Supercritical fluid extraction of lycopene from tomato processing byproducts.

Tomato seeds and skins acquired from the byproduct of a local tomato processing facility were studied for supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of phytochemicals. The extracts were analyzed for lycopene, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, and delta-tocopherol content using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection and compared to a chemically extracted control. SFEs were carried out using CO(2) at seven temperatures (32-86 degrees C) and six pressures (13.78-48.26 MPa). The effect of CO(2) flow rate and volume also was investigated. The results indicated that the percentage of lycopene extracted increased with elevated temperature and pressure until a maximum recovery of 38.8% was reached at 86 degrees C and 34.47 MPa, after which the amount of lycopene extracted decreased. Conditions for the optimum extraction of lycopene from 3 g of raw material were determined to be 86 degrees C, 34.47 MPa, and 500 mL of CO(2) at a flow rate of 2.5 mL/min. These conditions resulted in the extraction of 61.0% of the lycopene (7.19 microg lycopene/g).

Supercritical Fluids and the Food Industry.

This paper reviews the use of supercritical fluids in various aspects of the food industry, and is divided into six different areas: modeling of supercritical fluids, separation of extracted material, supercritical carbon dioxide as a solvent for extraction, supercritical fluids and analytical uses, and supercritical fluids and novel methods of food processing. An assortment of solutes are covered in the extraction section of the paper, including antineoplastic agents and lipids. The analytical methods section covers supercritical fluid chromatography, pesticide detection, and lipid analysis. The novel methods section discusses supercritical fluid extrusion and a new method of eliminating hexane from soybean oil.

[Iridocyclitis and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis]. / Iridociclite ed artrite reumatoide giovanile.

Iridocyclitis is a common complication of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. It affects particularly female patients with mono-oligoarthritis. A positivity of ANA-test is usually observed, representing a marker for the disease. The course is chronic, leading potentially to scarring and blindness. The insidious onset, often not parallel to arthritis, requires careful ophthalmologic examination of all patients at risk, in order to achieve early diagnosis and treatment.

[Bourneville's tuberous sclerosis: neurological manifestations and skin anomalies]. / La sclerosi tuberosa di Bourneville: manifestazioni neurologiche ed anomalie cutanee.

A follow up of 14 cases of tuberous sclerosis is presented. Cutaneous signs, epileptic seizures and developmental disabilities were recorded over a period ranging between 2 and 25 years from the onset of symptoms. A correlation can be established between the time of appearance of epilepsy and the degree of mental retardation. Antiepileptic treatment does not seem to prevent developmental disability.

[Value of computerized tomography in childhood epilepsy]. / Importanza della tomografia computerizzata nelle epilessie infantili.

272 cases of childhood epilepsy were studied with brain TC scan to correlate the type of seizure to the possible neurological damage. Children with generalized convulsions had a low incidence of abnormal TC findings if in absence of neurological signs (3/80) (Group A), but a more relevant incidence (13/34) in presence of neurological signs (Group B). 65 children had epileptic encephalopathy (Group C): 15/17 West syndromes and 33/48 Lennox syndromes presented TC abnormalities. The remnant 93 children had partial seizures. In Group D partial epilepsy was free of neurological signs; the incidence of abnormal TC findings was 17/76. An higher incidence (9/17) was found in Group E, where partial epilepsy was accompanied by neurological disturbances.