Potential dietary sources of ellagic acid and other antioxidants among fruits consumed in Brazil: Jabuticaba (Myrciaria jaboticaba (Vell.) Berg)

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate the content of ellagic acid in fruits consumed by the Brazilian population, including native ones; (2) to further characterize rich sources in relation to ascorbic acid, phenolics contents and in vitro antioxidant capacity; and (3) to study the distribution and effect of ripening stage on ellagitannins content of jabuticaba (Myrciaria jaboticaba). The content of free ellagic acid and ellagic acid derivatives such as ellagitannins was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). RESULTS: Ellagic acid was detected in 10 out of a total of 35 fruits analyzed. The content of free ellagic acid in fruits varied from 0.0028 to 0.085 g kg(-1) (FW) and total ellagic acid varied from 0.215 to 3.11 g kg(-1) (FW). All the seven fruits belonging to the Myrtaceae family evaluated in this study presented high contents of ellagitannins in their composition, with jabuticaba, grumixama and cambuci (all native from Brazil) showing the highest total ellagic acid contents. Jabuticaba, the most consumed in Brazilamongthose and already adapted to commercial plantations, contained concentrated phenolics compounds, including ellagitannins, in the peel. Anthocyanins (cyanidin derivatives) increased significantly through ripening of jabuticaba and were not present in the pulp or seeds. Samples collected from three different locations during summer, winter and spring had total ellagic contents varying from 1.88 to 3.31 g kg(-1) (FW). The decrease in ellagic acid content with ripening was more accentuated for pulp (eight times) compared to seeds (2.3 times) and peel (2.0 times). CONCLUSION: These results showed the potential of jabuticaba as dietary source of ellagic acid and reinforced consumption of the whole fruit by the population. (C) 2011 Society of Chemical Industry

Influence of pulp condition on the accuracy of an electronic foramen locator in posterior teeth: an in vivo study

The aim of this study was to assess, in vivo, the accuracy of the NovApex (R) electronic foramen locator in determining working length (WL) in vital and necrotic posterior teeth. The NovApex (R) was used in 144 canals: 35 teeth with vital pulps (68 canals) and 42 teeth with necrotic pulps (76 canals). WL was measured with the NovApex (R) locator and confirmed using the radiographic method. Differences between electronic and radiographic measurements ranging between 0.0 and 0.4 millimeters were classified as acceptable; differences equal to or greater than 0.5 millimeter were considered unacceptable. Pearson's chi-square test was used to assess the influence of pulp condition on the accuracy of NovApex (R) (alpha = 0.05). Regardless of pulp condition, differences between electronic and radiographic WL measurements were acceptable in 73.61% of the canals. No statistically significant differences in accuracy were observed when comparing vital and necrotic canals (p > 0.05). There were 38 unacceptable measurements. In none of these cases was the file tip located beyond the radiographic apex; in 32, it was located short of the NovApex (R) measurement. Pulp condition had no significant effect on the accuracy of NovApex (R).

Adding value to the Brazilian sisal: acid hydrolysis of its pulp seeking production of sugars and materials

The present work is inserted into the broad context of the upgrading of lignocellulosic fibers. Sisal was chosen in the present study because more than 50% of the world's sisal is cultivated in Brazil, it has a short life cycle and its fiber has a high cellulose content. Specifically, in the present study, the subject addressed was the hydrolysis of the sisal pulp, using sulfuric acid as the catalyst. To assess the influence of parameters such as the concentration of the sulfuric acid and the temperature during this process, the pulp was hydrolyzed with various concentrations of sulfuric acid (30-50%) at 70 A degrees C and with 30% acid (v/v) at various temperatures (60-100 A degrees C). During hydrolysis, aliquots were withdrawn from the reaction media, and the solid (non-hydrolyzed pulp) was separated from the liquid (liquor) by filtering each aliquot. The sugar composition of the liquor was analyzed by HPLC, and the non-hydrolyzed pulps were characterized by viscometry (average molar mass), and X-ray diffraction (crystallinity). The results support the following conclusions: acid hydrolysis using 30% H2SO4 at 100 A degrees C can produce sisal microcrystalline cellulose and the conditions that led to the largest glucose yield and lowest decomposition rate were 50% H2SO4 at 70 A degrees C. In summary, the study of sisal pulp hydrolysis using concentrated acid showed that certain conditions are suitable for high recovery of xylose and good yield of glucose. Moreover, the unreacted cellulose can be targeted for different applications in bio-based materials. A kinetic study based on the glucose yield was performed for all reaction conditions using the kinetic model proposed by Saeman. The results showed that the model adjusted to all 30-35% H2SO4 reactions but not to greater concentrations of sulfuric acid. The present study is part of an ongoing research program, and the results reported here will be used as a comparison against the results obtained when using treated sisal pulp as the starting material.

Occurrence of molds on laminated paperboard for aseptic packaging, selection of the most hydrogen peroxide- and heat-resistant isolates and determination of their thermal death kinetics in sterile distilled water

This study aimed at enumerating molds (heat-labile and heat-resistant) on the surface of paperboard material to be filled with tomato pulps through an aseptic system and at determining the most heat-and hydrogen peroxide-resistant strains. A total of 118 samples of laminated paperboard before filling were collected, being 68 before and 50 after the hydrogen peroxide bath. Seven molds, including heat-resistant strains (Penicillium variotii and Talaromyces flavus) with counts ranging between 0.71 and 1.02 CFU/cm(2) were isolated. P. variotii was more resistant to hydrogen peroxide than T. flavus and was inactivated after heating at 85 degrees C/15 min. When exposed to 35 % hydrogen peroxide at 25 degrees C, T. flavus (F5E2) and N. fischeri (control) were less resistant than P. variotti (F1A1). P. citrinum (F7E2) was shown to be as resistant as P. variotti. The D values (the time to cause one logarithmic cycle reduction in a microbial population at a determined temperature) for spores of P. variotii (F1A1) and N. fischeri (control) with 4 months of age at 85 and 90 degrees C were 3.9 and 4.5 min, respectively. Although the contamination of packages was low, the presence of heat-and chemical-resistant molds may be of concern for package sterility and product stability during shelf-life. To our knowledge, this is the first report that focuses on the isolation of molds, including heat-resistant ones, contaminating paperboard packaging material and on estimating their resistance to the chemical and physical processes used for packaging sterilization.

Antioxidant capacity and mineral content of pulp and peel from commercial cultivars of citrus from Brazil

Four Citrus species (C. sinensis, cvs. Pera and Lima; C. latifolia Tanaka cv. Tahiti; C limettioides Tanaka cv. Sweet lime and C. reticulate, cv. Ponkan) grown in Brazil were characterised in relation to contents of minerals, ascorbic acid, total polyphenols and antioxidant capacity of pulps and peels. In general, the peels demonstrated significantly higher contents of all compounds than the pulps (p < 0.05), with the exception of the Pera orange pulp that presented the highest acid ascorbic content (68 mg/100 ml), while the Tahiti lime peel presented the lowest (8 mg/100 g). Citrus showed high levels of potassium, calcium and magnesium, and the peels were considered sources of these minerals. The Ponkan mandarin peel presented the highest antioxidant capacity. The antioxidant capacity of citrus was correlated both to vitamin C and phenolics. Aside from citrus pulps, the peels are also good sources of bioactive compounds and minerals, and can be explored for their health promoting values in food products. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dental Pulp Vascular Permeability Changes Induced by Dental Bleaching

Aiming to compare the effect of different light sources for dental bleaching on vascular permeability of dental pulps, forty-eight incisors were used. The bleaching agent (35% hydrogen peroxide) was activated by halogen light; LED (Light Emitting Diode) or LED, followed by laser phototherapy (LPT) (lambda = 780 nm; 3 J/cm(2)). After the bleaching procedures, the animals received an intra-arterial dye injection and one hour later were sacrificed. The teeth were diaphanized and photographed. The amount of blue stain content of each dental pulp was quantified using a computer imaging program. The data was statistically compared (p <= 0.05). The results showed a significant higher (p <= 0.01) dye content in the groups bleached with halogen light, compared with the control, LED and LED plus LPT groups. Thus, tooth bleaching activated by LED or LED plus LPT induces lesser resulted in increased vascular permeability than halogen light.

Alkaline sulfite/anthraquinone pretreatment followed by disk refining of Pinus radiata and Pinus caribaea wood chips for biochemical ethanol production

BACKGROUND: Alkaline sulfite/anthraquinone (ASA) cooking of Pinus radiata and Pinus caribaea wood chips followed by disk refining was used as a pretreatment for the production of low lignified and high fibrillated pulps. The pulps produced with different delignification degrees and refined at different energy inputs (250, 750 and 1600 Wh) were saccharified with cellulases and fermented to ethanol with Saccharomyces cerevisiae using separated hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) or semi-simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSSF) processes. RESULTS: Delignification of ASA pulps was between 25% and 50%, with low glucans losses. Pulp yield was from 70 to 78% for pulps of P. radiata and 60% for the pulp of P. caribaea. Pulps obtained after refining were evaluated in assays of enzymatic hydrolysis. Glucans-to-glucose conversion varied from 20 to 70%, depending on the degree of delignification and fibrillation of the pulps. The best ASA pulp of P. radiata was used in SHF and SSSF experiments of ethanol production. Such experiments produced maximum ethanol concentration of 20 g L-1, which represented roughly90% of glucose conversion and an estimated amount of 260 L ethanol ton(-1) wood. P. caribaea pulp also presented good performance in the enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation but, due to the low amount of cellulose present, only 140 L ethanol would be obtained from each ton of wood. CONCLUSION: ASA cooking followed by disk refining was shown to be an efficient pretreatment process, which generated a low lignified and high-fibrillated substrate that allowed the production of ethanol from the softwoods with high conversion yields. (C) 2012 Society of Chemical Industry

Cellulose micro/nanofibres from Eucalyptus kraft pulp: Preparation and properties

There is growing interest in cellulose nanofibres from renewable sources for several industrial applications. However, there is a lack of information about one of the most abundant cellulose pulps: bleached Eucalyptus kraft pulp. The objective of the present work was to obtain Eucalyptus cellulose micro/nanofibres by three different processes, namely: refining, sonication and acid hydrolysis of the cellulose pulp. The refining was limited by the low efficiency of isolated nanofibrils, while sonication was more effective for this purpose. However, the latter process occurred at the expense of considerable damage to the cellulose structure. The whiskers obtained by acid hydrolysis resulted in nanostructures with lower diameter and length, and high crystallinity. Increasing hydrolysis reaction time led to narrower and shorter whiskers, but increased the crystallinity index. The present work contributes to the different widespread methods used for the production of micro/nanofibres for different applications. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dental pulp vascular permeability changes induced by dental bleaching

Aiming to compare the effect of different light sources for dental bleaching on vascular permeability of dental pulps, forty-eight incisors were used. The bleaching agent (35 % hydrogen peroxide) was activated by halogen light; LED (Light Emitting Diode) or LED, followed by laser phototherapy (LPT) (λ = 780 nm; 3 J/cm²). After the bleaching procedures, the animals received an intra-arterial dye injection and one hour later were sacrificed. The teeth were diaphanized and photographed. The amount of blue stain content of each dental pulp was quantified using a computer imaging program. The data was statistically compared (p < 0.05). The results showed a significant higher (p < 0.01) dye content in the groups bleached with halogen light, compared with the control, LED and LED plus LPT groups. Thus, tooth bleaching activated by LED or LED plus LPT induces lesser resulted in increased vascular permeability than halogen light.

Artifact exhibit and storage box

Plaster death mask. Goal To design a box that can store and exhibit the death mask without requiring the removal or re-positioning of the mask. Treatment A custom, cloth-covered box with a drop-front was constructed to fit the dimensions of the mask and foam filler. Foam was carved to accommodate the mask and then covered with unbleached muslin.

L-mimosine increases the production of vascular endothelial growth factor in human tooth slice organ culture model.

AIM To assess the pro-angiogenic and pro-inflammatory capacity of the dentine-pulp complex in response to the prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor L-mimosine in a tooth slice organ culture model. METHODOLOGY Human teeth were sectioned transversely into 600-μm-thick slices and cultured in medium supplemented with serum and antibiotics. Then, pulps were stimulated for 48 h with L-mimosine. Pulps were subjected to viability measurements based on formazan formation in MTT assays. In addition, histological evaluation of pulps was performed based on haematoxylin and eosin staining. Culture supernatants were subjected to immunoassays for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to determine the pro-angiogenic capacity and to immunoassays for interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 to assess the pro-inflammatory response. Interleukin-1 served as pro-inflammatory control. Echinomycin was used to inhibit hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) alpha activity. Data were analysed using Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS Pulps within tooth slices remained vital upon L-mimosine stimulation as indicated by formazan formation and histological evaluation. L-mimosine increased VEGF production when normalized to formazan formation in the pulp tissue of the tooth slices (P < 0.05). This effect on VEGF was reduced by echinomycin (P < 0.01). Changes in normalized IL-6 and IL-8 levels upon treatment with L-mimosine did not reach the level of significance (P > 0.05), whilst treatment with IL-1, which served as positive control, increased IL-6 (P < 0.05) and IL-8 levels (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor L-mimosine increased VEGF production via HIF-1 alpha in the tooth slice organ culture model whilst inducing no prominent increase in IL-6 and IL-8. Pre-clinical studies will reveal if these in vitro effects translate into dental pulp regeneration.

The Perceived Prognosis of Endodontic Treatment and Implant Therapy Among Dental Practitioners

Little data concerning the perceived success of implant therapy in comparison with endodontic treatment exists. While the criteria used to measure the outcome of each modality are not the same, it is not clear if this is appreciated by practicing dentists. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the perceived outcome of implant therapy in comparison to endodontic treatment. A 23 question Web-based survey was distributed to 648 dentists who matriculated from the University of Connecticut School Of Dental Medicine over the past 30 years. The response rate was 47%. Sixty-seven percent of respondents were general dentists. Forty-nine percent of respondents did not know different criteria exist in the literature and are used to evaluate implant and root canal treatment. Fifty-four percent of dentists felt the prognosis of implant therapy was the same as or better than endodontic treatment of teeth with vital pulps. Thirty percent of responders thought root canal treatment of teeth with necrotic pulp was superior to implants and only 16% thought retreatment was preferable. Treatment planning for implant placement vs. retreatment of a restorable tooth was 46% and 32%, respectively. A third of the respondents felt that the role of endodontics will decline in the future. Dentists’ primary source of information regarding implant therapy was continuing education; however, their primary source of information regarding endodontic treatment was their dental program. Dentists felt the prognosis of implant therapy was as good or superior to endodontic treatment of teeth with vital, necrotic or previously treated pulps.

Compostos fenólicos de resíduos agroindustriais: identificação, propriedades biológicas e aplicação em matriz alimentar de base lipídica

A geração de resíduos sólidos pelas atividades agroindustriais tem criado a demanda por um reaproveitamento tecnológico desses materiais. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o potencial bioativo e tecnológico de resíduos agroindustriais, como fontes naturais de compostos fenólicos com atividade antioxidante. Foram analisados resíduos agroindustriais vinícolas, de indústrias produtoras de polpas congeladas de frutas (açaí, cajá, cupuaçu e graviola) e provenientes do beneficiamento de café e de laranja. Inicialmente, foi realizado um estudo para a determinação das condições ótimas de extração, empregando planejamento experimental multivariado com delineamento composto central rotacional, cujos resultados foram avaliados empregando a técnica de superfície de resposta. Na sequência, foram feitos a triagem dos resíduos, baseada na atividade antioxidante, e a caracterização fenólica dos extratos hidroalcoólicos obtidos dos resíduos agroindustriais. De acordo com os resultados de atividade antioxidante, engaço de uva da variedade Chenin Blanc (EC) e semente de açaí (SA) foram os resíduos selecionados, os quais seguiram para as etapas de concentração e fracionamento bioguiado de sua(s) molécula(s) bioativa(s), as quais foram posteriormente identificadas por UHPLC-ESI-LTQ-MS. Extratos brutos e concentrados foram avaliados in vitro quanto à capacidade de desativação de espécies reativas de oxigênio (radicais peroxila, ânion superóxido e ácido hipocloroso) e então, aplicados em óleo de soja, emulsão e suspensão de lipossomos, a fim de se avaliar a efetividade desses extratos como antioxidante natural em matrizes lipídicas. Concentrações intermediárias de etanol (40-60%) e alta temperatura (96°C), exceto para semente de açaí (25°C), foram as condições ótimas para a extração de antioxidantes dos resíduos agroindustriais. Epicatequina, ácido gálico, catequina e procianidina B1 foram os compostos de maior ocorrência, quando avaliados pela técnica de HPLC-DAD. O EC apresentou a maior atividade antioxidante global e SA a maior atividade entre os resíduos de polpas de frutas, laranja e café. A concentração dos extratos brutos de EC e SA, pela resina Amberlite XAD®-2, produziu aumento significativo da atividade antioxidante. Além disso, extratos brutos e concentrados apresentaram atividade antiproliferativa e anti-inflamatória. Os extratos concentrados foram fracionados por meio de Sephadex LH-20, a partir da qual foi possível identificar quatro frações de maior bioatividade para o EC e três para o SA. Procianidina B1, catequina, epicatequina e resveratrol foram identificados no extrato concentrado e frações de EC. Dezoito procianidinas poliméricas, catequina, epicatequina foram os principais compostos identificados em SA, por meio de UHPLC-ESI-LTQ-MS. Resveratrol também foi encontrado em SA pela primeira vez. Quando avaliados em óleo de soja, EC e SA demonstraram atividade pro-oxidante. Contudo, elevada atividade antioxidante foi verificada quando essas amostras foram aplicadas em sistemas lipídicos coloidais, pois retardaram o consumo de oxigênio em uma emulsão óleo/água e o período de indução na produção de dienos conjugados em uma suspensão de lipossomos. Portanto, os resíduos agroindustriais EC e SA possuem potencial tecnológico de reaproveitamento industrial podendo ser considerados possíveis matérias-primas para a obtenção de extratos ricos em antioxidantes ou pela extração de antioxidantes naturais de uso pelas indústrias farmacêutica e/ou de alimentos.

Estabilidade química e funcional dos compostos bioativos da polpa de buriti congelada, liofilizada e atomizada

O buriti (Mauritia flexuosa L.) é um fruto rico em carotenoides, ácidos graxos e compostos fenólicos com grande potencial de industrialização. Entretanto, sua vida útil reduzida dificulta a comercialização e um maior aproveitamento. Dessa forma, tecnologias de processamento podem ser empregadas para que haja maior utilização e expansão do buriti. Este trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar polpa de buriti congelada, liofilizada e atomizada, quantificando os compostos bioativos (carotenoides e ácidos graxos), a composição centesimal e mineral, além de avaliar a estabilidade química e funcional da polpa submetida a esses tratamentos ao longo do tempo de armazenamento. Polpas de buriti oriunda da Comunidade Boa Vista, zona rural do município de Arinos, MG, foram submetidas a três processamentos: congelamento (eleito como controle), liofilização e atomização (com adição de maltodextrina como coadjuvante de tecnologia). Após o processamento, as polpas foram acondicionadas em embalagens laminadas compostas por poliéster, alumínio e polietileno (25 x 25 cm), com capacidade para 100 g cada, e armazenadas a -23 °C para o congelamento e a temperatura ambiente para as polpas desidratadas. As análises físicas, químicas, nutricionais e funcionais foram realizadas logo após o processamento, para caracterização das polpas e nos períodos: 1, 14, 28, 42 e 56 dias, para avaliação da estabilidade. O delineamento experimental empregado constituiu-se de dois fatores (processamento e período) e a interação entre eles. Os dados foram analisados estatisticamente por meio da Análise de Variância Univariada (ANOVA) com nível de significância de 5 %. Constatou-se que durante a estocagem a polpa liofilizada apresentou maior brilho, menor opacidade, valores inferiores para o pH, menor variação da atividade de água e maior acidez titulável. Esses parâmetros são importantes indicadores de qualidade da polpa durante a sua estocagem, visto que dificultam o desenvolvimento microbiano. A adição da maltodextrina no processo de atomização acarretou maiores teores de sólidos solúveis em relação aos demais tratamentos. Os resultados demonstraram que, ao longo do armazenamento, a liofilização contribuiu para a melhor preservação dos carotenoides totais. A quantificação dos carotenoides e dos ácidos graxos na polpa congelada demonstrou que houve melhor preservação de carotenoides do tipo alfa e beta caroteno, dos ácidos graxos oleico, indicando maior valor nutricional para a alimentação humana. Apesar dos resultados satisfatórios para a polpa congelada, durante o tempo analisado a polpa congelada apresentou maiores perdas em relação à polpa liofilizada. Para a classe dos compostos fenólicos, a liofilização apresentou melhores resultados ao longo da estocagem. O uso de baixas temperaturas foi mais efetivo para a preservação dos compostos bioativos analisados. Portanto, pode-se concluir que o emprego da liofilização é a alternativa mais adequada entre as avaliadas, para o aproveitamento da polpa de buriti na indústria de alimentos, uma vez que esse tratamento preservou todos os constituintes avaliados durante a estocagem.

Fleshing Out and Losing Flesh: The Decomposing Corpse as Narrative Object in American Hardboiled Detective Fiction

This dissertation examines the corpse as an object in and of American hardboiled detective fiction written between 1920 and 1950. I deploy several theoretical frames, including narratology, body-as-text theory, object relations theory, and genre theory, in order to demonstrate the significance of objects, symbols, and things primarily in the clever and crafty work of Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) and Raymond Chandler (1888-1959), but also touching on the writings of their lesser known accomplices. I construct a literary genealogy of American hardboiled detective fiction originating in the writings of Edgar Allan Poe, compare the contributions of classic or Golden Age detective fiction in England, and describe the socio-economic contexts, particularly the predominance of the “pulps,” that gave birth to the realism of the Hardboiled School. Taking seriously Chandler’s obsession with the art of murder, I engage with how authors pre-empt their readers’ knowledge of the tricks of the trade and manipulate their expectations, as well as discuss the characteristics and effect of the inimitable hardboiled style, its sharpshooting language and deadpan humour. Critical scholarship has rarely addressed the body and figure of the corpse, preferring to focus instead on the machinations of the femme fatale, the performance of masculinity, or the prevalence of violence. I cast new light on the world of hardboiled detective fiction by dissecting the corpse as the object that both motivates and de-composes (or rots away from) the narrative that makes it signify. I treat the corpse as an inanimate object, indifferent to representation, that destabilizes the integrity and self-possession, as well as the ratiocination, of the detective who authors the narrative of how the corpse came to be. The corpse is all deceptive and dangerous surface rather than the container of hidden depths of life and meaning that the detective hopes to uncover and reconstruct. I conclude with a chapter that is both critical denouement and creative writing experiment to reveal the self-reflexive (and at times metafictional) dimensions of hardboiled fiction. My dissertation, too, in the manner of hardboiled fiction, hopes to incriminate my readers as much as enlighten them.