Calidad nutricional del aceite de semilla de trece especies Asphodeline (Xanthorrhoeaceae) procedentes de Turquía

The fatty acid composition of the seed oil from 13 Turkish Asphodeline species was analyzed. The seed oil content ranged between 0.9% and 4.6%, and included 26 different fatty acids from C12:0to C22:5. The most abundant saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids were C16:0 (5.7% to 23.7% of their total fatty acid content), C18:1ω9 (11.3% to 30.3%), and C18:2ω6 (49.2% to 66.1%). A. tenuior subsp. tenuiflora, which had the highest content of unsaturated fatty acids, also had the best fatty acid profile from a nutritional point of view. Asphodeline seed oil composition was similar to that of local, related vegetables such as onion seeds. Asphodeline species, which are most frequently grown to use the leaves in salads, may also be a good source of seed oil with good nutritional properties. Results of a cluster analysis using data on the fatty acid composition are consistent with the taxonomic classification of genus Asphodeline.Se ha analizado la composición en ácidos grasos del aceite de las semillas de 13 especies de Asphodeline de Turquía. El contenido en aceite de las semillas osciló entre el 0.9% y el 4.6% e incluyó 26 ácidos grasos distintos entre C12:0y C22:5. Los ácidos grasos saturados, monoinsaturados y poliinsaturados más abundantes fueron C16:0 (5.7% a 23.7%), C18:1ω9 (11.3% a 30.3%) y C18:2ω6 (49.2% a 66.1%). A. tenuior subsp. tenuiflora, que presentó el contenido más alto en ácidos grasos insaturados, también tenía el mejor perfil en ácidos grasos desde un punto de vista nutricional. La composición del aceite de las semillas de Asphodeline fue similar a la de vegetales relacionados como la cebolla. Asphodeline, cuyas hojas son consumidas en ensaladas, puede representar también una buena fuente de aceite de las semillas con buenas propiedades nutricionales. Los resultados del análisis de grupos usando los datos de la composición en ácidos grasos son consistentes con la clasificación taxonómica del género Asphodeline

Características nutricionales y funcionales de semillas de Erophaca baetica, una leguminosa endémica de la región Mediterránea

Erophaca baetica is a legume endemic to the Mediterranean region. Although the fruits and seeds are large, the presence of the “locoism” which produces the alkaloid, swainsonine has prevented its use as animal feed or for human nutrition. Their protein content and chromatographic profile, amino acid composition, fatty acid composition, and polyphenol contents have been determined in order to explore the potential of the E. baetica seeds as a source of dietary protein with functional components. The protein content was found to be 36% (w/w), and an amino acid analysis revealed a deficiency in sulphur amino acids, tryptophane, and lysine. The low lysine content is probably due to the abundance of alkaloids metabolically derived from this amino acid. Oleic and linoleic acids are the major fatty acids in the seeds. The antioxidant activity of polyphenol extracts was higher than the activity of the polyphenols extracted from most edible legume seeds. Hence, E. baetica seeds represent a promising source of functional and nutritional components on the condition that the anti-nutritional alkaloids are previously removed.Erophaca baetica es una leguminosa endémica de la región mediterránea. Aunque los frutos y las semillas son grandes, la presencia del alcaloide swainsonina causante de locoismo, ha impedido su uso como alimento para animales o para nutrición humana. El contenido proteico y su perfil cromatográfico, la composición de aminoácidos, de ácidos grasos, y contenido de polifenoles se han determinado con el fin de explorar el potencial de las semillas de E. baetica como una fuente de proteínas y de componentes funcionales de la dieta. El contenido de proteínas es del 36% (w / w), y el análisis de aminoácidos reveló deficiencia en aminoácidos azufrados, triptófano y lisina. El contenido de lisina bajo es probablemente debido a la abundancia de alcaloides metabólicamente derivados de este aminoácido. Los ácidos oleicos y linoleico son los principales ácidos grasos en las semillas. La actividad antioxidante de los extractos de polifenoles fue mayor que la actividad de los polifenoles extraídos de la mayoría de las semillas de leguminosas comestibles. Por lo tanto, las semillas de E. baetica representan una fuente interesante de componentes funcionales y nutricionales con la condición de que los alcaloides antinutricionales sean quitados antes

Mejora de la extracción proteica de la harina de girasol mediante hidrólisis con alcalasa

Extraction of proteins from defatted sunflower meal has been improved by addition of the protease alcalase during alkaline extraction. This method offers several additional advantages as compared to the traditional alkaline extraction without alcalase, which is usually carried out after a sedimentation/flotation step to remove the lignocellulosic fraction. As compared to extraction without alcalase, addition of 0.1% (v/v) alcalase improved the yield of protein extraction from 57.5% to 87.4%, providing an extract that is 22% hydrolyzed. In addition, an increment of up to 4.5 times in protein solubility at low pH values is achieved, which correlates with the degree of hydrolysis. The extracts that were obtained in the presence of alcalase had a higher proline and glycine content, suggesting that the protease improves extraction of proline-rich and glycine-rich cell wall proteins that are part of the lignocellulosic fraction. These protein extracts can be directly dried without generation of wastewater, and the resulting fiber-rich material could be used for animal feeding.Se ha mejorado la extracción proteica de la harina desengrasa de girasol mediante la adición de la proteasa alcalasa durante la extracción alcalina. Este método ofrece varias ventajas adicionales en comparación con la extracción alcalina tradicional sin alcalasa, que se desarrolla normalmente mediante un proceso de flotación/sedimentación para retirar la fracción lignocelulósica. En comparación a la extracción sin alcalasa, la adicción de 0.1% (v/v) de alcalasa mejora los rendimientos de extracción proteica desde un 57.5% a un 87.4%, dando un extracto con un 22% de grado de hidrólisis. Además se obtiene un incremento de hasta 4.5 veces de la solubilidad proteica a bajos pHs, que se correlaciona con el grado de hidrólisis. Los extractos obtenidos con alcalasa tenían un mayor contenido de prolina y glicina, sugiriendo que la proteasa mejora la extracción de las proteínas ricas en prolina y glicina de la pared celular que forma parte de la fracción lignocelulósica. Este extracto proteico puede ser secado directamente sin generación de aguas residuales, y el material resultante rico en fibra podría ser usado para alimentación animal

Global Retinoblastoma Presentation and Analysis by National Income Level.

Importance: Early diagnosis of retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular cancer, can save both a child's life and vision. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many children across the world are diagnosed late. To our knowledge, the clinical presentation of retinoblastoma has never been assessed on a global scale. Objectives: To report the retinoblastoma stage at diagnosis in patients across the world during a single year, to investigate associations between clinical variables and national income level, and to investigate risk factors for advanced disease at diagnosis. Design, Setting, and Participants: A total of 278 retinoblastoma treatment centers were recruited from June 2017 through December 2018 to participate in a cross-sectional analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed in 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures: Age at presentation, proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, and tumor stage and metastasis. Results: The cohort included 4351 new patients from 153 countries; the median age at diagnosis was 30.5 (interquartile range, 18.3-45.9) months, and 1976 patients (45.4%) were female. Most patients (n = 3685 [84.7%]) were from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Globally, the most common indication for referral was leukocoria (n = 2638 [62.8%]), followed by strabismus (n = 429 [10.2%]) and proptosis (n = 309 [7.4%]). Patients from high-income countries (HICs) were diagnosed at a median age of 14.1 months, with 656 of 666 (98.5%) patients having intraocular retinoblastoma and 2 (0.3%) having metastasis. Patients from low-income countries were diagnosed at a median age of 30.5 months, with 256 of 521 (49.1%) having extraocular retinoblastoma and 94 of 498 (18.9%) having metastasis. Lower national income level was associated with older presentation age, higher proportion of locally advanced disease and distant metastasis, and smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma. Advanced disease at diagnosis was more common in LMICs even after adjusting for age (odds ratio for low-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 17.92 [95% CI, 12.94-24.80], and for lower-middle-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 5.74 [95% CI, 4.30-7.68]). Conclusions and Relevance: This study is estimated to have included more than half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017. Children from LMICs, where the main global retinoblastoma burden lies, presented at an older age with more advanced disease and demonstrated a smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, likely because many do not reach a childbearing age. Given that retinoblastoma is curable, these data are concerning and mandate intervention at national and international levels. Further studies are needed to investigate factors, other than age at presentation, that may be associated with advanced disease in LMICs

Dopamine D4 receptors are heterogeneously distributed in the striosomes/matrix compartments of the striatum

Two important aspects of striatal function, exploratory behaviour and motor co-ordination, require the integrity of the dopamine D4 receptor subtype. These receptors are also implicated in the pathophysiology of certain neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the distribution of D4 receptors in the striatum has not yet been described and this situation impairs our understanding of the anatomical substrate in which D4 receptors function. We developed a D4 receptor-specific antibody that has permitted us to investigate the regional and cellular localization of the receptor in the neostriatum of the rat, mouse, cat and monkey. The subcellular distribution and the synaptic organization of this receptor were also determined in the rat striatum. We found moderate levels of D4 receptor expression in the caudoputamen and lower levels in the nucleus accumbens. These receptors were expressed in cell bodies and in the neuropil and were heterogeneously distributed among different striatal compartments, being more abundant in striosomes than in the matrix. At the subcellular level, the receptor immunoreactivity was mainly localized to dendritic shafts and spines. The prominent immunoreactivity observed in the striosomes indicates that integrative processes involved in D4-mediated limbic behaviours occurs through the striosomes rather than accumbens, whereas the motor behaviour is based in the striatal matrix.Peer Reviewe