A rapid and simple method for determination of 5-hydroxytryptophan in dietary supplements by capillary electrophoresis

A rapid and simple capillary electrophoresis (CE) method was developed to determine 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) in samples of commercial dietary supplements. The optimized background electrolyte (BGE) was composed by 20 mmol L-1 sodium phosphate (pH 10) and 0.2 mmol L-1 cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) for electroosmotic flow inversion. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) for 5-HTP were 3.1 and 10.1 µmol L-1, respectively. The analytical curve demonstrated linearity over a concentration range of 0-500 µmol L-1 with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.9995. The intraday instrumental precision (repeatability) as relative standard deviation (RSD) in terms of peak area and migration time of the 5-HTP were 2.2 and 1.9% (n = 8), respectively. The CE method was applied to the analysis of four different samples of commercial dietary supplements and the RSD (n = 3) for the determinations ranged from 2 to 3%. The accuracy of the method was evaluated comparing the measured 5-HTP concentrations to those obtained by a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The relative error ranged from 0 to 5.9% (n = 3) and no significant differences between the concentrations were observed at a confidence level of 95%254783787Neste trabalho é apresentado o desenvolvimento de um método rápido e simples, empregando eletroforese capilar, para determinação de 5-hidroxitriptofano (5-HTP) em amostras de suplementos alimentares. O eletrólito de corrida utilizado foi constituído por 20 mmol L-1 de fosfato de sódio (pH 10) e 0,2 mmol L-1 de brometo de cetiltrimetilamônio (CTAB), empregado como inversor de fluxo eletrosmótico. Foram obtidos limites de detecção e quantificação de 3,1 e 10,1 µmol L-1, respectivamente. A curva analítica obtida, para concentrações do analito entre 0-500 µmol L-1, apresentou linearidade com coeficiente de correlação linear (R2) de 0,9995. A precisão instrumental intra-dia (repetibilidade), expressa em desvio padrão relativo (RSD), para a área de pico e tempo de migração do 5-HTP foram de 2,2 e 1,9% (n = 8), respectivamente. O método eletroforético foi empregado na análise de quatro diferentes amostras comerciais de suplementos alimentares e o RSD (n = 3) para as determinações variaram de 2 a 3%. A exatidão do método foi avaliada pela comparação das concentrações de 5-HTP obtidas pelo método proposto e por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (HPLC). Os erros relativos variaram entre 0 e 5,9% e não foram observadas diferenças significativas entre as concentrações, ao nível de 95% de confianç

National trends in the use of oral chemotherapy over 13 years

Funding Information: To the expert panel who validated the CDDs for the three indications and INFARMED I.P. for making data available. Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2022 Moreira, Bernardo, Ramos, Aguiar and Alves da Costa.Background: Systemic cancer therapy has traditionally been administered using an intravenous (IV) route, implying patients’ frequent visits to hospitals to access to their therapy. If we consider the actual pipeline in oncology, oral chemotherapy will be the main component of cancer treatment in the next few years. This shift in the administration route requires different care models in order to guarantee treatment efficacy and safety. Objective: To analyze time trends in oral chemotherapy consumption in Portugal. Method: Oral chemotherapy consumption over a 13-year period (2008–2020) was analyzed, considering dispensed units by the administration route with respective costs, resorting to the drug regulatory agency (INFARMED I.P.) database. Oral consumption patterns were further explored using common daily doses (CDD) for three conditions, including chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and breast cancer (BC), to adjust for the effect of varying doses. Data were analyzed descriptively resorting to Microsoft Office Excel 2010. Results: Overall chemotherapy consumption increased +Δ54.7%, with the highest contribution in units observed in oral forms (+Δ58.8%). The total expenditure increased +Δ96.5%, and despite the increase in oral forms (+Δ221.6%), intravenous forms continued to be the major cost driver, with an important contribution from immunotherapy. Much of the increase was led by the approval of 40 new IV and 48 new oral cancer medications with higher costs introduced in the market. Using CDD as an alternative metric to units had varying impacts by indication. The observed increases seemed to focus on specific cancer sites with varying effect; in CML, there was a 2.39-fold increase, compared to 4.41 for NSCLC and 1.86 for BC. However, for BC, two distinct sub-patterns were observed for hormone therapy (increasing 1.83) and for the novel tyrosine kinase inhibitors (increasing 40.8). Conclusion: The growing use of oral chemotherapy is obvious and calls for investments in supporting patients in managing medication adherence and adverse events. The shifts in the healthcare system are complex and need to be prioritized. Our data suggest that priority could be attributed to cancer sites driving innovation, namely, advanced breast cancer.publishersversionpublishe

Fungos associados as sementes de Paspalum notatum Flügge.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar os gêneros de fungos presentes nas sementes de Paspalum notatum Flügge, as sementes foram analisadas pelos métodos de papel de filtro e plaqueamento em meio de cultura (BDA). As culturas foram mantidas em câmara BOD por oito dias a temperatura de 25°C e fotoperíodo de 12 horas. A identificação dos gêneros fúngicos foi realizada com auxílio de microscópio óptico. Foram detectados os gêneros Fusarium, Aspergilus, Curvalaria e Geniculosporium, além de microrganismos não identificados.SEPE on-line

Germinação de sementes de Paspalum notatum Flügge.

Paspalum notatum Flügge destaca-se entre as espécies forrageiras utilizadas na alimentação animal pela alta produção de forragem e bom valor nutritivo. A germinação de sementes de espécies forrageiras associada à dormência tem sido, em todo o mundo um sério problema, principalmente pela baixa porcentagem de germinação e qualidade fisiológica. O objetivo do trabalho foi verificar a germinação de Paspalum notatum por diferentes tratamentos de quebra da dormência. O experimento foi desenvolvido com 8 tratamentos divididos por métodos físico (escarificação) e químico (nitrato de potássio), além do controle, com 4 repetições havendo 50 sementes por repetição. Os tratamentos que havia a presença da escarificação das sementes mostraram os melhores resultados, enquanto que os tratamentos que continham somente o reagente nitrato de potássio (KNO3) obtiveram os piores desempenhos. A escarificação promove a germinação das sementes de paspalum notatum, entretanto o nitrato de potássio é ineficaz na promoção da germinação.SEPE on-line

Chromosome Segregation Is Biased by Kinetochore Size

Chromosome missegregation during mitosis or meiosis is a hallmark of cancer and the main cause of prenatal death in humans. The gain or loss of specific chromosomes is thought to be random, with cell viability being essentially determined by selection. Several established pathways including centrosome amplification, sister-chromatid cohesion defects, or a compromised spindle assembly checkpoint can lead to chromosome missegregation. However, how specific intrinsic features of the kinetochore—the critical chromosomal interface with spindle microtubules—impact chromosome segregation remains poorly understood. Here we used the unique cytological attributes of female Indian muntjac, the mammal with the lowest known chromosome number (2n = 6), to characterize and track individual chromosomes with distinct kinetochore size throughout mitosis. We show that centromere and kinetochore functional layers scale proportionally with centromere size. Measurement of intra-kinetochore distances, serial-section electron microscopy, and RNAi against key kinetochore proteins confirmed a standard structural and functional organization of the Indian muntjac kinetochores and revealed that microtubule binding capacity scales with kinetochore size. Surprisingly, we found that chromosome segregation in this species is not random. Chromosomes with larger kinetochores bi-oriented more efficiently and showed a 2-fold bias to congress to the equator in a motor-independent manner. Despite robust correction mechanisms during unperturbed mitosis, chromosomes with larger kinetochores were also strongly biased to establish erroneous merotelic attachments and missegregate during anaphase. This bias was impervious to the experimental attenuation of polar ejection forces on chromosome arms by RNAi against the chromokinesin Kif4a. Thus, kinetochore size is an important determinant of chromosome segregation fidelity

Milk as a drug delivery platform in paediatrics

Communication presented at the PSSRC − 9th Annual Symposium. 16-18 September 2015, Ghent, Belgium"Purpose: to assess the physical properties of spray dried milk powders and evaluate drug-milk interactions.

Medicinal powders made of fresh milk for pediatric use

Communication presented at the 1st International Congress of CiiEM - From Basic Sciences to Clinical Research. 27-28 November 2015, Egas Moniz, Caparica, Portugal"Nowadays, the need to formulate medicines specifically designed for children is imperative [1] and solid dosage forms are the first choice for providing the required drug stability and dose accuracy. Milk, as a worldwide accepted food, is proposed in this study as a platform to deliver drugs orally in pediatrics. Therefore, the main goals of this project are: (a) to assess the properties of spray-dried milk powders, (b) to evaluate drug-milk interactions and (c) to ascertain the stability of the spray-dried milk powders."Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologi

Relatório de participação no encontro internacional de especialistas em recursos hídricos.

Previsão de calamidade: enchentes e secas; Nucleação artificial; Sistemas de exploração de distritos de irrigação no México. Aspectos técnicos de sua aplicação na operação; Problemas de drenagem e salinidade no Nordeste.Trabalho apresentado no Encontro Internacional de Especialistas em Recursos Hídricos, Fortaleza, 16 a 20 de junho de 1980

Análise de pedigree aplicada a rebanhos bubalinos do Estado do Pará.

O estudo da variabilidade genética nos rebanhos participantes do Programa de Melhoramento Genético de Búfalos do Estado do Pará foi realizado por meio da análise de pedigree, a qual estima parâmetros baseados na probabilidade de origem de gene: coeficiente de endogamia, parentesco, intervalo médio de gerações, número efetivo de fundadores (Nf), número efetivo de ancestrais (Na), intervalo de gerações e número efetivo de genomas remanescentes (Ng). O Nf foi igual a 28,6 animais, o Na igual a 22,8 animais, o Ng igual a 11,2, a razão Nf/Na foi 1,25, indicando a diminuição do número de reprodutores ao longo dos períodos e a razão Ng/Nf foi de 0,39. Apesar do intervalo de gerações de 12,5 anos, o número efetivo de gerações foi próximo a cinco. O número total de animais estudados considerados endogâmicos foi 33,4%, sendo o valor médio da endogamia no arquivo total de 3,5%. A adoção de acasalamentos otimizados com controle de parentesco seria uma saída para o controle da endogamia e, consequentemente, da perda de variabilidade genética

BRS Antares e BRS Facual novas cultivares de algodão indicadas para o Estado de Rondônia.

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