Effect of copper hydroxide sprays for citrus canker control on wild-type Escherichia coli.

AIMS: To show that application of copper hydroxide citrus sprays mixed with field source water (possibly contaminated) will not support Escherichia coli on plant surfaces. Environmental stresses of transient phyllosphere bacteria and presence of copper will eradicate these bacteria before harvest. METHODS AND RESULTS: Studies were performed in vitro with bacteria grown in broth and then subjected to field spray copper hydroxide concentrations in the broth and on citrus leaves. Escherichia coli exposed to copper hydroxide in vitro were eradicated from the broth within 6-8 h depending on the broth pH. Even with near neutral pH (7·2), cells began to die immediately after exposure to copper. No E. coli survived on leaf surfaces sprayed with copper. CONCLUSIONS: Copper field sprays mixed with water that may contain E. coli can help eliminate E. coli from plant surfaces. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: HACCP mandates are becoming more restrictive because of the increased illness resulting from food pathogens on fresh produce. Use of potable water in fields, a proposed mandate, is not feasible for large grove owners. These data show that copper sprays aimed at reducing citrus canker also affect E. coli and may help to ease water quality mandates.

Tissue distribution and neuroprotective effects of citrus flavonoid tangeretin in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.

Neuroprotective effects of a natural antioxidant tangeretin, a citrus flavonoid, were elucidated in the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesion rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD), after bioavailability studies. Following the chronic oral administration (10 mg/kg/day for 28 days), significant levels of tangeretin were detected in the hypothalamus, striatum and hippocampus (3.88, 2.36 and 2.00 ng/mg, respectively). The levels in the liver and plasma were 0.59 ng/mg and 0.11 ng/ml respectively. Unilateral infusion of the dopaminergic neurotoxin, 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA; 8 microg), onto medial forebrain bundle significantly reduced the number of tyrosine hydroxylase positive (TH+) cells in the substantia nigra and decreased striatal dopamine content in the vehicle treated rats. Sub-chronic treatment of the rats with high doses of tangeretin (20 mg/kg/day for 4 days; p.o.) before 6-OHDA lesioning markedly reduced the loss of both TH+ cells and striatal dopamine content. These studies, for the first time, give evidence that tangeretin crosses the blood-brain barrier. The significant protection of striato-nigral integrity and functionality by tangeretin suggests its potential use as a neuroprotective agent.

Quantitative analysis of limonin in grapefruit juice using an enzyme-linked immunoassay: interlaboratory study.

Eleven laboratories participated in an interlaboratory study of an enzyme-linked immunoassay for limonin in grapefruit juice. Participating laboratories received training and practice samples until familiar with the procedure. Laboratories then received 8 sample pairs of grapefruit juice as blind duplicates. Samples were refrigerated and analyzed within 4 days of receipt. Results from 1 laboratory and 6 individual samples were excluded from the statistical analysis. Method performance was measured by the one-way component of variance analysis. Repeatability relative standard deviations (RSDr) ranged from 7.0 to 15.6%. Reproducibility relative standard deviations (RSDR) ranged from 12.9 to 29.4%.