Guidelines for shiftworkers: trials and errors?

86 guidelines for shiftworkers were assembled by a team of European experts and published as the Bulletin of Shiftwork Topics No. 3. Before publication, 24 of the personally directed guidelines were tested against the normal actions of two groups of mixed sex industrial 3-shift continuous workers (n = 120). Six of the guidelines were endorsed as their practice by a majority of both groups; six were opposed by a majority of both groups; and twelve were intermediate. The six that were opposed are closely examined. Half of them fall into specific remedies for sleep problems, that were more abruptly phrased in the questionnaire than in the guidelines. The other three are concerned with eating and drinking: breaking your sleep to join in a family meal is only a gentle suggestion in the guidelines, and not a sensible general recommendation for day-sleepers; avoiding fatty foods may only be appropriate if you have digestive problems; and avoiding coffee and tea in the last two hours before sleep appears to oppose and lose out to work and home pressures. An evaluated intervention is required to check these points.     

Relation between the structure of matrices and their mechanical relaxation mechanisms during the glass transition of biomaterials: A review

It has been demonstrated that industrial polysaccharides (agarose, deacylated gellan and κ-carrageenan) form networks of reduced enthalpic content in the presence of high levels of non-crystallizing co-solute (e.g., glucose syrup) that exhibit time-temperature dependent behaviour of a typical rubberlike polymer. In contrast, amylose holds its structural characteristics unaltered and does not reach a state of molecular mixing with glucose syrup, with morphological features being those of a micro phase-separated mixture. Variation in phase morphology and density of intermolecular associations leads to entropic or enthalpic viscoelasticity in systems, and it was utilised to define distinct classes of food related biomaterials exhibiting an extensive glass transition region or absence of vitrification phenomena. The approach was extended to encompass the experimental parameters of a porous matrix and the application of hydrostatic pressure. In the former, work discusses discrepancies in the T_g - porosity relationship attributable to the different extent to which the two techniques of calorimetry and mechanical spectroscopy respond to degrees of molecular mobility. In the latter, it was shown that the time-temperature-pressure equivalence of synthetic amorphous polymers is not operational in the glass-like behaviour of high sugar systems in the presence of gelatin or gelling polysaccharides. The existing body of evidence allowed quantitative treatment of results based on the asymmetric distribution theory of molecular relaxation time that identifies the chemical fingerprint of the local motions operating at the vicinity of T_g. Furthermore, the diffusional mobility of a bioactive compound within a glassy matrix could be followed in relation to temperature induced changes in free volume using the time-temperature superposition principle.     

Influence of environmental factors,wet processing and their interactions on the biochemical composition of green Arabica coffee beans

Although cultivation of Arabica coffee trees at high elevation is known to favourably affect the final quality of the beverage, quantitative data describing the influence of climatic conditions on the chemical composition of the seed are still lacking. Similarly, post-harvest treatments of the beans are known to affect the generation of flavour, but the chemical transformations that occur during wet processing are poorly understood. To better characterise the effects of the environment, wet processing and their possible interactions, we quantified the changes in the main chemical components of the coffee seed (lipids, chlorogenic acids, sugars and caffeine) caused by wet processing, and analysed how these changes were affected by the variations induced by the environment before harvest. Using 16 experimental plots in Reunion Island displaying broad climatic variations, we showed that chlorogenic acids and fatty acids in the seed were controlled by the mean air temperature during seed development. By contrast, total lipid, total soluble sugar, total polysaccharide and total chlorogenic acid contents were not influenced by climate. Glucose content was positively affected by altitude, while sorbitol content after wet processing depended directly on the glucose content in fresh seeds.     

Species,roasting degree and decaffeination influence the antibacterial activity of coffee against Streptococcus mutans

Coffee beverage has been associated with antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans, a cariogenic bacterium. This study aimed at identifying natural compounds in coffee that contribute to such activity and investigate the influence of species, roasting and decaffeination on it. Coffee chemical compounds and aqueous extracts of green and roasted regular and decaffeinated Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora beans were tested. MIC, biofilm inhibition and biofilm reduction results were correlated with the concentration of coffee compounds in the extracts. 5-Caffeoylquinic acid, trigonelline and caffeic acid solutions showed bacteriostatic activity (MIC = 0.8 mg/mL). Lighter and regular extracts showed higher inhibitory activity than darker and decaffeinated extracts, with an inverse correlation between bacterial colony-forming units and roasting degree. Only regular C. canephora extracts showed biofilm formation inhibition. The joint effect of chlorogenic acids, trigonelline and caffeine or other compounds removed by decaffeination seems to be one of the causes for coffee antibacterial activity against S. mutans.     

Determination of caffeine content in tea based on poly(safranine T) electroactive film modified electrode

Safranine T was electropolymerised on a glassy carbon electrode and then characterised by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). This uniform electropolymerised film was crystallisable and showed a high electrocatalytic ability towards the oxidation of caffeine. To avoid the interferences of the anions, Nafion was covered on the surface of poly(safranine T) film modified glassy carbon electrode. As a new voltammetric sensor, this modified electrode is sensitive, selective and stable to determine caffeine content in tea. The peak current increased linearly with the concentration of caffeine in the range of 3 × 10⁻⁷–1 × 10⁻⁴ M, with a detection limit of 1 × 10⁻⁷ M. All of these make it a useful tool for determining caffeine content in tea. What’s more, it produces much less organic waste compared with other analytical techniques.     

Correlation between leaf age,shade levels,and characteristic beneficial natural constituents of tea (Camellia sinensis) grown in Hawaii

This study showed the relationship between tea leaf age, bud and first two leaves, and shade levels, on the relative concentrations of six major compounds of tea leaf, namely l-theanine, caffeine, and the major tea catechins; (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), (−)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (−)-epicatechin (EC), and (−)-epicatechin gallate (ECG), all of which are reported to have positive effects on human health, as well as at the ferric reducing antioxidant power of bud and leaf extracts. The concentration of l-theanine and caffeine decreased as leaf age increased moving from bud to first and then second leaf, while the concentration of the four catechins increased from the bud to first and second leaves. In most cases this increase was generally relatively small but in the case of EGC it was 7 to 10-fold. Certain chemical components of freshly picked, minimally processed and essentially unoxidised tea may potentially be used as markers for age, quality, authenticity and area of growth.     

Caffeine in Chiang Rai tea infusions: Effects of tea variety,type, leaf form,and infusion conditions

Caffeine in Chiang Rai tea infusions was found to be dependent on infusion conditions (water temperature and infusion time), and leaf form (non-ground or ground) but independent of tea variety and type. For non-ground leaf samples, the higher the water temperature and the longer the infusion time, the higher the caffeine concentrations in tea infusions. After infusing for longer than 15 min, the dissolution rate of caffeine became slower and the concentration was essentially constant. For ground leaves, the caffeine content was not influenced by infusion time. Caffeine concentrations in tea infusions from Camellia sinensis var. sinensis (26.8 ± 0.81 and 22.3 ± 5.55 mg/100 ml for ground and non-ground samples, respectively) were not significantly different from that of Camellia sinensis var. assamica (24.4 ± 0.66 and 20.3 ± 5.07 mg/100 ml for ground and non-ground samples, respectively). The difference in caffeine concentration between green tea (28.1 ± 8.19 mg/100 ml) and oolong tea (20.3 ± 1.52 mg/100 ml) was not statistically significant.     

Combined cross-linking treatments of bovine serum albumin gel beadlets for controlled-delivery of caffeine

Combined cross-linking agents (CCLA) of microbial transglutaminase (MTgase) and ribose were applied during production of bovine serum albumin gels via incubation and heating treatment, respectively. CCLA produced stronger gels with lower protein solubility in disruptive solvents (1% sodium dodecyl sulphate plus 1% β-mercaptoethanol) as compared to BSA gels (BSA/Control) or gels produced using single cross-linking agents (SCLA) of MTGase or ribose. The gels were then converted into dried beadlets containing caffeine following a freeze-drying process. In-vitro controlled-release of caffeine and swelling ratio studies of the beadlets in artificial saliva or simulated gastric fluid indicated that CCLA beadlets had the slowest release of caffeine and the lowest swelling ratio as compared to other beadlets. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) data suggested that the improved release and the lower swelling ratio were mainly due to the denser network formed within the CCLA beadlets that had restricted the diffusion of caffeine and hampered the enzymatic breakdown of the matrix. The additional protein cross-linkings formed as a result of MTgase incubation and ribose-induced Maillard reaction could provide a delay action in releasing caffeine that potentially extend the duration of the action of the drug during ingestion.     

Selective elution of tea catechins and caffeine from polyvinylpolypyrrolidone

Desorption of catechins and caffeine from polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) was comprehensively investigated. The result showed that caffeine could easily be desorbed from PVPP by the tested solvents except n‐hexane, while catechins could only be thoroughly done by dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) and N, N‐dimethylformamide (DMF). Excellent desorption efficiency of DMSO and DMF might be attributed to their high dipole moments and H‐bond potentials. Addition of ethanol was recommended considering the elution efficiency and fluidity, but ethanol volume should be <40% (v/v) for DMSO or 20% (v/v) for DMF. Desorption would get to equilibrium within 1 h and followed the pseudo‐second‐order model. Caffeine and catechins could be separately desorbed through two‐stage elution procedure, that is, water or 20% aqueous ethanol for desorbing caffeine and part of nongalloylated catechins and DMSO/ethanol (8/2, v/v) for eluting the remaining catechins. Highly purified catechins (~95%) with high level (~70%) galloylated catechins would be achieved when the desorption procedure was applied in column chromatograph.