kepada Ketua Jurutera, Encik Marzuki Abd. Rahman yang akan berangkat menunaikan fardhu haji bersama-sama dengan isteri pada 15 November 2009.

Sama-samalah kita berdoa semoga beliau dan isteri selamat pergi, dapat beribadat dengan sempurna dan seterusnya selamat kembali ke Tanah Air.

Bagi meraikan pemergian beliau ke Tanah Suci satu majlis jamuan telah diadakan pada 3 November 2009 (Selasa) lalu di pantry tingkat 28. Ketua Operasi Dalam Negara, Tuan Haji Hassan Fikri Mohamad turut hadir dan membacakan doa pada majlis tersebut.

GEGARAN GEMPA BUMI TURUT DIRASAI DI PEJABAT THP

Kesan gegaran gempa bumi yang melanda beberapa kawasan di Sumatera turut dirasai warga kota di beberapa kawasan di sekitar Kuala Lumpur, terutamanya penghuni bangunan-bangunan pencakar langit.

Tidak ketinggalan, warga THP yang masih berada di pejabat masing-masing sekitar jam 6.15 petang semalam turut bergegas meningalkan pejabat dan bangunan TH Selborn apabila gegaran yang agak kuat mulai terasa sekitar jam 6.15 petang semalam. Antara yang kelihatan bergegas pulang ialah Encik Azman Shah, Kapt. Fadzil, Puan Ros dan lain-lain lagi yang saya tak dapat cam kerana saya juga bertempiaran nak lari selamatkan diri.....! 

Gempa bumi berskala 7.7 Richter berlaku di selatan Sumatera, Indonesia pada jam 6.16 petang menyebabkan gegaran dirasai di beberapa kawasan di pantai barat Semenanjung Malaysia, menurut Jabatan Meteorologi Malaysia.

Pusat gempa bumi itu berlaku kira-kira 60km barat daya bandar Padang di Sumatera dan 452km barat daya Melaka.

Jabatan Meteorologi sedang memantau keadaan dengan rapi, lapor Bernama.

Di sekitar Lembah Klang, orang ramai kelihatan bergegas keluar daripada pejabat dan bangunan tinggi ekoran gegaran itu.

Agensi berita Reuters melaporkan gempa bumi itu berukuran 7.9 skala Richter dan amaran tsunami telah dikeluarkan oleh Pusat Tsunami Pasifik.

Sementara itu, Jakarta Post melaporkan bahawa gempa bumi itu berlaku pada kira-kira jam 5:17 petang tetapi tidak mengakibatkan berlaku sebarang tsunami.

Di Medan, ratusan penduduk keluar meninggalkan rumah dan bangunan kerana bimbang berlaku keruntuhan bangunan ekoran gegaran yang kuat itu.

Manakala Kompas.com pula melaporkan warga Kota Jambi dan sekitarnya juga merasakan goncangan gempa yang berpusat di Pariaman, Sumbar, itu.

Gegaran itu menyebabkan warga Kota Jambi berlari keluar rumah untuk menyelamatkan diri. 

Setakat ini belum ada maklumat mengenai kerosakan akibat gempa bumi itu yang turut dirasai di kabupaten di Jambi, Bengkulu, dan Aceh.

Sementara itu, Bernama melaporkan, seramai 330 pelajar Malaysia di Padang, umatera dilaporkan selamat selepas kejadian gempa bumi yang berlaku berhampiran andar itu, demikian disahkan oleh Jabatan Penuntut Malaysia di Jakarta.

Pengarah Jabatan Penuntut Malaysia Dr Junaidi Abu Bakar berkata 80 peratus daripada pelajar telah berkumpul di lapangan kampus perubatan Universiti Andalas ehingga jam 6.30 petang tadi.

Menurut Jabatan Meteorologi Malaysia, gempa bumi berskala 7.7 Richter
berlaku di selatan Sumatera pukul 6.16 petang menyebabkan gegaran turut dirasai di beberapa kawasan di Semenanjung Malaysia.

Gempa bumi itu berlaku kira-kira 60km barat daya bandar Padang di Sumatera dan 452km barat daya Melaka.

Sementara itu, Pusat Tsunami Pasifik telah menarik balik amaran tsunami yang dikeluarkan selepas gempa bumi itu.