UPLC TOF MS for sensitive quantification of naturally occurring pyrrolizidine alkaloids in Petasites hybridus extract (Ze 339)

AbstractDue to increasing regulatory awareness of their hepatotoxic, genotoxic and possibly carcinogenic potential, pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) content has to be thoroughly monitored in herbal medicinal preparations. Recently, new very low PA regulatory threshold concentrations have been requested by the authorities. Therefore, a highly sensitive and reproducible UPLC TOF MS method for the quantification of the PAs senkirkine, senecionine, seneciphylline, senecionine-N-oxide and seneciphylline-N-oxide in a CO2-extract of Petasites hybridus leaves (Ze 339) has been developed.The limit of quantification (LOQ) was 2ppb for all PAs. Recovery at the LOQ was between 88.9 and 141.9%, the repeatability precision between 3.5 and 13.6%. Linearity of the five PAs showed correlation coefficients between 0.9995 and 0.9998 and coefficients of variation between 7.44 and 8.56%. A working range between 2 ppb and 200 ppb could be fixed. In the tested batches of the P. hybridus extract Ze 339, the absence of PAs could be demonstrated. In conclusion, this assay allows to determine trace PA concentrations in P. hybridus extract Ze 339, making it suitable for analytical PA monitoring in accordance with regulatory requirements

Behavioral Health Risk Factors and Motivation to Change among Cardiovascular General Hospital Patients Aged 50 to 79 Years

Little is known about the (co-)occurrence of smoking, alcohol at-risk drinking, physical inactivity and overweight, and the motivation to change these behavioral health risk factors (HRFs) in older general hospital patients with cardiovascular disease. Between October and December 2016, all consecutively admitted patients aged 50 to 79 years were proactively recruited on 3 cardiology wards and asked to participate in a survey on HRFs and behavior change motivation. Of the eligible patients, 80.4% participated in the survey (n = 328). The mean age was 66.5 years (standard deviation 9.0), and 65.5% were male. At least 1 HRF was present in 91.8% (n = 280), at least 2 HRFs in 54.4% (n = 166), and 3 or 4 HRFs in 12.1% (n = 37) of participants. The proportion of older adults who contemplated or were changing or planning to change their behavior to meet health behavior recommendations ranged between 66.0% (smoking) and 93.2% (alcohol consumption). The results indicate a notable co-occurrence of behavioral HRFs in older patients with cardiovascular disease. The majority of older adults were at least considering changing the respective behavior. To prevent and treat diseases efficiently, hospitalization may be a suitable moment for systematic multiple HRF screening and intervention.Peer Reviewe

Behavioral health risk factor profiles in general hospital patients: identifying the need for screening and brief intervention

Background Little is known about the clustering of behavioral health risk factors (HRFs), namely the occurrence of 16 specific combinations of tobacco smoking, at-risk alcohol use, overweight and physical inactivity in general hospital patients. Furthermore, social inequalities in HRFs, health and life expectancy are a major concern in public health. In order to establish the need for screening and intervention in general hospital care, the study aimed to determine the co-occurrence of HRFs in patients in four medical departments, and to investigate differences by gender, age and socio-economic characteristics. Methods Over 17 months, a systematic multiple HRF screening was conducted at one general hospital in northeastern Germany. In total, 6251 18–64 year old patients (92% of eligibles) participated. Proportions and confidence intervals were calculated for all 16 HRF profiles stratified by department, gender, age group, school education, and employment status. Results In total, 92.2% of the participants (58.6% male) reported ≥1 HRF, and 65.7% ≥2 HRFs. Men (71.2%), patients aged 35–49 (67.9%) and 50–64 years (69.5%), lower educated (79.0%), and unemployed (77.8%) patients had larger proportions of ≥2 HRFs than their counterparts. In all departments, the most common HRF profiles included overweight. HRF profiles that included alcohol and/ or smoking were more common in ear-nose-throat and trauma surgery than in internal medicine and general surgery patients. Men had higher rates concerning almost all HRF profiles including ≥2 HRFs and alcohol; women concerning profiles that included ≤2 HRFs and inactivity. In older patients, profiles with ≥2 HRFs including overweight; and in younger patients, profiles with smoking and/or alcohol were more common. In lower educated patients, profiles with ≥2 HRFs including inactivity; and in higher educated patients profiles with ≤2 HRFs including alcohol were more common. Compared to others, unemployed patients had higher rates of profiles with ≥3 HRFs including smoking. Conclusions Two in three patients require interventions targeting two or more HRFs. The findings help to develop screening and brief intervention for patients with specific health risk profiles, that can reach most patients, including those most in need and those most hard to reach, with socio-economically disadvantaged people in particular.Peer Reviewe

In vitro hepatotoxicity of Petasites hybridus extract (Ze 339) depends on the concentration, the cytochrome activity of the cell system, and the species used

Ze 339, a CO2 extract prepared from the leaves of Petasites hybridus, possesses antispasmodic and anti‐inflammatory effects and is proven to be effective in the treatment of allergic rhinitis. To study possible hepatotoxic effects of Ze 339, its main constituents and metabolites, a series of in vitro investigations were performed. Furthermore, different reconstituted fractions of extract (petasins and fatty acid fraction) were examined in three in vitro test systems using hepatocytes: Two human cell lines, with lower and higher activity of cytochrome P450 enzymes (HepG2, HepaRG) as well as a rodent cell line with high cytochrome P450 activity (H‐4‐II‐E), were used. Metabolic activity, assessed by the WST‐1 assay, was chosen as indicator of cytotoxicity. To assess potential bioactivation of Ze 339 compounds, metabolic experiments using S9 fractions from rats, dogs, and humans and isolated cytochromes (human/rat) were performed, and the formation of reactive metabolites was assessed by measuring cellular concentrations of glutathione and glutathione disulphide.Our data revealed that the cytotoxicity of Ze 339, its single constituents, and main metabolites depends on the concentration, the cytochrome activity of the cell system, and the species used.publishe

Soziale Ungleichheit als Schwerpunkt in der Lehrer*innenbildung. Fachdidaktische Überlegungen und Konzepte

Kern F, Gehrmann S, Kastrup V, et al. Soziale Ungleichheit als Schwerpunkt in der Lehrer*innenbildung. Fachdidaktische Überlegungen und Konzepte. PraxisForschungLehrer*innenbildung. Zeitschrift für Schul- und Professionsentwicklung. 2024;6(1):1-30.Im Mittelpunkt des Teilprojekts 3 „Fachdidaktische Professionalisierung unter Berücksichtigung sozialer Ungleichheit und Inklusion“ des Bielefelder Projekts BiProfessional der Qualitätsoffensive Lehrerbildung (Förderkennzeichen: 01JA1908) stand die Frage, wie die Produktion und Reproduktion sozialer Ungleichheit durch Lehrer*innenhandeln und institutionelle Diskriminierung in universitären Veranstaltungen verschiedener Fachdidaktiken in den Blick genommen werden kann, um bei Studierenden durch transdisziplinäre und phasenübergreifende Formate des Forschende Lernens ein reflexiv-kritischen Praxisverständnis zu entwickeln. Dieser Beitrag stellt die Ergebnisse des Projekts dar, indem er zunächst grundlegende Begriffe klärt und in den Kontext allgemeiner sowie fachspezifischer Ungleichheitsphänomene setzt. Anschließend werden Konzepte aus den einzelnen Fachdidaktiken dargestellt, durch die angehende Lehrkräfte eine kritisch-reflexive Distanzierung zu ihren eigenen Wahrnehmungsmustern anstreben und deren potenziellen Zusammenhang mit einer möglichen Reproduktion sozialer Ungleichheit erkennen sollen. Die Ausführungen zeigen, wie Lehramtsstudierenden bewusst gemacht werden kann, auf welche Weise Schule und Unterricht als (Re-)Produktionsort und sie selbst als Lehrkräfte als Reproduktionsagent*innen von Ungleichheit eine zentrale Rolle spielen und dass eine entsprechend kritisch-reflexive Distanzierung gegenüber den eigenen Wahrnehmungsmustern eine notwendige Ressource zu deren Bearbeitung darstellt

Soziale Ungleichheit als Schwerpunkt in der Lehrer*innenbildung: Fachdidaktische Überlegungen und Konzepte

Im Mittelpunkt des Teilprojekts 3 „Fachdidaktische Professionalisierung unter Berücksichtigung sozialer Ungleichheit und Inklusion“ des Bielefelder Projekts BiProfessional der Qualitätsoffensive Lehrerbildung (Förderkennzeichen: 01JA1908) stand die Frage, wie die Produktion und Reproduktion sozialer Ungleichheit durch Lehrer*innenhandeln und institutionelle Diskriminierung in universitären Veranstaltungen verschiedener Fachdidaktiken in den Blick genommen werden kann, um bei Studierenden durch transdisziplinäre und phasenübergreifende Formate des Forschende Lernens ein reflexiv-kritischen Praxisverständnis zu entwickeln. Dieser Beitrag stellt die Ergebnisse des Projekts dar, indem er zunächst grundlegende Begriffe klärt und in den Kontext allgemeiner sowie fachspezifischer Ungleichheitsphänomene setzt. Anschließend werden Konzepte aus den einzelnen Fachdidaktiken dargestellt, durch die angehende Lehrkräfte eine kritisch-reflexive Distanzierung zu ihren eigenen Wahrnehmungsmustern anstreben und deren potenziellen Zusammenhang mit einer möglichen Reproduktion sozialer Ungleichheit erkennen sollen. Die Ausführungen zeigen, wie Lehramtsstudierenden bewusst gemacht werden kann, auf welche Weise Schule und Unterricht als (Re-)Produktionsort und sie selbst als Lehrkräfte als Reproduktionsagent*innen von Ungleichheit eine zentrale Rolle spielen und dass eine entsprechend kritisch-reflexive Distanzierung gegenüber den eigenen Wahrnehmungsmustern eine notwendige Ressource zu deren Bearbeitung darstellt