Levels of Antioxidant Activity and Fluoride Content in Coffee Infusions of Arabica, Robusta and Green Coffee Beans in According to their Brewing Methods.

Coffee is a rich source of dietary antioxidants, and this property links with the fact that coffee is one of the world's most popular beverages. Moreover, it is a source of macro- and microelements, including fluoride. The aim of this work was to determine antioxidant activity of coffee beverages and fluoride content depending on different coffee species and conditions of brewing. Three species of coffee, arabica, robusta and green coffee beans obtained from retail stores in Szczecin (Poland) were analyzed. Five different techniques of preparing drink were used: simple infusion, french press, espresso maker, overflow espresso and Turkish coffee. Antioxidant potential of coffee beverages was investigated spectrophotometrically by DPPH method. Fluoride concentrations were measured by potentiometric method with a fluoride ion-selective electrode. Statistical analysis was performed using Stat Soft Statistica 12.5. Antioxidant activity of infusions was high (71.97-83.21% inhibition of DPPH) depending on coffee species and beverage preparing method. It has been shown that the method of brewing arabica coffee and green coffee significantly affects the antioxidant potential of infusions. The fluoride concentration in the coffee infusions changed depending, both, on the species and conditions of brewing, too (0.013-0.502 mg/L). Methods of brewing didn't make a difference to the antioxidant potential of robusta coffee, which had also the lowest level of fluoride among studied species. Except overflow espresso, the fluoride content was the highest in beverages from green coffee. The highest fluoride content was found in Turkish coffee from green coffee beans.

[Variations in activity and sexual dimorphism of central nervous neurons in the rat in the course of postnatal development]. / Aktivitätsschwankungen und Sexualdimorphismus zentralnervöser Neurone der Ratte im Verlauf der postnatalen Entwicklung.

Processes of growth and differentiation of the neurons are based on adequate metabolic activities of the karyoplasm and cytoplasm and measurable at the volume of the cell nucleus. Furthermore, they are affected by metabolic activities related to special neuronal functions. Studies of neurons related to the Nuclei arcuatus, amygdaloideus medialis, amygdaloideus corticalis and amygdaloideus basolateralis (Pars lateralis of the Nucleus amygdaloideus basalis) as well as to the external granular layer (Lamina granularis externa, Lamina II) of the parietal cortex of female and male Wistar rats resulted in distinct karyovolumetrically verifiable variations of the neuronal activities during the postnatal development (between the 5th and 60th day after birth). The variations of the neuronal activities are characterized by their nuclear specifity and indicate a significant sexual dimorphism, which also is of nuclear specifity. The nuclear specifity of the neuronal activity and the variations of the activities are understood as a total of differentiated developmental rhythms and performances of the studied neurons during the postnatal development. The sexual dimorphism, reflected in the nuclear cell volume resp. in the neuronal activity, is finally related to the sexual specificity of the differentiation of the central nervous system.

[Karyovolumetric studies on the pre-pubertal differentiation of the nucleus infundibularis in female rats]. / Karyovolumetrische Untersuchung zur Frage der präpuberalen Differenzierung des Nucleus infundibularis bei weiblichen Ratten.

Cell nuclear volumes of neurons located in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus were measured in immature female rats autopsied at 21, 26, 32 or 36 days of age, or on the day of the first vaginal estrus. As opposed to limbic cell nuclei measured at the same ages in a former study (DOCKE aND SMOLLICH 1978), significant age-dependent changes of nuclear volumes could not be revealed with the exception of a continuous slight increase during the period of investigation. Neonatal ovariectomy whereas this treatment induced distinct activation of limbic neurons as recorded in a previous experiment (SMOLLICH et al. 1978). It is suggested that the puberty-controlling functions of the arcuate nucleus and of limbic structures depend on different mechanisms.

Morphological and histochemical observations on renal microbodies in cats.

The diaminobenzidine method for catalase showed two distinct morphological populations of renal microbodies in healthy mature cats of both sexes. Microbodies in the proximal convoluted tubules, which in this species also contain abdundant neutral lipids, were polyhedral and had distinct marginal plates. Those in the remaining renal tubules, which are lipid-free, were rounder and less uniform in size. Both forms of microbodies had homogenous granular matrices without nuceloides. The morphological variations of the microbodies may depend on their association with renal lipids. The cat may serve as a model to explore functional or pathological relationships between microbodies and fat metabolism.