Artificial intelligence application for classification and selection of fish gelatin packaging film produced with incorporation of palm oil and plant essential oils

Supplementary material related to this article can be found, in the online version, at doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fpsl.2020.100611.The k-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) algorithm was used to classify and select biodegradable packaging produced from fish gelatine incorporated with palm oil and clove and oregano essential oils. All reinforced films are highly resistant to attraction, with an emphasis on a sample of clove essential oil with a value of 53.18 MPa. Also, the addition of palm oil and essential oils increases the elasticity and thickness of the packages. The packages have antioxidant and antimicrobial properties with an inhibition zone for S. aureus of 11.73 and 11.23 mm for the film with essential oil of oregano and film with palm oil, respectively. KNN proved to be efficient for the classification and selection of packaging. The results highlighted the packaging with clove essential oil as the best for presenting the highest values of antioxidant activity, tensile strength, and elongation. Palm oil is an interesting alternative for applications in biodegradable films due to its antimicrobial activity, antioxidant properties, abundance, and low cost. Packaging made of fish gelatin with the addition of vegetable oils is a promising alternative for food applications.The authors thank the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) for the financial support.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Hydrophilic antioxidant compounds in orange juice from different fruit cultivars: Composition and antioxidant activity evaluated by chemical and cellular based (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) assays

Antioxidant capacity was evaluated by a cellular model (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and chemical methods (FRAP, TEAC and total phenols by Folin-Ciocalteu assay) in the hydrophilic fraction (phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid) of orange juices (OJs) from six varieties (Midknight, Delta Seedless, Rohde Red, Seedless, Early and clone Sambiasi), harvested in two seasons. The contents of phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid analyzed, respectively, by UPLC and HPLC were 370.04 76.97 mg/L and 52.05 6.69 mg/100 mL. Variety and season significantly influenced (p < 0.05) composition and antioxidant capacity. TEAC and FRAP values correlated well with individual hydrophilic compounds (R2 > 0.991) but no correlation with cellular assay was observed. An increase in survival rates between 23% and 38% was obtained, excepting for two varieties that showed no activity (Rohde Red and Seedless). Narirutin, naringin-d, ferulic acid-d2, didymin, neoeriocitrin and sinapic acid hexose and caffeic acid-d1 were the phenolic compounds which contributed to survival rates (R2 = 0.979, p < 0.01

Chemical Composition, Starch Digestibility and Antioxidant Capacity of Tortilla Made with a Blend of Quality Protein Maize and Black Bean

Tortilla and beans are the basic components in the diet of people in the urban and rural areas of Mexico. Quality protein maize is suggested for tortilla preparation because it presents an increase in lysine and tryptophan levels. Beans contain important amounts of dietary fiber. The objective of this study was to prepare tortilla with bean and assesses the chemical composition, starch digestibility and antioxidant capacity using a quality protein maize variety. Tortilla with bean had higher protein, ash, dietary fiber and resistant starch content, and lower digestible starch than control tortilla. The hydrolysis rate (60 to 50%) and the predicted glycemic index (88 to 80) of tortilla decreased with the addition of bean in the blend. Extractable polyphenols and proanthocyanidins were higher in the tortilla with bean than control tortilla. This pattern produced higher antioxidant capacity of tortilla with bean (17.6 μmol Trolox eq/g) than control tortilla (7.8 μmol Trolox eq/g). The addition of bean to tortilla modified the starch digestibility and antioxidant characteristics of tortilla, obtaining a product with nutraceutical characteristics

Double blind, randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers, using a nitric oxide releasing patch: PATHON

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Diabetes Mellitus constitutes one of the most important public health problems due to its high prevalence and enormous social and economic consequences. Diabetic foot ulcers are one of the chronic complications of diabetes mellitus and constitute the most important cause of non-traumatic amputation of inferior limbs. It is estimated that 15% of the diabetic population will develop an ulcer sometime in their lives. Although novel therapies have been proposed, there is no effective treatment for this pathology. Naturally produced nitric oxide participates in the wound healing process by stimulating the synthesis of collagen, triggering the release of chemotactic cytokines, increasing blood vessels permeability, promoting angiogenic activity, stimulating the release of epidermical growth factors, and by interfering with the bacterial mitochondrial respiratory chain. Topically administered nitric oxide has demonstrated to be effective and safe for the treatment of chronic ulcers secondary to cutaneous leishmaniasis. However, due to their unstable nitric oxide release, the topical donors needed to be applied frequently, diminishing the adherence to the treatment. This difficulty has led to the development of a multilayer polymeric transdermal patch produced by electrospinning technique that guarantees a constant nitric oxide release. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of this novel nitric oxide releasing wound dressing for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers.</p> <p>Methods and design</p> <p>A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, including 100 diabetic patients was designed. At the time of enrollment, a complete medical evaluation and laboratory tests will be performed, and those patients who meet the inclusion criteria randomly assigned to one of two groups. Over the course of 90 days group 1 will receive active patches and group 2 placebo patches. The patients will be seen by the research group at least every two weeks until the healing of the ulcer or the end of the treatment. During each visit the healing process of the ulcer, the patient's health status and the presence of adverse events will be assessed. Should the effectiveness of the patches be demonstrated an alternative treatment would then be available to patients.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>NCT00428727.</p

Production and characterization of a recombinant single-chain antibody against Hantaan virus envelop glycoprotein

Hantaan virus (HTNV) is the type of Hantavirus causing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, for which no specific therapeutics are available so far. Cell type-specific internalizing antibodies can be used to deliver therapeutics intracellularly to target cell and thus, have potential application in anti-HTNV infection. To achieve intracellular delivery of therapeutics, it is necessary to obtain antibodies that demonstrate sufficient cell type-specific binding, internalizing, and desired cellular trafficking. Here, we describe the prokaryotic expression, affinity purification, and functional testing of a single-chain Fv antibody fragment (scFv) against HTNV envelop glycoprotein (GP), an HTNV-specific antigen normally located on the membranes of HTNV-infected cells. This HTNV GP-targeting antibody, scFv3G1, was produced in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli cells as a soluble protein and was purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography. The purified scFv possessed a high specific antigen-binding activity to HTNV GP and HTNV-infected Vero E6 cells and could be internalized into HTNV-infected cells probably through the clathrin-dependent endocytosis pathways similar to that observed with transferrin. Our results showed that the E. coli-produced scFv had potential applications in targeted and intracellular delivery of therapeutics against HTNV infections

Estimating Contact Process Saturation in Sylvatic Transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi in the United States

Although it has been known for nearly a century that strains of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent for Chagas' disease, are enzootic in the southern U.S., much remains unknown about the dynamics of its transmission in the sylvatic cycles that maintain it, including the relative importance of different transmission routes. Mathematical models can fill in gaps where field and lab data are difficult to collect, but they need as inputs the values of certain key demographic and epidemiological quantities which parametrize the models. In particular, they determine whether saturation occurs in the contact processes that communicate the infection between the two populations. Concentrating on raccoons, opossums, and woodrats as hosts in Texas and the southeastern U.S., and the vectors Triatoma sanguisuga and Triatoma gerstaeckeri, we use an exhaustive literature review to derive estimates for fundamental parameters, and use simple mathematical models to illustrate a method for estimating infection rates indirectly based on prevalence data. Results are used to draw conclusions about saturation and which population density drives each of the two contact-based infection processes (stercorarian/bloodborne and oral). Analysis suggests that the vector feeding process associated with stercorarian transmission to hosts and bloodborne transmission to vectors is limited by the population density of vectors when dealing with woodrats, but by that of hosts when dealing with raccoons and opossums, while the predation of hosts on vectors which drives oral transmission to hosts is limited by the population density of hosts. Confidence in these conclusions is limited by a severe paucity of data underlying associated parameter estimates, but the approaches developed here can also be applied to the study of other vector-borne infections

Characterization of virgin avocado oil obtained via advanced green technique

The quality characteristics, bioactive phytochemicals, volatile compounds, and antioxidant capacities of virgin avocado oil extracted using a couple of green methods, namely, subcritical CO2 extraction (SCO2) and ultrasound‐assisted aqueous extraction (UAAE), are compared with the oil extracted using the conventional solvent extraction. Results indicate the quality properties of avocado oil are unaffected by extraction methods. The total phenolic content of avocado oil is in the range of 111.27–130.17 mg GAE/100 g and the major phytosterol is β‐sitosterol (1.91–2.47 g kg−1). Avocado oil extracted using SCO2 exhibits two to four times greater levels of α‐ and γ‐tocopherols than solvent extraction and UAAE. The volatile components associated with nutty and grassy flavors are only detected in avocado oil extracted under low‐temperature extraction conditions such as SCO2 and UAAE. Based on the antioxidant capacity tests, avocado oil obtained by SCO2 exhibits the strongest antioxidant capacity compared with solvent extraction and UAAE