Pharmacological effects of monoterpene carveol on the neuromuscular system of nematodes and mammals.

The control of parasitic nematode infections relies mostly on anthelmintics. The potential pharmacotherapeutic application of phytochemicals, in order to overcome parasite resistance and enhance the effect of existing drugs, is becoming increasingly important. The antinematodal effects of carveol was tested on the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the neuromuscular preparation of the parasitic nematode Ascaris suum. Carveol caused spastic paralysis in C. elegans. In A. suum carveol potentiated contractions induced by acetylcholine (ACh) and this effect was confirmed with two-electrode voltage-clamp electrophysiology on the A. suum nicotinic ACh receptor expressed in Xenopus oocytes. However, potentiating effect of carveol on ACh-induced contractions was partially sensitive to atropine, indicates a dominant nicotine effect but also the involvement of some muscarinic structures. The effects of carveol on the neuromuscular system of mammals are also specific. In micromolar concentrations, carveol acts as a non-competitive ACh antagonist on ileum contractions. Unlike atropine, it does not change the EC50 of ACh, but reduces the amplitude of contractions. Carveol caused an increase in Electrical Field Stimulation-evoked contractions of the isolated rat diaphragm, but at higher concentrations it caused an inhibition. Also, carveol neutralized the mecamylamine-induced tetanic fade, indicating a possibly different pre- and post-synaptic action at the neuromuscular junction.

Corrigendum: Pharmacological effects of monoterpene carveol on the neuromuscular system of nematodes and mammals.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1326779.].

Electrochemical determination of L-tryptophan in food samples on graphite electrode prepared from waste batteries.

One of the goals of this research was to develop an electrochemical sensor that had the ability to determine the target analyte and was both cheap and non-toxic. Another goal was to influence the reduction of electronic waste. In accordance with these, a graphite rod from zinc-carbon batteries was used to prepare an electrochemical sensor for the determination of L-tryptophan in Britton-Robinson buffer solution. Two electrochemical methods were used in the experimental research, differential pulse voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry. The effect of different parameters, including the pH value of supporting solution, scan rate, as well as the concentration of L-tryptophan on the current response, was studied. The pH value of Britton-Robinson buffer influenced the intensity of L-tryptophan oxidation peak, as well as the peak potential. The intensity of the current response was the highest at pH 4.0, while the peak potential value became lower as the pH increased, indicating that protons also participated in the redox reaction. Based on the obtained data, electrochemical oxidation of L-tryptophan at the graphite electrode was irreversible, two electron/two proton reaction. In addition, it was observed that the oxidation peak increased as the scan rate increased. According to the obtained electrochemical data, it was suggested that the oxidation of L-tryptophan was mixed controlled by adsorption and diffusion. The linear correlation between oxidation peak and L-tryptophan concentration was investigated in the range 5.0-150.0 µM and the obtained values of limit of detection and limit of quantification were 1.73 µM and 5.78 µM, respectively. Also, the prepared electrochemical sensor was successful in determination of target analyte in milk and apple juice samples.

Participation-related relative age effects in Masters swimming: a 6-year retrospective longitudinal analysis.

Medic and colleagues (Medic, Starkes, & Young, 2007) found that relatively younger cohorts of Masters athletes had higher participation rates and achieved higher performances compared with a relatively older cohort. Considering that Medic and colleagues' (2007) study was cross-sectional in nature, the purpose of this investigation was to employ a retrospective longitudinal study design to examine the participation rates of Masters swimmers as a function of an individual's constituent year within any 5-year age category over a period of 6 years. Using archived data from the 2003 to 2009 US Masters Short Course National Championships, swimmers' attendance was followed for a period of six consecutive years. Results indicated that a participation-related relative age effect was observed among swimmers who, over a period of 6 years, competed in either at least one championship (N = 2596; Cochran's Q4 = 64.16, r(s) = -0.92, both P < 0.0001) or at least three championships (N = 441; Cochran's Q4 = 47.51, r(s) = -0.91, both P < 0.0001). Overall, effect size analyses indicated that the odds of a Masters swimmer participating in the championship during the first constituent year of any 5-year age category was more than two times greater than the odds of that athlete participating during the fifth constituent year.

Chemometric evaluation of trace metals in Prunus persica L. Batech and Malus domestica from Minicevo (Serbia).

The samples of spatial soils and different organs of Prunus persica L. Batech and Malus domestica were analyzed by methods such as inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), One-way ANOVA, and calculation of biological accumulation factors (BAFs) with the aim of investigating whether these methods may help in the evaluation of trace metals in plants, as well as in the estimation of plant bioaccumulation potentials. ICP-OES provided accurate data on present concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, As, Cd, and Ni which showed that most concentrations were in normal ranges, except in some cases for Cu, Zn, and As. HCA illustrated nicely various specifics in the distribution of metals in both investigated systems plant-soil. One-way ANOVA pointed successfully on the existing statistical differences between metal concentrations. Calculated BAFs showed that both plants had very low accumulation rates for all elements; they acted as metal excluders.