Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for total potent estrogenic miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pueraria candollei</Emphasis>, a Thai herb for menopause remedy

Miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol are the most potent phytoestrogens of Pueraria candollei var. mirifica, having been proved as an effective herb for menopausal symptoms in folk medicines and clinical trials. To ensure efficacy and safety of P. candollei var. mirifica involved in nutraceutical products being available worldwide, the content of potent phytoestrogens as active ingredients should be specified. Therefore, in this study, we produced a monoclonal antibody for total analysis of potent estrogenic miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol, for which an analytical method was developed using a procedure for an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The antibody exhibited equal reactivity against miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol. The sensitivity of determination was in the range of 31.3–500 ng/ml with high precision. The analytical parameters, such as accuracy (99.6–106% recovery) and high correlation with a HPLC–UV method, indicated the reliability of analysis. This method is of high performance, and it is cheap to control optimal miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol doses of P. candollei var. mirifica nutraceutical products.     

Resveratrol-loaded PLGA nanoparticles mediated programmed cell death in prostate cancer cells

Resveratrol (RL), a natural polyphenol, is known for its diverse biological effects against various human cancer cell lines. But low aqueous solubility, poor bioavailability, and stability limit its efficacy against prostate cancer. In this study polymeric nanoparticles encapsulating resveratrol (RLPLGA) were designed and their cytotoxic and mode of apoptotic cells death against prostate cancer cell line (LNCaP) was determined. Nanoparticles were prepared by solvent displacement method and characterized for particle size, TEM, entrapment efficiency, DSC and drug release study. RLPLGA exhibited a significant decrease in cell viability with 50% and 90% inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀ and IC₉₀) of 15.6?±?1.49 and 41.1?±?2.19?μM respectively against the LNCaP cells. This effect was mediated by apoptosis as confirmed by cell cycle arrest at G1-S transition phase, externalization of phosphatidylserine, DNA nicking, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species generation in LNCaP cells. Furthermore, significantly greater cytotoxicity to LNCaP cells was observed with nanoparticles as compared to that of free RL at all tested concentrations. RLPLGA nanoparticles presented no adverse cytotoxic effects on murine macrophages even at 200?μM. Our findings support the potential use of developed resveratrol loaded nanoparticle for the prostate cancer chemoprevention/ chemotherapy with no adverse effect on normal cells.     

El Registro de Gemelos de Murcia. Un recurso para la investigación sobre conductas relacionadas con la salud

Genetically informative designs and, in particular, twin studies, are the most widely used methodology to analyse the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to inter-individual variability. These studies basically compare the degree of phenotypical similarity between monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs. In addition to the traditional estimate of heritability, this kind of registry enables a wide variety of analyses which are unique due to the characteristics of the sample. The Murcia Twin Registry is population-based and focused on the analysis of health-related behaviour. The observed prevalence of health problems is comparable to that of other regional and national reference samples, which guarantees its representativeness. Overall, the characteristics of the Registry facilitate developing various types of research as well as genetically informative designs, and collaboration with different initiatives and consortia.     

Estimating transmitted power density from mobile phone: an epidemiological pilot study with a software modified phone

The aims of this study were to evaluate the weekly and annual cumulative radiofrequency-electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure attributed to mobile phone (MP) use, and assess whether a novel app (Quanta Monitor?) could be employed in a small human sample to characterise the RF-EMF exposures associated with the use of MPs. Ten participants provided their two months’ daily objective data on their MP exposures (i.e. transmitted and received power densities) attributed to different modes of MP usage such as cellular calls, cellular data and Wi-Fi. The results demonstrated that total transmitted power density (cellular phone calls, data and Wi-Fi surfing) could be many orders of magnitude higher than that from the total received power density. Of the total transmitted power density, cellular data use contributed the largest portion. Our study showed that Quanta Monitor? could be employed in prospective assessment of exposures to MPs in epidemiological studies.