This article examined the effect of geographical (different climate conditions) and floral origins on some quality parameters of honey including the activity of diastase enzyme. Moreover, some non-quality parameters were investigated such as the pH, fructose, glucose, ratio of fructose/glucose and invertase. The honey samples were collected from Asir (cold climate) and Jazan (hot climate) regions at the southwestern part of Saudi Arabia. The geographical origin significantly affected the mean value moisture of the Acacia honey (p-value = 0.02), conductivity of the polyfloral honey (p-value = 0.03), sucrose of the Acacia honey (p-value = 0.02), diastase activity of the Acacia (p-value = 0.001), Ziziphus (p-value = 0.046) and polyfloral honey (p-value ≤ 0.001), fructose of the Acacia honey (p-value = 0.01), glucose of the Ziziphus honey (p-value = 0.03), fructose/ glucose ratio of the Ziziphus honey (p-value = 0.035), and invertase activity of the polyfloral honey (p-value ≤ 0.001). Regarding the effect of the floral origin of the honey from Asir region, the sucrose percentage of the Acacia honey was significantly more than that of the polyfloral honey (p- value = 0.003), the diastase activity of the Acacia honey was significantly more than its activity in the Ziziphus honey (p- value = 0.044), glucose percentage of the Ziziphus honey was significantly more the glucose percentage of the Acacia honey (p-value = 0.009) and the fructose/ glucose ratio of the Ziziphus honey was significantly more than that of the Acacia and polyforal honeys (p-value = 0.011 and p-value = 0.045, respectively). Concerning the significant effects of the floral origin on the quality parameters of the honey samples from Jazan region, the moisture of the Ziziphus honey was significantly increased when compared to the moisture of the Acacia honey (p-value = 0.038), the acidity of the polfloral honey was significantly more than the acidity of the Acacia honey (p-value = 0.049), the sum of fructose and glucose of the polyfloral honey was significantly increased compared to that of the Acacia honey (p-value = 0.015), the pH of the Ziziphus hiney was significantly more than the pH of the polyfloral honey (0.011) and the fructose of the polfloral honey was significantly more than that of the Acacia honey (p-value = 0.031). The effect of the geographical origin of the honey samples on their quality parameters depends on their floral origin and the effect of their floral origin differs according to their geographical origin. This article suggests considering collectively the geographical and floral origins effect when developing honey standards. However, the Codex standards for honey started considering this issue when it changed the standard concentration of HMF in honey from not more than 80-40 mg/Kg for honeys from cold climate and 80 mg/Kg for honeys from hot climates.

The detection of soft deodorized olive oils in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has become a challenging task ever since it was demonstrated that: 1. The process does not form the typical refining markers, e.g. stigmastadienes, and 2. The determination of the fatty acid alkyl esters renders useful only when the deodorized matrix comes from oils with fermentative defects. Recently researchers have developed strategies to detect such kind of blends, being one of them based on the fact that both diacylglycerol (DAG) and free fatty acids are not interdependent after mild refining activities. Presently, we propose two factors to confirm the absence of soft deodorized oils in EVOO: R1 (10 × free acidity/DAGexp) ≥ 0.23 and R2 (DAGexp-DAGtheor) < 0, in genuine EVOO. We demonstrate that such approach is useful to detect the presence of soft deodorized olive oil when this is at least at 30% in the mixture.

This study aimed to investigate the antiulcer and antioxidant activities of myrtle berry seed aqueous extract (MBSAE) in a peptic ulcer model induced by ethanol in male Wistar rats. MBSAE is rich in total polyphenols, total flavonoids, and unsaturated fatty acids, particularly linoleic (18:2) and oleic (18:1) acids. MBSAE also exhibited in vitro antioxidant activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (IC50 = 172.1 μg/mL) and superoxide anion (IC50 = 200.24 μg/mL) scavenging activities. In vivo, MBSAE provided dose-dependent protection against ethanol-induced gastric and duodenal macroscopic and histological alterations. Also, it inhibited secretory profile disturbances and lipid peroxidation, and preserved normal antioxidant enzyme activities and nonenzymatic antioxidant levels. More importantly, we showed that acute alcohol intoxication increased gastric and duodenal calcium, hydrogen peroxide, and free iron levels, whereas MBSAE treatment protected against intracellular mediator deregulation. In conclusion, we suggest that MBSAE has potent protective effects against alcohol-induced peptic ulcer in rat. This protection might be related in part to its antioxidant properties as well as its opposite effects on some studied intracellular mediators.

Free acidity is an important parameter especially in the presence of hydrolysable ions. Several methods have been developed for the determination of free acidity, attributing due importance to the accuracy and the precision of the measurement with the aim of the easiness of the methodology as well as post-measurement recovery in mind. This review covers important methods for the determination of free acidity with emphasis on actinide containing solutions, reported in the literature over the past several decades classifying them into different categories.

BACKGROUND: Glycine max L. with Drakshasava, widely used by traditional healers as a formulation for the treatment of peptic ulcer in rural northern Karnataka in India, appears to be effective as assessed by patients and in our previously published research work of traditionally used formulation.
OBJECTIVE: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the overnight water soaked G. max grains. This is one of the components of traditional formulation. The study, approved by Institutional Animal Ethics Committee was carried out in male Wistar rats after assessing its toxicity in mice.
METHODS: Four groups of rats (n = 6 in each group) were treated with aspirin 200 mg/kg oral. In addition to aspirin control group received normal saline, standard group received 20 mg/kg omeprazole and 3(rd) and 4(th) group received G. max 250 and 500 mg/kg, respectively. All treatments were administered orally every 24 h for 7 days. After 24 hours fasting, on the 8(th) day stomach contents were aspirated under anesthesia to estimate free and total acidity. Stomachs were opened along the greater curvature to calculate ulcer index and subjected to histopathology studies.
METHODS: The results were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance followed-by Dunnett\'s post hoc test. P ≤0.05 was considered as significant.
RESULTS: The severity of aspirin induced ulceration was found significantly (P < 0.05) decreased in test groups compared with the control group. Free and total acidity was significantly reduced in 500 mg/kg treated group, compared with the control group and was inferior to omeprazole treated group.
CONCLUSIONS: The grain of G. max was found to be effective against aspirin induced ulcers.

Certain 2-(1\'-iminothioimido substituted)-1\'-substituted phenybenzoic acids (P(1-9)) were synthesized by reaction of phthalic anhydride with benzotriazole, 2-mercapto benzothiazole and 2-p-amino phenyl benzimidazole, respectively (A(1-3)) followed by imine formation with Schiff bases of thiourea with salicylaldehyde, furfuraldehyde and 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone. Antiulcer activity was evaluated using reduction in total acidity, free acidity and ulcer index as parameters. Compounds P(3), P(6), P(7) and P(9)(100 mg/kg) showed significant (P< 0.001) antiulcer action compared to control and omeprazole (40 mg/kg).