Convenient Heme Nanorod Modified Electrode for Quercetin Sensing by Two Common Electrochemical Methods

Quercetin (Qu) is one of the most abundant flavonoids in the human diet. High concentrations of Qu can easily cause adverse effects and induce inflammation, joint pain and stiffness. In this study, Heme was used as a sensitive element and deposited and formed nanorods on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for the detection of Qu. The Heme/GCE sensor was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. Under optimized conditions, the developed sensor presented a linear concentration ranging from 0.1 to 700 μmol·L−1 according to the CV and DPV methods. The detection limit for the sensor was 0.134 μmol·L−1 and its sensitivity was 0.12 μA·μM−1·cm−2, which were obtained from CV analysis. Through DPV analysis we obtained a detection limit of 0.063 μmol·L−1 and a sensitivity of 0.09 μA·μM−1·cm−2. Finally, this sensor was used to detect the Qu concentration in loquat leaf powder extract, with recovery between 98.55–102.89% and total R.S.D. lower than 3.70%. The constructed electrochemical sensor showed good anti-interference, repeatability and stability, indicating that it is also usable for the rapid detection of Qu in actual samples.

Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Metmyoglobin Reducing Activity of Artichoke (Cynara scolymus) Powder Extract-Added Minced Meat during Frozen Storage

The present study aimed to investigate the bioactive compounds in artichoke (Cynara scolymus) powder, having antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, and to determine the effectiveness of artichoke (C. scolymus) powder extract within the minced meat. C. scolymus was extracted using two different methods. The method incorporating high phenolic and flavonoid content levels was used in other analyses and the phenolic and flavonoid contents in C. scolymus extract was determined using LC-QTOF-MS. Antioxidant, antimicrobial, and metmyoglobin (metMb) reducing activities and pH values of the extract-added minced meat samples were measured for 10 days during storage. DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS were used in the antioxidant analyses. The antimicrobial activity of C. scolymus extract was evaluated on five different food pathogens by using the disc diffusion method. The most resistant bacterium was found to be Listeria monocytogenes (18.05 mm ± 0.24). The amount of metMb was measured in the minced meat sample that was added to the extract during storage (p < 0.05). MetMb formation and pH value on the sixth day of storage were found to be at lower levels than in the control group. In conclusion, C. scolymus exhibited a good antimicrobial and antioxidant effect and can be used in storing and packaging the food products, especially the meat and meat products.

Does Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) Powder Extract Contain Fluoride?

Background: Green tea being a rich source of fluoride, may provide anti-caries benefits when incorporated in toothpaste formulation. Aim: To estimate the concentration of fluoride in dry green tea extract. Methods: Prior to the estimation of fluoride in the sample, the dry green tea extract powder was tested for its physical characteristics, analytical characteristics, active ingredients and contaminants. Microbial assay was done for quantifying E. Coli, yeast and Salmonella. Fluoride estimation was done by IS 3025 P 60 method. Results: Fluoride was not detected in the dry powder extract of green tea dry extract powder. Conclusion: Green tea powder extract incorporated in herbal toothpastes cannot be read as a natural substitute of fluoride in toothpaste.

Effects of Bone Powder Extracts with Different Hydroxyapatite Contents on Proliferation, Apoptosis, and Cell Phase of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

ABSTRACTBone powder with different contents of hydroxyapatite may have different effects on angiogenesis in bone defect areas. The effects of bone powder with different content of hydroxyapatite on proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle of vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) were studied. In the experimental group, HUVECs were cultured in the incubator with different contents of hydroxyapatite bone powder extract. The experimental group was divided into four subgroups: group A had a low hydroxyapatite content of 10–15%; group B had a hydroxyapatite content of 25–30%; group C had a hydroxyapatite content of 80–90%; and group D had a hydroxyapatite content of more than 90%. The control group was treated with the culture of umbilical vein endothelial cells alone. Firstly, we used scanning electron microscope (SEM) to observe the morphology of bone powder with different hydroxyapatite content in normal condition. After that, we carried out a series of experiments to observe the changes of cell morphology, proliferation ability, apoptosis and cell cycle in different culture groups. The results showed that there was no significant difference in cell morphology and proliferation ability among different experimental groups. However, the apoptosis rate in group A was higher than that in group C. The underlying mechanism may be related to G1 arrest and G2 transformation in smaller and higher concentration groups, respectively. We can thus preliminarily conclude that a high concentration of hydroxyapatite in bone powder extract would be most suitable for cell cultures.

In Vitro Genotoxic Effects of Sarcocystis gigantea Cystizoites Acetone Powder Extract on Sheep Lymphocytes

The toxin of the protozoan intracellular parasite of sheep Sarcocystis gigantea is associated with many clinical and pathological signs. The aim of the study was to investigate In Vitro various chromosomal aberrations due to sarcocystosis infection. Macrocysts of Sarcocystis gigantea were isolated from local karadi sheep, homogenized with glass Dounce homogenizer; acetone powder was prepared from it and used in various concentration to investigate the chromosomal aberration in vitro against sheep lymphocytes. The direct effects of parasite cystizoites acetone powder revealed various genotoxicity effects. These effects included chromosomal aberration (Isogap, Breaks and Dicentrics) and chromatids aberration (Gap and Deletion). It had also an effect on the mitotic index of the lymphocyte cells division. These genotoxicities were studied for the first time with in vitro technique using sheep lymphocytes. These results reflected that Sarcocystis gigantean parasite could cause structural and internal aberration in the chromosomes of their hosts.