An industry consensus study on an HPLC fluorescence method for the determination of (±)-catechin and (±)-epicatechin in cocoa and chocolate products

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This manuscript describes the results of an HPLC study for the determination of the flavan-3-ol monomers, (±)-catechin and (±)-epicatechin, in cocoa and plain dark and milk chocolate products. The study was performed under the auspices of the National Confectioners Association (NCA) and involved the analysis of a series of samples by laboratories of five member companies using a common method.</p> <p>Methodology</p> <p>The method reported in this paper uses reversed phase HPLC with fluorescence detection to analyze (±)-epicatechin and (±)-catechin extracted with an acidic solvent from defatted cocoa and chocolate. In addition to a variety of cocoa and chocolate products, the sample set included a blind duplicate used to assess method reproducibility. All data were subjected to statistical analysis with outliers eliminated from the data set.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The percent coefficient of variation (%CV) of the sample set ranged from approximately 7 to 15%.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Further experimental details are described in the body of the manuscript and the results indicate the method is suitable for the determination of (±)-catechin and (±)-epicatechin in cocoa and chocolate products and represents the first collaborative study of this HPLC method for these compounds in these matrices.</p

Alterations in vasomotor control of coronary resistance vessels in remodelled myocardium of swine with a recent myocardial infarction

The mechanism underlying the progressive deterioration of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction after myocardial infarction (MI) towards overt heart failure remains incompletely understood, but may involve impairments in coronary blood flow regulation within remodelled myocardium leading to intermittent myocardial ischemia. Blood flow to the remodelled myocardium is hampered as the coronary vasculature does not grow commensurate with the increase in LV mass and because extravascular compression of the coronary vasculature is increased. In addition to these factors, an increase in coronary vasomotor tone, secondary to neurohumoral activation and endothelial dysfunction, could also contribute to the impaired myocardial oxygen supply. Consequently, we explored, in a series of studies, the alterations in regulation of coronary resistance vessel tone in remodelled myocardium of swine with a 2 to 3-week-old MI. These studies indicate that myocardial oxygen balance is perturbed in remodelled myocardium, thereby forcing the myocardium to increase its oxygen extraction. These perturbations do not appear to be the result of blunted β-adrenergic or endothelial NO-mediated coronary vasodilator influences, and are opposed by an increased vasodilator influence through opening of KATP channels. Unexpectedly, we observed that despite increased circulating levels of noradrenaline, angiotensin II and endothelin-1, α-adrenergic tone remained negligible, while the coronary vasoconstrictor influences of endogenous endothelin and angiotensin II were virtually abolished. We conclude that, early after MI, perturbations in myocardial oxygen balance are observed in remodelled myocardium. However, adaptive alterations in coronary resistance vessel control, consisting of increased vasodilator influences in conjunction with blunted vasoconstrictor influences, act to minimize the impairments of myocardial oxygen balance

The research on endothelial function in women and men at risk for cardiovascular disease (REWARD) study: methodology

Background Endothelial function has been shown to be a highly sensitive marker for the overall cardiovascular risk of an individual. Furthermore, there is evidence of important sex differences in endothelial function that may underlie the differential presentation of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women relative to men. As such, measuring endothelial function may have sex-specific prognostic value for the prediction of CVD events, thus improving risk stratification for the overall prediction of CVD in both men and women. The primary objective of this study is to assess the clinical utility of the forearm hyperaemic reactivity (FHR) test (a proxy measure of endothelial function) for the prediction of CVD events in men vs. women using a novel, noninvasive nuclear medicine -based approach. It is hypothesised that: 1) endothelial dysfunction will be a significant predictor of 5-year CVD events independent of baseline stress test results, clinical, demographic, and psychological variables in both men and women; and 2) endothelial dysfunction will be a better predictor of 5-year CVD events in women compared to men. Methods/Design A total of 1972 patients (812 men and 1160 women) undergoing a dipyridamole stress testing were recruited. Medical history, CVD risk factors, health behaviours, psychological status, and gender identity were assessed via structured interview or self-report questionnaires at baseline. In addition, FHR was assessed, as well as levels of sex hormones via blood draw. Patients will be followed for 5 years to assess major CVD events (cardiac mortality, non-fatal MI, revascularization procedures, and cerebrovascular events). Discussion This is the first study to determine the extent and nature of any sex differences in the ability of endothelial function to predict CVD events. We believe the results of this study will provide data that will better inform the choice of diagnostic tests in men and women and bring the quality of risk stratification in women on par with that of men

The influence of different concentrations of flavanol chocolate bars under acute supplement conditions on exercise and performance

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects and acute dosage of different flavanol concentrations in a dark chocolate bar on physiological parameters during steady state (SS) and incremental exercise. In a double-blind, randomised, crossover study, 15 healthy participants with a mean ± SD age of 30 ± 7 years; stature 176.8 ± 8.6 cm and body mass 80.3 ± 8.4 kg supplemented with high flavanol (HF) (1060 mg), moderate flavanol (MF) (746 mg), low flavanol (LF) (406 mg), or a control (CON) (88 mg) chocolate bar (~ 34 g), 2 h prior to 40 min of SS cycling (80% gas-exchange threshold) followed by an incremental test to volitional fatigue. During the SS cycle oxygen consumption ([Formula: see text]), respiratory exchange ratio (RER) and heart rate (HR) were continuously monitored. Plasma samples were collected prior to commencing exercise to determine nitrate (NO ) and nitrite (NO ) levels under each condition. There was no observed effect between flavanol concentrations on [Formula: see text], RER, and HR during SS cycling (P > 0.05). [Formula: see text], peak power, HR peak, and RER peak also did not significantly differ between conditions (P > 0.05). There was a small trend for higher plasma NO levels following higher flavanol concentration; however, this did not reach statistical significance (P > 0.05). Acute supplementation with cocoa of differing flavanol concentrations does not appear to have any effect on exercise and performance. It is plausible that longer flavanol supplementation periods might have greater accumulative effects and thus may potentially elicit a larger effect

Eco-friendly kitchen gardening by Pakistani rural women developed through a farmer field school participatory approach

A joint venture was made by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Society of Facilitators and Trainers Pakistan to train rural women of eight districts of Pakistan in kitchen gardening and off-season vegetable cultivation using a farmer field school (FFS) approach. Overall, 42 females were trained as master trainers who in turn established 48 season-long FFS where 1227 rural females were facilitated to establish home gardens and field plots with emphasis on minimizing chemical inputs in crop production and protection. Observatory skills regarding regular plant growth and ecology were enhanced through agroecosystem analysis, which, in turn, improved their crop management decisions. The largest portion of FFS participants (38.2%) was illiterate and with regard to age, the largest category (36.6%) was 21 – 30 years old. The participatory FFS activities not only enhanced the awareness of participating rural women folk but also provided a forum to share their experiences. They gained confidence and improved their social interactions and awareness about their role in improving livelihoods and agriculture. The cost – benefit analysis showed home gardens and field plots of vegetables to be economically beneficial activitie

Intravenous magnesium sulfate for acute termination of sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia associated with coronary artery disease

The efficacy of intravenous magnesium in terminating sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia was examined in this study. This therapy was found to be ineffective in aborting monomorphic ventricular tachycardia induced in the electrophysiology laboratory.H.M. Omar Farouque, Prashanthan Sanders and Glenn D. Youn

Aortico-atrial fistula secondary to bacterial endocarditis

© 2001 BMJ Publishing GroupH M Omar Farouque, Stephen G Worthley, Richard A S Yeen

Arterial remodeling correlates positively with serological evidence of inflammation in patients with chronic stable angina pectoris

Copyright © 2006 International Andreas Gruentzig SocietyPositive coronary artery remodeling is associated with unstable coronary syndromes. Serum inflammatory markers, including high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP), can predict future risk of acute coronary events in patients with stable coronary artery disease. We sought to elucidate the relationship of specific serum inflammatory markers with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) estimation of coronary artery remodeling in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Thirty-one sequential patients at our institution undergoing IVUS-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stable coronary artery disease were enrolled. Automated IVUS pullback and offline analysis were performed in all patients. Images were analyzed for vessel wall area (VWA) and lumen area (LA), at the culprit lesion and at a proximal reference site, and the remodeling index (RI) was calculated. Positive and negative remodeling were defined as a RI of > 1.05 and < 0.95, respectively. ELISA essays were performed for soluble VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and E-selectin. The distribution of data followed a lognormal distribution. By defining arterial remodeling as simply positive or negative, significant differences were identified for log E-selectin only (1.80 +/- 0.04 versus 1.62 +/- 0.05, respectively; p = 0.02). The RI correlation coefficient was 0.38 (p = 0.04) for log sVCAM-1 and 0.42 (p = 0.02) for log sICAM-1. The log E-selection and RI correlation coefficient, although weaker at 0.32, showed a trend toward significance (p = 0.08). There was no significant correlation between log hsCRP and RI (p = 0.42). Using step-wise multivariate analysis, log sVCAM-1 only remained an independent predictor of the RI (p = 0.03). Positive coronary artery remodeling correlates with serological markers of inflammation in patients with stable coronary artery disease.Stephen G. Worthley, Omar Farouque, James D. Cameron, Ian T. Meredit

Scleroderma cardiomyopathy presenting with thromboembolism

The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.comM.I. Worthley, H.M.O. Farouque, J.D. McNeil and S.G.Worthle