Pycnogenol does not impact the antioxidant or vitamin C status of healthy young adults.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study were to determine if Pycnogenol (PYC), a water-processed extract made from the bark of Pinus maritima, interacts with vitamin C to increase its concentration and to increase total antioxidant capacity of serum and urine. DESIGN: The study design was a nonrandom intervention. SUBJECTS: Subjects (N=27; 15 women, 12 men) were aged 19 to 42 years. INTERVENTION: Subjects consumed a placebo twice daily with meals for the first 2 weeks (baseline) and PYC (200 mg/day) for the second 2 weeks. Main outcome measures On days 15 and 29, subjects had a fasting blood sample collected and then consumed a daily dose of placebo or PYC with a 310-calorie beverage. One hour later a second blood sample was collected. Blood samples were analyzed for vitamin C and total antioxidant capacity using the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) assay. Twenty-four-hour urine samples were collected on days 14-15 and 28-29 and analyzed for total phenolics, FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant potential), and ORAC. Statistical analyses Paired t tests were used to test the impact of PYC on the outcome variables. A univariate ANOVA was used to determine the influence of gender. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to explore the relationships between dietary factors and outcome measures. RESULTS: There was no apparent increase in fasting vitamin C concentration (P=.18) 2 weeks after supplementing the diet with PYC. Fasting ORAC values actually declined (P=.005). One hour after the ingestion of a daily dose of placebo or PYC, the total antioxidant capacity of serum increased by 15% to 19%, but the increase after ingesting PYC was not significantly (P=.80) more than after placebo. Antioxidant results from 24-hour urine samples were similar. APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: The present findings fail to support the vitamin C or antioxidant claims made for PYC. PYC does not impact the antioxidant or vitamin C status of healthy young adults.

Characterization of JP-7 jet fuel degradation by the bacterium Nocardioides luteus strain BAFB.

In the fall of 1996, numerous bacteria capable of degrading JP-7 jet fuel were isolated from soil collected at Beale Air Force Base in northern California. The most prevalent organism, identified as Nocardioides luteus by16s rRNA sequencing (MIDI Labs, Inc.), was selected for further analysis. Analysis of JP-7 following inoculation with N. luteus demonstrated degradation of the C(11) alkane component of the fuel. Growth rates of N. luteus were determined with alkanes of various lengths as the sole carbon and energy source. The organism grew best on shorter length alkanes (C(8) and C(10)). Growth was measurably slower on C(11), and minimal on C(12), C(13), and C(14).