Quantification of anti-nutritional factors and their correlations with protein and oil in soybeans

ABSTRACT Soybeans contain about 30% carbohydrate, mainly consisting of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) and oligosaccharides. NSP are not hydrolyzed in the gastrointestinal tract of monogastric animals. These NSP negatively affect the development of these animals, especially the soluble fraction. This work aimed to establish a method to quantify NSP in soybeans, using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and to estimate correlations between NSP, oligosaccharides, protein and oil. Sucrose, raffinose + stachyose, soluble and insoluble NSP contents were determined by HPLC. Oil and protein contents were determined by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The soluble PNAs content showed no significant correlation with protein, oil, sucrose and raffinose + stachyose contents, but oligosaccharides showed a negative correlation with protein content. These findings open up the possibility of developing cultivars with low soluble NSP content, aiming to develop feed for monogastric animals.

Development of a Modified Naturalistic Action Test for Korean Patients With Impaired Cognition

OBJECTIVE: To develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a modified Naturalistic Action Test (m-NAT) for Korean patients with impaired cognition. The NAT was originally designed to assess everyday action impairment associated with higher cortical dysfunction. METHODS: We developed the m-NAT by adapting the NAT for the Korean cultural background. The m-NAT was modeled as closely as possible on the original version in terms of rules and scoring. Thirty patients receiving neurorehabilitation (twenty-three stroke patients, five traumatic brain injury patients, and two dementia patients) and twenty healthy matched controls were included. Inter-rater reliability was assessed between two raters. Validity was evaluated by comparing the m-NAT score with various measures of attention, executive functions, and daily life. RESULTS: Performance on the m-NAT in terms of the total score was significantly different between patients and controls (p<0.01). Patients made significantly more total errors than controls (p<0.01). Omissions error was the most frequent type of error in patient group. Intraclass correlation coefficients for total m-NAT score was 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.92 to 0.97; p<0.001); total error was 0.91 (95% CI, 0.89 to 0.92; p<0.001). Total m-NAT score showed moderate to strong correlations with Stroop test interference score & index, Trail Making Test parts A and B, Sustained Attention to Response Task commission error, Functional Independence Measure, Korean instrumental activities of daily living, Korean version of the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, and Executive Behavior Scale (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The m-NAT showed very good inter-rater reliability and adequate validity. The m-NAT adjusted to Korean cultural background can be useful in performance-based assessment of naturalistic action for clinical and research purposes.

Establishment of Plasma Working Standards for the Performance and Quality Assurance of NAT Screening Tests for HIV, HCV and HBV / 대한수혈학회지

BACKGROUND: Since Jan. 2012, for performance evaluation of viral reagents, analysis of domestic samples has been recommended in order to obtain approval from the KFDA when they are first introduced to Korea. This regulation requires the standard domestic materials driven from locally infected samples. We tried manufacturing the plasma working standards of HBV, HCV, and HIV NAT using a mixed titer of viral loads. METHODS: Forty three HBV DNA positive plasmas, 25 HCV RNA positive plasmas, and 26 HIV RNA positive plasmas were evaluated according to viral load and genotype. Several plasma units, which had high-titer viral loads and the common viral genotypes in Korea, were selected as the source materials for each viral standard. To adjust the appropriate concentration based on the detectable range of variable viral reagents, the source plasma was diluted to several concentrations, divided into small vials, and analyzed for quantification. RESULTS: The 13 plasma working standards, which had variable viral loads for the mixed titer performance panel of HIV, HCV, and HBV NAT, were produced. CONCLUSION: These national standard materials were first produced in order to supply the mixed titer performance panel for the viral NAT reagent of the level IV transfusion related high-risk group in Korea.

Analysis for Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 Subtype in Korean Blood Donors / 대한수혈학회지

BACKGROUND: Genetic variants of virus appear to differ depending on the country, race, infection route, and so on. To characterize the main HIV subtype in infected blood donors and inquire about the route of HIV infection, we analyzed HIV subtype for samples that showed reactive results on the anti-HIV 1/2 and HIV-1 NAT test from September 2007 to February 2010. METHODS: To identify the HIV-1 subtype of the 90 samples that showed reactive results on the anti-HIV test and HIV-1 NAT, we performed HIV 1/2 Western blot assay, HIV RNA quantitative assay, HIV-1 nested PCR, and HIV-1 RNA sequencing. RESULTS: A total of 85 samples (94.4%) were confirmed to be HIV-1 subtypes. Among them, 82 samples (96.5%) were subtype B; and subtype A, C, and G was confirmed for one case each (1.2% for each case). We could not identify the subtype of the other five samples. One of them was amplified by nested PCR, but was not confirmed of the subtype, and four samples were not amplified even by nested PCR. CONCLUSION: The main HIV-1 subtype among the HIV-infected blood donors was confirmed to be subtype B. In addition, we identified one case each of HIV-1 subtype A, C, and G, which was not detected in blood donors in the past. It appeared that the route of HIV infection in Korea had become complicated. Therefore, we concluded that continuous research for HIV subtype analysis and efficient management of blood donors is needed.

Analysis of the Effectiveness of Blotting Assays for Donor Blood Screening / 대한수혈학회지

BACKGROUND: Immunoblot assays (IBAs) have been widely used to confirm the reactivity of immunoassay. However, indeterminate (ID) results have shown the limits for interpreting IBAs. There is some debate about the benefit of these assays. We assessed the actual status of the IBAs for the donor screening process and we proposed more available algorithms. METHODS: We analyzed the data from the blood information management system of the Korean Red Cross. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the KRC. The analyzed data included the present condition of various utilities and the results of the IBAs in the world. RESULTS: The infectivity of the ID results in IBAs seemed not to be high, but the safety could not be assured. IBA for HTLV was used as a confirmatory test in many countries. Most of the eligible blood donors could be saved by IBAs. CONCLUSION: IBAs seem to be valuable methods as supplemental and follow up tests for ID results. Furthermore, IBAs were useful to distinguish eligible blood donors. When donors show positive results on an immunoassay and NAT (HIV and HCV) concurrently, then IBA does not seem to be required. Only a RIBA for HCV is recommended for the donors showing a S/CO ratio above 2.0 on immunoassay. The additional alternative immunoassay would be effective in the HTLV screening algorithm.

Determining the Cause of Discrepant Results in HCV NAT Comparative Tests / 대한수혈학회지

BACKGROUND: The Korean Red Cross blood laboratory centers have been performing comparative tests for NAT reactive specimens since February 2005. However, five discrepant specimens were found in HCV-diluted specimens between 2007 and 2008 and the reasons for this has been investigated. METHODS: For the five discrepant specimens, the HCV RNA concentration was measured in 5 tubes for each speciment. Subsequently, in order to compare the sensitivity of the low titer specimens measured by RT-PCR and TMA, comparative tests of diluted samples were examined six times per sample. Finally, the genotype was tested in order to determine the characteristics of the discrepant samples. RESULTS: Result of the quantitative tests for HCV RNA demonstrated that aliquots of the plasma bag were homogenous in term of viral load quantitation. As a result of the comparative test, all samples were found to contain over 1.0x10(1) IU/mL as detected by the two analytical systems. In contrast, those less than 1.0x10(1) IU/mL were not entirely detected by the two systems. CONCLUSION: It was impossible to completely detect using the two NAT system and the detection rates for both systems were equivalent for the samples examined. In particular, with respect to HCV, it may be undetectable on the NAT test because viral load decreases rapidly before and after sero-conversion. This result indicates that anti-HCV and NAT should be performed together as an HCV screening test prior to blood donation.

Structure of aldobiouronic acid and glucuronic acid from Agathis australis degraded gum polysaccharide.

Agathis australis gum on acid hydrolysis with sulphuric acid yielded L-arabinose and D-galactose in 1:4 molar ratio with traces of L-fucose. The components of aldobiouronic acid and glucuronic acid were obtained by graded hydrolysis of degraded gum polysaccharide. The derivatives of aldobiouronic acid was obtained as methyl ester methyl glycoside.

Free radicals and hyaluronic acid relationship in rheumatoid arthritis and the effect of corticosteroid therapy

Oxygen-derived free radicals [ODFRs] are important inflammatory mediators. Evidence of ODFRs contribute to rheumatoid disease, include changes in the activities of antioxidant compounds. In the present study, acute phase proteins concentrations; C-reactive protein [CRP], haptoglobin alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 1-acid glycoprotein [AGP] were estimated as indicators for inflammation. Antioxidant activities, ferroxidase activity of caeruloplasmin and iron-binding of transferrin against organic oxygen radicals, iron-binding and iron-oxidizing proteins, chain-breaking substances and superoxide dismutase against inorganic oxygen radicals were measured as the protective response to tissue injury. Hyaluronic, uronic acids and mucin-clot test were also determined in the synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis [RA] and osteoarthritis [OA] patients. These parameters were measured in blood and synovial fluid of four groups: normal subjects, OA and RA patients treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDs] or steroid drug in an attempt to explain the cause of inflammation which which might account for disease activity of RA. Serum increase of CRP, AGP and haptoglobin levels can serve as an indicator of increase RA disease activity. Corticosteroid treatment may suppress inflammation, where their effects include inhibition of lysosomal proteinase enzyme release, which indicated by lowering alpha1-antitrypsin level in the steroid treated RA patients than in NSAIDs treated ones. The serum antioxidant activity against organic oxygen radicals was significantly higher in the OA and RA patients than that in the normal subjects. This may be a part of the inflammatory response of the body and may also involve protection against lipid peroxidation. Red blood cells [RBCs] superoxide dismutase [SOD] activity was significantly lower in the RA patients than that in the normal subjects or OA patients. Therefore, it would seem that the red blood cells in patients with active RA were easily damaged by exposure to oxidative stress. The increase of iron-binding, iron-oxidizing proteins and chain-breaking substances as antioxidant activities against inorganic oxygen radicals in the RA synovial fluid than OA may be indicator of oxidative damage and reflect major differences in the synovial fluid of patients with RA and those with OA. However, it would appear, that these defense mechanisms are inadequate in fully protection of hyaluronic acid [HA] in the synovial fluid, which was manifested by HA in RA was fragmented and depolymerized than that in the OA synovial fluid. Absence of SOD activity in the synovial fluid RA and OA patients indicated that these patients have less protection against O[2]