Edible Bioactive Film with Curcumin: A Potential “Functional” Packaging?

Edible packaging has been developed as a biodegradable and non-toxic alternative to traditional petroleum-based food packaging. Biopolymeric edible films, in addition to their passive protective function, may also play a bioactive role as vehicles for bioactive compounds of importance to human health. In recent years, a new generation of edible food packaging has been developed to incorporate ingredients with functional potential that have beneficial effects on consumer health. Curcumin, a bioactive compound widely used as a natural dye obtained from turmeric rhizomes (Curcuma longa L.), has a broad spectrum of beneficial properties for human health, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, antioxidant, anti-cancer, and other activities. To demonstrate these properties, curcumin has been explored as a bioactive agent for the development of bioactive packaging, which can be referred to as functional packaging and used in food. The aim of this review was to describe the current and potential research on the development of functional-edible-films incorporating curcumin for applications such as food packaging.     

Quantification of Low Amounts of Zoledronic Acid by HPLC-ESI-MS Analysis: Method Development and Validation

Zoledronic acid (ZA) is used in the treatment of various bone pathologies, but it forms complexes with calcium ions present in body fluids, decreasing ZA bioavailability. Thereby, the study first describes the identification of ZA-calcium complexes that form in calcium-rich environments, in order to establish the bioavailable ZA concentration. Then, a new method for quantification of low ZA amounts in milieus that mimics in vivo conditions by using simulated body fluid and calcium sulfate hemihydrate was described. Almost all analytical methods of ZA quantification described in the literature require compound derivatization. At very low concentrations, derivatization is prone to analyte loss, therefore compromising the analytical results. In our study, we avoided ZA derivatization by using a high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS) system, conducting the investigation based on the fragmentation mass extracted ion chromatograms specific to the ZA protonated form. The method was validated by selectivity, precision, accuracy, linearity, signal to noise ratio, and limit of detection and limit of quantification calculation. Experimentally, this method can detect ranges of 0.1–0.5 ng/mL and precisely quantify ZA concentrations as low as 0.1 ng/mL. This method could provide the basis for quantifying low amounts of ZA in the blood during long-term administration.     

Coated alginate–chitosan particles to improve the stability of probiotic yeast

External ionic gelation is a technique with a great potential for the protection of probiotics for use in food and pharmaceutic products. In this study, particles containing Saccharomyces boulardii produced using sodium alginate and a chitosan coating were evaluated. The physical–chemical parameters (moisture/water activity/hygroscopicity) of the dried particles, stability during 120 days of storage and yeast resistance to simulated gastrointestinal conditions were analysed. During storage (30 °C), greater yeast protection in the alginate–chitosan particles was observed, with a reduction of 1.05 log. Although the free cells presented low resistance, the encapsulated yeast was resistant to the simulated gastrointestinal conditions. At the end of the gastrointestinal simulation, the concentration ranged around 9.15–8.01 and 9.25–8.82 logCFU g⁻¹ in alginate and alginate–chitosan particles, respectively. The S. boulardii particles showed greater resistance to environmental factors, allowing the delivery of an ingredient that could be used to add value to food products.     

Chia Seed (Salvia hispanica L.) as a Source of Proteins and Bioactive Peptides with Health Benefits: A Review

The consumption of chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) has increased in recent years due its high content of omega‐3 fatty acids and dietary fiber. This seed also has a high concentration of proteins and essential amino acids, becoming a promising source of bioactive peptides. The objective of this review was to identify the composition and the beneficial effects of chia seeds (S. hispanica L.), their proteins, peptides, and their potential impact on human health. The UniProt database was used to identify the chia proteins and their amino acid sequences. The BIOPEP database was used to analyze the peptides's bioactive potential. A total of 20 proteins were cataloged in chia seed, 12 of those were involved in the regular metabolic processes of the plant cells. However, eight proteins were specifically related to production and storage of plant lipids, thus explaining the high concentration of lipids in chia seeds (around 30%), especially omega‐3 fatty acids (around 20%). The analyses of amino acid sequences showed peptides with bioactive potential, including dipeptidyl peptidase‐IV inhibitors, angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors, and antioxidant capacity. These results correlated with the main health benefits of whole chia seed in humans such as antioxidant capacity, and hypotensive, hypoglycemic, and anticholesterolemic effects. Such relation can be associated with chia protein and peptide compositions and therefore needs further investigation in vitro and in vivo.     

Chemical Characterization and Cytotoxic Activity of Blueberry Extracts (cv. Misty) Cultivated in Brazil

Vaccinium corymbosum (L.) varieties cultivation is relatively recent in Brazil, but its production has been intensified given its good adaptability to the Southern Brazil climate. Blueberries are a rich source of phenolic compounds and contain significant levels of anthocyanins, flavonols, chlorogenic acids, and procyanidins, which lead to different biological activities. Chemical identification of skin and whole hydroalcoholic blueberry extracts (ExtSB and ExtWB) revealed the presence of anthocyanins concentrated in the skin and others chemicals compounds as quercetin glycosides, proanthocyanins dimers, citric, and chlorogenic acid in the pulp. Selectivity for tumor cell lines (Hep‐2, HeLa, HT‐29) using ExtSB and ExtWB extracts was observed through MTT (3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay after 24 h of treatment when compared to nontumor cells (MRC‐5). Morphological changes and late stages of apoptotic and necrosis process were seen in HT‐29 cell line after ExtWB treatment, compared to nontumor cell line MRC‐5. These results are in agreement with other studies that indicate the activity of compounds such as anthocyanins and other molecules found in Southern Highbush blueberry variety, attributed to promote beneficial effects on health that may respond as cytotoxic natural agent and contribute to cancer treatment.     

Posttraumatic stress disorder in parents of children with chronic illnesses: A meta-analysis.

Objective: To estimate PTSD prevalence in parents of children with chronic illnesses or undergoing invasive procedures, and its association with higher risk of PTSD among parents. Methods: Sixteen studies reporting prevalence of PTSD in parents of children with chronic illnesses were identified through a systematic review in Pubmed, Web of Science, Pilots and PsycINFO databases. Main Outcome Measures: Pooled current PTSD prevalence was calculated for parents from these studies. Pooled PTSD prevalence ratios were obtained by comparing parents of children with chronic diseases with parents of healthy children. Meta-regression was used to identify variables that could account for the lack of homogeneity. Results: Pooled PTSD prevalence was 19.6% in mothers, 11.6% in fathers, and 22.8% in parents in general (p     

Analytic modeling of two-dimensional transient atmospheric pollutant dispersion by double GITT and Laplace Transform techniques

An analytical solution for the transient two-dimensional atmospheric pollutant dispersion problem is presented. The approach used in this problem utilizes the double GITT (Generalized Integral Transform Technique), the Laplace Transform and the matrix diagonalization. Furthermore, mathematical filters are used due to the existence of non-homogeneous boundary conditions. The results we obtained are compared with experimental data for short range downwind dispersion utilizing two well-known experimental dispersion datasets (Copenhagen and Prairie Grass). It is shown that the present analytical approach give good results for downwind concentration except for receptors very close to the release points were any Eulerian approach based on K-closure is known to fail.     

Incentive contrast in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris).

Dogs (Canis familiaris) trained to receive a preferred food (dry beef liver) from an experimenter learned to maintain a longer gaze on the experimenter than dogs receiving a less preferred food (dog pellets). Dogs downshifted from dry liver to pellets rejected food more frequently than nonshifted controls. Gaze duration also decreased in downshifted dogs below the level of a group always reinforced with pellets. In addition, downshifted dogs tended to move away from the experimenter, adopting a lying down posture. This phenomenon, called successive negative contrast, has been described in analogous experiments with a variety of mammalian species, but has failed to occur in similar experiments with nonmammalian vertebrates. Unlike similar previous observations, the present data were obtained in an environment involving interspecific communication. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)