Chemical composition and nutritional quality of tehineh (sesame butter)

The chemical composition and nutritional quality of tehineh, a paste of dehulled roasted sesame seeds, from Saudi Arabia and other countries, were studied. Results showed 24.7% protein, 58.9% fat, 2.3% fiber, 3.0% ash and <1.0% moisture. The tehineh contained relatively high amounts (mg/100 g) of P (692), Mg (362), Fe (7.19), Cu (1.96), Mn (1.46) and Zn (7.82) and low amounts of Ca (61) and Se (0.05). Gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) analysis of the oil revealed percentages of 42.4 for oleic, 39.7 for linoleic, 9.8 for palmitic and 6.4 for stearic acid. Lysine was the only limiting amino acid with a chemical score of 64, while the sulphur-containing amino acids (methionine + cystine) and tryptophan were present in amounts exceeding the requirement of the FAO/WHO (1973) reference protein. The in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) value of 83.3% and the calculated protein efficiency ratio (C-PER), 2.14, were slightly higher than those of sesame seeds and both values were lower than the IVPD and C-PER of 90.0% and 2.50, respectively, for ANRC casein.     

Enzymatic de-glycosylation of rutin improves its antioxidant and antiproliferative activities

Bioavailability and biological properties of flavonoid glycosides can be improved after the enzymatic hydrolysis of specific glycosyl groups. In this study, we evaluate the antioxidant and antiproliferative potential of rutin after enzymatic hydrolysis performed by α-l-rhamnosidases (hesperidinase from Penicillium sp. and naringinase from Penicillium decumbens) previously heated at 70 °C for 30 min to inactivate the undesirable β-d-glucosidase activity. The highest in vitro antioxidant activity determined by DPPH radical scavenging was achieved with rutin hydrolyzed by hesperidinase. Rutin was predominantly bioconverted into quercetin-3-glucoside. There was no statistical difference between xanthine oxidase inhibition by rutin before and after hydrolysis. However, in vitro inhibitory activity against ten human tumor cell lines showed that hydrolyzed rutin exerted a more potent antiproliferative effect than quercetin and rutin on various cancer cell lines, specially glioma, and ovarian and breast adenocarcinomas. These results indicate that quercetin-3-glucoside could be a promising functional derivative obtained by rutin hydrolysis.     

DOCPRO — a dynamic simulator for chemical processes

The design principles of DOCPRO — a dynamic simulator for chemical processes, are discussed. The system permits great flexibility in the input data and by retaining all process information on files, enhances the ability of the user to interface with a simulation system at a higher level than hitherto permitted.     

Inhibition of in vivo tumorigenicity and invasiveness of a human glioblastoma cell line transfected with antisense uPAR vectors

Our previous studies showed that glioblastomas express increased urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptors (uPARs) in comparison to low-grade gliomas (Yamamoto et al., Cancer Res., 54, 5016-5020, 1994). To explore whether downregulation of uPAR inhibits tumor formation and invasiveness, a human glioblastoma cell line was transfected with a cDNA construct corresponding to 300 bp of the human uPAR's 5' end in an antisense orientation, resulting in a reduced number of uPA receptors. Co-culture studies with tumor spheroids and fetal rat brain aggregates showed that antisense SNB19-AS1 cells expressing reduced uPAR failed to invade fetal rat brain aggregates. Intracerebral injection of SNB19-AS1 stable transfectants failed to form tumors and were negative for uPAR expression in nude mice. Thus uPAR appears in this model to be essential for tumorigenicity and invasion of glioblastomas in vivo.     

Estimation of Current Distribution on Multilayer Printed Circuit Board by Near-Field Measurement

A method of estimating the current distribution on a microstrip transmission line of a multilayer printed circuit board (PCB) by measuring the near-field distribution is proposed. The microstrip transmission line on the PCB is divided into electrically small segments. An electric field integral equation (EFIE) is established to relate the near field to the current on these segments. The current is estimated by measuring the near field, evaluating the mutual impedance between the current segments, and solving the EFIE. The measurement parameters for near-field measurement are optimized by numerical analysis. Experimental results are presented and compared with the numerical results, confirming the validity of this method.     

In vivo antitumoural activity and composition of an oil extract of Brazilian propolis

The present study aimed to evaluate in vivo and in vitro the antitumoural activity of a propolis extract obtained with edible vegetable oil and its fractions and also to investigate its chemical composition by LC–MS and LC–MS/MS. To evaluate the toxicological aspects related to the propolis extract treatment, hematological, biochemical, histopathological and morphological analyses of treated animals were performed. All propolis extracts showed an in vivo antitumour activity in the experimental model with a moderate toxicity effect at experimental exposure levels. The oil extract was as effective as the ethanolic extract at inhibiting tumour growth. In vitro assays showed that the whole oil extract produced better inhibition of tumour cells than its fractions. LC–MS and LC–MS/MS identified four phenolic acids and three flavonoids. The anticancer potential of the oil extract of propolis has been demonstrated and the edible vegetable oil was shown as an attractive alternative solvent to extract bioactive natural propolis components.     

Estimates of dietary exposure of children to artificial food colours in Kuwait

To assess the intake of artificial food colour additives by 5-14-year-old children in the State of Kuwait, a 24-h dietary recall was conducted twice on 3141 male and female Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti children from 58 schools. The determination of colour additives in 344 foods items consumed was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector. A comparison with the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) was undertaken to evaluate the potential risk associated with the consumption of artificial colour additives by children in Kuwait. The results indicated that out of nine permitted colours, four exceeded their ADIs by factors of 2-8: tartrazine, sunset yellow, carmoisine and allura red. Further, follow-up studies to provide insight into potential adverse health effects associated with the high intakes of these artificial colour additives on the test population are warranted.     

Increase in skeletal muscle protein content by the beta-2 selective adrenergic agonist clenbuterol exacerbates hypoalbuminemia in rats fed a low-protein diet

Between 1990 and 1995, 214 implants were placed in 29 maxillae and mandibles of 22 patients following extraction of all residual teeth as a consequence of severe periodontal disease. All patients were discharged wearing immediate dentures. The implants were analyzed with regard to the number per arch, location, length, and diameter. The 5-year cumulative survival rate was 98.5%. The mean number of implants per arch was 7.5 for the maxilla and 7.2 for the mandible. The preferred implant locations were canines, central incisors, lateral incisors, and second premolars in the maxilla; and lateral incisors, first molars, and canines in the mandible. The mean implant length was 14.7 mm in the mandible and 14.5 mm in the maxilla. The mean implant diameter was 3.8 mm in the maxilla and 3.8 mm in the mandible. The results of the present study indicate that immediate implantation for fixed full-arch reconstruction can be considered a viable treatment alternative in patients with severe periodontal disease.