Due to the short period of the grape fresh samples availability and their very complex analysis, appropriate grape samples storage is mandatory. In this study, samples were analyzed immediately after ...harvest and after storage at −20 °C. Frozen samples were thawed as follows: at the room temperature, in the microwave oven, in the refrigerator, and the skin was pulled off from the frozen grape berries. The freezing had a positive effect on the contents of anthocyanins and flavonol glycosides. These compounds are contained in cell vacuoles thus membrane degradation, throughout the freezing process, could enhance their extractability. The freezing had a negative effect on the content of the other polyphenols which can be bound to the cell wall. Among examined thawing methods, the most appropriate method was the peeling grape berry skin from the frozen berries samples with the receptacle. Suitable alternative to the aforementioned method could be the microwave thawing.
Practical application
One of the most important groups of compounds contained in grape berries are polyphenolic compounds. These compounds significantly affect the quality of grapes and wine. They also have a positive impact on human health. Most of the grapes are being processed into wine, but it also has many other uses. Besides the table grapes, raisins, juices, jams, and wine distillates, currently, various cosmetic and pharmaceutical preparations made from grapes whose functioning is based on the effects of polyphenols are encounter on the market. Given the short period of availability of fresh grape samples and complex procedure of their analysis and processing, samples must be stored in an appropriate manner. This study reported the effect of freezing and applied thawing method on retentions of polyphenolics in grapes. The information obtained by this study is essential for the development of specific applications of the grape berries skins.
Fenolni spojevi predstavljaju sekundarne biljne metabolite koji imaju vrlo važnu fiziološku i morfološku ulogu u rastu i reprodukciji biljke pružajući joj i zaštitu protiv patogena i predatora. Cilj ...ovoga istraživanja je dobiti pregled promjena u sastavu i sadržaju fenolnih spojeva odnosno flavonola, flavanola, hidroksicimetnih i hidroksibenzojevih kiselina prisutnih u listovima četiri različite crne sorte vinove loze. Ekstrakti su analizirani tekućinskom kromatografijom visoke djelotvornosti. Dobivenim rezultatima utvrđena je značajna varijabilnost u masenim udjelima fenolnih spojeva između sorata po pojedinim terminima uzorkovanja, kao i značajna varijabilnost u sadržaju fenolnih spojeva unutar iste sorte tijekom različitih termina uzorkovanja.
Phenolic compounds represent secondary plant metabolites which play an important physiological and morphological role in plant growth and reproduction. They also provide a protection against pathogens and predators. The aim of this study is to obtain an overview of changes in the composition and phenolic compounds content, more precisely flavonols, flavanols, hydroxycimetic and hydroxybenzoic acids present in the leaves of four different grapevine varieties. The extracts were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. Based on the obtained results, significant variability in mass shares of phenolic compounds between varieties was determined by individual sampling terms, as well as significant variability in the content of phenolic compounds within the same variety during different sampling terms.
Abstract
Background
While Croatia shared COVID-19 pandemic with other countries, its capital area was also hit by a 5.6 magnitude earthquake. The simultaneous impact of these two disasters on ...psychiatric patients is largely unknown, and we addressed those knowledge gaps.
Methods
The cross-sectional study was conducted during the pandemic’s first peak, in the aftermath of earthquake, by telephonic survey. Measurements included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Perceived Stress Scale and the semi-structured interview to evaluate the impact of pandemic stress and earthquake. Overall 396 patients with depression and/or anxiety disorders (DAD), 229 participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) and 205 healthy controls were enrolled.
Results
Both patient groups had higher depression and stress levels than controls, independent of sex, age and the presence of somatic comorbidity. After controlling for the same covariates, patient groups had higher COVID-19- and earthquake-related fears than controls. In patients with DAD, both fears were greater than among SSD patients. When comparing the two fears, the fear from earthquake was higher in DAD and control groups, whereas in SSD patients there was no such difference.
Conclusions
Patients with DAD were the most vulnerable group during disasters, while earthquake seems to be associated with more fear than the pandemics, at least in DAD patients and healthy individuals. Future longitudinal studies should determine if early psychological support might alleviate stress levels after disasters and prevent further worsening of mental health, particularly among DAD patients.
Treatment of oncological patients must be based upon multidisciplinary approach, and takes place in specialized oncological centers. By the end of a specific oncological treatment further follow-up ...is being managed mostly by the oncologists, but the role of the general practitioners becomes more important every day and therefore should be precisely defined. Nowadays, most of the existing follow-up guidelines are not being based on prospective studies, yet on the expert’s opinion of a precise oncological center or specialists. The aim of the Croatian Society of Medical Oncology (CSMO) with these recommendations is to standardize and rationalize the diagnostic procedures’ algorithm in follow–up of oncological patients after primary treatment, in patients with planocellular head and neck cancer, oesophageal cancer, gastric cancer and colorectal cancer.
Abstract This study describes the biophysical and immunomodulatory features of a cyclic peptide termed C1 which consists of alternating d -, l -amino acids and is capable of inhibiting IL-2 ...production in vitro and reducing the induction and extent of T-cell mediated inflammation in animal models. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance demonstrates that the peptide orders the lipid bilayer, suggesting a transmembrane orientation, and this is supported by surface plasmon resonance indicating strong binding affinity of C1 to model membranes. In vitro cell viability and proliferation assays show that C1 does not disrupt the integrity of cell surface membranes. Permeation studies of C1 and analogs across human epidermis cells show that the stability and skin permeability are enhanced by cyclization. Treatment with C1 in an asthma and in an arthritis animal model resulted in a suppressed immune response. Cyclization may be a useful means of enhancing biological linear peptide activity and improving delivery.
A case report of breast angiosarcoma Kardum-Skelin, Ika; Jelić-Puskarić, Biljana; Pazur, Marina ...
Collegium antropologicum
34, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Angiosarcoma is a rare disease of the breast with the reported incidence of only 0.04% of all breast malignancies. The etiology of angiosarcoma remains unknown. It occurs post-mastectomy, in ...association with chronic lymphedema (Stewart-Treves syndrome), or after radiotherapy. We present a patient with angiosarcoma which developed 12 years of the diagnosis of breast carcinoma and 8 years of the operative procedure and radiotherapy for disease recurrence. A small angiomatous lesion of a few mm in size, cytologically suspect of vascular tumor (hemangioma or hemangiopericytoma) and histopathologically verified to be an atypical vascular lesion, was detected two years before breast enlargement and cytologic and histologic diagnosis of angiosarcoma. The patient died 15 months of the diagnosis of angiosarcoma, after two tumor recurrences and intrathoracic cavity invasion.
The known effects of a novel stomach pentadecapeptide BPC157 (10 microg or 10 ng/kg), namely its salutary activity against ethanol (96%, i.g.)-induced gastric lesions (simultaneously applied i.p.) ...and in blood pressure maintenance (given i.v.), were investigated in rats challenged with a combination of N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) (5 mg/kg i.v.), a competitive inhibitor of endothelium nitric oxide (NO)-generation and NO precursor, L-arginine (200 mg/kg i.v.) (D-arginine was ineffective). In the gastric lesions assay, NO agents were given 5 min before ethanol injury and BPC 157 medication. Given alone, BPC157 had an antiulcer effect, as did L-arginine, but L-NAME had no effect. L-NAME completely abolished the effect of L-arginine, whereas it only attenuated the effect of BPC 157. After application of the combination of L-NAME + L-arginine, the BPC157 effect was additionally impaired. In blood pressure studies, compared with L-arginine, pentadecapeptide BPC 157 (without effect on basal normal values) had both a mimicking effect (impaired L-NAME-blood pressure increase, when applied prophylactically and decreased already raised L-NAME values, given at the time of the maximal L-NAME-blood pressure increase (i.e., 10 min after L-NAME)) and preventive activity (L-arginine-induced moderate blood pressure decrease was prevented by BPC 157 pretreatment). When BPC 157 was given 10 min after L-NAME + L-arginine combination, which still led to a blood pressure increase, its previously clear effect (noted in L-NAME treated rats) disappeared. In vitro, in gastric mucosa from rat stomach tissue homogenates, BPC 157, given in the same dose (100 microM) as L-arginine, induced a comparable generation of NO. But, BPC 157 effect could not be inhibited by L-NAME, even when L-NAME was given in a tenfold (100 versus 1000 microM) higher dose than that needed for inhibition of the L-arginine effect. NO synthesis was blunted when the pentadecapeptide BPC 157 and L-arginine were combined. In summary, BPC 157 could interfere with the effects of NO on both gastric mucosal integrity and blood pressure maintenance in a specific way, especially with L-arginine, having a more prominent and/or particularly different effect from that of NO.
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