Assessment of the N-nitrosopiperidine formation risk from piperine and piperidine contained in spices used as meat product additives

The N-nitrosopiperidine (NPIP) formation in blends of spices and nitrite curing salt was investigated in relation with the piperine and piperidine contents in spices. Firstly, two analytical methods were developed. Piperine was extracted with dichloromethane by means of accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)–diode array detector (λ = 343 nm). A selective hydroextraction of piperidine using ASE and its quantification by HPLC–ELSD was applied. Both methods were sufficiently sensitive and accurate (limit of detection, limit of quantification, and recovery: 0.28, 0.84 μg, and 98.9 ± 2.6 % for piperine, and 5.76, 17.45 μg, and 95.9 ± 2.9 % for piperidine, respectively). Secondly, both compounds were quantified in commercial samples (black and white pepper, paprika, chili pepper, allspice, and nutmeg). The maximum amount of piperine (21.12 mg g^?1) was found in pepper, while the other spices contained only traces. Piperidine was detected mainly in the pepper samples, whereby the highest concentration was found in the white pepper extract (11.42 mg g^?1). Thirdly, during the storage of spices blended with nitrite curing salt, the NPIP content was determined, using a gas chromatograph coupled with a thermal energy analyzer. Against our expectations, no NPIP formation was observed in the curing mixture which contained white pepper extract. This result remains in contrast with the white pepper mixture, in which the NPIP content significantly increased from not detected to 9.80 ± 0.41 ng g^?1 after the 2 months storage period. In conclusion, high amounts of piperine or piperidine in spices do not systematically result in the formation of NPIP, when blended with nitrite curing salt .     

Scanning Electron Microscopic Evidence of Spontaneous Heteropeptide Formation in Abiotic Solutions of Selected α-Amino Acid Pairs

Spontaneous nonlinear peptidization of the monomeric and enantiomerically pure α-amino acids in abiotic aqueous and nonaqueous solutions is still regarded by some as a somewhat puzzling phenomenon, and therefore it needs additional experimental authentication. In our earlier studies, we employed several analytical techniques to prove its occurrence. In this study, we present the scanning electron microscopic (SEM) evidence of spontaneous heteropeptide formation in the binary L-Cys−L-Phe, L-Cys−L-Phg, and L-Cys−L-Pro mixtures dissolved in 70 % aqueous methanol. With each α-amino acid pair, one amino acid (L-Cys) is equipped with three functionalities (−SH, −NH₂, and −COOH), enabling formation of the spherical homopeptide microstructures, while its counterpart (L-Phe, L-Phg, or L-Pro, respectively) is equipped with the two functionalities only (−NH₂ or =NH, and −COOH). The SEM micrographs of the peptidization products originating from the three investigated α-amino acid pairs show three different, yet spherical, structures, which seem suggestive of the heteropeptide formation involving both L-Cys and its counterpart α-amino acid. Additional confirmation of heteropeptide formation is furnished by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the biuret test, and mass spectrometry (MS).     

A new measure of xenobiotic toxicity to the fist-line human defence system from the time-resolved phagocyte luminescence

A new measure of toxicity based on stochastic modelling of single photon-counting processes, representing time-resolved phagocyte luminescence of xenobiotic-perturbed human neutrophils, has been constructed. The stochastic measure of toxicity has been verified by the QSAR method, and then compared and contrasted with the traditional toxicity measure used in bio- and chemiluminescent research. Phenol and benzene homologues were chosen as perturbers due to their importance from the viewpoint of ecotoxicity and occupational medicine.     

On evaluation of wear resistance of tooth enamel and dental materials

A survey of the literature shows that in many studies on the wear resistance of tooth enamel or dental materials a large scatter of experimental data has been obtained when wear tests were performed at a fixed load. Despite the steady loading, wear conditions vary during sliding, since tooth enamel as well as dental materials have inhomogeneous structure. This leads to changes in contact interactions between sliding surfaces, and as a result, we get changes in the friction and wear behaviour of tested materials. This is why at the same loading the wear can be different. In this study, more reliable approach to evaluation of the wear resistance of human enamel and dental materials is proposed. The procedure is based on the correlation between the volumetric wear and the friction energy dissipated during sliding. The model can be useful to compare the wear resistance of different dental materials tested in different ambient conditions.     

A new tribometer for friction and wear studies of dental materials and hard tooth tissues

This paper presents a new tribometer developed for a study of the tribological behaviours of dental materials and hard tooth tissues. The device simulates oral kinematic conditions and the loading produced during masticatory process. The tribometer is similar to the existing devices regarding the kinematic features, i.e. it produces an adjustable oscillating movement. However, the device machine is equipped with a unique pneumatic system of loading controlled via computer by special software called TOOTHY. The programmable system allows easy adjusting of the loading parameters such as the magnitude of normal force and its amplitude or pattern of cyclic loading. In this way different combinations of loads can be applied thus making the investigation of different wear situations possible. The device has two full bridge strain gauges for the measurement of loading and friction forces, by which the coefficient of friction is determined.The use of the tribometer is illustrated by a comparative study of tribological behaviour of human enamel subjected to two- and three-body friction, and to two different loading patterns as well. The obtained results are discussed.     

Analysis of heterocyclic amines (HAs) in pan-fried pork meat and its gravy by liquid chromatography with diode array detection

Aminoazaarenes (heterocyclic amines, HAs) contents were investigated in pan-fried pork meat as well as in gravies generated during frying. The clean-up procedure included alkaline hydrolysis, tandem solid phase extraction on columns filled with Extrelut – diatomaceous earth, cation exchanger (propyl sulfonic acid) and chemically bounded phase – C₁₈. Identification and quantitative analysis of HAs fraction was carried out using a HPLC system with DAD-type detector. Separation was achieved by using TSK-gel ODS 80-T_M column and a mixture of 5% acetonitrile and 95% triethylamine phosphate buffer (pH 3.3) as a mobile phase. Six compounds were determined: 2-amino-1,6-dimethylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (DMIP), 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (8-MeIQx), 2-amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (MeIQ), 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (4,8-DiMeIQx), 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenyl-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP). Two types of dishes prepared at home according to common recipes used in Poland were investigated. The total content of aminoazaarenes determined in collar was 7.2 and in chop samples 18.0 ng g⁻¹ of cooked meat. The total contents of investigated HAs in gravy samples were 10.2 and 15.1 ng g⁻¹ of cooked meat for collars and chops, respectively.     

Effect of saliva viscosity on tribological behaviour of tooth enamel

Employing a special device simulating conditions of the masticatory process, two series tests were conducted involving studies of the tribological behaviour of enamel subjected to two- and three-body tests at different saliva viscosities.The studies showed no significant influences of saliva viscosity on the mean of the friction coefficient. However, below 2.08 mPa s the coefficient was unstable, i.e. scatter was observed. Both higher wear rate and higher scatter were observed for viscosities below of 1.68 mPa s. Comparing the wear results of the three- and two-body tests, no significant differences were obtained for viscosities above 1.68 mPa s, although for lower viscosities the wear rate in the presence of abrasive particles was higher than that obtained with pure saliva.Two regions with different tribological behaviour of enamel were observed in relation to saliva viscosity; the region with stable and low values of the tribological parameters beyond some threshold value, and the other with higher mean values of tribological parameters and their scattering. The author suggests that different concentrations of proteins are possible at the same low saliva viscosity, thus there are qualitatively different interactions between enamel surface and saliva components resulting in different lubrication regimes.     

Novel Mode of Trisiloxane Application Reduces Spider Mite and Aphid Infestation of Fruiting Shrub and Tree Crops

Silicon - Application of pesticides leads to contamination of the natural environment, which entails the necessity to seek solutions that use substances which do not pose ecological hazards. The...