Fermentation of Cauliflower and White Beans with Lactobacillus plantarum - Impact on Levels of Riboflavin, Folate, Vitamin B12, and Amino Acid Composition.

As diets change in response to ethical, environmental, and health concerns surrounding meat consumption, fermentation has potential to improve the taste and nutritional qualities of plant-based foods. In this study, cauliflower, white beans, and a 50:50 cauliflower-white bean mixture were fermented using different strains of Lactobacillus plantarum. In all treatments containing cauliflower, the pH was reduced to <4 after 18 h, while treatments containing only white beans had an average pH of 4.8 after 18 h. Following fermentation, the riboflavin, folate, and vitamin B12 content of the cauliflower-white bean mixture was measured, and compared against that of an unfermented control. The riboflavin and folate content of the mixture increased significantly after fermentation. Relative to control samples, riboflavin increased by 76-113%, to 91.6 ± 0.6 µg/100 g fresh weight, and folate increased by 32-60%, to 58.8 ± 2.0 µg/100 g fresh weight. For one bacterial strain, L. plantarum 299, a significant 66% increase in vitamin B12 was observed, although the final amount (0.048 ± 0.013 µg/100 g fresh weight) was only a small fraction of recommended daily intake. Measurements of amino acid composition in the mixture revealed small increases in alanine, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, and valine in the fermented sample compared to the unfermented control.

Microbiological assay-trienzyme procedure for total folates in cereals and cereal foods: collaborative study.

In 1996, U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations mandated the fortification of enriched cereal-grain products with folic acid, thereby emphasizing the need for validated methods for total folates in foods, particularly cereal products. The AOAC Official Methods (944.12, 960.46) currently used for the analysis of folate in foods for compliance purposes are microbiological methods. When the fortification regulations were finalized, no Official AOAC or Approved AACC methods for folate in cereal-grain products were in place. The AOAC Official Method (992.05) for folic acid in infant formula does not incorporate important improvements in the extraction procedure and was not considered suitable for the analysis of folates in foods in general. A microbiological assay protocol using a trienzyme extraction procedure was prepared and submitted for comments to 40 laboratories with recognized experience in folate analysis. On the basis of comments, the method was revised to have the conjugase (gamma-glutamyl-carboxy-peptidase) treatment follow a protease treatment, to include the use of cryoprotected inoculum, and to include the spectroscopic standardization of the standard and optional use of microtiter plates. Thirteen laboratories participated in a collaborative study of 10 required and 10 optional cereal-grain products, including flour, bread, cookies, baking mixes, and ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. The majority of the participating laboratories performed the assay by the standard test tube method; others used the microtiter plate modification for endpoint quantitation with equal success. For the required products, the relative standard deviation between laboratories (RSD(R)) ranged from 7.4 to 21.6% for 8 fortified (or enriched) products compared with expected (Horwitz equation-based) values of 11-20%. RSD(R) values were higher (22.7-52.9%) for 2 unfortified cereal-grain products. For the optional products, the RSD(R) ranged from 1.8 to 11.2% for 8 fortified products. RSD(R) values were higher (27.9-28.7%) for 2 unfortified cereal-grain products. Based on the results of the collaborative study, the microbiological assay with trienzyme extraction is recommended for adoption as Official First Action.

Intrahepatic and intravenous administration of adriamycin--a comparative pharmacokinetic study in patients with malignant liver tumours.

The pharmacokinetics of adriamycin in patients with malignant tumours of the liver were studied after peripheral intravenous treatment and after regional administration of the drug either by the arterial route or by the portal vein, with or without hepatic artery ligation. The plasma concentration of adriamycin after intravenous as well as after intrahepatic administration followed a three-compartment open model. The results in the present study confirm previous reports of a large inter-individual variation of the pharmacokinetics of adriamycin. After intravenous administration the individual variations in AUC/mg/m2 and Cp,max/mg/m2 (dose normalized area under plasma concentration time curve and dose normalized maximum plasma concentration, respectively) were more than 5-fold. The area under the plasma concentration time curve (AUC) was on the average 1.5 times higher after the peripheral intravenous administration than after intrahepatic administration. The reduction of maximum plasma concentration (Cp,max) of adriamycin after intrahepatic administration was even more pronounced than the reduction in AUC (mean value Cp,max iv/Cp,max ihep = 1.7). The plasma concentration of adriamycinol did not exceed 20 ng/ml. The AUC values of adriamycinol were 20% (median value) of the AUC values of adriamycin, indicating the importance of adriamycinol in the adriamycin therapy.

Pharmacokinetic study of i.v. infusions of adriamycin.

The plasma pharmacokinetics of adriamycin has been studied in 21 cancer patients (31-85 years old) without liver tumours after short (3.00 min) and prolonged (45 min-16 h) i.v. infusions. The area under the plasma concentration-time curve and the maximum plasma concentration compensated for dose variation showed a more than 3-fold individual variation. The pharmacokinetics of adriamycin was linear. There was no pharmacokinetic rational for variation of the dose with the age of the patients. There was good agreement between the measured plasma concentration-time curves for prolonged infusions and curves predicted from pharmacokinetic data from short term infusions.