Dataset of chilli and onion plant leaf images for classification and detection.

This article presents the chili and onion leaf (COLD) dataset, which focuses on the leaves of chili and onion plants, scientifically known as Allium cepa and capsicum. The presence of various diseases such as Purple blotch, Stemphylium leaf blight, Colletotrichum leaf blight, and Iris yellow spot virus in onions, as well as Cercospora leaf spot, powdery mildew, Murda complex syndrome, and nutrition deficiency in chili, have had a significant negative effect on onion and chili production. As a consequence, farmers have incurred financial losses. Computer vision and image-processing algorithms have been widely used in recent years for a range of applications, such as diagnosing and categorizing plant leaf diseases. In this paper we introduced a detailed chilli and onion leaf dataset gathered from Chilwadigi village with varying climatic conditions in Karnataka. The dataset contains a variety of chili and onion leaf categories carefully selected to tackle the complex challenges of categorizing leaf images taken in natural environments. Dealing with challenges such as subtle inter-class similarities, changes in lighting, and differences in background conditions like different foliage arrangements and varying light levels. We carefully documented chilli and onion leaves from various angles using high resolution camera to create a diverse and reliable dataset. The dataset on chilli leaves is set to be a valuable resource for enhancing computer vision algorithms, from traditional deep learning models to cutting-edge vision transformer architectures. This will help in creating advanced image recognition systems specifically designed for identifying chilli plants. By making this dataset publicly accessible, our goal is to empower researchers to develop new computer vision techniques to tackle the unique challenges of chilli and onion leaf recognition. You can access the dataset for free at the following DOI number: http://doi.org/10.17632/7nxxn4gj5s.3 and http://doi.org/10.17632/tf9dtfz9m6.3.

Assessment of microbial flora and pesticidal effect of vermicast generated from Azadirachta indica (neem) for developing a biofertilizer-cum-pesticide as a single package.

The soil comprising organic matter, nutrients, serve as substrate for plant growth and various organisms. In areas where there are large plantations, there is a huge leaf litter fall. The leaf litter upon decomposition releases nutrients and helps in nutrient recycling, for which the soil engineers such as earthworms, ants and termites are important key players. In this context, the present study was conducted to assess the characteristics of the vermicast obtained by vermicomposting neem leaf litter in terms of microbial flora, plant growth promoting properties and antagonistic activities of the vermicast against phytopathogens. Vermicomposting of neem leaf litter was done using two epigeic earthworm species Eisenia fetida and Eudrilus eugeniae. The vermicast exhibited antagonistic potential against plant pathogens. Out of the four vermiwash infusions studied, the 75 % formulation reduced the disease incidence against mealybug by 82 % in the tree Neolamarkia cadamba. The result of the study suggests that vermicast made from neem leaf litter may be a potent combination of a biofertilizer and a pesticide.

Rational Drug Discovery for Isoxazole Based VEGFR2 Inhibition.

BACKGROUND: Inhibiting receptor-tyrosine-kinase (RTK) signalling pathways has emerged as a key focus of novel cancer therapy development. Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) is a member of the RTK family and is required for vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. Because VEGFR 2 is the subtype responsible for cellular angiogenesis and vasculogenesis, blocking it will impair tumour cell blood supply, reducing their development, proliferation, and metastasis. AIM & OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to obtain an optimised pharmacophore as a VEGFR2 inhibitor using QSAR investigations. This aids in determining the link between structure and activity in new chemical entities (NCEs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The multi-linear regression approach (MLR) method was utilised to generate the QSAR Model using the programme QSARINS v.2.2.4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: For 2D QSAR, the best models produced has correlation coefficients of R2= 0.9396. The 3D-QSAR model obtained with R2= 0.9121 and Q2 = 0.8377. Taking docking observations, pharmacological behaviour, and toxicity analyses into account, most of the derivatives demonstrated VEGFR2 inhibitory competence. CONCLUSION: According to QSAR studies, more electron-donating groups on the benzene ring linked to the isoxazole were shown to be necessary for activity. In molecular docking studies, most compounds have shown stronger affinity for the crucial amino acids Cys:919, Asp:1046, and Glu:885, which are found in typical drugs. All NCEs passed the Lipinski screening.

Clinical utility, feasibility of home tonometry using iCare HOME by glaucoma patients.

Purpose: To determine agreement between diurnal variation testing (DVT) of intraocular pressure (IOP) with Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT) and iCare HOME (IH) by an optometrist (OP) and home monitoring by participants (PT). Methods: Patients (18-80 years) with glaucoma and suspects were enrolled. IH IOP and GAT were taken by an OP at 2 h intervals from 8 AM to 4 PM on Day 1 and PT between 6 AM and 9 PM, for the next 2 days. IOP, date, and time were viewed via iCare LINK software. Results: In total,: 72.9. (: 51/70) PT trained were able to take reliable readings. One hundred two eyes (51 patients, age 53 ± 16 yrs) were analyzed. Correlation between optometrist (OP) and participants (PT) was strong and positive {IH OP-IH PT- r = 0.90, p-0.0001;IH PT-GAT- r = 0.79, p-0.0001}. Agreement by Bland Altman plots was limited {IH OP-IH PT mean 0.1 mmHg (95% LOA -5.3 to 5.5), IH PT-GAT 2.2 mmHg (-5.7 to 10.1)}. Intraclass correlation coefficient for IH OP-IH PT was 1.18 (95% CI 1.37-1.09). Intradevice {0.95 (95% CI 0.94-0.97)} and interrater repeatability {0.91 (0.79-0.96)} were good. 37% of eyes had a synchronous peak on GAT and IH during the day DVT. Conclusion: Home tonometry by iCare HOME is easy, feasible, but due to limited agreement cannot substitute GAT DVT.

A Review of RRx-001: A Late-Stage Multi-Indication Inhibitor of NLRP3 Activation and Chronic Inflammation.

Chronic unresolving inflammation is emerging as a key underlying pathological feature of many if not most diseases ranging from autoimmune conditions to cardiometabolic and neurological disorders. Dysregulated immune and inflammasome activation is thought to be the central driver of unresolving inflammation, which in some ways provides a unified theory of disease pathology and progression. Inflammasomes are a group of large cytosolic protein complexes that, in response to infection- or stress-associated stimuli, oligomerize and assemble to generate a platform for driving inflammation. This occurs through proteolytic activation of caspase-1-mediated inflammatory responses, including cleavage and secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-18, and initiation of pyroptosis, an inflammatory form of cell death. Several inflammasomes have been characterized. The most well-studied is the nucleotide-binding domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, so named because the NLRP3 protein in the complex, which is primarily present in immune and inflammatory cells following activation by inflammatory stimuli, belongs to the family of nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain (Nod) receptor proteins. Several NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors are in development, all with multi-indication activity. This review discusses the current status, known mechanisms of action, and disease-modifying therapeutic potential of RRx-001, a direct NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor under investigation in several late-stage anticancer clinical trials, including a phase 3 trial for the treatment of third-line and beyond small cell lung cancer (SCLC), an indication with no treatment, in which RRx-001 is combined with reintroduced chemotherapy from the first line, carboplatin/cisplatin and etoposide (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03699956). Studies from multiple independent groups have now confirmed that RRx-001 is safe and well tolerated in humans. Additionally, emerging evidence in preclinical animal models suggests that RRx-001 could be effective in a wide range of diseases where immune and inflammasome activation drives disease pathology.

Upadacitinib in Crohn's Disease: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of Efficacy and Safety.

Crohn's disease (CD) presents a formidable challenge as a chronic inflammatory condition. This systematic review aimed to comprehensively assess upadacitinib, a novel Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, regarding its efficacy, safety, and mechanistic insights in CD treatment. A thorough search of electronic databases identified studies investigating upadacitinib's impact on CD patients. Study characteristics, efficacy outcomes (clinical remission and endoscopic response), safety profiles, and mechanistic insights were extracted and qualitatively synthesized. Methodological quality was assessed using established tools. The synthesis of three studies consistently demonstrated improvements in clinical remission rates and endoscopic outcomes in upadacitinib-treated patients. Adverse events, such as herpes zoster, intestinal perforation, non-melanoma skin cancer, adjudicated cardiovascular events, and anemia, were reported, necessitating vigilant safety monitoring. Upadacitinib emerges as a promising therapeutic option for CD, supported by its observed clinical benefits and mechanistic implications. However, safety concerns underscore the importance of careful patient selection. These findings contribute to the ongoing discussion surrounding personalized treatment approaches for CD, emphasizing the need for further research to confirm its enduring efficacy and safety.

Multiple opportunistic infections (pulmonary tuberculosis, Mycobacterium avium complex and parvovirus B19) in a single patient.

INTRODUCTION: HIV infection is a common disease in the South African population. The virus can lead to the development of many opportunistic infections. This case study examines co-infection with three opportunistic infections and the need for clinical suspicion of infections in our HIV population. PATIENT PRESENTATION: A 36-year-old unemployed female residing in Soweto, Johannesburg, presented at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (CHBAH). She was HIV positive, defaulting treatment, with no other comorbidities. She presented to CHBAH with general body weakness, diarrhoea, cough and constitutional symptoms; clinically she appeared pale and chronically ill. A differential diagnosis was made of multiple infections co-inhabiting the patient. MANAGEMENT AND OUTCOME: The patient had blood, sputum, radiological and invasive bone marrow aspiration, and trephine biopsies completed. The investigations revealed that she was co-infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and parvovirus B19. The TB and disseminated MAC infection were managed with rifampicin, isoniazid, ethambutol, pyrazinamide and azithromycin, and reinitiation of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment was planned on further follow-up of the ARV drug resistance test. The parvovirus B19 infection was managed with immunoglobulins (Polygam) and steroids (prednisone). She was discharged successfully for further follow-up. CONCLUSION: A thorough history, clinical examination and subsequent targeted investigations are vital to arriving at the correct diagnosis or diagnoses. The case presented above serves to illustrate how three life-threatening opportunistic infections (OIs), all with differing treatments, may present in a single patient. Clinicians caring for immunosuppressed patients need to remain vigilant for the presence of multiple OIs occurring simultaneously.

Adamantinoma-Like Ewing Sarcoma of the Head and Neck: A Case-Series of a Rare and Challenging Diagnosis.

Adamantinoma-like Ewing sarcoma (ALES) is a rare malignant tumor characterized by EWSR1::FLI1 related fusions and complex epithelial differentiation. ALES poses a tremendous diagnostic challenge owing to its resemblance to a wide variety of common head and neck malignancies. We aimed to study the clinicopathologic spectrum of ALES diagnosed at our institute. A retrospective review of the clinical and pathologic features of all EWSR1-rearranged ALES cases was performed after confirming the diagnosis. The cases lacking EWSR1 rearrangement were excluded. A total of 7 patients were analyzed. The median age was 27 years (range 7-42 years). There were 4 males and 3 female patients. Tumors were distributed as follows: maxilla (n = 2), parotid (n = 2), nasal cavity (n = 1), ethmoid/maxilla (n = 1), and thyroid (n = 1). Tumor size ranged from 2.2 to 5.5 cm. On microscopy, tumors displayed nested-lobular architecture, monomorphic cells, and interlobular fibrotic stroma. Other features included: palisading (n = 5), squamous differentiation (n = 2), keratinization (n = 1), colonisation of salivary ducts (n = 1) and thyroid follicles (n = 1), follicle-like cysts (n = 3), calcification (n = 2), necrosis (n = 3). Mitotic rate was 4-15/2 mm2. On immunohistochemistry, cytokeratins (100%), p40 (100%), strong/diffuse membranous CD99 (100%), NKX2.2 (100%), Fli-1 (71%), and synaptophysin (71%) was positive. Patients received chemotherapy (n = 7) and radiotherapy (n = 4). Two patients developed recurrence at 6 and 10 months; 3 developed metastases at 0, 6, and 25 months. ALES is a rare and aggressive malignancy that mimics diverse neoplasms common in the head and neck region. Awareness of the morphologic and immunohistochemistry spectrum of this tumor is essential to avoid diagnostic errors.

Environmental neurotoxicants and inflammasome activation in Parkinson's disease - A focus on the gut-brain axis.

Inflammasomes are multi-protein complexes expressed in immune cells that function as intracellular sensors of environmental, metabolic and cellular stress. Inflammasome activation in the brain, has been shown to drive neuropathology and disease progression by multiple mechanisms, making it one of the most attractive therapeutic targets for disease modification in Parkinson's Disease (PD). Extensive inflammasome activation is evident in the brains of people with PD at the sites of dopaminergic degeneration and synuclein aggregation. While substantial progress has been made on validating inflammasome activation as a therapeutic target for PD, the mechanisms by which inflammasome activation is triggered and sustained over the disease course remain poorly understood. A growing body of evidence point to environmental and occupational chemical exposures as possible triggers of inflammasome activation in PD. The involvement of the gastrointestinal system and gut microbiota in PD pathophysiology is beginning to be elucidated, especially the profound link between gut dysbiosis and immune activation. While large cohort studies confirmed specific changes in the gut microbiota in PD patients compared to age-matched healthy controls, recent research suggest that synuclein pathology could be initiated in the gastrointestinal tract. In this review, we present a summarized perspective on current understanding on inflammasome activation and the gut-brain-axis link during PD pathophysiology. We discuss multiple environmental toxicants that are implicated as the etiological agents in causing idiopathic PD and their mechanistic underpinnings during neuroinflammatory events. We additionally present future directions that needs to address the research questions related to the gut-microbiome-brain mechanisms in PD.

Primary to tertiary COVID-19 transmission in a hospital - A cluster outbreak analysis.

The recent pandemic of SARS COV-2, a novel coronavirus requires research into understanding of its transmission dynamics and clinical presentations to help in understanding the spread of the disease, how to prevent it not only locally but also for national policy formulations. In this study, we described the transmission dynamics and clinical presentations of a cluster outbreak of SARS COV-2 in a tertiary level hospital. We also calculated the secondary attack rate for the primary, secondary, and tertiary transmissions. We conclude that symptomatic COVID-19 are primary and secondary contacts rather than tertiary contacts, hence, former to be quarantined. However, tertiary transmission is causing more COVID-19 compared to other transmissions in a hospital outbreak without further transmissibility. And overall secondary attack rate is very low in a hospital outbreak.

Highly sensitive, room temperature operated gold nanowire-based humidity sensor: adoptable for breath sensing.

A novel, highly sensitive gold nanowire (AuNW) resistive sensor is reported here for humidity sensing in the relative humidity range of 11% to 92% RH as well as for breath sensing. Both humidity and breath sensors are widely needed. Despite a lot of research on humidity and breath sensors, there is a need for simple, inexpensive, reliable, sensitive and selective sensors, which will operate at room temperature. Here we have synthesized gold nanowires by a simple, wet chemical route. The nanowires synthesized by us are 4-7 nm in diameter and a few micrometers long. The nanowires are amine functionalized. The sensor was prepared by drop casting gold nanowires on an alumina substrate to form a AuNW layer with different thicknesses (10, 20, 30 µm). The AuNW sensor is highly selective towards humidity and shows minimum cross sensitivity towards other gases and organic vapors. At an optimum thickness of 20 µm, the humidity sensing performance of the AuNW sensor over 11% to 92% RH was found to be superior to that of 10 and 30 µm thick layers. The response time of the sensor is found to be 0.2 s and the recovery time is 0.3 s. The response of the AuNW sensor was 3.3 MΩ/% RH. Further, the AuNW sensor was tested for sensing human breathing patterns.

Selective antifungal and antibacterial activities of Ag-Cu and Cu-Ag core-shell nanostructures synthesized in-situ PVA.

A simple chemical reduction method was employed to synthesize Cu-Ag and Ag-Cu core-shell nanostructures inside polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix at room temperature. The core-shell nanostructures have been synthesized by varying the two different concentrations (i.e. 0.1 and 0.01 M) of the respective metal ions in equimolar ratios using successive reduction with hydrazine hydrate (HH) as a reducing agent. The core-shell nanostructures have been further characterized by different characterization techniques. The UV-visible spectroscopy exhibit the respective shift in the band positions suggesting the formation of core-shell nanostructures, which was further confirmed by field emission transmission electron microscopy-high-angle-annular dark field elemental mapping. The effect of metal ion concentration of the core-shell nanostructure on various Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria like Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and one fungal species Aspergillus fumigatus was observed by performing MIC and MBC/MFC study. Cu-Ag core-shell nanostructures were found to be effective antibacterial agent against all tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, whereas Ag-Cu core-shell nanostructures were more efficient against a particular fungal species known as A. fumigatus. The highest value of MIC (75 µg ml-1) for Ag-Cu 0.1M core shell nanostructures (D1) was noted against S. aureus and E. coli whereas the lowest value (20 µg ml-1) was observed with P. aeruginosa. While in case of Cu-Ag 0.1M core shell nanostructures (E1) the highest value of MIC (100 µg ml-1) was noted against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa whereas the lowest value (15 µg ml-1) was observed with A. fumigatus. Also, field effect scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images of untreated and core-shell nanoparticles treated micro-organisms showed that 0.1 M Ag-Cu and 0.1 M Cu-Ag core-shell nanostructure can successfully break the cell wall of the fungi A. fumigatus and bacteria P. aeruginosa, respectively. Thus the present study concludes that, Cu-Ag & Ag-Cu core-shell nanostructures damage the cell structure of micro-organisms and inhibits their growth. Hence, the present Cu-Ag & Ag-Cu core-shell nanostructure acts as good antimicrobial agent against the bacteria and fungi, respectively.

Biopreservative Efficacy of Bacteriocin GP1 of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GP1 on Stored Fish Filets.

The bacteriocin based strategy of biopreservation has got wide spread research interests in the recent past for their prospects in reducing usage of chemical preservatives. The bacteriocin GP1 with antibacterial activity and produced by Lactobacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus) GP1 was tested for its effect on sensory (color, odor, and appearance), chemical (pH, Total Volatile Base-Nitrogen (TVB-N), Total Methyl Amine (TMA), Total Free Fatty Acid) and bacteriological (total bacterial count, count of Staphylococcus sp., Aeromonas sp., total coliform, Lactobacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Vibrio sp.) quality attributes of fish filets stored at 4 and 0°C. The sensory attributes of the fish filets treated with the bacteriocin and control from 7 to 28 days of storage in both the storage temperatures varied significantly. The pH of the raw fish increased from the initial 6.8 to 7.91 and 7.43 for the control and bacteriocin GP1, respectively, at the end of storage period (28 days) when stored at 4°C. However, the pH showed a decreasing trend with the increase in period of storage for the samples stored at 0°C. The TVB-N content of the bacteriocin treated samples stored at 4°C remained within the limit of acceptability (35 mg/100 g) at the 21st day. The TMA level also remained within the acceptable limit of 10-15 mg/100 g at the 21st day in the case of bacteriocin-treated samples. The application of bacteriocin GP1 in the stored fish was effective in controlling the growth of coliforms, Aeromonas sp., Lactobacillus sp., and Vibrio sp. in the treated fish samples. The study concluded the prospects of bacteriocin GP1 as a biopreservative in storage of fish and fish products.

Comparative Evaluation of Boric Acid Gel versus Chlorhexidine Gel in the Treatment of Chronic Periodontitis: Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study.

BACKGROUND: Over the years, various antimicrobials have been tried and tested in the treatment of periodontitis. Chlorhexidine (CHX) has emerged as the gold standard. In recent years, trend has shifted toward the use of agents with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and osteoblastic activity. Boric acid (BA) is one such agent which possess all such properties and thus been evaluated in the treatment of periodontitis. AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to compare and evaluate the efficacy of 0.75% BA gel versus 1% CHX gel as an adjunct to scaling and root planing in patients with chronic periodontitis both clinically and microbiologically. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial where 45 systemically healthy patients with chronic periodontitis were included in the study. About 15 patients each were divided into three groups, that is, Group I received BA gel, Group II received CHX gel, and Group III received placebo gel as a local drug delivery agent. Clinical parameters such as gingival index, plaque index, modified sulcus bleeding index, probing pocket depth, and clinical attachment level were evaluated at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Microbiological analysis to check for mixed anaerobic flora was done using subgingival plaque samples at baseline and 3 months after treatment. RESULTS: Significant reduction was seen in all clinical parameters in both BA and CHX gel groups as compared to control group (P < 0.05). However, on comparing BA gel group with CHX gel, the results were statistically insignificant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: BA gel and CHX gel both were equally effective in improving the clinical and microbiologic parameters in patients with chronic periodontitis when used as a local drug delivery agent.

Inflammatory effects of acrolein, crotonaldehyde and hexanal vapors on human primary bronchial epithelial cells cultured at air-liquid interface.

The cytotoxicity of aldehydes was studied using human primary bronchial epithelial cells (PBEC) cultured at the air-liquid interface (ALI) or under submerged conditions. PBEC were exposed for 30min via the air phase to acrolein (0.1-1mg/m3), crotonaldehyde (1.5-15mg/m3) or hexanal (22-221mg/m3) or under submerged conditions to acrolein (0.1 and 0.2mg/L), crotonaldehyde (1 and 2mg/L) or hexanal (10 and 20mg/L). Cell culture medium was collected 8h and 24h post-exposure and analyzed for interleukin-8 (IL-8) and matrix metalloprotein-9 (MMP-9). The gene expression of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers were measured 6h post-exposure. In the ALI setup, all three aldehydes caused increased secretion of IL-8, acrolein and crotonaldehyde also increased the gene expression of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers. In contrast, exposure under submerged conditions resulted in significantly reduced IL-8 secretion. The inflammatory response seen in the air phase exposures correspond well with previous in vivo studies. This indicates that lung models cultured at ALI are more suitable than submerged cell cultures in toxicity assessment studies of inhaled agents.

Measures of odor and lateralization thresholds of acrolein, crotonaldehyde, and hexanal using a novel vapor delivery technique.

INTRODUCTION: Humans are exposed to aldehydes in a variety of environmental situations. Aldehydes generally have a strong odor and are highly irritating to the mucous membranes. Knowledge about odor perception and especially irritation potency in humans is thus essential in risk assessment and regulation, e.g. setting occupational exposure limits. However, data on odor and irritation are lacking or limited for several aldehydes. The aim of the study was to determine the odor and lateralization thresholds of some commonly occurring aldehydes. Acrolein and crotonaldehyde where chosen as they are formed when organic material is heated or burned, e.g. during cigarette smoking. n-Hexanal was also included as it is emitted from wood pellets and fibreboard. MATERIAL AND METHODS: To study odor and lateralization thresholds of these aldehydes, a novel, inexpensive olfactometer was designed to enable delivery of reliable and stable test concentrations and thus valid measures of thresholds. The delivery system consists of seven syringe pumps, each connected to a Tedlar bag containing a predefined concentration of the tested aldehyde vapor. To validate the threshold measures, a test-retest was performed with a separate method, namely odor delivery via amber bottles. Twenty healthy naïve individuals were tested. RESULTS: The median odor thresholds of acrolein, crotonaldehyde and hexanal were 17, 0.8, and 97 ppb, respectively. No lateralization threshold could be identified for acrolein (highest tested concentration was 2 940 ppb in 5 subjects), whereas the medians were 3 and 390 ppb for the latter two. In addition, odor thresholds for n-hexanal were also determined using two methods where similar results were obtained, suggesting that the olfactometer presentation method is valid. CONCLUSION: We found olfactory detection and lateralization thresholds (except for acrolein) in alliance with, or lower than, previously reported in naïve subjects. The new olfactometer allows better control of presentations timing and vapor concentration.

Acute effects of acrolein in human volunteers during controlled exposure.

CONTEXT: Acrolein is a reactive aldehyde mainly formed by combustion. The critical effect is considered to be irritation of the eyes and airways; however, the scarce data available make it difficult to assess effect levels. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine thresholds for acute irritation for acrolein. METHODS: Nine healthy volunteers of each sex were exposed at six occasions for 2 h at rest to: clean air, 15 ppm ethyl acetate (EA), and 0.05 ppm and 0.1 ppm acrolein with and without EA (15 ppm) to mask the potential influence of odor. Symptoms related to irritation and central nervous system effects were rated on 100-mm Visual Analogue Scales. RESULTS: The ratings of eye irritation were slightly but significantly increased during exposure to acrolein in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.001, Friedman test) with a median rating of 8 mm (corresponding to "hardly at all") at the 0.1 ppm condition and with no influence from EA. No significant exposure-related effects were found for pulmonary function, or nasal swelling, nor for markers of inflammation and coagulation in blood (IL-6, C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A, fibrinogen, factor VIII, von Willebrand factor, and Clara cell protein) or induced sputum (cell count, differential cell count, IL-6 and IL-8). Blink frequency recorded by electromyography was increased during exposure to 0.1 ppm acrolein alone but not during any of the other five exposure conditions. CONCLUSION: Based on subjective ratings, the present study showed minor eye irritation by exposure to 0.1 ppm acrolein.

Isolation of a bacteriocin-producing lactococcus lactis and application of its bacteriocin to manage spoilage bacteria in high-value marine fish under different storage temperatures.

The bacteriocins of lactic acid bacteria have considerable potential for biopreservation. The Lactococcus lactis strain PSY2 (GenBank account no. JF703669) isolated from the surface of marine perch Perca flavescens produced antibacterial activity against pathogenic and spoilage-causing Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria viz. Arthrobacter sp., Acinetobacter sp., Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus and possessed broad inhibitory spectrum. The biopreservative efficacy of the bacteriocin PSY2 was evaluated using fillets of reef cod, Epinephelus diacanthus. The fillets (10 g) were sprayed with 2.0 ml of 1,600 AU/ml bacteriocin, wrapped and kept under different storage temperatures viz., 4, 0 and -18 °C. The biopreservative extended the shelf-life of fillets stored at 4 °C to >21 days as against <14 days observed in the untreated samples. The total count of spoilage bacteria was reduced by 2.5 logarithmic units in the treated sample during the 14th day of storage as against the control. Chemical analysis revealed a significant change (P < 0.05) in the pH value, free fatty acid (as % oleic acid), total volatile base nitrogen and total methyl amine content in the treated samples. The overall acceptability in terms of sensory attributes was significantly higher in the bacteriocin-treated samples stored for 21 days at 4 °C while the untreated samples became unacceptable by the 14th day. The biopreservative gave no significant effect at -18 °C. Thus, the bacteriocin derived from L. lactis PSY2 gave increased protection against spoilage bacteria and offers an alternative for the preservation of high-value sea foods.