Increased salicylate concentrations in urine of human volunteers after consumption of cranberry juice

The aim of this study was to assess whether regular consumption of cranberry juice results in elevations in urinary salicylate concentrations in persons not taking salicylate drugs. Two groups of healthy female subjects (11/group) matched for age, weight, and height consumed 250 mL of either cranberry juice or a placebo solution three times a day (i.e., 750 mL/day) for 2 weeks. At weekly intervals, salicylic acid and salicyluric acid (the major urinary metabolite of salicylic acid) concentrations were determined in urine by HPLC with electrochemical detection. Concentrations of salicylic acid in plasma were also determined. Consumption of cranberry juice was associated with a marked increase (p < 0.001) of salicyluric and salicylic acids in urine within 1 week of the intervention. After 2 weeks, there was also a small but significant (p < 0.05) increase in salicylic acid in plasma. The regular consumption of cranberry juice results in the increased absorption of salicylic acid, an anti-inflammatory compound that may benefit health.     

Plasma and urine responses are lower for acylated vs nonacylated anthocyanins from raw and cooked purple carrots

The bioavailability of acylated vs nonacylated anthocyanins and the effect of cooking and dose on the comparative bioavailability were investigated in a clinical feeding study using purple carrots as the anthocyanin source. Treatments were purple carrots as follows: 250 g raw (463 micromol of anthocyanins: 400 micromol acylated, 63 micromol nonacylated), 250 g cooked (357 micromol of anthocyanins: 308.5 micromol acylated, 48.5 micromol nonacylated), and 500 g cooked (714 micromol of anthocyanins: 617 micromol acylated, 97 micromol nonacylated). Four of the five carrot anthocyanins were found intact in plasma by 30 min after carrot consumption and peaked between 1.5 and 2.5 h. Acylation of anthocyanins resulted in an 11-14-fold decrease in anthocyanin recovery in urine and an 8-10-fold decrease in anthocyanin recovery in plasma. Cooking increased the recovery of nonacylated anthocyanins but not acylated anthocyanins. Large dose size significantly reduced recovery of both acylated and nonacylated anthocyanins, suggesting saturation of absorption mechanisms.     

Identification of metallic-smelling 1-octen-3-one and 1-nonen-3-one from solutions of ferrous sulfate

Taste threshold tests of ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) solutions have been confounded by the presence of putative odorants. To detect the presence of odorants released from these solutions solid-phase microextraction (SPME) was used to collect volatiles in the headspace above FeSO4 solutions. Gas chromatography-olfactometry of samples collected over three time periods (1, 5, and 16 h) and at two temperatures (22 and 37 degrees C) revealed the presence of several metallic-smelling odorants in the headspace. Using authentic standards, two of the odorants were conclusively identified as 1-octen-3-one and 1-nonen-3-one. Trace levels of other odorants were also detected, but dilution experiments indicated that 1-nonen-3-one was at least 10 times more potent than anything else released from the solutions. 1-Octen-3-one and 1-nonen-3-one are excellent candidates for the metallic odor responses often observed in threshold testing of solutions of FeSO4.     

Deactivation of the biological activity of paraquat in the soil environment: a review of long-term environmental fate

During the many years of paraquat usage, wide ranges of investigations of its environmental impact have been conducted. Much of this information has been published, but key, long-term field studies have not previously been presented and assessed. The purpose of this review is to bring together and appraise this information. Due to the nature of paraquat residues in soils, the major part (some 99.99%) of a paraquat application that reaches the soil within the typical Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) is strongly adsorbed to soils of a wide variety of textures. This is in equilibrium with an extremely low concentration in soil solution. However, the paraquat in soil solution is intrinsically biodegradable, being rapidly and completely mineralized by soil microorganisms. The deactivation of the biological activity of paraquat in soils, due to sorption, has been investigated thoroughly and systematically. It is recognized that the determination of total soil residues by severe extraction procedures provides no insight into the amount of paraquat biologically available in soil. Consequently, the key assay developed for this purpose, namely, the strong adsorption capacity-wheat bioassay (SAC-WB) method, has proved to be valuable for determination of the adsorption capacity relevant to paraquat for any particular soil. This method has been validated in the field with a series of long-term (>10 years) trials in different regions of the world. These trials have also shown that, following repeated applications of very high levels of paraquat in the field, residues not only reach a plateau but also subsequently decline. This demonstrates that the known biodegradation of paraquat in soil pore water plays an important role in field dissipation. The biological effects of paraquat in the field have been assessed under unrealistically high treatment regimes. These trials have demonstrated that the continued use of paraquat under GAP conditions will have no detrimental effects on either crops or soil-dwelling flora and fauna. Any such effects can occur only under extreme use conditions (above the SAC-WB), which do not arise in normal agricultural practice.     

Residue depletion study and withdrawal period for flunixin-N-methyl glucamine in bovine milk following intravenous administration

The objective of this study was to establish a withdrawal period for flunixin in milk by quantifying 5-hydroxyflunixin, the marker residue, in bovine milk as a function of time, following intravenous treatment of lactating dairy cows with flunixin-N-methyl glucamine (Banamine or Finadyne). Lactating dairy cows were dosed on three consecutive days at 2.2 mg of flunixin free acid/kg of body weight/day. Milk was collected twice daily and assayed using a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) procedure. The method was validated at concentrations in the range 0.5-250 ppb. The concentrations for 5-hydroxyflunixin measured 12 h after the last administration of drug ranged from 1.56 to 40.6 ppb for all cows. Milk concentrations for 5-hydroxyflunixin were used to establish withdrawal periods of 36 h using guidelines established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration/Center for Veterinary Medicine and 24 h using guidelines established by the European Medicinal Evaluation Agency/Committee on Veterinary Medicinal Products.     

Selenium Removal from Irrigation Drainage Water Flowing Through Constructed Wetland Cells with Special Attention to Accumulation in Sediments

A flow-through experimental wetland system has been under investigation since 1996 to remove selenium (Se) fromagricultural drainage water in the Tulare Lake Drainage Districtat Corcoran, California, U.S.A. The system consists of ten cellswhich have dimensions of 15 × 76 m continuously flooded andvarious substrates planted. The objectives of this article are topresent the overall performance in Se removal after establishingthe wetland for three years, and to examine factors affecting Seremoval with special attention to accumulation in the sediments.In 1999, The wetland cells reduced Se from inflow water by 32 to65% in concentration and 43 to 89% in mass. Vegetationplays an important role in Se removal as non-vegetated cellshowed the least removal of Se. The inflow drainage water wasdominated by selenate (Se(VI), 91%) with smaller percentages ofselenite (Se(IV), 7%) and organic Se (org-Se(II-), 2%). Theoutflow water from the cells contained an average of 47% Se(VI),32% Se(IV) and 21% org-Se indicating reduction processesoccurring in the wetland cells. The surface sediment appears as alarge sink of Se removal. The highest Se concentration was foundin fallen litter, followed by the fine organic detrital layer onthe sediment surface. The sediment Se concentration dramaticallydecreased with increasing sediment depth. The mass distribution of Se, however, was sediment (0-20 cm) > fine detrital matter >fallen litter. Fractionation of surface sediment (0-5 cm) reveals that elemental Se was the largest fraction (ave. 47%) followedby organic matter-associated Se (34%). Soluble, adsorbed, and carbonate-associated Se accounted for 1.2, 3.1 and 2.5% ofthe total sediment Se, respectively. The major Se sink mechanism in the cells is the reduction of selenate to elemental Se andimmobilization into the organic phase of the sediments.     

Oral Lesions Associated with Orotracheal Administered Mechanical Ventilation in Critically III Dogs

The incidence and clinical progression of oral lesions in a cohort of critically ill patients administered mechanical ventilation via orotracheal intubation were observed prospectively in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the University of California, Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Oral cavities of these patients were examined within 24 hours of being placed on the ventilator and at least daily thereafter during ventilator therapy. As part of the study protocol, any lesion noted was treated. Twenty-one critically ill canine patients (median age of 7 yrs; range <1 to 19 yrs) were observed from 1 January 1995 through 31 August 1995. Over ninety percent (90.5%) of the observed patients developed oral lesions subsequent to being mechanically ventilated. Erosive and ulcerative mucosal lesions were the most frequently observed (15/43) with the tongue being the most frequently involved oral structure. Most of the observed soft tissue oral lesions appeared secondary to persistently applied pressure from teeth, mouth gags, endotracheal tubes, and other monitoring devices. Efforts taken to prevent persistently applied trauma, such as periodic positional changes of equipment and padding of susceptible structures, apeared effective in preventing oral lesions. There were indications of gastric reflux in 6 patients (28.6%), as evidenced by secretions in the oral cavity with a pH of <6 and containing digested blood. Ulcerative lesions in the subset of patients with gastric reflux seemed to worsen in severity with exposure to the low pH secretions. Over the course of the study, the ICU nursing staff developed an effective protocol for the care of the oral cavity: treating mucosal erosions and ulcers topically8 with a dilute chlorhexidine solution (0.05%), removing oral secretions via suction as needed, and padding persistently traumatized tissues with glycerin moistened gauze. Oral lesions in orotrachealy intubated and mechanically ventilated patients are predictable, preventable, and treatable. Most lesions are pressure induced, associated with monitoring/therapeutic equipment, and appear to be preventable with appropriate nursing protocls. Most observed oral lesions clinically improved with routine, periodic dilute chlorhexidine rinses and relief of applied pressure.     

Examination of bound (non-extractable) residues of MCPA and flamprop in wheat straw

The long term metabolism of [¹⁴C]MCPA and [¹⁴C]flamprop in wheat (Triticum aestivum) straw was found to involve incorporation of radioactivity as residues that were insoluble in acetone+water (1+1 by volume). A chemical and an enzymic solubilisation procedure were critically evaluated in attempts to release these residues for further examination. The chemical procedure resulted in complete solubilisation of all the radioactivity of both compounds in association with more than one cell wall fraction. However, routine quantitative analysis was found to be difficult for some fractions. Furthermore, the extracts did not appear to be suitable for investigation of the nature of the binding with the plant constituents. None of the enzymes employed in the enzymic procedures released significant amounts of the residues insoluble in the aqueous acetone. Despite these problems, the residues of MCPA that were insoluble in aqueous acetone were found to contain both the parent MCPA and its major metabolite 4-chloro-α-hydroxy-o-tolyloxyacetic acid.     

Degradation of the herbicide flamprop-methyl in soil

The degradation of the wild oat herbicide flamprop-methyl [methyl DL -N-benzoyl-N-(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)alaninate] in four soils has been studied under laboratory conditions using ¹⁴C-1abelled samples. The flamprop-methyl underwent degradation more rapidly than its analogue flamprop-isopropyl. However, similar degradation products were formed, namely the corresponding carboxylic acid and 3-chloro-4-fluoroaniline. The latter compound occurred mainly as ‘bound’ forms although evidence was obtained of limited ring-opening to give [¹⁴C]carbon dioxide. The time for depletion of 50% of the applied herbicide was approximately 1-2 weeks in sandy loam, clay and medium loam soils and 2-3 weeks in a peat soil.