An overview of analytical methods for determining the geographical origin of food products

There is an increasing interest by consumers for high quality food products with a clear geographical origin. These products are encouraged and suitable analytical techniques are needed for the quality control. This overview concerns an investigation of the current analytical techniques that are being used for the determination of the geographical origin of food products. The analytical approaches have been subdivided into four groups; mass spectrometry techniques, spectroscopic techniques, separation techniques, and other techniques. The principles of the techniques together with their advantages and drawbacks, and reported applications concerning geographical authenticity are discussed. A combination of methods analysing different types of food compounds seems to be the most promising approach to establish the geographical origin. Chemometric analysis of the data provided by the analytical instruments is needed for such a multifactorial approach.     

Targeting Inflammation after Myocardial Infarction: A Therapeutic Opportunity for Extracellular Vesicles?

After myocardial infarction (MI), a strong inflammatory response takes place in the heart to remove the dead tissue resulting from ischemic injury. A growing body of evidence suggests that timely resolution of this inflammatory process may aid in the prevention of adverse cardiac remodeling and heart failure post-MI. The present challenge is to find a way to stimulate this process without interfering with the reparative role of the immune system. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are natural membrane particles that are released by cells and carry different macromolecules, including proteins and non-coding RNAs. In recent years, EVs derived from various stem and progenitor cells have been demonstrated to possess regenerative properties. They can provide cardioprotection via several mechanisms of action, including immunomodulation. In this review, we summarize the role of the innate immune system in post-MI healing. We then discuss the mechanisms by which EVs modulate cardiac inflammation in preclinical models of myocardial injury through regulation of monocyte influx and macrophage function. Finally, we provide suggestions for further optimization of EV-based therapy to improve its potential for the treatment of MI.     

Rapid virus detection procedure for molecular tracing of shellfish associated with disease outbreaks

Detection of pathogenic viruses in oysters implicated in gastroenteritis outbreaks is often hampered by time-consuming, specialist virus extraction methods. Five virus RNA extraction methods were evaluated with respect to performance characteristics and sensitivity on artificially contaminated oyster digestive glands. The two most promising procedures were further evaluated on bioaccumulated and naturally contaminated oysters. The most efficient method was used to trace the source in an outbreak situation. Out of five RNA extraction protocols, PEG precipitation and the RNeasy Kit performed best with norovirus genogroup III-spiked digestive glands. Analyzing 24-h bioaccumulated oysters revealed a slightly better sensitivity with PEG precipitation, but the RNeasy Kit was less prone to concentrate inhibitors. The latter procedure demonstrated the presence of human noroviruses in naturally contaminated oysters and oysters implicated in an outbreak. In this outbreak, in four out of nine individually analyzed digestive glands, norovirus was detected. In one of the oysters and in one of the fecal samples of the clinical cases, identical norovirus strains were detected. A standard and rapid virus extraction method using the RNeasy Kit appeared to be most useful in tracing shellfish as the source in gastroenteritis outbreaks, and to be able to make effective and timely risk management decisions.