Impact of Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) Treatments on the Oxidation of Pistachio Kernel Lipids

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a non-thermal technology that could be applied for food decontamination from both biological (microorganisms) and chemical (pesticides, food allergens, mycotoxins) contaminants, thanks to the production of reactive species (RS). However, RS could also promote the onset and the progress of food lipid oxidation, which may limit the quality and acceptability of the final products. The aim of this work was to assess the oxidation degree of pistachio kernels after treatment in a surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD). Two different operative conditions for CAP generation were investigated, resulting in the production of high (800 ppm) or low (300 ppm) concentrations of ozone. Limited amounts of hydroperoxides (3.00–4.22 mEq O₂/kg), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS, 0.072–0.600 mg TEP/g oil), and phytosterol oxidation products (POPs, 14.43–17.20 μg/g) were observed in lipids of both control and plasma processed pistachios. Plasma treatments did not significantly affect the total fatty acid composition and the amounts of identified unsaponifiable matter constituents (4-desmethylsterols, 4,4-dimethylsterols, 4-methylsterols), except for an unexpected significant increase of γ-tocopherol content in extracted oils. These findings contribute to gaining further knowledge for the scale-up of CAP technology to industrial processing.

Gender and liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis: the role of iron status

BACKGROUND

The role of gender in the progression of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C is still under investigation.

AIM

To investigate whether gender affects the progression of liver disease and/or hides other risk factors.

METHODS

A prospective series of 121 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C underwent liver biopsy. Grading and staging for chronic hepatitis were each evaluated according to Ishak's classification.

RESULTS

In univariate and multivariate analysis on the whole group of patients, male gender was not associated either with significant liver fibrosis (Ishak's score > 2) or with cirrhosis (Ishak's score > 4). On the contrary, in univariate analysis on patients aged < or = 50 years, male gender was nearly significantly (P = 0.06) predictive of liver fibrosis, whereas it was not in patients > 50 years. Hepatic iron grading, along with age, was an independent factor associated with fibrosis. Moreover, the values of all the variables which describe iron status were significantly higher in males aged < or = 50 years in comparison with females of the same age.

CONCLUSIONS

In chronic hepatitis C, male gender may be predictive of liver fibrosis only in patients aged < or = 50 years. Among fibrogenetic factors hidden by gender, iron status could play a major role.

[Contribution to the clinical study of renal haemodynamic changes due to histamine: considerations on some pathogenetical stages of shock]

This investigation was undertake to study some of the renal haemodynamic changes produced by istamine in the man. Experiments were carried out on ten adult subjects and histamine (20 gamma) was injected intravenously. The diuresis, the glomerular filtration and the plasmatic kidney output decrease during the fifteen minutes succeeding the injection and the recovery was complete thirty minutes after histamine. Because no changes in heart rate and blood pressure were observed after the histamine injection the renal vasocostriction may perhaps act initially to antagonize the hipotensive effects of this drug.