A morphometric study of nucleolar organiser regions in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

The study sought a correlation between the number of AgNOR granules and the degree of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Thirty-five sections (5 normal, 10 CIN1, 10 CIN2 and 10 CIN3) were subjected to retrospective analysis. The percentage of cells with 1, 2, 3, 4 and more AgNORs was calculated and the number of granules per 100 cells was counted. The number of cells containing single granules decreases. However, the number increases with CIN level when the cells contain 4 and more AgNORs. The number of granules per 100 cells also increases with the degree of CIN. It can be thus concluded that the number of cells with 4 and more AgNOR granules can serve as a CIN differentiation exponent

Effect of dietary supplementation with Echinacea purpurea on vaccine efficacy against infection with Flavobacterium columnare in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

The effect of dietary Echinacea purpurea (EP) on the response of zebrafish (Danio rerio) to a Flavobacterium columnare vaccine was investigated. Two hundred D. rerio with an average weight of 290 ± 40 g were selected and fed different levels of E. purpurea (5 g kg⁻¹ diet - group 1, 10 g kg⁻¹ diet - group 2, 20 g kg⁻¹ diet - group 3, 30 g kg⁻¹ diet - group 4, and 0 g kg⁻¹ diet - group 5). Experimental feeding was begun 3 weeks prior to bath immunization and continued until the end of the experiment. Twenty-eight days after immunization the fish were challenged by bath immersion with F. columnare at a concentration of 1x106 CFU/ml. The relative percent survival of the experimental groups (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) was 5.0, 6.0, 30.0, 36.0 and 5.0, respectively. In conclusion, diet supplementation with E. purpurea may effectively enhance the response of zebrafish to a F. columnare vaccine

Wydajność i energochłonność procesu ekstruzji mieszanek ziemniaczanych oraz wielozbożowych

The aim of the research was to determine the effect of extrusion conditions (various moisture content of raw materials and screw rotation speed), as well as the effect of recipe composition on the process efficiency and the energy consumption during treatment of potato and multigrain products. The efficiency of the extrusion process (Q) was determined by the mass of the product obtained at a given time for all prepared raw material mixtures and the process parameters used, while the specific mechanical energy demand was determined using the SME index. The obtained results allow to conclude that the level of raw materials moisture content had a greater impact on the efficiency and energy consumption of the extrusion process than the variable screw speed during the treatment. The efficiency of the process increased with the increasing moisture of the tested compositions, while a decrease in the requirements of SME was observed. The use of differentiated raw material compositions also influenced the Q and SME values determined during the tests.Celem badań było określenie wpływu warunków obróbki mieszanki podczas procesu ekstruzji (zróżnicowana wilgotność mieszanek surowcowych i prędkość obrotów ślimaka), jak również wpływ kompozycji receptury na wydajność procesu i zużycie energii podczas produkcji pelletów z surowców ziemniaczanych oraz produktu typu multigrain. Wydajność procesu ekstruzji (Q) wyznaczano przez określenie masy produktu uzyskanego w określonym czasie dla wszystkich przygotowanych mieszanek surowcowych oraz zastosowanych parametrów procesu, natomiast jednostkowe zapotrzebowanie energii zostało określone przy użyciu wskaźnika SME (ang. specific mechanical energy). Uzyskane wyniki pozwalają stwierdzić, że poziom dowilżenia mieszanek surowcowych miał większy wpływ na wydajność i energochłonność procesu ekstruzji niż zmiana prędkości ślimaka podczas wytłaczania. Wydajność procesu wzrastała wraz ze wzrostem wilgotności mieszanki, natomiast zaobserwowano spadek zapotrzebowania energii mechanicznej. Zastosowanie zróżnicowanych receptur surowcowych również wpłynęło na wartości Q i SME wyznaczone podczas badań. Mniejszą wydajność oraz większe SME odnotowano przy zastosowaniu mieszanki typu multigrain

Production of extruded foods for children

W niniejszej pracy omówiono podział żywności dla dzieci, przedstawiono surowce, dodatki oraz metody produkcji kaszek i kleików zbożowych. Obecne trendy pokazują większe zainteresowanie żywnością funkcjonalną, która nie wymaga długiego czasu przygotowania oraz daje określone korzyści zdrowotne. Kaszki i kleiki zbożowe są to produkty w postaci sypkiej, otrzymywane z mąki ryżowej, pszennej, kukurydzianej, owsianej lub gryczanej. W celu zwiększenia wartości odżywczej stosuje się do nich dodatki, między innymi takie jak: witaminy, susz owocowy, mleko w proszku. Szybkie do przygotowania kaszki zbożowe mogą być wytwarzane przy zastosowaniu instantyzacji lub techniki ekstruzji. Instantyzacja jest procesem długotrwałym, kosztownym, dlatego coraz więcej uwagi poświęca się ekstruzji, która jest wykorzystywana do wytwarzania szerokiego asortymentu produktów zbożowych. Ekstrudowane odżywki dla dzieci charakteryzują się odpowiednimi walorami organoleptycznymi i wysoką wartością odżywczą. Zawierają w pełni skleikowaną skrobię, dzięki czemu nie wymagają gotowania i mogą być podawane bezpośrednio po dodaniu mleka lub wody.Current trends in food production show more interest in functional food that does not require a long preparation time and gives specific health benefi ts according to supplementation with pro-health components. Food manufacturers introduce products that contain plant materials and valuable additives, ensuring to provide the body with essential nutrients. Baby foods are often produced from gluten-free raw materials such as rice, corn, buckwheat and they are enriched with valuable nutrients, which are in accordance with nutrient requirements of young children. These products are intended for consumers suffering from food allergies and the partial disorders of the digestive system. The basic products being added to the extruded baby foods include milk powder, dried fruits, vitamins (C, D, A, E, K, niacin, folic acid) and minerals (calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, copper). Nutrients for children and infants should be produced from raw materials characterized by high quality, natural, derived from controlled farming and cultivars. Market of baby food is divided into some groups of products such as dairy products, processed non-dairy food, instant teas, supplementary products, i.e. teas designed for pregnant and breastfeeding women, ready-made meals for children over 1 year of age, as well as juices for children. The conventional production of infant gruels requires a long time treatment of raw materials and is energy-consuming that is why increasingly the extrusion-cooking being used, that is simpler, faster and less expensive. Extrusion-cooking is a process that involves treatment of bulk material under high pressure (up to 20 MPa) and high temperature (up to 200°C), which results in significant changes in physicochemical characteristic of product and its quality. Extrusion-cooking technology is used in the food industry for the production of various types of food products, such as snacks, instant cereals, baby foods, breakfast cereals, texturized vegetable protein, crisp bread, etc. Through the combination of process parameters and the use of variety of recipes it can be received wide range of products with the desired properties. The material inside the extruder undergoes starch gelatinization so extrudates are already precooked and do not require additional cooking. Instant gruels produced by the extrusion-cooking are easy to prepare by mixing with water or milk at the right temperature and there are ready to serve the children. With a fully automated production line products obtained during the extrusion-cooking are characterized by improved digestibility, high hygienic quality, long storage time and inhibited antiniutritional factors. By aligning the extrusion-cooking variable parameters it can be obtained products with a certain viscosity, density, water absorption and water solubility etc

Selected properties of snacks extruded at various screw speeds supplemented with Moldavian dragonhead seed addition

The main aim of the study was to determine selected characteristics of extruded snacks supplemented with Dracocephalum moldavica L. seeds added to the recipe in amounts ranging from 5 to 20% of the basic raw material composition. The effect of the screw speed on the selected corn-based snacks characteristics has also been been studied. A single-screw extruder was employed to obtain the snacks in the form of readyto- eat extrudates. Several properties were evaluated, among them: the expansion ratio, the water absorption and solubility indices as well as pasting properties, depending on the level of the additive and the screw speeds applied. Extruded snacks supplemented with Dracocephalum moldavica L. seeds exhibited an enhanced nutritional value compared with corn snacks due to the high content of fibre, protein and ash. The addition of the seeds decreased the expansion ratio significantly. The water absorption index of the snacks decreased as the level of seed addition in the processed blends was raised, while the water solubility index was significantly affected by the variable screw speed during the processing of the supplemented snacks. The recommended level of Dracocephalum moldavica seeds in corn-based snacks should not exceed 15% due to the high nutritional value as well as the high expansion and efficient treatment intensity of the components resulting in the ready-to-eat characteristic of the supplemented snacks

Ability of Selected Monoterpenes to Reduce Fe(III) Ions Being Pro-Neurodegenerative Factors: Tests Based on a FRAP Reaction Extended to 48 Hours

Monoterpenes are secondary plant metabolites, and such volatile compounds have antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, and enzyme inhibitory properties. These compounds are also able to reduce the potentially pro-neurodegenerative trace metal ions that can be sources of free radicals. One basic method used to evaluate the ability of chemical compounds to reduce Fe(III) is FRAP. To date, most studies based on a FRAP assay were performed within several dozen minutes. However, taking into account the diversity of compounds, it is justified to observe their activity over a much longer period of time. The present study aimed to observe the activity of isopulegol, γ-terpinene, α-terpinene, linalool, carvone, citral, and α-phellandrene over a 48 h period. Our study indicates that the lengthened reaction period enhanced activity from several dozen to several hundred percent. The obtained results also revealed an explicit high correlation of the increase in the activity of compounds with the increase in monoterpene concentration. Due to the hydrophobic character of monoterpenes, the FRAP method was modified by the addition of Tween 20. The highest activity was obtained for α-terpinene and γ-terpinene

Influence of the extraction type on the yield of some furanocoumarins from Peucedanum verticillare fruits

Analiza materiału roślinnego jest ważnym zadaniem w poszukiwaniu roślin o działaniu farmakologicznym a także w standaryzacji leków roślinnych. Celem każdego procesu ekstrakcji jest szybka i skuteczna izolacja związków z matrycy przy użyciu minimalnej ilości rozpuszczalnika. Celem przedstawionej pracy był wybór optymalnych warunków do analizy materiału roślinnego oraz zbadanie wpływu metody ekstrakcji na wydajność izolacji niektórych furanokumaryn z owoców gorysza wyniosłego. Furanokumaryny mają istotne zastosowanie w lecznictwie. Są między innymi wykorzystywane w terapii bielactwa i łuszczycy oraz leczeniu skórnego T-komórkowego chłoniaka z erytmodermią. Zastosowano następujące metody ekstrakcyjne: wyczerpująca ekstrakcja w aparacie Soxhleta, ekstrakcja wspomagana ultradźwiękami w temperaturze 20 i 60◦C oraz ekstrakcja wspomagana mikrofalami w układzie otwartym i zamkniętym. Analiza została przeprowadzona metodą wysokosprawnej chromatografii cieczowej z detektorem UV/VIS. Wyniki wskazują, że najwyższą wydajność imperatoryny uzyskano w wyniku ekstrakcji ultradźwiękowej 60◦C, natomiast metodą najskuteczniejszą do izolacji umbeliferonu okazała się ekstrakcja mikrofalowa w układzie zamkniętym.Analysis of plant material is an important task in chemotaxonomical investigations, particularly, in search of plants with pharmacological activity or in standardisation of plant drugs. The goal of every extraction process is rapid and effective isolation of compounds from a matrix by use of minimum amount of solvent. The aim of this paper was the choice of optimal condi-tions for the analysis of plant material and effect of extraction method on the yield of some furanocoumarins from Peucedanum verticillare fruits. Furanocoumarins have important uses in human medicine and exhibit toxicity against a wide range of organisms. This group of com-pounds reveal pharmacological activity. They are important drugs in vitiligo and psoriaris therapy and are also used in therapy erythrodermic variants of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and chronic graft-versus-host disease. The following extraction methods were used in our experiments: exhaustive extraction in Soxh-let apparatus, ultrasound- assisted solvent extraction (USAE) at 20 and 60◦C as well as micro-wave-assisted solvent extraction in open and closed system (MASE). Target compounds analysis was performed by high performance liquid chromatography with UV/VIS detector. The results indicated that, the highest yield of imperatorin can be obtained by ultrasonification at 60◦C, while microwave-assisted solvent extraction in closed system is very efficient in the extraction of umbelliferone