A comprehensive approach to identifying and authenticating botanical products.

Whether they are being taken as dietary supplements by the general public or being evaluated in a clinical study, the authenticity of botanical products is a matter of paramount concern. Botanical specimens and the dietary supplements derived from them can vary in quality and in chemical constituent profiles because of a number of factors. Subtle variations in botanical specimens are known to have profound effects on the quality, efficacy, and safety of botanical dietary supplements and can potentially alter the results of clinical studies that rely on these materials. A complete array of authentication and evaluation tools can be utilized to provide a well-rounded scientific approach to the authentication of botanical products. It is vital that the authenticity of botanical supplements be established using appropriate analysis tools regardless of whether the end products are being considered for evaluation in clinical studies or are being developed for the consumer market.

Evaluation of feasibility and accuracy of sentinel node biopsy in early breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Current literature has suggested that sentinel node biopsy may eventually replace axillary dissection as the nodal staging procedure of choice in early breast cancer. The goals of our study were to determine the accuracy of the sentinel node in predicting axillary nodal status and to evaluate the feasibility of incorporating sentinel node biopsy into a general surgical practice. METHODS: Between June 1999 and August 2000, 158 clinically node negative women with a histological diagnosis of T1 or T2 breast cancer were enrolled in the study. Both technetium sulfur colloid radiotracer and isosulfan blue dye were used to guide sentinel node biopsy. Sentinel node biopsy was always followed by a complete axillary dissection. The histopathology of sentinel nodes using serial sectioning and cytokeratin immunohistochemistry was compared with that of the nonsentinel nodes evaluated with routine hematoxylin and eosin stain. RESULTS: The overall sentinel node detection rate was 84% (89 of 106 patients). Sentinel node biopsy was most successful when a combination of radiotracer and dye was used. The staging accuracy of sentinel node biopsy was 98% (87 of 89); the sensitivity of the method was 94% (34 of 36); the false negative rate was 6% (2 of 36); the negative predictive value was 96% (53 of 55); and the rate of metastases to the sentinel node only was 56% (20 of 36). The results varied considerably among surgeons. CONCLUSIONS: The findings in our study support the hypothesis that the sentinel node is an accurate predictor of axillary nodal status in women with early breast cancer. These results suggest that the excellent findings in the literature can be reproduced by a group of general surgeons in a community-based hospital.

Phenothiaziniums as putative photobactericidal agents for red blood cell concentrates.

The antibacterial activities of Methylene Blue and several of its congeners were measured against Yersinia enterocolitica, a gram-negative pathogen known to exhibit significant growth at 4 degrees C and thus constituting a threat to red blood cell concentrates which are stored at this temperature. None of the derivatives was highly active in dark conditions, as expected, but on illumination using a lamp emitting light in the waveband 615-645 nm, considerable bactericidal activity was noted using similar photosensitizer concentrations to those used elsewhere to inactivate blood-borne viruses. Two novel compounds in this area, the phenothiazinium New Methylene Blue N and the phenoxazinium Brilliant Cresyl Blue, exhibited bactericidal activity at lower concentrations than both of the established phenothiaziniums, Methylene Blue and Toluidine Blue O and the recently published blood photovirucidal agent 1,9-Dimethyl Methylene Blue. The photoactivity of these compounds was undiminished in the presence of red blood cells.

Platelet activating factor antagonist design: structure of methyl trans-5-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-2-oxo-4- furancarboxylate.

C14H16O6, Mr = 280.28, monoclinic, P2(1)/c, a = 6.070 (2), b = 9.526 (5), c = 22.418 (5) A, beta = 94.32 (2) degrees, V = 1293 A3, Z = 4, Dx = 1.44 g cm-3, lambda(Mo K alpha) = 0.71073 A, mu = 0.71 cm-1, F(000) = 592, T = 293 K, final R = 0.043 for 1400 observed [F0 greater than or equal to 5 sigma(F0)] reflections. The observed structure confirms a trans stereorelationship for the two substituents and an envelope conformation for the lactone ring. There is no crystallographically imposed symmetry. An analysis of the closest contacts in the cell lattice reveals two types of intermolecular interactions for this compound.