Protein substitution to produce a processed cheese with high branched-chain amino acids of medical and genetic importance

Background: The most important metabolic impairment in patients with advanced liver disease is characterized by low levels of circulating branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). The etiology of such abnormal amino acid metabolism is multifactorial including protein restricted diet or inadequatenutritional intake as in protein energy malnutrition. Multiple studies report the beneficial effects of BCAAs supplementation to improve plasma amino acids imbalance, several neurologic diseases, protein energy malnutrition, and subsequently the survival rate of cirrhotic patients.Methods: In the present study we used a protein substitution technique to synthesize a new processed cheese as a dairy source rich in BCAAs, with low phenylalanine content manufactured from Ras cheese, kariesh cheese, butter oil and phenylalanine-free milk. Chemical composition, aminoacids analysis, rheological properties and sensory evaluation were done to all of the cheese samples. L-Phenylalanine was selected to induce hepatic and brain affections in Begg Albino strain c (BALB/c) mice model. Effect of 2.5%, 5% and 10% protein-replacement cheese formulas was evaluated among mice groups including histopathological sections of the liver and brain; colorimetric determinationfor liver enzymes; serum total and differential cholesterol profile, serum albumin, globulin and totalprotein along with phenylalanine levels determinations.Results: Analysis of the processed cheese sample with 10% protein substitution revealed that the protein content was 7.42 mg/g (about 50% of the content in the standard processed cheese) while fat content,acidity and moisture were nearly the same. The sensory score for all the formulas ranged from 79–88. Highest content of BCAAs along with least phenylalanine content was attained in the processed cheese with 10% protein substitution. Weight of mice fed on different substitution formulasranged from 22.8 ± 2.2–24.66 ± 2.5 g compared with 17.8 ± 1.9 g in the untreated diseased mice (P< 0.05). Serum phenylalanine was 1.822 ± 0.42 mg/dl in the mice fed on 10% protein substitution formula compared to 6.2± 1.32 mg/dl in the untreated mice (P < 0.01). There was a highly significant difference (

USE OF OKARA WASTE FOR ALGAE NUTRITION

Chlorella vulgaris belonging to Chlorophyta and Nannochloropsis  oculata belonging to Chrythophytawere used in the currentstudy to evaluate whether their successive indoor growth using industrial food waste (okara) as a growth medium enriched with organic carbon and nitrogenThe basic nutrient solutions were BG-II for Chlorella, while F2 was used for Nannochloropsis growth. Okara was used in four concentrations ( 25 , 50 , 75 and 100% )  verses to control and based on its initial nitrogen content. Original waste was diluted by 4 fold of tape water prior inoculation. The investigated parameters were dry weigh (g.l-1); total chlorophyll (mg.l-1) and total carotenoids (mg.l-1). Maximum dry weight of Chlorella was obtained with 25% of okara waste. As for Nannochloropsis, a slight increase was observed with all okara concentrations used. Lower okara concentration (25%) enhanced chlorophyll accumulation by Chlorella vulgaris, while higher concentration (100%) reached the maximum with Nannochloropsis oculata. Completely opposite pattern was observed with total carotene

Anti-inflammatory activity of d-pinitol possibly through inhibiting COX-2 enzyme: in vivo and in silico studies

Introduction: D-pinitol, a naturally occurring inositol, has diverse biological activities like antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer activities. This study aimed to evaluate anti-inflammatory effect of d-pinitol in a chick model. Additionally, in silico studies were performed to evaluate the molecular interactions with cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2).Methods: The tested groups received d-pinitol (12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg) and the standard drugs celecoxib and ketoprofen (42 mg/kg) via oral gavage prior to formalin injection. Then, the number of licks was counted for the first 10 min, and the paw edema diameter was measured at 60, 90, and 120 min.Results and Discussion: The d-pinitol groups significantly (p &lt; 0.05) reduced the number of paw licks and paw edema diameters, compared to negative control. When d-pinitol was combined with celecoxib, it reduced inflammatory parameters more effectively than the individual groups. The in silico study showed a promising binding capacity of d-pinitol with COX-2. Taken together, d-pinitol exerted anti-inflammatory effects in a dose-dependent manner, possibly through COX-2 interaction pathway

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p&lt;0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p&lt;0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Assessment of anticoccidial efficacy of novel Triazine compound and Sulfaclozine against experimentally induced caecal coccidiosis in broiler chickens

This study was performed to investigate the theraputic efficacy of toltrazuril, sulfaclozine sodium and their combination in broiler chicken for the treatment of experimentally induced caecal coccidiosis. For this purpose, seventy-five day-old chicks were randomly divided into five equal groups (15 each). G1 , kept as control negative; G2 , infected non treated (control positive); G3 , infected treated with toltrazuril (1 mL/L); G4 , infected treated with sodium sulfaclozine (2 mL/L); G5 , infected treated with toltrazuril (1 mL/L) + sulfaclozine Na (2 g/L). All groups except negative control group were inoculated orally with 5 × 104 sporulated oocysts of Eimeria tenella (field isolate) on the day 15th of age. According to the present results, G2 showed a significant increase in oocyst count, AST, ALT, ALP, uric acid, and creatinine, with significant decrease in body weight gain, hematological parameters, total protein, and albumin. Treatment decreased the harmful effect of infection but some significant differences were shown between infected and treated groups and non infected and non treated group in assessment criteria. Furthermore, the histopathological findings were also discussed. In conclusion, the current study showed that the application of both tested drugs gave significant and satisfactory improvement in the assessment criteria as well as they are effective in control of coccidiosis caused by Eimeria tenella

Comparative evaluation of the effects of atorvastatin and lovastatin on the pharmacokinetics of aliskiren in rats

The worldwide increase in the number patients with high blood pressure poses serious clinical challenges. Little is known regarding the interactions between the various drugs used to treat heart diseases. The present study evaluates and compares the effects of administration of multiple doses of atorvastatin or lovastatin on the pharmacokinetics of aliskiren in rats in an effort to determine their underlying mechanisms. A total of 90 healthy female albino rats were randomly divided into three groups. All groups were treated with aliskiren by oral gavage at 8.57 mg/kg daily for 14 days. In addition to aliskiren, group 2 received atorvastatin at a dose of 1.143 mg/kg for 7 days. In addition to aliskiren, group 3 received lovastatin at a dose of 1.143 mg/kg for 7 days. After blood samples were collected at specific time intervals, aliskiren concentrations were determined using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Relative to the control treatment, atorvastatin treatment resulted in non-significant alterations in the pharmacokinetic parameters of aliskiren. In contrast, lovastatin resulted in a significant increase in the area under the curve, peak plasma concentration, and elimination half-life by 21, 10, and 72%, respectively. Additionally, lovastatin significantly reduced oral clearance by 23%. Inhibition of aliskiren metabolism via the hepatic CYP3A subfamily and/or inhibition of intestinal P-glycoprotein and/or the CYP3A subfamily was identified as a possible mechanism. This study is the first to report that only lovastatin causes a marked increase in aliskiren bioavailability. Caution should be taken when lovastatin and aliskiren are administrated concomitantly in clinical practice

New insights into amiodarone induced retinal and optic nerve toxicity: functional and structural changes

Background: Amiodarone is widely used for heart arrhytmia. Previous studies have suggested the possibility of optic neuropathy with the chronic use of this drug. Objectives: To identify structural or functional changes in the retina and optic nerve in patients on chronic amiodarone therapy without visual complaints. Methods: This observational study included 15 eyes of 15 patients with cardiac arrythmia on chronic amiodarone treatment and 15 healthy matched subjects as a control group. All subjects underwent electrophysiological tests [pattern visual evoked potential (PVEP), pattern electroretinogram (PERG), multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG), and optical coherence tomography (OCT) and angiography (OCTA)]. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding the PVEP, PERG, and the mfERG parameters. Macular and optic nerve head OCT and OCTA have not shown statistically significant differences except for the morphological parameters of the optic disc ( p  = 0.008 for the horizontal and p  = 0.013 for vertical cup/disc ratio and p  = 0.045 for rim area). Conclusion: Patients on chronic amiodarone therapy have not shown evident structural or functional changes in the retinal or optic nerve as demonstrated by electrophysiological tests, OCT, and OCTA results compared to controls

Management of early complications of hepatic artery post living donor liver transplantations in adults

Background: Liver transplantation has rightly gained recognition as an established therapy for end stage liver disease and acute liver failure. Liver transplantation in humans has come a very long way in a short period of time. The aim were to identify the causes and the risk factors of early complications of hepatic artery post LDLT in adults. Methods: This is a retrospective &amp; prospective analysis study, which was carried out in Orthopedic Surgery This study was conducted on a retrospective review of 20 recipient patients who underwent LDLT and suffering from an early hepatic artery complications at Cairo University Hospitals and Dar Al Foad Hospital from starting the program till 2016. Results. Risk factors were examined as predictors of success including age, sex, history of HCV +/- HCC and any co-morbidity (DM, HTN), the Child-Pugh score, MELD score, identification of potential risk factors (trans-arterial chemo embolization (TACE) &amp; Hyper-coaglable states), careful preoperative evaluations (Donor &amp; Recipient). Conclusion: Early HA complications remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality after LDLT. Urgent revascularization is necessary to avoid graft loss.&nbsp