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.

Phase II study of gemcitabine, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin in patients with pancreatic cancer.

The primary goal of this phase II study was to determine the efficacy of gemcitabine (Gemzar; Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN) plus 5-fluorouracil in patients with pancreatic cancer. Eligibility criteria included nonresectable locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma and measurable disease. Gemcitabine at 1,000 mg/m(2) and leucovorin at 20 mg/m(2) were administered intravenously 30 minutes before 5-fluorouracil 600 mg/m(2), weekly for 3 of every 4 weeks. Twenty nine patients were enrolled. The overall response rate was 21% (95% confidence interval: 8% to 40%), consisting of one complete response and five partial responses; 16 patients (55%) had stable disease. Median survival was 8.4 months (95% confidence interval: 2.6 to 14.2), and actuarial 1-year survival was 36%. Neutropenia (grade 3 only) was reported in 3.4% of patients, but was generally of short duration. No thrombocytopenia or evidence of cumulative myelosuppression was observed. The only significant nonhematologic events were grade 3 diarrhea and alopecia (both 3.4%). Gemcitabine plus 5-fluorouracil is active and well tolerated compared with results reported for each of these single agents. Thus, this combination justifies future comparative clinical trials. Semin Oncol 28 (suppl 10):44-49.

Estimation of the chloramphenicol and cycloheximide inhibition of protein synthesis in brain cholinergic synaptosomes.

Cholinergic synaptosomes have been prepared from sheep brain cortex by means of an immunoaffinity method using a specific anti-(Chol I) antiserum. The [14C]leucine incorporation into proteins of this preparation shows a low cycloheximide and a high chloramphenicol sensitivity. This fact suggests that the mitochondrial protein synthesis system is the only one present in this fraction.

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%.

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.

Simplified method for the determination of organochlorine pesticides in honey.

A method is described for the detection and quantitative determination of organochlorine pesticides in honey. After extraction with hexane, the pesticides were cleaned-up by adsorption chromatography on a Florisil Sep-Pak cartridge and eluted with 15% diethyl ether in hexane. The detection of organochlorine pesticides was performed by capillary gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. The quantification limit obtained for different pesticides ranged from 0.56 to 2.78 micrograms kg-1 and recoveries from fortified honey samples averaged 89.6%.

Phase partitioning of beta-bungarotoxin-treated cerebrocortical synaptosomes: quantitation of the toxin-vulnerable population.

beta-Bungarotoxin induces changes in the partition of cerebrocortical synaptosomes in Dextran-poly(ethylene glycol) two-phase systems. The toxin action promotes an increase of the partition percentage of synaptosomes in the upper poly(ethylene glycol) rich phase. This effect was observed in both Dextran T500 and Dextran T40 two-phase systems. In both cases an increase of partition in this upper phase of a discrete amount of the whole synaptosomal population accounts for almost 100% of choline acetyltransferase activity, a marker of cholinergic synaptosomes, appearing in this same phase. This effect is specifically dependent on the toxin action since a control experiment shows that extraction into the upper phase of the synaptosomal preparation carried out by addition of an unspecific ligand (hexaethonium) bound to poly(ethylene glycol), could induce the partition of both the whole choline acetyltransferase activity and synaptosomal material in this upper phase. These results suggest that beta-bungarotoxin specifically induces the partition into the upper phase of a toxin-vulnerable synaptosomal population. Therefore, it has been estimated that 30 or 32% of the total synaptosomal preparation is sensitive to the toxin action, as calculated from the maximal increase in the toxin-treated particles partition obtained in the Dextran T500 or Dextran T40 two-phase systems, respectively.

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.

Síndrome pseudobulbar en mujer joven con múltiples ictus y aneurisma interatrial / Pseudobulbar syndrome in young woman with multiple stroke and interatrial aneurysm

Los aneurismas interatriales pueden ser fuente de embolias pulmonares y sistémicas. Poco frecuentes y subestimados como causa de ictus isquémicos, son diagnosticados mediante ecocardiografía transesofágica. Su presencia ha sido asociada de forma significativa a lesiones encefálicas isquémicas en pacientes jóvenes. Presentamos el caso de una mujer joven con múltiples ictus isquémicos atribuidos a la presencia de un aneurisma del septo auricular, que presentaba un cuadro de tetraparesia, alteraciones sensitivas y disartria pseudobulbar

Interatrial aneurysm can be a source of pulmonary and systemic emboli. Uncommon and underestimated as cause of stroke, are usually diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography. Its presence has been significantly associated with cerebral isquemic lesions in young patients. We report a case of a young woman with multiple isquemic stroke attributed to an interatrial septal aneurysm, who developed tetraparesis, sensory disturbances and psudobulbar dysarthria

Eficacia analgésica de la electroterapia y técnicas afines: revisiones sistemáticas / Analgesic efficacy of electrotherapy and similar techniques. Systematic reviews

Hacemos una revisión bibliográfica de las revisiones sistemáticas y metaanálisis publicados que hacen referencia a la eficacia analgésica de la electroterapia. Resumimos estos trabajos y discutimos sus resultados y conclusiones.Aunque existen resultados positivos, la mayor parte de estas revisiones, salvo en determinados casos, no parecen confirmar la eficacia analgésica de la electroterapia y sus posibles beneficios parecen, en general, de escasa relevancia; dado que tampoco existe una definitiva evidencia de su ineficacia, son necesarios estudios más rigurosos para obtener conclusiones definitivas.Pensamos que este trabajo puede servir de ayuda en futuros trabajos de investigación sobre electroterapia y técnicas afines, al sintetizar la amplia información existente. (AU)

Medicina basada en la evidencia y rehabilitación / Evidence based medicine and rehabilitation

La evaluación económica de las tecnologías sanitarias se está convirtiendo en una prioridad para los sistemas de salud. Es una de las razones por las que la llamada Medicina Basada en la Evidencia está en plena actualidad y tiene una importancia cada vez mayor. En este trabajo se aborda el problema del estudio de la literatura científica. La obtención de evidencias resulta en muchas ocasiones complicado debido a la ingente cantidad de ensayos clínicos, a las limitaciones de las principales bases de datos, etc., por lo que el médico recibe muchas veces resultados contradictorios. Actualmente las revisiones sistemáticas (como las realizadas por la Colaboración Internacional Cochrane) están aportando los más altos niveles de evidencias sobre la eficacia de regímenes preventivos, terapéuticos y rehabilitadores, pudiendo proporcionar al médico rehabilitador que lo desee una guía de extraordinaria utilidad. Aunque asumiendo sus imperfecciones, la Medicina Basada en la Evidencia, junto con la experiencia y conocimientos clínicos del médico, puede llevar a una mejor, más racional y estimulante práctica de la medicina aunando los intereses colectivos con los individuales. (AU)