Creation of a collection of blood samples of patients with multiple myeloma

Aim. To create a collection of samples of blood components of patients with multiple myeloma for potential fundamental and applied biomedical research.Material and methods. The material was collected according to the developed algorithm, including the collection of clinical information, biological material, sample preparation, quality control and storage in the biobank of the National Medical Research Center of Oncology.Results. As of August 2021, the cryostorage of the National Medical Research Center of Oncology biobank contains a collection of 175 samples of blood serum, plasma and mononuclear cell fraction of patients with multiple myeloma. Samples were obtained from 32 patients of both sexes, the mean age of which was 59,5±1,65 years. To create an electronic catalog, personal, clinical and laboratory data about patients were collected, after which each sample was assigned its own unique identification number. Written informed consent was obtained from all patients for the storage of their biomaterial in a biobank with possible subsequent use for scientific purposes. Freezing of the obtained samples was carried out in accordance with low-temperature storage protocol. The electronic catalog contains a wide range of systematized clinical and laboratory information on samples.Conclusion. The collection of multiple myeloma samples is a unique resource for potential research on its pathophysiology, the development of diagnostic biomarkers, and the search for targeted agents.

Evaluation of postharvest storability of Ponkan mandarins stored at different temperatures

ABSTRACT The effects of storage temperature on postharvest storability, quality attributes and antioxidant enzyme activities of harvested Ponkan mandarins were investigated. Fresh fruits were randomly divided into four groups and stored at different temperatures [5 ± 1 °C (S5), 10 ± 1 °C (S10), 15 ± 1 °C (S15), and 20 ± 1 °C (S20 or control)] for 120 days. The results indicated that, compared with the control fruit, low-temperature storage at 10 °C significantly delayed the increase in fruit decay rate, weight loss, citrus colour index, respiration intensity, relative electrical conductivity, the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde, retarded the decline in L* value, retained high contents of total soluble solid, titratable acid, vitamin C, total phenol and total flavonoid, as well as higher activities of antioxidant enzymes – superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase and ascorbic peroxidase. The principal component analysis results showed that low-temperature storage significantly maintained the postharvest quality of Ponkan mandarins, with fruit stored at 10 °C having no significant difference from the fruit stored at 5 °C, but markedly higher than those fruit stored at 15 °C. The comprehensive result of single-factor analysis and PCA showed that 10 °C could be used as the optimum storage temperature for improving the postharvest storability of Ponkan mandarins.

Improving the Storage Quality of Eggplants (Solanum Aethiopicum L.) Fruit using Aloe Vera Gel Coating

Aloe vera gel has been investigated as possible edible coating to help improve the storage life of fruits after harvest. The study sought to investigate the effect Aloe vera gel coating with or without citric acid pretreatment on the quality of eggplant fruits during low temperature storage and in shelf life. Briefly, eggplants were coated with Aloe vera gel (some fruits were pretreated with citrate prior to the coating) and the changes in physicochemical quality of the fruit measured during storage at 10 °C. After 14 days, however, some fruits were transferred for storage at room temperature until day 18. Coating with Aloe vera decreased moisture loss, and consequently, decreased weight loss and loss of firmness of the fruit. The coating did help maintain the phenolic content, ascorbate levels and antioxidant capacity of the fruit. Pre-treating the fruit with citrate did not improve quality, showing that Aloe vera gel can be applied alone to enhance the storage quality of eggplant fruit. Results obtained from this study shows that Aloe vera gel coating can be useful in extending the postharvest storage life and maintaining the quality of eggplant fruits during low temperature storage.

Solid Dosage Forms of Biopharmaceuticals in Drug Delivery Systems Using Sustainable Strategies

Drug delivery systems (DDS) often comprise biopharmaceuticals in aqueous form, making them susceptible to physical and chemical degradation, and therefore requiring low temperature storage in cold supply and distribution chains. Freeze-drying, spray-drying, and spray-freeze-drying are some of the techniques used to convert biopharmaceuticals-loaded DDS from aqueous to solid dosage forms. However, the risk exists that shear and heat stress during processing may provoke DDS damage and efficacy loss. Supercritical fluids (SCF), specifically, supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2), is a sustainable alternative to common techniques. Due to its moderately critical and tunable properties and thermodynamic behavior, scCO2 has aroused scientific and industrial interest. Therefore, this article reviews scCO2-based techniques used over the year in the production of solid biopharmaceutical dosage forms. Looking particularly at the use of scCO2 in each of its potential roles—as a solvent, co-solvent, anti-solvent, or co-solute. It ends with a comparison between the compound’s stability using supercritical CO2-assisted atomization/spray-drying and conventional drying.

Sprout Caffeoylquinic Acid Profiles as Affected by Variety, Cooking, and Storage

Various health-promoting properties inherent to plant-based foods have been attributed to their rich bioactive compounds, including caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs). The potential health benefits of CQAs have been well-documented. While sprouts are widely recognized as health-promoting foods owing to their high phytonutrient content, our knowledge regarding the effect of cooking and storage, commonly practiced by consumers, on the CQA content remains limited. First, sunflower sprouts were found to have the highest total CQA content (~ 22 mg/g dry weight) out of 11 commonly available sprouts. Then, the effect of variety, cooking, and low-temperature storage on the CQA profile of sunflower sprouts was investigated. Among the four different varieties of sunflower sprouts, variety 1 harbored the highest total CQA content. Notably, cooking adversely affected the CQA content of sunflower sprouts relative to the uncooked samples in a time-dependent manner, possibly due to the heat sensitivity of CQAs. Under simulated home-refrigeration storage conditions, we observed a significant decline in the content of major CQA compounds (5-monoCQA and 3,5-diCQA) at days 10 and 13 of storage. The results obtained herein provide consumers and food industrialists with increased insight into the effect of cooking and refrigeration on the CQA content of sunflower sprouts.

Exogenous Salicylic and Ascorbic Acids Delay Peel Enzymatic Browning and Improve Quality of Dried Figs Under Low-Temperature Storage

Dried figs undergo undesirable changes during storage, particularly browning reactions. An approach to this issue is using, separately, antioxidants such as ascorbic acid and salicylic acid as anti-enzymatic browning agents. The aforementioned chemical agents were tested at the concentrations 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3% during 6 weeks-storage at 4 °C, for dried figs sealed within polyethylene terephthalate bags. For both agents, the results demonstrated that a concentration of 0.3% lowered the browning index compared to the control by 55 and 54%, respectively. Compared to other concentrations, the same concentration suppressed polyphenol oxidase to 75 and 80%, respectively. A significant impact (p < 0.05), for both treatments, particularly at 0.3%, was obtained on dried figs quality by lowering the total phenols loss and antioxidant capacity loss during the storage period. The results of vibrational spectroscopy were able to confirm the same pattern of the polyphenols compared to those examined by UV-Visible spectrophotometry, revealing thus a decreasing absorbance. A similar tendency was revealed using integrated intensity around the phenols vibration within the region of 1175–940 cm-1, as the concentrations of anti-browning agents increased. Thus, pre-storage ascorbic and salicylic acids treatments at 0.3% on dried figs could be appropriate to delay enzymatic browning and quality loss and, therefore to extend their shelf-life.

Changes of Morphology, Chemical Compositions, and the Biosynthesis Regulations of Cuticle in Response to Chilling Injury of Banana Fruit During Storage

The plant cuticle covers almost all the outermost surface of aerial plant organs, which play a primary function in limiting water loss and responding to the environmental interactions. Banana fruit is susceptible to thermal changes with chilling injury below 13°C and green ripening over 25°C. Herein, the changes of surface morphology, chemical compositions of cuticle, and the relative expression of cuticle biosynthesis genes in banana fruit under low-temperature storage were investigated. Banana fruit exhibited chilling injury rapidly with browned peel appearance stored at 4°C for 6 days. The surface altered apparently from the clear plateau with micro-crystals to smooth appearance. As compared to normal ones, the overall coverage of the main cuticle pattern of waxes and cutin monomers increased about 22% and 35%, respectively, in browned banana stored under low temperature at 6 days. Fatty acids (C16–C18) and ω-OH, mid-chain-epoxy fatty acids (C18) dominated cutin monomers. The monomers of fatty acids, the low abundant ω, mid-chain-diOH fatty acids, and 2-hydroxy fatty acids increased remarkably under low temperature. The cuticular waxes were dominated by fatty acids (&gt; C19), n-alkanes, and triterpenoids; and the fatty acids and aldehydes were shifted to increase accompanied by the chilling injury. Furthermore, RNA-seq highlighted 111 cuticle-related genes involved in fatty acid elongation, biosynthesis of very-long-chain (VLC) aliphatics, triterpenoids, and cutin monomers, and lipid-transfer proteins were significantly differentially regulated by low temperature in banana. Results obtained indicate that the cuticle covering on the fruit surface was also involved to respond to the chilling injury of banana fruit after harvest. These findings provide useful insights to link the cuticle on the basis of morphology, chemical composition changes, and their biosynthesis regulations in response to the thermal stress of fruit during storage.