Complement content in plasma under different storage conditions / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To investigate the changes in complement content in component blood before blood transfusion. 【Methods】 180 samples from 20 plasma donors were collected at different stages of the preparation process, stored at different temperatures and time periods, and tested in the same batch to observe the changes in complement C3 and C4 levels under different storage temperatures and process stages. 【Results】 The same sample was used to test C3 and C4 levels, and the test results were sorted into nine groups for comparison according to different storage temperatures and preparation process stages. C3: 0.994 1; C4: 0.957 1, with no significant difference in storage at -40℃ and -60℃(P>0.05); C3: 0.133 3, 0.224 06(P>0.05); C4: 0.027 3, 0.025 1(P<0.05), storing at 4℃ for 7 days may significantly reduce complement levels, which needs further verification; C3: 0.047 0, 0.038 3; C4: 0.042 6, 0.012 1(P<0.05), virus inactivation preparation process can significantly reduce complement levels, repeated freeze-thawing during frozen plasma processing can change complement levels. The correlation analysis of C3 and C4 content determination experiment shows that they are significantly positively correlated under different storage temperature, preparation process and storage time(P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 Storage temperature, storage time, preparation process of frozen plasma such as repeated freeze-thawing, centrifugal concentration and light inactivation have an impact on complement content.

Application methods of biostimulants affect the production and postharvest conservation of yellow melon

Worldwide, Brazil holds the fifth position in melon fruits exportation, further expanding its products to provide for the growing demand. This expansion is the result of the development and application of new technologies, including the management of the use of biostimulants. However, for melon crops, the information in the literature on the use of biostimulants remains limited to the effects of different doses on fruit quality at the time of harvest. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the influence of different methods of pre-harvest application of two biostimulants on the production and postharvest conservation of fruits of yellow melon cv. Iracema. The treatments consisted of a combination of three factors: two plant biostimulants (Crop Set® and Spray Dunger®), two application methods of the products (fertigation and spraying), and five times of postharvest storage (0, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days). An additional control treatment corresponded to plants without biostimulant application. The fruits were evaluated for production and physicochemical attributes: average mass, yield, flesh firmness, titratable acidity, soluble solids content, SSC/TA ratio, pH, total soluble sugars, and weight loss. Fertigation is the recommended application method of biostimulants for yellow melon due to its effect on the increase of average mass, yield, flesh firmness, soluble solids content, and total soluble sugars of the fruits in relation to the spraying method.

Effects of different storage conditions on edible quality and antioxidant activity of Polygonatum cyrtonema flowers / 中国中药杂志

The flower of Polygonatum cyrtonema has good edible and medicinal values. In this study, four samples of P. cyrtonema flowers from different regions were selected as test materials. The contents, composition and antioxidant activities of lipid-soluble pigments and alcohol-soluble components were determined under different light and temperature conditions, which help to reveal the discoloration reason and the composition variation patterns during storage. The results showed that light and temperature had different effects on the lipid-soluble pigments and alcohol-soluble components in the dried flowers during storage. After storage for 4 weeks, the contents of total chlorophyll, carotenoids, phenols and saponins in the samples exposed to light respectively decreased by 62.62%, 66.4%, 68.7% and 43.4% compared with those in the dark. The decreases in the contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, lutein, β-carotene and zeaxanthin were 64.64%, 56.74%, 59.2%, 77.7% and 45.4%, respectively. The contents of pigments and components in the samples stored at-20 ℃ were significantly higher than those at room temperature and 4 ℃, indicating that low temperature was conductive to the stability of lipid-soluble pigments and alcohol-soluble components. The samples stored at low temperature and in the dark had the strongest free radical scavenging activity. The results suggest that P. cyrtonema dried flowers should be stored in low temperature environment without light, which can slow down the degradation of internal components. The study provides a theoretical basis for the production, processing and storage of P. cyrtonema flowers.

Investigation of Drug Storage Conditions of Sodium Valproate Granules Maintained by Pediatric Patients / 医薬品情報学

Objective: Sodium valproate granules (VPA granules) are extremely hygroscopic, deliquesce slowly in the air, and aggregate depending on temperature and humidity conditions. Although pharmacists are required to maintain drug storage conditions until the time of dispensing, they cannot keep track of the actual storage conditions maintained by the patients thereafter. Therefore, we investigated the actual temperature and humidity of the storage conditions maintained by the patients after delivery of the VPA granules.Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study at Kameda Medical Center on pediatric outpatients who were prescribed VPA granules from July 5, 2018 to February 20, 2019. A portable data logger capable of measuring temperature and humidity for 24 h was delivered at the time of dispensation. At the following visit, the data logger was collected, and data about temperature and humidity were obtained. We defined the suitable temperature as 1.0-30.0℃ and suitable humidity as 75.0% or less.Results: In this study, 13 patients were included. In total, 18 data loggers were distributed, and the return rate was 100.0%. The storage temperature was outside the suitable range in 0.8% of the total observation time whereas the humidity exceeded 75.0% in 1.7% of the total observation time.Conclusion: Storage of medications after dispensation was evaluated, and certain temperature and humidity deviations were observed. As storing a drug in an inappropriate environment changes the nature of the drug, affecting its efficacy and safety, it is necessary to educate patients on the proper methods to store oral medications.

How Long are Residual Newborn Screening Specimens Useful for Retesting when Stored in Suboptimal and Uncontrolled Conditions of Temperature and Humidity?

Abstract Residual DBS specimens from newborns diagnosed with Phenylketonuria, Congenital Hypothyroidism, Cystic Fibrosis, Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia and Galactosemia collected within 1995-2018, stored in cardboard boxes at ambient temperature in uncontrolled conditions, were retested for phenylalanine (Phe), thyrotropin (TSH), immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT), total galactose (TGal) and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP), to demonstrate how long are they stable in these conditions and useful to reconfirm a previous abnormal result. Recovery percentage at retesting and qualitative interpretation regarding the current cutoff were evaluated. Phe, TSH and IRT recoveries showed decreasing trends along time. Phe recovery was 64 % after 2-years storage; TSH decayed rapidly recovering 47.3 % at 1-year, while IRT showed recoveries of 60 % at 1-year. Although 17OHP recovery presented a wide variation of results, a decaying trend was also found. Results suggest 17OHP is more stable than TSH and IRT, as supported by recoveries > 71 % when stored ≤ 2-years. TGal recovery presented an erratic behavior, so that it was not possible to estimate expected concentrations as a function of storage time. TGal recoveries above 100 % were found in UDP-galactose-4-epimerase and galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase deficiencies, evidencing possible galactose liberation from other sources. These results make a very valuable contribution for programs storing residual DBS in uncontrolled conditions.

Dengue diagnostics: serious inaccuracies are likely to occur if pre-analytical conditions are not strictly followed

BACKGROUND The heat-labile nature of Dengue virus (DENV) in serum samples must be considered when applying routine diagnostic tests to avoid issues that could impact the accuracy of test results with direct implications for case management and disease reporting. OBJECTIVES To check if pre-analytical variables, such as storage time and temperature, have an impact on the accuracy of the main routine diagnostic tests for dengue. METHODS Virus isolation, reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and NS1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were evaluated using 84 samples submitted to different pre-analytical conditions. FINDINGS Sensitivity and negative predictive value were directly affected by sample storage conditions. RT-PCR and virus isolation showed greater dependence on well-conserved samples for an accurate diagnosis. Interestingly, even storage at -30ºC for a relatively short time (15 days) was not adequate for accurate results using virus isolation and RT-PCR tests. On the other hand, NS1 ELISA showed no significant reduction in positivity for aliquots tested under the same conditions as in the previous tests. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Our results support the stability of the NS1 marker in ELISA diagnosis and indicate that the accuracy of routine tests such as virus isolation and RT-PCR is significantly affected by inadequate transport and storage conditions of serum samples.

Evidencing the impact of drug store storage conditions on the quality and stability of amoxicillin powders for oral suspension marketed in Peru

One of the most promising strategies against antimicrobial resistance is to strengthen the monitoring of the quality of medicines in middle- and low-income countries. In Peru, several drug alerts related to quality defects of one of the most commonly used antibiotics, amoxicillin powder for oral suspension, have been reported. This study compared the quality and stability of three amoxicillin powders for oral suspension manufactured by national laboratories and stored for 1 and 3 months in drug stores of populated cities located in the coast, jungle, and the Andes. Esthetic appeal evaluation, delivered volume and pH, and drug content determination were conducted with non-reconstituted and reconstituted samples. In-use stability was also tested after 1 week of refrigeration. All the results were within the specifications of the United States Pharmacopeia for the duration of the study but after 3 months of storage in Tarapoto, clusters formation, smell and taste changes, and a statistically significant reduction in pH and drug content were observed. Based on this and taking also into account the factors affecting the stability of this dosage form of amoxicillin, we can assume these variations are associated with high temperatures and relative humidities during longer periods of storage in drug stores.

Calidad durante el almacenamiento de huevos de gallinas alimentadas con dietas con aceite de palma / Egg quality during storage of eggs from hens fed diets with crude palm oil

RESUMEN Objetivo. Evaluar el efecto del aceite crudo de palma (ACP) sobre la calidad del huevo almacenado por varios días a diferentes temperaturas. Materiales y métodos. Un total de 240 gallinas de 28 semanas se alimentaron con dietas con 30g/kg de aceite de soya (AS) o ACP. Después de 12 semanas, muestras de huevos se almacenaron durante 0, 4, 8 y 12 días a 4, 12 y 24°C. Las características de calidad del huevo fueron evaluadas. Resultados. El huevo y la albúmina de gallinas en la dieta con ACP fueron más pesados que aquellos en la dieta con AS (p<0.05). La alta temperatura de almacenamiento redujo el peso del huevo, albúmina y yema, unidades Haugh (UH), altura de la albúmina y la yema, pH y color (p<0.05), pero aumentó el ancho de la albúmina y la yema, y la longitud de la albúmina (p<0.05). A medida que aumentaba el tiempo de almacenamiento, el peso del huevo, el peso y la altura de la albúmina, y la altura de la yema, el pH y el color se redujeron (p<0.05). Sin embargo, el peso y el ancho de la yema, el ancho y la longitud de la albúmina aumentaron (p<0.05). La interacción aceite x tiempo de almacenamiento (p<0.05) indico que la altura de la albumina, UH y el color de la yema de los huevos de la dieta con ACP fueron mejores a los 12 días de almacenamiento que en la dieta con AS. Conclusiones. Las gallinas en la dieta con ACP tuvieron huevos y albuminas más pesadas que las de las de la adieta con AS. La calidad del huevo disminuyó conforme el tiempo y temperatura de almacenamiento se incrementó, pero, los huevos de las gallinas suplementadas con ACP tuvieron mejor calidad en algunas características a los 12 días de almacenamiento.

ABSTRACT Objective. Evaluate the effect of crude palm oil (CPO) on quality traits of eggs stored various days at different temperatures. Material and Methods. A total of 240 hens, 28 weeks of age were fed diets with 30 g/kg of soybean oil (SO) or CPO. After 12 weeks, sample of eggs were stored during 0, 4, 8 and 12 days at 4, 12 and 24 °C. Egg quality traits were evaluated. Results. Egg and albumen from hens in CPO diet were heavier than those in SO (p<0.05). High storage temperature reduced egg, albumen and yolk weights, Haugh units (HU), albumen and yolk heights, pH and color (p<0.05), but increased albumen and yolk widths and albumen length (p<0.05). As storage time increased, egg weight, albumen weight and height, and yolk height, pH and colour were reduced (p<0.05). However, yolk weight and width, albumen width and length increased (p<0.05). Oil x storage time interaction (p<0.05) indicated that albumen height, HU and yellowness of yolk from hens in CPO diets were better at 12 days of storage than for hens fed SO. Conclusions. Hens in CPO diet had heavier eggs and albumen than those in SO diet. Egg quality traits decreased as temperature and days of storage increased, but, eggs from hens supplemented CPO had better quality in some traits at 12 days of storage.

Content Determination of 10 Kinds of Chemical Components in Ligusticum chuanxiong under Different Storage Conditions by HPLC / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE： To establish the method for the content determination of chlorogenic acid， ligustrazine， ferulic acid， senkyunolide I， senkyunolide H， coniferly ferulate， senkyunolide A， n-butylphtalide， Z-ligustilide and n-butylidenephthalide in Ligusticum chuanxiong under different storage conditions. METHODS： HPLC method was adopted. The determination was performed on Boston C18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.5％ acetic acid solution （gradient elution） at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The detection wavelength was set at 285 nm， and the column temperature was 30 ℃. The sample size was 5 μL. RESULTS： The linear range of chlorogenic acid， ligustrazine， ferulic acid， senkyunolide I， senkyunolide H， coniferly ferulate， senkyunolide A， n-butylphtalide， Z-ligustilide n-butylidenephthalide were 0.030 53-0.519 01 μg （r＝0.999 5）， 0.001 02-0.017 34 μg （r＝0.999 9）， 0.012 83-0.218 11 μg （r＝0.999 5）， 0.007 63- 0.129 71 μg （r＝0.999 7）， 0.001 76-0.029 92 μg （r＝0.999 5）， 0.054 74-0.930 58 μg （r＝0.999 9）， 0.215 80-3.668 60 μg （r＝0.999 9）， 0.018 02-0.306 34 μg （r＝0.999 7）， 0.232 50- 3.952 50 μg （r＝0.999 9）， 0.002 40-0.040 80 μg （r＝0.999 5）.The limits of quantitation were 2.073 7， 0.556 6， 0.753 8， 0.231 5， 0.306 9， 0.925 2， 2.295 3， 4.624 0， 3.215 3， 0.910 5 ng， respectively. The detection limits were 0.622 1， 0.167 0， 0.226 1， 0.069 4， 0.092 1， 0.277 6， 0.688 6， 1.387 2， 0.964 6， 0.273 1 ng， respectively. RSD of precision， stability and repeatability tests were all less than 5％ （n＝6）. The recovery rates were 95.90％-103.28％ （RSD＝2.99％， n＝6）， 88.24％-107.84％ （RSD＝4.89％， n＝6）， 95.06％-102.08％ （RSD＝3.97％， n＝6）， 93.67％-101.05％ （RSD＝1.02％， n＝6）， 94.81％-104.33％ （RSD＝2.34％，n＝6）， 94.41％-105.59％ （RSD＝4.32％， n＝6）， 92.76％-104.83％ （RSD＝1.95％， n＝6）， 87.22％-102.56％ （RSD＝2.89％， n＝6）， 94.04％-99.52％ （RSD＝0.92％， n＝6）， 88.51％-103.83％ （RSD＝4.89％， n＝6）， respectively. At 5 ℃ and 15 ℃， no obvious deterioration was observed in medicinal materials. At room temperature， some samples were moth-eaten and mildewed. The content ranges of 6 batches of samples were 0.047 7％-0.160 8％， 0.006 1％- 0.022 7％， 0.048 2％-0.172 2％， 0.023 3％-0.145 2％， 0.004 6％-0.030 7％， 0.085 2％-0.835 4％， 0.182 6％-2.112 7％， 0.009 9％- 0.098 3％， 0.614 9％-3.176 2％ and 0.005 7％-0.036 9％， showing decreasing trend； the decrease rate was in descending order 5 ℃＜15 ℃＜room temperature； at the same storage temperature， the decrease rate of polyethylene plastic bag was lower than that of polypropylene woven bag. CONCLUSIONS： This method is accurate and feasible， and can be used for simultaneous determination of 10 kinds of components in L. chuanxiong. It is suggested that L. chuanxiong medicinal materials should be sealed and packed in dry and cool places and should not be stored for a long time.

In vitro Stability of Heat Shock Protein 27 in Serum and Plasma Under Different Pre-analytical Conditions: Implications for Large-Scale Clinical Studies

The effects of storage temperatures, repeated freeze-thaw cycles, or delays in separating plasma or serum from blood samples are largely unknown for heat shock protein 27 (HSP27). We evaluated (1) the imprecision of the HSP27 assay used in this study; (2) the in vitro stability of HSP27 in blood samples stored at 4℃ for up to 6 hr with immediate and delayed serum/plasma separation from cells; and (3) the in vitro stability of HSP27 in blood samples stored at -80℃ after repeated freeze-thaw cycles. The ELISA to detect HSP27 in this study showed a within-run CV of <9% and a total CV of <15%. After 4-6 hr of storage at 4℃, HSP27 concentrations remained stable when using serum tubes irrespective of sample handling, but HSP27 concentrations decreased by 25-45% when using EDTA plasma tubes. Compared with baseline HSP27, one freeze-thaw cycle had no effect on serum concentrations. However, plasma concentrations increased by 3.1-fold after one freeze-thaw cycle and by 7.3-fold after five freeze-thaw cycles. In conclusion, serum is an appropriate biological sample type for use in epidemiological and large-scale clinical studies.

The effect of non-compliance of PPI instruction on the stability of reconstituted oral antibiotics.

The patient package inserts (PPIs) should contain all the required information for the patient. It must be clear and understandable. There are several problems with the PPIs including the wrong information, readability and comprehensibility. Thus the pharmacists have to take an active role in making sure that patient is aware of important instruction including correct storage. Five antibiotics namely Erythromycin ethylsuccinate, Amoxicillin, Cefdinir, Flucloxacillin sodium and Clarithromycin powder for suspensions, were selected for this study, these antibiotic were reconstituted as directed on the label and tested initially and after 7 days when stored at room temperature and in refrigerator. Several chemical and physical pharmacopeial tests were performed. The results showed that two of the antibiotic oral suspensions namely erythromycin ethyl succinate and flucloxacillin sodium failed the accepted shelf life specification limits when stored at room temperature while both passes these limits when stored in refrigerator. Erythromycin ethylsuccinate has failed the tests of taste and odour while the flucloxacillin sodium has failed the assay test. Clarithromycin has failed some tests as viscosity, taste and pouring test when stored in refrigerator while passes all the tests when stored at room temperature. The study showed the vital role of the pharmacist to reiterate the important patient package insert instructions specially those concerned with the storage condition of the drug.

Stool sample storage conditions for the preservation of Giardia intestinalis DNA

Stool is chemically complex and the extraction of DNA from stool samples is extremely difficult. Haemoglobin breakdown products, such as bilirubin, bile acids and mineral ions, that are present in the stool samples, can inhibit DNA amplification and cause molecular assays to produce false-negative results. Therefore, stool storage conditions are highly important for the diagnosis of intestinal parasites and other microorganisms through molecular approaches. In the current study, stool samples that were positive for Giardia intestinalis were collected from five different patients. Each sample was stored using one out of six different storage conditions [room temperature (RT), +4ºC, -20ºC, 70% alcohol, 10% formaldehyde or 2.5% potassium dichromate] for DNA extraction procedures at one, two, three and four weeks. A modified QIAamp Stool Mini Kit procedure was used to isolate the DNA from stored samples. After DNA isolation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was performed using primers that target the β-giardin gene. A G. intestinalis-specific 384 bp band was obtained from all of the cyst-containing stool samples that were stored at RT, +4ºC and -20ºC and in 70% alcohol and 2.5% potassium dichromate; however, this band was not produced by samples that had been stored in 10% formaldehyde. Moreover, for the stool samples containing trophozoites, the same G. intestinalis-specific band was only obtained from the samples that were stored in 2.5% potassium dichromate for up to one month. As a result, it appears evident that the most suitable storage condition for stool samples to permit the isolation of G. intestinalis DNA is in 2.5% potassium dichromate; under these conditions, stool samples may be stored for one month.

Efecto de las condiciones de almacenamiento sobre el color, contenido de polifenoles y capacidad antioxidante de una bebida de Borojoa patinoi Cuatrecasas / Effect of storage conditions on color, polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity of a Borojoa patinoi Cuatrecasas beverage

In Latin America, popular tradition in some places have been attributed properties to borojó fruit, making it a potential source for the design and development of a functional product, but there is little scientific literature reference biological activity of this fruit. The aim of this study was to evaluate color changes, polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity of borojo (Borojoa patinoi Cuatrecasas) pulp beverage without chemical preservatives, it was stored at 4° C, 17° C and 37° C for 17 days. Coordinate a* was adjusted to zero order kinetics and the total polyphenol content (TP) and the antioxidant capacity (CA) had adjustments to first-order kinetics, suggesting a linear correlation between the degradation rates. The results showed that beverage storage at 4°C allowed a better retention of color changes, polyphenols and antioxidant compounds in nature, compared with the other storage temperatures.

En Latinoamérica, la tradición popular en algunas poblaciones le han atribuído al fruto del borojó propiedades, que lo hacen fuente potencial para el diseño y desarrollo de productos de carácter funcional; sin embargo es poca la literatura científica aún, que referencia alguna actividad biológica de este fruto. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar los cambios de color, el contenido de polifenoles y la capacidad antioxidante de una bebida de pulpa de borojó (Borojoa patinoi Cuatrecasas.) sin conservantes químicos, ésta fue almacenada a 4º C, 17º C, y 37º C durante 17 días. En color la coordenada a* se ajustó a una cinética de orden cero; el contenido de polifenoles totales (PT) y la capacidad antioxidante (CA) presentaron ajustes a una cinética de primer orden, sugiriendo una correlación lineal entre las velocidades de degradación. Los resultados obtenidos indicaron que el almacenamiento de la bebida a 4° C permitió una mejor retención en los cambios de color, polifenoles y compuestos de carácter antioxidante, en comparación con las demás temperaturas de almacenamiento.

Effect of storage conditions on prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time and fibrinogen concentration on canine plasma samples

The present study was to assess the effect of storage conditions on prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and fibrinogen concentration in blood samples of healthy dogs. Thirty-five dogs of various breeds were included in the study. Citrated blood samples were obtained and plasma was divided into four aliquots to assess selected clotting parameters by means of a coagulometer. The first aliquot was analysed within 1 h after collection, while the remaining 3 were stored at 8degrees C for 4, 8 and 24 h, respectively. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance documented a significant decreasing effect on PT at 24 h compared to 8 h and on fibrinogen concentration after 8 and 24 h compared to sampling time and at 4 and 24 h compared to 8 h post sampling. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that only fibrinogen appears prone to significant decrease. In fact, aPTT is not substantially affected by refrigeration for at least 24 h post sampling and PT showed a statistical difference that does not necessary indicate biological significance as the results obtained were within reference intervals for the dog.