Analytical aspects of diterpene alkaloid poisoning with monkshood.

A sensitive and specific method for aconitine extraction from biological samples was developed. Aconitine, the main toxic alkaloid from plants belonging to Aconitum species (family Ranunculaceae), was determined in plant material by an external standard method, and by a standard addition calibration method in biological fluids. Described here is one fatal case and five intoxications of accidental aconitine poisoning following the ingestion of aconite mistaken for an edible grass, Aruncus dioicus (Walt.) Fernald, "mountain asparagus", and Cicerbita alpina (L.) Wallroth. The aconitine content in urine was in the range 2.94 μg/mL (dead patient) – 0.20 μg/mL (surviving patients), which was almost two to four times higher than that in plasma

Collaborative Interlaboratory Studies for the Validation of ELISA Methods for the Detection of Allergenic Fining Agents Used in Wine According to the Criteria of OIV Resolution 427–2010 Modified by OIV–Comex 502–2012

The clarification or fining of wine removes undesired substances (mainly proteins, phenols, and tannins), which would roil the wine and cause bitterness and astringency. A common fining agent, egg white, can be directly added to wine through the inlet of a circulating pump, but more typically egg white comes as commercial preparation in powdered form (commercially named egg albumin). Skimmed milk or more frequently purified caseinates are used to remove bitterness and hardness of white wine and sherry. Both egg white and caseinates are fining agents with optimal enological properties, but their residues could represent a risk for subjects suffering from food allergy. The rules for allergen labeling were detailed in Directives 2003/89/EC, and Directive 2005/26/EC established a list of food ingredients provisionally excluded from labeling, that included wine fining agents. Extended till June 2012, wine labeling exemption can be now maintained only if (1) egg and milk derivatives are not used and cross-contamination is under control; and (2) wine clarified with such products is negative for the presence of residues using techniques with detection and quantification limits of 0.25 and 0.5 ppm, respectively. Analytical requirements were defined in the OIV resolution 427–2010 (OIV 2010) modified by OIV/COMEX 502–2012 (OIV 2012). On the basis of a previous experience, an interlaboratory collaborative trial was organized to validate a commercial ELISA kit designed to measure allergenic residues in red wine fined with egg white proteins. In the meantime, the performance of the commercial caseinate ELISA kit for white wine was rechecked according to the new limit of detection and limit of quantification values, recommended by OIV in 2012. The collaborative interlaboratory studies showed that both ELISA kits had good reproducibility, repeatability, and robustness in detecting residues of allergenic fining agents in wine, in good agreement with the requirements of the OIV resolution 427–2010 modified by OIV/COMEX 502–2012

Valorization of wine industry by-products: Characterization of phenolic profile and investigation of potential healthy properties

In the last years, the importance of food waste management and recovery is emphasized by the international guidelines to promote a circular economy approach. Wine industry is one of the sectors with the highest waste production, with a potential negative environmental impact. Winemaking by-products are mainly used to produce distillates, fertilizers and livestock feed, but alternative approaches for their management could be the formulation of healthy products. The aim of this study was the application of in vitro methods for a preliminary evaluation of the phenolic pattern and the associated biological properties of winemaking by-products from different red grape varieties. The methods were: 1) Folin-Cocalteau's assay for the assessment of total polyphenol content; 2) the vanillin assay for the quantification of total procyanidin content; 3) the pH differential method for the determination of total anthocyanin content; 4) DPPH and FRAP assays for the measurement of total antioxidant activity; 4) High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography for separation of phenolic substances and assessment of their antioxidant capacity; 5) dipeptidyl peptidase (DPPIV) inhibition assay to evaluate possible effects on glucose homeostasis. The results showed that grape pomace, particularly when including seeds, was a valuable source of polyphenols with significant antioxidant potential and promising activity on DPPIV, supporting its use in formulating healthy foods/food supplements

Usage of Plant Food Supplements (PFS) for weight control in six European countries: results from the PlantLIBRA PFS Consumer Survey 2011-2012

Background: Obesity is increasing worldwide and weight-control strategies, including the consumption of plant food supplements (PFS), are proliferating. This article identifies the herbal ingredients in PFS consumed for weight control and by overweight/obese dieters in six European countries, and explores the relationship between their consumption and their self-reported BMI. Methods: Data used were a subset from the PlantLIBRA PFS Consumer Survey 2011-2012, a retrospective survey of 2359 PFS consumers. The survey used a bespoke frequency-of-PFS-usage questionnaire. Analyses were performed in two consumer subsamples of 1) respondents taking the products for "body weight reasons", and 2) "dieters for overweight/obesity", to identify the herbal ingredients consumed for these reasons. The relationship between the 5 most consumed herbal ingredients and self-reported BMI in groups 1 and 2 is explored by comparing BMI proportions of consumers vs. non-consumers (using Chi-squared test). Results: 252 PFS (8.8 %) were consumed for "body weight reasons" (by 240 PFS consumers); 112 PFS consumers (4.8 %) were "dieting for overweight/obesity". Spain is the country where consuming herbal ingredients for body weight control and dieting were most popular. Artichoke was the most consumed herbal ingredient. Considering only the 5 top products consumed by those who responded "body weight", when using the total survey sample, a greater proportion of BMI 65 25 was observed among consumers of PFS containing artichoke and green tea as compared to non-consumers (58.4 % vs. 49.1 % and 63.2 % vs. 49.7 % respectively). Considering only the 5 top products consumed by "dieters" and using only the "dieters" sample, a lower proportion of BMI 65 25 was observed among pineapple-containing PFS consumers (38.5 % vs. 81.5 %); however, when using the entire survey sample, a greater proportion of BMI 65 25 was observed among artichoke-containing PFS consumers (58.4 % vs. 49.1 %). Conclusions: A comparison of results among the scarce publications evaluating the use of weight-loss supplements at the population level is limited. Nevertheless every hint is important in finding out which are the self-treatment strategies used by overweight/obese individuals in European countries. Although limited by a small sample size, our study represents a first attempt at analysing such data in six EU countries. Our findings should encourage the conduction of further studies on this topic, long-term and large sample-sized studies, ideally conducted in the general population

Phenolic profile and antioxidant activity of different raisin (Vitis vinifera L.) samples

In the last years, the interest in non-alcoholic grape products, aa potential alternative sources of phenolic compounds, has considerably increased. Raisins are dried grapes largely consumed in the Mediterranean area for the positive pattern of nutrients, and for recent data describing potential benefits on human health. Among the health-promoting substances contained in raisins, flavonoids seem the most interesting. The aim of this study was the application of in vitromethods for the characterization of the phenolic fraction of five samples of raisins, and, in parallel, the evaluation of their antioxidant activity. The methods were: 1) Folin-Cocalteau's assay for the quantification of total polyphenol content; 2) vanillin assay for the measure of flavan-3-ols content; 3) DPPH (1,1,-diphenil-2\u2014picrylhydrazyl) spectrophotometric assay for the assessment of radical scavenging activity; 4) High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography for separation of phenolic substances and assessment of their antioxidant activity; 5) chromatographic separation and quantification of main active substances was performed by HPLC-DAD. Although raisins showed a high variability in their composition, they can be considered as a promising source of phenolic compounds with a significant antioxidant activity for the human diet

Evaluation of the Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Raisins (Vitis vinifera L.) in Human Gastric Epithelial Cells: A Comparative Study

Raisins (Vitis vinifera L.) are dried grapes largely consumed as important source of nutrients and polyphenols. Several studies report health benefits of raisins, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, whereas the anti-inflammatory activity at gastric level of the hydro-alcoholic extracts, which are mostly used for food supplements preparation, was not reported until now. The aim of this study was to compare the anti-inflammatory activity of five raisin extracts focusing on Interleukin (IL)-8 and Nuclear Factor (NF)-\u3baB pathway. Raisin extracts were characterized by High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Diode Array Detector (HPLC-DAD) analysis and screened for their ability to inhibit Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)\u3b1-induced IL-8 release and promoter activity in human gastric epithelial cells. Turkish variety significantly inhibited TNF\u3b1-induced IL-8 release, and the effect was due to the impairment of the corresponding promoter activity. Macroscopic evaluation showed the presence of seeds, absent in the other varieties; thus, hydro-alcoholic extracts from fruits and seeds were individually tested on IL-8 and NF-\u3baB pathway. Seed extract inhibited IL-8 and NF-\u3baB pathway, showing higher potency with respect to the fruit. Although the main effect was due to the presence of seeds, the fruit showed significant activity as well. Our data suggest that consumption of selected varieties of raisins could confer a beneficial effect against gastric inflammatory disease

Scientific Opinion related to a notification from DuPont Nutrition Biosciences Aps on behenic acid from mustard seeds to be used in the manufacturing of certain emulsifiers pursuant to Article 21(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 – for permanent exemption from labelling

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition andAllergies (NDA) was asked to deliver a scienti\ufb01c opinion related to a noti\ufb01cation from DuPont NutritionBiosciences Aps on behenic acid from mustard seeds to be used in the manufacturing of certainemulsi\ufb01ers pursuant to Article 21(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 \u2013 for permanent exemptionfrom labelling. Behenic acid is produced from rapeseed\u2013mustard seed variants prevalent in India,namely Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. (oriental mustard), Brassica rapa (L.) (brown/yellow Sarson orToria), Brassica napus (L.) (rapeseed) and Brassica nigra (L.) W.D.J.Koch (black mustard). No humanor animal allergenicity data were provided by the applic ant for either behenic acid or the emulsi\ufb01ersmanufactured from beheni c acid. Based on enzyme-linke d immunosorbent assay (ELISA) data, thePanel considers that proteins and peptides may not be carried over into behenic acid after the twodistillation steps reported in the manufacturing process in amounts beyond 1 mg/kg. The Panel notesthat the maximum amount of mustard protein that could be consumed from emulsi\ufb01ers manufacturedfrom behenic acid (E 470a, E 471 and E 477) on a single occasion by an adult under the proposedconditions of use would be around 0.00119 mg, which is about 1,000 times lower than the proteindoses repo rted to trigger allergic reactions in mustard-allergic individuals (around 1 mg). On the basisof the data presented, the Panel concludes that oral consumption of emulsi\ufb01ers manufactured usingbehenic acid from mustard seeds (E 470a, E 471 and E 477) are unli kely to trigger an allergic reactionin susceptible individuals (i.e. mustard-allergic individuals) under the proposed conditions of use

Usage of Plant Food Supplements across Six European Countries : Findings from the PlantLIBRA Consumer Survey

BACKGROUND: The popularity of botanical products is on the rise in Europe, with consumers using them to complement their diets or to maintain health, and products are taken in many different forms (e.g. teas, juices, herbal medicinal products, plant food supplements (PFS)). However there is a scarcity of data on the usage of such products at European level. OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of the characteristics and usage patterns of PFS consumers in six European countries. DESIGN: Data on PFS usage were collected in a cross-sectional, retrospective survey of PFS consumers using a bespoke frequency of PFS usage questionnaire. SUBJECTS/SETTING: A total sample of 2359 adult PFS consumers from Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Spain and the United Kingdom. DATA ANALYSES: Descriptive analyses were conducted, with all data stratified by gender, age, and country. Absolute frequencies, percentages and 95% confidence intervals are reported. RESULTS: Overall, an estimated 18.8% of screened survey respondents used at least one PFS. Characteristics of PFS consumers included being older, well-educated, never having smoked and self-reporting health status as “good or very good”. Across countries, 491 different botanicals were identified in the PFS products used, with Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo), Oenothera biennis (Evening primrose) and Cynara scolymus (Artichoke) being most frequently reported; the most popular dose forms were capsules and pills/tablets. Most consumers used one product and half of all users took single-botanical products. Some results varied across countries. CONCLUSIONS: The PlantLIBRA consumer survey is unique in reporting on usage patterns of PFS consumers in six European countries. The survey highlights the complexity of measuring the intake of such products, particularly at pan-European level. Incorporating measures of the intake of botanicals in national dietary surveys would provide much-needed data for comprehensive risk and benefit assessments at the European level

Polyphenol-Rich Foods for Human Health

In recent decades, foods rich in polyphenols have received great interest from researchers, who have performed numerous studies in in vitro and animal models and clinical trials [...