Absorption and twenty‐four‐hour metabolism time‐course of quercetin‐3‐O‐glucoside in rats,in vivo

Rats were meal‐fed a semi‐synthetic diet, with or without quercetin 3‐O‐glucoside (Q3G; 100 mg per meal) and groups of three were killed either fasting, or at 2, 5 and 24 post‐feeding. Flavonoids and their metabolites in the diet, stomach contents, small intestinal lumen and mucosa, caecal contents and plasma were determined by LC/MS. Q3G was not hydrolysed in the stomach, but deglycosylation and further metabolism occurred in the small intestinal mucosa. At least 17 flavonoid glucuronides were identified in the lumen and mucosa, with evidence of time‐dependent changes such as de‐ and re‐glucuronidation. Quercetin mono‐sulphate was also detected in the small intestinal contents. Metabolites were still present in tissue and plasma 24 h after feeding. There was also evidence of complex microbial processing of Q3G in the caecal lumen with the appearance of at least one methylquercetin‐mono‐glucuronide, mono‐sulphate unique to this site in the gut, together with phenolic acid derivatives. Intestinal flavonoid metabolism is thus a very complex process in mammals, involving both enterocytes and bacteria. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Eiweißsorgen in den Entwicklungsländern

Strategy Statement on Action to Avert the Protein Crisis in the Developing Countries. Report of the Panel of Experts on the Protein Problem Confronting Developing Countries. Department of Economical and Social Affairs, United Nations, New York 1971.     

Evaluation de l'activité antifongique de deux dérivés et test d'innocuitéin vivo de shampooings à visée antipelliculaire ainsi formulés

Les pellicules, affection dermatologique due essentiellement à la levure Pityrosporum ovale , affectent les deux tiers de la population, d'une manière plus ou moins sévére.
Pour notre part, nous nous sommes attachés à mettre en évidence l'activité antifongique de deux substances couramment utilisées dans des cosmétiques capillaires: la pyrithione-zinc et la piroctone olamine, à plusieurs concentrations. Une fois choisie, la concentration optimale, deux shampooings ont été formulés, afin de déterminer la tolérance cutanée des formes cosmétiques terminées. La tolérance cutanée a étéévaluée par étude profilométrique de contre-empreintes obtenues à partir d'empreintes de peau.
Cette étude nous révèle une supériorité de la piroctone olamine, aussi bien d'un point de vue activité antifongique que d'un point de vue tolérance cutanée.     

2,6‐Di‐Tert‐Butyl‐Hydroxytoluene and Its Metabolites in Foods

2,6‐Di‐tert‐butyl‐hydroxytoluene (BHT, E‐321) is a synthetic phenolic antioxidant which has been widely used as an additive in the food, cosmetic, and plastic industries for the last 70 y. Although it is considered safe for human health at authorized levels, its ubiquitous presence and the controversial toxicological data reported are of great concern for consumers. In recent years, special attention has been paid to these 14 metabolites or degradation products: BHT‐CH₂OH, BHT‐CHO, BHT‐COOH, BHT‐Q, BHT‐QM, DBP, BHT‐OH, BHT‐OOH, TBP, BHQ, BHT‐OH(t), BHT‐OH(t)QM, 2‐BHT, and 2‐BHT‐QM. These derived compounds could pose a human health risk from a food safety point of view, but they have been little studied. In this context, this review deals with the occurrence, origin, and fate of BHT in foodstuffs, its biotransformation into metabolites, their toxicological implications, their antioxidant and prooxidant properties, the analytical determination of metabolites in foods, and human dietary exposure. Moreover, noncontrolled additional sources of exposure to BHT and its metabolites are highlighted. These include their carryover from feed to fish, poultry and eggs, their presence in smoke flavorings, their migration from plastic pipelines and packaging to water and food, and their presence in natural environments, from which they can reach the food chain.     

Sesamin attenuates intercellular cell adhesion molecule‐1 expression in vitro in TNF‐α‐treated human aortic endothelial cells and in vivo in apolipoprotein‐E‐deficient mice

Sesame lignans have antioxidative and anti‐inflammatory properties. We focused on the effects of the lignans sesamin and sesamol on the expression of endothelial‐leukocyte adhesion molecules in tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α)‐treated human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). When HAECs were pretreated with sesamin (10 or 100 μM), the TNF‐α‐induced expression of intercellular cell adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) was significantly reduced (35 or 70% decrease, respectively) by Western blotting. Sesamol was less effective at inhibiting ICAM‐1 expression (30% decrease at 100 μM). Sesamin and sesamol reduced the marked TNF‐α‐induced increase in human antigen R (HuR) translocation and the interaction between HuR and the 3'UTR of ICAM‐1 mRNA. Both significantly reduced the binding of monocytes to TNF‐α‐stimulated HAECs. Sesamin significantly attenuated TNF‐α‐induced ICAM‐1 expression and cell adhesion by downregulation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 and p38. Furthermore, in vivo, sesamin attenuated intimal thickening and ICAM‐1 expression seen in aortas of apolipoprotein‐E‐deficient mice. Taken together, these data suggest that sesamin inhibits TNF‐α‐induced extracellular signal‐regulated kinase/p38 phosphorylation, nuclear translocation of NF‐κB p65, cytoplasmic translocalization of HuR and thereby suppresses ICAM‐1 expression, resulting in reduced adhesion of leukocytes. These results also suggest that sesamin may prevent the development of atherosclerosis and inflammatory responses.     

Quality changes in soup from deboned chicken frames at refrigerated (4 ± 1 °C) and frozen (−18 ± 1 °C) storage

Chicken soup was made from the broth collected after the pressure cooking of deboned chicken frames (bones). The quality of stored chicken soup (S1) was compared with the soup prepared from the stored chicken broth (S2) at refrigerated (4 ± 1 °C) and frozen (−18 ± 1 °C) storage up to 12 and 90 days, respectively. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values and microbial counts were significantly ( P  < 0.01) higher in stored soup (S1) compared with fresh soup (S2). Psychrotrophs and coliforms were not detected. Appearance and odour scores of broth were satisfactory throughout the storage. Sensory attributes were rated better for fresh soup (S2) made from stored broth than stored soup (S1) but all the attributes were decreased with increasing storage period. The stored soup was acceptable up to 9 and 90 days in refrigeration and frozen storage respectively, while the soup made from refrigerated stored broth was acceptable for 12 days.     

Mechanisation of large‐scale agricultural fields in developing countries – a review

Mechanisation of large‐scale agricultural fields often requires the application of modern technologies such as mechanical power, automation, control and robotics. These technologies are generally associated with relatively well developed economies. The application of these technologies in some developing countries in Africa and Asia is limited by factors such as technology compatibility with the environment, availability of resources to facilitate the technology adoption, cost of technology purchase, government policies, adequacy of technology and appropriateness in addressing the needs of the population. As a result, many of the available resources have been used inadequately by farmers, who continue to rely mostly on conventional means of agricultural production, using traditional tools and equipment in most cases. This has led to low productivity and high cost of production among others. Therefore this paper attempts to evaluate the application of present day technology and its limitations to the advancement of large‐scale mechanisation in developing countries of Africa and Asia. Particular emphasis is given to a general understanding of the various levels of mechanisation, present day technology, its management and application to large‐scale agricultural fields. This review also focuses on/gives emphasis to future outlook that will enable a gradual, evolutionary and sustainable technological change. The study concludes that large‐scale‐agricultural farm mechanisation for sustainable food production in Africa and Asia must be anchored on a coherent strategy based on the actual needs and priorities of the large‐scale farmers. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry     

Influence of polyphenols isolated from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scutellaria baicalensis</Emphasis> Georgi and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crataegus oxyacantha</Emphasis> on the oxidative stability of cholesterol in butter stored in various conditions

The aim of the present study was to determine whether the exposure of two types of butter (A1, A2) to different conditions (4 °C and 30 °C in darkness and exposed to light 3600–3900 lx at 50 °C) could be stabilized with natural polyphenols. The polyphenols (500 ppm) added to butter included flavones of skullcap in the form of root powder, 95% pure baicalin and procyanidins from the bark of hawthorn. The rate of cholesterol oxide products (COPs) as well as the storage periods were closely connected with sample storage conditions and the type of butter. Among the polyphenols used, the flavones of skullcap proved to be stronger inhibitors of oxidation process than procyanidins of hawthorn. The storage of samples with the addition of flavones at 50 °C and exposed to light resulted in preserving 50% of cholesterol in both types of butter. The lowest amounts of COPs were formed in samples stored at 4 °C with no light exposure and, under the other conditions, in samples with flavones of skullcap added.     

Factors leading to the expression of “framboisé” in French ciders

During the last decade, observations on cider production sites allowed for some hypotheses to be made concerning relationships between “framboisé” (cider-sickness) development and physical and chemical cider parameters as well as some process operations. Although Zymomonas mobilis has long been known to cause cider-sickness in British ciders, it had never been detected in France until recently from a number of “framboisé” cases.The possibility to trigger “framboisé” in cider by inoculation of the bacterium allowed for a better understanding of the factors leading to “framboisé” development in ciders. The stage of the malo-lactic fermentation, amount of dissolved of oxygen, pH, combined effect of pH and sulfur dioxide and residual amount of utilizable yeast nitrogen (YAN) were studied.The main factor affecting cider sensitivity to “framboisé” is the amount of YAN. If the amount of YAN is sufficient, the development of “framboisé” will mainly be influenced by pH (sulfur dioxide playing a minor role).