Wild edible plants as potential antioxidant or nutritional supplements for beverages minimally processed

Wild edible plants (WEP) with high antioxidant capacity, Rosa canina fruits, Quercus ballota acorns and Sanguisorba minor (young leaves and stems), were added to orange and kiwifruit juices for increase the nutritional properties. The addition of WEP to orange juice (OJ) and kiwifruit cremogenate (KC) does not affect, or it can even improve, some parameters of consumer's acceptance, although the mixtures increasing sweetness and intensifying the matrix colour without changing the tone are the best valued. The beverages minimally processed with higher TSS were the matrices fortified with Q. ballota, the same that were considered sweetest by the judges. The addition of WEP to OJ did not significantly change the levels of vitamin C (ascorbic acid plus dehydroascorbic acid). The addition of R. canina and S. minor increased the content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity in both matrices (OJ and KC) in more than 30%. Beverages with a high interest for consumers and with high antioxidant properties have been obtained

A proteomics study of chilling injury in tomato fruit, a low-temperature stress-induced physiological disorder affecting fruit quality

Trabajo presentado a la conferencia "Molecular Basis of Plant Stress" celebrado en Bulgaria del 21 al 23 de septiembre de 2011.-- FP7 REGPOT Project "BioSupport".Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is the second most cultivated horticultural crop in the world in terms of harvested area and production, after the potato (FAOSTAT 2011, data from 2009). A main problem regarding its postharvest life is its sensitivity to low temperature stress during refrigerated storage, which constitutes a main obstacle for its long-term commercialization. This sensitivity is reflected in the physiopathy of chilling injury (CI), which negatively affects the final fruit quality. The main symptoms of CI-affected fruits are skin depressions, tissue decomposition and impaired ripening, which results in deficient flavour and aroma. Physiological and biochemical events involved in CI progress have been extensively described, but the precise molecular mechanisms that ultimately regulate the plant response to cold stress remain unclear. In order to investigate this response at molecular level in tomato fruit a proteomics strategy has undertaken. The proteome analysis provides a direct insight on the changes undergone by proteins, which are the major functional determinants of the cell machinery, in a certain biological situation such as low temperature stress. The protein expression profile of chilled tomato fruits has been compared with fruits stored at nonchilling temperature (control). The protein analysis has been performed by two-dimensional differential-in-gel-electrophoresis (2D-DIGE), and mass spectrometry of protein spots was applied to identify proteins differentially expressed. Comparative analysis revealed significant changes in abundance of 31 identified proteins between the proteomes of chilled and control fruits. Major modifications in the expression profile are related to those proteins specifically involved in stress (chaperonins and heat-shock proteins); cell wall biochemistry (hydrolytic enzymes), and carbohydrate metabolism (enzymes involved in glycolisis, tricarboxylic acids cycle, photosynthesis and sucrose biosynthesis).This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) through grant and PIE2009-40I080, and by the Council of Science and Technology from the Spanish Region of Murcia (Fundación SENECA) through grant no. 04553/GERM/06.Peer Reviewe

Dentist´s knowledge, attitudes and determining factors of the conservative approach in teeth with reversible pulpitis and deep caries lesions

The aim of this study was to investigate dentists` knowledge, attitudes and factors regarding the conservative approach in the management of deep caries lesions (DCLs) in teeth with reversible pulpitis. 187 dentists were contacted directly or by mail, and 125 (67%) were finally included in the study. Dentists were requested to answer an open/discursive questionnaire about the routine approach to the diagnosis and treatment of DCLs, including knowledge-related attitudinal items. Total caries excavation was the preferred treatment option for more than 80% of dentists in case of DCL with reversible pulpitis. Only a small percentage (8%) chose partial caries removal, leaving some carious dentin close to the pulp to avoid pulp exposure. More than a half (51%) of respondents considered that cariogenic microorganisms must be removed or caries would progress. Dentists teaching at the University strongly disagreed with this statement (OR = 4.6; 95% C.I. = 1.3 ? 15.8; p = 0.017). Good clinical result was the most chosen reason (83%) to choose a specific treatment. Patient?s oral health (84%) and patient?s age (70%) were the two patient-related factors most taken into account for the choice of treatment. Total caries excavation is still the most frequently chosen treatment in teeth with DCL and reversible pulpitis. The joint assessment of the answers given by respondents allows to conclude that the new knowledge and concepts about caries lesions and the more conservative approach to DCLs have not still been incorporated by dentists into their usual clinical practice

Criteria and treatment decisions in the management of deep caries lesions : is there endodontic overtreatment?

The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic criteria and treatment decisions in the management of deep caries lesions (DCLs). The null hypothesis tested was that DCLs are managed according to the current scientific evidence. A total of 288 dentists were contacted directly or by mail, and 125 (43%) were included in the study. Dentists were requested to answer a questionnaire about the routine approach to the diagnosis and treatment of DCLs. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to calculate odds ratios (OR). Pulp sensitivity tests were used by 65% of dentists when assessing pulpal health in cases of DCLs, particularly those who had followed courses in cariology (OR = 3.8; p = 0.005). Dentine hardness was the most frequent criterion used during DCLs excavation (98%). Two thirds of the respondents (65%) removed carious tissue until they felt hard dentine, and feeling hard dentine correlated with caries removal even at the risk of pulpal exposure (OR = 15.8; p = 0.0000). Acute transient pain or sensitivity to cold or heat (reversible pulpitis) were considered by 58% of respondents as a reason to provide endodontic therapy. The null hypothesis tested is rejected. The evidence-based more conservative approach on the management of DCLs is not being translated to clinical dentistry. Root canal treatment is being indicated in cases of DCLs in which the diagnosis is reversible pulpitis. Likewise, it can be concluded that non-conservative management of DCLs, with endodontic overtreatment, could be occurring

Medición de la calidad en melocotón Catherine: comparación entre la aceptación sensorial del consumidor y parámetros tradicionales

La noción de calidad de los productos alimenticios es simultáneamente compleja y relativa, es compleja porque no puede determinarse por una sola propiedad o factor aislado, sino por la combinación de todas sus propiedades físicas, químicas y sensoriales; y es relativa porque la combinación de factores que la definen debe ser tal que determine la aceptación por el consumidor. El melocotón es un fruto de gran importancia económica en la Región de Murcia. La recolección del melocotón con un grado correcto de maduración es crítica para lograr la máxima calidad y aceptabilidad del producto. Este estudio se llevó a cabo en los años 2004, 2005 y 2006 en Murcia (España) con melocotón (Prunus persica) de la variedad "Catherine". El primer objetivo del presente trabajo fue determinar la evolución de la calidad sensorial, en distintos estados de maduración estableciendo el estado óptimo de madurez para su consumo, utilizando un perfil descriptivo y comparando los resultados con los parámetros tradicionales de medición de calidad. El segundo objetivo fue evaluar la influencia de la conservación refrigerada sobre los principales atributos que definen la calidad en melocotón, comparando los valores obtenidos mediante métodos tradicionales (firmeza por penetrometría, sólidos solubles, acidez, color) con los atributos sensoriales correspondientes: los atributos externos relacionados con la apariencia, como color, forma, tamaño e internos respecto del sabor y textura. Se han estudiado las correlaciones con las correspondientes determinaciones físicas y químicas. Se observó que el grado de madurez influye significativamente en las características sensoriales del melocotón y su punto óptimo se obtuvo en el estado de maduración 3, correspondiente a un fruto semimaduro. Por otro lado, la conservación refrigerada a 1ºC durante 4 semanas, modifica sensiblemente la calidad sensorial, especialmente los atributos relacionados con el aroma y sabor

Antibiotics prescription habits of Spanish endodontists : impact of the ESE awareness campaign and position statement

The inadequate use of antibiotics by dentists can contribute to antibiotic resistance. The European Society of Endodontology (ESE) has published a scientific evidence-based position on antibiotic use in endodontic infections. The aim of thi

Common genetic variation in KATNAL1 non-coding regions is involved in the susceptibility to severe phenotypes of male infertility

Free PMC article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9546047/Background: Previous studies in animal models evidenced that genetic mutations of KATNAL1, resulting in dysfunction of its encoded protein, lead to male infertility through disruption of microtubule remodelling and premature germ cell exfoliation. Subsequent studies in humans also suggested a possible role of KATNAL1 single nucleotide polymorphisms in the development of male infertility as a consequence of severe spermatogenic failure. Objectives: The main objective of the present study is to evaluate the effect of the common genetic variation of KATNAL1 in a large and phenotypically well-characterised cohort of infertile men because of severe spermatogenic failure. Materials and methods: A total of 715 infertile men because of severe spermato genic failure, including 210 severe oligospermia and 505 non-obstructive azoospermia patients, as well as 1058 unaffected controls were genotyped for three KATNAL1 single-nucleotide polymorphism taggers (rs2077011, rs7338931 and rs2149971). Case–control association analyses by logistic regression assuming different models and in silico functional characterisation of risk variants were conducted. Results: Genetic associations were observed between the three analysed taggers and different severe spermatogenic failure groups. However, in all cases, the haplotype model (rs2077011*C | rs7338931*T | rs2149971*A) better explained the observed associations than the three risk alleles independently. This haplotype was associated with non-obstructive azoospermia (adjusted p = 4.96E-02, odds ratio = 2.97), Sertoli cell only syndrome (adjusted p = 2.83E-02, odds ratio = 5.16) and testicular sperm extraction unsuccessful outcomes (adjusted p = 8.99E-04, odds ratio = 6.13). The in silico analyses indicated that the effect on severe spermatogenic failure predisposition could be because of an alteration of the KATNAL1 splicing pattern. Conclusions: Specific allelic combinations of KATNAL1 genetic polymorphisms may confer a risk of developing severe male infertility phenotypes by favouring the overrepresentation of a short non-functional transcript isoform in the testis.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the Spanish National Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation (refs. SAF2016-78722-R and PID2020-120157RB-I00), the ‘Instituto de Salud Carlos III’ (Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias)/Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional ‘Una manera de hacer Europa’ (FIS/FEDER) (ref. DTS18/00101 to Sara Larriba), the Generalitat de Catalunya (ref. 2017SGR191), the ‘Ramón y Cajal’ program (ref. RYC-2014-16458) and the ‘Juan de la Cierva Incorporación’ program (ref. IJC2018-038026-I), as well as the Andalusian Government through the R&D&i Projects Grants for Universities and Public Research Entities (ref. PY20_00212), which include FEDER funds. Andrea Guzmán-Jiménez was a recipient of a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Professional Training (‘Becas de Colaboración en Departamentos Universitarios para el curso académico 2020/2021’). Patricia I. Marques is supported by the FCT post-doctoral fellowship (SFRH/BPD/120777/2016), financed from the Portuguese State Budget of the Ministry for Science, Tech nology and High Education and from the European Social Fund, available through the ‘Programa Operacional do Capital Humano’. João Gonçalves was partially funded by FCT/MCTES through national funds attributed to the Centre for Toxicogenomics and Human Health— ToxOmics (UID/BIM/00009/2016 and UIDB/00009/2020). Sara Larriba is sponsored by the Researchers Consolidation Program (ISCIII SNS/Dpt. Salut Generalitat de Catalunya) (CES09/020).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Common genetic variation in KATNAL1 non‐coding regions is involved in the susceptibility to severe phenotypes of male infertility

© 2022 The Authors. Andrology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society of Andrology and European Academy of Andrology. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.Background: Previous studies in animal models evidenced that genetic mutations of KATNAL1, resulting in dysfunction of its encoded protein, lead to male infertility through disruption of microtubule remodelling and premature germ cell exfoliation. Subsequent studies in humans also suggested a possible role of KATNAL1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the development of male infertility as a consequence of severe spermatogenic failure. Objectives: The main objective of the present study is to evaluate the effect of the common genetic variation of KATNAL1 in a large and phenotypically well-characterised cohort of infertile men because of severe spermatogenic failure. Materials and methods: A total of 715 infertile men because of severe spermatogenic failure, including 210 severe oligospermia and 505 non-obstructive azoospermia patients, as well as 1058 unaffected controls were genotyped for three KATNAL1 single-nucleotide polymorphism taggers (rs2077011, rs7338931 and rs2149971). Case-control association analyses by logistic regression assuming different models and in silico functional characterisation of risk variants were conducted. Results: Genetic associations were observed between the three analysed taggers and different severe spermatogenic failure groups. However, in all cases, the haplotype model (rs2077011*C | rs7338931*T | rs2149971*A) better explained the observed associations than the three risk alleles independently. This haplotype was associated with non-obstructive azoospermia (adjusted p = 4.96E-02, odds ratio = 2.97), Sertoli-cell only syndrome (adjusted p = 2.83E-02, odds ratio = 5.16) and testicular sperm extraction unsuccessful outcomes (adjusted p = 8.99E-04, odds ratio = 6.13). The in silico analyses indicated that the effect on severe spermatogenic failure predisposition could be because of an alteration of the KATNAL1 splicing pattern. Conclusions: Specific allelic combinations of KATNAL1 genetic polymorphisms may confer a risk of developing severe male infertility phenotypes by favouring the overrepresentation of a short non-functional transcript isoform in the testis.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the Spanish National Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation (refs. SAF2016-78722-R and PID2020-120157RB-I00), the ‘Instituto de Salud Carlos III’ (Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias)/Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional ‘Una manera de hacer Europa’ (FIS/FEDER) (ref. DTS18/00101 to Sara Larriba), the Generalitat de Catalunya (ref. 2017SGR191), the ‘Ramón y Cajal’ program (ref. RYC-2014-16458) and the ‘Juan de la Cierva Incorporación’ program (ref. IJC2018-038026-I), as well as the Andalusian Government through the R&D&i Projects Grants for Universities and Public Research Entities (ref. PY20_00212), which include FEDER funds. Andrea Guzmán-Jiménez was a recipient of a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Professional Training (‘Becas de Colaboración en Departamentos Universitarios para el curso académico 2020/2021’). Patricia I. Marques is supported by the FCT post-doctoral fellowship (SFRH/BPD/120777/2016), financed from the Portuguese State Budget of the Ministry for Science, Technology and High Education and from the European Social Fund, available through the ‘Programa Operacional do Capital Humano’. João Gonçalves was partially funded by FCT/MCTES through national funds attributed to the Centre for Toxicogenomics and Human Health—ToxOmics (UID/BIM/00009/2016 and UIDB/00009/2020). Sara Larriba is sponsored by the Researchers Consolidation Program (ISCIII SNS/Dpt. Salut Generalitat de Catalunya) (CES09/020).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

[Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group