Influence of isolated flaxseed mucilage as a non‐starch polysaccharide on noodle quality

Physicochemical, cooking quality and sensory characteristics of noodles enriched by extracted flaxseed mucilage were evaluated. Noodles were prepared with replacement wheat flour with different mucilage concentrations and drying at different temperatures. Generally, physicochemical and noodle quality characteristics improved with adding flaxseed mucilage compared to control sample. The correlation between optimum cooking time with mucilage concentrations and drying temperatures established by nonlinear regression. The obtained data of cooking yield, swelling index, cooking loss and nitrogen loss were analysed using the two‐dimension response surface method. The mucilage concentration of 3% and drying temperature ranging between 68.2 and 70 °C were the best condition to prepare the noodle with high cooking quality compared to the control sample. The received scores from sensory evaluation showed that replacement of wheat flour by flaxseed mucilage improved the texture and overall acceptability of prepared noodle.     

Parameter Recovery Studies With a Diagnostic Bayesian Network Model

This paper describes a Bayesian network model for a candidate assessment design that had four proficiency variables and 48 tasks with 3–12 observable outcome variables per task and scale anchors to identify the location of the subscales. The domain experts’ view of the relationship among proficiencies and tasks established a complex prior distribution over 585 parameters. Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimation recovered the parameters of data simulated from the expert model. The sample size and the strength of the prior had only a modest effect on parameter recovery, but did affect the standard error of estimated parameters. Finally, an identifiability issue involving relabeling of proficiency states and permutations of the matrixes is addressed in the context of this study.

     

Adrenomedullin Mitigates Doxorubicin-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats: Role of Oxidative Stress,Inflammation, Apoptosis,and Pyroptosis

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an anticancer antibiotic which has various effects in human cancers. It is one of the commonly known causes of drug-induced nephrotoxicity, which results in acute renal injury. Adrenomedullin (ADM), a vasodilator peptide, is widely distributed in many tissues and has potent protective effects. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the protective potential mechanisms of ADM against DOX-induced nephrotoxicity. A total of 28 male Wistar rats were randomized into four groups: control group, doxorubicin group (15 mg/kg single intraperitoneal injection of DOX), adrenomedullin + doxorubicin group (12 μg/kg/day intraperitoneal injection of ADM) 3 days prior to DOX injection and continuing for 14 days after the model was established, and adrenomedullin group. Kidney function biomarkers, oxidative stress markers, and inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18) were assessed. The expressions of gasdermin D and ASC were assessed by real-time PCR. Furthermore, the abundances of caspase-1 (p20), Bcl-2, and Bax immunoreactivity were evaluated. ADM administration improved the biochemical parameters of DOX-induced nephrotoxicity, significantly reduced oxidative damage markers and inflammatory mediators, and suppressed both apoptosis and pyroptosis. These results were confirmed by the histopathological findings and revealed that ADM’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and anti-pyroptotic properties may have prospective applications in the amelioration of DOX-induced nephrotoxicity.     

Low serum levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) in children and adults from Afghanistan

Applications of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) have led to a PFC exposure of the general population worldwide. Most PFC human biomonitoring data are available from developed countries. Here we report for the first time PFC levels in serum from children and adults living in the low developed country of Afghanistan. Among a health cooperation project we had the chance to collect blood samples from 12 children (age 2.5-9 years) and 43 adults (age 20-65 years). 25 participants were from Kabul and 30 lived in a rural area. Drinking water samples were collected from 10 tap water and 16 well water sources. PFC levels were determined by HPLC and MS/MS detection after offline protein precipitation with acetonitrile. PFOS could be quantified in all blood samples (limit of quantification, LOQ: 0.1 µg/l). Median (range) was 1.2 µg/l (0.21-11.8 µg/l). Most PFOA (n = 43) and PFHxS levels (n = 42) were below LOQ of 0.5 µg/l. Maximum levels were 1.5 (PFOA) and 3.0 µg/l (PFHxS). All PFOS and PFOA concentrations in drinking water were below LOQ (PFOA 0.03 µg/l and PFOS 0.015 µg/l). It is concluded that exposure to PFCs also occurs in Afghanistan but on a very low level.     

Reduction of pesticides residues on okra fruits by different processing treatments

For the first time, the effect of washing, water boiling, chemical boiling, steaming and cooking treatments on the reduction of residues of indoxacarb, fenarimol, acetamiprid and chlorfenapyr in okra fruits was investigated. Residues were analyzed using quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method combined with liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Our results show that some treatments could significantly decrease pesticide residues. The reduction of residues by washing treatment was not correlated to water solubility: Chlorfenapyr (non-systemic pesticide) was decreased by 90 % and acetamiprid (systemic pesticide) was removed by 48 %. Therefore, we suggest that pesticide residues were washed off by removing the loosely attached pesticides on the okra fruit surface. The time of exposure in both boiling and steaming treatments has no significant effect on reduction of pesticides residues. Additionally, cooking after the washing and boiling treatments reduced the pesticides residues. In particular, acetamiprid was reduced after the cooking treatment to 90 %.