Brazilian consumer views on food irradiation

This study investigated the consumer attitude to food irradiation in Sao Paulo, Brazil, through a qualitative research perspective. Three focus groups were conducted with 30 consumers, responsible for food choices and purchases. Both irradiated and nonirradiated food samples were served in the sessions to motivate the discussion and elicit the participants knowledge, opinions, feelings and concerns towards the irradiation process. Reactions were similar among the groups and differences between the irradiated and the nonirradiated samples were hardly perceived. When provided with positive information about irradiation and its benefits to foods and human health, many people still remained suspicious about the safety of the technology. Risk perception seemed to be related to unease and lack of knowledge about nuclear power and its non-defense use. Participants claimed for more transparency in communication about risks and benefits of irradiated foods to the human health, especially with respect to the continued consumption. Industrial relevance: Irradiation is an emerging food processing technology, which has been gaining interest by food technologists, producers and manufacturers all over the world in the last decades. Irradiation is suitable for disinfestation, microorganism load reduction or sterilization, assuring the safety, as well as having benefits in the shelf-life of foodstuffs. Food irradiation is approved in many countries and its use in food processing is endorsed by several reputed authorities, such as FAD and USDA. Despite the approval and recommendation, this technology still remains underutilized not only in Brazil, but also in other countries. The main reason appears to be the consumer concerns and doubts about the use of radiations in food processing. To develop communication strategies in promotion of irradiated foods it is necessary to investigate consumer attitudes, knowledge. opinions, as well as fears, with respect to the use of radiation in food processing. It is well-known that consumer views on technology may vary from a culture to another. So, findings from consumer research in a country may certainly not reflect the consumer views in other countries. In this sense, Brazilian studies focused on consumer views on food irradiation are necessary to gain understanding on how the local market accepts the technology. Brazil is one of the most important food producers in the world and an emerging consumer market with a population of about 184 million people. Food irradiation is regulated in Brazil since 1973, but to date only a few food ingredients are subjected to irradiation. The wide use of irradiation in food processing would favor Brazilian producers in the quality and safety assurance of food products, both for the local market and for exports. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cultivar influence on carotenoid composition of loquats from Brazil

Cultivar, growing conditions and geographical origin are factors that influence the carotenoid composition in fruits. Because the loquat cultivars evaluated in this study, CentenAria, Mizauto, Mizuho, Mizumo and Nectar de Cristal, have not previously been investigated, the present work was carried out to determine and compare the carotenoid composition of these five loquat cultivars, by applying high-performance liquid chromatography connected to a photodiode array and mass spectrometry detectors (HPLC-PDA-MS/MS). Twenty-five carotenoids were separated on a C(30) column, and 23 of them were identified. All-trans-beta-carotene (19-55%), all-trans-beta-cryptoxanthin (18-28%), 5,6:5`,6`-diepoxy-beta-cryptoxantilin (9-18%) and 5,6-epoxy-beta-cryptoxanthin (7-10%) were the main carotenoids. The total carotenoid content ranged from 196 mu g/100 g (cv. Nectar de Cristal) to 3020 mu g/100 g (CV. Mizumo). The carotenoid profile of cv. Nectar de Cristal was different from the other cultivars, which was in agreement with its cream pulp colour, in contrast to the other four cultivars with orange pulp colour. Cultivars Mizauto, Mizuho, Mizumo and CentenAria showed provitamin A values between 89 and 162 mu g RAE/100 g, and can be considered good source of this provitamin. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dissolution parameters for sodium diclofenac-containing hypromellose matrix tablet

Sodium diclofenac (SD) release from dosage forms has been studied under different conditions. However, no dissolution method that is discriminatory enough to reflect slight changes in formulation or manufacturing process, and which could be effectively correlated with the biological properties of the dosage form, has been reported. This study sought to develop three different formulae of SD-containing matrix tablets and to determine the effect of agitation speed in its dissolution profiles. F1, F2 and F3 formulations were developed using hypromellose (10, 20 and 30%, respectively for F1, F2 and F3) and other conventional excipients. Dissolution tests were carried out in phosphate buffer pH 6.8 at 37 degrees C using apparatus 11 at 50, 75 or 100 rpm. Dissolution efficiency (DE), T(50) and T(90) were determined and plotted as functions of the variables agitation speed and hypromellose concentration. Regarding DE, F2 showed more sensitivity to variations in agitation speed than F1 and F3. Increasing hypromellose concentration reduced DE values, independent of agitation speed. Analysis of T(50) and T(90) suggests that F1 is less sensitive to variations in agitation speed than F2 and F3. Most discriminatory dissolution conditions were observed at 50 rpm. Results suggest that the comparison of dissolution performance of SD matrix tablets should take into account polymer concentration and agitation conditions. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Micromethod for Quantification of Carbamazepine, Phenobartital and Phenytoin in Human Plasma by HPLC-UV Detection for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Application

A simple, rapid, selective and sensitive analytical method by HPLC with UV detection was developed for the quantification of carbamazepine, phenobarbital and phenytoin in only 0.2 mL of plasma. A C18 column (150 x 3.9 mm, 4 micra) using a binary mobile phase consisting of water and acetonitrile (70:30, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min were proposed. Validation of the analytical method showed a good linearity (0.3 to 20.0 mg/L for CBZ, 0.9 to 60.0 mg/L for PB and 0.6 to 40.0 mg/L for PHT), high sensitivity (LOQ: 0.3, 0.9 and 0.6 mg/L respectively). The method was applied for drug monitoring of antiepileptic drugs (AED) in 27 patients with epilepsy under polytherapy.

Classical and alternative components of the mitochondrial respiratory chain in pathogenic fungi as potential therapeutic targets

The frequency of opportunistic fungal infection has increased drastically, mainly in patients who are immunocompromised due to organ transplant, leukemia or HIV infection. In spite of this, only a few classes of drugs with a limited array of targets, are available for antifungal therapy. Therefore, more specific and less toxic drugs with new molecular targets is desirable for the treatment of fungal infections. In this context, searching for differences between mitochondrial mammalian hosts and fungi in the classical and alternative components of the mitochondrial respiratory chain may provide new potential therapeutic targets for this purpose.

Ultra-Fast Gradient LC Method for Omeprazole Analysis Using a Monolithic Column: Assay Development, Validation, and Application to the Quality Control of Omeprazole Enteric-Coated Pellets

A method was optimized for the analysis of omeprazole (OMZ) by ultra-high speed LC with diode array detection using a monolithic Chromolith Fast Gradient RP 18 endcapped column (50 x 2.0 mm id). The analyses were performed at 30 degrees C using a mobile phase consisting of 0.15% (v/v) trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in water (solvent A) and 0.15% (v/v) TFA in acetonitrile (solvent B) under a linear gradient of 5 to 90% B in 1 min at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and detection at 220 nm. Under these conditions, OMZ retention time was approximately 0.74 min. Validation parameters, such as selectivity, linearity, precision, accuracy, and robustness, showed results within the acceptable criteria. The method developed was successfully applied to OMZ enteric-coated pellets, showing that this assay can be used in the pharmaceutical industry for routine QC analysis. Moreover, the analytical conditions established allow for the simultaneous analysis of OMZ metabolites, 5-hydroxyomeprazole and omeprazole sulfone, in the same run, showing that this method can be extended to other matrixes with adequate procedures for sample preparation.

Isobutyl amides - potent compounds for controlling Diatraea saccharalis

BACKGROUND: A dichloromethane-methanol extract of the seeds of Piper tuberculatum Jacq. (Piperaceae) and two isobutyl amides, 4,5-dihydropiperlonguminine (1) and pellitorine (2), which were isolated by chromatographic methods, were assayed for their lethality against the sugarcane borer Diatraea saccharalis F. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). RESULTS: Bioassays were carried out with fourth-instar caterpillars through topical application of test solutions to the dorsal surface of the prothorax, and dose-response correlations were determined. Significant insect mortalities were observed 24, 48 and 72 h after treatment at concentrations of >= 100 mu g insect(-1). The LD(50) and LD(90) values for compound 1 were 92.83 and 176.50 mu g insect(-1), and for compound 2 they were 91.19 and 184.56 mu g insect(-1). CONCLUSION: According to the LD(50) and LD(90) for compounds 1 and 2, it can be inferred that the values reflect an acute lethal response to both compounds, based on interaction(s) of the toxicants with a primary target or series of targets. Thus, the amides were demonstrated to have potential value in the control of the sugarcane borer. (C) 2008 Society of Chemical Industry

Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis transfectants overexpressing the miniexon gene lose virulence in vivo

The miniexon gene has a central role in the processing of polycistronic pre-mRNA of kinetoplastids. It is added to the 5` extremity of each mRNA, supplying the 5`-capped structure to the molecule. Previous studies in Leishmania (Leishmania) major showed that the overexpression of the miniexon array attenuates the Virulence of the parasite in in vivo assays. The results presented here extend those findings to Vionnia subgenus. Leishmania (Vionnia) braziliensis was transfected with a cosmid harboring a tandem array of one hundred miniexon gene copies and then characterized by Northern blot analysis. The overexpression of the exogenous gene was confirmed and its effect on the virulence of L (V.) braziliensis was investigated in hamsters. In BALB/c mice we could not detect parasites during the course of 15 weeks of infection. In addition, hamsters infected with transfectants overexpressing the miniexon gene exhibited only a minor footpad swelling of late onset and failed to develop progressive lesion, these attenuated parasites could be recovered from the inoculation site 1 year after infection. The persistence of parasites in the host indicates that a stable line overexpressing the miniexon may be tested as live vaccine against leishmaniasis. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protective properties of quercetin against DNA damage and oxidative stress induced by methylmercury in rats

Aim of the study was to find out whether consumption of quercetin (QC), an abundant flavonoid in the human diet, protects against DNA damage caused by exposure to organic mercury. Therefore, rats were treated orally with methylmercury (MeHg) and the flavonoid with doses that reflect the human exposure. The animals received MeHg (30 mu g/kg/bw/day), QC (0.5-50 mg/kg/bw/day), or combinations of both over 45 days. Subsequently, the glutathione levels (GSH) and the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) were determined, and DNA damage was measured in hepatocytes and peripheral leukocytes in single cell gel electrophoresis assays. MeHg decreased the concentration of GSH and the activity of GPx by 17 and 12%, respectively and caused DNA damage to liver and blood cells, while with QC no such effects were seen. When the flavonoid was given in combination with MeHg, the intermediate and the highest concentrations (5.0 and 50.0 mg/kg/bw/day) were found to cause DNA protection; DNA migration was reduced by 54 and 65% in the hepatocytes and by 27 and 36% in the leukocytes; furthermore, the reduction in GSH and GPx levels caused by MeHg treatment was restored. In summary, our results indicate that consumption of QC-rich foods may protect Hg-exposed humans against the adverse health effects of the metal.

Ligand Reduces Galectin-1 Sensitivity to Oxidative Inactivation by Enhancing Dimer Formation

Galectin-1 (Gal-1) regulates leukocyte turnover by inducing the cell surface exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS), a ligand that targets cells for phagocytic removal, in the absence of apoptosis. Gal-1 monomer- dimer equilibrium appears to modulate Gal-1-induced PS exposure, although the mechanism underlying this regulation remains unclear. Here we show that monomer- dimer equilibrium regulates Gal-1 sensitivity to oxidation. A mutant form of Gal-1, containing C2S and V5D mutations (mGal-1), exhibits impaired dimerization and fails to induce cell surface PS exposure while retaining the ability to recognize carbohydrates and signal Ca(2+) flux in leukocytes. mGal-1 also displayed enhanced sensitivity to oxidation, whereas ligand, which partially protected Gal-1 from oxidation, enhanced Gal-1 dimerization. Continual incubation of leukocytes with Gal-1 resulted in gradual oxidative inactivation with concomitant loss of cell surface PS, whereas rapid oxidation prevented mGal-1 from inducing PS exposure. Stabilization of Gal-1 or mGal-1 with iodoacetamide fully protected Gal-1 and mGal-1 from oxidation. Alkylation-induced stabilization allowed Gal-1 to signal sustained PS exposure in leukocytes and mGal-1 to signal both Ca(2+) flux and PS exposure. Taken together, these results demonstrate that monomer-dimer equilibrium regulates Gal-1 sensitivity to oxidative inactivation and provides a mechanism whereby ligand partially protects Gal-1 from oxidation.

Differential roles of galectin-1 and galectin-3 in regulating leukocyte viability and cytokine secretion

Galectin-1 (Gal-1) and galectin-3 (Gal-3) exhibit profound but unique immunomodulatory activities in animals but their molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. Early studies suggested that Gal-1 inhibits leukocyte function by inducing apoptotic cell death and removal, but recent studies show that some galectins induce exposure of the common death signal phosphatidylserine (PS) independently of apoptosis. In tfhis study, we report that Gal-3, but not Gal-1, induces both PS exposure and apoptosis in primary activated human T cells, whereas both Gal-1 and Gal-3 induce PS exposure in neutrophils in the absence of cell death. Gal-1 and Gal-3 bind differently to the surfaces of T cells and only Gal-3 mobilizes intracellular Ca(2+) in these cells, although Gal-1 and Gal-3 bind their respective T cell ligands with similar affinities. Although Gal-1 does not alter T cell viability, it induces IL-10 production and attenuates IFN-gamma production in activated T cells, suggesting a mechanism for Gal-1-mediated immunosuppression in vivo. These studies demonstrate that Gal-1 and Gal-3 induce differential responses in T cells and neutrophils, and identify the first factor, Gal-3, capable of inducing PS exposure with or without accompanying apoptosis in different leukocytes, thus providing a possible mechanism for galectin-mediated immunomodulation in vivo.

Mutagenic activity removal of selected disperse dye by photoeletrocatalytic treatment

The degradation of black dye commercial product (BDCP) composed of C.I. Disperse Blue 373, C.I. Disperse Orange 37, C.I. Disperse Violet 93 dyes was investigated by photoelectrocatalysis process. The dyes have shown high mutagenic activity with Salmonella strain YG1041 and TA98 with and without S9. Samples of BCPD dye submitted to conventional chlorination and photoelectrocatalytic oxidation were compared monitoring its products by HPLC using a diode array detector, spectrophotometry UV-vis, TOC removal, and mutagenicity potency. The photoelectrocatalytic method operating with Ti/TiO(2) as anode at +1.0 V and UV illumination presented fast oxidation of test solutions containing 10 mg L(-1) of dye in 0.1 mol L(-1) NaCl pH 4.0 leading to 100% of discoloration, 67% of mineralization, and negative response to all tested Salmonella strains. The formation of Cl(aEuro cent), CL(2) (aEuro cent) on photoelectrocatalytic medium improved the efficiency of the method in relation to conventional chlorination method that promoted 100% of discoloration, but only 8% of TOC removal and more mutagenic product.

Chlorination treatment of aqueous samples reduces, but does not eliminate, the mutagenic effect of the azo dyes Disperse Red 1, Disperse Red 13 and Disperse Orange 1

The treatment of textile effluents by the conventional method based on activated sludge followed by a chlorination step is not usually an effective method to remove azo dyes, and can generate products more mutagenic than the untreated dyes. The present work evaluated the efficiency of conventional chlorination to remove the genotoxicity/mutagenicity of the azo dyes Disperse Red 1, Disperse Orange 1, and Disperse Red 13 from aqueous solutions. The comet and micronucleus assays with HepG2 cells and the Salmonella mutagenicity assay were used. The degradation of the dye molecules after the same treatment was also evaluated, using ultraviolet and visible absorption spectrum measurements (UV-vis), high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD), and total organic carbon removal (TOC) analysis. The comet assay showed that the three dyes studied induced damage in the DNA of the HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. After chlorination, these dyes remained genotoxic, although with a lower damage index (DI). The micronucleus test showed that the mutagenic activity of the dyes investigated was completely removed by chlorination, under the conditions tested. The Salmonella assay showed that chlorination reduced the mutagenicity of all three dyes in strain YG1041, but increased the mutagenicity of Disperse Red 1 and Disperse Orange 1 in strain TA98. With respect to chemical analysis, all the solutions showed rapid discoloration and a reduction in the absorbance bands characteristic of the chromophore group of each dye. However, the TOC was not completely removed, showing that chlorination of these dyes is not efficient in mineralizing them. It was concluded that conventional chlorination should be used with caution for the treatment of aqueous samples contaminated with azo dyes. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A hybrid probabilistic criterion for market-based transmission expansion planning

Market-based transmission expansion planning gives information to investors on where is the most cost efficient place to invest and brings benefits to those who invest in this grid. However, both market issue and power system adequacy problems are system planers’ concern. In this paper, a hybrid probabilistic criterion of Expected Economical Loss (EEL) is proposed as an index to evaluate the systems’ overall expected economical losses during system operation in a competitive market. It stands on both investors’ and planner’s point of view and will further improves the traditional reliability cost. By applying EEL, it is possible for system planners to obtain a clear idea regarding the transmission network’s bottleneck and the amount of losses arises from this weak point. Sequentially, it enables planners to assess the worth of providing reliable services. Also, the EEL will contain valuable information for moneymen to undertake their investment. This index could truly reflect the random behaviors of power systems and uncertainties from electricity market. The performance of the EEL index is enhanced by applying Normalized Coefficient of Probability (NCP), so it can be utilized in large real power systems. A numerical example is carried out on IEEE Reliability Test System (RTS), which will show how the EEL can predict the current system bottleneck under future operational conditions and how to use EEL as one of planning objectives to determine future optimal plans. A well-known simulation method, Monte Carlo simulation, is employed to achieve the probabilistic characteristic of electricity market and Genetic Algorithms (GAs) is used as a multi-objective optimization tool.

Gene organization of the dnaA region of Wolbachia

The dnaA region of Wolbachia, an intracellular bacterial parasite of insects, is unique. A glnA cognate was found upstream of the dnaA gene, while neither of the two open reading frames detected downstream of dnaA has any homologue in the database. This unusual gene arrangement may reflect requirements associated with the unique ecological niche this agent occupies.