Development of Probiotic Formulation for the Treatment of Iron Deficiency Anemia.

Probiotics are increasingly more present both as functional foods, and in pharmaceutical preparations with multiple levels of action that contribute to human health. Probiotics realize their positive effects with a proper dose, and by maintaining a declared number of probiotics cells by the expiration date. Important precondition for developing a probiotic product is the right choice of clinically proven probiotic strain, the choice of other active components, as well as, the optimization of the quantity of active component of probiotic per product dose. This scientific paper describes the optimization of the number of probiotics cells in the formulation of dietary supplement that contains probiotic culture Lactobacillus plantarum 299v, iron and vitamin C. Variations of the quantity of active component were analyzed in development batches of the encapsulated probiotic product categorized as dietary supplement with the following ingredients: probiotic culture, sucrosomal form of iron and vitamin C. Optimal quantity of active component L. plantarum of 50 mg, was selected. The purpose of this scientific paper is to select the optimal formulation of probiotic culture in a dietary supplement that contains iron and vitamin C, and to also determine its expiration date by the analysis of the number of viable probiotic cells.

[Condition of hearing sense and tinnitus before and after the treatment of otosclerosis].

INTRODUCTION: Otosclerosis is an osteodystrophy disease of the bony labyrinth of the ear which leads to stapes fixation and to bradyecoia of a conductive type. The microsurgical treatment by the use of a stapes prosthesis provides hearing improvement and a reduction or disappearing of tinnitus. The aim of our study was to determine the hearing condition and tinnitus before and after the treatment of otosclerosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A hundred patients with otosclerosis, aged 20 to 70, were surgically treated at the Otorhinolaryngology Clinic and the Functional Diagnostics, Military Medical Academy, Belgrade. After the treatment, the audiometric examinations were performed in order to assess the hearing condition and tinnitus was assessed by a questionnaire. The subjective assessment of tinnitus was ranged as present, reduced or absent. RESULTS: Before the treatment, hearing impairment was present in all the patients, while tinnitus was found in 91% of them. One year following the surgical treatment hearing improvement was found in 96% of the patients, and tinnitus cessation in 89% of them. CONCLUSION: The surgical treatment can result in hearing improvement and cessation or reduction of tinnitus.

[New possibilities in the treatment of Meniere's disease]. / Nove mogucnosti i lecenju Menijerove bolesti.

The results of the treatment of Meniere's disease by intratympanic instillation of gentamicin in 32 patients over a 24-months period were analyzed. The receded vestibular function was found in 96.8% patients, whereas in the remaining 3.2% pronounced vestibular hypofunction was observed. One month after the treatment vertiginous attacks disappeared in all the patients. However, three months after the treatment infrequent episodes of mild degree vertigo and mild unsteadiness that did not require additional intratympanic gentamicin application appeared in 15% of the patients with Meniere's disease. The vertiginous attacks ceased or were pronouncedly reduced in 85% of the patients. The unstable vestibular hypofunction was successfully converted into stabilized, centrally compensated areflexia. Intratympanic gentamicin exerted better results than the other invasive therapies for intractable Meniere's disease.

Chemical and Organoleptic Properties of Irradiated Dried Whole Egg and Egg Yolk.

The influence of 60Co gamma radiation on the chemical and organoleptic properties of solid whole egg and solid egg yolk has been studied to provide a basis for assessing the feasibility of the radicidation of Salmonella in egg powder. Irradiation up to 10 kGy did not produce measurable changes in acidity, vitamins B1 or B2. Radiolytic changes in the fatty component included the decomposition of triglycerides, the formation of hydroperoxides, and the degradation of carotenoids. An increase in hydroperoxidation with dose was coupled with a decrease in carotenoids and vitamin A. Radiolytic decomposition of various amino acids was not random, indicating that the secondary reactions of free radicals from the oxidized lipids were also significant in the selective damage to amino acids. The effects of both lipid and protein fraction could be minimized by irradiating in the absence of oxygen. The organoleptic properties of native egg solids, as well as scrambled eggs and mayonnaise prepared thereof, were indistinguishable from the samples irradiated in air up to 3 kGy, and from samples irradiated in the absence of oxygen up to 5 kGy.