Mg Of Aluminium Research Articles

Physical-chemical study of the interactions of aluminum(III) ion with fine decomposed peat of Arroio Silva, Santa Catarina, Brazil

The interactions of the fine decomposed peat (FDP) of Arroio Silva, SC, Brazil, with the Al(III) ion were studied. The infrared (IR) spectrum confirmed the presence of the characteristic functional groups of peat. Kinetic studies revealed that, with a high correlation coefficient, the pseudo-second-order model shows a good agreement between the experimental and calculated qe values. This indicates that in the adsorption of Al(III) ion the determining step is a chemical adsorption, involving chelation. The process is described by the Langmuir adsorption model, which is limited to the formation of a monolayer of metallic ions. According to this model, the maximum adsorption capacities at pH 1.0, 2.5 and 4.0 were, respectively, 5.42, 5.89 and 6.09 ​mg of aluminum per gram of peat. The suggested adsorption mechanism involves the complexation of the Al(III) ion with the oxygenated groups present in the peat. The electron microscopy analysis showed a rough and porous surface and the determination of the point of zero charge (PZC) indicates that the interactions of the Al(III) ion with the peat are much stronger than simple electrostatic interactions. The molar amounts of the most important functional groups present and the equilibrium constants of Al(III) ion interactions with these groups were calculated and the distribution curves were obtained. At pH values up to pH ​= ​4.4, the Al(III) ion is preferably coordinated with the phthalic group. At higher pH values several interactions occur, for instance, between: a monohydroxide and the phthalic group, Al(OH)(Pht); a dihydroxide, a phthalic and a catechol group, which predominates at pH values of 4.5 to 8.2, [Al(OH)2(Pht)(Cat)]3-; and a monohydroxide bisphtalic, [Al(OH)(Pht)2]2-, a dihydroxide, a catechol and a salicylate group, [Al(OH)2(Cat)(Sal)]3-, which competes with the aluminate ion, Al(OH)4- . The linear relationship of Stern-Volmer suppression of the fluorescence of the aromatic groups present in the peat with the Al(III) ion confirms the equilibrium results.

First-in-human randomised trial and follow-up study of Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage malaria vaccine BK-SE36 with CpG-ODN(K3)

BackgroundBK-SE36 is blood-stage malaria vaccine candidate that is undergoing clinical trials. Here, the safety and immunogenicity of BK-SE36 with a novel adjuvant, CpG-ODN(K3) (thus, BK-SE36/CpG) was assessed in a phase 1a trial in Japan. MethodsAn investigator-initiated, randomised, single-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation study was conducted at Osaka University Hospital with 26 healthy malaria naïve Japanese male adults. The trial was conducted in two stages: Stage/Group 1, half-dose (n = 7 for BK-SE36/CpG and n = 3 for control) and Stage/Group 2, full-dose (n = 11 for BK-SE36/CpG and n = 5 for control). There were two intramuscular vaccinations 21 days apart for both half-dose (0.5 ml: 50 µg SE36 + 500 µg aluminum + 500 µg K3) and full-dose (1.0 ml: 100 µg SE36 + 1000 µg aluminum + 1000 µg K3). A one-year follow-up was done to monitor changes in autoimmune markers and vaccine-induced antibody response. ResultsBK-SE36/CpG was well tolerated. Vaccination site reactions were similar to those observed with BK-SE36. During the trial and follow-up period, no subject had clinical evidence of autoimmune disease. The full-dose group had significantly higher titres than the half-dose group (Student’s t-test, p = 0.002) at 21 days post-second vaccination. Antibody titres remained above baseline values during 12 months of follow-up. The vaccine induced antibody was mostly composed of IgG1 and IgM, and recognised epitopes close to the polyserine region located in the middle of SE36. ConclusionsBK-SE36/CpG has an acceptable safety profile. Use of CpG-ODN(K3) greatly enhanced immunogenicity in malaria naïve Japanese adults when compared to BK-SE36 alone. The utility of BK-SE36/CpG is currently under evaluation in a malaria endemic setting in West Africa.Trial Registration. JMACCT Clinical Trial Registry JMA-IIA00109.

Scrophularia koraiensis Nakai Attenuates Allergic Airway Inflammation via Suppression of NF-κB and Enhancement of Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling.

Scrophularia koraiensis Nakai (Scrophulariaceae) is a medicinal herb that grows in Korea and which has been widely used to treat fever, edema, neuritis and laryngitis. Hence, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of the ethanol extract (SKE) of S. koraiensis Nakai in an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced mouse model. We injected 20 μg of OVA with 2 mg of aluminum on day 0 and day 14 to induce allergic airway inflammation in six-week-old BALB/c mice, and mice were challenged with 1% OVA by nebulization for 1 h on days 21, 22, and 23. SKE was orally administered at 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg from day 18 to 23, and its effects were compared with those of montelukast treatment. SKE significantly reduced proinflammatory cytokines, inflammatory cell counts, immunoglobulin-E, and airway hyperresponsiveness during the OVA-induced allergic airway inflammation model; it also reduced airway inflammation and mucus production. In addition, SKE reduced the OVA-induced nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) phosphorylation in lung tissues while enhancing nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor (Nrf-2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression. In conclusion, SKE showed the protective effects on OVA-induced allergic airway inflammation via the suppression of NF-κB phosphorylation and the enhancement of the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. These results indicate that SKE is a potential therapeutic agent for allergic airway inflammation.

Production, immunogenicity, stability, and safety of a vaccine against Clostridium perfringens beta toxins.

Background and Aim:The beta toxin is causing the most severe Clostridium perfringens-related diseases. This work was dedicated to developing a vaccine against beta toxin using C. perfringens type C (NCTC 3180).Materials and Methods:The crude toxoid harvest contained 710 limits of flocculation (Lf)/mL. The vaccine was formulated. Each 1 mL of the final vaccine product contained at least 50 Lf/mL of beta toxoids, 0.2 mL 3% aluminum hydroxide gel (equivalent to 5.18 mg of aluminum), <0.001% W/V thiomersal, formaldehyde <0.05% W/V, and ~0.7 mL phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.2). The efficacy of the vaccine was evaluated by potency, stability, and safety tests.Results:The vaccine demonstrated 24.36 IU/mL (standard deviation, ±0.56) and 14.74 IU/mL (±0.36) of neutralizing antibodies in rabbits and cattle, respectively. Indeed, these levels were above the minimum recommended by international protocols since the obtained antibody levels had 2.43- and 1.47-fold increase in both rabbits and cattle, respectively, over the minimum antitoxin level suggested by the United States Department of Agriculture. Interestingly, our formulation was capable of inducing 1.65-fold higher immune responses in rabbits than that stimulated in cattle (65% increase) with a significant difference (p<0.0001). The vaccine was stable up to 30 months. The vaccinated rabbits were suffered from a temporarily slight increase in temperatures in the first 10 h without any significant difference (p>0.05).Conclusion:The research showed a procedure for the manufacturing process of the vaccine against C. perfringens beta toxins with a feasible quantity and the vaccine described here showed to be effective in eliciting levels of neutralizing antibodies higher than required by international standards. In addition, The vaccine was stable up to 30 months. Thus, it may represent an effective and safe for preventing C. perfringens-related diseases in rabbits and cattle, although further studies to prove its efficacy in the field on other farm animals are still needed.

Application of red clover isoflavone extract as an adjuvant in mice.

In the present study, the safety of red clover isoflavone extract (RCIE) and its potential adjuvant effects on the cellular and humoral immune responses to ovalbumin (OVA) were evaluated using an ICR mouse model. On day 1, the mice were first subcutaneously immunized with 100 µg OVA, 100 µg OVA + 200 µg aluminum hydroxide gel (alum) or OVA + 50, 100 or 200 µg RCIE (RCIE + OVA), following which booster immunization was performed on day 15. After 2 weeks, the stimulation of splenocyte proliferation and levels of serum antibodies were measured. No notable stress responses were observed after the initial and booster immunization. Splenocyte proliferation was significantly increased in mice immunized with OVA + 100 µg RCIE (P<0.01). The levels of IgG, IgG1 and IgG2a antibodies in serum were also significantly increased in OVA + RCIE groups compared with the OVA control group (P<0.05). In the OVA + RCIE groups, serum levels of interleukin (IL)-2, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and IL-10 were increased, and the mRNA expression levels of IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, T-bet and GATA-3 were also significantly increased compared with the OVA control group (P<0.05) in splenocytes. In addition, as an adjuvant, RCIE significantly increased the survival rates of mice inoculated with an E. coli vaccine and enhanced the early immune protection against pathogenic E. coli. In conclusion, these findings suggest that RCIE can be used as a safe vaccine adjuvant and supports its use in clinical applications.

Repeat-Dose Toxicity Study of a Lyophilized Recombinant Protective Antigen-Based Anthrax Vaccine Adjuvanted With CpG 7909.

A recombinant protective antigen (rPA) anthrax vaccine candidate (rPA7909) was developed as a next-generation vaccine indicated for postexposure prophylaxis of disease resulting from suspected or confirmed Bacillus anthracis exposure. The lyophilized form of rPA7909-vaccinated candidate contains 75 µg purified rPA, 750 µg aluminum (as Alhydrogel adjuvant), and 250 µg of an immunostimulatory Toll-like receptor 9 agonist oligodeoxynucleotide CpG 7909 in a 0.5 mL phosphate-buffered suspension. General toxicity and local reactogenicity were evaluated in Sprague Dawley rats vaccinated with the full human dose of rPA7909 by intramuscular injection. Animals were immunized on study days 1, 15, and 29. Control groups were administered diluent only or adjuvant control (excipients, CpG 7909, and Alhydrogel adjuvant in diluent) intramuscularly at the same dose volume and according to the same schedule used for rPA7909. Toxicity was assessed based on the results of clinical observations, physical examinations, body weights, injection site reactogenicity, ophthalmology, clinical pathology (hematology, coagulation, and serum chemistry), organ weights, and macroscopic and microscopic pathology evaluation. The immune response to rPA7909 vaccination was confirmed by measuring serum anti-PA immunoglobulin G levels. The rPA7909 vaccine produced no apparent systemic toxicity and only transient reactogenicity at the injection site. The injection site reaction from animals receiving the adjuvant control was very similar to those receiving rPA7909 with respect to the inflammation. The inflammatory response observed in the injection site and the draining lymph nodes was consistent with expected immune stimulation. The overall results indicated a favorable safety profile for rPA7909.

Effects Of Acute Eccentric Exercise On Primary Antibody Responses To Ovalbumin Vaccination In Aged Mice.

Several studies have suggested that acute eccentric exercise can enhance vaccination responses in humans. However, the underlying mechanisms have remained understudied. We have shown that acute eccentric exercise does not improve the antibody responses to ovalbumin (OVA) vaccination in young mice. Thus, we replicated the study in an immunosenescence animal model, where there is reduced vaccine efficacy. PURPOSE: To determine the effects of acute eccentric exercise on the primary antibody response to vaccination in aged mice. METHODS: C57BL/6 male mice, aged 27 months (n=16) were randomized into either eccentric exercise (ECC, n=8) or sedentary (SED, n=8) groups. For the ECC group, mice were exercised at 17m/min at -20% grade for 45 min on a treadmill. SED mice remained in their home cages. All mice were inoculated in the gastrocnemius with 25 μg of OVA and 200 μg aluminum hydroxide (a suboptimal dosage based on titration experiments) in 50 μl sterile saline immediately after the exercise. Blood was collected prior to, and one, two and four weeks after vaccination. ELISA was performed to analyze anti-OVA IgG. At three weeks post exercise, all mice were injected with 100 μg OVA dissolved in 10 μl PBS into the dorsal side of the right ear to determine the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response. The left ear received 10 μl PBS alone as a control. Ear thickness was measured immediately before, 24 h and 48 h after intradermal injection. The measurements were performed in triplicate, where researchers were blinded to treatment. Maximum ear swelling occurred at 24 hours post injection. Results were expressed as the difference between the right and left ear thickness. RESULTS: We found a significant time main effect (p<0.001) indicating a significant increase in anti-OVA IgG at one, two and four weeks relative to pre-immunization. However, there were no significant time x treatment (p=0.652) nor treatment main effects (p=0.764). There was a significant difference between ECC and SED groups in ear DTH at 24 h post injection (p = 0.028), indicating eccentric exercise increased the DTH response. CONCLUSION: Acute eccentric exercise immediately before vaccination improved the DTH (i.e. cell-mediated immune), but not the antibody, response to vaccination in aged mice.

Modeling maternal fetal RSV F vaccine induced antibody transfer in guinea pigs

BackgroundProtection of newborns and young infants against RSV disease via maternal immunization mediated by transplacental transfer of antibodies is under evaluation in third-trimester pregnant women with the RSV recombinant F nanoparticle vaccine (RSV F vaccine). Since the hemichorial placental architecture in guinea pigs and humans is similar, the guinea pig model was employed to assess RSV F vaccine immunogenicity in pregnant sows and to compare RSV-specific maternal antibody levels in their pups. MethodsThirty (30) presumptive pregnant guinea pigs were immunized on gestational day 25 and 46 with placebo (PBS), 30μg RSV F, or 30μg RSV F+400μg aluminum phosphate. Sera at delivery/birth (sows/pups) and 15 and 30 days post-partum (pups) were analyzed for the presence of anti-F IgG, palivizumab-competitive antibody (PCA) and RSV/A microneutralization (MN). ResultsThe rates of pregnancy and stillbirth were similar between controls and vaccinees. The vaccine induced high levels of anti-F IgG, PCA and MN in sows, with the highest levels observed in adjuvanted vaccinees. Placental transfer to pups was proportional to the maternal antibody levels, with concentration effects observed for all immune measures. ConclusionsThe RSV F vaccine was safe and immunogenic in pregnant guinea pigs and supported robust transplacental antibody transfer to their pups. Relative concentration of antibodies in the pups was observed even in the presence of high levels of maternal antibody. Guinea pigs may be an important safety and immunogenicity model for preclinical assessment of candidate vaccines for maternal immunization.

Acute Eccentric or Concentric Exercise Does Not Improve Antibody Responses to Ovalbumin Vaccination in Mice.

Several published reports suggest that acute eccentric exercise can improve vaccination responses in young and old adults, especially if they are sub-optimal (Pascoe et al. Brain Behav Imm, 2014). The mechanisms are unclear but hypothesized to occur due to an inflammation-induced adjuvant effect on the immune response. In order to understand the mechanisms responsible for this effect, verification of this potential beneficial effect needs to be replicated in an animal model. PURPOSE: To determine the effects of acute eccentric or concentric exercise on the antibody response to vaccination in mice. METHODS: Balb/c male mice, aged 6 weeks (n=20) were randomized into one of three groups: concentric exercise (CON, n=7), eccentric exercise (ECC, n=6) or sedentary (SED, n=7). Initially, for the CON group, mice were exercised at 17m/min speed at +5% grade for 60 minutes on a treadmill. No electrical shock was used. The ECC group exercised at the same speed and duration but at -20% grade. After 24 hours, another bout of exercise was repeated. We have shown that this ECC protocol induces muscle damage and local inflammation in mice (Boppart et al, Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, 2011). All mice were intramuscularly inoculated in the gastrocnemius with 25μg (suboptimal dose from prior titration) of ovalbumin (OVA) and 200 μg aluminum hydroxide as adjuvant in 50μl sterile saline immediately after the second bout of exercise. Blood was collected before (pre) and one, two and four weeks after vaccination from the retro-orbital vein. Plasma anti-ovalbumin IgG was determined using ELISA procedures. RESULTS: We found a significant time main effect (p<0.001) indicating a significant increase in anti-OVA IgG at 1, 2 and 4 weeks relative to pre-vaccination. Interestingly, we found a significant time x treatment interaction (p=0.04) and a trend towards a treatment main effect (p=0.08) indicating that ECC exercise responses were blunted when compared to CON and SED, especially at the 4 week time point. CONCLUSION: We conclude, given the parameters of our study, that acute ECC or CON exercise does not improve antibody responses to vaccination in young mice when administered immediately after exercise. Future experiments will address whether acute exercise can improve vaccine responses in animals exhibiting impaired immunity (e.g. aged).

Decennial administration in young adults of a reduced-antigen content diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis vaccine containing two different concentrations of aluminium

BackgroundRegular booster vaccination might be necessary throughout life to protect against pertussis infection. Nevertheless the duration of protection after booster vaccination remains unclear. In this study, antibody persistence up to 10 years after previous vaccination of adolescents (N=478) with combined reduced-antigen-content diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis vaccine (dTpa, Boostrix™, GlaxoSmithKline Belgium) containing 0.5mg, 0.3mg or 0.133mg of aluminium was assessed. The immunogenicity, reactogenicity and safety of a decennial booster dTpa dose were also investigated. MethodsYoung adults vaccinated as adolescents in the initial booster study were invited to participate in an assessment of antibody persistence at years 8.5 and 10, and to receive a dTpa booster dose at year 10 with immunogenicity assessment one month later. Those who originally received the 0.5mg or 0.3mg formulations received the same vaccine at year 10. Those in the 0.133mg group received the 0.5mg formulation. Reactogenicity and safety endpoints were captured until 30 days after booster vaccination. ResultsPrior to the decennial booster at year 8.5 and year 10, all participants had seroprotective antibodies for diphtheria (ELISA or neutralisation assay) and tetanus. At least 77.8% were seropositive for anti-pertussis toxin (PT) antibodies at year 8.5 and 82.8% at year 10. All participants were seropositive for antibodies for filamentous haemagglutinin and pertactin at both time points. The decennial booster dose induced robust increases in antibody GMCs to all antigens. The post-booster anti-PT geometric mean concentration was 82.5EL.U/ml (95%CI 67.0–101.6) and 124.0 (103.5–148.5) in the 0.3mg and 0.5mg groups, respectively. The reactogenicity and safety profile of the decennial booster dose was consistent with the known safety profile of dTpa. No serious adverse events were reported. ConclusionsDecennial booster vaccination with either of the two licensed formulations of dTpa was highly immunogenic and well tolerated in young adults. Either formulation could be confidently used as a decennial booster.This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.govNCT01147900

Determination of cadmium in biodiesel using microemulsion and electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry.

This work aimed to prepare biodiesel microemulsions for the subsequent quantification of cadmium via graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). The biodiesel samples were prepared using n-propanol as an emulsifier, 10% (v/v) nitric acid as the aqueous phase, and biodiesel. Pseudoternary phase diagrams were constructed to determine the microemulsion region with the specified components. The optimized conditions for microemulsion formation were 57.6% (v/v) n-propanol, 21.2% (v/v) biodiesel, and 21.2% (v/v) nitric acid solution. The stability of the microemulsified system was investigated using aqueous and organic standards, and the system was found to be stable for at least 240 min. The applied pyrolysis and atomization temperatures were 800 and 2000 °C, respectively, and 5 μg of aluminum was used as the chemical modifier. The obtained limits of detection and quantification were 0.2 and 0.5 μg kg(-1), respectively, and the characteristic mass was 1.6 pg. The precision, expressed as the relative standard deviation (% R.S.D., n = 10), was 2.5% for a sample with a cadmium concentration of 6.5 μg kg(-1). The accuracy was determined from addition and recovery experiments, with results varying from 93 to 108% recovery. This study demonstrates that the proposed method based on the use of a microemulsion formation in sample preparation can be applied as an efficient alternative for the determination of cadmium in biodiesel by GFAAS. Cadmium determination in biodiesel samples of different origins (soybean, corn, cotton, and sunflower) was evaluated after acid digestion using the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique, and the obtained results were compared to the results obtained using the proposed method. The paired t test (95% confidence level) did not show significant differences. The concentrations of cadmium found ranged from 5.3 to 8.0 μg kg(-1).

Determination of aluminum in botanical samples by adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry as Al-8-hydroxyquinoline complex

A fast and sensitive new procedure for the determination of total aluminum by adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (AdCSV) in plant samples consumed for dietary and/or medicinal purposes was described. The Al(III)-8-hydroxyquinoline (Al-8HQ) complex was adsorbed on a hanging mercury dropping electrode (HMDE) at 0.300V versus Ag/AgCl electrode during a 30s accumulation time. An electrochemical cell containing 0.024molL−1 ammonia–ammonium acetate buffer (pH6.80) as supporting electrolyte and 7.43mgL−1 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) as ligand for aluminum were employed. A linear response was observed over the 8.54×10−8 to 2.35×10−7molL−1 range with a limit of detection (LOD) of 8.54×10−8molL−1 and a relative standard deviation (RSD; n=3) of 1.86% for 8.54×10−8molL−1 aluminum solution. Aluminum contents in green tea (Camellia sinensis), carqueja (Baccharis genistelloides), cascara sagrada (Rhamnus purshiana) and senna (Cassia acutifolia) were 502.5±14.1, 195.6±21.0, 309.1±11.7, 205.6±16.1μg aluminum per g of dry tea, respectively. The accuracy of the developed method was evaluated by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) and all of the results were similar. It indicates that AdCSV could be efficiently applied in the determination of aluminum as 8-HQ complex in real food samples.

A polysaccharide isolated from Agaricus blazei Murill (ABP-AW1) as a potential Th1 immunity-stimulating adjuvant

In the present study, a low molecular weight polysaccharide, ABP-AW1, isolated from Agaricus blazei Murill was assessed for its potential adjuvant activity. ABP-AW1 is considered to create a ‘depot’ of antigen at a subcutaneous injection site. ICR mice were immunized with 100 μg ovalbumin (OVA) alone or with 100 μg OVA formulated in 0.9% saline containing 200 μg aluminum (alum) or ABP-AW1 (50, 100 and 200 μg) on days 1 and 15. Two weeks after the secondary immunization, splenocyte proliferation, the expression of surface markers, cytokine production and the OVA-specific antibody levels in the serum were determined. The OVA/ABP-AW1 vaccine, in comparison with OVA alone, markedly increased the proliferation of splenic lymphocytes and elicited greater antigen-specific CD4+ T cell activation, as determined by splenic CD4+CD69+ T cells and Th1 cytokine interferon (IFN)-γ release. The combination of ABP-AW1 and OVA also enhanced IgG2b antibody responses to OVA. In conclusion, these data indicated that ABP-AW1 significantly enhanced the humoral and cellular immune responses against OVA in the mice, suggesting that ABP-AW1 stimulated Th1-type immunity. We suggest that ABP-AW1 may serve as a new adjuvant.

DIFFERENCES IN ALUMINIUM CONTENT OF VARIOUS TEA POWDERS (BLACK, GREEN, HERBAL, FRUIT) AND TEA INFUSIONS

Trace elements play an important role in human health. Some trace elements are essential, but some are harmful – especially in higher concentrations. Aluminum is not considered as an essential element for human beings, but has, in contrary, been correlated with various human pathologies for example Dementia, Parkinson and Alzheimer disease. Its uptake is mainly via food products for example tea, in the form of a food additive or via coming in contact with aluminium containing devices used during food processing and storage. The permissible daily dose for an adult is 60 mg of aluminium. Although no limit concentration for aluminium is given in the Codex Alimentarius Austriacus, the determination of the aluminium content in food and beverages is of great concern. In this study, different kinds of tea (black tea, green tea, fruit tea and herbal tea) were analyzed for their aluminium contents. The powders were brought into solution with a microwave assisted digestion unit at temperatures up to 220°C with diluted nitric acid as digestion medium. Furthermore, the aluminium concentrations have been determined in freshly prepared tea infusions in order to examine the extractable amount. The aluminium content in all solutions has been determined with ICP-OES (inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy). Statistically significant differences between the different kinds of tea could be found, whereas the real tea types (green and black tea) contain more aluminium than fruit or herbal teas. The mean values of total concentrations of aluminium found were (0.91 ± 0.31) g/kg for green tea, (0.76 ± 0.38) g/kg for black tea, (0.23 ± 0.09) g/kg for herbal tea and (0.22 ± 0.08) g/kg for fruit tea. For the tea infusions (4.33 ± 0.35) mg/L for green tea, 4.40 mg/L for black tea, 0.52 mg/L for herbal tea and (0.12 ± 0.02) mg/L for fruit tea. These results are in good agreement with literature data.

The Madin-Darby canine kidney cell culture derived influenza A/H5N1 vaccine: A Phase I trial in Taiwan

Avian H5N1 influenza has caused human infections globally and has a high mortality rate. Rapid production of effective vaccines is needed. A phase 1, randomized, observer-blinded clinical trial was conducted to examine the safety and immunogenicity of an inactivated whole virion vaccine against the influenza A/H5N1 virus produced from the Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell line. Participants were randomized to four groups and administered two intramuscular doses of vaccine containing 3 μg hemagglutinin (HA), 3 μg HA with 300 μg aluminum phosphate (AlPO4), 6 μg HA, and 6 μg HA with 300 μg AlPO4, respectively, at two visits, 21 days apart. Serum hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) and neutralizing antibody levels were determined at baseline and on Days 21 and 42. Sixty healthy individuals were enrolled. The neutralization assay showed a significant immune response in the 6 μg with ALPO4 group on Day 42 compared to pre-vaccination levels (11.32±9.77 vs. 4.00±0, p=0.02). The adjuvant effect in neutralization assay was also significant on Day 42 in the 6 μg group (4.52±1.94 without adjuvant vs. 11.32±9.77 with adjuvant, p=0.02). HAI assay also showed an aluminum adjuvant-induced increasing trend in HAI geometric mean titer on Day 42 in the 3 μg and 6 μg groups (6.02 versus 8.20, p=0.05 and 5.74 versus 8.21, p=0.14). The most frequent adverse event was local pain (20% to 60%). There were no vaccine-related severe adverse effects. MDCK cell line-derived H5N1 vaccine was well tolerated. It is necessary to investigate further the immunogenicity of higher antigen doses and the role of aluminum adjuvant in augmenting the effect of the vaccine.

Safety and immunogenicity of an inactivated whole virus Vero cell-derived Ross River virus vaccine: A randomized trial

Ross River virus (RRV) is endemic in Australia and several South Pacific Islands. Approximately 5000 cases of RRV disease, which is characterized by debilitating polyarthritis, are recorded each year in Australia. This study describes the first clinical trial of a candidate RRV vaccine. An inactivated whole-virus Vero cell-derived RRV vaccine was tested in 382 healthy, RRV-naïve adults in a phase 1/2 dose-escalation study at ten sites in Austria, Belgium and The Netherlands. Subjects were equally randomized to receive 1.25 μg, 2.5 μg, 5 μg, or 10 μg aluminum hydroxide-adjuvanted or non-adjuvanted RRV vaccine, with a second dose after three weeks and a booster at six months. Vaccine immunogenicity was determined by measurements of serum IgG and neutralizing antibody titers. Vaccine tolerability and safety were monitored over the entire study period. The optimal vaccine formulation was the adjuvanted 2.5 μg dose, as calculated using a repeated mixed model analysis of covariance comparing log-transformed RRV-specific IgG titers between different dose groups. Geometric means of RRV-specific serum antibodies measured 21 days after the third vaccination with the 2.5 μg adjuvanted formulation were 520.9 (90% CI 377.2-719.4) as determined by IgG ELISA and 119.9 (82.6-173.9) as determined by virus neutralization assay, resulting in seropositivity rates of 92.9% (82.6-98.0) and 92.7% (82.2-98.0), respectively. All vaccine formulations and doses were well tolerated after the first, second and third vaccination. The adjuvanted, inactivated whole-virus Vero cell-derived Ross River virus vaccine is highly immunogenic in RRV-naïve adults and well tolerated at all dose levels.

Pyrocatechol Violet in new optical methods for determining aluminum

The complexation of aluminum with Pyrocatechol Violet in the absence or presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide was studied; the stoichiometry and chemical analytical properties of the complexes obtained were determined. The optimal conditions (pH and equilibration time) for the preconcentration of aluminum as its complex on Silochrome S-120 and an AV-17 anion-exchanger were found. Concentration factors were at least 67 at a liquid phase volume of 20 mL. Calibration curves were constructed for determining 0.02–0.10 μg of aluminum in the phase of adsorbent by diffuse reflection spectrometry and chromaticity measurements.

Extraction spectrophotometric determination of aluminum in dialysis concentrates with 3,5-ditertbutylsalicylfluorone and ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-trimethylsilylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate

The paper describes a highly sensitive and selective extraction spectrophotometric method for determination of aluminum in dialysis concentrates with new reagent 3,5-ditertbutylsalicylfluorone abbreviated as DTBSF, in which the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-trimethylsilylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate abbreviated as [C 4tmsim][PF 6] was used as novel medium for liquid/liquid extraction of aluminum(III). Under optimal condition, DTBSF reacted with aluminum(III) to form a neutral Al–DTBSF complex rapidly, the complex was then extracted into the [C 4tmsim][PF 6] phase, the absorbance of the complex in ionic liquid at 542 nm was recorded and used to determine aluminum(III). The apparent molar absorptivity of the complex and detection limit were found to be 3.52 × 10 6 l mol −1 cm −1 and 0.06 μg/l, respectively. The absorbance of the complex at 542 nm increases linearly with the concentration of aluminum(III) up to 3 μg of aluminum(III) in 250 ml of aqueous solution. The interference study show the determination of aluminum is free from interferences of almost all positive and negative ions found in dialysis concentrate samples. The determination of aluminum in dialysis concentrates were carried out by the present method and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (GTAAS). The results were satisfactorily comparable so that the applicability of the proposed method with the ionic liquid system was also investigated. Moreover, the synthesis of and conditions for the formation and extraction of Al–DTBSF complex were investigated as well.

Adsorption of aluminium from wastewater by chitin and chitosan produced from silkworm chrysalides

AbstractChitin, extracted from silkworm chrysalides, was employed for the production of a high‐purity and porous chitosan, as observed by scanning electron microscopy. Chitin and the chitosan produced from it were also analysed using 13C NMR spectroscopy to show the efficiency of deacetylation. The extracted chitin was investigated as an adsorbent material for aluminium removal from textile wastewater, by the column chromatographic method. After the treatment, the residual aluminium was lower than the limitation criterion of 0.2 mg L−1. The isotherms of adsorption on chitin and chitosan surfaces were investigated and the best fits were observed using the Freundlich isotherm. At pH 5.0, the maximum adsorption capacity was 21.3 mg of aluminium per gram of chitosan over 70 h of experiments. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry

Spectrophotometric Determination of Aluminum with m-Carboxyphenylfluorone, a Novel Chemical Probe, and Its Application

A highly spectrophotometric method for the determination of aluminum was developed. This method used the color reaction between m-carboxyphenylfluorone (MCPF) as a novel chemical probe and aluminum in the presence of a surfactant, poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP, K-90) (0.03 - 1.40 microg of aluminum in a final volume of 10 ml at 561 nm). The proposed method showed excellent sensitivity (molar absorptibity of 1.70 x 10(5) l mol(-1) cm(-1)) and reproducibility (within-day precision: RSD = 0.35% n = 6, between-day precision: RSD = 0.44% n = 6). Linearity was achieved over the range 3 - 140 microg L(-1) with a correlation coefficient of 0.9999, and the effects of foreign substances were low.