Differences in sweet taste perception and its association with the "Streptococcus mutans" cariogenic profile in preschool children with caries

The aim of the study was to verify the hypothesis about differences in sweet taste perception in the group of preschool children with and without caries, and to determine its relationship with cariogenic microbiota and the frequency of sweets consumption in children. The study group included of 63 children aged 2–6 years: 32 with caries and 31 without caries. The study consisted of collecting questionnaire data and assessment of dental status using the decayed, missing, filled in primary teeth index (dmft) and the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS II). The evaluation of sweet taste perception was carried out using a specific method that simultaneously assessed the level of taste preferences and the sensitivity threshold for a given taste. The microbiological analysis consisted of the assessment of the quantitative and qualitative compositions of the oral microbiota of the examined children. The sweet taste perception of children with caries was characterized by a lower susceptibility to sucrose (the preferred sucrose solution concentration was >4 g/L) compared to children without caries (in the range ≤ 4 g/L, p = 0.0015, chi-square test). A similar relationship was also observed for frequent snacking between meals (p = 0.0038, chi-square test). The analysis of studied variables showed the existence of a strong positive correlation between the perception of sweet taste and the occurrence and intensity of the cariogenic process (p = 0.007 for dmft; and p = 0.012 for ICDAS II), as well as the frequency of consuming sweets (p ≤ 0.001 for frequent and repeated consumption of sweets during the day, Spearman test) in children with caries. Additionally, children with an elevated sucrose taste threshold were more than 10-times more likely to develop S. mutans presence (OR = 10.21; 95% CI 3.11–33.44). The results of this study suggest the future use of taste preferences in children as a diagnostic tool for the early detection of increased susceptibility to caries through microbial dysbiosis towards specific species of microorganisms

Evaluation of fungal contamination of spices available in Poland.

Grzyby pleśniowe są częstym zanieczyszczeniem przypraw. Rozwijając się w żywności, powodują jej psucie i stwarzają zagrożenie dla zdrowia. Niektóre rodzaje pleśni, często znajdywane w przyprawach (Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Stachybotrys) produkują mykotoksyny, wywołujące ostre lub przewlekłe zatrucia (mykotoksykozy). Celem pracy była ocena czystości mykologicznej wybranych przypraw dostępnych w Polsce. Wyniki badania własnego wskazują na dość dobry stan przypraw pod względem zanieczyszczenia grzybami pleśniowymi. Nie zaobserwowano skażenia wyższego niż 105 jtk/g. Najliczniejszą grupę stanowiły przyprawy, w których zanieczyszczenie było niższe niż 10 jtk/g (61,7%). Najwyższe zanieczyszczenie wśród badanych przypraw zaobserwowano w pieprzu czarnym (średnio 645,6 jtk/g). Najmniej zanieczyszczoną przyprawą była papryka słodka (216,6 jtk/g). Grzyby z rodzaju Aspergillus były najczęściej występującymi pleśniami. Zostały znalezione w 36,3% zanieczyszczonych prób. Za rodzajem Aspergillus pod względem częstości występowania znajdowały się kolejno Cladosporium (23,7%), Penicillium (15,8%) i Eurotium (10,5%). Pod względem ilości kolonii, najwięcej było pleśni z rodzaju Rhizopus, które stanowiły 80,7% wszystkich pleśni, występując w zaledwie 8% prób.Molds are frequent spoilage of spices. When growing in food, they may cause their’s deterioration and pose health risk, especially for neutropenic patients. Some mold genres, such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium or Stachybotrys, which are often found in spices, are capable to produce mycotoxins.The aim of this study was evaluation of fungal contamination of spices available in Poland. The results of study indicate a fairly good condition of spices in terms of contamination with mold fungi. Contamination higher than 105 CFU/g was not observed. The largest group of spices (61,7%) contained less than 10 CFU/g. The most contaminated spice was black pepper (mean 646 CFU/g), when the smallest amount of molds have been found in sweet pepper (217 CFU/g). Aspergillus was most frequent genre of mold fungi, they were found in 36,3% of contaminated spices. Other genres were following: Cladosporium (23,7%) and Penicillium (15,8%). Rhizopus has been found in only 8% of spices, but was the most numerous of all molds and accounted 80,7% of all mold colonies found in spices

Synthesis and Anticancer Activity of Indole-Functionalized Derivatives of Betulin

Pentacyclic triterpenes, including betulin, are widespread natural products with various pharmacological effects. These compounds are the starting material for the synthesis of substances with promising anticancer activity. The chemical modification of the betulin scaffold that was carried out as part of the research consisted of introducing the indole moiety at the C-28 position. The synthesized new 28-indole-betulin derivatives were evaluated for anticancer activity against seven human cancer lines (A549, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, DLD-1, HT-29, A375, and C32). It was observed that MCF-7 breast cancer cells were most sensitive to the action of the 28-indole-betulin derivatives. The study shows that the lup-20(29)-ene-3-ol-28-yl 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)acetate caused the MCF-7 cells to arrest in the G1 phase, preventing the cells from entering the S phase. The performed cytometric analysis of DNA fragmentation indicates that the mechanism of EB355A action on the MCF-7 cell line is related to the induction of apoptosis. An in silico ADMET profile analysis of EB355A and EB365 showed that both compounds are bioactive molecules characterized by good intestinal absorption. In addition, the in silico studies indicate that the 28-indole-betulin derivatives are substances of relatively low toxicity

Evaluation of Caffeine Consumption among Pregnant Women from Southern Poland

Caffeine is the most widely consumed stimulant worldwide, including by pregnant women. Products containing caffeine should be limited in accordance with the recommendations for pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate consumption of caffeinated products and daily caffeine intake from food by pregnant women. The study was conducted on a group of healthy pregnant women: attendees of antenatal classes (n = 70) and patients of an outpatient gynecological clinic (n = 70) from Krakow (Southern Poland). A questionnaire about the frequency of consumption of selected foods and drinks containing caffeine was used. The average caffeine content in food products obtained from other Polish studies was used to estimate average daily caffeine intake in our study group. Mean daily caffeine intake was 49.60 ± 59.15 mg/day and the maximum was 498.0 mg/day. The main sources of caffeine were as follows: black tea (bags, leaf), instant coffee and ground coffee. No statistically significant differences in caffeine intake between the groups were found. A weak negative correlation (rs) = −0.28 (p = 0.0208) between month of pregnancy and caffeine intake was observed among attendees of antenatal classes. Mean daily caffeine intake did not exceed the maximum recommended dose in our study group