A Rapid HPLC Method for the Simultaneous Determination of Organic Acids and Furans: Food Applications

Concerns over the potential adulteration of commercially produced foods give rise to a requirement for a simple and fast analytical method capable of quantifying potential adulterants. This work demonstrates a simple HPLC method tailored to detect major organic acids and furans within ingredients in commercial food products, for example, pomegranate molasses, balsamic vinegar, and apple cider vinegar. The relative importance of this method is in its simplicity and its use of an environmentally friendly aqueous mobile phase under isocratic conditions, providing results in a less than 20 min runtime. The chromatographic separation was achieved using an Acclaim® OA, 5 µm, 120 Å (4.0 × 250 mm) column; a UV-DAD detector set at 210 nm; and a 200 mM Na2SO4 mobile phase with 0.55 mL/L methanosulfonic acid as a pH modifier. The method was then validated by quantifying the concentration of acetic acid, formic acid, citric acid, and hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) in pomegranate molasses, balsamic vinegar, and apple cider vinegar commercial products. The concentration of acetic acid and HMF in balsamic vinegar was 80.380 mg/mL (±1.272 mg/mL) and 2.153 mg/mL (±0.021 mg/mL), respectively. The apple cider vinegar was composed only of acetic acid with a concentration of 44.139 mg/mL (±0.053 mg/mL). The concentrations of citric acid and HMF were 123.425 mg/mL (±2.502 mg/mL) and 11.382 mg/mL (±0.582 mg/mL), respectively, in pomegranate molasses. Furthermore, this method is also capable of determining various organic acids and furans in biomass: levulinic acid, formic acid, furfurals, diformylfuran, and gamma-valerolactone.

Effect of a Combination of Rosa canina Fruits and Apple Cider Vinegar against Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Toxicity in Experimental Animal Models

Oxidative stress is the trigger of several diseases. It is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and antioxidants. This study aims to evaluate the antioxidant capacity and the protective property of Rosa canina fruits and apple cider vinegar combined or not against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced toxicity in Wistar rats. The experiment included five groups: group 1 received distilled water (10 mL/kg b.wt), group 2 received H2O2 10% (10 mL/kg b.wt), group 3 received H2O2 10% (10 mL/kg b.wt) and apple vinegar (2 mL/kg b.wt); group 4 received H2O2 10% (10 mL/kg b.wt) and apple vinegar supplemented with Rosa canina fruits extract (300 mg/kg b.wt); group 5 received H2O2 10% (10 mL/kg b.wt) and extract of Rosa canina fruits (300 mg/kg b.wt). The doses were given once daily via a gavage. The antioxidant capacity of apple vinegar and Rosa canina extract was analyzed, and AST, ALT, PAL, urea, and creatinine were determined on day 22 of the experiment. In addition, the kidney and the liver tissues were analyzed. The results showed that H2O2 caused a significant elevation of blood urea, blood creatinine, and transaminases. The histopathology examination revealed that H2O2 caused congestion, hemorrhage, and Bowman’s space enlarged. On the other hand, the results clearly showed that apple vinegar and Rosa canina fruits counterbalance the biochemical and histological changes induced by H2O2. In conclusion, the two natural products studied in this work are effective against the harmful effect of oxidative stress, which explains their use in traditional medicine.

An economic feasibility study for the production of apple cider vinegar in Lattakia Governorate – Syria: دراسة الجدوى الاقتصادية لإنتاج خل التفاح في محافظة اللاذقية – سورية

The presence of an excess of the apple crop, and the increasing problem of its marketing in case the season is exposed to bad weather conditions, makes the best solution to confront this problem by manufacturing apple cider vinegar, as the apple cider vinegar manufacturing project emerges as an important model for the application of small agricultural projects in Syria, during the next stage, so the aim of the research To study the economic feasibility of a project to manufacture apple cider vinegar in apple- growing areas within Lattakia Governorate in Syria. To achieve the objectives of the research, the descriptive approach and the case study approach were used to study the hypotheses of the study, the most important of which is the existence of an economic feasibility for the manufacture of apple cider vinegar, or the lack of feasibility. The investor is 47.53%, based on production costs, 115.03%, while the profitability coefficient based on the invested capital is 44.49%, and for production costs, 107.67%, and the recovery time of the invested capital is 1.37 years. That is, this project, which achieves an added value, especially for apples that are not suitable for marketing, concludes the research with a number of recommendations, the most important of which is that it should work to encourage agricultural investors to enter this field by providing loans through village banks, development or small projects, and securing a market exchange. for their products, and opening new markets, especially in the field of export.

Preparation and Optimization of Garlic Oil/Apple Cider Vinegar Nanoemulsion Loaded with Minoxidil to Treat Alopecia

Alopecia areata is a scarless, localized hair loss disorder that is typically treated with topical formulations that ultimately only further irritate the condition. Hence, the goal of this study was to develop a nanoemulsion with a base of garlic oil (GO) and apple cider vinegar (APCV) and loaded with minoxidil (MX) in order to enhance drug solubilization and permeation through skin. A distance coordinate exchange quadratic mixture design was used to optimize the proposed nanoemulsion. Span 20 and Tween 20 mixtures were used as the surfactant, and Transcutol was used as the co-surfactant. The developed formulations were characterized for their droplet size, minoxidil steady-state flux (MX Jss) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Propionibacterium acnes. The optimized MX-GO-APCV nanoemulsion had a droplet size of 110 nm, MX Jss of 3 μg/cm2 h, and MIC of 0.275 μg/mL. The optimized formulation acquired the highest ex vivo skin permeation parameters compared to MX aqueous dispersion, and varying formulations lacked one or more components of the proposed nanoemulsion. GO and APCV in the optimized formulation had a synergistic, enhancing activity on the MX permeation across the skin membrane, and the percent permeated increased from 12.7% to 41.6%. Finally, the MX-GO-APCV nanoemulsion followed the Korsmeyer–Peppas model of diffusion, and the value of the release exponent (n) obtained for the formulations was found to be 1.0124, implying that the MX permeation followed Super case II transport. These results demonstrate that the MX-GO-APCV nanoemulsion formulation could be useful in promoting MX activity in treating alopecia areata.

Dispensing Practices for Weight Management Products in Eastern Saudi Arabia: A Survey of Community Pharmacists

Due to changing lifestyles and socioeconomic status, obesity prevalence has been rising in Saudi Arabia, and community pharmacists often counsel patients about its management. The study aimed to evaluate practices of community pharmacists involved in dispensing products for weight control in four cities located in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving community pharmacists in Dammam, Dhahran, Khobar, and Al-Ahsa, using a Likert format questionnaire. Only those who consented to participate were handed the questionnaire. A total of 100 complete responses were analyzed. The median value for packs sold per month for tea containing products Al-Diafa Slimming Tea, Jamue Tea, and Green Tea was ≥6 while the same for orlistat and apple cider vinegar were ≤4. Moreover, >50% of pharmacists mentioned that orlistat and apple cider vinegar were effective while ≥35% mentioned that metformin and Jamue tea were effective. Furthermore, ≥25% mentioned that green tea and Al-Diafa slimming tea were effective. Excluding orlistat, >50% of pharmacists did not know about adverse effects for other products. The rate of dispensing of several weight loss products was significant for participants’ background characteristics, such as time duration of consultation, gender, and age of patients, and pharmacist work experience (p < 0.05). The tea products and orlistat were the most frequently sold products, and community pharmacists appeared most knowledgeable about the effectiveness and adverse effect of orlistat. The pharmacists seemed to be aware about the effectiveness of other weight loss products; however, their knowledge about their potential adverse effects was unsatisfactory.

Cold Hardiness of Select Apple Cider Cultivars in Canada

There is increasing interest in growing European origin apple cultivars for the production of hard cider in Canada; however, little is known about their winter hardiness. Eleven promising cider cultivars were evaluated for cold hardiness over two consecutive winters and compared with the winter tender cultivar 'Golden Delicious’. Sections of the current season's dormant shoots were frozen in a series of test temperatures ranging from -20°C to -40°C in a programmable freezer. Xylem tissue browning ratings were used to assess injury after thawing. The temperature of incipient damage (TID), the warmest temperature at which 1-yr-old shoot segments begin to show injury, was obtained from tissue browning curves using non-linear regression. TID varied significantly among cultivars and between sampling years. Overall, the cultivars could be classified according to relative winter hardiness as follows: Ashmead’s Kernel, Bramley’s Seedling (very tender) < Calville Blanc d’Hiver, Porter’s Perfection, Bulmer’s Norman (intermediate) < Crimson Crisp, GoldRush, Golden Delicious, Enterprise, Yarlington Mill, Enterprise (hardy) < Golden Russet (hardy). These data indicate nearly a 10oC range in winter hardiness amongst the 11 cultivars studied, depending on the sampling date. Ashmead’s Kernel and Bramley’s Seedling appear to be particularly winter tender, whereas Bulmer's Norman, Porter's Perfection, and Calville Blanc d'Hiver demonstrated less hardiness during three of the four sampling dates. Based upon these findings, it would be prudent to consult long-term climate normals and consider the frequency of extreme weather events for potential susceptibility to winter injury, particularly prior to establishing more injury-prone cultivars.

Intercropping With Peppermint Increases Ground Dwelling Insect and Pollinator Abundance and Decreases Drosophila suzukii in Fruit

Intercropping can be used to reduce pest insects within agricultural systems, e.g., through deterring pests directly or by increasing habitat for their natural enemies. For example, plant produced volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can deter or confuse host-finding by insects through olfactory disruption. Drosophila suzukii is an invasive fruit fly of agricultural concern as it can lay its eggs in both ripening and fresh fruits and, uses olfactory cues to identify its wide range of host plants. Peppermint plants (Mentha × piperita) produce high levels of VOCs while growing and may, therefore, be suitable as an intercrop to reduce D. suzukii infestations in the field, as peppermint essential oil VOCs have previously been shown to deter D. suzukii in olfactory trials. We conducted a field intercropping experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of peppermint plants compared to traditional ryegrass/clover mixes in reducing D. suzukii oviposition in the field, and the effect of peppermint intercrops on other invertebrates. In the field, we monitored sentinel fruit baits weekly for D. suzukii infestation. Additionally, we monitored intercropping effects on the invertebrate community through weekly pitfall trap collection and through a pollinator point survey. We monitored for local, farm level presence of D. suzukii through apple cider vinegar traps within crop fields and along hedgerows and found high abundance of D. suzukii (&gt;3,000 individuals trapped). Peppermint intercrops had fewer D. suzukii emerge from fruit baits and supported greater beneficial insect abundance (predators and pollinators) compared to ryegrass/clover. However, levels of D. suzukii were low across both intercrop types. Overall, we found that peppermint intercrops could be a potential aromatic intercrop used to reduce D. suzukii adult emergence from fruit compared to conventional ryegrass/clover mixes, however this trial should be replicated over multiple growing seasons, geographic locations, and host fruits. Furthermore, further study should determine the effects of the intercrop on the focal crop of interest.

Rice vinegar removes Candida albicans from denture acrylic resins

Denture stomatitis, mainly caused by Candida albicans, often affect denture wearers. To manage these patients, denture hygiene is of utmost importance. There is a need for low cost, easily accessible denture disinfectants. To investigate the efficacy of rice vinegar and other disinfecting solutions in removing C. albicans from acrylic resins. Hundred and eighty acrylic resin plates were contaminated with C. albicans strains and divided into five groups. These were immersed in apple cider vinegar (ACV), white wine vinegar (WWV), rice vinegar (RV), chlorhexidine (CHX), and sterile distilled H2O (control). The plates were incubated at room temperature for 30 minutes, 1 hour and 8 hours. Candida removing ability of the disinfecting solutions was evaluated, and data was analyzed using two-way ANOVAwith Tukey post-test. Significance level of p< 0.05 was used. RV, ACV, WWV and CHX showed the highest efficacy (100%) in removing both C. albicans strains at 8 hours (p>0.05). CHX was the most effective disinfectant in removing both C. albicans strains at 30 minutes, 1 hour, and 8 hours (99%-100%). RV was as effective as ACV, WWV and CHX in removing C. albicans from acrylic plates at 8 hours.