Yeasts isolated from three varieties of grapes cultivated in different locations of the Dolenjska vine-growing region, Slovenia

The number and diversity of yeasts on grape berry surfaces are influenced by several factors, such as grape variety, degree of grape maturity at harvest, climatological conditions, geographic location, physical damage of grapes, the intensity of pest management etc. Cvicek is a typical Slovene wine, which has obtained a special protection under the Slovene Wine Law for its geographical origin. This blended red wine is produced from different grape varieties (Vitis vinifera L.), mostly from red grapes of Zametovka and Modra frankinja and from white grapes of Kraljevina. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of geographical locations in the Dolenjska vine-growing region and to obtain precise information about the influence of different grape varieties on the composition of yeast community on grape berries. The restriction fragment length polymorphism of PCR-amplified fragments from the rDNA gene cluster (PCR RFLP of rDNA) has been used for the differentiation of yeast species. The standard identification procedure has been performed on representative strains that shared identical RFLP profiles. The number of yeasts and yeast species isolated varied according to different grape varieties, Zametovka, Modra frankinja and Kraljevina (V. vinifera L.) and according to different sampling location. On the surface of grape berries 13 different yeast species have been identified. Saccharomyces cerevisiae has not been found.     

Microchip technology for automated and parallel patch-clamp recording

The patch-clamp technique is the state-of-the-art technology for the study of a large class of membrane proteins called ion channels. Ion channels mediate electrical current flow, have crucial roles in cellular physiology, and are important drug targets. However, patch clamping is a laborious process requiring a skilled experimenter and is, therefore, not compatible with the high throughput needed in drug development. The solution for automated and parallel patch-clamp measurements that is provided by microchip technology is presented here.     

Randomized trial of MST and ARC in a two-level evidence-based treatment implementation strategy.

Objective: A randomized trial assessed the effectiveness of a 2-level strategy for implementing evidence-based mental health treatments for delinquent youth. Method: A 2 × 2 design encompassing 14 rural Appalachian counties included 2 factors: (a) the random assignment of delinquent youth within each county to a multisystemic therapy (MST) program or usual services and (b) the random assignment of counties to the ARC (for availability, responsiveness, and continuity) organizational intervention for implementing effective community-based mental health services. The design created 4 treatment conditions (MST plus ARC, MST only, ARC only, control). Outcome measures for 615 youth who were 69% male, 91% Caucasian, and aged 9–17 years included the Child Behavior Checklist and out-of-home placements. Results: A multilevel, mixed-effects, regression analysis of 6-month treatment outcomes found that youth total problem behavior in the MST plus ARC condition was at a nonclinical level and significantly lower than in other conditions. Total problem behavior was equivalent and at nonclinical levels in all conditions by the 18-month follow-up, but youth in the MST plus ARC condition entered out-of-home placements at a significantly lower rate (16%) than youth in the control condition (34%). Conclusions: Two-level strategies that combine an organizational intervention such as ARC and an evidence-based treatment such as MST are promising approaches to implementing effective community-based mental health services. More research is needed to understand how such strategies can be used effectively in a variety of organizational contexts and with other types of evidence-based treatments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of rosehip (Rosa canina L.) phytochemicals on stable free radicals and human cancer cells

BACKGROUND: The commercial development of plants as sources of antioxidants that can be used to enhance the properties of foods, for nutritional purposes and preservation as well as for prevention of oxidation‐related diseases, is currently of major interest. Rosehip (Rosa canina L.) is a rich source of vitamin C and polyphenols. RESULTS: Phytochemicals in rosehip tea were separated into three fractions: Fr1 (vitamin C, 39.17 mg kg^?1), Fr2 (flavonoids, 451.05 µg kg^?1) and Fr3 (phenolic acids, 504.69 µg kg^?1). Quercetin and ellagic acid were the most abundant polyphenolic compounds. Rosehip fractions, primarily rosehip flavonoids (EC₅₀ = 49 mg L^?1), showed high antioxidant activity towards 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl radicals (DPPH^?). Cell growth effects of rosehip fractions were assessed in HeLa, MCF7 and HT‐29 cell lines, with the lowest IC₅₀ values being determined for rosehip flavonoids, (80.63, 248.03 and 363.95 mg L^?1 respectively). However, the vitamin C fraction did not inhibit the growth of tested tumour cells. CONCLUSION: The results of this study confirm that vitamin C and flavonoids are responsible for the antioxidant activity of rosehip tea, while only polyphenols contribute to its antiproliferative activity. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Antioxidant and cell growth activities of beet root pomace extracts

Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) pomace, processing by-product from food industry, was investigated in this work as a starting raw material. The contents of phenolics (1.87–11.98 mg GAE/g of dry weight) and betalains (0.75–3.75 mg betalains/g of dry weight) in the extracts were determinated spectrophotometrically. Some individual phenolic compounds, including ferulic, vanillic, p-hydroxybenzoic, caffeic and protocatehuic acids, were identified and quantified by HPLC. The antioxidative activity of beetroot extracts was tested using DPPH, hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals by ESR spectroscopy. ${\text{IC}}_{50}^{{}^{\text{<mglyph src="https://sdfestaticassets-us-east-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/rad"></mglyph>}}\text{OH}}$ (0.05–0.108 mg/ml), $\text{IC}{50}^{{\text{DPPH}}^{\text{<mglyph src="https://sdfestaticassets-us-east-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/rad"></mglyph>}}}$ (0.183–0.333 mg/ml), and ${\text{IC}}_{50}^{{\text{O}}_2^{\text{<mglyph src="https://sdfestaticassets-us-east-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/16/entities/rad"></mglyph>}-}}$ (0.198–1.000 mg/ml) were calculated. The regression analysis produced moderate to high correlation coefficients between the scavenging activities and phenolics, and some individual phenolic compounds which indicated that beetroot pomace may be used as functional food ingredient. Cell growth effects were determined in MCF7 and MRC-5 cell lines, using SRB assay. IC₅₀ values were in the range of 362.478–503.525 and 383–587.880 μg/ml in MRC-5 and MCF7, respectively.