Search Results

You are looking at 51 - 60 of 72 items for

  • Author or Editor: K. Kiss x
  • Refine by Access: All Content x
Clear All Modify Search

Summary

This article is the first report describing a new validated method to determine the content of HupA in Huperzia selago (Huperziaceae) from wild population and obtained in in vitro culture using the chaotropic mobile phase. An aqueous-organic (acetonitrile) mobile phase with an added chaotropic salt (NaPF6) was used. The system of mobile phases ensured very high selectivity and efficiency at up to N = 6683 ± 963 theoretical plates calculated for isocratic mode. A Hypercosil GOLD column, C18 250 × 4.6 mm, and a Hypercosil GOLD precolumn, 5UM 10 × 4 mm, were employed for detection at four wavelengths, 230 nm being analytical. The regression coefficient (R 2) of the calibration was 0.9993 over the range 25–1252 μg mL−1. The recovery rates were 98.36–105.1% with RSD <2.9%. The intra- and inter-day precisions, expressed as RSD, ranged from 1.2% to 2.7%. LOD for HupA was 14 ng mL−1 for a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1. The limit of quantification was 140 ng mL−1. The huperzine A (HupA) content of the plant material ranged from 0.65 mg g−1 dry weight (d.w.) to 1.59 mg g−1 d.w. (material from wild plants) and from 0.44 to 1.10 mg g−1 d.w. (material from in vitro cultures). Interestingly, in our study, plants of H. selago derived from wild population had one of the highest HupA concentrations recorded for a club moss (1.59 mg g−1 d.w.). The findings demonstrate that H. selago, found in Europe and North America, is an alternative source of HupA, richer than H. serrata. In order to confirm that HupA was present in the alkaloid extracts, HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analyses of the patterns were performed in the positive ion mode. The fragmentation quasi-molecular ion of the standard HupA (m/z = 243, [M+H]+) and the ion with m/z = 243 found in the samples were identical, confirming the compound as HupA.

Open access
Acta Alimentaria
Authors:
E. Szabó
,
É. Gelencsér
,
E. Kovács
,
A. Jánosi
,
K. Takács
, and
E. Kiss

In our research we studied the occurrence of the main apple allergen coding gene-families (Mal d 1, Mal d 2, Mal d 3, Mal d 4) in 16 different and most preferably consumed apple varieties. After the DNA isolation by Wizard method the simple PCR reaction was used to examine the apple allergen-coding genes. To identify the presence of the four allergenic protein-coding genes two primer pairs were chosen. The presence of these allergens in most apple varieties could be confirmed. According to our results two varieties — Jonathan and Granny Smith — were found to contain the lowest amount of the coding genes of the allergenic apple proteins studied by us. Besides this, polymorph pattern was obtained by the use of Mal d 1 primer, which may lead to determine apple varieties with small amount of Mal d 1 allergens.The confirmation study of the presence of potential apple allergens by RNA and protein techniques is our plan in the near future.

Restricted access

The goal of the study was to find a proper technique to fix tendon grafts into an INSTRON loading machine. From 8 human cadavers, 40 grafts were collected. We removed the bone-patella tendon-bone grafts, the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons, the quadriceps tendon-bone grafts, the Achilles tendons, and the peroneus longus tendons from each lower extremity. We tested the tendon grafts with five different types of fixation devices: surgical thread (Premicron 3), general mounting clamp, wire mesh, cement fixation, and a modified clamp for an INSTRON loading machine. The mean failure load in case of surgical thread fixation was (381N ± 26N). The results with the general clamp were (527N ± 45N). The wire meshes were more promising (750N ± 21N), but did not reach the outcomes we desired. Easy slippages of the ends of the tendons from the cement encasements were observed (253N ± 18N). We then began to use Shi’s clamp that could produce 977N ± 416N peak force. We combined Shi’s clamp with freezing of the graft and the rupture of the tendon itself demonstrated an average force of 2198 N ± 773N. We determined that our modified frozen clamp fixed the specimens against high tensile forces.

Restricted access

After oral administration several gut-binding lectins induce accumulation of liquor and amylase in the proximal small intestine (2). Orally administered Phaseolus vulgaris phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) was used to study the mediation of these effects in rats. The regulation of amylase secretion clearly differed from that of the liquor. The amylase activity was of pancreatic origin, in agreement with the known cholecystokinin-releasing effect of PHA. It appears that CCK exerts its effect both directly and by facilitating neural stimulatory pathways. Intestinal secretion was identified as the source of the liquor, without a contribution by other secretions. It was mediated by a local cholinergic reflex with the involvement of both muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. It is speculated that the observed enteric reflex may enable the gut to transport secreted antibacterial peptides or secretory antibodies from the crypts to adherent bacteria on adjacent villi.

Restricted access
Acta Physiologica Hungarica
Authors:
Zs. Mészáros
,
K. Kiss
,
M. Szmodis
,
M. Zsidegh
,
M. Mavroudes
, and
János Mészáros

The aim of the present longitudinal study of four years was to analyse differences in growth patterns, age-related changes in body fat and physical performance in schoolchildren taking part either in normal or in elevated level physical education at school.Nine data collection sessions were carried out between 2002 and 2006 in 18 schools. The sample consisted of 521 non-athletic volunteer boys (PE=116, contrast = 405).The inter-group differences between mean height, body weight, body mass index, relative body fat content, mean scores in 30 m dash, 400 m run, and standing long jump as well as the patterns of change with age were analysed in this comparison. Between-observation differences were tested by repeated measures ANOVA. In case of a significant F-test Tukey’s post-hoc tests were used. Age dependence was also studied by linear regression analysis.The between-group differences in mean height were not significant, but the slope of height increase with age was significantly greater in the PE boys. The PE boys were significantly lighter through all the nine observations and the slope of age-related weight increase was statistically faster in the group of contrast subjects. Both the BMI means and percent body fat means were consistently and significantly greater in the contrast group and faster increases were found in the group of the less active boys. The mean physical performances of the PE boys were consistently and significantly better. Their slopes of increase were statistically different.

Restricted access

Long-range repeated-measure sample differences in body dimensions, body composition and physical performance help to describe the changes in a population’s lifestyle. The aim of our study was to analyse such changes in longitudinal studies repeated after a 25-year interval. Data collections repeated every six months for the periods 1977–1981 (n=152) and 2002–2006 (n=158) were carried out in nonathletic boys aged between 6.51 and 11.50 years from the same districts of Budapest. Means for height, body mass, BMI, body fat percentage, and distance covered during a running endurance test, as well as the slopes of the changes were compared. The children of the second series of studies were significantly taller and heavier, had more depot fat and showed poorer cardio-respiratory endurance than their peers 25 years before. The increases with age in weight, BMI and depot fat were steeper in the second series. The significant differences that developed in anthropometric traits and physical performance during these 25 years are regarded as indirect evidence for how severely the average physical condition had declined, as well as how health risks of the schoolchildren had increased.

Restricted access
Acta Physiologica Hungarica
Authors:
K. Kiss
,
Zs Mészáros
,
M. Mavroudes
,
M. Szmodis
,
M. Zsidegh
,
N. Ng
, and
János Mészáros

The aim of this comparison was to evaluate the nutritional status and cardio-respiratory fitness of future health professionals, namely university students engaged in medical studies. It was assumed that the lifestyle of such students would be reflected by healthy body composition and fitness performance indicators. Altogether 1,560 volunteer, female, university students of three institutions were investigated in 2008. Height, body weight, BMI, body fat content and 800 m run test means were compared.The height, weight and BMI means did not differ significantly but PE students recorded the lowest mean body fat (18.34% vs. 24.37 and 25.12%) and shortest mean running time (203 s vs. 239 and 243 s). Among the medical (11.23%) and technical university students (19.95%) statistically the same prevalence of obesity was observed.High body fat content and low running performance of medical students were in contrast with our hypothesis. Their prevalence of overweight/obesity and low fitness did not differ from that of relatively sedentary technical university students and the average Hungarian young adult population. Thus, it is questionable how young health professionals will promote the necessity and positive effects of regular physical activity if they do not apply them to their own lifestyle.

Restricted access
Acta Physiologica Hungarica
Authors:
P. Osváth
,
Zs Mészáros
,
Sz Tóth
,
K. Kiss
,
M. Mavroudes
,
N. Ng
, and
János Mészáros

Fatness generally has a negative influence on the performance of a variety of motor and cardiorespiratory fitness tests. The aim of this comparison was to analyse the effects of three grades of obesity on somatic growth, physical performance and oxygen consumption during exercise. Volunteer boys with definitely different grades of obesity were recruited for the comparison. In the group of mildly obese children (G1; n=23) BMI ranged between 24 kg.m −2 and 26 kg.m −2 ; and individual percent body fat was between 33% and 33.5%. In the case of moderate obesity (G2; n=23) BMI ranged between 26.5 kg.m −2 and 28.5 kg.m −2 ; and percent body fat was between 35% and 36%. In the extremely obese group (G3; n=20) BMI was greater than 31 kg.m −2 ; percent body fat was greater than 37.5%. Oxygen consumption during the 1,200 m run-test was measured by VIMEX-ST-type (USA) telemetric equipment.The greatest absolute aerobic power referred to the G3 boys, and the lowest oxygen consumption was characteristic of the mildly obese group. The very high differences between the body mass means resulted in a more marked inter-group variability in mean relative oxygen uptake.The predicted relative fat and high body fat content observed on the trunk, and the elevated level of resting blood pressure may indicate serious risks for the development of cardio-respiratory and metabolic disease. The very low oxygen consumption relative to body mass and poor physical performance are expected consequences of physiologic and environmental influences on the obese population.

Restricted access
Progress in Agricultural Engineering Sciences
Authors:
Szilvia Bánvölgyi
,
Eszter Dusza
,
Fiina K. Namukwambi
,
István Kiss
,
Éva Stefanovits-Bányai
, and
Gyula Vatai

Abstract

Similarly to other industries wineries also increasingly attempt to minimize and utilize waste to protect our environment. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal parameters (temperature, solvent concentration, and time) of extracting total polyphenol content (TPC) from Tokaji Aszú marc using two different extraction solvents: ethanol–water and isopropanol–water (1:4 solid/liquid ratio). The extractions were achieved based on Central Composite Design with Response Surface Method (CCRD–RSM). The optimal extraction parameters in the case of ethanol–water solvent: 60 °C temperature, 59.5% ethanol concentration in solvent, 5 h. At these parameters the probable TPC concentration is 23966.2 uM GAE/L. The optimal extraction parameters in the case of isopropanol–water solvent: 60 °C temperature, 52% ethanol concentration in solvent, 5 h. At these parameters the probable TPC concentration is 7188.44 uM GAE/L. In both cases the binary solvent was better than the mono-solvent. Ethanol–water solvent was more efficient than the isopropanol–water solvent.

Open access

Abstract

In recent years, post mortem multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) is increasingly applied for forensic and pathologic examination. However, classical dissection remains dominant in everyday practice. Lack of quantifiable data on the coronary system has become a disadvantageous attribute of traditional autopsy. Therefore, post mortem MSCT angiography was performed in 80 ex corpo hearts with the aim of improving the accuracy and quantitative documentation of pathologic and forensic diagnoses of coronary artery disease (CAD). Hearts were perfused by introducing a new oily or synthetic resin, or using both contrast materials successively. Then the perfused organs were processed for imaging. Detailed angiographic analysis enabled us to localize, map and quantify coronary calcifications, stenoses, and to characterize the types of atherosclerotic plaques. Significant early or late complications of widely used percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and coronary bypass surgery (CABS) could be revealed using CT analysis. Furthermore, by using our oily contrast material and CT imaging, we could identify and visualize the clinically important small caliber nodal arteries (diameter 0.4–2.0 mm). The present work suggests that post mortem CT angiography and post-processing of the data may improve the quality of pathologic and forensic diagnosis. Our collection of coronary casts including digital data are available for further analysis.

Restricted access