Septic pulmonary embolism (SPE) can originate from unusual sources like small boils, warranting consideration of diverse etiologies in respiratory distress. Prompt diagnosis, tailored antibiotics, and vigilant complication management optimize outcomes. Early recognition and treatment of minor infections, especially in diabetes are crucial.

Nitrogen is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and nitrate content in plants can reflect the nitrogen supply of soil. Here, we provide the salicylic acid method to evaluate the nitrate content in plant tissues. The method is reliable and stable, thus it can be a good choice for measurement of nitrate in plant tissues.

Avocado virgin oil (AVO) was used during eggplant deep-frying, boil, and boil in a water-oil mixture (W/O). There were measured the contents of moisture, dry matter, fat, total (TPC) and ten individual phenols, antioxidant activity (ABTS and DPPH), and total sterols; as well as the profiles of eight fatty acids and fourteen sterols/stanols. The values of raw and processed foods were compared and studied with multivariate analysis. The antioxidant capacity of AVO lowered after deep frying but augmented in eggplant and water after all treatments. The TPC was steady in AVO and raised in fried eggplant. Thermal treatments added to the initial profiles of the AVO, eggplant and water, nine, eight, and four phenols, respectively. Percentages of the main fatty acids (oleic, palmitic and linoleic), and sterols (β-sitosterol, campesterol, and Δ5-avenasterol), remained unchanged between the raw and treated AVO; and the lipidic fractions from processed eggplant. Cooking leads to the movement of hydrophilic and lipophilic functional compounds between AVO, eggplant and water. Migration of sterols and unsaturated fatty acids from AVO to eggplant during deep frying and W/O boiling improved the functional properties of eggplant by adding the high biological value lipophilic fraction to the naturally occurring polyphenols.

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), water, and a water/oil mixture (W/O) were used for frying, boiling and sautéeing Mediterranean vegetables (potato, pumpkin, tomato and eggplant). Differences in antioxidant capacity (AC) (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric iron (FRAP), 2,2-azinobis-(3-ethylbensothiazoline)-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS)), total phenolic content (TPC) and individual phenols (high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)) in unused and used EVOO and water were determined. The water used to boil tomatoes showed the highest TPC value, whilst the lowest was found in the EVOO from the W/O used for boiling potatoes. After processing, the concentrations of phenols exclusive to EVOO diminished to different extents. There was a greater transfer of phenols from the vegetable to the oil when eggplant, tomato and pumpkin were cooked. W/O boiling enriched the water for most of the phenols analysed, such as chlorogenic acid and phenols exclusive to EVOO. The values of AC decreased or were maintained when fresh oil was used to cook the vegetables (raw > frying > sautéing > boiling). The water fraction was enriched in 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-chroman-2-carboxylic acid (Trolox) equivalents following boiling, though to a greater extent when EVOO was added. Phenolic content and AC of EVOO decreased after cooking Mediterranean diet vegetables. Further, water was enriched after the boiling processes, particularly when oil was included.

Curcuminoids, as the main ingredient of turmeric, are popularly used in food additives and condiments, and are widely accepted to be beneficial for human health for their antioxidant activity. However, curcuminoids are highly susceptible in terms of thermal-induced degradation, and curry is usually boiled, roasted, or fried in the use of food additives and condiments. Thus, it is interesting to explore the effect of cooking on the antioxidant activity of curcuminoids. In the present study, the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) of cooked curcuminoids (boiled curcuminoids, roasted curcuminoids, and fried curcuminoids) processed through three heating conditions, and their protective effects against oxidative damage to rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells, a well-established neuronal model, were evaluated. It was found that cooking slightly lowered the T-AOC of curcuminoids, with boiled curcuminoids being relatively stronger than roasted curcuminoids, and fried curcuminoids being the weakest form. Both boiled and roasted curcuminoids could significantly improve cell viability, mitigate intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species and reduce malondialdehyde activity, reduce caspase-3 and caspase-9 protein expression, and increase superoxide dismutase activity of PC12 cells compared with the control group. In comparison with parent curcuminoids, the protective effects of cooked curcuminoids got relatively lower overall, with boiled curcuminoids being relatively stronger than roasted curcuminoids. In conclusion, the cooked curcuminoids, including boiled and roasted forms, still have antioxidant and neuroprotective activity.

Jatropha curcas seeds are an important source of oil (5-60%), used to obtain biodiesel. The generated residual paste has a high concentration of proteins (50-55%); however, the seeds contain non-nutritional factors that limit their use. The objective of this work was to analyze the effect on the physicochemical properties of the oil obtained from J. curcas seeds subjected to different thermal treatments and to evaluate the biological quality of the proteins contained in the residual cake. The best extraction of oil (95%) was obtained after 10 h from roasted or boiled seeds. In the oil from roasted samples, the acid index increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) with respect to the untreated sample, whereas the iodine index increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) in the oil extracted from the boiled samples. With respect to the proximal chemical composition of the flour, roasting and boiling treatments allowed for greater oil extraction (97 and 92%), achieving, in turn, a higher content of proteins (59.56 and 58.5 g/100 g) and fiber (6.67 and 6.67 g/100 g), and lower activity of trypsin inhibitors (45 and 38%) and phytates (63 and 72%), respectively. According to the in vivo biological quality test, conducted on Wistar rats, the thermal treatments applied to the seeds improved digestibility (> 70%) and the protein efficiency index (PER). The thermal treatment allowed extracting more efficiently the oil and improved the quality of the proteins present in the residual paste.

Paralytic shellfish toxin (PST) producing microalgal blooms have a significant economic impact on the Southern Rock Lobster ( Jasus edwardsii) fishery in Tasmania, Australia. The regulatory level of 0.8 mg of saxitoxin (STX) eq/kg in place for bivalve shellfish fisheries is applied to lobster hepatopancreas during blooms of toxic algae, resulting in harvest closures and ongoing risk management implications for the fishery. This cooking study was undertaken to inform a human health risk assessment, in conjunction with studies on the uptake and elimination of PST in J. edwardsii. Live lobsters in tanks were contaminated through consumption of PST-containing mussels harvested during an Alexandrium tamarense Group 1 bloom event. This resulted in a mean lobster hepatopancreas level of 2.83 ± 0.84 mg of STX·2HCl eq/kg. Other edible tissues contained negligible concentrations of toxin. PST concentrations in all tissues did not significantly change after boiling or steaming, although the amount of hepatopancreas available for consumption did decrease significantly with both cooking methods, because the tissue became more dispersed, resulting in an overall reduction in the toxin exposure per hepatopancreas consumed. The toxin profile was dominated by STX; gonyautoxin 2, 3; N-sulfocarbamoyl-gonyautoxin 2, 3 (C1,2); and gonyautoxin 5. No significant changes to the toxin profile were observed after either of the cooking methods. Pâté, bisque, and soufflé prepared from the hepatopancreas of toxic lobsters contained negligible levels of PST in each serving; on average, a serving of pâté contained 0.01 mg of STX·2HCl eq, whereas a serving of bisque or soufflé contained <0.01 mg of STX·2HCl eq. The findings of this study will inform a risk assessment of PST in J. edwardsii to determine risk management options for this fishery in Australia.