Evaluation of the functional efficacy of an antioxidative probiotic in healthy volunteers

BACKGROUND: In persons without clinical symptom it is difficult to assess an impact of probiotics regarding its effect on health. We evaluated the functional efficacy of the probiotic Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3 in healthy volunteers by measuring the influence of two different formulations on intestinal lactoflora, fecal recovery of the probiotic strain and oxidative stress markers of blood and urine after 3 weeks consumption. METHODS: Two 3-week healthy volunteer trials were performed. Open placebo controlled (OPC) study participants (n = 21) consumed either goat milk or by L. fermentum ME-3 fermented goat milk (daily dose 11.8 log CFU (Colony Forming Units). Double blind randomised placebo controlled (DBRP) study participants (n = 24) received either capsules with L. fermentum ME-3 (daily of dose 9.2 CFU) or placebo capsules. The faecal lactoflora composition, faecal ME-3 recovery, effect of the consumption on intestinal lactoflora, and oxidative stress markers of blood (total antioxidative activity; total antioxidative status and glutathione red-ox ratio) was measured. RESULTS: ME-3 was well tolerated and a significant increase in total faecal lactobacilli yet no predominance of ME-3 was detected in all study groups. Faecal recovery of ME-3 was documented by molecular methods only in fermented milk group, however the significant improvement of blood TAA (Total Antioxidative Activity) and TAS (Total Antioxidative Status) indices was seen both in case of fermented goat milk and capsules", yet glutathione re-ox ratio values decreased only in case of fermented by ME-3 goat milk. CONCLUSION: The functional efficacy of both consumed formulations of an antioxidative probiotic L. fermentum ME-3 is proved by the increase of the intestinal lactobacilli counts providing putative defence against enteric infections and by reduction of the oxidative stress indices of blood and urine of healthy volunteers. In non-diseased host the probiotic health claims can be assessed by improvement of some measurable laboratory indices of well-established physiological functions of host, e.g. markers of antioxidative defence system

Pulsed laser deposition of CdWO4CdWO_4 thin films

Thin $CdWO_4$ films were produced on various substrates by pulsed laser deposition. A method of producing transparent films of high structural and optical quality on MgO substrate was developed. It is based on deposition of an amorphous film from a non-stoichiometric $CdWO_4$–CdO target and a consequent crystallization of the film in oxygen atmosphere at 750 °C. The quality of the films produced was verified by x-ray diffraction, electron probe microanalysis, scanning electron microscopy, Raman and optical spectroscopy

Effects of Ta doping and irradiation with He+ ions on photoluminescence of MgAl2O4 spinel ceramics

International audiencePhotoluminescence (PL) properties of pristine and Ta-doped MgAl 2 O 4 spinel ceramics prepared via spark plasma sintering technique and irradiated with He + ions were studied. The results indicate strong influence of the grain boundaries on PL spectra. Ta doping promotes the formation of O and Al vacancies at the grain boundaries leading to an increased number density of F + centres. The ionised irradiation forms antisites preferentially at the grain boundaries, which inhibit excitonic PL and exciton energy transfer while do not affect proper PL of lattice defects. A weak PL excitation band at 7.25±0.25 eV may belong to excitons localised near bulk antisites. In the Ta-doped ceramics, the electronic transitions between 5.75 eV and 7.0 eV belong to an intermediate state situated at the grain boundaries and structurally linked to Ta, which readily transfers energy to F and F + centres; it was assigned to the nucleated Mg 4 Ta 2 O 9 phase

LIBS study of ITER relevant tungsten–oxygen coatings exposed to deuterium plasma in Magnum-PSI

We discuss the applicability of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for deuterium retention analysis in compact and porous tungsten-oxide (W-O) coatings. Deuterium loading was performed by exposing the coatings to deuterium plasma in Magnum-PSI linear plasma device. The deuterium signals obtained by ex-situ LIBS had sufficiently good signal-to-noise ratio for reliable separation of essentially broadened hydrogen and deuterium lines as well as for comparison of the lateral and depth distributions of deuterium in the coatings. Strong deuterium signal was obtained for the first laser shot which corresponded to the surface layer of the W-O coatings whereas deeper in the coating the signal decreased to noise level. In addition, the deuterium signal was highest in the central region of compact W-O coating. For both coatings, depth profiles of elements obtained by LIBS match with those recorded by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) in the lateral direction along the sample surface. The results of LIBS and SIMS results were supported by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) data which showed that the exposure to deuterium plasma resulted in remarkable changes in the surface morphology along the sample surface. The study demonstrates the LIBS potential in deuterium retention measurements in plasma facing components.</p