Conditional deletion of LRRC8A in the brain reduces stroke damage independently of swelling-activated glutamate release

The ubiquitous volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs) facilitate cell volume control and contribute to many other physiological processes. Treatment with non-specific VRAC blockers or brain-specific deletion of the essential VRAC subunit LRRC8A is highly protective in rodent models of stroke. Here, we tested the widely accepted idea that the harmful effects of VRACs are mediated by release of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. We produced conditional LRRC8A knockout either exclusively in astrocytes or in the majority of brain cells. Genetically modified mice were subjected to an experimental stroke (middle cerebral artery occlusion). The astrocytic LRRC8A knockout yielded no protection. Conversely, the brain-wide LRRC8A deletion strongly reduced cerebral infarction in both heterozygous (Het) and full KO mice. Yet, despite identical protection, Het mice had full swelling-activated glutamate release, whereas KO animals showed its virtual absence. These findings suggest that LRRC8A contributes to ischemic brain injury via a mechanism other than VRAC-mediated glutamate release

Phenolic extracts from bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) residues as new functional food ingredients

Bilberry residues were investigated as a potential source of phenolic antioxidants. Polyphenol extraction was carried out in a mechanically stirred device at 40 °C and 300 rpm using aqueous ethanol (60% v/v) used as solvent. The polyphenol content of the resulting extract was 81.69 ± 6.12 mg GAE/g dw and the antioxidant activity was 7.58 ± 0.27 mmol TE/g dw. Bilberry extracts were incorporated in varying amounts into a natural drinking yogurt and a condensed milk. Depending on the added amount of extract, the antioxidant activity of the fortified drinking yogurt ranged from 1.69 to 3.27 μmol TE/mL and that of the condensed milk from 12.16 to 23.16 μmol TE/g. The results obtained demonstrate that bilberry residues can be used as a valuable source of phenolic antioxidants and support the possibility of using the phenolic extracts to produce new functional food products with high antioxidant capacity. Using an agro-industrial waste as a source of polyphenols could contribute to reduce its environmental impact and provide economic benefits to the producers

Application of a novel definitive screening design to decolorization of an azo dye on boron-doped diamond electrodes

The electrochemical decolorization of the Reactive Violet 5 azo dye on a boron-doped diamond anode was used as a model process to test a novel definitive screening design (DSD). This method allows a dramatic reduction in the number of experiments needed to investigate those systems characterized by a large number of variables. In this study, the effect of nine quantitative parameters was investigated: initial dye concentration (60–120 mg L−1), current density (100–500 A m−2), NaCl concentration (5–20 mM), Na2SO4 concentration (35–65 mM), pH (3–11), temperature (20–45 °C), inter-electrode distance (0.5–3.5 cm), stirring rate (250–750 rpm) and electrolysis time (2–8 min). Analysis of DSD data showed that four out of the nine factors (initial dye concentration, current density, pH and electrolysis time) were statistically significant. These factors were retained for process characterization using a subsequent central composite design. Overall, the number of experiments was reduced from over 500 to only 41, thus confirming the validity of the proposed approach as a time-saving and efficient method