Efficacy of gel containing organic extra virgin olive oil for peristomal skin hygiene: A pilot randomised controlled trial

AimTo assess the efficacy and safety of the application, during stoma hygiene, of a pH-neutral gel containing organic EVOO (oEVOO) for the maintenance of peristomal skin integrity.MethodPatients with a colostomy or ileostomy were enrolled in a pilot randomized controlled trial and assigned treatment with a pH-neutral gel made from natural products including oEVOO or usual stoma hygiene gel. The primary outcome was three domains of abnormal peristomal skin: Discolouration, Erosion and Tissue overgrowth. Secondary outcomes that were evaluated included skin moisture; oiliness; skin elasticity; water-oil balance; patients’ perceptions; difficulty inserting and removing the pouching system; pain, any other chemical, infectious, mechanical, or immunological complications of concern. The intervention lasted 8 weeks.ResultsTwenty-one patients were recruited for the trial and randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 12) or the control group (n = 9). The groups did not differ significantly in terms of patient characteristics. No significant differences between groups were identified either at baseline (p = 0.203) or at the end of the intervention (p = 0.397). In the experimental group, domains of abnormal peristomal skin improved after the intervention. The difference observed before and after the intervention was statistically significant (p = 0.031).ConclusionThe use of a gel containing oEVOO has shown similar levels of efficacy and safety to other gels commonly used for peristomal skin hygiene. It is also relevant to highlight that a significant improvement in skin condition was observed in the experimental group before and after the intervention.     

指纹图谱和主成分分析法评价杜仲叶的质量

目的采用主成分分析法(PCA)和指纹图谱法,对4个不同产地20个批次杜仲叶的质量进行评价。方法采用Aichrom AQ C18色谱柱(250 mm×4.5 mm,5μm),流动相为甲醇与0.1%甲酸的梯度洗脱系统,检测波长323 nm;检测并确定了20个批次药材指纹图谱的14个共有峰,采用二维双指标评价法和PCA统计分析法,统计出杜仲叶组分的分布特点。结果 2号(绿原酸)、3号(咖啡酸)、7号(未知)、10号(未知)组分为显著贡献的主成分组分。结论不同产地杜仲叶样品中指纹组分各异,确定的主组分能显著区别药材的不同产地,可为杜仲叶药材质量的整体控制及其制剂的质量研究提供依据。     

Essential fatty acid-rich diets protect against striatal oxidative damage induced by quinolinic acid in rats

Essential fatty acids have an important effect on oxidative stress-related diseases. The Huntington's disease (HD) is a hereditary neurologic disorder in which oxidative stress caused by free radicals is an important damage mechanism. The HD experimental model induced by quinolinic acid (QUIN) has been widely used to evaluate therapeutic effects of antioxidant compounds. The aim of this study was to test whether the fatty acid content in olive- or fish-oil-rich diet prevents against QUIN-related oxidative damage in rats. Rats were fed during 20 days with an olive- or a fish-oil-rich diet (15% w/w). Posterior to diet period, rats were striatally microinjected with QUIN (240?nmol/µl) or saline solution. Then, we evaluated the neurological damage, oxidative status, and gamma isoform of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARγ) expression. Results showed that fatty acid-rich diet, mainly by fish oil, reduced circling behavior, prevented the fall in GABA levels, increased PPARγ expression, and prevented oxidative damage in striatal tissue. In addition none of the enriched diets exerted changes neither on triglycerides or cholesterol blood levels, nor or hepatic function. This study suggests that olive- and fish-oil-rich diets exert neuroprotective effects.     

Dietary vitamin C reduced mercury contents in the tissues of juvenile olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) exposed with and without mercury

A 2 × 3 factorial design was employed to evaluate the effects of dietary vitamin C (l-ascorblyl-2-monophosphate, C2MP) levels on growth and tissue mercury (Hg) accumulations in juvenile olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. Six experimental diets with two levels of mercuric chloride (0 or 20 mg HgCl₂/kg diet) and three levels of vitamin C (0, 100, or 200 mg C2MP/kg diet) were added to the basal diet. At the end of 6 weeks feeding trial, in presence or absence of dietary Hg, fish body weight gain, specific growth rate, feed efficiency, protein efficiency ratio and whole body lipid content were increased in a dose-dependent manner as dietary vitamin C level increased in the diets. Interestingly, fish fed 100 or 200 mg C2MP/kg diets showed significant interactive effects on reducing Hg content in kidney tissue. These results revealed that dietary vitamin C as 100 or 200 mg C2MP/kg diet had protective effect against Hg accumulation in juvenile olive flounder.     

The development of the inferior olivary complex in preweanling opossums

Summary Pre- and postsynaptic elements within the developing inferior olive (IO) of both control and experimental opossums were examined via electron microscopy. Electron dense boutons identified di-/mesencephalic, cerebellar and spinal afferents within the IO of 8–71 day old animals, which survived 4–48 hours following either midbrain hemisections or spinal transections.During its initial stage of development (3–22 days) the neuropil of the IO is segregated into fields of small diameter neurites or flocculent profiles. Within the fields of flocculent profiles, synaptic interactions are established, which are both infrequent and immature. Although some flocculent profiles are presynaptic, most are postsynaptic and emanate from olivary somata and dendrites. Synaptic contacts also occur with olivary somata, dendritic shafts, spines and dendritic varicosities. Clear round vesicles (crv's; 40 m) predominate within all boutons, normal ones as well as those which degenerate after di-/mesencephalic, cerebellar and spinal lesions; however, larger (70 m) dense cored vesicles (dcv's) are occasionally observed within some boutons. Degenerating terminals from all three sources primarily contact flocculent profiles and dendritic shafts.As the opossum matures (42 days) dramatic increases occur in the number and complexity of both pre- and postsynaptic elements. Marked variations are observed in the matrix density of dendritic shafts. Although all terminal boutons predominantly contain crv's, the number of dcv's within the population of presynaptic elements increases markedly. Concurently, olivary neurons are profusely studded with spines. Simple dendritic spines and spiny appendages as well as dendritic shafts are the most frequent postsynaptic structures within the principal nucleus (PO). Olivary somata and their spines, however, are postsynaptic to degenerating de-/mesencephalic afferents within the PO. Flocculent profiles, which persist within the accessory nuclei, and dendritic shafts are postsynaptic to degenerating spinal boutons.By 70 days of age synaptic contacts appear more mature and more nearly approximate those seen in the adult (King 1980). Few somatic contacts, opaque dendrites, dendritic varicosities, and flocculent profiles are evident within the PO. Dendritic shafts and spines are the principal postsynaptic structures. Many di-/mesencephalic and cerebellar afferents synapse within maturing synaptic clusters on spines between which a rare gap junction is observed. Other di-/mesencephalic and cerebellar endings in the PO as well as spinal endings in the accessory nuclei are presynaptic to dendritic shafts and spines external to synaptic clusters. This predilection for contacting more specific loci on olivary neurons provides good evidence for synaptic remodeling.As the olivary nuclei develop further, the incidence of gap junctions increases and pleomorphic vesicles appear within boutons. The glial investment of neuronal elements, including synaptic clusters, also becomes more extensive.In conclusion, early di-/mesencephalic, cerebellar and spinal synaptic contacts appear qualitatively uniform in their synaptic features and postsynaptic interactions. As olivary development proceeds, however, the distinguishing synaptic features of the nuclear complex become more apparent. Synaptic remodeling occurs as some midbrain and cerebellar terminals are localized within synaptic clusters. The ultrastructural features characteristic of the adult IO are finally achieved by 80 days of age.This research was supported by N.I.H. Research Grant NS-08798     

Solvent tolerance acquired by Brevibacillus brevis during an olive-waste vermicomposting process

In this work, a cultivable, Gram-positive, solvent-resistant bacterium was isolated from vermicomposted olive wastes (VOW). The highest 16S rRNA sequence similarity (99%) was found in Brevibacillus brevis. The genome of the isolate, selected for trichloroethylene (TCE)-tolerance, contained a nucleotide sequence encoding a conserved protein domain (ACR_tran) ascribable to the HAE1-RND family. Members of this family are hydrophobic/amphiphilic efflux pumps largely restricted to Gram-negative bacteria. No DNA sequences of HAE1 transporters were detected in the genome of a reference B. brevis strain isolated from natural soil. Since no cultivable solvent-tolerant bacterium was detected in the unvermicomposted olive waste, a transfer of solvent-resistance genes from Gram-negative bacteria during the vermicomposting process could explain the presence of HAE1 transporters in B. brevis isolated from the vermicompost. Under TCE stress conditions, the acquired nucleotide sequence could be translated into proteins, and the tolerance to solvents is conferred to the bacterium. The isolate was designated as strain BEA1 (EF079071).     

Characterization and quantification of phenolic compounds of extra-virgin olive oils with anticancer properties by a rapid and resolutive LC-ESI-TOF MS method

The characterization and quantification of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) phenolic compounds by a rapid resolution liquid chromatography (RRLC) method coupled to diode-array and time of flight mass spectrometry (TOF) detection systems was developed. The RRLC method transferred from a conventional HPLC one achieved better performance with shorter analysis times. The phenolic compounds were separated with a C18 column (150 mm × 4.6 mm, 1.8 μm) using water with 0.5% acetic acid and acetonitrile as mobile phases. Good peak resolution was obtained and 19 different phenols were identified in less than 20 min providing a new level of information about the samples in shorter time. The applicability of this analytical approach was confirmed by the successful analysis of three different EVOO varieties (Picual, Hojiblanca, and Arbequina) obtained from different trademarks. Besides identification of the most important phenolic compounds and their quantification in three different ways (RRLC-UV, RRLC-MS and a new approach using the total polyphenol content obtained with Folin Ciocalteau, the relative areas and the response factors), we also described the occurrence of correlations between the phenolic composition of EVOO-derived crude phenolic extracts and their anti-proliferative abilities toward human breast cancer-derived cell lines. When compared with lignans-rich EVOO varieties, secoiridoids-rich EVOO had a significantly strong ability to alter cell viability in four different types of human breast carcinoma cells.