Effect of High-Pressure Homogenization and Fat Content on Yogurt Fermentation Process

The application of the traditional homogenization process used in yogurt production under higher pressure, such as 50-200 MPa, is a new approach to improving yogurt structure and quality effectively. High-pressure homogenization (HPH) is considered a technology that changes the microstructure, water holding capacity, viscosity, and sensorial properties of yogurts by affecting fat globules and protein structures depending on fat content. In this study, the effects on bacterial growth, acidification kinetics and viscosity development were investigated in the production of yogurt from fatty and semi-skimmed milk with HPH. HPH treatment and fat content had a positive effect on the bacterial growth rate, and the maximum counts of L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus were determined in the yogurt sample made from fatty milk treated with 100 MPa pressure as 8.65 and 9.16 log cfu%252Fg, respectively. Also, the pH and viscosity change during incubation was affected and the Vmax and mu%253Bmax values for fatty milk treated with 100 MPa pressure reached maximum values of 1.67x10-2 pH unit%252Fmin and 2.35x10-2 Pa.s units%252Fmin, respectively. With the HPH treatment, the fermentation time in fatty yogurt was shortened by 60 min compared to the control sample

Evaluation of the effect of apixaban on the primary intact intervertebral disc cell cultures

Aim: Apixaban is a frequently preferred pharmacological agent in clinics to prevent deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.Such new oral anticoagulants may cause hemorrhage’s in tissues and/or organs or may cause gastrointestinal symptoms withoutbleeding. It is also reported in the literature that it may lead to mental disorders, unwanted disorders in the urinary tract and skeletalmuscle system. However, when the literature is examined, there are no studies, which are of high-evidential value, evaluating theefficacy of apixaban on healthy, intact intervertebral disc tissue, and matrix-like structures. In this pharmaco-molecular study, itwas aimed to investigate the effects of a new oral anticoagulant agent containing the active ingredient apixaban on the intactintervertebral disc tissue cells, extracellular matrix (ECM) structure and to evaluate its positive and / or negative effects on geneexpressions of cartilage oligo matrix protein (COMP), chondroadherin (CHAD), and Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP)s.Material and Methods: The primary cell cultures were prepared from the intact tissues of the patients with the traumatic intervertebraldisc herniation. Apixaban was administered to the cultures and molecular analyses were performed for 21 days. The data obtainedfrom the apixaban-administered and non-apixaban-administered samples were evaluated statistically and the significance valuewas accepted as P <0.05.Results: The changes were observed in the cell proliferation and the expressions of the mentioned genes in the apixabanadministered group. The suppression of COMP value and the increase in MMP-13 value may be indicative of the development ofmatrix degeneration in the apixaban-administered group, compared to the non-drug-administered control group.Conclusion: The selectivity is one of the most important features of the drugs. However, it should not be forgotten that no drug willonly produce the desired effect

Symptomatic paraganglioma of the urinary bladder: A rare case treated with a combined surgical approach

Pheochromocytomas are tumors of the embryonic chromaffin cells, originating from the embryonic neural crest. The pheochromocytomas developing at extra-adrenal locations are termed paragangliomas, which are extremely rare and account for almost 0.06% of all bladder tumors. In this report, we present a 23-year-old woman who presented with a one-year history of repeated episodes of dizziness, hypertension, intermittent hematuria, and nausea/vomiting that occurred during urination and was operatively treated due to a diagnosis of paraganglioma of the urinary bladder

Effect of oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.) flour addition combined with high‐pressure homogenization on the acidification kinetics, physicochemical, functional, and rheological properties of kefir

Abstract In this study, the effects of peeled oleaster flour (OF) addition (0.5% and 1%) with high‐pressure homogenization (HPH) at 100 MPa on acidification kinetics, physicochemical, functional, and rheological properties of kefir made from bovine whole milk were investigated. The fermentation kinetic parameters such as Vmax and Tf decreased by 23.63% and 20%, respectively, with 1% OF and application of HPH. The combined use of two treatments had a positive effect on Lactobacillus and Lactococcus counts, reaching a maximum of 9.63 and 9.31 log cfu/mL, respectively. Also, total phenolic contents and antioxidant activity reached maximum values of 85.31 mg GAE/g and 17.22%, respectively. The ΔE value was more limited with HPH. The maximum firmness and water‐holding capacity values were determined in the sample produced with 1% OF and application of HPH. Rheological analysis revealed that all kefirs exhibited shear thinning behavior, and the Ostwald–de‐Waele (R2 > .99) model was suitable to describe the rheological behavior of all kefir samples. The highest viscosity (0.049 Pa.s, at 50/s shear rate) and consistency index (1.115 Pa.sn) were observed in kefir with 1% OF and application of HPH. Kefir samples were characterized as weak gel behavior because storage modulus (G') was much greater than loss modulus (G") and the power‐law model was used to characterize the viscoelasticity. The overall quality assessment indicated that the improvement of the fermentation process and the enhancement of textural and functional properties of kefir samples could be achieved with the addition of 1% OF and application of HPH

Are intervertebral disc tissue cells damaged when attempting to prevent thrombus formation using dabigatran, a new oral anticoagulant?

AIM: To investigate the effect of dabigatran, a new oral anticoagulant, on human primary cell cultures isolated from intact intervertebral disc tissue. MATERIAL and METHODS: Cell cultures were prepared from tissues obtained from six cases who had undergone surgery due to spinal trauma. Dabigatran, an active pharmacological agent, was applied to intact annulus fibrosus (AF)/nucleus pulposus (NP) primary cell cultures from the study group. After performing cell viability, toxicity, and proliferation tests on all cultures in the control and study groups, the surface morphologies of the samples were evaluated. Subsequently, chondroadherin (CHAD), cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 and -19 expressions were measured via a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Data were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: In the proliferation assays performed on the 20th day of the study, cells in the dabigatran-supplemented group were reported to have lost 46.37% more viability than those in the control group. Expressions of all genes examined except MMP-13 were evaluated in the control group by time, but in contrast to the control group results, COMP and MMP-19 gene expressions decreased in the dabigatran-treated group. No CHAD or MMP-13 expression was noted in these cultures. CONCLUSION: The potential for a systemically applied drug to accumulate in tissue and negatively affect surrounding tissues and microstructures must be emphasized