The Effects of Sodium Alginate on Quality of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Fillets Stored at 4 ± 2°C

Edible coating is a novel food packaging technology for controlling the growth of spoilage bacteria and chemical changes in ready-to-eat food products. Fresh fish are highly perishable foodstuffs and are very susceptible to spoilage. A sodium alginate coating was used to maintain the quality of rainbow trout fillets in chilled storage over a period of 20 days. Fillet samples were coated with an aqueous solution of 3% sodium alginate and then stored at chilled temperature (4 ± 2°C). The control and coated samples were analyzed periodically (every 5 days) for microbial (aerobic plate count and psychrotrophic count), chemical (total volatile basic nitrogen, thiobarbituric acid, peroxide value), and sensory characteristics. The results indicated that the sodium alginate coating helped protect the quality characteristics of treated fresh fish fillets and prolonged the shelf life during chilled storage of rainbow trout fillets.     

Influence of Vermicompost Fertilizer and Water Deficit Stress on Morpho-Physiological Features of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L. cv. karaj)

One goal in the face of deficit water conditions is to increase growth and yield. Agro-industrial production frequently causes environmental pollution by using chemical fertilizers. In recent decades, bio-fertilizers such as vermicompost have been used as a safe alternative to chemical fertilizer. The present study considered the response of the chickpea to different combinations of vermicompost and water deficit stress in a greenhouse environment. Plant response was determined by measuring a range of morpho-physiologic parameters. The treatments were addition of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% of vermicompost to soil, and water deficit stress at the following levels: non-stress (100% of field capacity), moderate water stress (75% of field capacity), and severe water stress (25% of field capacity). The results showed that vermicompost had a significant effect on all traits under stress and non-stress conditions. The vermicompost treatments under non-stress conditions significantly increased plant height, number of pods, leaf area, stem and leaf dry weight, pod dry weight, chlorophyll a, carotenoid, total chlorophyll content, CO₂ assimilation rate, internal CO₂ concentration, and water-use efficiency over that of the control condition. The addition of 30% vermicompost under moderate and severe water stress conditions significantly increased plant height, number of pods, leaf area, leaf dry weight, carotenoids, and water-use efficiency over that of the control level. This study confirmed that vermicompost improved the morphological features, soil biological activity, and quality of the chickpea, but did not positively influence the physiological features under moderate and severe water deficit stress.     

Sustained Release of Risedronate from PLGA Microparticles Embedded in Alginate Hydrogel for Treatment of Bony Lesions

Background:Inflammatory bone resorption in periodontitis can lead to tooth loss. Systemic administration of bisphosphonates such as risedronate for preventing bone resorption can cause adverse effects. ALG and PLGA microparticles have been studied as drug delivery systems for sustained release of drugs. Therefore, the release pattern of risedronate from PLGA microparticles embedded with ALG was studied as a drug delivery system for sustained release of the drug, which can be used in local administrations. Methods:Risedronate-containing PLGA microparticles were fabricated using double emulsion solvent evaporation technique. Ionic cross-linking method was used to fabricate risedronate-loaded ALG. Risedronate-containing PLGA microparticles were then coated with ALG. The calibration curve of risedronate was traced to measure EE and study the release pattern. SEM imaging was carried out, and cell toxicity was examined using MTT assay. Statistical analysis of data was carried out using SPSS ver. 20 software, via one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s tests. Results:SEM imaging showed open porosities on ALGs. The mean EE of PLGA microparticles for risedronate was 57.14 ± 3.70%. Risedronate released completely after 72 h from ALG, and the cumulative release was significantly higher (p = 0.000) compared to PLGA microspheres coated with ALG, which demonstrated sustained released of risedronate until day 28. Risedronate-loaded ALG showed a significant decrease in gingival fibroblasts cell viability (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Alginate-coated PLGA microspheres could release risedronate in a sustained and controlled way and also did not show cell toxicity. Therefore, they seem to be an appropriate system for risedronate delivery in local applications. Key Words: Alginates, Hydrogels, Polylactic acid-polyglycolic acid copolymer, Risedronic acid     

Investigation of TNF-α and IL-6 Levels in the Sera of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Patients

Background:TNF-α and IL-6 are both pleiotropic cytokines playing major roles in cancer-associated cytokine networks. They have previously been investigated for their function in skin malignancies, mostly melanomas, and studies on NMSC patients are relatively rare. In this study, we aimed to assess the associations of serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α with NMSCs and its clinicopathological features. Methods:This cases-control study was carried out to investigate the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in 70 NMSC patients, in comparison with 30 healthy individuals, by means of flow cytometric bead-based immuneoassay. Results:Serum levels of both TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly higher in NMSC patients (6.470 vs. 4.355 pg/ml; p = 0.0468, respectively), compared to healthy individuals (3.205 vs. 0.000 pg/ml; p = 0.0126, respectively). In the subgroup analysis, SCC patients had higher serum levels of IL-6 compared to healthy individuals (3.445 vs. 0.000 pg/ml; p = 0.0432). No other significant differences were observed in the serum levels of these two cytokines among different clinicopathological subgroups of the patients. Conclusion:The increased levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in NMSC patients can be introduced as an epiphenomenon of a complex cancer-induced cytokine cascade. Key Words: Biomarkers, Cytokines, Interleukin-6, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha     

Optimization of Antioxidant Peptides Production from the Mantle of Cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis) Using RSM and Fractionation

Persian Gulf cuttlefish mantles were hydrolyzed (CPH) using alcalase, and the optimal hydrolysis parameters were obtained for the highest degree of hydrolysis (DH) and strongest antioxidant (based on their ability to quench 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals) activity using response surface methodology (RSM). The predicted optimal parameters of DH and quenching DPPH radicals was: pH of 7.88, 50.2°C, 150 min, and enzyme to substrate ratio of 1.5%. The reducing power (RP) and ability of optimized peptides to quench ABTS radicals in a gastro-intestinal track model system increased during the intestinal stage, while scavenging ability against DPPH radicals dropped (P < 0.05). The oxidation of lipid was retarded in a lecithin-liposome model added with optimized CPH in a concentration dependent response. Ultrafiltration of optimized CPH showed that the 3–10 KDa fraction had the greatest DPPH radical scavenging activity, the 10–30 KDa fraction had the highest reducing power, and the <3 KDa fraction had the greatest ABTS radical scavenging activity.     

Effects of Drying Condition on Physico-chemical Properties of Foam-mat Dried Shrimp Powder

ABSTRACT

The effects of drying parameters on moisture content, water activity, bulk density, water binding capacity (WBC), oil absorption, and color parameters (L*,a*, b*) of foam-mat dried shrimp powders were investigated. Shrimp purees were dried as a foam mat at different drying temperatures (50ºC, 60ºC, and 70ºC) and thicknesses of the foam layer (4 and 8 mm). The experimental results showed that as the temperature increased, the moisture content, water activity, and oil absorption of the samples decreased. However, their solubility increased significantly (P ?0.05). Bulk density of shrimp powder increased with increasing the thickness of the foam layer. Increasing temperature led to increased and decreased WBC with 4 and 8 mm thickness, respectively. Furthermore, the a*, b*, and L* (at 8 mm thickness) decreased with increasing temperature; however, L* increased at 4 mm thickness. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra showed some major shifts, such as in the region of 1000–1700 cm^?1, related to C–O, C–O–C, and C–H band stretching. The differential scanning calorimetry thermograms showed a large peak with a denaturation peak around 72ºC for shrimp proteins.     

Pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of tildipirosin following intravenous and subcutaneous administration in sheep

Tildipirosin is a semi‐synthetic macrolide antibiotic commonly used in cattle and swine to treat bacterial pneumonia. The objective of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetic profile of tildipirosin after a single intravenous (i.v.) and subcutaneous (s.c.) administration in healthy lambs. Eighteen lambs were randomly divided into three groups (n = 6 each). Lambs received a single s.c. dose of tildipirosin at 4 and 6 mg/kg b.w. in group 1 and 2, respectively. Lambs in group 3 received a single i.v. dose of tildipirosin at 4 mg/kg b.w. Blood samples were collected at 0, 0.5, 0.75, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 24, 36, 48 hr, and every 24 hr to day 21, and thereafter at day 28 posttildipirosin administration. The plasma concentrations of tildipirosin were determined using high‐performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry detection (LC?MS?MS). All lambs appeared to tolerate both the intravenous and subcutaneous injection of tildipirosin. Following i.v. administration, the elimination half‐life (T_1/2), mean residence time (MRT), volume of distribution (Vd/F), and total body clearance (Cl/F) were 119.6 ± 9.0 hr, 281.9 ± 25.7 hr, 521.1 ± 107.2 L, and 2.9 ± 0.5 L/hr, respectively. No significant differences in C_max (657.0 ± 142.8 and 754.6 ± 227.1 ng/ml), T_max (1.21 ± 0.38 and 1.35 ± 0.44 hr), T_1/2 (144 ± 17.5, 156.5 ± 33.4 hr), and MRT (262.0 ± 30.2 and 250.6 ± 54.5 hr) were found in tildipirosin after s.c. dosing at 4 and 6 mg/kg b.w., respectively. The absolute bioavailability (F) of tildipirosin was 71.5% and 75.3% after s.c. administration of 4 and 6 mg/kg b.w., respectively. In conclusion, tildipirosin was rapidly absorbed and slowly eliminated after a single s.c. administration in healthy lambs. Tildipirosin could be used for the treatment and prevention of respiratory bacterial infections in sheep. However, further in vitro and in vivo studies to determine the efficacy and safety are warranted. To our knowledge, this is the first study to determine the tildipirosin pharmacokinetic parameters in sheep plasma.