Cinnamon - Differentiation of Four Species by Linking Classical Botany to an Automated Chromatographic Authentication System.

One of the world's oldest spices, cinnamon is also one of the most popular. Species of the genus Cinnamomum offer a variety of extractable oils with aroma and flavor characteristics of importance to the flavor industry, so differentiating cinnamon samples for culinary-based applications is very important. Cinnamon also has reported health benefits associated with specific phytochemical constituents, but its composition can vary greatly depending on species and source region. A substantial amount of the research reported on cinnamon does not provide thorough documentation of the source and taxonomic identification of the study material, a very common issue with studies of food and medicinal plants. In the interest of providing some clarity to the discussion of the health benefits and culinary attributes of the different cinnamon types in the marketplace, we offer the results of a long-term chemotaxonomic study of cinnamon samples sourced from different regions of the world and link those chemical data to classical taxonomic identification of the source plants. We provide details of the effective use of an automated chemotaxonomic analytical method to differentiate cinnamons from various geographic regions. Also included are chromatographic data for the polyphenolic/procyanidin fractions of each species, as cinnamon type-A procyanidins are often the purported source of biological activity in cinnamon and cinnamon extracts.

Hypothesis for a systems connectivity model of Autism Spectrum Disorder pathogenesis: links to gut bacteria, oxidative stress, and intestinal permeability.

Autism Spectrum Disorders are neurodevelopmental disorders with symptoms that include cognitive impairments, stereotyped behaviors, and impairments in social skills. The dramatic increase in incidence of autism in recent years has created an increased need to find effective treatments. This paper proposes a hypothesis for a systems model of the connections between Autism Spectrum Disorder pathogenesis routes observed in recent studies. A combination treatment option is proposed to combat multiple pathogenesis mechanisms at once. Autism has been cited as being linked to gastrointestinal symptoms and is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors. Neuroinflammation as a result of increased gastrointestinal permeability has been noted as being a likely cause of Autism Spectrum Disorders, with possible primary causes stemming from abnormal intestinal bacteria and/or sulfur metabolic deficiencies. Our pathogenesis model proposes a circular relationship: oxidative stress and sulfur metabolic deficiencies could cause changes in colonic bacterial composition; and environmental bacterial contaminants could lead to elevated oxidative stress in individuals. It would thus be a self-perpetuating process where treatment options with single targets would have short-lived effects. It is believed that bacterial toxins, oxidative stress and dietary allergens such as gluten could all lead to increased epithelial permeability. Therefore, we propose a combination treatment to combat intestinal permeability, abnormal bacteria and/or bacterial overgrowth, and sulfur metabolic deficiencies. It is our hope that the proposed model will inspire new studies in finding effective treatments for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. We suggest possible future studies that may lend more credibility to the proposed model.

Use of the "RAM" susceptibility testing method for rapid detection of clarithromycin resistance in the Mycobacterium avium complex.

Standard susceptibility testing of the Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) can require 7 to 14 days from initial isolation. We evaluated a high-performance liquid chromatography-based susceptibility test for rapid determination of clarithromycin (CLR) resistance in MAC. This method can be completed in 72 h of incubation. A total of 110 MAC strains were tested using the following concentrations of CLR: 4, 16, and 64 microg/mL, for a total of 330 tests. Microbroth dilution was used as the reference method. Rapid analysis of mycolic acid ("RAM") concordance with the reference method for CLR susceptibility was 98% (254/258) and 100% for CLR resistance (72/72). The 4 discordant results occurred with 2 strains, which demonstrated intermediate resistance with an MIC of 16 microg/mL. This study demonstrates that "RAM"-based susceptibility testing for determination of CLR resistance in MAC is both rapid and accurate, providing a significant reduction in turn-around-time from 7 to 14 days to 72 h of incubation.