Cytotoxicity Evaluation and Antioxidant Activity of a Novel Drink Based on Roasted Avocado Seed Powder.

The avocado seed is an underused waste resulting from the processing of pulp. Polyphenols, fibers, and carotenoids are present in the seed, which also exhibits prophylactic, fungicidal, and larvicidal effects. Developing food products with avocado seed as an ingredient or spice is highly desired for nutritional, environmental, and economic reasons. The present study proposed its valorization in a hot drink, similar to already existing coffee alternatives, obtained by infusing the roasted and grinded avocado seed. The proximate composition of the raw or conditioned avocado seed and that of the novel drink were determined. The total phenolic content was assessed using the Folin-Ciocâlteu method. The total carotenoids were extracted and assessed spectrophotometrically. Starch determination was performed by the Ewers Polarimetric method. The highest content of polyphenols, 772.90 mg GAE/100 g, was determined in the crude seed, while in the drink was as low as 17.55 mg GAE/100 g. However, the proposed drink demonstrated high antioxidant capacity, evaluated through the DPPH method. This might be due to the high content of the total carotenoid compounds determined in the roasted seed (6534.48 µg/100 g). The proposed drink demonstrated high antiproliferative activity on Hs27 and DLD-1 cell lines.

Evaluation of Structural Behavior in the Process Dynamics of Oleogel-Based Tender Dough Products.

The current trend is represented by replacing solid fats with structured liquid oil while maintaining the plastic properties of food products. In this study, the behavior of refined sunflower oil structured with various agents (carnauba wax-CRW, ß-sitosterol:beeswax-BS:BW, ß-sitosterol:lecithin-BS:LEC, and glycerol monostearate-GM) was evaluated in the process dynamics of oleogel-based tender dough products. The oleogel with the mixture of ß-sitosterol:beeswax (OG_BS:BW) displayed the highest capacity to retain oil inside the matrix with a percentage of oil loss as low as 0.05% and also had a significantly higher hardness (6.37 N) than the reference, a commercial margarine (MR-3.58 N). During cooling from 90 to 4 °C, the increase in oleogel' viscosity results from oleogelator's liquid-solid phase transition. As demonstrated by the frequency sweeps performed, storage modulus G' was higher than loss modulus G″, no cross-over points were observed, and the strongest gel network was for the oleogel with glycerol monostearate (OG_GM). Regarding the dough, the sample prepared using the oleogel with carnauba wax (D_CRW) showed the strongest hardness (92.49 N) compared to the reference (D_MR-21.80 N). All the oleogel-containing doughs had elastic solid-like behavior. The samples with margarine (D_MR) and the mixture of ß-sitosterol:lecithin (D_BS:LEC) presented the lowest value of both moduli of G' and G" during the frequency sweep. The biscuits formulated with commercial margarine (B_MR) registered a hardness of 28.74 N. Samples with oleogels showed a specific tenderness for tender dough products, thus being suitable for this type of product (11.22-20.97 N).

Spicy and Aromatic Plants for Meat and Meat Analogues Applications.

Aromatic and spicy plants are an important factor that contributes not only to improving the taste of meat, meat products, and meat analogues, but also to increasing the nutritional value of the products to which they are added. The aim of this paper is to present the latest information on the bioactive antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the most commonly used herbs and spices (parsley, dill, basil, oregano, sage, coriander, rosemary, marjoram, tarragon, bay, thyme, and mint) used in the meat and meat analogues industry, or proposed to be used for meat analogues.

Freeze-Dried Powder of Fermented Chili Paste-New Approach to Cured Salami Production.

Fermented chili powders were obtained through the freeze-drying of fermented chili pastes and used as a condiment, acidifier, antioxidant, colorant, and microbial starter carrier in fermented salami production. Fermented chili powders were examined regarding carbohydrates, organic acids, vitamin C, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and aroma profile. High concentrations of lactic (10.57-12.20%) and acetic acids (3.39-4.10%) were recorded. Vitamin C content was identified in the range of 398-1107 mg/100 g, with maximum values for C. annuum cv. Cayenne chili powder. Phenolic compounds showed values between 302-771 mg/100 g. Total carotenoid content was identified between 544-2462 µg/g, with high concentrations of capsanthin esters. Aroma profile analysis evidenced specific compounds (1-hexanol, 2-hexanol, hexenal, E-2-hexenal) with sensory importance and a more complex spectrum for Capsicum chinense cultivar. Plant-specific lactic acid bacteria showed dominance both in fermented chili paste, chili powder, and salami. Lactic and acetic acids from the fermented chili powder reduced the pH of the filling immediately, having a stabilizing effect on the meat. Nor molds or pathogens were identified in outer limits. Based on these results, fermented chili powders could be used as starter carriers in the production of fermented meat products for exceptional sensory properties and food safety management.

Kondo effect under the influence of spin-orbit coupling in a quantum wire.

The analysis of the impact of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) on the Kondo state has generated considerable controversy, mainly regarding the dependence of the Kondo temperature T K on SOC strength. Here, we study the one-dimensional (1D) single impurity Anderson model (SIAM) subjected to Rashba (α) and Dresselhaus (ß) SOC. It is shown that, due to time-reversal symmetry, the hybridization function between impurity and quantum wire is diagonal and spin independent (as it is the case for the zero-SOC SIAM), thus the finite-SOC SIAM has a Kondo ground state similar to that for the zero-SOC SIAM. This similarity allows the use of the Haldane expression for T K, with parameters renormalized by SOC, which are calculated through a physically motivated change of basis. Analytic results for the parameters of the SOC-renormalized Haldane expression are obtained, facilitating the analysis of the SOC effect over T K. It is found that SOC acting in the quantum wire exponentially decreases T K while SOC at the impurity exponentially increases it. These analytical results are fully supported by calculations using the numerical renormalization group (NRG), applied to the wide-band regime, and the projector operator approach, applied to the infinite-U regime. Literature results, using quantum Monte Carlo, for a system with Fermi energy near the bottom of the band, are qualitatively reproduced, using NRG. In addition, it is shown that the 1D SOC SIAM for arbitrary α and ß displays a persistent spin helix SU(2) symmetry similar to the one for a 2D Fermi sea with the restriction α = ß.

[Glucocorticoid hypofunction in myotonic dystrophy]. / Hipofunción glucocorticoide en la distrofia miotónica.

INTRODUCTION: Myotonic dystrophy (DM1) is an autosomal dominant disorder whose genetic defect consists of the amplification of an unstable CTG trinucleotide repeat in the 3' untranslated region of the dystrophia myotonica protein kinase gene (DMPK). This is a multi-systemic disease with a well-known endocrinological repercussion. With respect to the adrenal function variable results have been described, although lately they are interpreted as indicators of a hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients (13 men and 12 women) with DM1 were recruited. They were analysed for: basal cortisol and ACTH, stimulus test with 0.25 mg of ACTH for cortisol and CRH test for cortisol and ACTH. Similarly, the degree of expansion of CTG was evaluated by Southern blot and PCR. Twenty-five healthy individuals, comparable by age and sex, were studied as a control group; the CRH test was carried out on 11 of them. RESULT: One patient was diagnosed with primary non-autoimmune adrenal failure. In the rest of the cases there were no differences between the basal ACTH of patients and controls, and the cortisol response to ACTH was normal. The patients showed a lower level of basal cortisol (p<0.01) and also showed, following stimulation with CRH, a lower cortisol response (p<0.05) with higher average values of ACTH. CONCLUSIONS: Our data differs from the latest publications and point to an adrenal hypofunction due to lack of efficacy of the ACTH on its receptor or at the post-receptor level. We suggest that the etiology might be related to the underlying defect in the gene that codifies DMPK.

[Paraneoplastic hormonal syndromes]. / Síndromes hormonales paraneoplásicos.

We can define paraneoplastic syndromes as a combination of effects occurring far from the original location of the tumour and independently from the local repercussion of its metastases. Paraneoplastic hormonal syndromes depend on the secretion of hormonal peptides or their precursors, cytokines and, more rarely, thyroidal hormones and Vitamin D, which act in an endocrine, paracrine or autocrine way. Sometimes, paraneoplastic syndromes can be more serious than the consequences of the primary tumour itself and can precede, develop in parallel, or follow the manifestations of this tumour. It is important to recognise a paraneoplastic hormonal syndrome for several reasons, amongst which we would draw attention to three: 1) It can lead to the diagnosis of a previously undetected, underlying malign or benign neoplasia; 2) It can dominate the clinical picture and thus lead to errors with respect to the origin and type of primary tumour; and 3) It can follow the clinical course of the underlying tumour and thus be useful for monitoring its evolution. The molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of these syndromes are not well-known, but it is believed that they might be inherent to the mutations responsible for the primary tumour or depend on epigenetic factors such as methylation. In this review, we consider the following paraneoplastic hormonal syndromes: malign hypercalcaemia, hyponatraemia (inappropiate secretion of the antidiuretic hormone), ectopic Cushing's syndrome, ectopic acromegaly, hypoglycaemia due to tumours different from those of the islet cells and paraneoplastic gynaecomastia; we make a brief final reference to other hormones (calcitonin, somatostatin, and VIP).

[Primary suprarenal insufficiency and multiglandular atrophy in a patient affected by myotonic dystrophy]. / Insuficiencia suprarrenal primaria y atrofia pluriglandular en un paciente afecto de distrofia miotónica.

We present the case of a 27 year old man diagnosed as having myotonic dystrophy (MD) who showed two novelties with respect to those endocrinopathies hitherto described as being associated with MD: primary suprarenal failure and pluriglandular atrophy (thyroid and suprarenal, in addition to the already known testicular type). We describe here the results of a clonic, hormonal and genetic study of the proband and his family (a carrier father and an affected brother). We discuss the possible etiopathogenesis of the picture which, in our opinion, could consist of an abnormality of the AMPc dependent protein-kinase, related to the MD gene (PKMD). Consequently intracellular signaling was altered after the union of peptide hormones (in our case ACTH, LH and TSH) to their receptor leading, through the lack of trophic stimulus, to glandular atrophy. We conclude that before diagnosing MD, it is convenient to add suprarenal study to the traditional evaluations of possible associated endocrinopathies.

[Administering toxins with antithyroids. Does this prevent recidivism of Graves disease? ]. / Administrar torixina junto a antitiroideos previene la recidiva de la enfermedad de Graves?

There are three possibilities in the treatment of Graves-Basedow disease: antithyroids drugs, sub-total thyroidectomy and I131. In the USA there is a clear preference for definitive therapy with I131 once the thyrotoxicosis has been controlled. In Europe and Japan, however, the preference is for trying a conservative treatment, in the hope of inducing a permanent remission without recourse to radical methods. The most usual conservative pattern involves starting with high doses of antithyroids which are progressively reduced over the course of one year. The high rate of recurrence obtained with this method has fired the imagination of the endocrinologists in the search for other patterns that would provide more satisfactory results. One of these alternative patterns consists of combining thyroxine with antithyroids drugs. In this paper the characteristics of this combined pattern are reviewed. Following the justification, the clinical and experimental foundations on which it is based are outlined. Thirdly, details are given of clinical experiences taken from the medical literature and, finally, our own clinical experience is described after a five years follow up. It is concluded that: 1. The combined treatment delays the appearance of recurrence but does not reduce its frequency. 2. The addition of thyroxine alone following a course of combined treatment is not justified and 3. Prospective studies are needed in which hyperthyroid patients are grouped according to the variables that can affect recurrence.

[Cushing´s syndrome: twenty-five years of clinical experience in Navarre]. / Síndrome de Cushing: veinticinco años de experiencia clínica en Navarra.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this work is to determine the situation of Cushing's Syndrome (CS) with respect to aetiology, diagnosis, treatment and cure in the last 25 years in Navarre. METHODS: Retrospective, observational study on 36 patients diagnosed with CS between 1985 and 2010. RESULTS: Eighty point five percent were women and 19.5% were men. The average age on diagnosis was 39.3±13 years. The main clinical manifestations were: obesity (85.3%), full moon face (35.3%) and myopathy (50%). Aetiologically, in 58.3% the origin was hypophisiary, in 36.1% it was adrenal, and in 5.5% it was ectopic. The UFC average was 343.5±310.1 µg/24hours. Serum cortisol after Nugent test was 15.6±8.6 µg/dl. Low dose plasma cortisol average was 15.1±14.2 µg/dl. There is a statistically significant (p< 0.01) direct lineal correlation between UFC and the Nugent test, as well as between the Nugent test and low dose cortisol test. There are no statistically significant differences between adrenal and hypophisiary aetiology in either demographic factors or analytical results. Treatment in all the hypophisiary and adrenal adenomas was surgical. Twenty-three point eight percent of the hypophisiaries required second surgery and subsequently radiotherapy (RT) and 9.5% only received RT following the first intervention. In the follow-up 52.9% were cured without sequels, 41.1% presented comorbidities and 5.9% died (without significant differences between adrenals and hypophisiaries). CONCLUSION: The most frequent aetiology of CS was hypophisiary, which was more frequent in women. All of them are cured, although 41.1% presented comorbidities in the follow-up.

[Analysis of a series pheochromocytoma cases over 15 years]. / Serie de feocromocitomas durante 15 años en Navarra.

BACKGROUND: The pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine secreting tumour derived from chromaffin cells of the sympathetic nervous system. Eighty to eighty-five percent of these tumours are localized in the adrenal medulla. When pheocromocytomas are found outside the adrenal gland they are referred to as extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas or paragangliomas. The diagnosis is confirmed by elevation of catecholamines and the metanephrines in blood plasma and urine. Localization of the tumour should be done following biochemical diagnosis by means of CT scan and/or MRI. The treatment of choice is tumour resection by laparoscopic surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A review was made of all patient medical histories diagnosed with pheochromocytoma confirmed by the pathology reports of Pathological anatomy of the Navarre hospital Complex (Anatomía patológica del Complejo hospitalario de Navarra A y B) between 1996 to 2010. Descriptive analysis was made using the IBM SPSS statistics program. RESULTS: Our series consists of 43 patients diagnosed with pheochromocytoma over a span of 15 years. The average age on presentation was 47 years. Among the younger patients specific genetic syndromes were found. Computerized tomography was the most widely used method of localization. Contradictory results were found regarding perioperative medical management protocols. All pheocromocytoma tumours in this series were benign. CONCLUSIONS: It is advisable to carry out a genetic study on patients under twenty. The biochemical indicators with the greatest diagnostic sensitivity were the levels of normetanephrine and metanephrine in urine. Surgery was the only treatment option.

Neurochemical analysis of primary motor cortex in chronic low back pain.

The involvement of the primary motor cortex (M1) in chronic low back pain (LBP) is a relatively new concept. Decreased M1 excitability and an analgesic effect after M1 stimulation have been recently reported. However, the neurochemical changes underlying these functional M1 changes are unknown. The current study investigated whether neurochemicals specific to neurons and glial cells in both right and left M1 are altered. N-Acetylaspartate (NAA) and myo-inositol (mI) were measured with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 19 subjects with chronic LBP and 14 healthy controls. We also examined correlations among neurochemicals within and between M1 and relationships between neurochemical concentrations and clinical features of pain. Right M1 NAA was lower in subjects with LBP compared to controls (p = 0.008). Left M1 NAA and mI were not significantly different between LBP and control groups. Correlations between neurochemical concentrations across M1s were different between groups (p = 0.008). There were no significant correlations between M1 neurochemicals and pain characteristics. These findings provide preliminary evidence of neuronal depression and altered neuronalglial interactions across M1 in chronic LBP.

[The effects of amiodarone on the thyroid]. / Trastornos tiroideos por amiodarona.

BACKGROUND: Amiodarone is a drug widely used for the treatment of arrhythmias. In 16% of amiodarone-treated patients it causes changes in the thyroid function. The aim of this study was to determine the importance of amiodarone-induced thyroid dysfunction in the population of Navarre, studied between 2001 and 2007. METHODS: We present a retrospective study that considers the characteristics of 182 amiodarone-treated patients with thyroid dysfunction who had been referred to our Institute. We determined a series of biochemical and instrumental investigations (measurement of thyrotrophin, free thyroid hormones and thyroid autoantibodies; thyroid sonography and thyroid scintigraphy uptake). RESULTS: Screening of the thyroid function, recommended before starting amiodarone treatment, was carried out in only 20.9 % of the patients. Forty-one percent of patients developed amiodarone induced hypothyroidism; in 76% of them the drug was withdrawn. Hypothyroidism appears after 21 (+/- 12) months of amiodarone treatment. Forty-eight point six developed permanent hypothyroidism. This group of patients had higher serum levels of TSH (thyrotropin) and were treated for less time with amiodarone. Fifty-nine percent of patients developed amiodarone induced thyrotoxicosis; 59.4 % were diagnosed with thyrotoxicosis (AIT) type 1, 30.6% AIT type 2 and the remaining 10 % were diagnosed with mixed thyrotoxicosis. Thyrotoxicosis appears after 29.5 (+/- 17) months of amiodarone treatment. The serum levels of free thyroxine were significantly higher in the AIT type 2 than in the AIT type1. All patients were treated with antithyroid drugs and/or corticoids. Some patients were admitted to hospital due to the severity of their illness. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, amiodarone induced thyrotoxicosis was more frequent than hypothyroidism (59% vs 41%) because Navarre is an iodine-deficient area. It is necessary to control the thyroid function after 2-3 years of amiodarone treatment.

Combining data sets of organochlorines (OCs) in human plasma for the Russian Arctic.

As part of AMAP's human circumpolar study of POPs, an international effort was initiated to extend coverage to communities across the Russian Arctic. Two additional laboratories were invited to join the analytical component of this effort, resulting in four participating analytical centres. Although quality assurance measures were put in place, and the level of performance of the laboratories was generally acceptable, deficiencies in the analytical protocols used were recognized subsequent to the collection and analyses of the plasma specimens. The current paper describes the criteria employed to critically appraise the four data bases and guide their integration into a single data set. Summary statistics are presented for plasma concentrations of major PCBs, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDT, beta-HCH, and HCB for communities/regions across the arctic/subarctic Russian continent, and for one community located in the Aral Sea area of Uzbekistan (a control group). Highly exposed people were identified in the coastal communities of Chukotka, which appears mainly related to marine mammal intake, but recent pesticide use is also suspected. Other communities with intermediate levels of PCBs had relatively elevated beta-HCH, p,p'-DDT and HCB concentrations and low DDE/DDT ratios (<10), suggesting recent pesticide use.

Intra- and intercompartmental associations between levels of organochlorines in maternal plasma, cord plasma and breast milk, and lead and cadmium in whole blood, for indigenous peoples of Chukotka, Russia.

Long-range transport of pollutants towards circumpolar regions emphasizes the need for up-to-date and reliable biological monitoring data. This paper explores the use, reliability and availability of maternal blood (MB) and plasma (MP), cord blood (CB) and plasma (CP) and mother's milk (MM) in terms of assessing exposure to persistent toxic substances (PTSs). It is concluded that MP has the best combination of availability, sensitivity in terms of number of PTSs, their detection frequency and concentrations, and physiological relevance. The study group consisted of 48 pregnant women of indigenous origin from the Chuchki district in the eastern Russian arctic. Blood, CB and MM specimens were collected from all women and MP, CP and MM were analyzed for the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) suite of organochlorines (OCs) and metals (Pb and Cd in MB and CB). Generally speaking, the levels of PTSs coincided with those indicated in several AMAP publications from Chukotka and other areas of northern Russia. The correlations of PTS concentrations between the three body fluid compartments exceeded the minimum statistical requirements of alpha = 0.05 and beta = 0.20 for most of the compounds, with r > 0.46 except for Cd (r = 0.05); lipid adjustments for the OCs did not affect the r-values to any significant extent. The majority of the inter-OC correlations within compartments also fulfilled the indicated statistical condition. Careful consideration is given to the replacement of concentrations below the detection limit, OC detection frequency, the criteria for log-transformation of the data, analytical uncertainty, and biological variability. Practical implications of the findings are explored.