Neuroscience tools to study the effect of the presentation form on food-evoked emotion for senior population.

The elderly population holds significance among consumers because many of them experience alterations in taste and smell or suffer from physical disorders. These factors can lead to reduced food intake, malnutrition, and, consequently, serious health problems. Therefore, there is a need to develop tailored products for seniors, offering both nutrition and appealing foods with easily consumable textures. Among the various characteristics of food, appearance stands out as one of the most critical aspects influencing food preferences and choices. Surprisingly, there is limited knowledge about how food shape affects the holistic emotional responses of seniors. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of food shape on the emotional responses of seniors. This exploration involved the use of explicit methods, such as self-reported questionnaires, and implicit methods, including the measurement of skin conductance responses and facial expressions, as well as their combination. To achieve this goal, we enlisted the participation of 50 individuals (54 % women) from the senior population aged between 55 and 75 years. These participants evaluated two food products with identical sensory characteristics in terms of taste, texture, and flavor. However, these products differed in terms of their shape. We measured their degree of liking and emotional responses using a 7-point hedonic scale, EsSense25, in conjunction with galvanic skin response, and facial expressions, which served as representatives of behavioural and physiological responses. The multivariate analysis allowed to examine sample configurations by gender and establish associations between variables. The combination of implicit and explicit methods led to better discrimination of samples of the same category than the use of each of the methods independently. Although both samples elicited equivalent liking perceptions, they evoked distinct emotional responses, measured at cognitive, physiological, and behavioural levels. In general, men and women experienced different emotions while observing, smelling, handling, or consuming both samples, both consciously and unconsciously. This newfound knowledge could be valuable when designing food products for this demographic. The ultimate goal is to engage consumers and enhance their enjoyment of the food experience by offering more visually appealing food options.

Instability of calcium channel antagonists during sample preparation for LC-MS-MS analysis of serum samples.

1,4-Dihydropyridines calcium channel antagonists (1,4-DHP CCAs) are photolabile and the products of their photodecomposition have no pharmaceutical activity. In our previous work we have presented a screening procedure for eleven 1,4-DHPs in plasma by LC-MS-MS using multiple reaction motoring. The laboratory process includes preparation and storage of stock solutions, plasma storage, solid-phase extraction, reconstitution of extracts and storage time in an autosampler for LC-MS-MS analysis. Prior to validation of the analytical procedure, we have tested the stability of these compounds by exposure to light. Methanolic solutions have been exposed to laboratory and UV light and the stability of the compounds in plasma was tested by exposure of spiked plasma samples to laboratory light at room temperature. Stability during freeze-thaw cycles and stability during 2 month storage at -20 degrees C have been tested as well. Products of photodecomposition have been identified after forced degradation and the degree of degradation has been quantified using LC-UV-DAD and LC-MS-MS, respectively. A 96% degradation after only 2h has been observed when solutions of nifedipine or nisoldipine were exposed to laboratory light in clear glass vials. In plasma samples degradation was 25% in only 2h for both compounds. The main degradation product was produced by oxidation of the dihydropyridinic ring resulting in the pyridine analogue that has been described as the first metabolite in the metabolic pathway. Only minor degradation was found for the other tested compounds after 2h light exposure in methanolic solutions. Furthermore, lercanidipine and nicardipine were also degradated by esterhydrolysis. Several additional minor degradation products were found for the other tested 1,4-DHPs, however, some of them could not be identified. Preconditions for storage and handling of plasma samples prior to and during analysis for 1,4-DHP CCAs are suggested in order to avoid photodecomposition of the analytes.

Quantitative determination of the calcium channel antagonists amlodipine, lercanidipine, nitrendipine, felodipine, and lacidipine in human plasma using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

A sensitive and specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric method has been developed and validated for the quantification of the five 1,4-dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonists amlodipine, lercanidipine, nitrendipine, felodipine, and lacidipine in human plasma. Sample preparation involved solid-phase extraction on RP-C18 cartridges with good recovery for all the compounds. Sample analysis was performed on a Luna RP-C18 analytical column (15 mm x 2 mm ID, 3.0 microm) with a Sciex API 365 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with turboionspray source and multiple reaction monitoring. The method is sensitive with a limit of detection below 1 ng/mL for each drug in plasma, with good linearity (r(2) > 0.998), over the therapeutic concentration range (1 to 40 ng/mL). All the validation data, such as accuracy, precision, and interday repeatability, were within the required limits. The method can be used for pharmacokinetic studies and therapeutic drug monitoring of the compounds in humans.

Improvement of the chromatographic separation of several 1,4-dihydropyridines calcium channel antagonist drugs by experimental design.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method with diode array detection has been developed and optimized for the separation of five calcium channel blockers belonging to the 1,4-dihydropyridine subgroup (nifedipine and related drugs). The possibility of the simultaneous drug analysis allows a decrease of time during the assay as well as a saving of reagents and solvents. In this work, the effect of four experimental parameters (organic modifier percentage, pH value, concentration of the buffer in the mobile phase, and column temperature) on the chromatographic resolution are investigated by experimental design in order to optimize the chromatographic separation of five 1,4-dihydropyridines (amlodipine, nitrendipine, felodipine, lacidipine, and lercanidipine). Fractional factorial design, central composite design, and finally the Multisimplex program are used to establish the optimal conditions in terms of resolution and minimum analysis time. Optimal separation of the five compounds under study is achieved in less than 12 min using a Sulpecosil LC-ABZ+Plus C18 column, a composition of mobile phase of acetonitrile-10mM acetic acid acetate buffer pH 5 (72:28, v/v) at a flow rate of 1 mL/min, a column temperature of 30 degrees C +/- 0.1 degrees C, and a detection wavelength of 238 nm.

Simultaneous determination of five 1,4-dihydropyridines in pharmaceutical formulations by high-performance liquid chromatography-amperometric detection.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method with electrochemical detection was developed for the simultaneous determination of five 1,4-dihydropyridines: amlodipine, nitrendipine, felodipine, lacidipine and lercanidipine. These drugs are widely used in the treatment of hypertension, angina pectoris and the therapy of cerebrovascular spasms of various origins. The chromatographic separation was performed on a Supelcosil LC ABZ + Plus C18 column with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile-10 mM acetate buffer (72:28, v/v) at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. The temperature was set at 30 +/- 0.2 degrees C. The amperometric detector, equipped with a glassy carbon electrode was operated at +1100 mV versus Ag/AgCl in the direct current mode. Under these chromatographic conditions, the drugs eluted in less than 12 min. The method showed to be linear over the range 4.5-15 microg/ml with a within-day and day-to-day repeatabilities in terms of R.S.D. lower than 15%, an accuracy greater than 98% and detection limits varying from 90 ng/ml (amlodipine) to 1.55 microg/ml (nitrendipine). The method was successfully applied to commercially available pharmaceuticals with relative errors lower than 5%. The validity of the method was examined comparing the results obtained with those of HPLC with photometric detection.