Manual Injector Research Articles

HPLC-UV Analysis of Flavonoid Glycosides in the Herb of <i>Astragalus</i> (<i>A. dasyanthus</i>, <i>A. varius</i>, <i>A. testiculatus</i>, <i>A. henningii</i>), Growing in the Volga Region

Introduction. The search for new promising sources of biologically active substances is one of the tasks of modern pharmacognosy. Among the huge variety of species of the genus Astragalus L., only a few of them have been studied. In addition, none of them is included in the current edition of the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation. In our opinion, the study of four species of this genus of Astragalus L. (A. dasyanthus, A. varius, A. testiculatus, A. henningii) growing in the Volga region is of interest.Aim. Study of the glycoside composition of flavonoids in the astragalus herb of four species (A. dasyanthus, A. varius, A. testiculatus, A. henningii) by HPLC-UV using external standards.Materials and methods. The material was samples of astragalus grass (A. dasyanthus, A. varius, A. testiculatus, A. henningii), collected on the territory of the Saratov region in accordance with the basic rules of collection and preparation and dried to an air-dry state. Aqueous-alcoholic extracts (1 : 50) were analyzed. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of flavonoid glycosides was carried out on an Agilent 1260 chromatograph (Agilent Technologies, USA) equipped with a diode array detector, manual sample injection (Agilent G1328C manual injector, Agilent Technologies USA) and an Agilent Open Lab CDS system for collecting and processing chromatographic data. The elution gradient was selected individually using 0.1 % phosphoric acid/acetonitrile solution as solvents. Compounds were identified by retention times and UV spectra of reference standards (RS). The quantitative content of each detected component was expressed in mg/g of dry raw material. All studies were repeated five times, the results were statistically processed using MS Exсel 2010.Results and discussion. The chromatographic profiles of aqueous-alcoholic extracts from the herbs of four types of astragalus were studied. Differences were found in both the qualitative composition and quantitative content of flavonoid glycosides in the grass of the analyzed species. The largest number of compounds was found in the herb of A. varius (6 compounds), 4 compounds were identified in the herb of A. dasyanthus and A. henningii, and 3 compounds were identified in the herb of A. testiculatus. The dominant components in the herb of A. henningii are orientin and rutin, in the herb of A. testiculatus and A. varius it is cynaroside, and in A. dasyanthus it is rutin.Conclusion. A HPLC-UV method was developed for determining the quantitative content of flavonoid glycosides in extracts from the herbs of four species of astragalus (A. dasyanthus, A. varius, A. testiculatus, A. henningii) and the chromatographic profiles of the analyzed samples were studied.

Chromatographic Quantitative Analysis of Diosgenin, Gallic Acid, and Glycyrrhetinic Acid

ABSTRACT Background: Amla, liquorice, and fenugreek have three primary bioactive phytoconstituents: diosgenin, gallic acid, and 18β-glycyrrhetic acid. This work discusses the invention and validation of an high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) approach for the simultaneous detection, in line with ICH criteria, of gallic acid in amla, glycyrrhetinic acid in liquorice, and diosgenin in fenugreek. Materials and Methods: A new simple, exact, sensitive, and validated reversed phase (RP)-HPLC technique was developed for the measurement of diosgenin, gallic acid, 18β-glycyrrhetic acid, and acid in bulk and pharmaceutical dosage form. Acetonitrile: 0.05% ortho phosphoric acid (OPA) (95:5) for diosgenin in fenugreek extract, a rheodyne manual injector with a 20 μl capacity, and a Phenomenex Luna C18 (2) (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5) chromatographic apparatus were used for the separation. In Amla extract, methanol: 0.05% OPA (70:30) for gallic acid liquorice extract: Methanol: Acetonitrile: 0.05% OPA for 18β-glycyrrhetic acid A solution of ophosphoric acid (OPA) was used to maintain the pH at 3.00. The detection wavelengths utilized were 205 nm for diosgenin, 272 nm for gallic acid, and 250 nm for 18β-glycyrrhetic acid. The flow rate was set at 1.0 mL/min. Results: Even though HPLC is more sensitive for diosgenin analysis, the developed RP-HPLC method should offer a fast, accurate, simple, and inexpensive alternative approach for the quantitative detection of diosgenin, gallic acid, and 18β-glycyrrhetic acid. Conclusion: The process described in this paper produces the same amount of pure diosgenin as other reported methods.

Comparative Analysis of Three Preloaded and One Manual Injector for Intraocular Lens Implantation

Purpose: to evaluate the incision width and implantation time of different IOL models using three preloaded and one manual injector. Patients and methods. 146 patients (160 eyes) including 94 females and 52 males were included in a prospective study. Group I — Isert® (28 patients, 32 eyes); Group II — Multisert® (27 patients, 30 eyes); Group III — Autonome® (45 patients, 50 eyes) and Group IV — Monarch® (46 patients, 48 eyes). mean age of patients was 71.8 ± 11.7 years, follow-up period — 3.0 ± 0.2 months. Results. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) between the groups when comparing the incision width before IOL implantation. After lens implantation, the incision width in group I was significantly higher than in groups II (p = 0.04), III (p = 0.037) and IV (p = 0.029). There were no significant differences in incision width after IOL implantation between groups II, III, and IV (p > 0.05). The average increase in corneal incision width in group I was 0.6 mm, and for groups II, III, and IV it ranged from 0.2 to 0.3 mm. Groups II, III, and IV showed lower values of surgically induced astigmatism compared with group I (0.47 ± 0.06 D, 0.41 ± 0.06 D, and 0.44 ± 0.07 D compared with 1.12 ± 0.17 D, respectively; p < 0.05 for all groups). No significant differences were found between groups II, III, and IV. Minimum implantation time was observed for groups II and III, maximum for groups I and IV, with a mean difference of about 30 seconds. Differences when comparing the mean IOL implantation time were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion. This paper presents the first worldwide comparative analysis of four IOL implantation systems, including Isert®, Multisert®, Autonome®, and Monarch®. The new Multisert® IOL implantation system has similar advantages to the known monofocal IOL injectors with respect to corneal incision width, surgically induced astigmatism magnitude, and time required for IOL implantation. IOL implantation time did not depend on the type of implantation (hydro- or viscous) and the type of injector.

Три предварительно заряженных и один ручной инжектор для имплантации ИОЛ: сравнительный анализ

Aim. To evaluate the incision width and implantation time of different IOL models using three preloaded and one manual injector. Material and methods. 146 patients (160 eyes) including 94 females and 52 males were included in a prospective study. Group I – Isert® (28 patients, 32 eyes); Group II – Multisert® (27 patients, 30 eyes); Group III – Autonome® (45 patients, 50 eyes) and Group IV – Monarch® (46 patients, 48 eyes). mean age of patients was 71.8 ± 11.7 years, follow-up period – 3 ± 0.2 months. Results. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) between the groups when comparing the incision width before IOL implantation. After lens implantation, the incision width in group I was significantly higher than in groups II (p = 0.04), III (p = 0.037) and IV (p = 0.029). There were no significant differences in incision width after IOL implantation between groups II, III, and IV (p > 0.05). The average increase in corneal incision width in group I was 0.6 mm, and for groups II, III, and IV it ranged from 0.2 to 0.3 mm. Groups II, III, and IV showed lower values of surgically induced astigmatism compared with group I (0.47 ± 0.06, 0.41 ± 0.06, and 0.44 ± 0.07 D compared with 1.12 ± 0.17 D, respectively; p < 0.05 for all groups). No significant differences were found between groups II, III, and IV. Minimum implantation time was observed for groups II and III, maximum for groups I and IV, with a mean difference of about 30 seconds. Differences when comparing the mean IOL implantation time were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion. This paper presents the first worldwide comparative analysis of four IOL implantation systems, including Isert®, Multisert®, Autonome®, and Monarch®. The new Multisert® IOL implantation system has similar advantages to the known monofocal IOL injectors with respect to corneal incision width, surgically induced astigmatism magnitude, and time required for IOL implantation. IOL implantation time did not depend on the type of implantation (hydro- or viscous) and the type of injector. Keywords: cataract, injector, Isert®, Multisert®, Autonome®, Monarch®, surgically induced astigmatism

Isolation and Identification of Aglicones of Flavonoids of Some Species of the Genus <i>Astragalus</i> L. of the Volga Region Flora

Introduction. Promising sources of biologically active compounds (BAS) are extracts obtained from various morphological parts of plants of the numerous genus Astragalus L. One of the main groups of BAS isolated from plants of this genus are flavonoids, saponins, and polysaccharides. Sufficiently studied are Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge) and Astragalus mongholicus Bge., whose extracts have a wide range of pharmacological activity. Expansion of the nomenclature of medicinal plant materials and the study of BAS groups that determine the main pharmacological effects are topical studies in pharmacognosy. From this point of view, little-studied species of Astragalus (Astragalus henningii (Stev.) Klok., Astragalus testiculatus Pall., Astragalus varius S.G. Gmel., Astragalus dasyanthus Pall.), massively growing in the Volga region, are of interest.Aim. Isolation and identification of 5 aglycones of flavonoids in hydrolysates of water-alcohol extracts from Astragalus herb: A. henningii, A. testiculatus, A.varius, A. dasyanthus by HPLC/UV.Materials and methods. The objects of the study were the herb of four types of Astragalus (A. henningii, A. testiculatus, A.varius, A. dasyanthus), harvested during the period of mass flowering in the Saratov region and dried to an air-dry state. To study the composition of phenolic compounds, extraction was carried out with 70 % ethanol in the ratio of raw material : extracting agent 1 : 10 by infusion for 7 days. Acid hydrolysis was carried out with hydrochloric acid 37 % with heating for 40 min. The resulting hydrolysates were analyzed on an Agilent 1260 chromatograph (Agilent Technologies, USA) with a diode array detector, manual sample injection (Agilent G1328C manual injector, Agilent Technologies, USA) and an Agilent OpenLab CDS chromatographic data collection and processing system using an individually selected elution gradient of the mobile phase (0.1 % solution of orthophosphoric acids/acetonitrile). Compounds in the hydrolysates were identified by the retention times and UV spectra of a mixture of reference standards (RS) of quercetin, isorhamnetin, luteolin, kaempferol, and apigenin.Results and discussion. An elution gradient was selected for one time determination of 5 aglycones of flavonoids with a single analysis time of 13 minutes. These conditions made it possible to identify compounds in the hydrolyzates of water-alcohol extracts of four types of Astragalus. Luteolin, quercetin and apigenin were found in hydrolyzates of A. henningii, A. testiculatus and A. varius; isorhamnetin and kaempferol were found in A. henningii and A. varius. None of the analyzed aglycones was found in the A. dasyanthus hydrolyzate.Conclusion. After preliminary selection of the optimal conditions for the chromatographic separation of a mixture of 5 aglycones of flavonoids, hydrolysates of four types of Astragalus were analyzed. The data obtained indicate the prospects for further study of the chemical composition of Astragalus and confirm the expediency of their use for obtaining of new herbal remedies.

STABILITY STUDY OF GENTAMICIN SULPHATE INJECTION USING HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

Stability is the main quality characteristic of any drug product, it involves changes in physical, chemical and biopharmaceutical properties. The current work studied the stability of gentamicin (Gen) sulfate injection using HPLC, four samples of Gen were selected. Inj-I, Inj-II, Inj-III, and Inj-IV. The selected injections were stored at room temperature and analyzed at zero time then after three and six months. The analysis was achieved using reverse-phase chromatography with isocratic elution at a flow rate of 1.1 ml/min. Chromatography analysis was performed on the ODS (C8) column, 15× 0.45 cm, 5µm particle size, the column temperature was 30 ºC, and a manual injector with a 20 µl loop was used for the injection of the sample solution and mobile phase. The mobile phase was a mixture of methanol/water / glacial acetic acid/sodium 1-heptane sulfonate. The eluent was monitored with a UV-Detector at a wavelength of 330 nm with a flow rate of 1.1 ml/min. The results of the analysis showed that the pH values of all samples decreased slightly however, it was still within the acceptance range of USP. The influence of storage temperature on the degradation of the drug was evidenced whereas the Inj-I sample was the least degraded, while Inj-IV was the highest degraded sample. The accuracy was evaluated by the percent of recovery at three different concentrations in the range (99.38-100%), the precision of the method was satisfactory, and the values of relative standard deviation were less than 2%.

HPLC Method Development and Validation for the Estimation of Amlodipine and Atorvastatin in Bulk and Formulation

In the present research work, a successful attempt was made for Validated UV and HPLC method development for the estimation of Amlodipine and Atorvastatin in marketed formulation which was developed by experimentation based on thorough literature survey and ascertained by statistical parameters of sampling. The simplicity, rapidity, accurate and reproducibility of the proposed methods completely fulfill the objective of the research work of estimation of the drug in marketed formulation. Liquid chromatographic system from waters comprising of manual injector, Waters 515 binary pump for constant flow and constant pressure delivery and U.V. detector connected to data ace software controlling the instrumentation as well as processing the data generated were used. The isocratic mobile phase consisted of 20 mM KH2PO4: Acetonitrile (pH 3 with OPA) in the ratio of 20:80 v/v at a flow rate of 1.0 ml min-1. A thermo C-18 column (4.6 x 250mm, 5μ particle size) was used as the stationary phase, 237.0 nm was selected as the detection wavelength for UV-vis. detector. The proposed methods were found to be linear in the range of 1-5 μg/ml & 5-25 μg/ml with correlation coefficient close to one for amlodipine and atorvastatin respectively. Precision was determined by repeatability, Intermediate precision and reproducibility of the drugs. The robustness of developed method was checked by changing in the deliberate variation in solvent. The Simplicity, Rapidly and Reproducibility of the proposed method completely fulfill the objective of this research work. 
 Keywords: Amlodipine, Atorvastatin, Method development, HPLC, Validation

Tumor Allotransplantation in Drosophila melanogaster with a Programmable Auto-Nanoliter Injector.

This protocol describes the allotransplantation of tumors in Drosophila melanogaster using an auto-nanoliter injection apparatus. With the use of an autoinjector apparatus, trained operators can achieve more efficient and consistent transplantation results compared to those obtained using a manual injector. Here, we cover topics in a chronological fashion: from the crossing of Drosophila lines, to the induction and dissection of the primary tumor, transplantation of the primary tumor into a new adult host and continued generational transplantation of the tumor for extended studies. As a demonstration, here we use Notch intracellular domain (NICD) overexpression induced salivary gland imaginal ring tumors for generational transplantation. These tumors can first be reliably induced in a transition-zone microenvironment within larval salivary gland imaginal rings, then allografted and cultured in vivo to study continued tumor growth, evolution, and metastasis. This allotransplantation method can be useful in potential drug screening programs, as well as for studying tumor-host interactions.

Preliminary Observation of Phenolic Acids on Basal Stem Rot Infected Oil Palm

An observation was conducted in Kam Cheong Plantations Sdn Bhd, Lungmanis Fields 8 and 10, Sandakan, Sabah from October 2018 to September 2019. A biocontrol formulation consisting of phenolic acids was applied to Ganoderma infected palms via trunk injection to control the basal stem rot (BSR) and reduce the oil palm yield losses. The formulation was first produced in Universiti Malaysia Sabah before being applied to the infected palms. A total of three rounds of the phenolic acids formulation were applied to 120 infected palms in Kam Cheong with two months interval each. Every infected palm was injected with 40 ml of the formulation (20 ml/injection hole) using a manual trunk injector. This was followed by monitoring and recording of the oil palm yield and disease recovery. The recovery of the infected palms was assessed based on the physical changes of the palms. Out of the 120 treated palms in the two affected areas, 68.33 per cent were still productive although infected, 13.33 per cent recovered from the infection, 9.17 per cent had dead Ganoderma fruiting bodies but with BSR foliar symptoms while 9.17 per cent collapsed or died after the six months’ observation. The fresh fruit bunch yield increased from 1.24 to 3.14 tonnes per hectare in Field 10, an increment of about 154 per cent. However, the yield varied in Field 8 during the observation. This paper serves as a preliminary report on the benefits of phenolic acids to Ganoderma infected palms. More research may be necessary in the future to confirm this result especially on the effect of yield. Keywords: Ganoderma, phenolic acids, biocontrol, oil palm, basal stem rot.

Determination of methanol residues in crude glycerol for animal feed by gas chromatography

ABSTRACT: Crude glycerol is a major by-product of biodiesel production and is an economical additive feed for ruminants. However, residual methanol in crude glycerol can be harmful to animal health. Several methods exist for quantifying methanol residues in biodiesel, yet few have been described that identify the methanol level in crude glycerol. We propose a method for determining the methanol level in crude glycerol destined for animal feed. Crude glycerol was extracted from the headspace and quantified by gas chromatography using a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The method was linear up to 0.5 % of methanol. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 0.015 and 0.031 %, respectively. No significant matrix effects were observed. Precision was 2 % at the 0.05 and 0.5 % levels. The average percentage of recovery was 90 %. Three analyzed samples of crude glycerol had methanol residues of 0.027-7.802 %. Furthermore, this methanol quantification method may be externally or internally calibrated using a GC manual injector. A reduction of at least 20 % in running time was obtained with good resolution between the peaks. Thus, this method can be applied to determine the methanol level in crude glycerol according to the upper limits for animal feed (5,000 ppm) and for human consumption (150 ppm). Finally, this method is useful for the quality control of crude glycerol intended for use in animal feed, enabling the alternative use of this by-product to add value to the biodiesel production chain.

In vivo and in vitro results of an automated preloaded delivery system for IOL implantation in cataract surgery.

To compare the corneal tissue trauma after the use of an automated preloaded injector and a manual injector and assess scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) features of both injector cartridges. Ophthalmology Clinic and Laboratory of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy; DESIGN: Prospective randomized clinical study METHODS: Forty eyes of 40 patients for phacoemulsification were divided into two groups: implantation of intraocular lens was performed with AutonoMe automated delivery system (AutonoMe group: 20 eyes) and Monarch III injector system (Monarch group: 20 eyes). In vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) were performed before surgery, at 1h, 1day and 1month post-operatively. In addition, SEM and AFM were performed on cartridges of both injector systems after injection of the IOL. A greater increase in central corneal thickness and corneal thickness at the incision site were observed in Monarch group versus AutonoMe group 1h and 1day post-operatively (p < 0.05). Endothelial cell count loss was significantly higher in Monarch group compared with AutonoMe group (p < 0.05) at 1 and 24h. AS-OCT showed less endothelial misalignment at 30days (p < 0.05), and IVCM showed less tunnel inflammation at all time points (p < 0.05) in AutonoMe group compared with Monarch group; roughness analysis at AFM of the AutonoMe cartridge was significantly lower compared to Monarch D cartridge (p < 0.05). The AutonoMe injector provided less corneal tissue trauma compared with Monarch III injector. The AutonoMe cartridge showed lower roughness at AFM compared to the Monarch D cartridge.

IDENTIFICATION AND QUANTIFICATION OF PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY IN COWPEAS OF BRS XIQUEXIQUE CULTIVAR

ABSTRACT Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) is one of the most important legumes produced in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world, especially in the developing countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. It is the main source of protein, calories, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins for a large segment of the world population. Cowpea is also a potential functional food with a range of bioactive compounds, including phenolic compounds. This legume is grown mainly in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, but is also consumed in other regions, and is thus important for the farmers who depend on this crop for income. This study identified and quantified phenolic compounds in the cowpea cultivar BRS Xiquexique. Such quantification reveals the functional characteristics of cowpeas, mainly as a source of antioxidants, which will be essential to add value to this food and to expand its forms of consumption. The extracts were analyzed using an HPLC model LC-20AT, equipped with a manual injector. For the HPLC analysis, standard solutions were prepared with pure phenolic acids such as gallic acid, quercetin, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, catechin, and epicatechin. The major phenolic compounds identified were catechin (2.07± 0.329 mg 100 g-1), epicatechin (0.48 ± 0.130 mg 100 g-1), gallic acid (67.19 ± 6.200 mg 100 g-1), ferulic acid (32.07 ± 0.753 mg 100 g-1), and chlorogenic acid (3.08 ± 0.489 mg 100 g-1). We observed that the BRS Xiquexique cultivar contains functional phenolic compounds, especially gallic acid and ferulic acid, demonstrating the antioxidant potential of cowpea.

ВЭЖХ определение малонового диальдегида в плазме и слюне с очисткой дериватов на сверхсшитом полистироле (Purosep-270)

Для целей клинических исследований предложен хроматографический способ определения общего малонового диальдегида (МДА) в плазме и слюне после дериватизации с 2-тиобарбитуровой кислотой (ТВА). Полученные дериваты очищали на картриджах со сверхсшитым полистиролом марки Purosep-270. Разделение на С18 колонках, детекция при 530 нм. Полное хроматографическое разделение за 4 минуты. Стандартизованы и оптимизированы условия приготовления и хранения стандартов, дериватизационного реагента и биологического материала. Предел количественного обнаружения (LOQ) составил 0.05 нг на инъекцию при соотношении сигнал/шум=10. Метод отличается простотой, хорошей воспроизводимостью при соблюдении всех условий и может быть рекомендован для рутинных клинических анализов МДА в плазме и слюне

High Resolution Ketone Measuring Method using Enzyme Reactions and Electrical Chemical Analysis

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is caused by the pancreas insufficient produce of insulin or the body cells not responding properly to the blood insulin, which leads to disorder of carbohydrate metabolism. When the body has deficient insulin, tissues cannot take glucose in from blood stream. As an alternative metabolic pathway, burning fatty acids produces ketones (β-hydroxybutyric acid: 3-HB) into bloodstream as well as create energy. Too much concentration of blood ketone body is called ketoacidosis, and it can cause serious disturbance of consciousness, or result in death at the worst case. Therefore it is important to measure blood ketone body concentration and control it. Standard method of measuring blood ketone is venous blood test. Therefore, there is many problems such as 1) difficulty of periodic measurement, 2) risks of infection, 3) pain of injection, 4) waiting time for a measurement result. In this study, we developed a novel enzymatic reactor and H2O2 electrode aiming at the application to measure urine/sweat ketone body non-invasively. To evaluate properties of trial product sensors, we prepared test flow circuit which consisted of continuous flow pump, manual injector, and incubator (30/37°C). Within phosphate buffer solution, different concentration (0.5-113.83 [mM]) of ketone body which mixed in 1.0mL/min of continuous flow path could be detected with high accuracy.

Identification and quantification of antioxidant compounds in cowpea

Dietary antioxidant compounds have been widely studied because of their ability to delay or inhibit oxidative damage, which allows them to play an important role in the prevention of diseases and the promotion of health. The identification and characterization of such compounds are required before their use in humans. This study aimed to identify and quantify antioxidant compounds in the cowpea cultivar, BRS Tumucumaque, and the cowpea strain, Pingo de Ouro 1-2, in view of their potential use in the development of new products with potent antioxidant activity. Here, we report the antioxidant activity and the phenolic compound content of the aforementioned cowpeas. The antioxidant extracts were analyzed by HPLC in a Shimadzu LC-20AT chromatograph model equipped with a manual injector using standard solutions of pure phenolic compounds, including gallic acid, quercetin, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, catechin, and epicatechin. Gallic acid was the phenolic compound with the highest level in both BRS Tumucumaque and Pingo de Ouro 1-2 (45.4 ± 2.66 and 93.4 ± 1.25 mg/100 g, respectively). Moreover, we identified and quantified catechin (5.67 ± 0.34 and 6.48 ± 0.51 mg/100 g, respectively), epicatechin (8.67 ± 0.47 and 2.95 ± 0.17 mg/100 g, respectively), ferulic acid (11.1 ± 1.42 and 13.8 ± 0.55 mg/100 g, respectively), and chlorogenic acid (2.39 ± 0.24 and 0.59 ± 0.28 mg/100 g, respectively). In contrast, caffeic acid was only identified in BRS Tumucumaque and quantified at 27.8 ± 2.99 mg/100 g. We conclude that Vigna unguiculata demonstrates functional potential, as both the strain and the cultivar contain antioxidant compounds that help in disease prevention and health maintenance.

Wound Integrity of 2.0 mm Transconjunctival Single-Plane Sclerocorneal Incision: A Comparison between a Motorized Injector with/without Pause Time and a Manual Injector.

Purpose. To compare the final incision size and wound structure after the intraocular lens implantation from 2.0 mm transconjunctival single-plane sclerocorneal incision (TSSI) between the use of a motorized injector at first speed and the use of a manual injector. Methods. Patients were divided into three groups as follows: Group A, a manual injector, Group B, a motorized injector with 0.5 s pause time, and Group C, a motorized injector without pause time. The change in incision size and anterior segment optical coherence tomography findings of the wound structure were analyzed. Results. 110 eyes were enrolled (Group A: 40, Group B: 30, and Group C: 40). The averaged change in incision size (mm) was 0.08, 0.01, and 0.03 in Groups A, B, and C, respectively (p < 0.001). The incision enlargement in Group A was statistically larger compared with other groups (p < 0.01). Descemet's membrane detachments were seen in 26, 9, and 27 eyes one day after the surgery in Groups A, B, and C, respectively (p = 0.001). The rate of Descemet's membrane detachment in Group B was significantly lower than other groups (p < 0.01). Conclusions. The use of a motorized injector by fastest setting with 0.5 s pause time is the best for less wound damage in 2.0 mm TSSI.

A Portable Liquid Chromatograph with a Battery-operated Compact Electroosmotic Pump and a Microfluidic Chip Device with a Reversed Phase Packed Column.

A compact and lightweight liquid chromatography system is presented with overall dimensions of 26 cm width × 18 cm length × 21 cm height and weight of 2 kg. This system comprises a battery-operated compact electroosmotic pump, a manual injector, a microfluidic chip device containing a packed column and an electrochemical detector, and a USB bus-powered potentiostat. The pumping system was designed for microfluidic-based reversed-phase liquid chromatography in which an electroosmotically generated water stream pushes the mobile phase via a diaphragm for the output. The flow rate ranged from 0 to 10 μL/min and had a high degree of precision. The pumping system operated continuously for over 24 h with dry batteries. The column formed in the microfluidic device was packed with 3-μm ODS particles with a length of 30 mm and a diameter of 0.8 mm. The results presented herein demonstrate the performance of the pumping system and the column using alkylphenols, catecholamine, catechin, and amino acids.

Contrast medium application in pediatric high-pitch cardiovascular CT angiography: Manual or power injection?

BackgroundDual-source CT offers accurate depiction of cardiac structures in children with congenital heart disease. For cardiac CT, optimal enhancement of the cardiovascular structures is essential. There is considerable controversy about the administration of contrast medium (CM) in infants and small children, with either a power injector or a manual (hand) injection. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to compare image quality with power injection of CM (study group) and manual injection (control group). MethodsThirty-four patients (study group, 6.8 ± 9.6 months and control group, 4.6 ± 8.9 months, nonrandomized) underwent dual-source CT angiography of the chest using a prospective electrocardiography-triggered high-pitch spiral mode (pitch, 3.4; 80 kV). In the study group (17 patients), a power injector was used, and in the control group (17 patients, historical group), manual CM injection had been performed. To assess image quality, both subjective and objective parameters were evaluated independently by 2 experienced radiologists. ResultsSubjective overall image quality, signal-to-noise ratio, and contrast-to-noise ratio were significantly higher using power injection compared with manual injection (P < .05). However, depiction of cardiovascular structures did not differ significantly between both groups in all evaluated regions except the superior vena cava and the coronary arteries. ConclusionIn infants and small children with congenital heart disease, both manual and power injector protocols allowed for diagnostic imaging of cardiac and extracardiac structures. However, image quality and vascular attenuation were superior using a power injector.

Elution of Two Separated Peaks after Injection of a Small Sample Volume Using an Autosampler

Two separated peaks were detected when a small volume (approximately less than 0.5 L) of one compound was injected into a HPLC system using an autosampler equipped with a 6-port valve. The origin of the two peaks was found to be injection by an autosampler that sucked the sample solution twice during the injection of each sample. First, the autosampler sucked in a sample solution to fill the needle, and then, after the rotation of the 6-port valve, the autosampler sucked in the sample solution again to fill the injection loop. Because the twice suck generated two separated sample zones in a 6-port valve and these sample zones were injected into the column separately, two separated peaks were observed. The increase in the sample volume induced disappearance of second peak and only one peak was observed. And also the same phenomenon was observed with a manual injector instead of the autosampler even when small volume of sample was injected.

Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Regulates Cdk5 Activity in Primary Sensory Neurons

In addition to many important roles for Cdk5 in brain development and synaptic function, we reported previously that Cdk5 regulates inflammatory pain signaling, partly through phosphorylation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), an important Na(+)/Ca(2+) channel expressed in primary nociceptive afferent nerves. Because TGF-β regulates inflammatory processes and its receptor is expressed in TRPV1-positive afferents, we studied the cross-talk between these two pathways in sensory neurons during experimental peripheral inflammation. We demonstrate that TGF-β1 increases transcription and protein levels of the Cdk5 co-activator p35 through ERK1/2, resulting in an increase in Cdk5 activity in rat B104 neuroblastoma cells. Additionally, TGF-β1 enhances the capsaicin-induced Ca(2+) influx in cultured primary neurons from dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Importantly, Cdk5 activity was reduced in the trigeminal ganglia and DRG of 14-day-old TGF-β1 knock-out mice, resulting in reduced Cdk5-dependent phosphorylation of TRPV1. The decreased Cdk5 activity is associated with attenuated thermal hyperalgesia in TGF-β1 receptor conditional knock-out mice, where TGF-β signaling is significantly reduced in trigeminal ganglia and DRG. Collectively, our results indicate that active cross-talk between the TGF-β and Cdk5 pathways contributes to inflammatory pain signaling.