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Chemical Analysis of Plasma-Activated Culture Media by Ion Chromatography
No full textBackground: Currently, the procedures and methods applied in biological and medical fields for the determination of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), primarily rely on spectrophotometric techniques, which involve the use of colorimetric reagents. While these methods are widely accepted, they exhibit significant limitations from an analytical standpoint, particularly due to potential inaccuracies, artifacts, and pronounced susceptibility to matrix effects. The purpose of this Technical Note is to demonstrate the application of ion chromatography—a robust and well-established analytical technique—for the quantification of RONS produced in cell culture media through the exposure to cold atmospheric plasma (CAP), an innovative therapeutic approach for cancer treatment, known as CAP indirect treatment. In addition, the present protocol proposes to apply the pharmacokinetics principles to the RONS generated in plasma-treated liquids (PTLs) following CAP exposure. Methods: The strategy involves elucidating the kinetic profiles of certain characteristic species by evaluating their half-life in the specific media used for cell cultures and investigating their “pharmacokinetic” (PK) profile. In this approach the drug dose is represented by the plasma power and the infusion time corresponds to the exposure time of the culture medium to CAP. Volume-dependent results were shown, focusing on nitrites and nitrates activities, justifying cellular inhibition. Results: This methodology enables the correlation of the PTL biological effects on different cell lines with the PK profiles (dose/time) obtained via ion chromatography. Conclusions: In conclusion, being a simple and green method, it could be used as an alternative to toxic reactions and analytical techniques with higher detection limits, while achieving good resolution
A 50‐Year Theoretical Gap on Color Difference in Food Science: Critical Insights and New Perspectives
No full textEcological impact and metabolic food waste of overweight and obese adults in Northern European and Mediterranean countries
No full textRumen fermentation profile and methane mitigation potential of mango and avocado byproducts as feed ingredients and supplements
No full textScandale aux tropiques Ordination sacerdotale et identité raciale entre Caracas, Rome et Madrid à la fin du XVII e siècle
No full textThe Valorization of Potato Peels as a Functional Ingredient in the Food Industry: A Comprehensive Review.
No full textPotato peels (PPs) represent a significant agro-industrial by-product with notable potential for valorization due to their rich composition of bioactive compounds, including phenolics, glycoalkaloids, dietary fiber, and essential minerals. This review explores the functional applications of PPs in the food industry by examining their chemical profile, extraction methods, and biological activities. Phenolic compounds, mainly chlorogenic acid and its derivatives, are the most abundant bioactives and contribute to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Glycoalkaloids, such as α-solanine and α-chaconine, exhibit antimicrobial activity but require careful monitoring due to their potential toxicity, although recent evidence suggests that controlled doses may provide health benefits. The choice of extraction technique influences the recovery of these compounds, with ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) proving to be efficient and environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional methods. The incorporation of PP-derived ingredients into food formulations, including cereal, dairy, meat, and fish products, as well as vegetable oils, has shown promising results in the improvement of nutritional quality, oxidative stability and functional properties. However, challenges remain with regard to the standardization of PP composition, bioavailability of bioactive compounds and their stability within food matrices. Advancing research on PPs will not only contribute to circular economy goals but also provide innovative solutions for the food industry, reinforcing the link between sustainability and human health
Proteomic meta-analysis unveils new frontiers for biomarkers research in pancreatic carcinoma
No full textPancreatic carcinoma (PC) is the sixth leading cause of cancer death in both sexes in 2022, responsible for almost 5% of all cancer deaths worldwide; it is characterized by a poor prognosis since most patients present with an unresectable and metastatic tumor. To date, the decreasing trend in mortality rates related to the most common cancers has contributed to making pancreatic cancer a serious public health problem. In the last few years, scientific research has led to many advances in diagnostic approaches, perioperative management, radiotherapy techniques, and systemic therapies for advanced disease, but only with modest incremental progress in PC patient outcomes. Most of the causes of this high mortality are, unfortunately, late diagnosis and an important therapeutic resistance; for this reason, the most recent high-throughput proteomics technologies focus on the identification of novel biomarkers and molecular profiling to generate new insights in the study of PC, to improve diagnosis and prognosis and to monitor the therapies progress. In this work, we present and discuss the integration of results from different revised studies on protein biomarkers in a global proteomic meta-analysis to understand which path to pursue scientific research. In particular, cancer signaling, inflammatory response, and cell migration and signaling have emerged as the main pathways described in PC, as well as scavenging of free radicals and metabolic alteration concurrently highlighted new research insights on this disease. Interestingly, from the study of upstream regulators, some were found to be shared by collecting data relating to both biological fluid and tissue biomarkers, side by side: specifically, TNF, LPS, p38-MAPK, AGT, miR-323-5p, and miR-34a-5p. By integrating many biological components with their interactions and environmental relationships, it’s possible to achieve an in-depth description of the pathological condition in PC and define correlations between concomitant symptoms and tumor genesis and progression. In conclusion, our work may represent a strategy to combine the results from different studies on various biological samples in a more comprehensive way
Innovative Poly(epsilon-caprolactone)(PCL) Electrospun Patterned Scaffolds: Shaping the Future of Ovarian Tissue Engineering
No full textThe analgesic evaluation of an opioid-free anaesthesia protocol in cats undergoing ovariectomy
No full textOpioid-free protocols are increasingly used in veterinary medicine although there are few studies concerning the feline species. In 2022, Rufiange et al. (1) compared the analgesic power of an opioid-free protocol with that of a standard protocol (using opioids) in ovariohysterectomized female cats, evaluating the degree of analgesia and sedation using the Feline Grimace Scale (FGS), obtaining as a result an equivalence between the opioid-free and standard protocols in the management of intraoperative pain and the degree of anesthesia achieved. Among the most commonly used drugs in opioid-free protocols is dexmedetomidine. Gupert A. et al. (2), have shown that this causes no side effects to the respiratory system, as well as having an analgesic, sedative and anxiolytic effect. The use in continuous intraoperative infusion of dexmedetomidine in cats was studied in 2018 by authors who demonstrated its usefulness also in reducing the volatile anaesthetic agent used to maintain general anaesthesia (isofluorane), thus decreasing its undesirable effects systemically (3). The objective of the study is to evaluate the analgesic and anesthesiologic capacity of an opioid-free protocol using dexmedetomidine, alfaxalone, and lidocaine intra-operatively in female cats undergoing ovariectomy, comparing it with a standard protocol. The study is based on 30 subjects randomly assigned to experimental group 1 and standard group 2. Group 1 received administration of dexmedetomidine at 15 μg/kg IM and alfaxalone at 2 mg/kg IM for induction of anesthesia, followed by maintenance of anaesthesia in isofluorane and administration by continuous infusion (CRI) of dexmedetomidine at 1 μg/kg/h IV. Physiological parameters were measured for each patient during nine well-defined stages of surgery. Patients in standard group 2 received an additional dose of methadone at 0.1 mg/kg IM during anaesthesia induction and did not receive intraoperative dexmedetomidine CRI. Both groups received a dose of intra-ligamentous lidocaine during surgery before ovariectomy. The parameters recorded for both groups and the FGS resulted in the good outcome from both anesthesiological and analgesic point of view of the experimental group compared with the control group, demonstrating in fact the analgesic power of intraoperative dexmedetomidine and of the exsperimental protocol
Hedonic-vs. health-based approach to food: An explorative study of extrinsic attributes importance among French and Italian consumers
No full textUnderstanding the psychological and behavioral factors that influence consumers’ food choices is essential for public health and provides a crucial foundation for interventions aimed at promoting healthier diets. Research has shown that food decisions are significantly shaped by both hedonic preferences and health considerations. However, how consumers with different approaches to food prioritize various food attributes has yet to be thoroughly explored. This paper aims to address this gap by exploring how hedonic and healthy eating behavior vary in the importance given to extrinsic attributes. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among nationally representative samples of consumers in Italy and France (N = 2000). Consumer perceptions of six food attributes were analyzed using ordered logistic regression to examine the influence of hedonic and health-conscious eating behaviors. Results showed that respondents following a more hedonic approach to food prioritize food attributes differently based on their cultural heritage, with notable distinctions between French and Italian consumers. French consumers tend to perceive a conflict between hedonic preferences and sustainability attributes. In contrast, Italian consumers do not exhibit these conflicts. Consumers who pay more attention to health when choosing food also tend to give more importance to all extrinsic attributes. This pattern was observed in both Italian and French samples, suggesting that health-conscious individuals are more likely to make food decisions based on information and careful evaluation of product characteristics