• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.1024-1028
• /
• 1999

Green tea infusions were prepared by extracting them with aqueous solution of different pHs and their physicochemical properties were analyzed. Yellowness, chroma and total color difference values were increased as pH increased. The content of total amino acids in the green tea infusion was not influenced by pH values. Total catechin contents of the green tea infusion extracted at pH 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 and 7.0 were 32.28, 31.84, 31.14 and 14.70 mg/g, respectively. Among the four catechins investigated, epigallocatechingallate and epigallocatechin are more unstable as the pH was changed from 6.0 to 7.0. As pH increased, the extraction of caffeine was also increased. In conclusion, extraction at low pH is preferred for the preparation of green tea infusion.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.1453-1461
• /
• 2016

Regarding 'mate' intake (infusion of Ilex paraguariensis herb, a staple beverage in temperate South American regions), most epidemiologic studies showed positive associations with risk of some cancers, (e.g. upper aerodigestive tract), but evidence on breast cancer (BC) risk is limited to a previous multi-site study, which reported a non significant odds ratio [OR]=0.85, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.67-1.09, p for trend=0.31) for the highest quartile of intake. The present study was conducted in order to further assess associations of 'mate' intake with BC risk. We combined two databases of women belonging to public and private healthcare hospitals. The sample included 572 BC incident cases and 889 controls interviewed with a specific questionnaire featured by socio-demographic, reproductive and lifestyle variables, and a food frequency questionnaire of 64 items, also analyzing 'mate' intake (consumer status, daily intake, age at start, age at quit, duration of habit, intensity of intake). ORs and their 95%CI were calculated through unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for relevant potential confounders. The highest quartile of 'mate' intake was inversely associated with BC risk (OR=0.40, 95%CI 0.26-0.57, p for trend <0.001). Stratified analyses also displayed strong significant inverse associations for 'mate' in frequent tea drinkers (OR=0.22), high energy intake (OR=0.23), high body mass index (OR=0.29) and in postmenopausal women (OR=0.36), among other results. As conclusions, we found evidence of a significant inverse association for 'mate' intake and BC risk.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.257-274
• /
• 2013

Ecological and ethnomedicinal survey of plants was conducted in one hundred and twenty homesteads in Mbala, Amuda, Umuaku, and Nneato communities of Nneochi Local Governement Area, Abia State-Nigeria. A total of ninety-one medicinal plant species belonging to seventy-eight genera and forty-eight families, used in the treatment of malaria, yellow fever, fibroid, hepatitis, convulsion, hypertension, diabetes, insomnia, ulcer, rashes, low sperm count, snake bite, among others, were documented. Plant remedies were prepared mostly as infusions or decoctions from different plant parts with mainly water, and palm wine/gin sometimes. The highest number of medicinal plant species (73) was recorded in Mbala, followed by Amuda (71), Umuaku (68) and Nneato (61). Medicinal plant species diversity was highest in Amuda (Simpson 1-D=0.9621;H=3.663), followed by Umuaku (Simpson 1-D=0.9481; H=3.471), Mbala (Simpson 1-D=0.9345; H=3.341), and Nneato (Simpson 1-D=0.9307; H=3.277), respectively. Similarity in medicinal plant species was highest between Umuaku and Nneato (76.71%), followed by Amuda and Umuaku (75.95%), Mbala and Amuda (71.43%), while Mbala and Nneato had the lowest similarity (59.52%). The results of the study showed that traditional medicine is pivotal in the treatment of ailments in the study area, and that the indigenous people of Nneochi have recognized the need to conserve medicinal plants of importance ex situ within homesteads due to threats from unsustainable exploitation and deforestation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.6
• /
• pp.2923-2933
• /
• 2016

Recently, we reported an inverse association between high 'mate' intake (infusion of Ilex paraguariensis herb, a staple beverage in temperate South America) and breast cancer (BC) risk. Stronger inverse associations were found in high strata of tea, vegetable, fruit and energy intakes, and in overweight/obese women, suggesting possible roles for 'mate' mainly from its antioxidant contribution. The present study attempted to thoroughly explore possible associations among 'mate' and tea intake, dietary antioxidants and BC risk. Combining two databases of previous studies, 572 BC incident cases and 889 controls were interviewed with a specific questionnaire featuring socio-demographic, reproductive and lifestyle variables, and a food frequency questionnaire (64 items), focusing on 'mate' intake (consumer status, daily intake, age at start, age at quit, duration of habit). Food-derived nutrients were calculated from available databases. Odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated through unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for relevant potential confounders. The highest 'mate' intake was significantly inversely associated with BC risk for both low and high carotenoids (OR=0.40 vs. 0.41), vitamin C (OR=0.33 vs. 0.50), vitamin E (OR=0.37 vs. 0.45), flavonols (OR=0.38 vs. 0.48) and reduced glutathione (OR=0.48 vs. 0.46) strata. High tea intake showed significant inverse risk associations only with high carotenoids (OR=0.41), vitamin E (OR=0.48) and reduced glutathione (OR=0.43) strata. In conclusion, a strong and inverse association for 'mate' intake and BC was found, independent of dietary antioxidant levels. Also strong inverse associations with tea intake were more evident only at high levels of certain dietary antioxidants.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.12 no.6
• /
• pp.904-907
• /
• 1999

The experiment was aimed at studying the effect of ruminal $NH_3-N$ levels on ruminal fermentation, microbial population, urinary purine derivative excretion, digestibility and rice straw intake in swamp buffaloes. Five, 3 to 4 years old, rumen fistulated swamp buffaloes were randomly assigned according to a $5{\times}5$ Latin square design to rceive five different intraruminal infusions of $NH_4HCO_3$ (0, 150, 300, 450 and 600 g/d) on a continuous daily basis. Rice straw as a roughage was offered ad libitum while concentrate was given at 0.8% BW daily. The results were that as levels of $NH_4HCO_3$ increased, ruminal $NH_3-N$ concentrations increased from 7.1 to 34.4 mg%. The highest digestibility and voluntary straw intakes were found at 13.6 to 17.6 mg% ruminal $NH_3-N$ levels; straw intake was highest at 13.6 mg%. Total bacterial and protozoal counts linearly increased as the ruminal $NH_3-N$ increased and were highest at 17.6 mg%. Total urinary purine derivatives and allantoin excretion were highest (44.0, 37.4 mM/d) at 17.6 mg% ruminal $NH_3-N$. Highest total VFAs (115 mM) were obtained a 13.6 mg% ruminal $NH_3-N$ while blood urea nitrogen significantly increased as ruminal $NH_3-N$ increased. The results from this experiment suggest that optimum ruminal $NH_3-N$ in swamp buffaloes is higher than 13.6 mg%, for improving rumen ecology, microbial protein synthesis, digestibility and straw intake.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.13 no.7
• /
• pp.962-966
• /
• 2000

Effects of the pattern of energy supply on the efficiency of nitrogen utilization for microbial protein synthesis (MPS) were examined in cows consuming grass silage (7.1 kg DM/d) and supplement of 1 kg sucrose per day given as an intraruminal infusion. Three non-lactating cows received three experimental treatments in a $3{\times}3$ Latin square design with each period lasting 14 days. The treatments were (1) the basal diets of silage alone given in one meal each day at 09:30 h (BASAL), supplemented with (2) 1.0 kg sucrose given a 4-h infusion starting at 09:30 h (SYNC), (3) 1.0 kg sucrose given a continuous infusion for 24 h (CONT). Compared with BASAL, sucrose infusions altered (p<0.05) the pattern of variation in ruminal pH and the concentration of ammonia at 4 h after feeding but none of the sucrose treatments resulted in any changes in the ruminal concentration of VFA. All sucrose treatments increased (p<0.05) MPS relative to BASAL by 14% and 33% for SYNC and CONT, respectively, and that for CONT was greater (p<0.05) than for SYNC. It is concluded that synchronization of energy and nitrogen over the shorter term has no further advantage of the efficiency for MPS relative to CONT.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.223-227
• /
• 2006

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is clinically characterized by pain, abnormal regulation of blood flow and sweating, edema of skin and subcutaneous tissues, sensory and motor disturbances, and trophic changes of the skin. A 21-year-old man was suffering from pain and swelling in his right hand and forearm. His arm had been in splints for 3 weeks following an extension injury of the right fingers and wrist, with the pain having developed 2 weeks after the splinting. He was treated with various nerve blocks including continuous epidural infusion, thoracic sympathetic block and peripheral nerve blocks, and squeezing his edematous region under general anesthesia as well as intravenous lidocaine and ketamine infusions. However, all of the performed treatments had no effect on the patient's pain or hand swelling. As a next line therapy, spinal cord stimulation should be considered because of intractable severe pain and swelling to almost all other modalities of therapy. We therefore performed an early intervention of spinal cord stimulation for the patient with refractory CRPS type I 5 months after the onset of pain and have got an excellent result.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.56 no.4
• /
• pp.233-239
• /
• 2016

This study was conducted to analyze penicillin G (PEG), streptomycin (STR) and neomycin (NEO) residues in milk of healthy lactating cows. Milk samples were collected from all four quarters of 12 dairy cows 2−7 days after intramammary infusions of an ointment containing PEG, STR and NEO once (n = 4; group I) or twice (n = 4, group II) daily. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine the antibiotic residues in the samples. The correlation coefficient ($r^2$) of the calibration curves for all antibiotics was > 0.999 and the limits of detection and quantification were $0.002-0.005{\mu}g/mL$ and $0.007-0.02{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Recovery rates were ranged from 75.5 to 92.3%. In group I, PEG, STR and NEO residues were detected in milk at 2, 3 and 2 days post-treatment, respectively, which were below the maximum residue limit (MRL). In group II, PEG, STR and NEO residues were detected in milk at 2, 3 and 3 days post-treatment, respectively, which were bellow the MRL. These results suggest that a 3-day for milk withdrawal period after the ointment treatment might be sufficient for reduction of the antibiotic residues below the MRL.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.48-53
• /
• 1999

Background: Despite the popularity of epidural bupivacaine-morphine infusions for postoperative pain management, the optimum concentrations and dosages of bupivacaine have not been determined. At present, due to the disadvantages conferred by intense motor block and the increased risk of toxicity, many trials focus on reducing bupivacaine concentration and thus the evaluation of concentrations less than 0.1% may be warranted. Methods: Forty patients having epiduro-general anesthesia for hysterectomy were randomly assigned to one of two study groups. As a mean of postoperative pain control, all received 2 mg of epidural morphine bolusly 1 hr before the end of surgery and continuous epidural infusion was started using a two-day Infusor containing 4 mg of morphine in 100 ml of 0.125% bupivacaine (Group 0.125B, n=20) or 100 ml of 0.0625% bupivacaine (Group 0.0625B, n=20). Study endpoints included visual analog scales (VAS) for pain during rest and movement, sensory change and motor blockade. They were assessed at 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 32, 40 and 48 hrs postoperatively. Results: For VAS during rest, no significance could be found between two groups over the course of study. But for VAS during movement, the 0.125B group showed more satisfactory results especially during early postoperative periods. For the incidence of complications, the 0.125B group revealed greater frequency of sensory change (25.0%) and motor blockade (10.0%) compared with the 0.0625B group. Conclusion: This study suggests that 0.0625% bupivacaine with morphine via epidural route was sufficient for pain control during rest but it was not satisfactory during movement especially in early postoperative periods. We also recommend that careful attention to motor blockade should be paid when using 0.125% bupivacaine.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.201-206
• /
• 2017

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Cassia acutifolia on the obesity and the glucose levels in a rat model of obesity and diabetes. Methods: By random selection, 36 Wistar male rats were divided in two control groups, the positive and the negative control groups, and into four experimental groups receiving different infusions of Cassia acutifolia in water ad libitum. Results: The results revealed a statistically significant anti-obesogenic effect (P = 0.02), although this was not considered clinically significant. Additionally, Cassia acutifolia lowered the glucose levels by 30 mg/dL to 90 mg/dL (P = 0.05). However, we observed adverse effects in the liver, a two-fold increase in transaminase levels (P = 0.002), and in the kidneys, decreased creatinine levels (P = 0.001), and these adverse effects had no viable explanation. Conclusion: Cassia acutifolia has anti-hyperglycemic effects in obese diabetic rats. However, Cassia acutifolia also has adverse effects, so it should not be administered to patients.