Propofol may be a good choice of anaesthetic when an ischaemia-reperfusion injury is anticipated as in orthopaedic surgery requiring a tourniquet, due to its antioxidant properties, but halothane needs further study.

This study compared maternal and neonatal outcomes in women undergoing elective caesarean section under general anaesthesia with desflurane or sevoflurane; the neonatal effects were also compared with those in women undergoing epidural anaesthesia. Fifty women requesting general anaesthesia were randomly assigned to receive either 3% desflurane or 1% sevoflurane. Twenty-five women requesting regional anaesthesia received epidural anaesthesia with ropivacaine. Comparing desflurane sevoflurane with respect to their maternal haemodynamic effects, maternal blood pressure levels were higher and tachycardia was more frequent in the desflurane group. Comparing general and epidural anaesthesia, no significant differences were detected in terms of neonatal Apgar scores or neurological adaptive capacity scores. In conclusion, 3% desflurane or 1% sevoflurane for general anaesthesia and ropivacaine for epidural anaesthesia for elective caesarean section had similar effects on neonatal outcomes. In women who received desflurane, blood pressure and heart rate elevation were significantly higher than in the sevoflurane group, though this difference did not have any clinical importance.

This study investigated the effect of biotransformation on anti‐inflammatory activities of propolis. Propolis was dissolved with 10% ethanol and 40% polyethyleneglycol and applied ultrasonic treatment followed by Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation at 30 °C/48 hrs under constant agitation conditions. The in vitro anti‐inflammatory activity was determined by measuring hyaluronidase and xanthine oxidase activity. Usage of PEG as a solvent and bioconversion by 8014 strain yielded high phenolic content, antioxidant, and anti‐inflammatory activity. Results indicated that the anti‐inflammatory activities of propolis samples are highly related to extraction methods. Optimization of extraction and biotransformation methods are subjects of further research. Practical applications In our work, we have developed a new bio‐product with reduced allergenicity by biotransformation from different Lactobacillus plantarum strains (10, 8014, ATCC) and propolis extracts prepared by dissolving in different solvents (ethanol, PEG, water). Anti‐inflammatory and in‐vitro antioxidant effects of this bio‐product were investigated. As a result, it was found that in order to obtain a bio‐product with high phenolic content and low allergic effect the most suitable bacterial strain was L. plantarum 8014 and the most suitable solvent was PEG. The most important factor limiting the use of propolis in humans is due to the allergenic components in the structure. It is thought that this new bio‐product, which has low allergic effect and high antioxidant activity obtained by biotransformation of propolis, may be a new light of hope for people who can not use propolis due to allergic reasons. In the future, this bio‐product is thought to provide significant benefits to human health.

Propolis is a natural product produced by honeybees. It has antioxidant effects as well as antimicrobial, antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antimutagenic properties. Except these important healthy properties some cytotoxic effects causing allergies also have been reported. In this study have been evaluated changes of phenolic compounds including allergens molecules found in propolis. Before biotransformation, propolis samples were treated with different solvent (ethanol and polyethylene glycol) to facilitate solvation of solid samples. Biotransformation was done by three different strains of Lactobacillus plantarum (10, 8014, ATCC). Results demonstrated the importance of used solvent/treatment for extraction procedure and strains of L. plantrum. The lowest values of main allergens were determined as 321 ng/mL for BCAFE, 320 ng/mL for 1.1 DMAECAFE and 8.02 ng/mL for CAPE. The study is the first work deal with evaluation of bioconversion of propolis by different L. plantarum strains and their effects on phenolic profile.

Inherited lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are rare, and diagnosis is often delayed for 7-10 years. Since the therapies have become available for a limited number of LSDs, (Fabry, Gaucher, Pompe, and MPS-1), early diagnosis of treatable LSDs can be lifesaving or ameliorating and allows timely treatment before irreversible damage occurs. Recently, the use of dried blood spot test (DBS) for newborn screening of LSDs has been proposed for newborn screening tests. They are noninvasive, sensitive, and specific assays with the further advantage of a fast turnaround time compared to measurement in leukocyte and/or fibroblast culture. We aimed to determine the reference intervals for lysosomal enzyme activities of newborn babies in our population and to investigate the effect of gestational week on enzyme activity. One hundred thirty healthy newborn babies (70 girls, 60 boys) were included into the study. α-Glycosidase, β-glycosidase, and α-galactosidase activities in DBS samples of newborns were determined fluorometrically. Reference intervals were calculated using Dixon's rule and percentiles of 2.5-97.5. Cutoff limits (5 %) for α-glycosidase, β-glycosidase, and α-galactosidase activities were 0.57, 0.92, and 2.18, respectively. α-Galactosidase activity was higher in girls compared to boys (p < 0.05). Interestingly, α-glycosidase and β-glycosidase activities of newborns who were delivered before 38 weeks were significantly lower than those who were delivered at 39-40 weeks. Conclusion It is of utmost importance to define the reference intervals for lysosomal enzyme activities as well as cutoff limits for newborn babies with regard to gestational age and sex. More studies to clarify the reason for the change in enzyme activity by gestational week will be required.