Non-enriched Samples Research Articles

Development of edible nanoemulsions containing vitamin E using a low-energy method: Evaluation of particle size and physicochemical properties for food and beverage applications

Pasta, a globally popular dish, serves as a complete meal around the world. This research aims to improve the nutritional value of pasta by enriching it with vitamin E. Firstly, vitamin E and sesame oil were mixed in different ratios (1:10, 1:5, 10:10) and dissolved in an aqueous medium at 50 °C with different concentrations of Tween 80 (10 %, 20 %, 30 %). Coarse emulsions were formed by gradual addition of the oil phase to the aqueous phase, followed by equilibration using an Ultratrax mixer at 15,000 rpm for 5 min. The target nanoemulsions were then produced using an ultrasonic system. After 30 days of storage, the most stable nanoemulsions containing 10 % Tween 80 and a 1:10 ratio of vitamin E to sesame oil showed minimal changes. In addition, nanoemulsions with 10 % Tween 80 and a 10:10 ratio of vitamin E to sesame oil showed less turbidity than those with 20 % and 30 % Tween 80. Evaluation of enriched pasta for physical, chemical and sensory properties compared to non-enriched samples showed no significant differences in properties such as pH, ash, total solids, texture and colour characteristics (P < 0.05). Enriched pasta samples showed an increase in moisture content of 0.94 % and a decrease in weight loss of 2.13 % compared to the control, with improved brightness (L) and yellowness (b) due to the addition of nanoemulsion. Sensory evaluation showed higher scores for pasta samples enriched with nanoemulsions containing vitamin E compared to control samples. This pioneering study introduces nanoemulsion technology to improve the nutritional profile of pasta by enriching it with vitamin E. The research demonstrates the successful formulation of stable nanoemulsions and their positive effects on pasta properties, suggesting promising avenues for improving public health through innovative pasta enrichment methods.

PEI-Mediated Assembly of Fe3O4 onto SiO2-Encapsulated CsPbBr3 for Highly Sensitive Fluorescent Lateral Flow Immunoassay.

The conventional lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) method using colloidal gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) as labeling agents faces two inherent limitations, including restricted sensitivity and poor quantitative capability, which impede early viral infection detection. Herein, we designed and synthesized CsPbBr3 perovskite quantum dot-based composite nanoparticles, CsPbBr3@SiO2@Fe3O4 (CSF), which integrated fluorescence detection and magnetic enrichment properties into LFIA technology and achieved rapid, sensitive, and convenient quantitative detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus N protein. In this study, CsPbBr3 served as a high-quantum-yield fluorescent signaling probe, while SiO2 significantly enhanced the stability and biomodifiability of CsPbBr3. Importantly, the SiO2 shell shows relatively low absorption or scattering toward fluorescence, maintaining a quantum yield of up to 74.4% in CsPbBr3@SiO2. Assembly of Fe3O4 nanoparticles mediated by PEI further enhanced the method's sensitivity and reduced matrix interference through magnetic enrichment. Consequently, the method achieved a fluorescent detection range of 1 × 102 to 5 × 106 pg·mL-1 after magnetic enrichment, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 58.8 pg·mL-1, representing a 13.3-fold improvement compared to nonenriched samples (7.58 × 102 pg·mL-1) and a 2-orders-of-magnitude improvement over commercial colloidal gold kits. Furthermore, the method exhibited 80% positive and 100% negative detection rates in clinical samples. This approach holds promise for on-site diagnosis, home-based quantitative tests, and disease procession evaluation.

A target enrichment approach for enhanced recovery of Synchytrium endobioticum nuclear genome sequences.

Potato wart disease is caused by the obligate fungal pathogen Synchytrium endobioticum. DNA extraction from compost, purified spores and crude wart tissue derived from tuber galls of infected potatoes often results in low S. endobioticum DNA concentration or highly contaminated with DNA coming from other microorganisms and the potato host. Therefore, Illumina sequencing of these samples generally results in suboptimal recovery of the nuclear genome sequences of S. endobioticum. A hybridization-based target enrichment protocol was developed to strongly enhance the recovery of S. endobioticum DNA while off-target organisms DNA remains uncaptured. The design strategy involved creating a set of 180,000 molecular baits targeting both gene and non-gene regions of S. endobioticum. The baits were applied to whole genome amplified DNA samples of various S. endobioticum pathotypes (races) in compost, from purified spores and crude wart tissue samples. This was followed by Illumina sequencing and bioinformatic analyses. Compared to non-enriched samples, target enriched samples: 1) showed a significant increase in the proportion of sequenced bases mapped to the S. endobioticum nuclear genome, especially for crude wart tissue samples; 2) yielded sequencing data with higher and better nuclear genome coverage; 3) biased genome assembly towards S. endobioticum sequences, yielding smaller assembly sizes but higher representation of putative S. endobioticum contigs; 4) showed an increase in the number of S. endobioticum genes detected in the genome assemblies. Our hybridization-based target enrichment protocol offers a valuable tool for enhancing genome sequencing and NGS-based molecular detection of S. endobioticum, especially in difficult samples.

Impact of Soy Enrichment on Physico-Chemical, In-Vitro Protein and Starch Digestibility, Vitamin, Antioxidant and Sensory Properties of “Lafun” Flour

The study evaluated the physico-chemical, in-vitro protein and starch digestibility, vitamin and antioxidant properties of soy-enriched “lafun” flours as well as the quality acceptability of the reconstituted dough meal from the flours through sensory evaluation. “Lafun”’ was enriched with soy protein supplements (curd or residue at 10%) during the mashing before drying (wet-mix method) followed by thorough mixing to ensure uniform distribution of the soy curd and residue. The total titratable acidity of the flours ranged from 0.65 – 0.86% and pH ranged from 3.43 – 4.07. While enrichment increased the in-vitro protein digestibility from 8.70 to 71.20%, an inversely correlated observation was obtained for the in-vitro starch digestibility which ranged between 45.55 and 71.20. Enrichment also increased the vitamin (B-vitamins) as well as the antioxidant properties of the flour. While this study showed the possibility of enriching cassava flour (“Lafun”) with soy curd or residue, the quality acceptability result revealed higher preference for the non-enriched samples.

Oxonium ion scanning mass spectrometry for large-scale plasma glycoproteomics

Protein glycosylation, a complex and heterogeneous post-translational modification that is frequently dysregulated in disease, has been difficult to analyse at scale. Here we report a data-independent acquisition technique for the large-scale mass-spectrometric quantification of glycopeptides in plasma samples. The technique, which we named ‘OxoScan-MS’, identifies oxonium ions as glycopeptide fragments and exploits a sliding-quadrupole dimension to generate comprehensive and untargeted oxonium ion maps of precursor masses assigned to fragment ions from non-enriched plasma samples. By applying OxoScan-MS to quantify 1,002 glycopeptide features in the plasma glycoproteomes from patients with COVID-19 and healthy controls, we found that severe COVID-19 induces differential glycosylation in IgA, haptoglobin, transferrin and other disease-relevant plasma glycoproteins. OxoScan-MS may allow for the quantitative mapping of glycoproteomes at the scale of hundreds to thousands of samples.

Color of extra virgin olive oils enriched with carotenoids from microalgae: influence of ultraviolet exposure and heating

A carotenoid-rich extract containing 2.5 mg/mL of lutein and 3.3 mg/mL of β-carotene from the microalga Scenedesmus almeriensis was added to ten extra virgin olive oils from four Spanish cultivars with differing degrees of ripeness, obtaining carotenoid enriched oils with lutein and β-carotene concentrations of 0.082 and 0.11 mg/mL, respectively. Extra virgin olive oils enriched with carotenoids from microalgae were studied by analyzing the effect on color of three different treatments: ultraviolet exposure, microwave heating and immersion bath heating. The methodology was designed to simulate, in controlled laboratory conditions, the effects of household treatments. Spectrophotometric color measurements were then performed to monitor color changes in the enriched and non-enriched extra virgin olive oil samples. Enriched oils are much more chromatic, darker and redder than natural oils. After 55 days UV irradiation, 40 min microwave heating, and 72 hours thermostatic heating, the average color differences for natural/enriched extra virgin olive oils were 98/117, 15/9 and 57/28 CIELAB units, respectively. In general, increasing temperature and ultraviolet exposure produced higher CIELAB color differences in the non-enriched samples. The addition of microalga extracts to extra virgin olive oils was found to induce some color stability and may constitute a future way of increasing the daily intake of beneficial bioactive compounds such as carotenoids.

PM 7/20 (3) Erwinia amylovora

PM 7/20 (3) <i>Erwinia amylovora</i>

High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography-Immunostaining as a Technique for the Characterization of Whey Protein Enrichment in Edam Cheese.

Whey protein-enriched cheese can be produced by means of a high-temperature treatment of a part of the cheese milk. In this way, the nutritional quality of the resulting cheeses can be increased while resources are conserved. High-performance thin-layer chromatography-immunostaining (HPTLC-IS) using specific β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) antibodies was applied to study the implementation and stability of β-LG in two different sample sets of whey protein-enriched Edam model cheeses, including industrial-scale ones. Two methods were compared for the extraction of the proteins/peptides from the cheese samples. By applying tryptic hydrolysis directly from a suspended cheese sample instead of a supernatant of a centrifuged suspension, a better yield was obtained for the extraction of β-LG. When applying this method, it was found that selected epitopes in the tryptic β-LG peptides remain stable over the ripening period of the cheese. For four of the tryptic β-LG peptides detected by immunostaining, the amino acid sequence was identified using MALDI-TOF-MS/MS. One of the peptides identified was the semi-tryptic peptide VYVEELKPTP. A linear relationship was found between the content of this peptide in cheese and the proportion of high-heated milk in the cheese milk. β-LG enrichment factors of 1.72 (n = 3, sample set I) and 1.33 ± 0.19 (n = 1, sample set II) were determined for the cheese samples containing 30% high-heated milk compared to the non-enriched samples. The relative β-LG contents in the cheese samples with 30% high-heated milk were calculated to be 4.35% ± 0.39% (sample set I) and 9.11% ± 0.29% (sample set II) using a one-point calibration. It can be concluded that the HPTLC-IS method used is a suitable tool for the analysis of whey protein accumulation in cheese, being therefore potentially directly applicable on an industrial scale. For more accurate quantification of the whey protein content in cheese, an enhanced calibration curve needs to be applied.

Reinspection of a Clinical Proteomics Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) Dataset with Cloud Computing Reveals Abundant Post-Translational Modifications and Protein Sequence Variants.

Simple SummaryWe reanalyzed a publicly available breast cancer proteomics dataset consisting of 122 human tumor samples using a scalable cloud computing workflow. By doing so, we were able to search these files against millions of known human sequence variants and hundreds of common post-translational protein modifications, thereby demonstrating the power of cloud computing to address proteomic data in a true biological context. We identified thousands of relevant sequence variants and PTMs, indicating that the original studies may have only scratched the surface of the true value of the CPTAC studies completed to date. We present the results of this reanalysis in a searchable web interface for community analysis and validation.The Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) has provided some of the most in-depth analyses of the phenotypes of human tumors ever constructed. Today, the majority of proteomic data analysis is still performed using software housed on desktop computers which limits the number of sequence variants and post-translational modifications that can be considered. The original CPTAC studies limited the search for PTMs to only samples that were chemically enriched for those modified peptides. Similarly, the only sequence variants considered were those with strong evidence at the exon or transcript level. In this multi-institutional collaborative reanalysis, we utilized unbiased protein databases containing millions of human sequence variants in conjunction with hundreds of common post-translational modifications. Using these tools, we identified tens of thousands of high-confidence PTMs and sequence variants. We identified 4132 phosphorylated peptides in nonenriched samples, 93% of which were confirmed in the samples which were chemically enriched for phosphopeptides. In addition, our results also cover 90% of the high-confidence variants reported by the original proteogenomics study, without the need for sample specific next-generation sequencing. Finally, we report fivefold more somatic and germline variants that have an independent evidence at the peptide level, including mutations in ERRB2 and BCAS1. In this reanalysis of CPTAC proteomic data with cloud computing, we present an openly available and searchable web resource of the highest-coverage proteomic profiling of human tumors described to date.

Neutron-induced point defects and luminescence properties of enriched Zn82Se crystals

Enriched Zn82Se is a very promising material for the detection of the neutrionoless double beta decay. The 82Se isotope acts as the source of the decay, and ZnSe detects the scintillation and bolometric events. Due to the high cost in the preparation of the Zn82Se material, the optimization of its properties, especially those related to the scintillation process, is mandatory. It is well known that excellent scintillation efficiency in ZnSe is obtained when the material presents close donor–acceptor pairs, as, for example, the A-centers. In this work, neutron irradiation was used to study formation of point defects in enriched and non-enriched ZnSe samples. Applying instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy, the enrichment of Zn82Se samples was determined to ∼95%, in addition, trace impurities such as Cu, I, and Na were quantified by INAA at the μg/g level. Based on electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and photo-EPR measurements, we show that irradiation with fast neutrons induced point defects such as the isolated zinc vacancy (VZn) and a new low-symmetric donor center called NC1, which we tentatively assign to Zn di-interstitials. Low-temperature photoluminescence measurements of the neutron-irradiated Zn82Se revealed three broad PL bands centered in the visible spectral range. Based on the INAA analysis shown in this work, we attribute the previously unidentified 540 nm PL band in the Zn82Se sample to recombination between shallow donors and deep copper acceptors. The formation of point defects by neutron irradiation and their stability are discussed.

Viability and Infectivity of Plasmodium vivax Gametocytes in Short-Term Culture.

The control and elimination of malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax both represent a great challenge due to the biological aspects of the species. Gametocytes are the forms responsible for the transmission of the parasite to the vector and the search for new strategies for blocking transmission are essential in a scenario of control and elimination The challenges in this search in regard to P. vivax mainly stem from the lack of a long-term culture and the limitation of studies of gametocytes. This study evaluated the viability and infectivity of P. vivax gametocytes in short-term culture. The samples enriched in gametocytes using Percoll (i), using magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS®) (ii), and using non-enriched samples (iii) were evaluated. After the procedures, gametocytes were cultured in IMDM medium for up to 48 h. Cultured P. vivax gametocytes were viable and infectious for up to 48 h, however differences in viability and infectivity were observed in the samples after 12 h of culture in relation to 0 h. Percoll-enriched samples were shown to be viable in culture for longer intervals than those purified using MACS®. Gametocyte viability after enrichment procedures and short-term culture may provide new avenues in the development of methods for evaluating P. vivax TB.

Bioenrichment using Satureja montana L. essential oil for the prevention against photooxidation of flavored extra virgin olive oil during light display

Background: In response to consumer demand for novel and healthy foods, the presence in the market of olive oils (OOs) flavored with different plants, spices, herbs or fruits is increasingly common. All these flavoring agents have been used over the years due to its content in compounds with biological activities. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of the addition of S. montana EO at 100 ppm (0.01%, v/v), known for its high content of bioactive compounds, good flavor, and aroma in improving oxidative stability and quality profile of EVOO subjected to conditions causing accelerated oxidation (Light storage at 900 lux). Materials and methods: The S. montana EO chemical components were identified using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Enriched and non-enriched EVOO samples were examined as function of time (30, 60 and 9 days) of display for different quality indices. Results: Using GC/MS analysis of S. montana EO: thymol (28.36%), carvacrol (17.45%), p-cymene (10.91%), trans-caryophyllene (5.54%), ɤ-terpinene (5.03%) and geraniol (4.50%) were identified. The results highlighted that the enrichment with S. montana EO led to lower values of lipid oxidation indicators (K232, K270, peroxide value) and higher concentration of antioxidants (total phenols and pigments). In sum, the use of bioenrichment methods could be a sustainable solution for the promotion of the quality characteristics of EVOO in Algeria. ​Keywords: Bioenrichment, Satureja montana L., Essential oil, Extra virgin olive oil, Display, Quality stability.

Bioenrichissement de l’huile d’olive extra vierge aromatisée avec de l’huile essentielle de Satureja montana L. pour la prévention contre la photooxydation durant la vente au détail ​

Background: In response to consumer demand for novel and healthy foods, the presence in the market of olive oils (OOs) flavored with different plants, spices, herbs or fruits is increasingly common. All these flavoring agents have been used over the years due to their content in compounds with biological activities. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of the addition of S. montana EO at 100 ppm (0.01%, v/v), known for its high content of bioactive compounds, good flavor, and aroma in improving oxidative stability and quality profile of EVOO subjected to conditions causing accelerated oxidation (Light storage at 900 lux). Materials and methods: The S. montana EO chemical components were identified using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Enriched and non-enriched EVOO samples were examined as function of time (30, 60 and 90 days) of display for different quality indices. Results: Using GC/MS analysis of S. montana EO: thymol (28.36%), carvacrol (17.45%), p-cymene (10.91%), trans-caryophyllene (5.54%), ɤ-terpinene (5.03%) and geraniol (4.50%) were identified. The results highlighted that the enrichment with S. montana EO led to lower values of lipid oxidation indicators (K232, K270, peroxide value) and higher concentration of antioxidants (total phenols and pigments). In sum, the use of bioenrichment methods could be a sustainable solution for the promotion of the quality characteristics of EVOO in Algeria. Keywords: Bioenrichment, Satureja montana L., Essential oil, Extra virgin olive oil, Display, Quality stability.

Ultrasensitive DNA Immune Repertoire Sequencing Using Unique Molecular Identifiers.

Immune repertoire sequencing of the T-cell receptor can identify clonotypes that have expanded as a result of antigen recognition or hematological malignancies. However, current sequencing protocols display limitations with nonuniform amplification and polymerase-induced errors during sequencing. Here, we developed a sequencing method that overcame these issues and applied it to γδ T cells, a cell type that plays a unique role in immunity, autoimmunity, homeostasis of intestine, skin, adipose tissue, and cancer biology. The ultrasensitive immune repertoire sequencing method used PCR-introduced unique molecular identifiers. We constructed a 32-panel assay that captured the full diversity of the recombined T-cell receptor delta loci in γδ T cells. The protocol was validated on synthetic reference molecules and blood samples of healthy individuals. The 32-panel assay displayed wide dynamic range, high reproducibility, and analytical sensitivity with single-nucleotide resolution. The method corrected for sequencing-depended quantification bias and polymerase-induced errors and could be applied to both enriched and nonenriched cells. Healthy donors displayed oligoclonal expansion of γδ T cells and similar frequencies of clonotypes were detected in both enrichment and nonenriched samples. Ultrasensitive immune repertoire sequencing strategy enables quantification of individual and specific clonotypes in a background that can be applied to clinical as well as basic application areas. Our approach is simple, flexible, and can easily be implemented in any molecular laboratory.

Cholesterol-dependent enrichment of understudied erythrocytic stages of human Plasmodium parasites

For intracellular pathogens, the host cell provides needed protection and nutrients. A major challenge of intracellular parasite research is collection of high parasite numbers separated from host contamination. This situation is exemplified by the malaria parasite, which spends a substantial part of its life cycle inside erythrocytes as rings, trophozoites, and schizonts, before egress and reinvasion. Erythrocytic Plasmodium parasite forms refractory to enrichment remain understudied due to high host contamination relative to low parasite numbers. Here, we present a method for separating all stages of Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes through lysis and removal of uninfected erythrocytes. The Streptolysin O-Percoll (SLOPE) method is effective on previously inaccessible forms, including circulating rings from malaria-infected patients and artemisinin-induced quiescent parasites. SLOPE can be used on multiple parasite species, under multiple media formulations, and lacks measurable impacts on parasite viability. We demonstrate erythrocyte membrane cholesterol levels modulate the preferential lysis of uninfected host cells by SLO, and therefore modulate the effectiveness of SLOPE. Targeted metabolomics of SLOPE-enriched ring stage samples confirms parasite-derived metabolites are increased and contaminating host material is reduced compared to non-enriched samples. Due to consumption of cholesterol by other intracellular bacteria and protozoa, SLOPE holds potential for improving research on organisms beyond Plasmodium.

Phosphonormalizer: an R package for normalization of MS-based label-free phosphoproteomics.

Global centering-based normalization is a commonly used normalization approach in mass spectrometry-based label-free proteomics. It scales the peptide abundances to have the same median intensities, based on an assumption that the majority of abundances remain the same across the samples. However, especially in phosphoproteomics, this assumption can introduce bias, as the samples are enriched during sample preparation which can mask the underlying biological changes. To address this possible bias, phosphopeptides quantified in both enriched and non-enriched samples can be used to calculate factors that mitigate the bias. We present an R package phosphonormalizer for normalizing enriched samples in label-free mass spectrometry-based phosphoproteomics. The phosphonormalizer package is freely available under GPL ( > =2) license from Bioconductor (https://bioconductor.org/packages/phosphonormalizer). sohrab.saraei@utu.fi or laura.elo@utu.fi. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Immunomagnetic enrichment of human ILC2 cells from peripheral blood leukopak

Abstract Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) are essential for airway tissue repair, protection against helminth infection, metabolic homeostasis, and the development of allergic airway diseases. They are widely distributed throughout the human body in lung, intestine, palatine tonsils, skin and peripheral blood, but are extremely rare within a given tissue. In healthy individuals, ILC2s comprise 0.01–0.04% of leukocytes in the peripheral blood. Currently, flow cytometric cell (FACS) sorting is the only method to purify ILC2s, which is time-consuming due to their low frequency. We have adapted EasySep™ to pre-enrich ILC2s from peripheral blood leukopaks, and thereby shorten subsequent FACS analysis and sorting times. Non-ILC2 cells in an unprocessed leukopak were immunomagnetically labeled using a cocktail of antibody complexes and magnetic particles. The sample was then placed in a magnet for 10 minutes, the labeled cells were retained, and the unlabeled cells, containing the ILC2 population, were recovered. ILC2s were enriched from 5 x108unprocessed cells in 30 minutes. Enriched cells were counted and evaluated by FACS. ILC2s, defined as lineage negative (CD1a− CD3− CD11c− CD14− CD19− CD34− CD123− TCRαβ− TCRγδ− BDCA2− FcɛR1−), CRTH2+ CD161+CD127+, were enriched 268±167 fold, with 74± 34% recovery (means ± SD, n=7). EasySep™ pre-enrichment of ILC2s reduced subsequent FACS analysis and sorting time compared to non-enriched samples. Importantly, ILC2s enriched with EasySep™ were functional, as shown by production of the type 2 cytokine IL-13 upon stimulation with IL-33 and IL-2. Overall, EasySep™ is a simple and rapid method to pre-enrich ILC2s from leukopak for subsequent FACS analysis or sorting and functional analyses.

Assessment of current mass spectrometric workflows for the quantification of low abundant proteins and phosphorylation sites.

The data described here provide a systematic performance evaluation of popular data-dependent (DDA) and independent (DIA) mass spectrometric (MS) workflows currently used in quantitative proteomics. We assessed the limits of identification, quantification and detection for each method by analyzing a dilution series of 20 unmodified and 10 phosphorylated synthetic heavy labeled reference peptides, respectively, covering six orders of magnitude in peptide concentration with and without a complex human cell digest background. We found that all methods performed very similarly in the absence of background proteins, however, when analyzing whole cell lysates, targeted methods were at least 5–10 times more sensitive than directed or DDA methods. In particular, higher stage fragmentation (MS3) of the neutral loss peak using a linear ion trap increased dynamic quantification range of some phosphopeptides up to 100-fold. We illustrate the power of this targeted MS3 approach for phosphopeptide monitoring by successfully quantifying 9 phosphorylation sites of the kinetochore and spindle assembly checkpoint component Mad1 over different cell cycle states from non-enriched pull-down samples. The data are associated to the research article ‘Evaluation of data-dependent and data-independent mass spectrometric workflows for sensitive quantification of proteins and phosphorylation sites׳ (Bauer et al., 2014) [1]. The mass spectrometry and the analysis dataset have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org) via the PRIDE partner repository with the dataset identifier PXD000964.

DETERMINAÇÃO DE Fe E Zn EM QUEIJOS PETIT SUISSE: ASPECTOS ANALÍTICOS E TEORES ENCONTRADOS EM AMOSTRAS COMERCIAIS

O Petit Suisse é um queijo bastante popular entre o público infantil, apresenta-se geralmente enriquecido com as vitaminas D e E, além de sais minerais de cálcio, fósforo, zinco e ferro. Neste trabalho avaliaram-se criticamente os teores de Fe e Zn nesses queijos empregando a espectrometria de absorção atômica em chama (F AAS) e diferentes métodos de mineralização das amostras (via seca e via úmida). O método por via úmida, que foi adaptado para as amostras estudadas, forneceu resultados mais exatos e foi utilizado para análise de nove amostras comerciais,cujos teores de Fe variaram em uma faixa de concentração de 0,010 – 0,066 mg g-1 enquanto os teores de Zn ficaram entre 0,004 – 0,057 mg g-1. A presença destes micronutrientes também foi constatada em amostras comerciais não enriquecidas, portanto a qualidade do leite é de essencial importância nas características do produto final. O método proposto por via úmida é sensível o suficiente para determinação destes micronutrientes minerais.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization on enriched CD138-positive cells in plasma cell myeloma

To validate plasma cell enrichment technique for improving the detection of cytogenetic abnormalities in the Plasma cell myeloma (PCM)/multiple myeloma (MM). We compared the abnormality detection rate for overnight unstimulated bone marrow cultures to that for the plasma cell enriched fractions obtained with the use of CD138-coated immunomagnetic beads. Average enrichment factor (EF) was 11. One or more abnormalities were detected in 90% of enriched samples vs. 65% of non-enriched samples, thus resulting in a significantly higher detection rate of total cytogenetic abnormalities in enriched plasma cells (p=0.0038). Additional findings of RB1 deletion, TP53-, 1p-, 1q+ and IGH@ rearrangement seen in the 25% of enriched samples could contribute to the altered risk in the patient. One of the three cases with plasma cells as low as 1% by morphology was positive for a residual disease marker in the enriched sample and negative in the non-enriched sample. The plasma cell enrichment technique increased the detection rate of diagnostic and prognostic markers and is a very sensitive method for detecting minimal residual disease.