Storage of some organochlorine compounds in toxemia of pregnancy

Nine out of 18 cases of toxemia of pregnancy had high PCB serum levels in comparison with a control group of 12 women with normal pregnancies. Seven out of the nine high PCB levels cases were multiparae. These findings suggest a role of PCBs in the promotion of toxemia of pregnancy, possibly by depressing the maternal immunological response to fetal antigens. The pattern of the gas chromatogram of PCBs differed in the control and in the low PCB levels toxemia groups, due possibly to differences in some hormonal and/or enzymatic activities. In the high PCB levels toxemia cases, the chromatograms showed high peaks at 8. This fact adds to the quantitative dimension a qualitative one. The $\text{DDT}\text{DDE}$ ratios were lowest in the high PCB levels toxemia group suggesting an increased degradation of DDT to DDE and/or a decreased excretion of DDE.     

HPLC-PDA法检测蒲黄和黄连中十种非法添加色素

目的:建立HPLC-PDA法测定蒲黄和黄连中非法添加色素金橙G、日落黄、金橙Ⅰ、亮黄、甲基橙、金橙Ⅱ、金橙Ⅳ、金莲橙G、金胺O、二甲基黄的方法。方法:样品用70%乙醇溶液提取,以甲醇-0.05 mol/L醋酸铵溶液梯度洗脱,二极管阵列检测器检测。结果:该方法检出限为0.026 mg/kg~0.950 mg/kg,2档添加回收率为81.5%~104.7%;市售蒲黄和黄连中多批次检出金胺O。结论:本实验采用HPLC-PDA法同时检测蒲黄和黄连等黄色类中药材(饮片)中十种常用的非法添加色素,方法简单、准确、快速,可以为制药企业或药品监督管理部门控制蒲黄和黄连的质量提供一定的参考。     

Determination of mineral contents of Turkish herbal tea (Salvia aucheri var. canescens) at different infusion periods

Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry has been used for the determination of contents of major and minor elements in Salvia aucheri var. canescens (sage) and its infusions for different intervals. Twenty-five elements (Al, B, Ba, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ln, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sr, Ti,V, and Zn) were detected in both S. aucheri and its infusions. The ranges of mineral levels varied from Cd (1.6668 mg/kg) to K (13,570 mg/kg) and Ni (0.05273 mg/kg) to K (196.25 mg/kg) in the herb and its infusions, respectively. The levels of K, Ca, Na, Mg, and S in all infusions in this work were higher than those of the other elements. However, Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Li, K, Mg, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sr, Ti, and Zn contents were high in the first period of infusion. As a result, the first period of infusion may be proposed as the optimum infusion time because of nutritional properties. These results may be useful for the evaluation of dietary information.     

Study on the antioxidant activity of tea flowers (Camellia sinensis)

Major chemical compounds in different extracts from tea flowers (Camellia sinensis) were analyzed. Distilled water or 70% ethanol extracts were then fractionated with chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol, respectively. Each extract fraction was tested its scavenging activities on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl free radicals. The results showed that ethyl acetate fraction of ethanol-extract of tea flower (EEA) exhibited the highest quenching activity to hydroxyl radicals (SC50 11.6 mug/ml), followed by ethanol-extract (EE) of tea flower (SC50 19.7 microg/ml). Same tea flower extract showed big different scavenging activities on different free radicals. EEA quenched 80% of hydroxyl radicals generated by Fenton's reaction, however, only 40% of DPPH radical was scavenged in the Fe (II)-H2O2 -luminol system. The contents of flavones, polyphenols and catechins in EE and EEA fractions were higher than those in other fractions. We suggest that the stronger scavenging abilities to free radicals might be due to polyphenols, EGCG, ECG and flavones. However, the water extracts of tea flower and their fractions showed lower antioxidant activity for their inhibitory effect on hydroxyl radicals and DPPH radicals.     

Kinetics of adsorption and desorption of some organochlorine compounds on black carbon in a sediment

Rate constants for adsorption and desorption of four organochlorine compounds on black carbon in a sediment were determined from measurements of the rate of removal, by gas purge, of the organochlorine compounds as single solutes from a water-sediment mixture immediately after addition of the solute to the system. The rates of removal fitted to a kinetic scheme based on Langmuir adsorption onto two types of sites in black carbon. The first-order rate constants for desorption from these sites were comparable to those for slow and very slow desorption from sediment. The time needed to reach apparent equilibrium in the experimental setup, with 10 g sediment/L water, ranged from 13 to 166 h, depending on the sorbate and the adsorption process. These short times to equilibrium suggest no need to assume rate-limiting diffusion from and to adsorption sites in this sediment. Average Gibbs free energies for adsorption of the four organochlorine compounds from the pure solid state were -10 +/- 3 and -20 +/- 3 kJ/mol for low-energy and high-energy sites, respectively, pointing to two different adsorption mechanisms.     

Studies of the antioxidative effects of green and black tea (Camellia sinensis) extracts in rats

This paper reports a comparative study of the antioxidative effects of black and green tea extracts in sodium oxalate-challenged rats. A dose of 10 mg/kg of body weight of sodium oxalate was used to induce lipid peroxidation in vivo. Rats treated with sodium oxalate had 42.06 +/- 3.10 nM/hour, 45.39 +/- 9.75 mg/100 mL, 10.95 +/- 1.52%, 15.95 +/- 3.19 mg/dL, 112.25 +/- 5.15 mg/dL, 59.21 +/- 2.95 IU, 39.55 +/- 2.51 IU, and 150.62 +/- 9.62 KA/unit for serum levels of malondialdehyde, reduced ascorbic acid, catalase, cholesterol, phospholipid, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), respectively. These values are significantly (P < .05) different from values obtained from normal rats. Rats pretreated with 100 mg/kg of body weight of green tea had 27.59 +/- 3.56 nM/hour, 79.11 +/- 5.13 mg/100 mL, 4.23 +/- 0.36%, 50.09 +/- 5.24 mg/dL, 97.58 +/- 4.73 mg/dL, 23.10 +/- 1.59 IU, 31.14 +/- 1.26 IU, and 96.48 +/- 2.36 KA/unit for serum levels of malondialdehyde, reduced ascorbic acid, catalase, cholesterol, phospholipid, AST, ALT, and ALP, respectively, compared with 37.28 +/- 2.07 nM/hour, 72.62 +/- 2.10 mg/100 mL, 6.23 +/- 1.52%, 37.25 +/- 2.84 mg/dL, 78.05 +/- 2.36 mg/dL, 36.08 +/- 1.80 IU, 29.00 +/- 3.02 IU, and 109.23 +/- 6.32 KA/unit recorded for the same parameters in rats treated with black tea. The cholesterol to phospholipid ratio was increased from 0.14 +/- 0.04 in control rats to 0.47 +/- 0.02 and 0.51 +/- 0.01 by black and green tea extracts, respectively. These results suggest that tea extracts have antioxidant properties and that green tea extract is more potent.     

电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定广式凉茶颗粒中重金属

目的:建立广式凉茶颗粒中重金属分析方法,调查凉茶颗粒中重金属含量。方法:凉茶颗粒和标准物质用硝酸超声波辅助冷消化后,加过氧化氢加热消解,采用电感耦合等离子体质谱同时测定消解液中As、Cd、Cu、Cr、Hg、Mn、Ni、Pb和Zn。结果:标准物质的测定值与标准值一致。本方法重金属测定相对标准偏差2.7%～7.9%,方法检出限0.3 ng/g～5.75 ng/g。部分凉茶中As、Cd、Pb和Cr含量高于食品安全国家标准和欧美草药食品重金属含量限定值。结论:该方法简单、快速、准确,满足凉茶颗粒中重金属质量控制要求。     

Use of tea extracts (Camelia sinensis) in jelly candies as polyphenols sources in human diet

Diet rich in polyphenols may be important factor in preventing cardiovascular, neoplastic diseases and slowing down the aging processes. Because tea (Camelia sinensis) is most popular beverage containing relatively large amounts of polyphenols, it could be tremendously important source of polyphenolic constituents in human diet. However, there has been no data on the tea extracts use in particular everyday snacks. Objective of the study was to investigate potential use of tea polyphenol extracts in jelly candies, its taste, colour, consistency and general consumer's acceptance. Sensory analyses were conducted on two kinds of sweet jellies, with gelatin and agar used as thickening agents. As polyphenol source green and black tea extracts (Camellia sinensis) were used at concentration of 1.0% and 1.5%. Total polyphenol content in jellies ranged between 245.9-1256.5 mg/100g of candies and EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) strong antioxidant content ranged between 3.2-170.1 mg/100g of candies. Sensory analyses included evaluation of overall appearance, colour, taste, aroma, consistence (homogenicity, clot presence) and clarity of jellies. Comparison of two thickening agents resulted in better properties of gelatin jellies according to its quality: colour, clarity, consistence, taste and aroma (p<0.05). It was found that agar containing jellies were not so clear and aromatic as compared with gelatin (p<0.05). Colour and overall appearance was also much more acceptable by the consumers in gelatin jellies. According to tea extract used it was found that ethanol extracts resulted in lower acceptance for overall acceptance and consistency (p<0.05). Present study indicated that tea polyphenols extracts were accepted by consumers as food product constituents, and might be an interest of wider usage as food components.     

Evaluation of organochlorine compounds in peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) and their main prey (Columba livia) inhabiting central Spain

The population of peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus sbs. brookei) inhabiting the Regional Park of southeastern Madrid (RPSM), Spain, has experienced an increase of unsuccessful pairs (from 15% among a total of 20 pairs in 1995 to 55% among a total of 18 pairs in 2001). Traditionally, this area has been known to be contaminated with organochlorine compounds and toxic metals, which are known to be deleterious to the reproductive system of birds. During the breeding seasons of 2000 and 2001, contaminant residues were measured in unhatched eggs of peregrine falcons and liver of their main prey, to determine if they could be affecting the survival of the population. The most abundant contaminants were ortho-polychlorinated biphenyls (ortho-PCBs), ranging from 202.56 to 3,335.16 ng/g (wet wt) in falcon eggs and from 10.25 to 53.51 ng/g (wet wt) in pigeon livers. In all samples, the 2,3,7,8-substituted polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were detected, although these levels never exceeded 20 pg/g (wet wt). The major contributor to total toxic equivalent quantities (TEQs) were non-ortho-PCBs. Organochlorine levels found in this study may contribute to the entire suite of stressors that are negatively affecting the peregrine population.     

The fate of chiral organochlorine compounds and selected metabolites in intraperitoneally exposed arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus)

The fate of chiral organochlorine compounds (OCs) and selected metabolites in exposed Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) was investigated. The contaminants alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane (alpha-HCH), cis-chlordane, 13C4-heptachlor, o,p'-DDT, and the atropisomeric chlorinated biphenyls (CBs) 95, 132, 136, 149, and 174 were solved in peanut oil and injected into the peritoneal cavity. The exposed fish were sampled three times during a five-week period, and the OC residues and detected metabolites (heptachlorexo-epoxide) were quantified in muscle and liver tissues by chiral and achiral gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-electron-capture detection. Peak concentrations were reached after one to two weeks, and thereafter, the levels declined. At the end of the experiment, liver concentrations had decreased 76 to 92% relative to peak concentrations, whereas muscle concentrations showed a moderate decline (5-38%), with the exception of alpha-HCH (91%). Hydrophobicity and steric hindrance were shown to influence the assimilation process, and a significant linear relationship between the product of the steric hindrance coefficients and the inverse of the octanol-water partition coefficients (Kow) versus peak concentration was found for the CBs (r2 = 0.86, p = 0.02). The assimilation of the contaminants into muscle and liver tissues generally resulted in racemic mixtures, whereas elimination was enantioselective for alpha-HCH, cis-chlordane, o,p'-DDT, CB-132, and CB-136. The chiral heptachlor metabolite 13C4-heptachlor-exo-epoxide was formed in the fish. The enantiomeric composition of the formed metabolite indicated racemic formation, whereas the elimination process appeared to be enantioselective.     

Effect of green tea (Camellia sinensis) consumption on the components of metabolic syndrome in elderly

Objective

To evaluate the effect of the consumption of green tea on components of MS in the elderly.

Design

Intervention study.

Setting

The sample was selected from the Geriatric Service of Hospital S?o Lucas of Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul.

Participants

45 elderly with MS were enrolled and allocated into two groups: green tea group (GTG, n = 24), who drank green tea and control group (CG, n= 21) without intervention.

Intervention

The GTG received sachets of 1.0 g of green tea, and should drink three cups per day for 60 days and the CG was instructed not to make changes in their lifestyle.

Measurements

The diagnostic criteria for MS used were the International Diabetes Federation. The lipidic and glycemie profile, and anthropometric measurements were evaluated before and after intervention.

Results

There was a statistically significant weight loss only in GTG [71.5±12.6 kg to 70.3±12.6 kg (p<0.001)]. A statistically significant decrease in BMI [?0.5±0.4 kg/m² in GTG and ?0.2±0.6 kg/m² in CG (P=0.032)] and waist circumference [?2.2±2.0 cm in GTG and ? 0.3±1.8 cm in CG (P=0.002)] were observed. The intake of green tea did not change the biochemical parameters.

Conclusion

The consumption of green tea was effective in inducing weight loss, reducing BMI and waist circumference in the elderly with MS.     

Tri (2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate--an unexpected organochlorine contaminant in some charcoal air-sampling sorbent tubes.

Air sampling in a government building was necessary in response to reports of a cancer cluster. SKC (Eighty Four, Pa.) charcoal coconut shell-based sorbent tubes (226-01 lot 120) were recommended for this procedure. A recently purchased supply was present at the University of British Columbia and consequently was used for this particular study. Analysis of the front charcoal section showed the presence of a flame retardant, tri (2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate, which was confirmed by gas liquid chromatography (GLC) and mass spectrometry analysis. In an effort to identify the source of this fire retardant in the building, it became apparent from the analysis done on unknown field blanks that tri (2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate was a contaminant of the sorbent tubes used. Analysis of additional blank tubes identified the foam separators as the most likely source of contamination. Levels of tri (2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate in the front charcoal section ranged from 1.3 to 5.9 micrograms. The foam separator contained between 11.4 and 16.5 micrograms, and the backup charcoal section contained between 14.5 and 24.0 micrograms of tri (2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate. In addition, another flame retardant, tri (1,3 dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate was also found. Because these contaminants have long column retention times in GLC, it may not be apparent that these contaminants are present and consequently are likely to have modified the sorbent characteristics of the activated charcoal. Another batch of sorbent tubes bearing the same catalog number and lot number was purchased from the supplier; no flame retardants were found in this batch.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Determination of caffeine content and main catechins contents in green tea (Camellia sinensis L.) using taste sensor technique and multivariate calibration

Taste sensor technique with multivariate calibration was attempted to determine the contents of catechins (EGCG, EGC and ECG) and caffeine in green tea in this work. The system of data acquisitions based on taste sensor was developed in the experiment. Two multivariate calibrations, which were partial least square (PLS) and artificial neural network with principal component analysis (PCA-ANN), were applied to build forecasting models, respectively. Some parameters were optimized by cross-validation in building model. The performance of the final model was evaluated according to root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and correlation coefficient (R) in the prediction set. Experimental results showed that the PCA-ANN model is superior to the PLS model, and the results of each optimal model were obtained by PCA-ANN as follows: RMSEP (%) = 0.2399, R = 0.9037 for Caffeine model; RMSEP (%) = 0.3101, R = 0.8204 for ECG model; RMSEP (%) = 0.4113, R = 0.8384 for EGC model; RMSEP (%) = 0.6065, R = 0.9473 for EGCG model. This work demonstrated that taste sensor technique with multivariate calibration can be successfully employed to determine main catechins and caffeine contents in green tea.