A modified sequential wavenumber selection-discriminant analysis with Bayesian optimization strategy for detection and identification of chia seed oil adulteration using Raman spectroscopy.

The detection of oil fraud can be accomplished through the use of Raman spectroscopy, which is a potent analytical technique for identifying the adulteration of edible oils with inferior or less expensive oils. However, appropriate data reduction and classification methods are required to achieve high accuracy and reliability in the analysis of Raman spectra. In this study, data reduction algorithms such as principal component analysis (PCA) and modified sequential wavenumber selection (MSWS) were applied, along with discriminant analysis (DA) as a classifier for detecting oil fraud. The parameters of DA, such as the discriminant type, the amount of regularization, and the linear coefficient threshold, were optimized using Bayesian optimization. The methods were tested on a dataset of chia oil mixed with 5-40 % sunflower oil, which is a common form of fraud in the market. The results showed that MSWS-DA achieved 100 % classification accuracy, while PCA-DA achieved 91.3 % accuracy. Therefore, it was demonstrated that Raman spectroscopy combined with MSWS-DA and Bayesian optimization can effectively detect oil fraud with high accuracy and robustness.

Identification of phytochemical, antioxidant, anticancer and antimicrobial potential of Calotropis procera leaf aqueous extract.

Since the dawn of civilization, people have turned to plants as a safe and efficient form of treatment for a variety of diseases. It has long been known that Calotropis procera has the potential to treat a number of diseases. In this study, the C. procera leaf aqueous extract was obtained using the maceration method, and p-coumaric was found to be the main compound. The extract was rich in phenols (174.82 mg gallic acid equivalent/g) and flavonoids (1781.7 µg quercetin equivalent/g). The extract had high antioxidant properties, as indicated by the IC50 values obtained for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (366.33 µg/mL) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) (169.04 µg/mL), as well as the ferric ions reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (1.67 µg ascorbic acid equivalent/g of the extract). The cytotoxicity of the extract was evaluated against the survival of HT 29 cells, and the IC50 was found to be 236.87 µg/mL. The most resistant and sensitive strains to the extract were Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The morphological changes of these strains were demonstrated through scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The C. procera extract could be therefore used as an antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer agent.

Use of X-Irradiations in Reducing the Waste of Aflatoxin-Contaminated Pistachios and Evaluation of the Physicochemical Properties of the Irradiated Product.

This study investigates the effects of electron beam irradiation (0, 1, 2, 4, and 6 kGy) on Aspergillus flavus, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), and the physicochemical properties of pistachios. The findings suggested that e-beam significantly reduced the spore population of A. flavus and the concentration of AFB1 at doses of 4 and 6 kGy. Three AFB1 degradation products were detected via LC-MS analysis and their structures were presented. Total phenolic content was improved at a dose of 2 kGy, while antioxidant activity was decreased in all treatments in both DPPH and ABTS assays. The chlorophyll and carotenoid content declined and the color indices changed, leading to a darker color. E-beam at a dose of 2 kGy raised the soluble protein levels and changed the intensity and pattern of protein bands. Irradiation doses of up to 6 kGy enhanced the content of malondialdehyde and total saturated fatty acids while leading to a decline in unsaturated fatty acids. The quality features were adversely affected at doses > 4 kGy. The findings suggest that as an alternative method, e-beam at doses ≥ 2 kGy can effectively decrease fungal load and aflatoxin B1 contamination, and e-beam application at doses ≤ 2 kGy can maintain the physicochemical attributes of pistachios to an acceptable extent.

Evaluation of the constituent compounds, antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial potential of Prangos ferulacea plant extract and its effect on Listeria monocytogenes virulence gene expression.

Prangos ferulacea plant is very popular in Iran due to its unique properties in treating diseases and its special flavor. To check the characteristics of this plant, first, its extract was extracted using the maceration method. Its chemical composition was investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) that p-coumaric was identified as its main compound, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed the presence of functional groups related to phenolic, flavonoid, tannins, and carboxylic acids such as caffeic acid and coumaric acid composition. Total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and beta-carotene were equal to 202.04 ± 5.46 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dry weight, 1,909.46 ± 13 µg quercetin (QE)/g of dry weight, and 2.91 mg/100 g. The antioxidant property of the extract was evaluated using 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) free radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP). According to the IC50 obtained for DDPH (274 ± 7.2 µg/mL) and ABTS (120.45 ± 9.6 µg/mL) and FRAP values [1.92 ± 0.05 µg ascorbic acid equivalent (AAE)/g of extract], this extract had high antioxidant properties. Cytotoxicity was evaluated against the survival of HT 29 cells that IC50 was 82.15 ± 0.02 µg/mL. The antimicrobial property of the extract was calculated using disk diffusion agar (DDA), well diffusion agar (WDA), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Listeria monocytogenes has the highest sensitivity to this extract and inhibition zone based on DDA and WDA method and with an MIC and MBC equal to 16 and 128 mg/mL has the least resistance. The morphology change of L. monocytogenes strain was proved through scanning electron microscope (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The extract caused a significant reduction in the transcription of genes involved in the film formation ability of L. monocytogenes. The obtained results fully prove the very practical and pragmatic characteristics of P. ferulacea.

Impact of alginate coating combined with free and nanoencapsulated Carum copticum essential oil on rainbow trout burgers.

Carum copticum essential oil (CEO) is known as a valuable active food and pharmaceutical ingredient with antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Solid lipid nanoparticles incorporated with CEO can overcome their limitations, namely low physicochemical stability and water solubility. In the current study, the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of free and nanoencapsulated CEO were measured. The results revealed that although the nanoparticles of CEO had higher DPPH radical scavenging activity compared to free CEO, the antimicrobial activity of free CEO toward Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes was higher than nanoparticles. Fish burger samples coated with free and nanoencapsulated CEO and stored for 12 days at 4°C. Alginate coating without CEO was considered as a control sample. The mean zeta potential, particle size, and polydispersity index (PDI) of nanoparticles were 19.18 ± 0.9 mV, 286.5 ± 18.2 nm, and 0.32 ± 0.01, respectively. The results revealed that lipid oxidation, microbial growth, and production of total volatile basic nitrogen in fish burger samples coated with alginate enriched with nanoencapsulated CEO were lower than free CEO. The main volatile compounds of CEO were para-cymene, γ-terpinene, and thymol, which were responsible for the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of CEO. The data obtained by the current study suggest the application of alginate coating with CEO in form of nanoparticle to enhance fish burgers' shelf life stored at 4°C.

Pb2+ recovery from real water samples by adsorption onto nano Fe3 O4 /chitosan-acrylamide hydrogel ions in real water samples.

This study examined the removal of Pb(II) using magnetic chitosan hydrogel adsorbent from diverse sample waters. Spectrometry was used to track the effects of magnetic acrylamide nanocomposite dose, pH extraction, and contact duration on Pb(II) removal from sample water. This research also looked at adsorption isotherm models for the sorption of Pb(II). The magnetic chitosan hydrogel adsorbent Pb(II) adsorption capability was 31.74 mg/g respectively. The Freundlich isotherm model fits the removal of Pb(II) utilising magnetic chitosan hydrogel adsorbent. In addition, this adsorbent was shown to have a qmax value of 31.74 mg/g of Pb2+ ions, which is considered to be of high efficiency for Pb2+ ion removal. The studied kinetic models have determined that the pseudo-second-order linear model is more suitable to explain the adsorption of lead (II) on magnetic chitosan hydrogel adsorbent. Also, chemical adsorption is the rate-limiting step in the adsorption process of lead (II) ions.

Evaluation of antioxidant activity of nano- and microencapsulated rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) leaves extract in cress (Lepidium sativum) and basil (Ocimum basilicum) seed gums for enhancing oxidative stability of sunflower oil.

There has been interest in the use of plant extract as a natural preservative agent for improving the oxidative stability of vegetable oils. However, plant extracts have low stability against heat and environmental stress. In this study, the antioxidant potential of nano- and microencapsulated Rosmarinus officinalis L. extract (RE) obtained using the ultrasonication method was measured. The total phenolic and flavonoid content of the extract was 174.4 ± 25.9 mg gallic acid/g extract and 78.30 ± 3.2 mg rutin/g extract, respectively. Antioxidant activity of 50, 100, 200, and 400 ppm of RE was measured by DPPH free radical scavenging methods, ferric reduction assay, and ß-carotene/linoleic acid assay, and then compared to the 100 ppm of TBHQ as a common synthetic antioxidant. The results showed that the antioxidant activity increased with increasing the concentration of the extract in all evaluating methods. The antioxidant activity of 200 ppm of the free and encapsulated extract in cress (Lepidium sativum) and basil (Ocimum basilicum) seed gums at different ratios (1:0, 1:1, and 0:1) was compared to sunflower oil without antioxidants, and oil-containing TBHQ which was stored at 60°C for 24 days. The oxidation indexes of oil samples include peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid value, and p-anisidine value measured at 4-day intervals. A lower oil oxidation was observed in oil-containing nanoencapsulated extract followed by microencapsulated extract, free extract, and TBHQ. Since producing nanoencapsulated RE requires a higher time and speed of homogenization and due to no statistically significant difference between the antioxidant properties of nanocapsules and microcapsules in oil, the use of microcapsules of RE in basil seed gum to increase the shelf life of sunflower oil is recommended.

Aggregation, adherence, anti-adhesion and antagonistic activity properties relating to surface charge of probiotic Lactobacillus brevis gp104 against Staphylococcus aureus.

Positive effects of fermented foods consumption on humans have stimulated lots of research attention. In this study, we investigated the probiotic potentials, antagonistic activities, and safety properties of Lactobacillus brevis gp104 isolated from Iranian traditional cheese. The results showed that the strain had high resistance to acidic conditions, simulated gastric and intestinal fluid. L. brevis gp104 was able to assimilate cholesterol from the medium; 41% in medium without bile salts and 58% in medium with bile salts. The potential of this strain was relatively low in phytate hydrolyzation and 62.02% hydrophobicity, 40.2% auto-aggregation, and 48.3% co-aggregation were observed. The adhesion value of L. brevis gp104 to adenocarcinoma Caco-2 cells was 13.4% that was also confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Antibacterial effect of L. brevis fg104 was imposed against pathogenic strains (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PTCC 1707, Salmonella typhimurium PTCC 1609, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923) and the most sensitive strain S. aureus. L. brevis gp104 was able to compete (52%), inhibit (47%) and displace (21%) the adhesion of S. aureus to Caco-2 cells. L. brevis gp104 did not show haemolytic or DNase activity, which confirms its safety aspects. Therefore, L. brevis gp104 was demonstrated promising properties for its potential health benefits for its application as novel bio-therapeutic and bio-preservation agents.

Electrospun chia seed mucilage/PVA encapsulated with green cardamonmum essential oils: Antioxidant and antibacterial property.

In this work, the potential of chia seed mucilage (CSM) as a new source of carbohydrate for encapsulation of green cardamonmum Essential oils (GCEOs) was evaluated. 1H NMR spectrum, FTIR spectrum and, SEM image has confirmed the existence of the GCEOs in the nanofibers. The nanofibers of CSM and polyvinyl alcohol have not antibacterial property, while nanofibers containing GCEOs show antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. Incorporating GCEOs in CSM nanofibers improved the antioxidant of the generated nanofibers. The amount of radical scavenging for the nanofibers containing 16 (mg/ml) of GCEOs was 18% and increasing the GCEOs concentration up to 64 (mg/ml) leads to grow the activity up to 41%. Thus, our studies indicate that nanofiber can be used as a novel antioxidant and antibacterial agent in the food and pharmaceutical industry.

Biological reduction of aflatoxin B1 in yogurt by probiotic strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus rhamnosus.

The present study was conducted to investigate the ability of two probiotic strains, L. acidophilus PTCC 1643 and L. rhamnosus PTCC 1637, to bind aflatoxin B1 (AFB1, 20 ng/ml) in comparison with yogurt starter cultures, at equal bacterial count (~ 109 LogCFU/ml) during a 21-day storage period at 4 °C. All assessed treatments exhibited high percentages of AFB1-binding, ranged from 64.56 to 96.58%. However, the ability of probiotic bacteria was statistically higher than yogurt starter cultures. Aflatoxin binding ability of the selected lactic acid bacteria was dependent on both time and bacteria species. The highest and the lowest percentages of AFB1-removal was observed at 11th day of cold storage by L. rhamnosus (96.58 ± 3.97%) and at the first day of storage for yogurt starter cultures (64.56 ± 5.32%), respectively. The stability of bacterial cells-AFB1 complex was remarkable, since only 0.84-26.75% of bounded AFB1 was released from bacterial cells after 3 times washing during the storage period.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of polysaccharides from Typha domingensis: Structural characterization and functional properties.

The ultrasonic-assisted alkali extraction of Typha domingensis stem polysaccharide (TDSPs) was studied using the response surface methodology. The optimal parameters of TDSPs with maximum yields (12.24±â€¯0.08%) were as follows: extraction time 40 min, NaOH concentration 1.5 M and the ratio of water to raw material 25mL/g. The experimental purity of TDSPs was 86.01 ±â€¯0.02. Mineral elements were determined by ICP-AES. The gel permeation chromatography results indicated that TDSPs was a polysaccharide polymer with two peaks with molecular weights of 3182.6 Da (P1) and 3,076,900 Da (P2). The TDSPs consisted of arabinose, rhamnose, galactose, xylose, glucose, mannose, and fructose. The results of NMR and FT-IR spectra represented the presence of ß-configurations in TDSPs. Moreover, the TDSPs improved the stimulating effect on the growth of selective probiotic bacteria and showed relatively good antioxidant activity. Therefore, due to its good prebiotic and antioxidant activity, TDSPs could be exploited as a novel natural component in functional food industries.

Ruta graveolens and rutin, as its major compound: investigating their effect on spatial memory and passive avoidance memory in rats.

Context: There are numerous pharmacological activities for Ruta graveolens and its bioactive constituent, rutin, on learning and memory.Objective: This study aimed to examine the effect of R. graveolens and rutin on memory in rats.Materials and methods: In this study animals were treated with the hydroalcholic extract of R. graveolens and rutin by IP injection for 10 days. Behavioural and biochemical tests as well as HPLC analysis and antioxidant activity of extract have been evaluated.Results: R. graveolens extract and rutin significantly increased learning and improved spatial memory, as well as secondary latency; moreover, there were significant increases in the serum and brain antioxidant capacity as well as the level of TBARS in serum and brain tissues. Results also showed that R. graveolens has significant DPPH radical scavenging effect (IC50: 159.17 ± 1.56 µg/mL). The HPLC analysis of extract showed that caffeic acid (19.92 ± 0.01), rutin (40.15 ± 0.01), and apigenin (0.84 ± 0.01) mg/g of dry extract are the main components of the extract.Discussion and conclusion: Regarding the effects of R. graveolens extract and rutin on animal brain cells, memory function, and learning, additional studies, including clinical trials, might be beneficial in producing natural supplementary drugs from this herb.

Investigation of correlation between H63D and C282Y mutations in HFE gene and serum Ferritin level in beta-thalassemia major patients.

INTRODUCTION: Mutations in the HFE gene have been shown to be associated with hemochromatosis which is observed in beta-thalassemia major. In this study, we determined the HFE gene mutations (C282Y and H63D) among b-thalassemia major patients to investigate the effect of these mutations on serum Ferritin levels. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 105 b-thalassemia subjects with a history of regular blood transfusion were selected. They divided into two distinct groups according cut off 1000ng/ml of serum Ferritin levels. The HFE gene mutant allele detected by RFLP-PCR. RESULTS: Of 105 thalassemia patients, 29 patients (14 male and 15 female) were heterozygote for H63D mutation, and just one male was homozygote, but for C282Y mutation just one heterozygote and one homozygote was detected, and overall 31% had coexistence of b-thal and HFE gene mutations. As expected, Ferritin levels significantly differed between groups (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: The impact of detection of HFE mutations could prognosis the likelihood of iron overload in multi-transfused patients, and allowing early diagnosis and proper management to overcome complications of iron overload in beta-thalassemia patients.

The Antidiabetic Potential of Black Mulberry Extract-Enriched Pasta through Inhibition of Enzymes and Glycemic Index.

In the present work, pasta enriched in different formulations by black mulberry extract in order to inhibit enzymes related to starch hydrolyzation. Total phenol content (TPC), antioxidant activity and anthocyanin components of ethanol/water black mulberry extract were investigated. TPC of the black mulberry extract was found 65.61 ± 0.07 mg GAE/g. Black mulberry extract could scavenge the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals more effectively than tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) also vitamin C due to its detected polyphenolic compounds (cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-rutinoside, and cyanidin-3-xyloside). The IC50 value of the black mulberry extract was obtained 8.31 µg/mL while it was measured 59.62 and 62.64 µg/mL for TBHQ and vitamin C, respectively. The pasta-enriched with freeze-dried black mulberry extract showed effective inhibition against applied α-amylases (α-amylase from porcine pancreas, Bacillus sp, and human saliva) and α-glucosidase originated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The IC50 values of tested enzymes exhibited that black mulberry effectively act as an inhibitory agent comparing with acarbose because of its antioxidant activity. Results revealed that starch hydrolysis index (HI) and predicted glycemic index (GIpredicted) of cooked pasta-enriched with various concentration levels of black mulberry extract were significantly decreased especially when 1.5% of the extract was incorporated. In addition, The IC50 value of the black mulberry extract obtained from cooked pasta was increased against α-amylase and α-glucosidase. The results obviously presented that diabetes mellitus type 2 could be resolved by enrichment of polyphenolic compounds into the pasta.

On the role of corticosterone in behavioral disorders, microbiota composition alteration and neuroimmune response in adult male mice subjected to maternal separation stress.

Experiencing psychosocial adversities in early life such as maternal separation (MS) increases the risk of psychiatric disorders. Immune-inflammatory responses have imperative roles in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders. MS relatively changes the composition of intestinal microbiota leading to an overactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and subsequently increases the corticosterone level. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the role of corticosterone in behavioral changes and microbiota modifications in a mouse model of MS afflicted neuroinflammatory response in the hippocampus. For this purpose, 180 min of MS stress was applied to mice at postnatal day (PND) 2-14 followed by behavioral tests including forced swimming test (FST), splash test, open field test (OFT) and elevated plus maze (EPM) at PND 50-52. For evaluating the role of corticosterone, mice were subjected to adrenalectomy. Using real-time RT-PCR, the expression of inflammatory genes was determined in the hippocampus and colon tissues. We found that MS provoked depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors in adult male mice. In addition, MS was able to active a neuroimmune response in the hippocampus, motivate inflammation and histopathologic changes in the colon tissue and modify the composition of gut microbiota as well. Interestingly, our findings showed that adrenalectomy (decline in the corticosterone level), could modulate the above-mentioned negative effects of MS. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that overactivation of HPA axis and the subsequent increased level of corticosterone could act, possibly, as the deleterious effects of MS on behavior, microbiota composition changes and activation of neuroimmune response.

Pistachio green hull pectin: Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction and evaluation of its physicochemical, structural and functional properties.

The optimal microwave-assisted extraction conditions of pistachio green hull (PGH) pectin (extraction yield of 18.13%) were in microwave power of 700 W, irradiation time of 165 s, and pH of 1.5. The physico-chemical, structural and functional properties of pectin was examined and the results showed that PGH pectin under optimum conditions was low methoxyl (about 12.1%) with molecular weight of 1.659 kg/mol, emulsifying activity of 58.3%, total phenolic content of 18.18 mg GalAE/g pectin and good surface activity (46.23 and 49.75 mN/m at 0.1 and 0.5% w/v). Also, high performance liquid chromatography analysis illustrated that the pectin is including galacturonic acid (66.0%), arabinose (26.2%), galactose (3.7%), rhamnose (2.7%) and xylose (1.0%). In addition, 1H NMR and FTIR spectrums confirmed the presence of pectin in obtained supenatnt. Surface morphology analysis and X-ray diffraction pattern showed that PGH pectin had a rough surface with crystalline structure.

The preparation, characterization and in vitro application evaluation of soluble soybean polysaccharide films incorporated with cinnamon essential oil nanoemulsions.

In this study, we developed the new bioactive film from soluble soybean polysaccharide (SSPS) incorporated with different concentrations of cinnamon essential oil nanoemulsions (CNO) and the functional properties of them were evaluated. Then CNO-SSPS film was applied on the meat during refrigerate for 8 days. The use of CNO in film production has reduced thickness, water vapor permeability, water solubility, lightness (L*), redness (a*) and whiteness (WI) and increased antioxidant activity of SSPS-films. Also, the SSPS- film containing 0.6% CNO activity only on gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes) and SSPS- film containing 0.8% CNO had antimicrobial activity on gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. In vitro application, the pH of the meat treated with CON remained in the natural pH of meat during storage (8 days). Based on the results, the highest and lowest hardness values were for the samples of CNO- 0.8 and control, respectively. Incorporating CON at 0.6 and 0.8% concentration of cinnamon reduced 4.14 and 5.71 log cycle in the total aerobic viable count compared to uncoated and decreased of yeast and molds on 8th day by 1 log cycle compared uncoated. These resulted showed CNO-SSPS film can be used as a good preservative in meat products.

Black Zira essential oil: Chemical compositions and antimicrobial activity against the growth of some pathogenic strain causing infection.

The aim of this study was to perform chemical compositions and phytochemical analysis of Black Zira essential oil and other goal of this research was to investigate the antimicrobial effects of Black Zira essential oil against Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Shigella flexneri, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pyogenes and Candida albicans. Black Zira essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation method using clevenger apparatus. Black Zira essential oil chemical composition was identified through gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. γ-terpinene with a percentage of 24.8% was the major compound of Black Zira essential oil. The antimicrobial effect Black Zira essential oil was evaluated by several qualitative and quantitative methods (disk diffusion, well diffusion, microdilution broth, agar dilution and minimum bactericidal/fungicidal concentration). Phytochemical analysis Black Zira essential oil were appraised based on qualitative methods. Antioxidant activity (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and ß-carotene/linoleic acid inhibition) and total phenolic content (Folin-Ciocalteu) were examined. The results of phytochemical analysis of Black Zira essential oil showed the existence of phenolic, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids and tannins. The total phenolic content and antioxidant activity (reported as IC50) of Black Zira essential oil were equal to 120.50 ±â€¯0.50 mg GAE/g and 11.55 ±â€¯0.25 µg/ml, respectively. The MIC of the Black Zira essential oil ranged from 1 mg/ml to 8 mg/ml, while its MBC and MFC ranged from 1 mg/ml to 16 mg/ml. The results presented that the longest and the shortest inhibition zone diameter at the concentration of 8 mg/ml pertained to C. albicans and E. aerogenes, respectively.

Comparison of MicroRNAs Mediated in Reactivation of the γ-Globin in ß-Thalassemia Patients, Responders and Non-Responders to Hydroxyurea.

Drug induction of Hb F seems to be an ideal therapy for patients with hemoglobin (Hb) disorders, and many efforts have been made to reveal the mechanism behind it. Thus, we examined in vivo expression of some microRNAs (miRNAs) that are thought to be involved in this process. Among ß-thalassemia (ß-thal) patients who were undergoing hydroxyurea (HU) therapy in the past 3 months and five healthy individuals, five responders and five non-responders, were also included in the study. Erythroid progenitors were isolated by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) and miRNA expression analyzed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We showed that γ-globin, miR-210 and miR-486-3p had higher levels in the responders than the non-responders group. Moreover, miR-150 and miR-320 had higher levels in the healthy group than both non-responders and responders groups, but the expression of miR-96 did not show any significant difference between the study groups. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study proposing that 'induction of cellular hypoxic condition by Hb F inducing agents' could be the milestone of possible mechanisms that explain why responders are able to reactivate γ-globin genes and subsequently, more production of Hb F, in response to these agents in comparison to non-responders. However, further investigations need to be performed to verify this hypothesis.

Effect of Persian and almond gums as fat replacers on the physicochemical, rheological, and microstructural attributes of low-fat Iranian White cheese.

The effect of Persian and almond gums (0, 0.1 and 0.2% (w/w)) as fat replacers and milk fat (0.4, 0.9, and 1.4% (w/w)) on physicochemical and rheological characteristics and microstructure of low-fat Iranian White cheese was studied. Persian and almond gums both effectively increased moisture-to-protein (M:P) ratio of low-fat cheese samples which in turn led to a significant reduction in the hardness parameters fracture stress and Young's and storage (G') moduli (p < .05); however, the effect of Persian gum was more pronounced (p < .01). Gum addition promoted cheese yield and proteolysis rate (p < .05). Response surface optimization described that supplementation of cheese milk containing 0.9% fat with 0.2% Persian gum and 0.12% almond gum would result in a low-fat cheese with textural properties similar to its full-fat counterpart. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the fat replacers produced full-fat-like structure in the low-fat Iranian White cheese, when incorporated at the optimum levels.