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PubMed2001

A multifactorial investigation of the ability of oral health care products (OHCPs) to alleviate oral malodour.

UNLABELLED: AIM, BACKGROUND: Oral malodour (halitosis) is generally ascribable to oral microbial putrefaction generating malodorous volatile sulphur compounds which predominantly comprise dihydrogen sulphide and methyl mercaptan. This study assesses the relative effectiveness of 6 oral health care products in reducing oral cavity volatile sulphur compound concentrations. METHOD: A mixed model 3-factor factorial experimental design involving 6 volunteers, 7 treatment regimens (products I-VI* and water placebo) and 5 time-points (0.00-5.29 h) was undertaken. Electron-donating volatile sulphur compound levels were determined in triplicate using a sulphide monitor (Interscan model 1170) both prior to (0.00 h) and following oral rinsing (20 ml of 5 of the products) or chewing (2 capsules of the remaining product) episodes with each product examined (0.29, 1.29, 2.29 and 5.29 h post-administration). RESULTS: Results were recorded as peak and steady-state volatile sulphur compound equivalents (ppb). With the exception of one of the products, each oral health care product tested was found to reproducibly reduce volatile sulphur compound concentrations within 20 min of treatment; the mean % decreases in peak (and corresponding steady-state) levels ranging from 3.6 (0.0) to 16.8 (16.4)%. Subsequently, volatile sulphur compound concentrations returned to their zero-control (baseline) values within 5 h, the rate of this regression being in the reverse of the order observed for the magnitude of the primary 20 min reduction for both peak and steady-state measurements. As expected, the water placebo exerted no influence on oral cavity volatile sulphur compound levels. The most effective oral health care products contained admixtures of chlorite anion and chlorine dioxide (both of these agents have the ability to directly oxidise volatile sulphur compounds to non-malodorous products and the latter is also powerfully cidal towards odourigenic micro-organisms). CONCLUSIONS: We therefore conclude that oral health care products containing such oxohalogen oxidants may provide a useful therapeutic strategy for the treatment of oral malodour.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Non-digestible oligosaccharides used as prebiotic agents: mode of production and beneficial effects on animal and human health.

Prebiotic agents are food ingredients that are potentially beneficial to the health of consumers. The main commercial prebiotic agents consist of oligosaccharides and dietary fibres (mainly inulin). They are essentially obtained by one of three processes: 1) the direct extraction of natural polysaccharides from plants; 2) the controlled hydrolysis of such natural polysaccharides; 3) enzymatic synthesis, using hydrolases and/or glycosyl transferases. Both of these enzyme types catalyse transglycosylation reactions, allowing synthesis of small molecular weight synthetic oligosaccharides from mono- and disaccharides. Presently, in Europe, inulin-type fructans, characterised by the presence of fructosyl units bound to the beta-2,1 position of sucrose, are considered as one of the carbohydrate prebiotic references. Prebiotics escape enzymatic digestion in the upper gastrointestinal tract and enter the caecum without change to their structure. None are excreted in the stools, indicating that they are fermented by colonic flora so as to give a mixture of short-chain fatty acids (acetate, propionate and butyrate), L-lactate, carbon dioxide and hydrogen. By stimulating bifidobacteria, they may have the following implications for health: 1) potential protective effects against colorectal cancer and infectious bowel diseases by inhibiting putrefactive bacteria (Clostridium perfringens ) and pathogen bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Listeria and Shigella ), respectively; 2) improvement of glucid and lipid metabolisms; 3) fibre-like properties by decreasing the renal nitrogen excretion; 4) improvement in the bioavailability of essential minerals; and 5) low cariogenic factor. These potential beneficial effects have been largely studied in animals but have not really been proven in humans. The development of a second generation of oligosaccharides and the putative implication of a complex bacterial trophic chain in the intestinal prebiotic fermentation process are also discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Beneficial effects of Bifidobacteria in a gastroresistant seamless capsule on hyperhomocysteinemia in hemodialysis patients.

Intestinal microflora is deranged in hemodialysis (HD) patients as an increase in aerobic bacteria such as Escherichia coli and a decrease in anaerobic bacteria such as Bifidobacterium . Bifidobacteria ferment carbohydrates to produce acetic acid and lactic acid, which inhibit the intestinal putrefaction. Thus, intake of Bifidobacteria effectively restores the disturbed microflora to normal. However, Bifidobacteria in most medical products and healthy foods cannot usually survive because of exposure to gastric juices before it reaches the intestines. A gastroresistant seamless capsule prevents Bifidobacteria from inactivation by acidic gastric juice and allows it to be active in the intestines. We showed that the oral administration of Bifidobacterium longum in a gastroresistant seamless capsule to HD patients is effective in decreasing the pre-HD serum levels of homocysteine, indoxyl sulfate, and triglyceride. The reduction in the serum level of homocysteine is mainly attributable to the supply of folate produced by Bifidobacterium longum in the human intestines.

Bifidobacterium↗

PubMed2000

Specific toxins destabilize virus inhibitors (e.g. AIDS viruses).

There are two approaches to the study of viral infections - the A-Z hypothesis of Sprietsma involving thiol-zinc inhibition of protease activation in the virus coat, and the activity of toxins in depleting the cell of thiols, or the activity of toxins activating (not detoxifying) the mixed function oxidase (MFO) system. Both of these systems generate free radicals and utilize thiols in the process. Zinc forms stable mercaptides with thiols, inhibits cyclic reduction-autoxidation of thiols and superoxide generation. When the MFO system acts as an activator and not as a detoxifier in that intermediate products are more toxic than the original compound, zinc inhibits the oxidation. An example of increased toxicity with increased MFO activity is the toxin 3-methylindole (3-MI), a toxic product of intestinal bacterial putrefaction which reactivates the infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus (IBR). Zinc reduces MFO activity and in this regard it functions synergistically with antioxidants in protecting cell membranes. It is hypothesized that stable zinc complexes inhibit activity of proteases in the virus nucleocapside (NC) proteins in the virus coat, both directly and indirectly because zinc also inactivates some toxins that are thiol depleters or virus reactivators.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Combination of polydextrose and lactitol affects microbial ecosystem and immune responses in rat gastrointestinal tract.

The effects of various dietary fibres on gut health have been studied extensively but their combined effects are scarcely documented. In the present study the effects of 2 % (w/w) polydextrose (PDX), 2 % (w/w) disaccharide lactitol, or 2 % (w/w) PDX+2 % (w/w) lactitol on gut microflora, microbial metabolism and gut immune responses were investigated in rats. Both PDX and lactitol alone had an effect on many of the studied parameters, but their combination had stronger than additive effects in some parameters. The PDX+lactitol combination altered the microbial community structure as seen by a culture-independent method, percentage guanine+cytosine (%G+C) profiling, increasing the areas of %G+C 35-39 (P<0.0001) and %G+C 45-49 (P=0.0002), and decreasing %G+C 65-74 (P<0.0003). These changes were also reflected in the microbial metabolism so that the production of biogenic amines and branched volatile fatty acids was significantly reduced, by 12 (P=0.03) and 50 % (P=0.002), respectively, indicating a shift from putrefactive towards saccharolytic metabolism. PDX increased the secretion of IgA in the caecum (P=0.007). Secretion of IgA increased even more, almost ten-fold, with the combination of PDX+lactitol (P<0.0001) when compared with the control group. Lactitol increased the production of butyrate by caecal microbes by two- to three-fold when compared with the PDX or control group (P<0.0001). Butyrate is a preferred energy source for mucosal cells; thus a boost in the availability of energy for immune cells may have still added to the synergistic effects of PDX and lactitol on immune cells. It is noteworthy that improvement in the IgA secretion occurred without signs of mucosal inflammation.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Human colonic microbiota: ecology, physiology and metabolic potential of intestinal bacteria.

In both health and disease, the colonic microbiota plays an important role in several areas of human physiology. This complex assemblage of microorganisms endows great metabolic potential on the large intestine, primarily through its degradative abilities. Many hundreds of different types of bacteria, varying widely in physiology and biochemistry, exist in a multitude of different microhabitats in the lumen of the large gut, the mucin layer and on mucosal surfaces. Both microbiota and host obtain clear benefits from association. For example, growth substrates from diet and body tissues, together with a relatively stable environment for bacteria to proliferate are provided by the host, which in turn has evolved to use butyrate, a bacterial fermentation product, as its principal source of energy for epithelial cells in the distal bowel. The main sources of carbon and energy for intestinal bacteria are complex carbohydrates (starches, non-starch polysaccharides). Carbohydrate metabolism is of great importance in the large intestine, since generically, and in terms of absolute numbers, the vast majority of culturable microorganisms are saccharolytic. The amounts and types of fermentation products formed by colonic bacteria depend on the relative amounts of each substrate available, their chemical structures and compositions, as well as the fermentation strategies (biochemical characteristics and catabolite regulatory mechanisms) of bacteria participating in depolymerization and fermentation of the substrates. Protein breakdown and dissimilatory amino acid metabolism result in the formation of a number of putatively toxic metabolites, including phenols, indoles and amines. Production of these substances is inhibited or repressed in many intestinal microorganisms by a fermentable source of carbohydrate. Owing to the anatomy and physiology of the colon, putrefactive processes become quantitatively more important in the distal bowel, where carbohydrate is more limiting.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Effects of lactulose and lactitol on colonic microflora and enzymatic activity.

The effects of lactulose and lactitol (2 x 10 g/d) were studied in 36 healthy volunteers in comparison to placebo. All parameters studied were affected by both treatments, lactulose in general leading to more pronounced changes compared to lactitol. Probiotic bacteria were increased, and putrefactive bacteria and potential pathogens were significantly reduced. These variations in colonic flora had the following consequences: (i) a reduced activity of pro-carcinogenic enzymes: azoreductase, 7 alpha-dehydroxylase, beta-glucuronidase, nitroreductase and urease activity; (ii) a global increase of short-chain fatty acids in faeces; (iii) an effect on pH and moisture of faeces, and (iv) also on aromatic compounds such as phenol, cresol, indole and skatol. The findings suggest that lactulose and lactitol are not comparable in their effect on the colonic microflora, its metabolism, and the consequent probiotic effects on human health. The differences found may also be of clinical relevance suggesting that neither compound is equipotent.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Nutritional responses to the presence of inulin and oligofructose in the diets of domesticated animals: a review.

Inulin and oligofructose are prebiotic oligosaccharides fermented in the large intestine. This article provides an extensive review of the effects of these oligosaccharides on gastrointestinal characteristics (microflora, pathogen control, epithelial cell proliferation, putrefactive compound production, fecal characteristics, and nutrient digestibility) and systemic metabolism of carbohydrates, nitrogen, lipids, and minerals in dogs, cats, horses, calves, pigs, poultry, and rabbits. In addition, intake of inulin and oligofructose and considerations in their supplementation to animal diets are discussed. Growth performance and meat production in livestock in response to inulin and oligofructose supplementation are addressed. Finally, the possible substitution of antibiotics with fructans in animal diets and directions for future research are presented.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1993

Biogenic amines in silage. 1. The occurrence of biogenic amines in silage.

In laboratory silages made from orchardgrass, red clover and oats, significant levels of toxic biogenic amines were found. The most widespread were putrescine and cadaverine, concentrations of spermidine, spermine and histamine were ten times lower on average. Of the amines considered, putrescine content seems to be the most sensitive indicator of the extent of putrefaction in silages. A relationship between the putrescine contents and the degree of proteolysis was found. The biogenic amine content is closely connected with both the variety of crop ensiled and even more so with the method and the efficiency of preservation. Neither the application of formic acid nor wilting suppressed the formation of any of the amines in silages selectively. Formic acid suppressed the total concentration of amines to 23% as compared with controls. The highest levels of amines were found in orchardgrass and oat silages; smaller amounts were detected in clover silages. In the case of very poorly preserved silage 100-150 g of toxic amines can be consumed by a cow in a day. This could have a deleterious effect on the physiological condition and the performance of livestock.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Application of the novel immunoassay TRIAGE to a rapid detection of antemortem drug abuse.

The applicability of the immunoassay TRIAGE (E. Merck, Darmstadt, Germany) as a simple and rapid assay for antemortem drug abuse was tested on 100 urine samples from forensic autopsies. The samples were also analyzed by fluorescence polarization immunoassay and by chromatographic methods. The confirmation rate of the TRIAGE results by chromatographic analysis was 92% for benzodiazepines, 95% for cannabinoids, 96% for cocaine, 100% for opiates and barbiturates, and 82% for amphetamines. Because the urine samples were taken from corpses, the latter finding can be explained by false-positive amphetamine results due to cross-reactivity of the antibodies used in current immunoassay technologies with phenylalkylamines, which are generated in postmortem decomposition processes. In fact, tyramine, a typical product of putrefaction, was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in 11 samples of false-positive amphetamine determinations. TRIAGE produces positive amphetamine results for samples containing tyramine in concentrations of more than 5 mg/L. The detection limit of the TRIAGE assay for 7-aminoflunitrazepam, the major urinary metabolite of flunitrazepam, is within the range of 0.5-1 mg/L.

Chromatography, Thin Layer↗

PubMed2002

Distribution study of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine in a fatal overdose.

In this study, regional tissue distributions of the amphetamine analogue 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") and its metabolite 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) in a fatal overdose are presented. Quantitation of MDMA and MDA levels occurred in blood samples taken centrally (right and left heart and main adjacent great vessels) and peripherally (subclavian and femoral blood). In addition, MDMA and MDA concentrations were determined in cardiac and iliopsoas muscle, both lungs, liver, both kidneys, spleen, the four brain lobes, cerebellum and brainstem, and adipose tissue. Finally, MDMA and MDA levels were determined in serum, vitreous humor, urine, and bile. For all samples, a fully validated high-pressure liquid chromatography procedure with fluorescence detection was used. The found substances were also identified with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Our data confirm that blood sampling from an isolated peripheral vein is recommended for MDMA and MDA. In addition, the vitreous humor MDMA level indicates that this fluid can be an interesting alternative when a suitable blood sample is missing. Considering the substantial differences in concentrations in blood samples taken from various sites in the body and the high levels in some tissues (e.g., in liver), we concluded that the influence of postmortem redistribution should be taken into account in the interpretation of toxicological data when an appropriate peripheral sample cannot be obtained or when blood samples are not available because of putrefaction.

3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Mechanisms underlying postmortem redistribution of drugs: a review.

Postmortem drug concentrations do not necessarily reflect concentrations at the time of death, as drug levels may vary according to the sampling site and the interval between death and specimen collection. These site- and time-dependent variations are called "postmortem redistribution" (PMR). The underlying mechanisms are complex and of different types. Passive drug release from drug reservoirs such as the gastrointestinal tract, liver, lungs, and myocardium may occur immediately after death and, later on, cell autolysis and the putrefactive process participate in redistribution. There is evidence that basic lipophilic drugs with a large distribution volume are particularly susceptible to PMR. Nevertheless, this cannot explain the actual PMR of some nonbasic, nonlipophilic drugs. In addition, the persistence of drug metabolism immediately after death must be considered. Consequently, it is of great importance to analyze specimens from different sampling sites in order to detect potential PMR and avoid misinterpretation of results.

Cadaver↗

PubMed1999

Petfood applications of inulin and oligofructose.

Published data on intestinal microbiota of dogs and cats are limited but suggest the presence of a complex and diverse colonic bacterial population (34 genera including 129 species) the majority of which are anaerobes. During the colonic fermentation of endogenous and undigested amino acids, several putrefactive compounds (i.e., ammonia, aliphatic amines, indoles, phenols and volatile sulfur-containing compounds) are produced and are responsible for the malodor of dog and cat feces. These fecal odor components also have been implicated as causes of colorectal cancer; therefore, dietary manipulation of gut microbiota towards a potentially more remedial community (Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus) is gaining more attention. The health benefits derived from dietary supplementation of prebiotics (e.g., oligofructose and inulin) have been documented in humans. However, little is known of a potentially similar role in companion animals. Feeding another prebiotic (i.e., lactosucrose) to dogs or cats is reported to increase the numbers of bifidobacteria and decrease the numbers of pathogens and the concentration of fecal odor components. In our laboratory, oligofructose supplementation numerically decreased the concentrations of ammonia and amines and increased the numbers of bifidobacteria in dog feces.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1987

Postmortem red coloration of teeth. A retrospective investigation of 26 cases.

Postmortem red coloration of teeth (pink teeth) was found in 26 of 119 consecutive autopsy or forensic dental identification cases during 1973-1984. The present study confirms that red coloration of teeth may occur some time after death under conditions that promote putrefaction and adipocere formation. The red coloration is due to hemolysis after exudation of hemoglobin derivatives through the dentine tubules in cases in which blood has accumulated in the head, either due to congestion or by a postmortem head-down position, as after submersion in water.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Unusual intravascular hemolysis in a case of fatal hypothermia.

A 55-year-old man was discovered dead inside a deep freezer maintained at -40 degrees C. After consuming a large quantity of alcohol, the man had become trapped in the freezer approximately 11 h before his body was found. The body was still frozen at the time of autopsy, but subcutaneous dendriform vessel repletion phenomenon was observed on the upper and lower extremities. Although this intravascular hemolysis resembled that which develops during putrefaction, in this case it was thought to be due to pooling and freezing of blood in subcutaneous vessels. Contributory factors included alcohol ingestion, vasodilation following vasoconstriction, vasomotor paralysis, and red cell sludging. Hemolysis followed freezing of the blood. When such phenomena are observed in a corpse, exposure to extreme cold should be suspected.

Hemolysis↗

PubMed1997

Amitriptyline accumulation and elimination in Calliphora vicina larvae.

Calliphora vicina larvae reared on artificial foodstuffs spiked with human equivalent therapeutic (100 ng/g), toxic (300 ng/g), lethal (500 ng/g), and 10 x lethal (5,000 ng/g) concentrations of amitriptyline and nortriptyline, alone and in various combinations, were harvested at various stages of development and analysed for drug content by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Mean (range) larval amitriptyline concentrations (ng/g) in larvae reared on foodstuffs containing 100 ng/g, 500 ng/g, and 5,000 ng/g amitriptyline were 3.21 (<1-5.72), 21.3 (14.2-27.4), and 50.1 (38.8-64.3), respectively, on day 5; 6.62 (5.98-7.72), 22.5 (16.4-32.4), and 38 (22.8-50.9) on day 8; and 4.45 (3.45-5.93), 25.2 (18.6-38.4), and 26.2 (22.7-29.7) on day 11. Nortriptyline concentrations (ng/g) in larvae reared on foodstuffs containing 100 ng/g, 500 ng/g, and 5,000 ng/g nortriptyline were 6.86 (4.48-8.96), 14.1 (11.9-17.8), and 18.5 (16.7-20.6), respectively, on day 5; 8.32 (4.9-11.7), 12.9 (11.5-14.2), and 18.8 (11.5-23) on day 8; and 5.06 (3.27-7.25), 19.4 (17.8-22.4), and 26.6 (11.7-44.7) on day 11. Among 45 separate larval rearings fed on the same foodstuff, mean larval weight ranged from 24-96 mg and larval amitriptyline concentration from <1-148 ng/g. Biological variability in larval drug concentrations were greatest in larvae reared on high drug concentrations. Such variability makes quantitative extrapolation back to the drug concentration in foodstuff unreliable. Larval drug accumulation became unpredictable when larvae encounter more than one drug or different concentrations of a single drug. Drug concentrations measured were partly due to surface contamination with drug-rich putrefactive residue and they also depend partly on the analytical method used. Fly larvae are unreliable samples for quantitative toxicological analysis.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2000

Unexpected childhood death due to hemolytic uremic syndrome.

Two cases of unexpected childhood death due to hemolytic uremic syndrome are reported. A 21-month-old girl who was discovered dead in bed following a short illness was found at autopsy to have overwhelming sepsis resulting from transmural colitis. Escherichia coli serotype 0157A was isolated from the intestine, and renal changes of hemolytic uremic syndrome were found. A 4-year-old girl died suddenly in hospital from intracranial hemorrhage while being treated for hemolytic uremic syndrome-related renal failure. Culture of urine and feces grew verocytotoxin producing E. coli. These cases demonstrate that hemolytic uremic syndrome may be a rare cause of unexpected childhood death and that the diagnosis may not be established prior to autopsy. Postmortem culture of tissues and fluids in cases of suspected sepsis in children may be essential in establishing this diagnosis, because histologic evaluation may be compromised by profound sepsis and tissue putrefaction. Accuracy in diagnosis may have significant public health and medicolegal consequences.

Autopsy↗

PubMed2002

Change in the postmortem formation of hypostasis in skin preparations 100 micrometers thick.

Twenty-three paired skin samples from 19 autopsies without putrefaction were taken from areas of livor mortis that (1). did not blanch with finger pressure and (2). blanched with strong pressure by tweezers. Three-dimensional microscopic viewing of 100-microm benzidine-stained skin sections demonstrated small blood vessels filled with red blood cells. The diameters of the clumps of red blood cells were greater in the sections from non-blanched areas than in the blanched areas, suggesting that fixation of hypostasis soon after death depends on sedimentation of intravascular red blood cells and passive dilatation of small vessels rather than on postmortem hemolysis.

Adolescent↗