Tolerability and immunological effect of short up-dosing immunotherapy with 2 standardized native allergen extracts derived from the pollen of Salsola kali and Cupressus arizonica

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Picrocrocin kinetics in aqueous saffron spice extracts (Crocus sativus L.) upon thermal treatment.

The kinetics of picrocrocin degradation in aqueous extracts of saffron upon thermal treatment from 5 to 70 °C have been studied, together with the degradation of purified picrocrocin in water at 100 °C. The best fits to experimental data were found for a second-order kinetics model. Picrocrocin showed high stability with half-life periods (t(1/2)) ranging from >3400 h at 5 °C in saffron extracts to 9 h in the experiments with purified picrocrocin at 100 °C. In saffron extracts, the evolution of the rate constant (k) with temperature showed maximum values at 35 °C, and filtration of the extracts contributed to picrocrocin stability. In the case of purified picrocrocin, the generation of safranal in the first 5 h (yield up to 7.4%) was confirmed. Spectrometric parameters used in saffron quality control (E(1cm)(1%) 257 nm and ΔΕ(pic)) were not appropriate for documenting the evolution of picrocrocin.

Influence of the chlorophyll pigment structure on its transfer from an oily food matrix to intestinal epithelium cells.

Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and the Mg-free chlorophyll derivatives pheophytin a, pheophytin b, pyropheophytin a, pheophorbide a, and pyropheophorbide a, dissolved in an oily matrix, were subjected to a simulated in vitro digestion procedure coupled with uptake by human intestinal Caco-2 cells. The native chlorophylls showed greater instability to the digestive process than the Mg-free chlorophyll derivatives. In addition to pheophytinization reactions, allomerization and oxidation to uncolored compounds were found to greater extents for the former. After digestion, the pigment dispersion degree in the colloid system (aqueous-"micellar" phase) showed significant differences (p < 0.05) among series a and series b derivatives. However, when a mixture of pheophytin a and pheophytin b was digested, there was a positive effect for pheophytin b. Both the dispersion degree and the accumulation rate by the Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cells were significantly higher (p < 0.05) for dephytylated chlorophyll derivatives. Differences in the transport route were also found. Whereas phytylated chlorophyll derivatives showed passive absorption by simple diffusion, the dephytylated ones showed passive absorption by facilitated diffusion in the lower range of concentrations tested. These results showed that the structural modifications of the chlorophyll pigments, mainly the de-esterification of phytol, significantly increased--by an estimated 65-fold--its transfer from the food matrix to the intestinal epithelial cells during digestion, making it more bioaccessible. The possible relationship between the phototoxicity associated with pheophorbide and the high bioaccessibility demonstrated in this work is discussed.

Comparación de tres sistemas mecanizados de transporte interno de fruto de palma de aceite / Comparison among three mechanized systems of oil palm fruits infield transportation

Este artículo describe el proceso de transporte interno de racimos de fruto fresco (rff) que se lleva a cabo en tres diferentes plantaciones de palma aceitera de Colombia. Las tres utilizan tractores y han diseñado sus sistemas de transporte de acuerdo con el diseño de su plantación, la distancia que las separa de las plantas de beneficio, la disponibilidad de mano de obra y los requerimientos de maquinaria. El costo de transportar una tonelada de rff fue estimado para cada plantación. Se ha determinado que la eficiencia de un sistema de transporte de fruto depende de dos hechos: la producción de racimos de fruta fresca por hectárea y las actividades que se le asignan a cada trabajador, que en algunos casos generan cuellos de botellas en el sistema.

This paper describes the in-field transportation process of Fresh Fruit Bunches (ffb), carried out by three different Colombian oil palm plantations. The three of them use tractors and figure out their transportation systems in accordance with their plantation design, distance to the mill, labor availability and machinery requirements. The transportation cost of a ton of ffb was estimated for each plantation. It has been determined that the efficiency of a transportation system depends on two facts. The first one is the production of ffb per hectare. The second refers to the activities assigned to each worker that in some cases generate a bottleneck in the system.

Vasculitis during immunotherapy treatment in a patient with allergy to Cupressus arizonica.

UNLABELLED: Allergen immunotherapy dates back to 1911 and has been used successfully to treat large numbers of patients throughout the last century. CASE REPORT: a 66-year-old woman presented with symptoms of allergic rhinitis and asthma due to sensitization to Cupressus arizonica. Specific immunotherapy was prescribed as a continuous 2-year treatment with a depot preparation of standarized and characterized allergen extracts of Cupressus arizonica pollen. Forty-eight hours after one maintenance dose of 0.8 cc, the patient presented palpable violaceous purpuric lesions and pruritus on both legs. We performed skin prick and intradermal tests with Cupressus arizonica. Twenty-four hours later, the 1/1 dilution intradermal skin test was positive. Biopsy showed leukocytoclastic vasculitis. CONCLUSIONS: A middle-aged woman experienced cutaneous non-necrotizing vasculitis after 2 years of maintenance immunotherapy. The interval between injections and the first appearance of cutaneous lesions suggests a type III hypersensitivity immune reaction. Skin biopsy of the positive intradermal test also supports this hypothesis.

Paciente con hipertensión arterial y tumor renal / Patient with arterial hypertension and renal tumor

Los tumores renales son causantes de hipertensión arterial en un bajo porcentaje de casos. El más frecuentemente implicado es el feocromocitoma, aunque están descritos otros tumores. Uno de ellos es el hipernefroma, caso que a continuación se describe y que además utilizamos como ejemplo de cronoterapia

Renal tumors cause arterial hypertension in a low percentage of cases. The most frequently involved is pheochromocytoma, although other tumors are described. One of them is hypernephroma, a case is described in the following and is also used as an example of chronotherapy

Vasculitis during immunotherapy treatment in a patient with allergy to Cupressus arizonica

Allergen immunotherapy dates back to 1911 and has been used successfully to treat large numbers of patients throughout the last century. Case report: a 66-year-old woman presented with symptoms of allergic rhinitis and asthma due to sensitization to Cupressus arizonica. Specific immunotherapy was prescribed as a continuous 2-year treatment with a depot preparation of standarized and characterized allergen extracts of Cupressus arizonica pollen. Forty-eight hours after one maintenance dose of 0.8 cc, the patient presented palpable violaceous purpuric lesions and pruritus on both legs. We performed skin prick and intradermal tests with Cupressus arizonica. Twenty-four hours later, the 1/1 dilution intradermal skin test was positive. Biopsy showed leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Conclusions: A middle-aged woman experienced cutaneous non-necrotizing vasculitis after 2 years of maintenance immunotherapy. The interval between injections and the first appearance of cutaneous lesions suggests a type III hypersensitivity immune reaction. Skin biopsy of the positive intradermal test also supports this hypothesis

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Impacto social de la agroindustria de palma de aceite / Social impact of the oil palm agro-industry

La situación social del campo colombiano se caracteriza por altos niveles de pobreza. Sin embargo, existen excepciones. En efecto, algunos cultivos dan al trabajador mejores condiciones que otros. Estudios previos hacen referencia al caso de los cultivos permanentes, entre otros la palma de aceite, en los cuales el trabajador tiene acceso a seguridad social y empleo estable. La contribución de la agroindustria de la palma de aceite al proceso de desarrollo social de las comunidades pertenecientes a sus áreas de influencia son el objeto de este artículo. En este análisis se incluyeron variables relacionadas con generación de empleo, condiciones de vida e ingreso de los trabajadores. Los principales hallazgos de este estudio son: 1) La palma de aceite tiene gran capacidad de generación de empleo; 2) los municipios relacionados con la obtención de aceite de palma tienen mejores condiciones de vida que las de otros localizados en las mismas áreas que no se dedican a esta actividad; y 3) los trabajadores del sector de la palma de aceite colombiano, que en general son poco calificados, son bien remunerados.

The social condition on the rural areas of Colombia is characterized by high levels of poverty. Nevertheless, there are exceptions. In fact, some crops provide better living conditions than others to their employees. Previous studies mention the case of perennial crops, which includes the oil palm, in which workers have access to social security and labour stability. The contribution of palm oil agro industry to the social development of the communities located in its influence areas is the subject of this paper. This analysis includes variables related to employment generation, standards of living and worker's income. The main findings of this study are: 1) The palm oil has a great capacity of generating employment opportunities, 2) Municipalities linked to oil palm have better living conditions than others located in near by areas not related to this activity ...

Pectins as possible source of the copper involved in the green staining alteration of cv. Gordal table olives.

The pectic and pigment compositions and Ca and Cu contents of the alcohol-insoluble solid (AIS) residues were determined in cv. Gordal olives treated with NaOH solution and kept at different constant pH values (3.5-6.5). The same controls were made in table olives presenting green staining alteration. The ratio between the various pectin fractions of the more acid pH experiment samples remained similar in fruits not showing green staining. In altered fruits, the protopectin fraction was lower, and the calcium pectate or EDTA soluble pectins were higher. Regarding the presence of Ca and Cu in the AIS, it was observed that, whereas Ca levels fell at the most acid pH values, those of Cu increased. The concentration of Ca was higher in the AIS of altered olives than in nonaltered ones. The same trend was seen for the zone with or without green staining of an altered fruit. In the case of Cu, the relationship was the opposite: a decrease in the levels of AIS Cu in fruits and zones of fruits with green staining. This result was correlated with the highest concentration of Cu-chlorophyll complexes found in such samples and suggested that pectins might act as a reservoir of Cu involved in the alteration.

Changes in chloroplast pigments of olive varieties during fruit ripening.

Changes in chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments of five olive (Olea europaea L.) varieties destined for milling were investigated at six consecutive ripening stages. There was a manifest dependence between olive variety, moment of picking, and chloroplast pigment composition of the fruits. Although the content of chlorophylls and carotenoids differed with fruit variety, ripening always involved their gradual loss, which becames more pronounced with increased presence of anthocyanin compounds. The relative rates of disappearance of chlorophylls and carotenoids were markedly different between varieties, implying that the catabolism of these pigments takes place at a relative rate inherent to each variety. The varieties less rich in pigments showed the most extreme behavior. The highest relative rate of disappearance was observed in fruits of the Blanqueta variety, and the lowest was observed in those of Arbequina. The chlorophyll a/chlorophyll b ratio remained practically constant during ripening, with a value very similar for Hojiblanca, Picual, Cornicabra, and Blanqueta, but much higher for Arbequina, implying that the structure of the photosynthetic apparatus is different in the latter variety. In the five varieties studied, lutein was the slowest carotenoid to be degraded, so that its percentage in the fruits increased with ripening, whereas beta-carotene was the fastest to disappear. In ripe fruits covered with anthocyanins, chloroplast pigments were retained in both skin and pulp, with the rate of disappearance being much higher in the latter.

Strengthening user participation through health sector reform in Colombia: a study of institutional change and social representation.

The challenge of achieving community participation as a component of health sector reform is especially great in low- and middle-income countries where there is limited experience of community participation in social policy making. This paper concentrates on the social representations of different actors at different levels of the health care system in Colombia that may hinder or enable effective implementation of the participatory policy. The study took place in Cali, Colombia and focused on two institutional mechanisms created by the state to channel citizen participation into the health sector, i.e. user associations and customer service offices. This is a case study with multiple sources of evidence using a combination of quantitative and qualitative social science methods. The analysis of respondents' representations revealed a range of practical concerns and considerable degree of scepticism among public and private sector institutions, consumer groups and individual citizens about user participation. Although participation in Colombia has been introduced on political, managerial and ethical grounds, this study has found that health care users do not yet have a meaningful seat around the table of decision-making bodies.

Carotenoid biosynthesis changes in five red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) cultivars during ripening. Cultivar selection for breeding.

Changes in the biosynthesis of individual carotenoid pigments have been investigated during fruit ripening of five cultivars of red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.): Mana, Numex, Belrubi, Delfin, and Negral (a chlorophyll-retaining mutant when ripe). The study was carried out throughout the ripening process, and with special emphasis on the ripe stage, to discover possible differences between cultivars and to characterize these by their carotenoid pattern and content for selecting the best varieties for breeding programs. Ripening fruit of the five cultivars showed the typical and characteristic pattern of carotenoid biosynthesis for the Capsicum genus. In the five cultivars, lutein and neoxanthin, both characteristic chloroplast pigments, decreased in concentration with ripening and eventually disappeared. beta-Carotene, antheraxanthin, and violaxanthin increased in concentration, and other pigments were biosynthesized de novo: zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, capsanthin, capsorubin, capsanthin-5,6-epoxide, and cucurbitaxanthin A. A pool of zeaxanthin stands out of the rest of pigment during ripening, which reveals the importance of this pigment as a branching point in the carotenoid biosynthesis in Capsicum. Quantitatively, Negral cultivar showed the highest increase in total carotenoid content (48. 39-fold), followed by Mana and Delfin with 38.03- and 36.8-fold, respectively, and by Belrubi and Numex with 28.03- and 23.48-fold, respectively. In all the red varieties, there was an inverse relationship between total carotenoid content and the red to yellow isochromic pigment fraction ratio (R/Y) and the capsanthin-to-zeaxanthin ratio (Caps/Zeax). This seems to be related to the carotenogenic capacity of the cultivar, and thus selection and breeding should not only seek a higher total carotenoid content but also attempt to increase these ratios. In the present study, the cultivar Mana had the highest total carotenoid content (13 208 mg/kg dwt), but the lowest R/Y (1.25) and Caps/Zeax (3.38) ratios, which are therefore the parameters to improve. The cultivar Negral had a high carotenoid content (8797 mg/kg dwt) and high R/Y and Caps/Zeax ratios and could be used for transfer of these characters in direct crosses with the cultivar Mana. The cultivar Numex had the highest Caps/Zeax ratio (7.17) and is thus an ideal progenitor for this character.

Effect of high-temperature degradative processes on ketocarotenoids present in paprika oleoresins.

Carotenoid pigments in six commercial oleoresins, qualitatively uniform in pigment composition, were thermodegraded to determine the degradation kinetics in the two (red and yellow) isochromic fractions, structurally differentiated by the presence or absence of keto groups. The different rate of degradation of total pigment indicates that the oily medium modulates the degradation reaction differently, so that each oleoresin shows a different stability. However, in all the oleoresins, the red pigment fraction is degraded at a higher rate than the yellow. Arrhenius curves reveal an isokinetic temperature (T(isok)) distinguishing two zones in which the degradation process has a different effect on each fraction. At temperatures above T(isok), degradation is preferentially toward the red fraction, while at lower temperatures, it is toward the yellow fraction. An isokinetic point between the two pigment fractions means that the thermal conditions at which the stability of the system is to be determined must be stated, as such conditions produce a different effect on each fraction.

Carotenoid content of the varieties Jaranda and Jariza (Capsicumannuum L.) and response during the industrial slow drying and grinding steps in paprika processing.

Fruits of the pepper varieties Jaranda and Jariza (Capsicum annuum L. ) ripen as a group, enabling a single harvesting, showed a uniform carotenoid content that is high enough (7.9 g/kg) for the production of paprika. The drying system at mild temperature showed that fruits with moisture content of 85-88% generated a dry product with carotenoid content equal to or higher than the initial one. Those high moisture levels allowed the fruits to have a longer period of metabolic activity, increasing the yellow fraction, the red fraction, or both as a function of what biosynthetic process was predominant. This fact indicates under-ripeness of the fruits in the drying step. The results obtained allow us to establish that both varieties, Jaranda and Jariza, fit the dehydration process employed, yielding a dry fruit with carotenoid concentration similar to that the initial one. During the grinding step of the dry fruit, the heat generated by the hammers of the mill caused degradation of the yellow fraction, while the red fraction is maintained. The ripeness state of the harvested fruits and the appropriateness or severity of the processing steps are indicated by the ratio of red to yellow (R/Y) and/or red to total (R/T) pigments, since fluctuations in both fractions and in total pigments are reflected in and monitored by these parameters.

Xanthophyll esterification accompanying carotenoid overaccumulation in chromoplast of Capsicum annuum ripening fruits is a constitutive process and useful for ripeness index.

Changes in xanthophyll esterification degree during pepper fruit ripening have been studied in five cultivars (Numex, Mana, Belrubi, Delfin, and Negral). Esterification of xanthophylls with fatty acids is seen to be a process that is contemporary with and directly linked to the transformation of chloroplast (present in the green fruit) into chromoplast (present in the red fruit). Changes in the fractions of free and partially and totally esterified carotenoids are similar between varieties, reflecting the constitutive nature of esterification as part of the ripening process and being controlled by it. From the first stages of ripening, the fraction of totally esterified pigments (zeaxanthin diester, beta-cryptoxanthin diester, capsanthin diester, and capsorubin diester) makes up almost 50% of the total carotenoid content. The proportion of the partially esterified pigment fraction (zeaxanthin monoester, capsanthin monoester, and capsorubin monoester) in the total carotenoid content increases, with a gradual decrease in the fraction of free pigments (beta-cryptoxanthin, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, capsanthin, and capsorubin). In the fully ripe stage, a balance is reached between the three esterification fractions (free, partially esterified, and totally esterified), with mean values of 24.17 +/- 4.06, 31.48 +/- 4. 61, and 44.36 +/- 5.05, respectively, which seems to be largely independent of variety. This suggests a marked control of the carotenoid composition of the totally developed chromoplast, indicating its use as an index of ripeness. The inclusion in the present study of a variety (Negral) that retains chlorophylls when ripening, and which shows the same esterification behavior, supports the idea that carotenogenesis is normal and independent of chlorophyll catabolism.

Prediction of decoloration in paprika oleoresins. Application to studies of stability in thermodynamically compensated systems.

In six paprika oleoresins, the kinetic parameters for the decoloration reaction at three temperatures have been established. The thermodynamic study shows that the decoloration reaction in each oleoresin has its own activation entropy (DeltaS) and activation enthalpy (DeltaH). The six reactions studied show a constant ratio between DeltaH and DeltaS, which means that each reaction is an isokinetic form of only one reaction affected by thermodynamic compensation. Instead of one equation per oleoresin to predict pigment concentration as a mathematical function of time and temperature, one unique equation can be obtained in which DeltaH is a function of DeltaS. The validity of this equation has been tested by comparing the actual concentration remaining during a heat treatment and the calculated one. More than 90% of the calculated concentrations are within the range of variability of the actual mean. Due to the reduction in the number of variables in thermodynamic compensated systems, a general procedure to calculate the activation entropy in isokinetic reactions is proposed.

Quantitaive and qualitative changes associated with heat treatments in the carotenoid content of paprika oleoresins.

Quantitative changes in the red and yellow carotenoid pigment fractions of four paprika oleoresins were studied at four storage temperatures. At all four temperatures, there was an overall loss of pigmentation, which was more marked with increasing temperature. However, pigmentation loss was not qualitatively uniform. At temperatures below 60 degrees C, the rate of destruction of the yellow pigment fraction was higher than that of the red pigments. Above 60 degrees C, the order of lability of the two fractions was inverted and the red pigment fraction became the more unstable. Thus, treatments above this temperature increase the proportion of yellow pigments. Any heat treatment results in a decrease in the total pigment concentration, with the initial proportion of red and yellow pigments switching in favor of one or the other depending on the temperature used.