Development and validation of chromatographic methods to study folate derivatives produced by yeasts

Folate, or folic acid, is an important water soluble B vitamin that exists in many different forms. Its presence is necessary for synthesis of DNA and RNA and methylation of homocysteine to methionine. Deficiency of folate is closely connected to increased risk of neural tube defects, a serious birth defect, and development of anaemia. Humans cannot synthesise folate by themselves and therefore depend on an adequate supply through food intake. However, the recommended daily intake of folate is not reached by many people, especially women in fertile ages. This thesis aimed to investigate possibilities for enhancing folate production from yeast for use as biofortificants in food to increase the natural folate content. To quantify folate, analytical methods were developed and validated. This involved optimisation of sample pre-treatment steps, HPLC methods and LC-MS methods. The main findings were that folate analysis of yeast could be facilitated by excluding an SPE step prior to HPLC analysis, that sample handling and choice of antioxidant greatly influenced folate stability, that choice of reversed-phase column considerably affected folate separation/retention and that LC-MS provided a powerful tool for yeast folate analysis. These developed analytical methods were used to investigate differences between yeast strains to produce folates. Furthermore, effect of cultivation conditions on folate content in yeast was studied. The main conclusions from these experiments were that careful selection of yeast strain may considerably increase folate content in food. It was also shown that folate concentration in yeast was significantly increased by optimising the cultivation procedure. The folate derivatives that were found to exist in yeast were tetrahydrofolate, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, 10-formylfolic acid and 5-formyltetrahydrofolate. The findings in this thesis show that there are great possibilities for increasing folate content in yeast-fermented foods, e.g. bread and dairy products, if a proper yeast strain is used under optimal growth conditions in appropriate culturing media

Beneficial Effects of Probiotic and Food Borne Yeasts on Human Health

Besides being important in the fermentation of foods and beverages, yeasts have shown numerous beneficial effects on human health. Among these, probiotic effects are the most well known health effects including prevention and treatment of intestinal diseases and immunomodulatory effects. Other beneficial functions of yeasts are improvement of bioavailability of minerals through the hydrolysis of phytate, folate biofortification and detoxification of mycotoxins due to surface binding to the yeast cell wall

Corporate social responsibility and human rights; : An examination of the Swedish National Contact Point of the OECD and other possible alternatives.

This thesis firstly attempts to provide a theoretical basis for how the complex cases related to corporate misbehaviour in relation to human rights respect should be handled. Secondly, it attempts to critically examine how well the Swedish National Contact Point (SNCP) functionsin relation to its goals through the usage of elite interviews. Thirdly and finally it also explores the interest of concerned stakeholders in finding other non-judicial conflictmanagement mechanisms for cases within the CSR – human rights nexus at other mediation institutions such as the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) and/or the InternationalChamber of Commerce (ICC). The thesis argues that it is possible and advisable to apply Dworkin’s idea of hard cases to the conflictual cases appearing within CSR-human rights nexus in Sweden. It directs criticism towards the usage of opaque social pressure currently applied when hard cases within the CSR-human rights nexus are to be solved. It argues that usage of such pressure both makes it hard to follow up on decisions made and makes it questionable whether victims of human rights abuses related to corporate conduct are provided with effective access to remedy. It suggests that Dworkin’s general principles of equal respect and concern is a least common denominator for the demands placed on conflict management mechanisms within the CSRhuman rights nexus by both relevant soft law instruments and respondents in the elite interviews carried out for the thesis. As a result of the interview survey the thesis draws the conclusion that the SNCP to a major extent seems to have failed in the fulfilment of its goals and the expectations placed upon it as stipulated by the OECD 2000 guidelines. What is more the SNCP seems little equipped to meet the requirements of the 2011 version of the OECD guidelines and the UN Guiding Principles unless some sincere and large scale efforts are made by the Swedish government and other concerned parties in the SNC’s regeneration. The thesis found the interest among concerned stakeholders for alternative conflict management mechanisms at the SCC and the ICC to be generally low. Respondents generally thought that the challenges for such private institutions to procure the confidence of both sides in a conflict would be too difficult for them to overcome

Bekämpningsmedel i vattendrag från områden med odling av trädgårdsgrödor under 2008

Den nuvarande miljöövervakningen av bekämpningsmedel (växtskyddsmedel) är främst inriktad mot att undersöka eventuellt läckage av växtskyddsmedel som används inom jordbruket. Däremot saknar vi kunskap om hur dessa medel uppträder i miljön vid användning inom trädgårdsodlingen. I vissa delar av södra Sverige finns betydande områden med frilandsodling av bär, frukt och grönsaker, samt växthusanläggningar. Växthus har i vissa sammanhang betraktats som 'slutna miljöer'. Detta har gjort att man inte alltid haft samma höga krav när man bedömt risken för skadliga effekter i omgivande vatten av växtskyddsmedel som används i just växthus jämfört med användning på våra åkrar. Syftet med undersökningen var att utveckla kunskapen om eventuellt läckage av växtskyddsmedel som används inom frilandsodling av trädgårdsgrödor och i växthus till vatten. Undersökningen, som genomfördes under 2008, är den hitintills mest omfattande när det gäller antalet undersökta växtskyddsmedel i svenska vattendrag. Analyserna omfattade 126 enskilda substanser, varav 39 inte undersökts tidigare inom den nationella miljöövervakningen. I undersökningen ingick provtagning i vattendrag från sex områden med betydande odling av trädgårdsgrödor. Frilandsodling av bär förekom i avrinningsområdet i SÖ Småland, grönsaker i NÖ Skåne och frukt i SÖ Skåne. Växthusodling förekom i avrinningsområdet i V Skåne och NV Skåne. I dessa områden togs ett tiotal prover per område under perioden maj-oktober 2008. Därutöver analyserades ett tjugotal vattenprover från ett av de områden som ingår i den ordinarie miljöövervakningen (område N 34 i Halland). Ett fåtal prover togs också på överskottsvatten från växthus. Totalt påträffades 78 av de 126 substanser som ingick i undersökningen, med en spridning på mellan 24 och 44 substanser i vatten från de enskilda områdena. Flest substanser och högre halter påträffades i området med intensiv grönsaksodling i NÖ Skåne, från området i Halland och från de två områdena med växthusodling. Lägre halter och färre substanser återfanns i vatten från området i SÖ Småland med odling av jordgubbar och från området i SÖ Skåne med äppelodlingar. Riktvärdet överskreds i flertalet prov som samlades in från området i NÖ Skåne och i samtliga prov från de två växthusområdena (V Skåne och NV Skåne), med högst överskridanden i de två sistnämnda områdena. Insektsmedlet imidakloprid var den substans som oftast återfanns över riktvärdet i denna undersökning. Vissa av de substanser som påträffades i förhöjda halter i vatten från områden med växthusodling återfanns också i de prover som togs på överskottsvatten från växthus. Även substanser med en betydande användning i prydnadsväxtodling i växthus påträffades i vattendraget i V Skåne. Resultaten visar att det finns läckage av växtskyddsmedel från svenska växthus. Arbete med att identifiera möjliga riskmoment i samband med växtskyddsarbete i växthus, i syfte att minska förlusterna av växtskyddsmedel till omgivande vatten, bör därför vidareutvecklas

Corporate social responsibility and human rights; : An examination of the Swedish National Contact Point of the OECD and other possible alternatives.

This thesis firstly attempts to provide a theoretical basis for how the complex cases related to corporate misbehaviour in relation to human rights respect should be handled. Secondly, it attempts to critically examine how well the Swedish National Contact Point (SNCP) functionsin relation to its goals through the usage of elite interviews. Thirdly and finally it also explores the interest of concerned stakeholders in finding other non-judicial conflictmanagement mechanisms for cases within the CSR – human rights nexus at other mediation institutions such as the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) and/or the InternationalChamber of Commerce (ICC). The thesis argues that it is possible and advisable to apply Dworkin’s idea of hard cases to the conflictual cases appearing within CSR-human rights nexus in Sweden. It directs criticism towards the usage of opaque social pressure currently applied when hard cases within the CSR-human rights nexus are to be solved. It argues that usage of such pressure both makes it hard to follow up on decisions made and makes it questionable whether victims of human rights abuses related to corporate conduct are provided with effective access to remedy. It suggests that Dworkin’s general principles of equal respect and concern is a least common denominator for the demands placed on conflict management mechanisms within the CSRhuman rights nexus by both relevant soft law instruments and respondents in the elite interviews carried out for the thesis. As a result of the interview survey the thesis draws the conclusion that the SNCP to a major extent seems to have failed in the fulfilment of its goals and the expectations placed upon it as stipulated by the OECD 2000 guidelines. What is more the SNCP seems little equipped to meet the requirements of the 2011 version of the OECD guidelines and the UN Guiding Principles unless some sincere and large scale efforts are made by the Swedish government and other concerned parties in the SNC’s regeneration. The thesis found the interest among concerned stakeholders for alternative conflict management mechanisms at the SCC and the ICC to be generally low. Respondents generally thought that the challenges for such private institutions to procure the confidence of both sides in a conflict would be too difficult for them to overcome

Omgivningens påverkan på matvanor och matval i olika sociala sammanhang : En intervjustudie om ungas upplevelser av grupptryck och valet av mat

En stor del av vardagen består av att äta i olika sociala sammanhang där val hela tiden ska göras utifrån hur och vad som ska ätas. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur unga upplever att det finns ett direkt eller indirekt grupptryck som kan påverka matvalet i olika sociala sammanhang samt hur grupptrycket kan se ut. I studien intervjuades fem informanter i åldern 17-25. Resultatet visade att det finns ett direkt grupptryck i form av direkta kommentarer till hur och vad någon äter. Resultatet visade även att ett indirekt grupptryck finns i olika sammanhang. Det döljer sig bakom olika kommentarer, blickar, konstig stämning, en vetskap om hur någon annan äter, olika normer i grupper, samt samhällets konstruktion av normer och stereotypa bilder. Det mest centrala för valet av mat verkar vara hur individen formas under uppväxten samt vilka sociala koder, normer samt regler som gäller i sammanhanget för tillfället. Vidare visade resultatet att ett indirekt grupptryck formas under uppväxten, vilket kopplas till Bourdieus teori, habitusbegreppet. A large part of everyday life consists of eating in different social contexts in which choices all the time will be based on how and what to eat. The purpose of this study was to investigate how young people perceive that there is a direct or indirect peer pressure that can affect choice of food in different social contexts, and how peer pressure can look. In the study, five respondents aged 17-25 were interviewed. The results showed that there is a direct peer pressure in form of direct comments on how and what someone eats. The results also showed that an indirect peer pressure comes in different contexts. It hides behind various comments, looks, strange atmosphere, knowledge of how someone else eats, various standards groups, and society's construction of norms and stereotypes. The most central to the choice of food seemed to be how the individual is formed during childhood as well as the codes, norms and regulations that apply in the context of the moment. Furthermore, the results showed that an indirect peer pressure formed during childhood, which is linked to Bourdieu's theory of habitu

Pesticides in surface water in areas with open ground and greenhouse horticultural crops in Sweden 2008

Current environmental monitoring of pesticides (crop protection products) in Sweden mainly concentrates on investigating possible leaching of pesticides used within agriculture. However, there is a lack of knowledge on how these compounds behave in the environment after their use within horticultural production. In certain parts of southern Sweden there are extensive areas of outdoor fruit and vegetable crops, as well as greenhouse crops. Greenhouses have in some contexts been regarded as 'closed environments'. This has meant that the same high demands have not always been applied when assessing the risks of harmful effects to neighbouring waters of crop protection products used in greenhouses compared with those used in outdoor vegetable crops. The aim of this investigation was to broaden our knowledge of possible leaching to water of pesticides used in field cultivation of horticultural crops and in greenhouses. The investigation, which was carried out in 2008, is the most comprehensive to date as regards the number of pesticides analysed in Swedish watercourses. The analyses comprised 126 different substances, 39 of which have not been investigated previously within Swedish environmental monitoring. The investigation consisted of surface water sampling in six areas with extensive growing of horticultural crops. Field growing of berries occurred in the catchment area in SE Småland, vegetables in NE Skåne and fruit in SE Skåne. Greenhouse cultivation took place in the catchment area in W Skåne and NW Skåne. Some 10 samples per area were collected during the period May-October 2008. In addition, around 20 water samples were collected for analysis from one of the areas included in national environmental monitoring (area N34 in Halland). A few samples were also taken of the effluent water from greenhouses with recirculation systems. A total of 78 of the 126 substances included in the investigation were encountered, with a range of between 24 and 44 substances detected in water from the individual areas. The highest numbers of substances and the highest concentrations were detected in the area with intensive vegetable growing in NE Skåne, in the area in Halland and in the two areas with greenhouse growing. Lower concentrations and fewer substances were found in water from the area in SE Småland with strawberry cultivation and from the area in SE Skåne with apple orchards. The guideline value was exceeded in most of the samples collected from the area in NE Skåne and in all samples from the two greenhouse areas (W Skåne and NW Skåne), with the highest exceedences in the latter two areas. The insecticide imidacloprid was the substance that exceeded the guideline value most frequently in this investigation. Some of the substances encountered at elevated levels in water from the areas with greenhouse cultivation were also detected in the samples of effluent water taken from the greenhouses. Substances used widely in ornamental plant production in the greenhouse were also found in the watercourse in W Skåne. The results show that there is leaching of crop protection products from Swedish greenhouses. Future work should therefore aim to identify potential risk elements associated with crop protection operations in the greenhouse, with the aim of decreasing losses of crop protection products to neighbouring waters

Corporate social responsibility and human rights; : An examination of the Swedish National Contact Point of the OECD and other possible alternatives.

This thesis firstly attempts to provide a theoretical basis for how the complex cases related to corporate misbehaviour in relation to human rights respect should be handled. Secondly, it attempts to critically examine how well the Swedish National Contact Point (SNCP) functionsin relation to its goals through the usage of elite interviews. Thirdly and finally it also explores the interest of concerned stakeholders in finding other non-judicial conflictmanagement mechanisms for cases within the CSR – human rights nexus at other mediation institutions such as the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) and/or the InternationalChamber of Commerce (ICC). The thesis argues that it is possible and advisable to apply Dworkin’s idea of hard cases to the conflictual cases appearing within CSR-human rights nexus in Sweden. It directs criticism towards the usage of opaque social pressure currently applied when hard cases within the CSR-human rights nexus are to be solved. It argues that usage of such pressure both makes it hard to follow up on decisions made and makes it questionable whether victims of human rights abuses related to corporate conduct are provided with effective access to remedy. It suggests that Dworkin’s general principles of equal respect and concern is a least common denominator for the demands placed on conflict management mechanisms within the CSRhuman rights nexus by both relevant soft law instruments and respondents in the elite interviews carried out for the thesis. As a result of the interview survey the thesis draws the conclusion that the SNCP to a major extent seems to have failed in the fulfilment of its goals and the expectations placed upon it as stipulated by the OECD 2000 guidelines. What is more the SNCP seems little equipped to meet the requirements of the 2011 version of the OECD guidelines and the UN Guiding Principles unless some sincere and large scale efforts are made by the Swedish government and other concerned parties in the SNC’s regeneration. The thesis found the interest among concerned stakeholders for alternative conflict management mechanisms at the SCC and the ICC to be generally low. Respondents generally thought that the challenges for such private institutions to procure the confidence of both sides in a conflict would be too difficult for them to overcome