Effect of dehydration and pulsed light treatment on decontamination of minced onions: Microbial safety and physicochemical properties.

Microbial contamination of dehydrated onion products is a challenge to the industry. The study focused on opting for a suitable drying condition for minced onion and exploring the decontamination efficacy of pulsed light (PL) treatment conditions for the dehydrated product. The minced onions were hot air dried at 55-75°C for 280 min. The drying condition selected was 195 min at 75°C with a final water activity of 0.5 and moisture content of 7% (wet basis [w.b.]). The weight losses, browning indexes (BI), shrinkage volumes (%), and thiosulfinate content were considered. The dehydrated product was exposed to PL treatment corresponding to an effective fluence range of 0.007-0.731 J/cm2. A fluence of 0.444 J/cm2 (1.8 kV for 150 s) achieved 5.00, 3.14, 2.96, and 2.98 log reduction in total plate count, yeast and mold count, Bacillus cereus 10876, and Escherichia coli ATCC 43888, respectively. The PL-treated sample (0.444 J/cm2) produced a microbially safe product with no significant difference in the moisture contents (%w.b.) and water activity (aw) from the untreated dehydrated sample. Further, a 30.9% increase in the BI and a 4.25% depletion in thiosulfinate content were observed after PL treatment. An optimum drying combination (75°C for 195 min) of minced onion followed by decontamination using pulsed light treatment at 0.444 J/cm2 fluence satisfies the microbial safety and quality. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Dehydrated minced onion can be used for dishes requiring low water content and short cooking time. It is helpful during shortages, high price fluctuations, and famines.

A Rare Case of Neurosyphilis with Ocular Involvement in a Patient with HIV Infection and New Onset Syphilis.

Neurosyphilis (NS) is more frequently seen in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, especially those not on antiretroviral therapy or with a low CD4 cell count. Ocular syphilis is an unusual and early form of neurosyphilis. Lumbar puncture should be considered in all HIV infected patients who present with neurologic or ocular disease. A 47-year-old homosexual male with HIV-1 infection, on antiretroviral therapy (last CD4 cell count 1022 cells/µL) presented to our emergency department with a five-day history of headache, blurry vision, pain and redness of the left eye. He had unprotected anal sex with a new partner four months before presentation. Based on the fundoscopy findings as well as the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis on initial evaluation, a repeat serum rapid plasma reagin (RPR) along with microhemagglutination assay for treponema pallidum (MHA-TP) were done due to high suspicion of syphilis, even though an RPR five months prior to this visit was negative. Both RPR and MHA-TP were positive and the patient was treated for neurosyphilis. The patient's symptoms as well as the RPR titers improved significantly thereafter. A high index of suspicion for neurosyphilis should be maintained in HIV-infected patients presenting with ocular symptoms even if they are compliant with retroviral therapy with good CD4 cell counts. Physicians must be mindful of this uncommon presentation and consider a lumbar puncture in any patient with suspicion of neurosyphilis for prompt diagnosis and treatment to avoid further neurological complications.

Characterization of Precursor PfHsp60 in Plasmodium falciparum Cytosol during Its Asexual Development in Human Erythrocytes.

Mitochondrial heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60) is a nuclear encoded gene product that gets post-translationally translocated into the mitochondria. Using multiple approaches such as immunofluorescence experiments, isoelectric point analysis with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and mass spectrometric identification of the signal peptide, we show that Hsp60 from Plasmodium falciparum (PfHsp60) accumulates in the parasite cytoplasm during the ring, trophozoite, and schizont stages of parasite development before being imported into the parasite mitochondria. Using co-immunoprecipitation experiments with antibodies specific to cytoplasmic PfHsp90, PfHsp70-1, and PfHsp60, we show association of precursor PfHsp60 with cytoplasmic chaperone machinery. Metabolic labeling involving pulse and chase indicates translocation of the precursor pool into the parasite mitochondrion during chase. Analysis of results obtained with Geldanamycin treatment confirmed precursor PfHsp60 to be one of the clients for PfHsp90. Cytosolic chaperones bind precursor PfHsp60 prior to its import into the mitochondrion of the parasite. Our data suggests an inefficient co-ordination in the synthesis and translocation of mitochondrial PfHsp60 during asexual growth of malaria parasite in human erythrocytes.

Potentiation of humoral immune response and activation of NF-kappaB pathway in lymphocytes in experimentally induced hyperthyroid rats.

This study explored the effect of hyperthyroid state on humoral immune response and NF-kappaB signaling in lymphocytes. Male Wistar rats were treated with l-thyroxin for four weeks. Animals were immunized with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) after three weeks of l-thyroxin treatment. After one week of immunization, serum anti-SRBC titer was measured and NF-kappaB signaling was studied in lymphocytes by Western blot analysis of p-IKB-alpha, IKB-alpha, and p65. These results were compared with that of control rats. Antibody response and density of p-IKB-alpha and p65 were significantly higher in l-thyroxin treated rats in comparison to controls. The antibody response was found to have significant correlation with density of p-IKB-alpha and p65. Our results indicate that NF-kappaB signaling pathway in lymphocytes is activated in hyperthyroid state which might play a role in potentiation of antibody response.