Use of Calcium Hypochlorite as a Sanitizer for Seeds Used for Sprouting: Task #2; Impact: Improved Alfalfa Decontamination Technologies

Consumption of raw or lightly cooked alfalfa sprouts has been a concern of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in recent years due to connections between sprouts and foodborne illnesses. Researchers have identified, contaminated seeds as the primary source of alfalfa sprouts contamination. Contamination of alfalfa seeds can originate in the field, harvesting, storing, or sprouting. Two pathogens of particular concern on alfalfa seeds are Escherichia coli 0157:H7 (E. coli) and Salmonella. These pathogens are capable of producing biofilms that provide protection for individual cells and allow for survival in otherwise hostile environments, including some disinfectant washes. Other factors that contribute to contamination are the crevices of the seed surface, which provide opportunities for the protection of organisms. Various disinfection options have been evaluated and the use of a 20,000 ppm calcium hypochlorite ( Ca( OCl)2)) solution is the most effective disinfectant for satisfying the requirements of Task 2. Continued outbreaks of food poisoning indicate current disinfecting procedures are inadequate. In an effort to improve disinfection procedures, three bench scale apparatuses were constructed and tested to provide options for the commercial range of seed sanitation rates (from about 75 to 600 lb/week). Experiments were conducted to determine the disinfecting effectiveness of the apparatuses, as well as the current sanitization practices in industry. Experiments included dye removal tests where non-uniform dye removal indicated ineffective contacting. Similar experiments were performed using E. coli inoculating and post-contacting culturing. One bench scale apparatus constructed was a model of the rotary drums widely used in industry. After a 30 minute treatment in the rotary drum, the seeds were found to be free of dye, indicating good contacting. The seeds were also sprouted showing sanitation did not damage the seeds. However, due to the capital expense of $14,000, the drum is not a viable option for small-scale sprout producers. For sprout growers who currently own rotary drums, drum use is recommended for seed sanitation. Another bench scale apparatus was designed to improve the current industry practice of hand dunking seed-filled mesh draw-string bags. Through experimentation, it was determined . the current hand dunking procedure, with little or no agitation, produces inadequate, non-uniform contact of the seeds and sanitizer. Therefore, the hand dunking procedure was modified to include agitation to effectively suspend the seeds throughout the bag to obtain good contact of the sanitizer solution with the seeds. The agitation-in-bag method is recommended for use in small volume sprout facilities, which currently employ the hand dunking procedure for sanitizing. A modest investment of$113 is needed to implement the agitation-in-bag sanitizing method. Since no additional operating costs are accrued in implementation, no incremental costs are required. Finally, an auger system was designed to sanitize one ton per hour of alfalfa seeds. The one ton per hour rate exceeds the demand of any individual sprout producer. Thus, the auger system is applicable to a partnership of sprout growers. Individual sprout growers within the mung bean industry, with much larger production volumes than the alfalfa industry, could economically use the auger system. However, the auger system can be scaled to sanitize any feed rate. A 1 3/8 diameter, 4\u27 long auger bench scale model was constructed and tested at 4.5 lbs/hr rate with a contact time of 15 minutes. Scale-up of this bench scale sanitizer to a 2000 lb/hr rate requires a 16 diameter by 20\u27 auger. The entire full-scale sanitizing system, which includes a vibrating screen washer, will handle 5,000,000 lb/yr of seeds, operating 8 \u27hr/day, with a capital investment of $227,000 and an incremental operating cost (primarily labor) of$214,000/yr

Absorption of silicon from artesian aquifer water and its impact on bone health in postmenopausal women: a 12 week pilot study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Decreased bone mineral density and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women represents a growing source of physical limitations and financial concerns in our aging population. While appropriate medical treatments such as bisphosphonate drugs and hormone replacement therapy exist, they are associated with serious side effects such as osteonecrosis of the jaw or increased cardiovascular risk. In addition to calcium and vitamin D supplementation, previous studies have demonstrated a beneficial effect of dietary silicon on bone health. This study evaluated the absorption of silicon from bottled artesian aquifer water and its effect on markers of bone metabolism.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Seventeen postmenopausal women with low bone mass, but without osteopenia or osteoporosis as determined by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) were randomized to drink one liter daily of either purified water of low-silicon content (PW) or silicon-rich artesian aquifer water (SW) (86 mg/L silica) for 12 weeks. Urinary silicon and serum markers of bone metabolism were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks and analyzed with two-sided t-tests with p < 0.05 defined as significant.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The urinary silicon level increased significantly from 0.016 ± 0.010 mg/mg creatinine at baseline to 0.037 ± 0.014 mg/mg creatinine at week 12 in the SW group (p = 0.003), but there was no change for the PW group (0.010 ± 0.004 mg/mg creatinine at baseline vs. 0.009 ± 0.006 mg/mg creatinine at week 12, p = 0.679). The urinary silicon for the SW group was significantly higher in the silicon-rich water group compared to the purified water group (p < 0.01). NTx, a urinary marker of bone resorption did not change during the study and was not affected by the silicon water supplementation. No significant change was observed in the serum markers of bone formation compared to baseline measurements for either group.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These findings indicate that bottled water from artesian aquifers is a safe and effective way of providing easily absorbed dietary silicon to the body. Although the silicon did not affect bone turnover markers in the short-term, the mineral's potential as an alternative prevention or treatment to drug therapy for osteoporosis warrants further longer-term investigation in the future.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01067508</p

Contribution of a Mesocorticolimbic Subcircuit to Drug Context-Induced Reinstatement of Cocaine-Seeking Behavior in Rats

Cocaine-seeking behavior triggered by drug-paired environmental context exposure is dependent on orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)–basolateral amygdala (BLA) interactions. Here, we present evidence supporting the hypothesis that dopaminergic input from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the OFC critically regulates these interactions. In experiment 1, we employed site-specific pharmacological manipulations to show that dopamine D1-like receptor stimulation in the OFC is required for drug context-induced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior following extinction training in an alternate context. Intra-OFC pretreatment with the dopamine D1-like receptor antagonist, SCH23390, dose-dependently attenuated cocaine-seeking behavior in an anatomically selective manner, without altering motor performance. Furthermore, the effects of SCH23390 could be surmounted by co-administration of a sub-threshold dose of the D1-like receptor agonist, SKF81297. In experiment 2, we examined effects of D1-like receptor antagonism in the OFC on OFC-BLA interactions using a functional disconnection manipulation. Unilateral SCH23390 administration into the OFC plus GABA agonist-induced neural inactivation of the contralateral or ipsilateral BLA disrupted drug context-induced cocaine-seeking behavior relative to vehicle, while independent unilateral manipulations of these brain regions were without effect. Finally, in experiment 3, we used fluorescent retrograde tracers to demonstrate that the VTA, but not the substantia nigra, sends dense intra- and interhemispheric projections to the OFC, which in turn has reciprocal bi-hemispheric connections with the BLA. These findings support that dopaminergic input from the VTA, via dopamine D1-like receptor stimulation in the OFC, is required for OFC–BLA functional interactions. Thus, a VTA–OFC–BLA neural circuit promotes drug context-induced motivated behavior