Metals in Honeys from Different Areas of Southern Italy

The aim of the study was to quantify the cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr) and arsenic (As) contents in ninety honey samples from nine areas of southern Italy. Results showed that As content was below the detection limit, while Cd, Pb, and Cr contents were below the recommended maximum acceptable levels. Mean Cd, Pb, and Cr contents were 0.013, 0.289 and 0.707 mg kg-1, respectively. The metal contents in honey varied greatly depending on considered area. Correlations between the metals were statistically significant (p\0.05), suggesting that polluting sources involve the simultaneous presence of metals in honey

Fatty acids composition, cholesterol and vitamin E contents of Longissimus dorsi and Semitendinosus muscles of Suino Nero Lucano pigs slaughtered at two different weights

The nutritional quality of the lipid fraction of two muscles (Longissimus dorsi and Semitendinous) from Italian autochthonous genotype Suino Nero Lucano pigs slaughtered at two different weights was evaluated. Meat of Suino Nero Lucano pig showed a relatively low content of cholesterol and a higher proportion of unsaturated (UFA) than saturated fatty acids (SFA). Total cholesterol content was influenced by muscle, being higher in Longissimus dorsi (LD) than in Semitendinous (ST) muscle. No significant effects related to slaughter weight or muscle were found regarding vitamin Econtent. Slaughter weight strongly influenced n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) contents that decreased with increasing weight, and consequently, PUFA/SFA ratio. Muscle markedly influenced the contents of SFA, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and PUFA, and the dietetic properties of the meat. ST muscle, compared with the LD muscle, showed higher PUFA/SFA and PUFA n-6/PUFA n-3 ratios, and lower atherogenic and thrombogenic indices

Influence of serological factors and BMI on the blood pressure/hematocrit association in healthy young men and women.

The association between mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and hematocrit (Hct) as a surrogate for blood viscosity was investigated in a young (average 20.0±2.3 years), healthy population of 174 men and 442 women. Health status was assessed by clinical examination and serological evaluation. Individuals with severe anemia or hemoconcentration, prior traumas or major surgical intervention, smokers, and pregnant or lactating women were excluded from the study. The MAP/Hct association was positive and significant (P=0.04) for women and negative, albeit not significantly so, for men. The MAP/Hct association was also evaluated in subgroups of the same population with a progressive step-by-step exclusion of: individuals with cholesterol >200 mg/dL; triglycerides >200 mg/dL; body mass index >25 kg/m(2); and glucose >100 mg/dL. This consecutively reduced the strength of the positive MAP/Hct association in women, which became negative - although not significantly so - when all anomalously high factors were excluded. The same trend was found in men. Our study indicates that previously reported positive trends in the relationship between the MAP and Hct in the population are not present in a young, healthy population of men or women that excludes individuals with the confounding factors of above normal serological values and BMI

Antioxidant Properties, Polyphenol Content and Colorimetric Characteristics of Different Floral Origin Honeys from Different Areas of Southern Italy.

Ninety honey samples of five different floral origins (chestnut, eucalyptus, citrus, multifloral and sulla) from nine areas of southern Italy, were screened to evaluate the polyphenol content by spectrphotometric methods, the antioxidant activity by ABTS (2,2’-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)) diamonium salt, FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) assays, and the colorimetric characteristics by spectrophotometric and CIE (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage) L*a*b* methods. Moreover, the correlations between the analysed parameters were studied. Overall, the results showed that all the honey samples presented high total phenolic and flavonoid contents (12.23 mg gallic acid equivalent/100g honey and 8.16 mg quercetin equivalent/100g honey, respectively), and a high antioxidant activity (59.17%, 66.50% and 349.11 μM Fe (II) for ABTS, DPPH and FRAP assays, respectively), but those results differ widely according to the honey types, suggesting that honey composition has been influenced by its floral and geographical origin. In particular, the darkest honeys, such as chestnut honey (L* = 59.94; 1.26 AU), showed the highest polyphenol content and the highest antioxidant activity. Honeys from the areas with major anthropogenic activities and high population density presented the highest antioxidant activity. Correlations between the analysed parameters were statistically significant (P < 0.05), suggesting that the polyphenol content is correlated with the antioxidant activity and colour of honey

Replacing the Transfusion of 1-2 Units of Blood with Plasma Expanders that Increase Oxygen Delivery Capacity: Evidence from Experimental Studies.

At least a third of the blood supply in the world is used to transfuse 1-2 units of packed red blood cells for each intervention and most clinical trials of blood substitutes have been carried out at this level of oxygen carrying capacity (OCC) restoration. However, the increase of oxygenation achieved is marginal or none at all for molecular hemoglobin (Hb) products, due to their lingering vasoactivity. This has provided the impetus for the development of "oxygen therapeutics" using Hb-based molecules that have high oxygen affinity and target delivery of oxygen to anoxic areas. However it is still unclear how these oxygen carriers counteract or mitigate the functional effects of anemia due to obstruction, vasoconstriction and under-perfusion. Indeed, they are administered as a low dosage/low volume therapeutic Hb (subsequently further diluted in the circulatory pool) and hence induce extremely small OCC changes. Hyperviscous plasma expanders provide an alternative to oxygen therapeutics by increasing the oxygen delivery capacity (ODC); in anemia they induce supra-perfusion and increase tissue perfusion (flow) by as much as 50%. Polyethylene glycol conjugate albumin (PEG-Alb) accomplishes this by enhancing the shear thinning behavior of diluted blood, which increases microvascular endothelial shear stress, causes vasodilation and lowering peripheral vascular resistance thus facilitating cardiac function. Induction of supra-perfusion takes advantage of the fact that ODC is the product of OCC and blood flow and hence can be maintained by increasing either or both. Animal studies suggest that this approach may save a considerable fraction of the blood supply. It has an additional benefit of enhancing tissue clearance of toxic metabolites

A comparative study on phenolic profile, vitamin C content and antioxidant activity of Italian honeys of different botanical origin

The aim of our study was to identify and quantify the phenolic acids, flavonoids and vitamin C and to evaluate the antioxidant activity in ninety Italian honeys of different botanical origins (chestnut, sulla, eucalyptus, citrus and multifloral). The results showed that total phenolic and flavonoid contents varied from 11.08 to 14.26 mg GAE per 100 g honey and from 5.82 to 12.52 mg QE per 100 g honey, respectively. HPLC–UV analysis showed a similar but quantitatively different phenolic profile of the studied honeys. Vitamin C is present in all samples. Multifloral honey showed the highest amount of the detected total phenolic compounds and the highest vitamin C content. The DPPH value varied from 55.06 to 75.37%. Among the unifloral honeys, chestnut honey presented the highest levels of phenolic acids, flavonoids and vitamin C, which are closely associated with its high antioxidant activity. The results show that honey contains high amount of biologically active compounds, which play an important role in defining the nutraceutical quality of the product, and that the distribution of these compounds is influenced by the botanical origin

Blood pressure reduction due to hemoglobin glycosylation in type 2 diabetic patients

Pedro Cabrales1, Miguel A Salazar V&aacute;zquez2,3, Beatriz Y Salazar V&aacute;zquez3,4, Martha Rodr&iacute;guez-Mor&aacute;n5, Marcos Intaglietta4, Fernando Guerrero-Romero51La Jolla Bioengineering Institute, La Jolla, California, USA; 2Hospital Regional No. 1, of the Mexican Social Security Institute, Victoria de Durango, Dgo. Mexico; 3Faculty of Medicine and Dept. of Physical Chemistry, Universidad Ju&aacute;rez del Estado de Durango, Victoria de Durango, Dgo. Mexico; 4Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA; 5Biomedical Research Unit, of the Mexican Social Security Institute, Victoria de Durango, Dgo. MexicoObjective: To test the hypothesis that glycosylation of hemoglobin constitutes a risk factor for hypertension.Methods: A total of 129 relative uniform diabetic subjects (86 women and 42 men) were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Exclusion criteria included alcohol consumption, smoking, ischemic heart disease, stroke, neoplasia, renal, hepatic, and chronic inflammatory disease. Systolic and diastolic pressures were recorded in subsequent days and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) was determined. Hemoglobin glycosylation was measured by determining the percentage glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) by means of the automated microparticle enzyme immunoassay test.Results: MAP was found to be independent of the concentration of HbA1c; however, correcting MAP for the variability in hematocrit, to evidence the level of vasoconstriction (or vasodilatation) showed that MAP is negatively correlated with the concentration of HbA1c (p for trend &lt;0.05), when patients treated for hypertension are excluded from the analysis. Patients treated for hypertension showed the opposite trend with increasing MAP as HbA1c increased (p for the difference in trends &lt;0.05).Conclusions: Glycosylation per se appears to lead to blood pressure reduction in type 2 diabetic patients untreated for hypertension. Treatment for hypertension may be associated with a level of endothelial dysfunction that interferes with the antihypertensive effect of HbA1c.Keywords: diabetes, hemoglobin glycosylation, hypertension, hematocrit, nitric oxid

Arteriolar vasoconstrictive response: comparing the effects of arginine vasopressin and norepinephrine

INTRODUCTION: This study was designed to examine differences in the arteriolar vasoconstrictive response between arginine vasopressin (AVP) and norepinephrine (NE) on the microcirculatory level in the hamster window chamber model in unanesthetized, normotonic hamsters using intravital microscopy. It is known from patients with advanced vasodilatory shock that AVP exerts strong additional vasoconstriction when incremental dosage increases of NE have no further effect on mean arterial blood pressure (MAP). METHODS: In a prospective controlled experimental study, eleven awake, male golden Syrian hamsters were instrumented with a viewing window inserted into the dorsal skinfold. NE (2 μg/kg/minute) and AVP (0.0001 IU/kg/minute, equivalent to 4 IU/h in a 70 kg patient) were continuously infused to achieve a similar increase in MAP. According to their position within the arteriolar network, arterioles were grouped into five types: A0 (branch off small artery) to A4 (branch off A3 arteriole). RESULTS: Reduction of arteriolar diameter (NE, -31 ± 12% versus AVP, -49 ± 7%; p = 0.002), cross sectional area (NE, -49 ± 17% versus AVP, -73 ± 7%; p = 0.002), and arteriolar blood flow (NE, -62 ± 13% versus AVP, -80 ± 6%; p = 0.004) in A0 arterioles was significantly more pronounced in AVP animals. There was no difference in red blood cell velocities in A0 arterioles between groups. The reduction of diameter, cross sectional area, red blood cell velocity, and arteriolar blood flow in A1 to A4 arterioles was comparable in AVP and NE animals. CONCLUSION: Within the microvascular network, AVP exerted significantly stronger vasoconstriction on large A0 arterioles than NE under physiological conditions. This observation may partly explain why AVP is such a potent vasopressor hormone and can increase systemic vascular resistance even in advanced vasodilatory shock unresponsive to increases in standard catecholamine therapy