Nanoemulsions of terpene by-products from cannabidiol production have promising insecticidal effect on Callosobruchus maculatus.

Nanoemulsions of a terpene-rich by-product (TP) from commercial cannabidiol (CBD) production were successfully formulated and characterized. An enriched terpene distillate (DTP) was also obtained from steam distillation of TP and used for making nanoemulsions. The effects of formulation conditions including the hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) value of the surfactant, TP and surfactant content, and sonication time on the properties of the emulsions were analyzed. The optimal formulation conditions were determined as surfactant HLB value of 13, TP content of 5 wt% in water, surfactant content of 2 times of TP, and sonication time of 1.5 min. A scaled-up production of the optimal nanoemulsion was also achieved using a microfluidizer and the effect of pressure and number of passes on emulsion properties was determined. The stability of the nanoemulsions was evaluated and the DTP nanoemulsion was determined to be the most stable. The nanoemulsions with desirable properties were then selected and evaluated for their insecticidal activity against the legume pest, Callosobruchus maculatus, with nanoemulsion of neem oil made under the same conditions as a control. Both TP and DTP nanoemulsions were found to exhibit excellent insecticidal activity, and the latter had the highest efficacy against the Callosobruchus maculatus.

Investigations into Determinants of Blueberry Coating Effectiveness.

Coatings have been investigated as a means of slowing weight loss and helping to preserve quality in blueberries but reported results have been inconsistent with the inadequate presentation of the impact of coatings on blueberry appearance. In this study, we compare the ability to limit weight loss, along with the effect on appearance, of several previously studied coatings for blueberries and attempt to identify reasons why coatings have not been more successful in limiting weight loss in blueberries. In a two-year study, coatings were applied either as a spray or a dip, depending on the nature of the coating, and included 1% chitosan (CH) with and without either 1% or 2% oleic acid (OA), 1% Semperfresh (SF), 2% sodium caseinate (SC), and carnauba wax (CAR). None of the coatings reduced weight loss in either year of the study and sometimes enhanced it. CH, CH + OA, CAR, and SF greatly altered the appearance of the berries by removing all or a part of the waxy bloom. SC also did this to some degree but was generally better at maintaining the natural appearance. It was found that coating application did not effectively limit weight loss through either the cuticle or stem end of the blueberries. Loss of the bloom on the blueberry surface, confirmed visually and by scanning electron microscopy, occurred during coating application, but was found to not influence coating effectiveness. Using CH + OA as an example, it was found that increasing the amount of handling during the drying process significantly increased subsequent weight loss relative to blueberries with minimal handling. This indicates that careful handling during the coating process is important for coating success.

Characterization of By-Products from Commercial Cannabidiol Production.

The chemical compositions of by-products from commercial cannabidiol (CBD) extraction were characterized and quantitated by employing gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC flame-ionization detection (GC-FID). The four major by-products included an ethanol-wax suspension (WAX), terpenoid distillate (DIST-A), tar-like residue (TAR), and red resin (RES). The composition of WAX consisted of ∼28 wt % n-alkanes and ∼33-38 wt % cannabidiolic acid and CBD combined. The DIST-A consisted of ∼40 wt % sesquiterpenoids and ∼58 wt % cannabinoids. The DIST-A terpenoid profile was compared to dried unprocessed inflorescences (HEMP) to observe changes in monoterpene content after the distillation process. The TAR was composed of ∼5-9 wt % higher n-alkanes and up to 91 wt % cannabinoids, while RES consisted of up to 99 wt % cannabinoids. Several impurities including cannabidibutol and dehydroabietic acid were identified in commercial CBD samples. Compositional information of these by-products may provide manufacturers with the opportunity to optimize processing conditions.

Sudden cardiac death and valvular pathology.

Sudden death due to valvular heart disease is reported to range from 1% to 5% in native valves and around 0.2%-0.9%/year in prosthesis. The nature of the diseases is varied, from heritable, congenital to acquired. It may affect both genders in multiple age groups. The authors show and comment examples of the major nosologic aetiologies underlying unexpected exitus letalis of valvular nature.

Antimicrobial activity of cefmenoxime compared with those of other cephalosporins.

The antimicrobial activity of cefmenoxime was compared with those of cefamandole, cefoperazone, cefotaxime, cephalothin, and moxalactam. In general, the activity of cefmenoxime was equivalent to those of the other cephalosporins. Cefmenoxime appears to be a potent antimicrobial agent against most gram-negative microorganisms other than Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp.

Importância da ecocardiografia bidimensional na detecçäo e avaliaçäo dos derrames pericárdicos / The importance of two-dimensional echocardiography in the detection and evaluation of pericardial effusion

Os derrames pericárdicos, principalmente septados, podem apresentar sérias dificuldades para sua detecçäo e quantificaçäo pela ecocardiografia convencional. A ecocardiografia bidimensional, em auxílio a modalidade M, permite a detecçäo mais correta dos derrames generalizados, pela regiäo apical e subxifóide. Foram estudados 22 pacientes portadores de derrame pericárdico, dos quais quatro eram septados e oito eram pós-operatórios. Estabeleceram-se as diferenças ecocardiográficas entre os diversos tipos e, em 10 casos, relacionou-se com o aspecto radiológico e com o volume de líquido extraído pela punçäo pericárdica ou pela pericariotomia, mostrando uma razoável correlaçäo (r = 0,76). Conclui-se que a ecocarddiografia bidimensional permite a detecçäo de derrames pericárdicos, especialmente os septados situados fora do alcance do sistema convencional, assim como a sua quantificaçäo, com boa confiabilidade

Sterigmatocystin-DNA interactions: identification of a major adduct formed after metabolic activation in vitro.

Sterigmatocystin (ST), a potent hepatocarcinogen, was covalently bound to calf thymus DNA by incubation in the presence of phenobarbital-induced rat liver microsomes. Acid hydrolysis of ST-modified DNA liberated a major guanine-containing adduct, present in DNA at an estimated level of 1 ST residue per 100-150 nucleotides. The adduct was isolated by high-pressure liquid chromatography and subjected to structural analysis. Spectral and chemical data identified the adduct as 1,2-dihydro-2-(N(7)-guanyl)-1-hydroxysterigmatocystin, the guanine and hydroxyl moieties being in a trans configuration. The structure and stereochemistry of this adduct indicated that the exo-ST-1,2-oxide was the metabolite that reacted with DNA, and the quantitative yield of adduct indicated that this metabolite was a major product of the in vitro metabolism of ST.