New insights into the impacts of huangjiu compontents on intoxication.

Although huangjiu is a popular alcoholic beverage in China, the occurrence of quick-intoxication suppresses huangjiu consumption and impedes development of the huangjiu industry. In this study, the Cryprinus carpio intoxication model was used to compare the differences in intoxication effect of alcoholic beverages and to assess the impacts of huangjiu components on intoxication for the first time. Exposure to huangjiu led to the most rapid physical imbalance of C. carpio, followed by red wine and Western liquor. Higher alcohols, biogenic amines and aldehydes could cause physical imbalance of fish by themselves, and synergistic effects were observed when combined with ethanol. 2-Phenylethanoland and isopentanol had the greatest positive effect on huangjiu intoxication, followed by histamine and phenethylamine. No synergistic effect was observed between individual aldehydes and ethanol. Identification of these impactful huangjiu components provides a new perspective on the establishment of more rigorous control on the quality and flavor of huangjiu.

Simultaneous determination of selected biogenic amines in alcoholic beverage samples by isotachophoretic and chromatographic methods.

A simple and useful method for the determination of biogenic amines in beverage samples based on isotachophoretic separation is described. The proposed procedure permitted simultaneous analysis of histamine, tyramine, cadaverine, putrescine, tryptamine, 2-phenylethylamine, spermine and spermidine. The data presented demonstrate the utility, simplicity, flexibility, sensitivity and environmentally friendly character of the proposed method. The precision of the method expressed as coefficient of variations varied from 0.1% to 5.9% for beverage samples, whereas recoveries varied from 91% to 101%. The results for the determination of biogenic amines were compared with an HPLC procedure based on a pre-column derivatisation reaction of biogenic amines with dansyl chloride. Furthermore, the derivatisation procedure was optimised by verification of concentration and pH of the buffer, the addition of organic solvents, reaction time and temperature.

Toxicological effects of red wine, orange juice, and other dietary SULT1A inhibitors via excess catecholamines.

SULT1A enzymes protect humans from catecholamines, but natural substances in many foods have been found to inhibit these enzymes in vitro. Given the hormonal roles of catecholamines, any in vivo SULT1A inhibition could have serious consequences. This paper uses a re-analysis of published data to confirm that SULT1A inhibitors have effect in vivo in at least some patients. Nineteen studies are cited that show ingestion of SULT1A inhibitors leading to catecholamine increases, blood pressure changes, migraine headaches, or atrial fibrillation. SULT1A inhibition does not create the catecholamines, but prevents normal catecholamine deactivation. Susceptible patients probably have lower-activity SULT1A alleles. The paper discusses new hypotheses that SULT1A inhibition can cause "holiday heart" arrhythmias and type 2 diabetes in susceptible patients. Subgroup analysis based on SULT1A alleles, and addition of a catecholamine source, should improve the consistency of results from tests of SULT1A inhibitors. SULT1A inhibition may be a key contributor to cheese-induced migraines (via annatto), false positives in metanephrine testing, and the cardiovascular impacts of recreational alcohols.

Early exposure to ethanol or red wine and long-lasting effects in aged mice. A study on nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, hepatocyte growth factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor.

Prenatal ethanol exposure produces severe changes in brain, liver, and kidney through mechanisms involving growth factors. These molecules regulate survival, differentiation, maintenance, and connectivity of brain, liver, and kidney cells. Despite the abundant available data on the short and mid-lasting effects of ethanol intoxication, only few data show the long-lasting damage induced by early ethanol administration. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in nerve growth factor (NGF), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in brain areas, liver, and kidney of 18-mo-old male mice exposed perinatally to ethanol at 11% vol or to red wine at the same ethanol concentration. The authors found that ethanol per se elevated NGF, BDNF, HGF, and VEGF measured by ELISA in brain limbic system areas. In the liver, early exposure to ethanol solution and red wine depleted BDNF and VEGF concentrations. In the kidney, red wine exposure only decreased VEGF. In conclusion, the present study shows that, in aged mice, early administration of ethanol solution induced long-lasting damage at growth factor levels in frontal cortex, hippocampus, and liver but not in kidney. Otherwise, in mice exposed to red wine, significant changes were observed in the liver and kidney but not in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. The brain differences in ethanol-induced toxicity when ethanol is administered alone or in red wine may be related to compounds with antioxidant properties present in the red wine.

The effects of beverage type on suicide rate in Russia.

BACKGROUND: Research evidence has suggested that the consumption of different types of alcoholic beverage may have a differential effect on suicide rate. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between the consumption of different beverage types and suicide rates in Russia. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Age-standardized sex- and age-specific suicide rate for the period 1980-2005 and data on beverage-specific alcohol sale were obtained from the Russian State Statistical Committee. Time-series analytical modeling techniques (ARIMA) were used to examine the relationship between the sale of different alcoholic beverages and suicide rates. RESULTS: Vodka consumption as measured by sale was significantly associated with both male and female suicide rate. The consumption of beer and wine were not associated with suicide rate. The estimates of the age specific models for men were positive (except for the 75+ age group) and ranging from 0.069 (60-74 age group) to 0.123 (30-44 age group). The estimates for women were positive for the 15-29 age group (0.08), 30-44 age group (0.096) and 45-59 age group (0.057). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that public health efforts should focus on both reducing overall consumption and changing beverage preference away from distilled spirits in order to reduce suicide rate in Russia.

Influence of fertilisation with foliar urea on the content of amines in wine.

Amines are substances that could cause toxic effects in the consumer. The concentration of amines in wine depends on different factors such as grape variety, vinification conditions and nitrogen fertilisation of the vines. The aim of this work was to study the influence of the application of foliar urea on the concentration of amines in wine. To carry out the study, grapevines of Tempranillo variety were used. These grapevines were treated with foliar urea at two different concentrations: 2 and 4 kg N ha(-1). Treatment with foliar urea significantly increased (p < 0.05) the concentration of histamine in the wines compared with the control sample (65% in the treatment with 2 kg N ha(-1) and 93% in the treatment with 4 kg N ha(-1)), reaching higher concentrations than the threshold level where it could provoke toxic effects in the consumer (8-20 mg l(-1)). On the other hand, treatment with foliar urea did not increase the concentrations of other amines which could be toxic such as tyramine or phenylethylamine, nor amines such as putrescine which could enhance the toxic effect of histamine. In the case of the volatile amines containing secondary amine groups, the concentration of pirrolidine increased by 37% after treatment with 2 kg N ha(-1) and 61% after treatment with 4 kg N ha(-1).

El vino en la cuenca del Duero en época romana / Wine in the valley of the River Duero in Roman times

This work shows that, during the Roman conquest of northern Spain, and in particular the valley of the River Duero, wine is never mentioned except among the soldiers at the siege of Numancia. There are no allusions to its cultivation, only to its consumption. It is only from the time of the Roman settlements, after the conquest of Numancia (133 B.C.), and in particular after the Cantabrian wars, due to the establishment of forts; that the vine begins to be cultivated because wine was a part of the soldiers' diet. We trace the history of wine through references found in written sources and epigraphy. We then consider the evidence from the mosaics and sculptures referring to the Greco-Roman gods connected with wine. We finally stress the influence of Christianity in its cultivation and development(AU)

En nuestro trabajo mostramos cómo durante la conquista romana de la Meseta Norte, cuenca del Duero, nunca aparece citado el vino, mas que entre los soldados del cerco de Numancia. No hay alusiones a su cultivo, aunque sí a su consumo. Es a partir del asentamiento de los romanos, después de la conquista de Numancia (133 a. C.) y sobre todo de las guerras cántabras por el establecimiento de los castra (campamentos), cuando la vid empieza a cultivarse ya que el vino entraba en la dieta del soldado. Hacemos una historia del vino a través de las referencias halladas en las fontes y la epigrafía. Seguidamente consideramos las manifestaciones reflejadas en los mosaicos y esculturas que se refieren a los dioses greco-romanos relacionados con el vino. Terminamos destacando la influencia del cristianismo en su cultivo y desarrollo(AU)

Evaluation of immunoassays as an alternative for the rapid determination of pesticides in wine and grape samples.

The main objective of this paper is to address the performance of immunochemical assays for the detection of the residues of three pesticides [atrazine, bromopropylate, and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP)] in real winery samples, such as wine, grapes, and grape juice. Different approaches have been evaluated to minimize interferences from the matrixes, and suitable working protocols have been established in order to achieve the necessary LODs, accuracy, and precision for real samples. A simple dilution of the sample proved to be sufficient for the determination of atrazine and bromopropylate in red and white wine and grape juice at the required levels of concentration. However, for TCP, an SPE procedure has been optimized using amino cartridges. The recoveries were above 85% in all cases, and the LOD values were below the parts per billion level, except for bromopropylate, which ranged between 2 and 50 microg/L, depending on the matrix. The grape matrix effect could be resolved by a simple extraction with methanol. Complete recoveries were obtained, and the final measurement procedures were able to determine selected pesticides below their maximum residue levels. The newly developed methods have been compared with standard chromatographic methods.

Influence of environmental parameters on production of the acrolein precursor 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde by Lactobacillus reuteri DSMZ 20016 and its accumulation by wine lactobacilli.

Lactic acid bacteria belonging to the genus Lactobacillus are known to convert glycerol into 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde (3-HPA) during anaerobic glycerol fermentation. Wine quality can be gravely compromised by the accumulation of 3-HPA, due to its spontaneous conversion to acrolein under wine making conditions. Acrolein is not only a dangerous substance for the living cell, but has been implicated in the development of unpleasant bitterness in beverages. This study evaluates the effect of individual environmental parameters on 3-HPA production by Lactobacillus reuteri DSMZ 20016, which only proved possible under conditions that allow accumulation well below the threshold concentration affecting cell viability. 3-HPA production was optimal at pH 6 and in the presence of 300 mM glycerol. Production increased with an increase in cell concentration up to an OD(600) of 50, whereas higher cell concentrations inhibited accumulation. Data presented in this study suggest that 3-HPA plays a role in regulating its own production through quorum sensing. Glycerol dehydratase possessing bacterial strains isolated from South African red wine, L. pentosus and L. brevis, tested positive for 3-HPA accumulation. 3-HPA is normally intracellularly reduced to 1,3-propanediol. This is the first study demonstrating the ability of wine lactobacilli to accumulate 3-HPA in the fermentation media. Recommendations are made on preventing the formation of acrolein and its precursor 3-HPA in wine.

Heterogeneity in red wine polyphenolic contents differentially influences Alzheimer's disease-type neuropathology and cognitive deterioration.

We recently found that moderate consumption of two unrelated red wines generate from different grape species, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a muscadine wine that are characterized by distinct component composition of polyphenolic compounds, significantly attenuated the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-type brain pathology and memory deterioration in a transgenic AD mouse model. Interestingly, our evidence suggests that the two red wines attenuated AD phenotypes through independent mechanisms. In particular, we previously found that treatment with Cabernet Sauvignon reduced the generation of AD-type amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptides. In contrast, evidence from our present study suggests that muscadine treatment attenuates Abeta neuropathology and Abeta-related cognitive deterioration in Tg2576 mice by interfering with the oligomerization of Abeta molecules to soluble high-molecular-weight Abeta oligomer species that are responsible for initiating a cascade of cellular events resulting in cognitive decline. Collectively, our observations suggest that distinct polyphenolic compounds from red wines may be bioavailable at the organism level and beneficially modulate AD phenotypes through multiple Abeta-related mechanisms. Results from these studies suggest the possibility of developing a "combination" of dietary polyphenolic compounds for AD prevention and/or therapy by modulating multiple Abeta-related mechanisms.

Alcoholic beverages and gastric epithelial cell viability: effect on oxidative stress-induced damage.

UNLABELLED: Alcohol is known to cause damage to the gastric epithelium independently of gastric acid secretion. Different alcoholic beverages exert different damaging effects in the stomach. However, this has not been systematically evaluated. Moreover, it is not known whether the non-alcoholic components of alcoholic beverages also play a role in the pathogenesis of gastric epithelial cell damage. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate whether different alcoholic beverages, at a similar ethanol concentration, exerted different damaging effect in gastric epithelial cells in vitro. Moreover, we evaluated whether pre-treatment of gastric epithelial cells with alcoholic beverages prevented oxidative stress-induced damage to gastric cells. Cell damage was assessed, in MKN-28 gastric epithelial cells, by MTT assay. Oxidative stress was induced by incubating cells with xanthine and xanthine oxidase. Gastric cell viability was assessed following 30, 60, and 120 minutes incubation with ethanol 17.5-125 mg/ml(-1) or different alcoholic beverages (i.e., beer, white wine, red wine, spirits) at comparable ethanol concentration. Finally, we assessed whether pre-incubation with red wine (with or without ethanol) prevented oxidative stress-induced cell damage. Red wine caused less damage to gastric epithelial cells in vitro compared with other alcoholic beverages at comparable ethanol concentration. Pre-treatment with red wine, but not with dealcoholate red wine, significantly and time-dependently prevented oxidative stress-induced cell damage. CONCLUSIONS: 1) red wine is less harmful to gastric epithelial cells than other alcoholic beverages; 2) this seems related to the non-alcoholic components of red wine, because other alcoholic beverages with comparable ethanol concentration exerted more damage than red wine; 3) red wine prevents oxidative stress-induced cell damage and this seems to be related to its ethanol content.

Multiple pesticide analysis in wine by MEKC combined with solid-phase microextraction and sample stacking.

In this work, a new method for the determination in white wines of 12 pesticides widely used in vine cultivars (namely, carbendazim, pirimicarb, metalaxyl, pyrimethanil, procymidone, nuarimol, azoxystrobin, tebufenozide, fenarimol, benalaxyl, penconazole, and tetradifon) using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and MEKC with diode-array detection (DAD) was developed. The MEKC buffer consisted of 100 mM sodium tetraborate and 30 mM SDS at pH 8.5 with 6% v/v 1-propanol. Reversed-electrode polarity stacking mode (REPSM) was applied as on-line preconcentration strategy. In order to carry out an effective and sensitive determination of these pesticides in wine samples, an off-line SPME procedure was optimized by means of an experimental design. After studying the extraction performance of different SPME coatings, PDMS/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) fibers were found the most appropriate for the extraction of most of these pesticides. Carbendazim and metalaxyl could not be extracted from wine samples. Calibration curves for extracted standards and fortified white wines were studied in order to determine the presence of a matrix effect. The combination of both preconcentration procedures (SPME and REPSM) allowed the determination of ten of these pesticides in white wines at concentrations between 0.054 and 0.113 mg/L. (i.e., levels well below the maximum residue limits (MRLs) allowed for these compounds in wine grapes). Ten homemade wines were they analyzed with the optimized method demonstrating the usefulness of the proposed procedure.

Occupational dental erosion from exposure to acids: a review.

OBJECTIVE: Dental erosion is characterized as a disorder with a multifactorial aetiology including environmental acid exposure. The purpose of this article was to summarize and discuss the available information concerning occupational dental erosion. METHODS: Information from original scientific papers, case reports and reviews with additional case reports listed in PubMed, Medline or EMBASE [search term: (dental OR enamel OR dentin) AND (erosion OR tooth wear) AND (occupational OR worker)] were included in the review. References from the identified publications were manually searched to identify additional relevant articles. RESULTS: The systematic search resulted in 59 papers, of which 42 were suitable for the present review. Seventeen papers demonstrated evidence that battery, galvanizing and associated workers exposed to sulphuric or hydrochloric acid were at higher risk of dental erosion. For other industrial workers, wine tasters and competitive swimmers, only a few clinical studies exist and these do not allow the drawing of definitive conclusions. CONCLUSION: Occupational acid exposure might increase the risk of dental erosion. Evidence for occupational dental erosion is limited to battery and galvanizing workers, while data for other occupational groups need to be confirmed by further studies.

Moderate consumption of Cabernet Sauvignon attenuates Abeta neuropathology in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Recent studies suggest that moderate red wine consumption reduces the incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) clinical dementia. Using Tg2576 mice, which model AD-type amyloid beta-protein (Abeta) neuropathology, we tested whether moderate consumption of the red wine Cabernet Sauvignon modulates AD-type neuropathology and cognitive deterioration. The wine used in the study was generated using Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Fresno, California, and was delivered to Tg2576 in a final concentration of approximately 6% ethanol. We found that Cabernet Sauvignon significantly attenuated AD-type deterioration of spatial memory function and Abeta neuropathology in Tg2576 mice relative to control Tg2576 mice that were treated with either a comparable amount of ethanol or water alone. Chemical analysis showed the Cabernet Sauvignon used in this study contains a very low content of resveratrol (0.2 mg/L), 10-fold lower than the minimal effective concentration shown to promote Abeta clearance in vitro. Our studies suggest Cabernet Sauvignon exerts a beneficial effect by promoting nonamyloidogenic processing of amyloid precursor protein, which ultimately prevents the generation of Abeta peptides. This study supports epidemiological evidence indicating that moderate wine consumption, within the range recommended by the FDA dietary guidelines of one drink per day for women and two for men, may help reduce the relative risk for AD clinical dementia.

Contribution of hydrogen peroxide to the cytotoxicity of green tea and red wines.

Green tea and red wine are claimed to have health benefits because of their high content of polyphenolic compounds, but they have also been reported as mutagenic in some test systems. In this paper, we show that a commonly used cell culture medium, Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM), catalyses oxidation of green tea and red wines to generate H(2)O(2). The level of H(2)O(2) produced from green tea accounted for all of the cytotoxic effects of this beverage on PCl2 cells. By contrast, H(2)O(2) was only responsible for part of the cytotoxicity of the red wines examined. Our data illustrate the danger of extrapolating from cell culture studies to predict the effects of complex beverages in vivo.

Ley del Botellón versus Ley de la Bota de Vino / No disponible

Este editorial señala los problemas que han salido al paso del Anteproyecto de Ley de Prevención sobre el Consumo Indebido de Bebidas Alcohólicas, aprobado por el Consejo de Ministros en Mayo de 2002. El anuncio de este anteproyecto no satisfizo a las organizaciones agrícolas ni a la industria. Los productores de vino han reclamado y logrado que éste sea considerado como alimento en el Anteproyecto de la Ley de la Viña y el Vino. En consecuencia, también piden que el vino sea eliminado de la futura ley de prevención. Cabe preguntarse en qué quedará ésta (AU)

This editorial points out the problems encountered by the Draft Law on alcohol abuse approved by the Council of Ministers in May 2002 and which is still on the way. The announcement of the draft law wasn’t welcomed by the agricultural organisations and the alcohol industry. The wine producers have been claiming for wine to be considered as food, and have succeeded in having this declared within the new Draft Law on the Vineyard and the Wine. Accordingly, they’ve also asked to have the wine removed from the law on prevention. We wonder about its final version (AU)

Dynamical model development and parameter identification for an anaerobic wastewater treatment process.

This paper deals with the development and the parameter identification of an anaerobic digestion process model. A two-step (acidogenesis-methanization) mass-balance model has been considered. The model incorporates electrochemical equilibria in order to include the alkalinity, which has to play a central role in the related monitoring and control strategy of a treatment plant. The identification is based on a set of dynamical experiments designed to cover a wide spectrum of operating conditions that are likely to take place in the practical operation of the plant. A step by step identification procedure to estimate the model parameters is presented. The results of 70 days of experiments in a 1-m(3) fermenter are then used to validate the model.

Genotoxicity of nitrosated red wine and of the nitrosatable phenolic compounds present in wine: tyramine, quercetin and malvidine-3-glucoside.

Phenolic compounds and biogenic amines are known to be present in some foodstuffs which become directly genotoxic after nitrosation in vitro. Red wine has previously been shown to be genotoxic and this activity has been attributed mainly to flavonoids. Besides flavonoids, red wine contains a multiplicity of compounds, including biogenic amines. Using the Ames assay and the SOS chromotest, this study has shown that red wine and some of the nitrosatable molecules present in wine become directly genotoxic on nitrosation in vitro: these include the phenolic molecules tyramine, quercetin and malvidine-3-glucoside, whereas phenylethylamine and histamine were negative on nitrosation. Interestingly, quercetin had been predicted to be negative after nitrosation, using the CASE methodology. The concentrations of these three positive nitrosatable compounds in wine were determined by HPLC. Comparison of these concentrations and their respective levels of genotoxicity suggests that the genotoxicity after nitrosation is probably attributable to other molecules. It is also possible that synergistic effects may occur between various nitrosatable compounds in wine.