No abstract

Bee products can be produced in an environment contaminated by pesticides that can be transported by honey bees to the hive and incorporated into the honey. Therefore, rapid and modern methods to determine pesticide residues in honey samples are essential to guarantee consumers' health. In this study, a simple multiresidue method for the quantification of 116 pesticides in honey is proposed. It involves the use of a modified QuEChERS procedure followed by UHPLC-MS/MS analysis. The method was validated according to the European Union SANCO/12571/2013 guidelines. Acceptable values were obtained for the following parameters: linearity, limit of detection (0.005mg/kg) and limit of quantification (0.010 and 0.025mg/kg), trueness (for the four tested levels the recovery assays values were between 70 and 120%), intermediate precision (RSD<20.0%) and measurement uncertainty tests (<50.0%). The validated method was applied for determination of 100 honey samples from five states of Brazil.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a synbiotic beverage made from soy and yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) extracts containing Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis BB-12 on healthy elderly individuals' intestinal polyamine concentrations. A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial has been conducted with twenty-nine volunteers (over 65years of age) who either had a daily intake of 150mL of synbiotic (synbiotic group - S) or placebo (placebo group - P) beverages. Both had the same nutrient composition, except that a probiotic culture was added to the synbiotic beverage. Total experiment time was 8weeks, which was divided into 3 consecutive phases: a prefeeding period (2weeks), followed by a feeding period (4weeks) and a postfeeding period (2weeks). Stool samples were collected at 3 time periods. Fecal concentrations of polyamines, putrescine (PUT), cadaverine (CAD) and spermidine (SPD) that were obtained during the synbiotic and placebo consumption period were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those found during the pre-consumption baseline level period. No significant differences in the number of bifidobacteria, clostridia, or enterobacteria were observed in any of the two groups at the three time periods. Similarly, no significant effect on the production of proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 (IL-10) was induced by the synbiotic or placebo beverages consumption. The results herein indicate that both the synbiotic and the placebo beverage consumption have increased polyamines levels, which are often reduced in elderly individuals, without influencing inflammatory responses. In addition, both placebo and synbiotic beverages seems to contribute by maintaining increased polyamines levels.

Chemical composition and fatty acid profiles were determined in Caiman yacare meat originating from the neck and tail cuts of animals raised in the wild (n=6) or in captivity (n=6), slaughtered at a live weight of approximately 6 kg. All experimental methods were approved by the appropriate environmental protection agencies. Most chemical components were affected by the origin-cut interaction, with the tail cut of wild animals having the highest amount of intramuscular fat (19.2% of DM) and the lowest of moisture (71.8%) and protein (77.0% of DM). Yacare meat had low amounts of SFA (35.1%), which were similar (P>0.05) in the cuts and origins studied. The total amount of PUFA was higher (P<0.05) in wild (31.0%) than in captive animals (23.6%), and n-3 fatty acids had means of about 5% and 2% for the same groups, respectively (P<0.05). In general, the FA profile of intramuscular fat in yacare meat had a desirable PUFA/SFA ratio above 0.4.

Derivatives of yeast cell wall (YCW) have been studied for their potential prebiotic effects. Recently, new purified and soluble preparations have been developed in an attempt to increase their biological actions. Two YCW preparations, one conventional and another with higher solubility of the mannan oligosaccharide fraction, were evaluated on dogs. One food formulation was used, divided into the following treatments: CON–control, without yeast cell wall addition; YCW–addition of 0.3% of a conventional yeas cell wall extract; YCWs–addition of 0.3% of a yeast cell wall extract with high mannan oligosaccharide solubility. Twenty-four beagle dogs were used, eight per food, distributed on a block design. Blocks lasted 32 days, and TNF-a, IL-6, IL-10, ex vivo production of hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide by peripheral neutrophils and monocytes, phagocytic index, and fecal IgA were evaluated at the beginning and end of each period. Additionally, nutrient digestibility, feces production and quality, and fermentation products were quantified. The results were evaluated by analysis of variance and compared using the Tukey test (P<0.05), using the basal immunological parameters as a covariate. The inclusion of YCWs reduced fat digestibility (P<0.05), increased the concentration of butyrate and putrescine, and reduced lactate in feces (P<0.05), showing that mannan oligosaccharide solubilization resulted in higher fermentation of this compound and altered the metabolism of the gut microbiota. Lower IL-6 on serum was verified for dogs fed the YCWs diet (P<0.05), suggesting a reduction in the inflammatory activity of dogs. Higher phagocytic index was verified for peripheral monocytes after the intake of the YCW food, suggesting better innate immunity. In conclusion, the solubilization of the mannooligosaccharide fraction alters its interaction with gut microbiota and biological actions in animals, although both yeast cell wall preparations exhibited prebiotic effects on dogs.