6 research outputs found
Analysis of Selected Physicochemical Properties of Commercial Apple Juices
The paper presents the comparison of quality of six different commercial apple juices produced in Poland. The apple juices came from two different Polish companies. From each manufacturer three various juices were selected: two cloudy and clarified one produced as a mixture of different apple varieties. The following properties were evaluated: density, soluble solid content, viscosity, total phenolic contents, phenolic acid, and antiradical activity. The obtained results showed that three from fourth cloudy juices (M1Sz, M1A and M2A) differed from clarified juices. The highest differences were noticed for total phenolic contents, phenolic acids, antiradical activity and viscosity. The values of these properties ranged between 60.72â103.6 mg GAE·100-1 mL-1 for phenolic contents, 78.3â90.9% for antiradical activity and 2.68â5.79 mPa·s for viscosity. The remaining cloudy juice (M2Sz) was more similar to the clarified ones. The strong correlation between total phenolic content and antiradical activity of apple juices was found. The high correlation coefficient obtained between these features indicates that both producers do not apply excessive amounts of vitamin C during the production of cloudy apple juices. There was also a strong interrelation between the density of juice and solid soluble content. However, no correlation was found between the solid soluble content and the viscosity of the tested juices
Vascular cognitive impairment linked to brain endothelium inflammation in early stages of heart failure in mice
Background
Although advanced heart failure (
HF
) is a clinically documented risk factor for vascular cognitive impairment, the occurrence and pathomechanisms of vascular cognitive impairment in early stages of
HF
are equivocal. Here, we characterize vascular cognitive impairment in the early stages of
HF
development and assess whether cerebral hypoperfusion or prothrombotic conditions are involved.
Methods and Results
Tgαq*44 mice with slowly developing isolated
HF
triggered by cardiomyocyteâspecific overexpression of Gâαq*44 protein were studied before the endâstage
HF
, at the ages of 3, 6, and 10 months: before left ventricle dysfunction; at the stage of early left ventricle diastolic dysfunction (with preserved ejection fraction); and left ventricle diastolic/systolic dysfunction, respectively. In 6â to 10âmonthâold but not in 3âmonthâold Tgαq*44 mice, behavioral and cognitive impairment was identified with compromised bloodâbrain barrier permeability, most significantly in brain cortex, that was associated with myelin sheet loss and changes in astrocytes and microglia. Brain endothelial cells displayed increased Eâselectin immunoreactivity, which was accompanied by increased amyloidâÎČ
1â42
accumulation in piriform cortex and increased cortical oxidative stress (8â
OH
dG immunoreactivity). Resting cerebral blood flow measured by magnetic resonance imaging in vivo was preserved, but ex vivo
NO
âdependent cortical arteriole flow regulation was impaired. Platelet hyperreactivity was present in 3â to 10âmonthâold Tgαq*44 mice, but it was not associated with increased plateletâdependent thrombogenicity.
Conclusions
We report for the first time that vascular cognitive impairment is already present in the early stage of
HF
development, even before left ventricle systolic dysfunction. The underlying pathomechanism, independent of brain hypoperfusion, involves preceding platelet hyperreactivity and brain endothelium inflammatory activation.
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Effect of the black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott) juice acquisition method on the content of polyphenols and antioxidant activity.
The primary objective of the study was to determine the effect of process conditions on extraction efficiency and the total amount of released polyphenols and antioxidant activity (AA) in black chokeberry juice. The study samples were fruits of black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott) cv. Galicjanka. In the study, two kinds of presses-piston press and twin gear juice extractor-were used, and two raw material pretreatment methods-freezing and thawing and enzymatic liquefaction-were applied. The study showed that pressing efficiency depends on the design of press and the nature of pretreatment. The highest pressing efficiency was obtained using the twin gear juice extractor. Enzymatic liquefaction of shredded fruits significantly increased the efficiency of pressing by the piston press. The type of press and the pretreatment method used had an effect on the quality traits of the extracted juices. The highest content of soluble solids was obtained for fruits not subjected to any pretreatment and pressed using the twin gear press. The highest total phenolic content was obtained in juice extracted using the piston press from shredded fruits subjected to enzymatic treatment at 45°C. A higher total phenolic content was also a characteristic of juice obtained from fruits not subjected to any pretreatment and extracted using the twin gear press. The capacity of the black chokeberry juices for free radical quenching oscillated around the level of approximately 90%. The study showed that the application of suitable processing methods is necessary for the acquisition of products with desirable quality traits
Single-step synthesis of Er3+ and Yb3+ ions doped molybdate/Gd2O3 coreâshell nanoparticles for biomedical imaging
Nanostructures as color-tunable luminescent markers have become major, promising tools for bioimaging and biosensing. In this paper separated molybdate/Gd2O3 doped rare earth ions (erbium, Er3+ and ytterbium, Yb3+) coreâshell nanoparticles (NPs), were fabricated by a one-step homogeneous precipitation process. Emission properties were studied by cathodo- and photoluminescence. Scanning electron and transmission electron microscopes were used to visualize and determine the size and shape of the NPs. Spherical NPs were obtained. Their coreâshell structures were confirmed by x-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy measurements. We postulated that the molybdate rich core is formed due to high segregation coefficient of the Mo ion during the precipitation. The calcination process resulted in crystallization of ÎŽ/Ο (core/shell) NP doped Er and Yb ions, where ÎŽâgadolinium molybdates and Οâmolybdates or gadolinium oxide. We confirmed two different upconversion mechanisms. In the presence of molybdenum ions, in the core of the NPs, Yb3+â (mid2F7/2, 3T2ă) dimers were formed. As a result of a two 980 nm photon absorption by the dimer, we observed enhanced green luminescence in the upconversion process. However, for the shell formed by the Gd2O3:Er, Yb NPs (without the Mo ions), the typical energy transfer upconversion takes place, which results in red luminescence. We demonstrated that the NPs were transported into cytosol of the HeLa and astrocytes cells by endocytosis. The coreâshell NPs are sensitive sensors for the environment prevailing inside (shorter luminescence decay) and outside (longer luminescence decay) of the tested cells. The toxicity of the NPs was examined using MTT assay.The research was partially supported by the European Union
within European Regional Development Fund, through grant
Innovative Economy (POIG.01.01.02-00-008/08) and was
partially supported by a grant from the Polish National Science Center 2013/11/B/N21/00089 and partially supported by the grant DEC-2012/07/B/ST5/02080 of the National
Science Center of Poland and Center of Excellence. This
work has been done in the NanoFun laboratories co-financed
by the European Regional Development Fund within the
Innovation Economy Operational Program, the Project no.
POIG.02.02.00-00-025/09/. This research has been co-finananced with the European Union funds by the European
Social Fund and was partially supported by the cluster of
Biomedical Engineering Center co-financed by European
Union funds under the Operational Programme Innovative
Economy (project number UDA-POIG.05.01.00-00). The
research was partially financed by the project Sonata from the
National Science Centre, UMO-2014/15/D/ST5/02604.
The research was partially supported by the Foundation for
Polish Science through the International Research Agenda
Programme co-financed by the European Union within Smart
Growth Operational Program. The research was supported by
the National Science Centre (Poland) through Grants No.
DEC-2014/14/M/ST3/00484.Peer reviewe