Elaboration of wild passion fruit (Passiflora cincinnata Mast.) liqueur: a sensory and physicochemical study.

Liqueur is an alcoholic beverage composed of a mixture of water, alcohol, sugar and substances that add flavour and aroma. Wild passion fruit is a product with good agricultural and nutritional characteristics, and is a low-cost, regional fruit that could be used to elaborate new products. The goal of this study was to develop passion fruit (Passiflora cincinnata Mast.) liqueurs and evaluate their chemical, physical and sensory characteristics. 5 formulations were prepared with defined pulp and syrup concentrations (F1, F2, F3, F4 and F5). The following physicochemical parameters were evaluated: alcohol degree (ºGL), density, pH, total titratable acidity, total soluble solids (TSS), reducing and non-reducing sugars and colour parameters. A sensory acceptance test was applied. The formulations F4 and F5, produced with 640g pulp/70ºBrix syrup and 500g pulp/55ºBrix syrup, respectively, showed the highest acceptance scores, probably due to their acid pH, high acidity and soluble solids values. In general, the beverages developed were considered feasible, aimed at aggregating value to a regional fruit and increasing family incomes. The high sensory acceptance indicated market potential for this aggregated value product.

Prevalence and management of abdominal cramping and pain: a multinational survey.

BACKGROUND: Though functional gastrointestinal complaints are recognised as being common throughout the world, there have been few comparative studies of prevalence. AIM: To compare the prevalence and management of abdominal cramping/pain in nine countries. METHODS: In a two-stage community survey, approximately 1000 subjects were interviewed in each of nine countries to establish the demographics of individuals with abdominal cramping/pain (stage 1) followed by market research-driven interviews with >or=200 sufferers per country (stage 2). RESULTS: 9042 subjects were interviewed in stage 1. Mexico (46%) and Brazil (43%) had the highest prevalence of abdominal cramping/pain; Japan the lowest (10%). Abdominal cramping/pain was more common in women (12-55%) than in men (7-38%). About 1717 subjects participated in stage 2; 65% were women and the average age at symptom onset was 29 years. The frequency of episodes differed between countries, being highest in the US (61% suffered at least once in a week). Sufferers in the US and Latin America reported a higher usage of medications (around 90%) than those in Europe (around 72%). In most countries over-the-counter drugs were principally used. Antispasmodic drugs were most popular in Latin America and Italy, antacids in Germany and the UK. Drug therapy decreased the duration of episodes (by up to 81% in Brazil). CONCLUSIONS: The community prevalence, severity, healthcare seeking and medication usage related to abdominal cramping/pain are high overall, but vary considerably between countries.

Placebo- and paracetamol-controlled study on the efficacy and tolerability of hyoscine butylbromide in the treatment of patients with recurrent crampy abdominal pain.

AIM: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of oral hyoscine butylbromide (hereafter hyoscine) 10 mg t.d.s., paracetamol 500 mg t.d.s. and their fixed combination against placebo in patients with recurrent crampy abdominal pain. METHODS: A total of 1637 patients were entered into a four-arm double-blind study. After a 1 week placebo run-in, they were randomized to 3 weeks of treatment with one of the four therapies with assessments after 1, 2 and 3 weeks. Pain intensity (Visual Analogue Scale) and pain frequency (Verbal Rating Scale) were self-assessed daily. RESULTS: Pain intensity on the Visual Analogue Scale decreased in all treatment groups; the adjusted mean changes from baseline were 2.3, 2.4 and 2.4 cm for the hyoscine, paracetamol and combination groups, respectively, compared with 1.9 cm for the placebo group (all P < 0.0001). The Verbal Rating Scale also showed a statistically significant decrease of 0.7, 0.7 and 0.7 in the hyoscine, paracetamol and combination groups compared with 0.5 in placebo (all P < 0.0001). All treatments were well tolerated: 16%, 14%, 17% and 11% of patients on hyoscine, paracetamol, combination and placebo reported at least one adverse event. CONCLUSIONS: Hyoscine, paracetamol and their fixed combination are effective in the treatment of recurrent crampy abdominal pain and well tolerated if used three times daily continuously for 3 weeks.

New pyrazolylhydrazone derivatives as inhibitors of platelet aggregation.

A series of 5-pyrazolylhydrazone derivatives was designed to be mixed hybrid isosteres of both BW755C and CBS-1108, which belong to the class of dual cyclo-oxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors. Some derivatives of this series inhibit the in-vitro platelet aggregation of citrated platelet-rich rabbit plasma induced by ADP (5 microM), collagen (5 micrograms mL-1) and arachidonic acid (100 microM). The structure-activity relationships of this class of compounds were determined from these results. When ADP is used as the aggregation inducer, the presence of free oxygenated substituents at the p-position in the phenyl subunit of the hydrazone moiety favours inhibitory activity; p-methoxyformylbenzene-5-(1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-nitropyrazolyl )hydrazone (100 microM), which has a methoxy group at this position was the most active with 62.8% inhibition of aggregation. In contrast, substitution in the aryl ring does not affect the aggregation induced by collagen, whereas the non-substituted compound, formylbenzene-5-(1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-nitropyrazolyl)hydra zon e, showed similar activity to those of substituted derivatives. In the arachidonic acid assays, the presence of an aryl ring linked to the hydrazone moiety, with an adequate electronic density at the ring due to the nature of its substituents, is an important structural requirement for inhibitory activity.

Substituted pyrazolylhydrazones: a new class of platelet aggregation inhibitors.

A series of 5-pyrazolylhydrazone derivatives (I) were designed to be mixed hybrid isosteres of both BW-755C and CBS-1108 which belong to the class of dual cyclooxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors. Pharmacological evaluation of some members of this series (Ia, 1-formyl-3,4-methylenedioxy-6-nitrobenzene-5-(1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-nit ropyrazolyl)hydrazone; Ib, 2-formylfurane-5-(1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-nitropyrazolyl)hydr azo ne;Ic, (E)-2-(formylethenylfurane)-5-(1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-nitropyrazol yl)hydrazone showed that they inhibit the in vitro platelet aggregation of citrated platelet-rich rabbit plasma induced by ADP (5 microM), collagen (5 micrograms/ml) and arachidonic acid (100 microM). Compounds Ia and Ic at 100 microM concentration showed 49% and 58% inhibition, respectively, of ADP-induced aggregation. In the arachidonic acid-induced aggregation, compounds Ia and Ib at 100 microM concentration fully inhibited platelet aggregation. All compounds significantly inhibited the collagen-induced aggregation. In contrast, indomethacin (10 microM) showed 100% and 85% aggregation inhibition against arachidonic acid and collagen, respectively, and was inactive in the ADP-induced aggregation test. These results suggest that the structure-activity relationship in this series of compounds is dependent on the hydrazone moiety at position 5 of the pyrazole ring and on the distance between the aryl ring and the pyrazole ring and that the 2-furyl ring is at the optimal distance for the maximal activity.

Effects of beta adrenergic blocking agents on erythropoietin production in rabbits exposed to hypoxia.

The effects of dl-propranolol, d-propranolol, butoxamine or practolol on erythropoietin (ESF) production in rabbits exposed to hypoxia (0.42 atmosphere) for 18 hours were investigated. Rabbits treated with dl-propranolol (4 or 8 mg/kg i.p.) or butoxamine (15 or 30 mg/kg i.p.) produced significantly less ESF in response to hypoxia than did saline-treated control animals. ESF production in rabbits given d-propranolol or practolol during hypoxia was not significantly different from that of control animals exposed to hypoxia. Based on the proposed selectivity of butoxamine for beta2 adrenergic receptors and of practolol for beta1 adrenergic receptors, it is suggested that ESF production in rabbits exposed to hypoxia may involve the activation of beta2 adrenergic receptors.