Search

Spices and herbs have been used since ancient times as flavor and aroma enhancers, colorants, preservatives and traditional medicines. As many other plant products, they can be exposed to contaminants, ones of which are mycotoxins, secondary metabolites of fungi. Such contamination can occur during harvesting, processing and storage, distribution, retailing and consumer use. Although they are used and consumed in small quantities, but added to a wide variety of products, especially ready-to-eat products. So the assessment of their contamination with mycotoxins is very important. The aim of the study was to investigate the contamination of spices and herbs with mycotoxins of fungi of the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium and Alternaria, as well as to assess the mycotoxins intake per person when consuming these food groups. Material and methods . Concentration of mycotoxins in 155 samples of spices and herbs was determined by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass-spectrometric detection (UHPLC-MS/MS). The list of mycotoxins included deoxynivalenol, aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, T-2 toxin, fumonisins, sterigmatocistin, HT-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol, enniatins, beauvericin, neosolaniol, citreoviridin, mycophenolic acid, citrinin, tentoxin, altenuene, alternariol and its monomethyl ether. Results . Among the regulated in plant products mycotoxins in the studied samples there were found aflatoxins (B1 - in 19% of samples, from 0.4 to 48.2 μg/kg, B2 - 8%, from < limit of quantitation (LOQ) to 3.2 μg/kg, G1 - 2%, 0.75-21 μg/kg, G2 - 5%, 0.5- 12.5 μg/kg), ochratoxin A (15% samples, 0.8-14 μg/kg), fumonisin B1 (8%, 16.1-722.6 μg/kg), and fumonisin B2 (14%, < LOQ - 79.6 μg/kg). T-2 toxin and deoxynivalenol were found in 10% of samples (< LOQ - 6.5 μg/kg and < LOQ - 65.5 μg/kg respectively), zearalenone - in 4 samples (1.7-106.2 μg/kg), HT-2 toxin - in 8 samples (5.4-19.8 μg/kg). Among little-studied (emergent) mycotoxins in the spices and herbs samples there were found tentoxin (in 36% of samples, in an amount from 0.7 to 10.9 μg/kg), altenuene (in 8%, 14.5-161.5 μg/kg). 10% of the samples were contaminated with alternariol and its methyl ether (from less than LOQ to 12.8 and < LOQ to 55.7 μg/kg, respectively), 4% - with sterigmatocystin (0.4-7.8 μg/kg), 5% - mycophenolic acid (13.1-297 μg/kg), 2% of the samples were contaminated with citrinin and enniatin B (< LOQ - 27.7 and 0.1-1 μg/kg), in 9 samples (6%) beauvericin was detected (< LOQ - 1.7 μg/kg). Over 60% of samples were contaminated with more than one mycotoxin. The content of aflatoxin B1 exceeded the maximum permissible level set in the EU (5 μg/kg) in nine samples. Conclusion . To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first in the Russian Federation to report results indicating to the contamination of spices and herbs with mycotoxins. High occurrence of aflatoxins, tentoxin, ochratoxin A and fumonisin B2 has been observed. In calculating the potential exposure of mycotoxins, the possibility of high levels of aflatoxin B1 intake have been shown to be possible, which could lead to a public health risk when consuming contaminated spices, herbs and foods containing them., Competing Interests: Authors declare no conflict of interests., (Copyright© GEOTAR-Media Publishing Group.)

The prevalence of urinary incontinence at a young age is 20-30%, gradually increasing to 40% among older women. Urinary incontinence affects many areas of the patient's life, including social, psychological, work, sexual, etc. The main causative factors, which also influence on its severity, include age, pregnancy, childbirth and obesity. To date, there are many treatment methods for stress urinary incontinence. However, more preference is given to the sling procedures, in which mesh is placed under the middle part of the urethra. Despite being the "gold" standard for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence, it is difficult to determine indications for surgical treatment, since "nonmedical" view of the patient's problem is often required. The low awareness of primary care physicians about the possibilities of treating urinary incontinence often leads to an erroneous opinion in patients about their disease and methods of treatment. Many patients regard this condition as an integral part of aging, avoid situations in which urinary incontinence is possible, which limits daily activities, sexual activity, sports and other areas of life. Based on the latest data, a review of the literature on urinary incontinence in women, risk factors, as well as existing methods of surgical correction are presented in the lecture. Particular attention is paid to the impact of urinary incontinence on the quality of life of patients and current methods for its assessment.

Cocoa is a daily basic food for many people all over the world. Also, people engaged in healthy lifestyle often prefer carob. The aim of the present study was to evaluate occurrence of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium and Alternaria secondary metabolites in cocoa and carob available in the Russian Federation and assess mycotoxin's intake with these products. Material and methods . Concentration of 27 mycotoxins in 63 samples of cocoa and carob products was determined by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass-spectrometric detection (UPLC-MS/MS). The list of mycotoxins included regulated ones (aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, fumonisins, T-2 toxin, zearalenone), their derivatives and structural analogs (A and B trichothecenes), and emergent mycotoxins (alternariol, its monomethyl ether, altenuene, tentoxin, citrinin, sterigmatocistin, cyclopiazonic and mycophenolic acids, enniatins, beauvericin). Results . 29 of 41 cocoa samples were positive for beauvericin, contamination level was from 1.6 to 2184.8 μg/kg. Tentoxin, sterigmatocystin and alternatiol monomethyl ether were detected in 3 samples; their concentration varied in the ranges 0.7-1.2, 1.5-3.3 and 4.0-7.8 μg/kg correspondingly. Carob samples were positive for alternariol (14 of 22 samples, 1.5-43.1 μg/kg); tentoxin (13 samples, 0.5-8.7 μg/kg), mycophenolic acid (6 samples, 6.9-8.2 μg/kg) and for alternatiol monomethyl ether (3 samples, 1.0-1.2 μg/kg). Several samples of cocoa were contaminated with regulated mycotoxins: zearalenone (18 of 41 samples, 2.1-24.6 μg/kg), ochratoxin A (14 samples, 0.75-12.0 μg/kg) and aflatoxin B1 (2 samples, 0.59 and 0.86 μg/ kg). Several carob samples were contaminated with fumonisin B2 (7 of 22 samples, 4.2-5.2 μg/kg), ochratoxin A (5 samples, 0.5-1.4 μg/kg) and aflatoxin B1 (3 samples, 0.15-0.18 μg/kg). The ochratoxin A content in two instant cocoa beverages exceeded its maximum level (5 μg/kg) set for some plant products. Conclusion . To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first survey devoted to emergent mycotoxin contamination of carob and cocoa alternative products marketed in the Russian Federation. The high occurrence of such mycotoxins as aflatoxins, beauvericin and ochratoxin A in these products indicates a potential health risk and the need for a hygienic assessment of cocoa and carob products' contamination not only with regulated in cocoa products aflatoxin B1, but with other mycotoxin including emergent ones. The risk of dietary intake of aflatoxins, beauvericin and ochratoxin A with cocoa products (especially with instant cocoa beverages) has been revealed for children over 7 years old in organized groups., Competing Interests: The authors declare no overt and potential conflict of interest related to the publication of this article., (Copyright© GEOTAR-Media Publishing Group.)

Objective: To compare the cognitive functioning of patients with paranoid schizophrenia with alcohol dependence syndrome and patients with this disease without comorbid alcohol pathology., Material and Methods: The study included 34 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, paranoid form, aged 24 to 39 years (22 men and 12 women). The experimental group included 17 patients with paranoid schizophrenia combined with alcohol dependence syndrome with diagnosed symptomatic alcoholism. The comparison group included 17 patients with a similar diagnosis without a comorbid disorder. The duration of the disease in both groups was 5-10 years. The main research tool was a neuropsychological examination, which included the Benton test, the pathway test, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the constructive praxis test., Results: Moderate cognitive impairments were found in patients with schizophrenia in combination with comorbid pathology, combined with disorders of intellectual flexibility and cognitive control. Also, in the experimental group, marked disorders of constructive praxis and visual memory were noted, which indicates a lesion of the occipital-parietal parts of the brain. Thus, in the course of the study, cognitive disorders were identified in patients with schizophrenia in combination with alcohol addiction: disturbances of perceptual organization, cognitive flexibility and attention switching, visual memory., Conclusion: Concomitant alcohol dependence is a significant factor for changing cognitive functions in patients with schizophrenia: control functions suffer, visual memory is disturbed and constructive apraxia is noted.

Mycotoxins (MT) - secondary metabolites of micromycetes - are natural contaminants of plant products. Fruits are particularly susceptible to fungal contamination and MT accumulation due to high sugar content. It can occur at any production stage: during vegetation, drying and storage. The most hazardous MT - aflatoxins (AFLs) and ochratoxin A (OTA) - are regulated in dried fruits in some countries. However, their maximum levels (ML) were not set in Russia yet. The present research was aimed at the evaluation of MT contamination of dried fruits marketed in Russia. Material and methods . 54 samples of dried dates (n=11), apricots (n=9), raisins (n=9), prunes (n=7), figs (n=6), apples (n=3) and mixtures for compote (n=9) were analyzed for 32 MTs by HPLC-MS/MS with positive/negative ESI in the MRM mode. Results . OTA and fumonisins (FBs) were the major regulated contaminants, their occurrence proved to be 10 and 17% correspondingly. Emergent metabolites of Fusarium spp. enniatin A (ENN A, 22%) and beauvericin (BEA, 15%); Penicillium spp. mycophenolic and cyclopiazonic acids (MPA and CPA, about 19%); Alternaria spp. tentoxin (TE, 17%) were detected also. Two-thirds of positive samples were contaminated with two and more MTs. All studied samples could be referred as safe within the EU regulations. Conclusion . Some kinds of dry fruits proved to be susceptible to contamination with particular MTs. Characteristic pattern for raisin was the OTA and MPA combination, for figs - FBs and CPA. According to literature data concerning occurrence and safety of MTs and the results of our survey, the long-term monitoring of AFLs and OTA in dry fruits and AFLs, OTA, FBs and CPA in figs from different regions of Russia is necessary to assess the need for setting of MLs of these MTs., Competing Interests: The authors declare no overt and potential conflict of interest related to the publication of this article., (Copyright© GEOTAR-Media Publishing Group.)

The aim of this study was to analyze the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress in urologists during the COVID-19 pandemic., Materials and Methods: 90 urologists aged 25 to 60 years (M=37.27, S.D.=9.53), 93% of them were men, participated in the online survey. They answered questions about their attitude to their job as doctors and the impact of COVID-19. They filled out the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21), the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) and answered questions assessing their sense of control., Results: The greatest concern among urologists is the risk of getting infected with COVID-19 (for 30% of the doctors). 43% of urologists state that their profession interesting. A positive attitude to work, as well as the Big Five traits (Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability and Agreeableness) are associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, stress and lack of control. Working with COVID-19 patients reduces stress and increases the sense of control. Age and high levels of Emotional Stability predicted lower levels of anxiety, depression and stress., Discussion: Working with COVID-19 patients allows doctors to feel more control over what is happening. A sense of control, in turn, and a positive attitude towards work are associated with a lower levels of depression, anxiety and stresssymptoms., Conclusion: The results of this study can be used in selection of therapeutic targets for psychotherapy, administered to doctors; in prevention of symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression among doctors; and in professional selection of doctors for working in crisis situations.

At the present time heart transplantation is considered to be the operation of choice in treatment of patients with terminal stage of chronic heart failure. Results of the first 5 heart transplantations made in the Federal Center of the heart, blood and endocrinology named after V. A. Almazov are assessed. There were no perioperational lethality and complications at the hospital stage. An analysis of the long-term results has shown effectiveness of heart transplantations in treatment of severe heart pathology.

The simplifyed method of simultaneous determination of the citrinin (CT) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in cereals is described. The extraction of mycotoxins was carried out by small volumes of solvents (water/aceton/hexane) without additional sample clean up and concentration. The extracts were analysed by HPLC using mixture of methanol/ethylacetate/phosphoric acid, pH 2.2 as a mobile phase and fluorescence detection (lamda ex 330 nm, lamda em 495 nm). The reliability and reproducibility of results were improved by usage of internal standard--methyl-derivative of ochratoxin A. Average recovery of CT and OTA was 70%, relative standard deviation 12% and 7%, respectively, limit of detection 0.003 mg/kg.

HPLC method of determination of dehydroacetic acid and its sodium salt in food products and polymeric packing materials has been developed. The migration of DGA from food-contacting materials to food matrix has been investigated.

A novel multidimensional approach to estimation of fruit and berry colored juice authenticity is proposed. It includes determination of quality (determination of 5-hydroxymethylfurfurol) and authenticity (determination of organic acids, hydrocarbons, anthocyanin pigments and artificial colorants) parameters. Both experimental and literature data on chemical composition of 12 colored fruits and berries are summarized. New composition characteristics of pomegranate, bilberry, red currant, blackberry and lingonberry are presented.

Poly(aspartic acid)-silica (PolyCAT A), originally designed for the cation-exchange chromatography of proteins, is proposed for the simultaneous ion chromatographic separation of inorganic anions and cations. This is possible owing to the zwitterion-exchange properties of this stationary phase, which are attributed to the presence of both protonated aminopropyl and dissociated carboxylic groups in poly(aspartic acid) attached to the silica. The retention of alkali metal (Li+, Na+, K+), alkaline earth metal (Mg2+, Ca2+), ammonium and inorganic anions (Cl-, H2PO4-, Br-, NO2-, I-, IO3-, NO3-, ClO4-, SCN-) was tested in aqueous solutions of sulfuric, perchloric, sulfosalicylic, citric, oxalic, maleic and aspartic acids with conductimetric detection. The effect of eluent pH, together with the concentration and characteristics of the eluting ions, were studied. Under optimum conditions (0.3 mmol dm(-3) H2SO4-0.2 mmol dm(-3) Li2SO4 eluent), the simultaneous separation of three anions (Cl-, H2PO4-, NO3-) and four cations (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+), on a PolyCAT A column (200 x 4.6 mm id, 5 microm film thickness) was achieved in 9 min.

A novel bipolar stationary phase (HCPS-MO) was prepared by impregnation of hypercrosslinked polystyrene (HCPS) with methyl orange (MO; 4-dimethylamino-4'-sulfoazobenzene) and its ion-exchange properties were studied. Simultaneous separation of cations and anions on HCPS-MO is possible, although it behaves preferentially as a cation-exchanger. Unusual selectivity of HCPS-MO for alkali and alkaline-earth metal cations: Na+ < Li+ approximately = K+ < Rb+ < NH4+ < Cs+ and Mg2+ < Sr2+ < Ca2+ < Ba2+ was observed. The effect of temperature on retention of alkali and alkaline-earth metal cations was studied. Separation of Na+, K+, Rb+, NH4+, Cs+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ on HCPS-MO with diluted cerium(III) nitrate solution as an eluent in single run is presented.

A novel stationary phase--phenylaminopropyl (PLA) bonded silica--is proposed for anion-exchange chromatography. Low basicity (pKA about 2.5) attached to silica phenylaminopropyl groups allows a variation of surface density of protonated sites in the pH range from 2 to 5. This enables us to use the same column for the separation of anions having different affinity to anion-exchangers. The effect of mobile phase pH on conditional capacity of PhA-silica was studied. The hypothesis on dependence of ion-exchange selectivity on the column capacity is discussed. Suitability of PhA-silica for ion-chromatographic separation of organic and inorganic anions at different pH values of eluent was demonstrated.

The chromatographic properties of a new stationary phase, phenylaminopropyl silica (PhA-silica), containing phenylaminopropyl residues covalently bonded to the silica surface were studied. The presence of secondary amino groups, phenyl rings and alkyl linkers in the attached molecule makes it especially suitable for the separation of phenols by mixed mode retention mechanism including a combination of hydrogen-bonding, hydrophobic, electrostatic and pi-pi interactions with the stationary phase. The effects of mobile phase pH, ionic strength, nature and concentration of organic modifier on the retention of phenols on PhA-silica were investigated under conditions of reversed-phase HPLC. To elucidate the role of the amino group in the attached molecule in retention of phenols the selectivity of PhA-silica was compared with that obtained for phenylpropyl silica in the framework of a linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) model. The isocratic separation of phenol, and its nine methyl-, chloro- and nitro-substituted derivatives was achieved on a 150x4.6 mm I.D. chromatographic column packed with 7 microm particles of PhA-silica.

Aryl hydroxylase activity has been demonstrated to depend on the pattern of tumor cell structural organization. The activity of microsomal monoxygenases in the ascitic forms of sarcoma MC-11, hepatoma 22a and Ehrlich's tumor was much lower than in the corresponding solid tumors. Aryl hydroxylase was activated after the animals received 3-MC, but the magnitude of the activity induced did not correlate with the basic activity in the different tumors. In in vitro experiments, 7,8-benzoflavone inhibited the enzyme in all the tumors, whereas metyrapone did not affect BP-hydroxylation. It is assumed that all the tumors investigated contain hemoprotein that is similar to cytochrome P1-450.

The commercial mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls (Sovol) studied by biochemical and immunochemical methods was found to be an inducer of a wide range of cytochrome P-450 isoenzymes. The induced enzymes activated in the Ames test a series of procarcinogens differing both in structure and in target organs: benz(a)pyrene, 3-methylcholanthrene, nitrosomorpholine, dimethylnitrosamine, aflatoxin B1, orthoaminoazotoluene, 2-acetylaminofluorene, cyclophosphamide and benzidine. According to the parameters the studied Sovol is similar to Aroclor 1254 and may be recommended to be used as an inducer of microsomal enzymes in routine tests for carcinogen screening.

A functionally active system of microsomal monooxygenases has been found in a long-term transplanted tumor MC-II of C57B1/6j mice. In microsomal fraction of the tumor, one could detect cytochrome P-450 and benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase (BP hydroxylase) activity. The latter one increased more than 2 times after the animals received 3-MC and aroclor 1254. In in-vitro experiments, the microsomal monooxygenase inhibitors, SKF 525-A and metyrapone, did not affect BP hydroxylation, whereas alpha-naphthoflavone inhibited the enzyme. It is assumed that tumor MC-II contains hemoprotein that is similar to cytochrome P1-450.