Effect of Bear Garlic Addition on the Chemical Composition, Microbiological Quality, Antioxidant Capacity, and Degree of Proteolysis in Soft Rennet Cheeses Produced from Milk of Polish Red and Polish Holstein-Friesian Cows.

This study aimed to assess the effect of milk source and bear garlic addition on the selected properties of soft rennet cheese. Cheeses were produced from cow milk derived from two sources: Polish Red cows (PR) and Polish Holstein-Friesian cows (PHF) with a 0.5% (w/w) addition of bear garlic (Allium ursinum L.) dried leaves. Chemical composition and fatty acid profiles (GC) were determined in fresh cheeses. Fresh and stored for two weeks cheeses were subjected to microbiological studies, i.e., total aerobic bacteria count (TABC); count of Lactococcus sp., yeast and molds; coliforms; analysis of the proteolysis extension by means of o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) assay and free amino acids content (HPLC); antioxidant capacity as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP); as well as pH and water activity. Cheeses with bear garlic herbs were more prone to proteolysis but this was not accompanied by any effect on the microbial counts, water activity or pH. Cheeses produced from PR milk contained less monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) but were richer in n-3 PUFA and had a lower n-6/n-3 FA ratio than cheeses from PHF milk. Bear garlic addition increased DPPH anti-radical power but had less of an effect on the FRAP values.

Effects of Immersive Virtual Therapy as a Method Supporting Recovery of Depressive Symptoms in Post-Stroke Rehabilitation: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: Depressive symptoms constitute an important group of mental problems that alter the course of post-stroke rehabilitation by reducing quality of life, physical activity, social functioning, and interpersonal relationships. Although several studies have shown the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) in the motor treatment of poststroke patients, there is a lack of studies that would also evaluate the impact of VR on psychological aspects. Thus, we investigated the effectiveness of immersive VR therapy on both functional activity and depressive symptoms in stroke survivors. Patients and Methods: We conducted a single blind, randomized controlled trial comparing VR therapy with Schultz's Autogenic Training (SAT). Patients randomized to the VR group received treatment in an immersive VR therapeutic garden with elements of psychotherapy and physical activity of the upper extremities, whereas patients in the control group received SAT. Additionally, patients in both groups received standard neurological rehabilitation. The full research cycle lasted six weeks. We used Geriatric Depression Scale, Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, Acceptance of Illness Scale, Visual Analogue Scale of pain, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Barthel Index, Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale and Rivermead Motor Assessment for outcome assessment. This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03830372). Results: We assessed 60 patients and randomly assigned to the VR or control group. The VR group showed a significant reduction in depressive symptoms (ηp2 = 0.13, p < 0.01) compared to SAT. The applied VR therapy significantly increased the sense of self-efficacy and the level of acceptance of the illness; however, this effect was similar to that obtained with the standard intervention. We did not observe statistically significant changes in the functional parameters of post-stroke patients. Conclusion: The use of VR therapy combined with neurological rehabilitation had a positive effect on improving mood and reducing depressive symptoms in post-stroke patients.

Fatty acid profile and oxidation tests of fat extracted from yogurt using rose hip seed oil.

BACKGROUND: Yogurt is a dairy product with a high nutritional value. However, like all milk products, it contains milk fat and is rich in saturated fatty acids. It would be desirable to enrich dairy products in poly- unsaturated fatty acids to increase dietary intake amongst consumers and improve their health. Also, some LAB bacteria are able to produce CLA and CLnA isomers from linoleic and linolenic acids. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical properties and fatty acid profile of yogurt with the addition of 3.5% of rose hip seed oil. METHODS: Yogurt was made from skimmed milk and yogurt starter culture YC-180 Ch. Hansen (Denmark), with the addition of 3.5% of rose hip seed oil. The peroxide value, acid value, iodine value, TBA rate and fatty acid profile were determined in fat extracted from the yogurt after 1 and 14 days of storage and in fresh rose hip seed oil. The fatty acid profile was determined using gas chromatographic methods with mass spectrometric detectors. RESULTS: Fat extracted from the yogurts had lower levels of peroxides than the fresh oil. It was more acidic and the iodine value was higher than in the fresh oil. Rose hip seed oil enriched the product with polyunsaturated fatty acids. After 14 days of storage, linoleic and linolenic acid levels had increased. Moreover, the content of myristic and palmitic acids had decreased. CONCLUSIONS: The rose hip seed oil added to the yogurt was less susceptible to oxidation. The content of un- saturated fatty acids in the yogurt increased with the addition of the oil, making yogurt with rose hip seed oil an excellent source of Ω-3 and Ω-6 fatty acids. Conjugated linoleic (CLA) and linolenic (CLnA) acids were not detected. However, yogurt manufactured with appropriate adjunct cultures and with the correct oil addition could be a natural source of CLA and CLnA in the human diet.