The variation of acrylamide and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in tea with different roasting degrees and the effects of tea polyphenols on their formation.

BACKGROUND: Roasting is an essential step in making roasted teas, and its role in producing flavors has been widely studied. However, the variation of potential hazardous compounds during the tea roasting process is still vague. The present study established an effective method based on liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-tandem mass spectrometry to simultaneously determine the variation of acrylamide (AA), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), and free amino acids during the tea roasting process. Meanwhile, the effects of several tea polyphenols on the formation of AA and 5-HMF were investigated by a wet-to-dry thermal model reaction. RESULTS: Medium-temperature roasted teas had the highest levels of AA and 5-HMF, with ranges of 0.13-0.15 µg g-1 and 68.72-123.98 µg g-1, respectively. Quantitative results showed that the levels of monosaccharides and amino acids decreased during roasting, which might contribute to the formation of 5-HMF and AA. Meanwhile, the decrease of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), and epicatechin (EC) might be related to their inhibitory effects on 5-HMF and AA. Thermal model reaction results showed that EGCG and EC significantly inhibited 5-HMF formation with a decline rate of 33.33% and 72.22%, respectively, mainly by trapping glucose. Gallic acid (GA) also had an inhibitory effect on the formation of AA (decreased by 92.86%) and 5-HMF (44.44%), mainly through impeding the preliminary reaction of asparagine and glucose. CONCLUSION: The roasting temperature determined the levels of AA and 5-HMF in teas. Catechins inhibited the formation of 5-HMF and AA mostly through trapping monosaccharides, while the inhibitory effect of GA was achieved by impeding the reaction. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Consumption of herbal infusions/decoctions and tea in Greece: a Planeterranean perspective on the results of Hydria survey.

BACKGROUND: The consumption of various herbal infusions was and is common in the traditional Mediterranean diet, and apparently are used in many other regions of the world outside of the Mediterranean region. The present study aimed to investigate the consumption of herbal infusions/decoctions and tea in a nationally representative sample of Greece, considering also their Planetary use. METHODS: 3951 adult participants of the HYDRIA Survey (2013-2014) were included from the 13 regions of Greece. The diet of participants was assessed by two 24-h dietary recalls (24-HDR) and the Food Propensity Questionnaire (FPQ). All food items were analyzed through the HYDRIA Food Composition Tables. Information on socio-demographics, lifestyle, and health characteristics during the baseline was also provided. RESULTS: 26.9% of herbal infusions and decoctions consumers are ≥ 75 years old, pensioners with a low level of education, and residents of urban areas. However, 22.2% of tea consumers belong to the 18-34-year age group, being employed with an intermediate level of education and living in an urban area. Elderly men and women use more herbal infusions/decoctions (55.4%; 40.6%) compared to tea (41.8%; 25.2%). According to FPQ, 7.1% of men and 9.7% of women use herbal infusions and decoctions four times or more per week, while 7.1 and 10.9% of men and women, respectively, consume tea at the same frequency. Green tea, mountain tea (Sideritis spp.), and black tea are reported most frequently. In addition, mountain tea (61.2%), black tea (60.3%), mixed herbal infusions/decoctions (58.4%), and sage (59.4%) are consumed mostly at breakfast, while chamomile was reported mainly at dinner or during the night (42.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the FPQ results, the moderate and high consumption of herbal infusions/decoctions and tea is low in Greece, especially among adults (18-64 years). Thus, our results indicate the existence of a generation gap to the attachment to the traditional Med Diet and the consumption of herbal infusions. The present study could encourage future research to focus on herbal infusions and decoctions consumption by other populations for cross-cultural comparison, as well as on emphasizing the value of consuming locally available herbs in a Planeterranean perspective.

Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation improves endometrial receptivity resulting in improved IVF-ET pregnancy outcomes in older women: a multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects and mechanisms of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on pregnancy outcomes in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer (ET). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This efficacy study was a multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial (RCT) in women receiving IVF-ET. The mechanistic study was a single-center RCT. INTERVENTIONS: The participants received TEAS vs. no TEAS treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: In the efficacy study, the primary outcomes were the rates of clinical pregnancy, embryo implantation, and live birth. In the mechanistic study, sex hormones and endometrial protein expression were examined. RESULTS: Ultimately, 739 participants were enrolled (367 and 372 in the TEAS and control groups, respectively). The clinical pregnancy rate was higher in the TEAS group than in the controls (55.1% vs. 46.7%, P = 0.03). There were no significant differences in embryo implantation, biochemical pregnancy, and live birth rates between the two groups (all P > 0.05) in the study population. In women > 35 years, the clinical pregnancy rates, embryo implantation rates and live birth rates in the TEAS and control groups were 48.9% vs. 23.7% (P = 0.004),30.8 vs. 13.9% (P = 0.001) and 34.0% vs. 19.7% (P = 0.06) respectively. In the mechanistic study with 120 participants, on the theoretical embryo implantation day, better developed endometrial pinopodes, elevated endometrial integrin α1ß1/αVß3, leukemia inhibitory factor, and elevated serum progesterone levels were found in the TEAS group compared with controls. CONCLUSION: TEAS significantly improved the clinical pregnancy rate in women undergoing IVF-ET, especially in women of older age. It might be due to improved endometrial receptivity. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR-TRC-13003950.

Association of Tea-drinking Habits with the Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma - A Prospective Cohort Study among Postmenopausal Women.

Although, biological evidence suggests that tea consumption may protect against non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), epidemiologic evidence has been unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the association between tea-drinking habits and the risk of NHL in a large nationwide prospective cohort of postmenopausal US women. 68,854 women who were enrolled from 1993 through 1998 in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI-OS) and responded to year 3 annual follow-up questionnaire comprised the analytic cohort. Newly diagnosed NHL cases after the year 3 visit were confirmed by medical and pathology reports. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were performed to assess the associations of tea-drinking habits (specifically, the amounts of caffeinated/herbal/decaffeinated tea intake) with the overall risk of NHL and 3 major subtypes (Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, DLBCL, (n=195, 0.3%), follicular lymphoma, FL, (n=128, 0.2%), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, CLL/SLL, (n=51, 0.1%)). Among 62,622 participants, a total of 663 (1.1%) women developed NHL during a median follow-up of 16.51(SD±6.20) years. Overall, different amounts of type-specific tea intake were not associated with the risk of NHL regardless of its histologic subtypes after adjustment for confounders. Our findings suggest that tea intake at the current consumption level does not influence the risk of NHL, regardless of its histologic types.

Evaluation of Design Method for Highway Adjacent Tunnel and Exit Connection Section Length Based on Entropy Method.

With the continuous construction of transportation infrastructure, intersection nodes have been increasing rapidly, bringing growing numbers of tunnel- and exit-adjacent sections (TEAS) in mountain expressways in China. With the complex variation in the surrounding environment, drivers always face congestion and confusion on tunnel and the exit connecting sections (TECS) without adequate length, meanwhile excessively long TECS create detours. To better provide a sustainable design strategy for TEAS, based on a certain section of expressway in Shaanxi, China, this paper establishes a theoretical calculation model through analysis. The characteristics of traffic flow and drivers' light adaptation at tunnel exit are obtained through data collection and driving tests, and the length requirements of the tunnel and exit connecting sections (TECS) are discussed. A VISSIM microscopic simulation model is also built under various design schemes and entropy-based multi-attribute decision making (EBMADM) is used to objectively calculate the weights of the four selected evaluation indexes. Then, the design schemes of the TECS with different lengths have been comprehensively evaluated. The results show the match between the evaluation results of EBMADM with theoretical calculations under existing traffic conditions, which proves the rationality of EBMADM in such problems. For more cases, the results of the EBMADM evaluation show a positive correlation between the length of TECS for the best performing design scheme with traffic volume and diverging ratio.

Effect of TEAS combined with general anesthesia on early postoperative cognitive function in elderly patients undergoing single-port thoracoscopic lobectomy.

Objective: To investigate the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on early cognitive function in elderly patients after single port thoracoscopic lobectomy. Methods: One hundred and nine patients who underwent single whole thoracoscopic lobectomy in Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to October 2021 were included in this single-center, retrospective observational study. According to the treatment records, before anesthesia, 56 patients received TEAS (TEAS-group), and 53 patients applied electrodes at the same acupoint without electrical stimulation (control-group). Preoperative and postoperative cognitive function (Mini mental state examination, MMSE score), serum neuron specific enolase (NSE), S100ß protein and p-tau protein levels and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. Results: After operation, the MMSE of the TEAS-group was significantly better than that of the Control-group, with the MMSE of the TEAS-group returned to the preoperative level 72 hours after operation. Serum NSE, S100ß and p-tau concentrations 24 hours and 72 hours after operation in the TEAS-group returned to their preoperative level and were significantly lower than those in the control-group. Hospitalization time of the TEAS-group was significantly shorter and hospitalization expenses were significantly lower comparing to the control-group. Conclusion: TEAS treatment could promote improved early postoperative cognitive function of elderly patients undergoing single port thoracoscopic lobectomy and could accelerate the recovery.

NMR, RP-HPLC-PDA-ESI-MSn, and RP-HPLC-FD Characterization of Green and Oolong Teas (Camellia sinensis L.).

Untargeted (NMR) and targeted (RP-HPLC-PDA-ESI-MSn, RP-HPLC-FD) analytical methodologies were used to determine the bioactive components of 19 tea samples, characterized by different production processes (common tea and GABA tea), degrees of fermentation (green and oolong teas), and harvesting season (autumn and spring). The combination of NMR data and a multivariate statistical approach led to a statistical model able to discriminate between GABA and non-GABA teas and green and oolong teas. Targeted analyses showed that green and GABA green teas had similar polyphenol and caffeine contents, but the GABA level was higher in GABA green teas than in regular green tea samples. GABA oolong teas showed lower contents of polyphenols, caffeine, and amino acids, and a higher content of GABA, in comparison with non-GABA oolong teas. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that the healthy properties of teas, especially GABA teas, have to be evaluated via comprehensive metabolic profiling rather than only the GABA content.

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis of elemental composition of herbal infusions and teas.

BACKGROUND: The elemental composition of herbal infusions and teas has not been sufficiently investigated. It could potentially be used for defining fingerprints for individual herbal / tea infusions, differentiation of botanical families, detecting the influence of packaging, and other purposes. The objective of this study was to determine the elemental composition, including the trace element content, of various herbal infusions and teas by means of total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis (TXRF), with a chemometrics approach using principal component analysis (PCA). RESULTS: This study determined the elemental composition of various herbal infusions and teas, including trace elements, using total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF). The methodology for the sample preparation was established, including the multiple-steepings procedure for the two tea samples (Oolong and Pu-erh). Data from 29 samples were collected. We hypothesized that the elemental content of infusions could reflect certain features, such as the influence of processing and the type of tea. CONCLUSION: A chemometric approach (PCA) was applied, and differences between teas and herbal infusions were found. This was further corroborated by explicit differentiation of one botanical family, Theaceae. The influence of packaging (tea bags) on herbal material was identified. The three types of tea (Camellia sinensis) appeared to be separated with PCA, and elemental concentrations in Pu-erh changed with multiple steepings.

St. John's Wort Herbal Teas - Biological Potential and Chemometric Approach to Quality Control.

St. John's wort has been used for centuries in traditional medicine of many cultures, and nowadays it is well-known as a clinically important antidepressant drug. Considering the rising market demand for Hyperici herba, quality control of crude drug is of paramount importance. In this paper we performed HPLC-DAD chemical profiling of St. John's wort tea samples obtained at local markets, pharmacies and health food stores in the Balkan Peninsula countries, Austria and Turkey. Furthermore, water alcoholic extracts of the collected samples were evaluated in terms of their antioxidant potential, as well as the ability to inhibit biologically important enzymes such as acetylcholinesterase, monoamine oxidases A and B (MAO-A and MAO-B), α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Significant variability within the samples in the quantities of hypericin, hyperforin, rutin, quercetin, gallic, chlorogenic, caffeic and p-hydroxybenzoic acid was noticed. Chemotaxonomic modelling enabled the identification of three clusters of samples based on the quantities of rutin, hypericin and hyperforin. Generally, the extracts exhibited a significant potential to inhibit MAO-A (median IC50 = 10.01 µg/mL) and α-glucosidase (median IC50 = 12.40 µg/mL). The results of antioxidant potential evaluation suggest strong neutralization of hydroxyl and nitroso radicals, but moderate inhibition of lipid peroxidation process. Overall, the conducted study emphasizes the possibility of St. John's wort teas quality control, taking into account unavoidable variability of chemical profile as well. The stated is of great importance when grinding degree of herbal material excludes taxonomic identification of biological origin as an option within quality control.

Determination of trace element contaminants in herbal teas using ICP-MS by different sample preparation method.

In recent years, the consumption rate of herbal teas has increased rapidly. In this study, 28 different plants (fennel, linden, roots, chamomile, green tea, thyme, sage, rosemary, rosehip, ginger, balm, echinacea, blue tea etc.) used as herbal tea bags and leaves/flowers. Different types of herbal tea were prepared keeping boiling water in contact for ten min with herbal teas and were digested with HNO3 and H2O2 in a microwave oven. In these samples, trace element concentrations (As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Se, V, Zn) were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. The analytical performances were assessed as linearity, the limit of detection, limit of quantification, specificity/selectivity and recovery (%). The recovery values changed between 88 and 112%.

Determination of multiple pesticide residues in teas by gas chromatography with accurate time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

In this work, gas chromatography tandem with electron ionization and full-scan high-resolution mass spectrometry with a time-of-flight mass analyzer was evaluated for analyzing pesticide residues in teas. The relevant aspects for mass spectrometry analysis, including the resolution and mass accuracy, acquisition rate, temperature of ion source, were investigated. Under acquisition condition in 2-GHz extended dynamic range mode, accurate mass spectral library including 184 gas chromatography detectable pesticides was established and retrieval parameters were optimized. The mass spectra were consistent over a wide concentration range (three orders) with good match values to those of NIST (EI-quadrupole). The methodology was verified by the validation of 184 pesticides in four tea matrices. A wide linear range (1-1000 µg/kg) was obtained for most compounds in four matrices. Limit of detection, limit of quantification, and limit of identification values acquired in this study could satisfy the requirements for maximum residue levels prescribed by the European Community. Recovery studies were performed at three concentrations (10, 50, and 100 µg/kg). Most of the analytes were recovered at an acceptable range of 70-120% with relative standard deviations ≤ 20% in four matrices. The potential extension of qualitative screening scope makes gas chromatography tandem with electron ionization and mass spectrometry with a time-of-flight mass analyzer a more powerful tool compared with gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

Simultaneous analysis of tropane alkaloids in teas and herbal teas by liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (Orbitrap).

A new method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of 13 tropane alkaloids in tea and herbal teas using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to an Exactive-Orbitrap analyzer. A mixture of methanol, water, and formic acid was used for the extraction of the target compounds followed by a solid-phase extraction step. The validated method provided recoveries from 75 to 128% with intra- and interday precision lower than or equal to 24% (except for apoatropine). Limits of quantification ranged from 5 to 20 µg/kg. Eleven tea and herbal tea samples and two contaminated samples with Datura stramonium seeds were analyzed. Tropane alkaloids were detected in six samples with concentrations from 5 (apoatropine) to 4340 µg/kg (sum of physoperuvine, pseudotropine, and tropine), whereas concentrations from 5 (apoatropine) to 1725 µg/kg (sum of physoperuvine, pseudotropine, and tropine) were found in the contaminated samples.

Green Tea Quality Evaluation Based on Its Catechins and Metals Composition in Combination with Chemometric Analysis.

Green tea infusions are one of the most popular beverages consumed across the world, especially is Asian countries. Green tea quality is primarily based on catechin content, however, the concentration of elements could also significantly influence its biological properties and thus quality and safety. The main purpose of the present study was the evaluation of catechin, antioxidant activity and metal content (K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb, Cd and Ni) in different green tea types cultivated in Japan, Sri Lanka, South Korea, India, China and Japan. The chemical analysis of samples was performed using LC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS for organic constituents and atomic absorption spectrometry (flame and electrothermal) method for inorganic ones. The obtained results were subjected to chemometric elaboration. EGC (213 mg/100 mL of the tea infusion in South Korean Jeoncha) and EGCG (124 mg/100 mL in Japanese Sencha) were the dominant catechins in all green tea samples. Chinese and Indian green tea samples contained the highest concentration of toxic heavy metals, however these values were far below appropriate limitations for green teas. PCA revealed significant similarities between Japanese samples and Korean Jeoncha. In general the latter one was evaluated to have the best quality based on the investigated parameters.

Black Tea Samples Origin Discrimination Using Analytical Investigations of Secondary Metabolites, Antiradical Scavenging Activity and Chemometric Approach.

A comprehensive study on the composition and antioxidant properties of black tea samples with a chemometric approach was performed via LC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS, DPPH radical scavenging assay, and Folin-Ciocalteu assay (TPC). Marked differences between the teas from seven different countries (China, India, Iran, Japan, Kenya, Nepal, Sri Lanka) were shown. The Indian samples demonstrated the highest total catechin content (184.8 mg/100 mL), the largest TPC and DPPH scavenging potential (58.2 mg/100 mL and 84.5%, respectively). The applied principal component analysis (PCA) and ANOVA revealed several correlations between the level of catechins in tea infusions. EC (epicatechin), ECG (epicatechin gallate), EGC (epigallocatechin), and EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) content was not correlated with DPPH, gallic acid, and TPC; however, a strong correlation of EC and ECG between themselves and a negative correlation of these two catechins with EGCG and EGC was noted. Interestingly, simple catechins were not found to be responsible for antioxidant properties of the black teas. The samples collected in the higher altitudes were similar.

Risk assessment for pyrrolizidine alkaloids detected in (herbal) teas and plant food supplements.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are plant metabolites present in some botanical preparations, with especially 1,2-unsaturated PAs being of concern because they are genotoxic carcinogens. This study presents an overview of tumour data on PAs and points of departure (PODs) derived from them, corroborating that the BMDL10 for lasiocarpine represents a conservative POD for risk assessment. A risk assessment using this BMDL10 and mean levels of PAs reported in literature for (herbal) teas, indicates that consumption of one cup of tea a day would result in MOE values lower than 10 000 for several types of (herbal) teas, indicating a priority for risk management for these products A refined risk assessment using interim relative potency (REP) factors showed that based on the mean PA levels, 7(54%) of 13 types of (herbal) teas and 1 (14%) of 7 types of plant food supplements (PFS) resulted in MOE values lower than 10 000, indicating a priority for risk management also for these products in particular. This includes both preparations containing PA-producing and non-PA-producing plants. Our study provides insight in the current state-of-the art and limitations in the risk assessment of PA-containing food products, especially (herbal) teas and PFS, indicating that PAs in food presents a field of interest for current and future risk management.

Bupropion Maintenance Treatment in Refractory Bipolar Depression: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: The optimal duration of antidepressant treatment in bipolar depression appears to be controversial due to a lack of quality evidence, and guideline recommendations are either vague or contradictive. This is especially true for second line treatments such as bupropion that had not been subject to rigourous long term studies in Bipolar Disorder. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 75 year old woman who presented with treatment refractory bipolar depression. Because of insufficient response to previous mood stabilizer treatment and refractory depressive symptoms, bupropion was added to venlafaxine and lamotrigine. From there onwards, the patient improved continuously without experiencing deterioration of depression or a switch into hypomania. Our patient being on antidepressants for allmost four years experienced an obvious benefit from longterm antidepressant administration. CONCLUSION: Noradrenergic/dopaminergic mechanisms of action may play a more prominent role in bipolar depression, and may still be underused as a therapeutic strategy in the acute phase as well as in long-term maintenance in at least a subgroup of bipolar patients. There is still a lack of evidence from RCTs, but this case report further supports antidepressant long-term continuation and the usefulness of a noradrenergic/dopaminergic antidepressant in the acute and maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder.

The Phenolic Contents and Antioxidant Activities of Infusions of Sambucus nigra L.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant potential of teas prepared from twenty-four commercially available berries and flowers of Sambucus nigra L. in relation to their phenolic profile, as reflected by the most representative phenolic acids (caffeic, chlorogenic, p-coumaric, ferulic, gallic and syringic acids); flavonols (quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin and rutin); and total phenolic (TPC), phenolic acid (TAC) and flavonoid (TFC) contents. The infusions prepared from elderflowers contained more abundant phenolic compounds than the elderberry infusions. The TPC of these infusions ranged from 19.81 to 23.90 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight of sample (GAE/g DW) for elderberries and from 15.23 to 35.57 mg GAE/g DW for elderflowers, whereas the TFC ranged from 2.60 to 4.49 mg of rutin equivalents/g dry weight of sample (RUTE/g DW) in elderberry infusions and from 5.27 to 13.19 mg RUTE/g DW in elderflower infusions. Among the phenolic compounds quantified in this study, quercetin (2.07-9.48 mg/g DW) and myricetin (1.17-9.62 mg/g DW) had the highest concentrations in the teas prepared from berries and flowers, respectively. Moreover, the antioxidant potential of elder infusions assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays revealed that the teas prepared from flowers had higher mean DPPH and FRAP activities than the teas prepared from berries. Therefore, elder beverages could be important dietary sources of natural antioxidants that contribute to the prevention of diseases caused by oxidative stress.

In Vitro Chemopreventive Properties of Green Tea, Rooibos and Honeybush Extracts in Skin Cells.

The chemopreventive properties of the herbal teas rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and honeybush (Cyclopia spp.) have been demonstrated on mouse skin in vivo but the underlying mechanisms are not clear. The aim of the current study was to determine the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activity of methanol and aqueous extracts of rooibos and two Cyclopia species in different skin cells, using green tea (Camellia sinensis) as a benchmark. Extracts were also characterised for their major individual polyphenols by high performance liquid chromatography and spectroscopically for the total polyphenol (TP) groups. The methanol extract of rooibos, containing higher levels of polyphenols than its aqueous extract, displayed similar activity to green tea as it selectively targeted premalignant cells by inhibiting cell proliferation at lower concentrations whilst inducing apoptosis via membrane depolarisation at higher concentrations. Specific roles of the major rooibos dihydrochalcones and flavanol/proanthocyanidin-type (FLAVA) compounds are likely to be involved. The aqueous extracts of the Cyclopia species were more active against cell proliferation and at inducing apoptosis which was associated with a higher FLAVA content and a reduced TP/FLAVA ratio. In contrast, their methanol extracts exhibited a cytoprotective effect against apoptosis which was related to their monomeric xanthone and flavanone content. The underlying chemopreventive properties of green tea and the herbal teas appear to be associated with diverse and complex monomeric/polymeric polyphenolic cell interactions.

Low- and high-frequency transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation induces different effects on cerebral µ-opioid receptor availability in rhesus monkeys.

Although systematic studies have demonstrated that acupuncture or electroacupuncture (EA) analgesia is based on their accelerating endogenous opioid release to activate opioid receptors and that EA of different frequencies is mediated by different opioid receptors in specific areas of the central nervous system, there is little direct, real-time evidence to confirm this in vivo. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS), an analogue of EA, at low and high frequencies on µ-opioid receptor (MOR) availability in the brain of rhesus monkeys. Monkeys underwent 95-min positron emission tomography (PET) with (11) C-carfentanil three times randomly while receiving 0, 2, or 100 Hz TEAS, respectively. Each TEAS was administered in the middle 30 min during the 95-min PET scan, and each session of PET and TEAS was separated by at least 2 weeks. The results revealed that 2 Hz but not 100 Hz TEAS evoked a significant increase in MOR binding potential in the anterior cingulate cortex, the caudate nucleus, the putamen, the temporal lobe, the somatosensory cortex, and the amygdala compared with 0 Hz TEAS. The effect remained after the end of TEAS in the anterior cingulate cortex and the temporal lobe. The selective increase in MOR availability in multiple brain regions related to pain and sensory processes may play a role in mediating low-frequency TEAS efficacy.

Beverage and culture. "Zhourat", a multivariate analysis of the globalization of a herbal tea from the Middle East.

The "Zhourat" herbal tea consists of a blend of wild flowers, herbs, leaves and fruits and is a typical beverage of Lebanon and Syria. We aim to evaluate cultural significance of "Zhourat", to determine cultural standards for its formulation including key ingredients and to determine acceptable variability levels in terms of number of ingredients and their relative proportions, in summary what is "Zhourat" and what is not "Zhourat" from an ethnobotanical perspective. For this purpose we develop a novel methodology to describe and analyse patterns of variation of traditional multi-ingredient herbal formulations, beverages and teas and to identify key ingredients, which are characteristics of a particular culture and region and to interpret health claims for the mixture. Factor analysis and hierarchical clustering techniques were used to display similarities between samples whereas salience index was used to determine the main ingredients which could help to distinguish a standard traditional blend from a global market-addressed formulation. The study revealed 77 main ingredients belonging to 71 different species of vascular plants. In spite of the "Zhourat's" highly variable content, the salience analysis resulted in a determined set of key botanical components including Rosa x damascena Herrm., Althaea damascena Mouterde, Matricaria chamomilla L., Aloysia citrodora Palau, Zea mays L. and Elaeagnus angustifolia L. The major health claims for "Zhourat" as digestive, sedative and for respiratory problems are culturally coherent with the analysis of the traditional medicinal properties uses of its ingredients.