Obtaining molecular imagings of pesticide residues on strawberry surfaces with probe sampling followed by ambient ionization mass spectrometric analysis.

Thermal desorption-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (TD-ESI/MS/MS) was used to rapidly characterize the residual pesticides collected on the surface of a strawberry with a metallic probe. Twelve pesticides, including nine fungicides and three miticides, were detected; the results were validated by comparison with results that used solvent extraction followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry analyses. The distribution of pesticide residues on a strawberry's surface was explored by collecting multiple samples using probes from 40 positions on the strawberry, with the collected samples being analyzed with TD-ESI/MS/MS. The obtained molecular information was used to construct mass spectrometry imaging of the strawberry's pesticide residues.

Effectiveness of various anthelmintics in the treatment of moniliformiasis in experimentally infected Wistar rats.

Humans occasionally become infected with acanthocephalans, particularly Moniliformis moniliformis. Although several anthelmintics have been used, no controlled studies have been conducted to assess the efficacy of common anthelmintics in the treatment of moniliformiasis. The effectiveness of pyrantel pamoate, ivermectin, praziquantel, niclosamide, thiabendazole, and mebendazole was evaluated in the treatment of moniliformiasis in laboratory-infected female Wistar rats. Pyrantel pamoate and ivermectin were wholly unsuccessful in the treatment of moniliformiasis. A single dose of thiabendazole lead to a 40% reduction and two doses lead to a 57% reduction of worm burden after 2 weeks. The most effective drug in the treatment of moniliformiasis in rats was mebendazole, for which two doses resulted in a 69% reduction in worm burden after 2 weeks; however, 50% of the rats receiving the treatment died within 2 weeks after first administration of the drug. Two surviving rats that had been treated with mebendazole exhibited evidence of hepatic dysfunction characterized by extremely elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase in conjuction with depressed serum albumin levels. It is hypothesized that Mo. moniliformis may metabolize the drug and release a metabolite that is highly toxic to the host. On the basis of these data, thiabendazole is recommended as the drug of choice for the treatment of human acanthocephaliasis until more extensive testing can be conducted.