Bioactive properties of honey with propolis.

Nowadays, propolis is used as an innovative preservative and as a bioactive food supplement. Due to its bitter and astringent flavour, propolis is hardly accepted by consumers. The aim of this study was to obtain a likeable food product made with honey and propolis, whose antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties were enhanced in comparison with those of the base honeys used. 0.1%, 0.3% and 0.5% soft propolis extracts were added to honeys and the products that most appealed to the users were subjected to further research. Total phenolics, flavonoids, ABTS free radical and hydroxyl radicals scavenging and anti-inflammatory activities increased in all mixtures. Antimicrobial activity of the combined products showed synergic effects, resulting in higher results than those of the base honeys and propolis extracts. Therefore, honeys enriched with small amounts of propolis extracts are promising functional foods.

Calidad de vida y cuidados paliativos: ¿qué dimensiones podemos mejorar? / No disponible

Objetivo: conocer si la intervención de un equipo de soporte hospitalario (UFISS), mejora la calidad de vida de los pacientes atendidos según la escala Palliative Outcome Scale (POS). Sujetos y método: estudio prospectivo mediante la aplicación de la escala POS al ingreso y alta de los pacientes atendidos por el equipo de Cuidados Paliativos del Hospital Universitario Arnau de Vilanova entre octubre 2006 y enero 2007. Criterios exclusión: sólo una sola valoración; intervención inferior a cinco días; pacientes en situación agónica; evaluaciones con falta de datos. Otras variables estudiadas: edad, sexo y servicio de procedencia. Análisis estadístico con test no paramétrica de la U de Mann-Whitney y diferencia antes y después con test de signos de Wilcoxon. Significación de p < 0,05. Resultados: de los 115 pacientes valorados, 50 cumplían los criterios de inclusión. El 60% eran hombres. Media de edad de 67,5 años (16). Los pacientes provenían de servicios médicos (86%). El resultado global del POS mejora de forma significativa tras la intervención de la UFISS(p < 0,05). También mejoran: dolor (p < 0,01), otros síntomas (p < 0,05),información (p < 0,05), tiempo perdido con tratamientos (p < 0,05), y la manera en cómo se han abordado los asuntos pendientes (p < 0,05). Corregido cada ítem del POS por sexo, edad (menor y mayor de 70 años) y servicio que los deriva, encontramos que los resultados son similares, exceptuando el caso de paciente > 70 años, en los cuales mejora significativamente su nivel de angustia. Conclusiones: la intervención del equipo de UFISS de Cuidados Paliativos mejora significativamente la calidad de vida de los pacientes atendidos. Las áreas que mejoran son el dolor, otros síntomas, la información, el tiempo perdido y la forma de tratar los asuntos pendientes (AU)

Objective: to describe whether an intervention by a Palliative Care Supportive Team in a University Hospital can improve quality of life (QL)as assessed by the Palliative Outcome Scale (POS). Patients and methods: a longitudinal, prospective survey using POS during the first visit and at discharge in all patients treated by our palliative care team (October 2006 to January 2007). Exclusion criteria:1) patients with only one assessment, (survival less than 1 week or first assessment prior to the study period). 2) Assessments with any missing data. 3) Patients in their last hours of life. 4) Assessments with missing data. Other variables we analyzed were: age, sex, and referring department. For patient analyses by groups we used the Mann-Whitney non parametrical U-test, and to establish differences before and after the intervention we used Wilcoxon's test. The level of significance we used was p < 0.05. Results: during the study, of all 115 newly treated patients, 50 were selected for the analysis; 60% were men, average age was 67.5; 86% were referred by medical specialists. Global POS improvement was significant after the palliative care intervention (p < 0.05). The dimensions that improved most were: pain (p < 0.01); other symptoms (p < 0.05); information(p < 0.05), wasted time (p < 0.05), and the way problems were resolved(p < 0.05). A POS analysis by sex, age (younger or older than 70), and ward of origin showed no differences except for anxiety, which improved especially among patients over 70, even though this item did not affect final results. Conclusions: a) a palliative care intervention by a supportive team improves QL for patients; and b) pain, other symptoms, information, waste of time, and the way outstanding matters were dealt with are the QL dimensions that improved most (AU)

Determination of vitamin B(6) in cooked sausages.

A reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been described for the determination of various active forms of vitamin B(6) in meat products. Different extracting agents were tested to solubilize fully the analyte for quantification. The best data were obtained by extracting the samples with 5% (w/v) metaphosphoric acid. Separation by HPLC was performed with fluorescence detection (excitation, 290 nm; emission, 395 nm), on a 10 cm x 0.46 cm i.d. Hypersil BDS C(18) 5 microm column using a mixture of 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 3.2) and acetonitrile (99:1, v/v) as mobile phase. Precision of the method was 0.5% (within a day) and 4.3% (between days). The detection limits were 0.020 mg/100 g for pyridoxal and pyridoxamine, 0.017 mg/100 g for pyridoxamine phosphate, 0.500 mg/100 g for pyridoxal phosphate, and 0.033 mg/100 g for pyridoxol, with a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The recovery ranged from 92.0 to 100.0%.

Evolution of invertase activity in honey over two years.

Invertase activity is a good parameter for evaluating honey freshness. Invertase activity evolution was determined on 57 fresh, unheated, commercially purchased Galician (northwestern Spain) floral honey samples. All honeys were stored in darkness at room temperature for up 24 months and analyzed each 6 months so as to determine the invertase activity evolution tendency for the first time. Invertase activity analysis was carried out according to Siegenthaler's method and in a simple assay, the latter showing a good precision (coefficient of variation between 0.35 and 0.66%). Initial invertase activity mean value was 163.9 (48.4-251.0) micromol of 4-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside hydrolyzed/kg of honey/min. After application of the SPSS statistical package, the values of invertase activity showed five types of temporal behavior: exponential (56% of samples), linear (25% of samples), logarithmic (11% of samples), inverse (5% of samples), and quadratic (3% of samples). Linear regression equations were used to predict the invertase activity at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months from the initial Galician honeys' invertase activities; no statistical differences were found between experimental data and the activities calculated from the linear regression equations.

Simultaneous determination of nicotinic acid and nicotinamide in cooked sausages.

A simple and sensitive method for determining simultaneously nicotinic acid and nicotinamide content in cooked sausages by ion-pair reversed-phase liquid chromatography is described. Samples are extracted with ultrapure water, centrifuged, deproteinized with zinc hydroxide, filtered, and chromatographed with UV detection at 261 nm on a 25 cm x 4 mm i.d. Spherisorb ODS-2 cartridge using as mobile phase a mixture consisting of 5 mM heptanesulfonic acid adjusted to pH 3.3 with phosphoric acid and acetonitrile (75:25, v/v). Both vitamins are measured on a reversed-phase column with a single ion-pair reagent. Precision of the method was 0.5 and 1.0% (within a day) and 2.3 and 4.5% (between days) for nicotinic acid and nicotinamide, respectively. The detection limit was 0.300 mg/100 g. The recovery was >92% of nicotinic acid and nicotinamide added to samples of meats. Twenty samples of six different products have been analyzed in duplicate. The mean value for nicotinic acid ranged between 0.908 and 1.267 mg/100 g of fresh weight and for nicotinamide between 1.968 and 2.880 mg/100 g of fresh weight.

Determination of total riboflavin in cooked sausages.

A simple and rapid method for determining riboflavin content in cooked sausages by ion-pair reversed-phase liquid chromatography has been set up. Samples were subjected to acid and enzymatic hydrolysis. Sample extracts were directly chromatographed, avoiding purification and concentration treatment. Final determination was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector (excitation, 227 nm; emission, 520 nm), on a 25 cm x 4 mm i.d. Spherisorb ODS-2 cartridge using a mixture of 5 mM heptanesulfonic acid adjusted to pH 2.7 with phosphoric acid and acetonitrile (75:25, v/v) as mobile phase. Precision of the method was 1.3% (within a day) and 2.6% (between days). The detection limit was 0.015 mg/100 g. The recovery was >95%.

Determination of thiamin in cooked sausages.

A reliable and rapid high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been set up for the determination of total thiamin in difficult sample matrices such as cooked sausages. Different hydrolysis conditions and enzymes were tested to release the vitamin from its phosphate ester. The best data in the enzymatic digestion were obtained by incubating the samples with 6% clara-diastase at 50 degrees C for 3 h. After oxidation of thiamin to thiochrome, the sample extracts were purified by using a C(18) Sep-Pak cartridge. Final determination was performed by reversed-phase HPLC with fluorescence detector (excitation 360 nm, emission 430 nm), on a low-cost 25 cm x 4 mm i.d. Spherisorb C(8) cartridge using a mixture of 5 mM phosphate buffer pH 7.0 and acetonitrile (70:30, v/v) as mobile phase. Precision of the method was 1.5% (within a day) and 5. 2% (between days). The detection limit was 0.015 mg/100 g. All the recoveries from the different cooked sausages were better than 90% of thiamin hydrochloride added to samples of meats. In the samples analyzed, the mean value for thiamin was between 0.039 and 0.508 mg/100 g fresh weight.

Acaricide residues in honeys from Galicia (N.W. Spain).

Honey samples (101) from Galicia (N.W. Spain) were analyzed by gas chromatography (electron capture and flame ionization) for the presence of acaricides (amitraz, bromopropylate, coumaphos, and fluvalinate). Seventy-three samples were free from detectable residues. Bromopropylate residues were found in 16 samples in levels ranging from 5 to 60 microg/kg. Fluvalinate residues were found in 11 samples in levels ranging from 10 to 40 microg/kg. One sample contained 100 microg of fluvalinate per kg. Neither amitraz nor coumaphos residues were detected.

Nonacaricide Pesticide Residues in Honey: Analytical Methods and Levels Found.

A bibliographic review on honey pollution with pesticides is presented. This paper reviews the methods set up for determining pesticide residues in honey samples as well as the pesticide residue levels found in European countries.

Acaricide Residues in Honey: Analytical Methods and Levels Found.

A bibliographic review on the pollution of honey with acaricides is presented. This paper reviews methods for determining amitraz, bromopropylate, coumaphos, cymiazole, fluvalinate, malathion and phenothiazine residues in honey samples, as well as multiresidue methods. Acaricide residue levels found in European countries are also reviewed.