Spectrochemical analysis of seasonal and sexual variation of antioxidants in Corema album (L.) D. Don leaf extracts.

Bioactive phytoconstituents have been increasingly investigated for their potential human health benefits. Corema album (L.) D. Don, an Ericaceae, reportedly has antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer properties. Aiming at enhancing its nutraceutical potential, we performed a spectrochemical analysis of hydroethanolic extracts from C. album leaves. We report on changes in the antioxidant activity of the extracts, as well as in the accumulation of key phytoconstituents (namely phenolic compounds), in female and male samples, throughout three harvesting seasons (February, July, and October). For each extract, the antioxidant activity was assessed by different spectrophotometric methods. Simultaneously, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), and high-performance liquid chromatography - electrospray ionisation - quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS), were used to identify and monitor variations in the composition of phenolic compounds in the extracts. The main compounds identified were epicatechin, laricitrin-O-hexoside isomers, and myricetin-O-hexoside isomers. Significant differences were found in the composition and relative abundance of the compounds of interest, according to sex and season. Overall, a trend was observed whereby phenolic content and antioxidant activities were higher in males and increased between the earlier and the latest harvests. Based on these results, we may conclude that late summer or early autumn harvests are preferable when aiming at the highest yearly content of bioactive compounds. Additionally, it should be considered that extracts from male individuals typically display higher antioxidant activities. Ultimately, our understanding of C. album in the context of nutraceutical applications is benefited from the quantitative and qualitative portrait provided here, thus promoting its relevance as a source of bioactive compounds.

Capsaicin 8% for Peripheral Neuropathic Pain Treatment: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic neuropathic pain is a disabling condition that affects quality of life. Despite recommendations and guidelines, treatment remains suboptimal as it often does not result in significant symptom relief. Capsaicin 8% patch has been used for the treatment of several peripheral neuropathic pain etiologies with encouraging results. OBJECTIVES: To assess the results of capsaicin 8% patch on neuropathic pain by evaluating pain intensity and the painful treatment area. STUDY DESIGN: Observational retrospective cohort study. SETTING: All patients submitted to capsaicin treatment at the Chronic Pain Unit of the Hospital Centre of Tondela Viseu, from 2011 through 2019. METHODS: Records of capsaicin treatments were reviewed, and the data collected. The primary outcome was pain intensity and painful treatment area reduction between the first and last treatment. Also, the number of treatments performed, neuropathic pain duration, anatomic location, pain etiology, and concomitant oral pain medication at baseline and upon treatment conclusion was also listed. RESULTS: Postsurgical neuropathic pain was the most common etiology (49%), followed by postherpetic (28%). The median (interquartile range [IQR]) baseline pain intensity assessed by the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS-11) was 6 (5-8) and the median (IQR) final NRS-11 was 3 (1-5), with a median (IQR) relative difference of -0.5 (-0.85-0.17) with statistically significant differences (P < 0.001) between baseline and last pain intensity, regarding all groups. Also, there was a reduction in the painful treatment area between baseline and the last evaluation, with a median (IQR) relative difference of -0.4 (-0.625-0.167). LIMITATIONS: A relatively small sample and occasional different timing for pain intensity and pain treatment area assessment due to logistical difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: Capsaicin 8% patch is a valuable option for the treatment of peripheral neuropathic pain, providing a significant reduction in pain intensity and painful area. It is well tolerated and has a high treatment compliance.Ethics Committee Reference Number: 16/16//04/2021.

Mental practice is associated with learning the relative timing dimension of a task.

Learning about the relative timing dimension of a motor skill is enhanced by factors that promote higher response stability between trials. Conversely, learning the absolute timing dimension is favored by lower trial-to-trial stability. The mental practice may increase response stability during acquisition since there is a low possibility of adjustments made between trials. Thus, this study aimed to test the hypothesis that some factors that increase response stability during the acquisition phase contribute to an enhanced relative timing dimension learning. Our hypothesis is that mental practice shows less relative timing error than the absence of practice. A sequential key-pressing task was practiced with two goals: learn (1) relative timing dimension and (2) absolute timing dimension. Participants were assigned to one of three groups: Physical, Mental, or No practice. The Physical group showed greater learning of both dimensions than the other two groups. The Mental group showed greater learning of relative timing dimension than the No practice group. The results suggest that mental practice produces increased stability, which in turn promotes learning of the relative timing dimension.

Avaliação da cultura de segurança do doente em cirurgia ambulatória pelos enfermeiros: protocolo de scoping review / Nurses' assessment of patient safety culture in ambulatory surgery: scoping review protocol / Evaluación de la cultura de seguridad del paciente en la cirugía ambulatoria por parte de los enfermeros: protocolo de scoping review

Enquadramento: A enfermagem perioperatória tem por base uma abordagem dinâmica e global do doente, transversal à cirurgia ambulatória. Associada a este paradigma e no sentido de avaliar a qualidade dos cuidados de enfermagem e a segurança dos mesmos, é pertinente considerar a cultura de segurança do doente. Objetivo: Mapear a evidência disponível sobre a avaliação da cultura de segurança do doente em cirurgia de ambulatório pelos enfermeiros. Método de revisão: Metodologia proposta pelo Joanna Briggs Institute. A estratégia de pesquisa será adequada a cada base de dados/repositório na identificação de estudos relevantes. Proceder-se-á à análise de títulos e resumos, excluindo aqueles que não apresentem os critérios delineados. Os artigos incluídos serão alvo de extração de dados. Este processo será executado por dois revisores independentes. Apresentação e interpretação dos resultados: Os resultados serão apresentados de forma narrativa e de tabelas. Conclusão: Esta scoping review contribuirá para identificar a perspetiva dos enfermeiros sobre a cultura de segurança do doente em cirurgia de ambulatório, reforçando o potencial impacto na segurança dos cuidados de enfermagem.

Background: Perioperative nursing is based on a dynamic and holistic approach to the patient that extends to ambulatory surgery. With this paradigm, it is essential to consider patient safety culture in the assessment of the quality and safety of nursing care. Objective: To map the evidence on nurses' assessment of patient safety culture in ambulatory surgery. Review method: Methodology proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The search strategy will be adapted to each database/repository to identify relevant studies. Titles and abstracts will be screened, and those that do not meet the inclusion criteria will be excluded. The included articles will be subject to data extraction by two independent reviewers. Presentation and interpretation of results: The results will be presented in narrative and tabular form. Conclusion: This scoping review will contribute to identifying nurses' perspectives on patient safety culture in ambulatory surgery, reinforcing the potential impact on the safety of nursing care.

Marco contextual: La enfermería perioperatoria se basa en un enfoque dinámico y global del paciente, transversal a la cirugía ambulatoria. Asociada a este paradigma y con el objetivo de evaluar la calidad de la atención de enfermería y la seguridad, es pertinente considerar la cultura de seguridad del paciente. Objetivo: Mapear las pruebas disponibles sobre la evaluación de la cultura de seguridad del paciente en la cirugía ambulatoria por parte de los enfermeros. Método de revisión: Metodología propuesta por el Instituto Joanna Briggs. La estrategia de investigación será adecuada a la identificación de los estudios relevantes en cada base de datos/repositorio. Se procederá a analizar los títulos y resúmenes, excluyendo los que no presenten los criterios indicados. Los artículos incluidos estarán sujetos a la extracción de datos. Este proceso será realizado por dos revisores independientes. Presentación e interpretación de los resultados: Los resultados se presentarán en forma narrativa y en tablas. Conclusión: Esta revisión exploratoria (scoping review) contribuirá a identificar la perspectiva de los enfermeros sobre la cultura de seguridad del paciente en la cirugía ambulatoria, lo que reforzará el potencial impacto en la seguridad de la atención de enfermería.

Evaluation of the Physico-mechanical Properties and Electrostatic Charging Behavior of Different Capsule Types for Inhalation Under Distinct Environmental Conditions.

Capsule-based dry powder inhaler (DPI) products can be influenced by a multitude of interacting factors, including electrostatic charging. Tribo-charging is a process of charge transfer impacted by various factors, i.e., material surface characteristics, mechanical properties, processing parameters and environmental conditions. Consequently, this work aimed to assess how the charging behavior of capsules intended for inhalation might be influenced by environmental conditions. Capsules having different chemical compositions (gelatin and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)) and distinct inherent characteristics from manufacturing (thermally and cold-gelled) were exposed to various environmental conditions (11%, 22% and 51% RH). Their resulting properties were characterized and tribo-charging behavior was measured against stainless steel and PVC. It was observed that all capsule materials tended to charge to a higher extent when in contact with PVC. The tribo-charging of the thermally gelled HPMC capsules (Vcaps® Plus) was more similar to the gelatin capsules (Quali-G™-I) than to their HPMC cold-gelled counterparts (Quali-V®-I). The sorption of water by the capsules at different relative humidities notably impacted their properties and tribo-charging behavior. Different interactions between the tested materials and water molecules were identified and are proposed to be the driver of distinct charging behaviors. Finally, we showed that depending on the capsule types, distinct environmental conditions are necessary to mitigate charging and assure optimal behavior of the capsules.

Sarcocornia perennis pectic polysaccharides orally administered to mice: Holistic histological evaluation of xenobiotic protection.

Sarcocornia perennis subsp. perennis is an edible halophyte with reported potential health benefits. To disclose the potential contribution of its polysaccharides to health benefits, in this work, hot water extracts were prepared and a holistic approach was performed, relating the simultaneous effects on different organs and molecular components administered orally, using the extract and the purified polysaccharides. The material rich in polysaccharides extracted with hot water was separated into two fractions by dialysis, allowing to obtain the pectic polysaccharides and the low molecular weight compounds. Oral administration of the extract and its fractions (120 mg/kg/day, 30 days) in mice was evaluated by histopathological analysis of liver, lymphoid (thymus and spleen) and reproductive organs (testis and epididymis). Extract and purified polysaccharides promoted a megakaryocytes increase in spleen, while low molecular weight compounds affected the reproductive organs (vacuolation and germ cells release in lumen), causing hydropic change in liver and degeneration of seminiferous tubules. This is the first study on polysaccharides from Sarcocornia. These pectic polysaccharides were shown to protect the immune and reproductive systems against toxic chemicals inducers of oxidation reactions. Their purification is a fundamental step, since the low molecular weight compounds of the edible parts may contribute to lesions in reproductive organs.

Changes in the phenolic compositions of Elaeagnus umbellata and Sambucus lanceolata after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and evaluation of their potential anti-diabetic properties.

In this work, the phenolic composition of E. umbellata leaves and berries is reported. Berries were rich in flavonols, whereas leaves presented abundant flavonols and ellagitannins. Then, the enzyme-inhibitory properties, anti-glycation and antioxidant activities of E. umbellata and Sambucus lanceolata (its phenolic profile has been already established in a previous work) were tested by several in vitro assays and compared. The simulated gastrointestinal digestion resulted in a decrease on their phenolic composition. Nevertheless, both species still had the ability to inhibit aldose reductase activity and protein glycation and scavenge free radicals at the end of the process. Thus, the potential beneficial effects of E. umbellata and S. lanceolata seems to be kept to some extent after passage throughout the digestive system. Altogether, this study provides further insight into investigation of these species as dietary sources of bioactive compounds to lower the risk of type-2 diabetes and obesity.

Evaluation of Rubus grandifolius L. (wild blackberries) activities targeting management of type-2 diabetes and obesity using in vitro models.

Rubus grandifolius Lowe (wild blackberries) is an endemic species from Madeira Archipelago (Portugal) used in folk medicine for alleviating diabetic complications. In this work, R. grandifolius methanolic extracts were analysed for in vitro inhibitory effect on digestive enzymes linked to type-2 diabetes, as well as aldose reductase activity and protein glycation. The phenolic composition, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities were also determined. Methanolic extracts exhibited strong inhibition of glucosidases (α- and ß), but were less potent for α-amylase and pancreatic lipase when compared to current pharmaceutical drugs. The total phenolic content determined by HPLC-DAD varied between 92.96 - 97.47 and 118.01-137.41 mg g-1 of dry extract for berries and leaves, respectively. Fifty polyphenols were quantified, anthocyanins and ellagitannins being the main compounds. Cyanidin-3-glucoside was identified as one of the main hypoglycaemic and hypolipidemic agents in all extracts. R. grandifolius also prevented glycation of bovine-serum albumin (BSA) and showed strong radical scavenging activity against tested free radicals. At low concentration, the extracts were not cytotoxic against Caco-2 cells. Based on the results of this study, wild blackberry extracts demonstrated a potential beneficial effect on the control/management of type-2 diabetes mellitus, validating their use in folk medicine.

Efficacy Analysis of Capsaicin 8% Patch in Neuropathic Peripheral Pain Treatment.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Several guidelines for neuropathic pain management and various effective drugs are available; however, neuropathic pain remains undertreated. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of topical capsaicin 8% in peripheral neuropathic pain in a routine clinical setting. METHODS: Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated through pain intensity, using numerical pain rating scale at baseline and 7-14 days after each treatment, and using pain treatment area (PTA) assessed immediately before each treatment. RESULTS: A total of 43 patients with either post-herpetic neuralgia or post-traumatic/post-surgical neuropathic pain were enrolled. The median percentage reduction in numerical pain rating scale score and in PTA was -40.0 (-50.0 to -33.3; 95% CI, bootstrap) and -35.1 (-50.9 to 3.4; 95% CI, bootstrap), respectively. Pain intensity and PTA were equally improved and reduced in both treated conditions. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that topical capsaicin 8% reduces peripheral neuropathic pain as well as treatment pain area.

Polyphenolic profile and antioxidant activities of Madeiran elderberry (Sambucus lanceolata) as affected by simulated in vitro digestion.

The aims of this study were twofold: a) to provide a detailed report on the phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of fresh berries and leaves of Sambucus lanceolata (Madeiran elderberry); b) to study the effects caused by a simulated in vitro digestion on the composition and antioxidant activity of the berries and leaves. Seventy-seven phytochemicals, mainly polyphenols, were identified in the methanol extracts of fresh berries and leaves, with the content of polyphenols higher in berries (27.2mg·g-1 dry extract, DE) than in leaves (25.9mg·g-1 DE). Anthocyanins were dominant in berries, while hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs) and flavonols were abundant in leaves. Higher antioxidant activities were found in leaves than in berries, using several in vitro assays. After the simulated in vitro digestion, the levels of polyphenols were significantly reduced, in particular those of berries (81.8% decrease). Anthocyanins were the most affected compounds during the simulated digestion. However, despite the significant loss of phenolic compounds during digestion, methanol extracts of digested berries and leaves were still able to scavenge free-radicals. Hence, the consumption of leaves and/or berries of S. lanceolata may help prevent oxidative stress.

New grape stems-based liqueur: Physicochemical and phytochemical evaluation.

A number of traditional liqueurs are obtained by maceration of red fruits in aqueous ethanol liquor, namely sloe berries or sour cherry. On the other hand, the exploration of residual plant material derived from the winery industry (grape (Vitis vinifera L.) stems), which has been regarded as an interesting source of colored and uncolored (poly)phenols, could lead to an industrial alternative to the traditional distilled spirits produced, with valuable physicochemical and phytochemical properties. In the present work, vinification residues (grape stems) were used to produce a new beverage. The evaluation of the physic-chemical characteristics and phytochemical composition as well as the evolution of the determined parameters during maceration (90 and 180 days) allowed a number of interesting bioactive compounds to be identified. This new beverage is a liqueur with a high retention of phenolic compounds (ortho-diphenols, flavanols, flavonols, and anthocyanins), with interesting physic-chemical characteristics, that revealed significant antioxidant activity.

A simple method for the determination of bioactive antioxidants in virgin olive oils.

BACKGROUND: The importance of olive polyphenols as bioactive compounds has grown in recent years as a result of intensive research on their anticancer, antiatherosclerotic and antihypertensive activities. However, there is currently no official method for determining the content of polyphenols in olive oils because of the technical difficulties in their determination. Here a simple method for the analysis of extra virgin olive oil o-diphenols by visible spectrometry is proposed and compared with the traditional method of solid phase extraction followed by colorimetric determination using sodium molybdate or Folin-Ciocalteu reagent or by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis using UV detection. This new approach to determining total o-diphenolic compounds exploits the oxidation of o-diphenols to quinones in a basic medium. RESULTS: Preliminary results showed a better correlation between the total o-diphenol determination by HPLC and by the proposed method (R(2) = 0.9229) than between the total o-diphenol determination by HPLC and by the molybdate colorimetric method (R(2) = 0.8689). A good correlation was also observed between the total phenolic content determined by HPLC and by the proposed method (R(2) = 0.8196), but this correlation was a little lower than the one obtained between the HPLC method and the Folin-Ciocalteu method (R(2) = 0.8752). CONCLUSION: The proposed method involves very little sample manipulation, requires inexpensive reagents and can be performed in less than 40 min for several samples at the same time, using olive oil samples of only 1-2 g.

Absorption and metabolism of olive oil secoiridoids in the small intestine.

The secoiridoids 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethanol-elenolic acid (3,4-DHPEA-EA) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethanol-elenolic acid dialdehyde (3,4-DHPEA-EDA) account for approximately 55 % of the phenolic content of olive oil and may be partly responsible for its reported human health benefits. We have investigated the absorption and metabolism of these secoiridoids in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Both 3,4-DHPEA-EDA and 3,4-DHPEA-EA were relatively stable under gastric conditions, only undergoing limited hydrolysis. Both secoiridoids were transferred across a human cellular model of the small intestine (Caco-2 cells). However, no glucuronide conjugation was observed for either secoiridoid during transfer, although some hydroxytyrosol and homovanillic alcohol were formed. As Caco-2 cells are known to express only limited metabolic activity, we also investigated the absorption and metabolism of secoiridoids in isolated, perfused segments of the jejunum and ileum. Here, both secoiridoids underwent extensive metabolism, most notably a two-electron reduction and glucuronidation during the transfer across both the ileum and jejunum. Unlike Caco-2 cells, the intact small-intestinal segments contain NADPH-dependent aldo-keto reductases, which reduce the aldehyde carbonyl group of 3,4-DHPEA-EA and one of the two aldeydic carbonyl groups present on 3,4-DHPEA-EDA. These reduced forms are then glucuronidated and represent the major in vivo small-intestinal metabolites of the secoiridoids. In agreement with the cell studies, perfusion of the jejunum and ileum also yielded hydroxytyrosol and homovanillic alcohol and their respective glucuronides. We suggest that the reduced and glucuronidated forms represent novel physiological metabolites of the secoiridoids that should be pursued in vivo and investigated for their biological activity.