Use of Encapsulated Garlic Oil in Low-Fat Salad Dressings: Physicochemical, Microbial and Sensory Properties

Background and Objective: Fresh garlic includes several preservative and medicinal characteristics; however, its major bioactive components react and convert to other chemical compounds as soon as its tissues are injured. Garlic oil is extracted from garlic and its use in food industries is limited due to its strong odor, taste, volatility and low solubility in aqueous solvents. The aim of the present study was to investigate physicochemical, microbial and sensory properties of low-fat salad dressings containing encapsulated garlic oil in ß-cyclodextrin (GO/ß-CD). Material and Methods: Five types of salad dressing, including control with no garlic oil, a sample with free garlic oil and three samples containing 546, 818 and 1364 mg GO/ß-CD kg-1 salad dressing were prepared. Then, pH, color and antioxidant [(peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances], antimicrobial (monitoring of four pathogens of Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica) and sensory (taste, color, odor and acceptability by 8-point hedonic test) properties of the samples were assessed during 41 days of storage at 4 oC. Results and Conclusion: The minimum and the maximum color differences belonged to GO/ß-CD-3 sample containing 1364 mg GO/ß-CD kg-1 salad dressing and sample containing free GO, respectively. Yellowness of samples containing encapsulated GO decreased and direct relationships were seen between decreasing of the sample yellowness and quantity of GO/ß-CD sample. During the storage, pH and peroxide value PV slightly increased. Staphylococcus aureus was the most sensitive strain to free and encapsulated garlic oil. Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica and Bacillus cereus showed lower sensitivities to the oil. Sensory results showed no significant differences between the tastes of control and free or encapsulated garlic oil and GO/ß-CD-2 samples containing 818 mg kg-1 encapsulated garlic oil, equal to 90 mg kg-1 free garlic oil. However, these two treatments included significant differences with samples containing free garlic oil. Results revealed that encapsulation of garlic oil with ß-CD included no adverse effects on taste of the salad dressings. Therefore, GO/ß-CD-2 (818 mg GO/ß-CD kg-1 salad dressing) can be suggested as a natural antimicrobial agent for the functional mayonnaise production. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest

Comparison of Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Free and Encapsulated Garlic Oil with Beta-cyclodextrin

Background and Objectives: Application of garlic oil in food industry can be improved by encapsulation. There is no study about the formation of inclusion complex of garlic oil by beta-cyclodextrin. The aim of the present study is comparison of the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of free and encapsulated garlic oil with beta-cyclodextrin.Materials and Methods: Antioxidant activity was determined by 1, 1- diphenyl-2- picryl-hydrazyl assay, and antibacterial properties by agar well diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal concentration and bacterial growth assay. Statistical analysis was performed by Minitab statistical software.Results and conclusion: Garlic oil had poor antioxidant activity (EC50, 5222 µg ml-1 ) and EC50 because garlic oil/beta-cyclodextrin (containing 1495 µg ml-1 released garlic oil) was achieved after 5 h and 25 min. Agar well diffusion showed no inhibition zone on Muller Hinton Agar for garlic oil and garlic oil/betacyclodextrin (with initial release (shaking at 150 rpm for 24 h at 37ºC) and without initial release). Staphylococcus aureus was the most susceptible bacterium to garlic oil, and garlic oil/beta-cyclodextrin with and without initial release (minimum inhibitory concentration 10-5 , 10-4 and 10-3 % w v -1 , respectively); however, Bacillus cereus was the most resistant. The effect of initial release for garlic oil/betacyclodextrin on inhibiting the growth of all four bacteria was significant. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) between the inhibitory effect of garlic oil and garlic oil/beta-cyclodextrin with initial release on Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus, also Salmonella entrica and Escherichia coli. Garlic oil showed a weak antioxidant activity in 1, 1- diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl assay. Garlic oil and its complex were not able to penetrate to the solid media; therefore, no inhibition zone and no antibacterial activity in the agar well diffusion assay were observed. Initial release of garlic oil/beta-cyclodextrin had significant impact on the inhibition of four bacterial growth, similar to free garlic oil. Since encapsulation of garlic oil can cover its drawbacks (low solubility in water, liquid form, and intense odor), garlic oil/beta-cyclodextrin could be considered as an nonsynthetic antibacterial agent.Conflict of interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest

Fat Bloom and Polymorphism in Chocolate Prepared with Modified Tea Seed Oil

Abstract In order to produce cocoa butter replacer (CBR), tea seed oil was modified with enzymatic interesterification. The modified product was then added to dark chocolate formulation as a replacement for 10%, 15% and 20% of cocoa butter (CB) to study fat bloom formation and polymorphic structure in these samples. Keywords Fat bloom; Polymorphism; Chocolate; Modified tea seed oil Practical Applications According to our results, higher levels of fat bloom occurred in the chocolate sample without CBR (chocolate containing 100% CB, CBCH), compared with other chocolate samples. However, among the chocolates containing enzymatic interesterified sample (EIS) at various levels of 10%, 15% and 20%, the chocolate sample containing 10% of EI (EICH) showed lower fat bloom development during storage period (20 days). The results of polymorphic structure evaluation using X-ray diffractometer (XRD) showed new β-crystalline form with the XRD pattern close to that of β-VI and the m.p. appeared similar to β-V in CB. Also, XRD pattern of EIS showed β′-crystalline form in this sample. Presence of two crystalline forms (β and β′) in the EICH revealed that, adding 10% of the CBR prepared in the current study to chocolate formulation had probably no adverse effect on β-crystal formation in the chocolate sample

Cannabinoid receptor agonism suppresses tremor, cognition disturbances and anxiety-like behaviors in a rat model of essential tremor

Cognitive and motor disturbances are serious consequences of tremor induced by motor disorders. Despite a lack of effective clinical treatment, some potential therapeutic agents have been used to alleviate the cognitive symptoms in the animal models of tremor. In the current study, the effects of WIN55, 212-2 (WIN), a cannabinoid receptor (CBR) agonist, on harmaline-induced motor and cognitive impairments were studied. Adult rats were treated with WIN (0.5 mg/kg; i.p.) 15 min before harmaline administration (10 mg/kg; ip) after which exploratory and anxiety related behaviors, and cognitive function were assessed using open-field behavior and shuttle box tests. Rats that received harmaline only exhibited a markedly reduced number of central square entries when compared to harmaline vehicle-treated controls, whereas those treated with WIN and harmaline showed a significant increase in central square entries, compared to harmaline only treated. The passive avoidance memory impairments observed in harmaline treated rats, was reversed somewhat by administration of WIN. The neuroprotective and anxiolytic effects of WIN demonstrated in the current study can be offered cannabinoid receptor (CBR) agonism as a potential neuroprotective agent in the treatment of patients with tremor that manifest mental dysfunctions

Risk factors associated with long covid syndrome: A retrospective study

Background: Recently, people have recognized the post-acute phase symptoms of the COVID-19. We investigated the long-term symptoms associated with COVID-19, (Long COVID Syndrome), and the risk factors associated with it. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study. All the consecutive adult patients referred to the healthcare facilities anywhere in Fars province from 19 February 2020 until 20 November 2020 were included. All the patients had a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis. In a phone call to the patients, at least three months after their discharge from the hospital, we obtained their current information. The IBM SPSS Statistics (version 25.0) was used. Pearson Chi square, Fisher’s exact test, t test, and binary logistic regression analysis model were employed. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered to be significant. Results: In total, 4,681 patients were studied, 2915 of whom (62.3%) reported symptoms. The most common symptoms of long COVID syndrome were fatigue, exercise intolerance, walking intolerance, muscle pain, and shortness of breath. Women were more likely to experience long-term COVID syndrome than men (Odds Ratio: 1,268; 95% Confidence Interval: 1,122-1,432; P=0.0001), which was significant. Presentation with respiratory problems at the onset of illness was also significantly associated with long COVID syndrome (Odds Ratio: 1.425; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.177-1.724; P=0.0001). A shorter length of hospital stay was inversely associated with long COVID syndrome (Odds Ratio: 0.953; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.941-0.965; P=0.0001). Conclusion: Long COVID syndrome is a frequent and disabling condition and has significant associations with sex (female), respiratory symptoms at the onset, and the severity of the illness

The Hospitalization Rate of Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis before and during COVID-19 Pandemic Era: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study

Objectives: There are several reports of the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). In this study, we aimed to compare the hospitalization rate of CVST before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (before vaccination program). Materials and methods: In this retrospective cohort study, the hospitalization rate of adult CVST patients in Namazi hospital, a tertiary referral center in the south of Iran, was compared in two periods of time. We defined March 2018 to March 2019 as the pre-COVID-19 period and March 2020 to March 2021 as the COVID-19 period. Results: 50 and 77 adult CVST patients were hospitalized in the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 periods, respectively. The crude CVST hospitalization rate increased from 14.33 in the pre-COVID-19 period to 21.7 per million in the COVID-19 era (P = 0.021). However, after age and sex adjustment, the incremental trend in hospitalization rate was not significant (95% CrI: -2.2, 5.14). Patients \u3e 50-year-old were more often hospitalized in the COVID-19 period (P = 0.042). SARS-CoV-2 PCR test was done in 49.3% out of all COVID-19 period patients, which were positive in 6.5%. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≥3 at three-month follow-up was associated with age (P = 0.015) and malignancy (P = 0.014) in pre-COVID period; and was associated with age (P = 0.025), altered mental status on admission time (P\u3c0.001), malignancy (P = 0.041) and COVID-19 infection (P = 0.008) in COVID-19 period. Conclusion: Since there was a more dismal outcome in COVID-19 associated CVST, a high index of suspicion for CVST among COVID-19 positive is recommended

Global injury morbidity and mortality from 1990 to 2017: Results from the global burden of disease study 2017

Background Past research in population health trends has shown that injuries form a substantial burden of population health loss. Regular updates to injury burden assessments are critical. We report Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 Study estimates on morbidity and mortality for all injuries. methods We reviewed results for injuries from the GBD 2017 study. GBD 2017 measured injury-specific mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) using the Cause of Death Ensemble model. To measure non-fatal injuries, GBD 2017 modelled injury-specific incidence and converted this to prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs). YLLs and YLDs were summed to calculate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Findings In 1990, there were 4 260 493 (4 085 700 to 4 396 138) injury deaths, which increased to 4 484 722 (4 332 010 to 4 585 554) deaths in 2017, while age-standardised mortality decreased from 1079 (1073 to 1086) to 738 (730 to 745) per 100 000. In 1990, there were 354 064 302 (95% uncertainty interval: 338 174 876 to 371 610 802) new cases of injury globally, which increased to 520 710 288 (493 430 247 to 547 988 635) new cases in 2017. During this time, age-standardised incidence decreased non-significantly from 6824 (6534 to 7147) to 6763 (6412 to 7118) per 100 000. Between 1990 and 2017, age-standardised DALYs decreased from 4947 (4655 to 5233) per 100 000 to 3267 (3058 to 3505). Interpretation Injuries are an important cause of health loss globally, though mortality has declined between 1990 and 2017. Future research in injury burden should focus on prevention in high-burden populations, improving data collection and ensuring access to medical care

Estimating global injuries morbidity and mortality : methods and data used in the Global Burden of Disease 2017 study

Background: While there is a long history of measuring death and disability from injuries, modern research methods must account for the wide spectrum of disability that can occur in an injury, and must provide estimates with sufficient demographic, geographical and temporal detail to be useful for policy makers. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 study used methods to provide highly detailed estimates of global injury burden that meet these criteria. Methods: In this study, we report and discuss the methods used in GBD 2017 for injury morbidity and mortality burden estimation. In summary, these methods included estimating cause-specific mortality for every cause of injury, and then estimating incidence for every cause of injury. Non-fatal disability for each cause is then calculated based on the probabilities of suffering from different types of bodily injury experienced. Results: GBD 2017 produced morbidity and mortality estimates for 38 causes of injury. Estimates were produced in terms of incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability, cause-specific mortality, years of life lost and disability-adjusted life-years for a 28-year period for 22 age groups, 195 countries and both sexes. Conclusions: GBD 2017 demonstrated a complex and sophisticated series of analytical steps using the largest known database of morbidity and mortality data on injuries. GBD 2017 results should be used to help inform injury prevention policy making and resource allocation. We also identify important avenues for improving injury burden estimation in the future

Global injury morbidity and mortality from 1990 to 2017 : results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Correction:Background Past research in population health trends has shown that injuries form a substantial burden of population health loss. Regular updates to injury burden assessments are critical. We report Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 Study estimates on morbidity and mortality for all injuries. Methods We reviewed results for injuries from the GBD 2017 study. GBD 2017 measured injury-specific mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) using the Cause of Death Ensemble model. To measure non-fatal injuries, GBD 2017 modelled injury-specific incidence and converted this to prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs). YLLs and YLDs were summed to calculate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Findings In 1990, there were 4 260 493 (4 085 700 to 4 396 138) injury deaths, which increased to 4 484 722 (4 332 010 to 4 585 554) deaths in 2017, while age-standardised mortality decreased from 1079 (1073 to 1086) to 738 (730 to 745) per 100 000. In 1990, there were 354 064 302 (95% uncertainty interval: 338 174 876 to 371 610 802) new cases of injury globally, which increased to 520 710 288 (493 430 247 to 547 988 635) new cases in 2017. During this time, age-standardised incidence decreased non-significantly from 6824 (6534 to 7147) to 6763 (6412 to 7118) per 100 000. Between 1990 and 2017, age-standardised DALYs decreased from 4947 (4655 to 5233) per 100 000 to 3267 (3058 to 3505). Interpretation Injuries are an important cause of health loss globally, though mortality has declined between 1990 and 2017. Future research in injury burden should focus on prevention in high-burden populations, improving data collection and ensuring access to medical care.Peer reviewe