Effect of elaboration process, crop year and irrigation on acrylamide levels of potential table olive varieties.

BACKGROUND: Table olives are widely consumed in the Mediterranean diet, and several typical Spanish and Portuguese varieties could potentially be used as such. In order to ensure a good-quality product, the effect of different factors such as elaboration processes, irrigation conditions, crop year and their crossover interaction on acrylamide content and antioxidant compounds needs to be deeply studied. RESULTS: When looking through irrigation, regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) presented lower acrylamide levels than rainfed conditions for 'Cordovil de Elvas', 'Picual' and 'Verdeal Alentejana'. No significant interactions were found between the type of irrigation and elaboration style for 'Arbequina' and 'Koroneiki' varieties. Although RDI had the largest concentration of total phenols, antioxidant activity was also the highest. The table olives harvested in the crop year of 2019 showed lower levels of acrylamide due to a significant relationship between the crop year and irrigation conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Novel varieties to be marketed should be taken into consideration for table olive elaboration. The impact of the crop year on the bioactive value of table olives and crossover interactions relies strongly in climatological conditions. Last but not least, the benefit of selecting the best irrigation and elaboration methods is crucial to ensure desirable acrylamide levels. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses in bone marrow to fatty acids in high-fat diets.

Obesity is associated with disruptions in the adaptive immune system; however, dietary fatty acids in high-fat diets (HFDs) that induce obesity have consequences that are currently unclear regarding T-cell maintenance in bone marrow (BM). C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to isocaloric HFDs formulated with dietary fats rich in saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), or MUFAs supplemented with eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids for 20 weeks, followed by an analysis of the immunophenotypic feature of lymphocytes (CD3+) T and their subsets CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in spleen and BM, identification of fatty acids in BM extracellular fluid and analysis of the correspondence between fatty acids with the frequency of T-cell subsets in BM. Splenic CD3+ T cells were reduced irrespective of HFDs. In BM, CD3+ T cells were reduced after HFD-SFAs, while CD4+ T cells were increased after HFDs enriched in MUFAs and CD8+ T cells were reduced irrespective of HFDs. In BM extracellular fluid, the content of palmitic and myristic acids increased after HFD-SFAs and that of oleic acid increased after HFDs enriched in MUFAs. There was a statistical correspondence between HFD-induced changes in fatty acids in BM extracellular fluid and HFD-induced changes in the frequency of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells in BM. These findings reveal an undervalued critical role for dietary fatty acids in the selective acquisition of T-cell subsets in BM, highlighting that oleic acid existing in the surroundings of T-cell niches during HFD-induced obesity could be instrumental in the maintenance of CD4+ T cells.

Effects of Different Controlled Temperatures on Spanish-Style Fermentation Processes of Olives.

This work aimed to determine the effect of applying different temperatures during the fermentation process of Spanish-style table olives. 'Manzanilla de Sevilla' (southwest of Spain, Badajoz) and 'Manzanilla Cacereña' (northwest of Spain, Caceres) olives were processed at an industrial scale in table olive fermenters whose brine was subjected to different thermal treatments. One of the three conducted experiments found that maintaining brine at 20-24 °C over a 3-month period led to optimum firmness, better color indices, and greater free acidity and lactic acid bacteria populations in comparison to an unheated control. Furthermore, raising the temperature of the fermenter to 20-24 °C accelerated the fermentation process, provoking better lactic bacteria and yeast growth without affecting olive firmness. The higher fermentation rate (shorter time to completion) associated with temperature-controlled olives also reduced the marketing time of the final product. Controlling brine temperature led to a better aspect and color, higher acidity, lower bitterness, and better overall assessment of processed olives. In addition, 'Manzanilla de Sevilla' olives presented a higher phenolic content than 'Manzanilla Cacereña' olives. Preliminary evidence is presented suggesting that 'Manzanilla Cacereña' olives appear highly amenable to Sevillian-style processing. The present innovative work demonstrates the importance of applying different thermal treatments to brine to control the temperature during the industrial fermentation of table olives during the cold season.

Localización anatómica del foramen mentoniano mediante tomografía computarizada cone-beam en una población de Chile: estudio observacional / Anatomical localization of the mental foramen using cone-beam computed tomography in a population in Chile: observational study

La ubicación del foramen mentoniano (FM) varía desde el canino hasta el primer molar. La confirmación de la ubicación del FM es fundamental para evitar lesiones nerviosas durante procedimientos odontológicos. La distancia del FM al diente adyacente se puede evaluar mediante tomografía computarizada cone beam (CBCT) de forma segura y precisa. El objetivo fue determinar la distancia promedio entre la cortical superior del FM y el ápice dentario más cercano. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo que midió la distancia en milímetros (mm) desde FM al ápice dentario más cercano de 99 exploraciones CBCT. La medición se realizó en un corte que intercepta el FM y el ápice adyacente. Se evaluaron un total de 99 casos (72 mujeres/ 27 hombres), con una edad promedio de 34,7 años, (rango de 18-73 años). La distancia promedio se ubicó a 3,22 mm del ápice dentario más cercano al FM, la distancia mínima encontrada fue de 0,81 mm y la máxima de 6,99 mm. Se relaciona con el segundo premolar en un 79 % de los casos, y primer premolar en un 17 %. El FM se ubica cercano a la zona de premolares, su localización puede variar en relación a los ápices de estos dientes. Este estudio confirma la importancia de ser cautelosos durante los tratamientos endodónticos y/o quirúrgicos, para prevenir lesiones nerviosas en relación a esta estructura anatómica.

The location of the mental foramen (MF) varies from the canine to the first molar. The confirmation of the location of the MF is essential to avoid nerve injuries during dental procedures. The distance from the MF to the adjacent tooth can be assessed by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) safely and accurately. The objective was to determine the average distance between the upper cortex of the MF and the nearest dental apex. A descriptive study was carried out, where the distance in millimeters (mm) from MF to the nearest dental apex was measured in 99 CBCT exploration. The measurement was realized in a slice that intercepts the MF and the adjacent apex. A total of 99 cases were evaluated (72 women / 27 men), with an average age of 34.7 years (range of 18-73 years). The average distance was located at 3.22 mm from the nearest dental apex to MF, the minimum distance found was 0.81 mm and the maximum was 6.99 mm. It is related to the second premolar in 79 % of cases, and first premolar in 17 %. The MF is located close to the premolar area, its location can vary considerably in relation to the apices of these teeth. This study confirms the importance of being cautious during endodontic and / or surgical treatments to prevent nerve injuries in relation to this anatomical structure.

Soil temperature determines the reaction of olive cultivars to Verticillium dahliae pathotypes.

BACKGROUND: Development of Verticillium wilt in olive, caused by the soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae, can be influenced by biotic and environmental factors. In this study we modeled i) the combined effects of biotic factors (i.e., pathotype virulence and cultivar susceptibility) and abiotic factors (i.e., soil temperature) on disease development and ii) the relationship between disease severity and several remote sensing parameters and plant stress indicators. METHODOLOGY: Plants of Arbequina and Picual olive cultivars inoculated with isolates of defoliating and non-defoliating V. dahliae pathotypes were grown in soil tanks with a range of soil temperatures from 16 to 32°C. Disease progression was correlated with plant stress parameters (i.e., leaf temperature, steady-state chlorophyll fluorescence, photochemical reflectance index, chlorophyll content, and ethylene production) and plant growth-related parameters (i.e., canopy length and dry weight). FINDINGS: Disease development in plants infected with the defoliating pathotype was faster and more severe in Picual. Models estimated that infection with the defoliating pathotype was promoted by soil temperatures in a range of 16 to 24°C in cv. Picual and of 20 to 24°C in cv. Arbequina. In the non-defoliating pathotype, soil temperatures ranging from 16 to 20°C were estimated to be most favorable for infection. The relationship between stress-related parameters and disease severity determined by multinomial logistic regression and classification trees was able to detect the effects of V. dahliae infection and colonization on water flow that eventually cause water stress. CONCLUSIONS: Chlorophyll content, steady-state chlorophyll fluorescence, and leaf temperature were the best indicators for Verticillium wilt detection at early stages of disease development, while ethylene production and photochemical reflectance index were indicators for disease detection at advanced stages. These results provide a better understanding of the differential geographic distribution of V. dahliae pathotypes and to assess the potential effect of climate change on Verticillium wilt development.

Metabolic engineering for the production of shikimic acid in an evolved Escherichia coli strain lacking the phosphoenolpyruvate: carbohydrate phosphotransferase system.

BACKGROUND: Shikimic acid (SA) is utilized in the synthesis of oseltamivir-phosphate, an anti-influenza drug. In this work, metabolic engineering approaches were employed to produce SA in Escherichia coli strains derived from an evolved strain (PB12) lacking the phosphoenolpyruvate:carbohydrate phosphotransferase system (PTS-) but with capacity to grow on glucose. Derivatives of PB12 strain were constructed to determine the effects of inactivating aroK, aroL, pykF or pykA and the expression of plasmid-coded genes aroGfbr, tktA, aroB and aroE, on SA synthesis. RESULTS: Batch cultures were performed to evaluate the effects of genetic modifications on growth, glucose consumption, and aromatic intermediate production. All derivatives showed a two-phase growth behavior with initial high specific growth rate (mu) and specific glucose consumption rate (qs), but low level production of aromatic intermediates. During the second growth phase the mu decreased, whereas aromatic intermediate production reached its maximum. The double aroK- aroL- mutant expressing plasmid-coded genes (strain PB12.SA22) accumulated SA up to 7 g/L with a yield of SA on glucose of 0.29 mol/mol and a total aromatic compound yield (TACY) of 0.38 mol/mol. Single inactivation of pykF or pykA was performed in PB12.SA22 strain. Inactivation of pykF caused a decrease in mu, qs, SA production, and yield; whereas TACY increased by 33% (0.5 mol/mol). CONCLUSIONS: The effect of increased availability of carbon metabolites, their channeling into the synthesis of aromatic intermediates, and disruption of the SA pathway on SA production was studied. Inactivation of both aroK and aroL, and transformation with plasmid-coded genes resulted in the accumulation of SA up to 7 g/L with a yield on glucose of 0.29 mol/mol PB12.SA22, which represents the highest reported yield. The pykF and pykA genes were inactivated in strain PB12.SA22 to increase the production of aromatic compounds in the PTS- background. Results indicate differential roles of Pyk isoenzymes on growth and aromatic compound production. This study demonstrated for the first time the simultaneous inactivation of PTS and pykF as part of a strategy to improve SA production and its aromatic precursors in E. coli, with a resulting high yield of aromatic compounds on glucose of 0.5 mol/mol.