A new HPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of quercetin and its derivatives in green coffee beans

Green coffee (Coffee arabica and Coffee robusta) is one of the most commonly traded goods globally. Their beans are enriched with polyphenols and numerous health benefits are associated with their consumption. The main aim of this work was to develop a new and fast analytical HPLC-MS/MS method to simultaneously determine six flavonoid polyphenolic compounds (quercetin, rutin, isorhamnetin, quercetin-3-glucouronide, hyperoside, and quercitrin) in 22 green coffee samples from six different geographical origins (Ethiopia, Brazil, Guatemala, Nicaragua, India and Colombia). In addition, by adjusting pH, temperature, solvent type, and extraction duration, several extraction methods such as acidic and alkaline hydrolysis, and extraction without hydrolysis were evaluated. The optimal extraction procedure in terms of recovery percentages (78.67–94.09%)was acidic hydrolysis at pH 2, extraction temperature of 60 °C, extraction solvent of 70% ethanol, and extraction duration of 1.5 h. Hyperoside (878–75 μg/kg) was the most abundant compound followed by quercitrin (408–38 μg/kg), quercetin (300–36 μg/kg), rutin (238–21 μg/kg), and quercetin-3-glucouronide (225–7 μg/kg), while isorhamnetin (34–3 μg/kg) showed the lowest amount. Overall, green coffee beans are rich in flavonoid polyphenolic compounds and could be used as part of a healthy diet

Synthesis of p-coumaroylquinic acids and analysis of their interconversion

The synthesis of four isomers of p-coumaroylquinic acids was performed by esterification of p-acetylcoumaroylchloride with a suitably protected (-)-quinic acid. All isomers have been characterized by means of NMR spectroscopy and circular dichroism. Acyl migration was observed in the synthesis of 3-0-p-coumaroylquinic acid and 4-O-p-coumaroylquinic acid. Calculations on the most stable conformations of all isomers have also been performed to explain the acyl migration observed during the synthesis procedure

The joint involvement in adult onset Still's disease is characterised by a peculiar magnetic resonance imaging and a specific transcriptomic profile

Adult onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a rare systemic autoinflammatory disease, characterised by fever, arthritis, and skin rash, and joint involvement is one of its clinical manifestations. The aims of this work were to assess joint involvement, to describe main patterns of involvement, and associated clinical characteristics. In this work, we aimed at assessing the joint involvement in AOSD by using MRI, to describe main patterns and associated clinical characteristics. In addition, we aimed at assessing the global transcriptomic profile of synovial tissues in AOSD to elucidate possible pathogenic pathways involved. We also evaluated the global transcriptomic profile of synovial tissues to elucidate possible pathogenic pathways involved in the disease. Thus, AOSD patients, who underwent to MRI exam on joints, were assessed to describe patterns of joint involvement and associated clinical characteristics. Some synovial tissues were collected for RNA-sequencing purposes. The most common MRI finding was the presence of synovitis on 60.5%, mainly in peripheral affected joints, with low to intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted images and intermediate to high signal intensity on T2-fat-saturated weighted and STIR images. Bone oedema and MRI-bone erosions were reported on 34.9% and 25.6% MRI exams, respectively. Patients with MRI-bone erosions showed a higher prevalence of splenomegaly, a more frequent chronic disease course, lower levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and ferritin. In AOSD synovial tissues, a hyper-expression of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and TNF pathways was shown together with ferritin genes. In conclusion, in AOSD patients, the most common MRI-finding was the presence of synovitis, characterised by intermediate to high signal intensity on T2-fat-saturated weighted and STIR images. MRI-bone erosions and bone oedema were also observed. In AOSD synovial tissues, IL-1, IL-6, and TNF pathways together with ferritin genes resulted to be hyper-expressed

THU0267 Metabolic syndrome and health-related quality of life in systemic lupus erythematosus

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Clinical characteristics of obese patients with adult-onset Still's disease. Data from a large multicentre cohort

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of obesity in patients with adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) and to assess their clinical characteristics and disease outcomes. Methods: The clinical features of AOSD patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 were assessed among those included in the multicentre Gruppo Italiano di Ricerca in Reumatologia Clinica e Sperimentale (GIRRCS) cohort. Results: Out of 139 AOSD patients, who had BMI registered in our database, 26 (18.7%) had a BMI ≥ 30. A lower rate of sore throat (P < 0.05), pericarditis (P < 0.05), and pleuritis (P < 0.05) was shown in obese patients. Additionally, obese patients showed higher values of C-reactive protein (CRP) (P < 0.05) and ferritin (P < 0.05) than others. Furthermore, obese patients were characterised by biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD) failure in subsequent follow-up (P < 0.05). They also presented higher rate of comorbidity than non-obese patients (P < 0.05). Finally, obesity predicted the presence of a chronic disease course in both univariate (HR: 1.72, 95%CI: 1.03–2.51, P < 0.05) and multivariate analyses (HR: 1.85, 95%CI: 1.45–2.89, P < 0.05). Obesity was also a significant predictor of bDMARD failure in AOSD patients in both univariate (HR: 3.03, 95%CI: 1.42–6.45, P < 0.01) and multivariate analyses (HR: 3.59, 95%CI: 1.55–8.27, P < 0.01). Conclusion: Obese patients at the time of diagnosis of the disease were characterised by a lower prevalence of sore throat, serositis, as well as by higher values of CRP and ferritin. Obesity was also a predictive factor for a chronic disease course and bDMARD failure, thus highlighting a subset of patients with AOSD to be carefully managed

Eficiência de fungicidas para controle de giberela em trigo: resultados dos ensaios cooperativos - safra 2011.

O conjunto de ensaios instalados permitiu avaliar a eficiência de fungicidas no controle de giberela em diferentes níveis de ocorrência da doença. Considerando a variável composta índice de Giberela e os três locais de maior ocorrência de giberela (Castro - PR, Guarapuava - PR e Cruz Alta - RS) todos os fungicidas testados foram capazes de reduzir a ocorrência de giberela. Ainda considerando este conjunto de dados, a redução na ocorrência da doença implicou em maior manutenção da produtividade. Dada a interação observada entre tratamentos e ambiente, que levou a diferentes níveis de doença e de controle, e ainda considerando os dados de rendimento de grãos, não se pode concluir, neste primeiro ano de ensaios, que algum dos fungicidas utilizados seja indubitavelmente superior aos demais e com alta eficiência no controle de giberela do trigo.bitstream/item/72717/1/co-23-2012.pd

Tofacitinib May Inhibit Myofibroblast Differentiation from Rheumatoid-Fibroblast-like Synoviocytes Induced by TGF-β and IL-6

During rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the pathogenic role of resident cells within the synovial membrane is suggested, especially for a population frequently referred to as fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs). In this study, we assess the markers of myofibroblast differentiation of RA-FLSs by ex vivo observations and in vitro evaluations following the stimulation with both TGF-β and IL-6. Furthermore, we investigated the possible inhibiting role of tofacitinib, a JAK inhibitor, in this context. Myofibroblast differentiation markers were evaluated on RA synovial tissues by immune-fluorescence or immune-histochemistry. RA-FLSs, stimulated with transforming growth factor (TGF-β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) with/without tofacitinib, were assessed for myofibroblast differentiation markers expression by qRT-PCR and Western blot. The same markers were evaluated following JAK-1 silencing by siRNA assay. The presence of myofibroblast differentiation markers in RA synovial tissue was significantly higher than healthy controls. Ex vivo, α-SMA was increased, whereas E-Cadherin decreased. In vitro, TGF-β and IL-6 stimulation of RA-FLSs promoted a significant increased mRNA expression of collagen I and α-SMA, whereas E-Cadherin mRNA expression was decreased. In the same conditions, the stimulation with tofacitinib significantly reduced the mRNA expression of collagen I and α-SMA, even if the Western blot did not confirm this finding. JAK-1 gene silencing did not fully prevent the effects of stimulation with TGF-β and IL-6 on these features. TGF-β and IL-6 stimulation may play a role in mediating myofibroblast differentiation from RA-FLSs, promoting collagen I and α-SMA while decreasing E-Cadherin. Following the same stimulation, tofacitinib reduced the increases of both collagen I and α-SMA on RA-FLSs, although further studies are needed to fully evaluate this issue and confirm our results