The Impact of Antenatal Corticosteroids on the Metabolome of Preterm Newborns: An Untargeted Approach.

We analyzed and compared variations in the urinary metabolome, as well as postnatal clinical outcomes among preterm infants, based on the timing of antenatal corticosteroid (ACS) administration in response to preterm labor onset in their mothers. This was a prospective observational study held in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Woman's and Child's Health, Padova University Hospital (Italy). A urine sample was obtained from each patient within 24 h of birth; Mass Spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomics analysis was then conducted.

Urinary metabotypes of newborns with perinatal asphyxia undergoing therapeutic hypothermia.

Perinatal asphyxia (PA) still occurs in about three to five per 1,000 deliveries in developed countries; 20% of these infants show hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The aim of our study was to apply metabolomic analysis to newborns undergoing therapeutic hypothermia (TH) after PA to identify a distinct metabotype associated with the development of HIE on brain MRI. We enrolled 53 infants born at >35 weeks of gestation with PA: 21 of them showed HIE on brain MRI (the "HIE" group), and 32 did not (the "no HIE" group).

Promoting the preservation of strawberry by supercritical CO drying.

This work aimed to investigate the supercritical CO (ScCO) drying of strawberries and its effect on enzymatic, chemical and microbial stability. Process conditions influenced the final weight loss (WL), water activity (a) and the inactivation of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD). At 40 °C, an efficient drying (WL > 92 %, a < 0.

Untargeted and Targeted Metabolomic Profiling of Preterm Newborns with EarlyOnset Sepsis: A Case-Control Study.

Sepsis is a major concern in neonatology, but there are no reliable biomarkers for its early diagnosis. The aim of the study was to compare the metabolic profiles of plasma and urine samples collected at birth from preterm neonates with and without earlyonset sepsis (EOS) to identify metabolic perturbations that might orient the search for new early biomarkers. All preterm newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit were eligible for this proof-of-concept, prospective case-control study.

Breathomics in Asthmatic Children Treated with Inhaled Corticosteroids.

Background: "breathomics" enables indirect analysis of metabolic patterns underlying a respiratory disease. In this study, we analyze exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in asthmatic children before (T0) and after (T1) a three-week course of inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP).

Methods: we recruited steroid-naive asthmatic children for whom inhaled steroids were indicated and healthy children, evaluating asthma control, spirometry and EBC (in asthmatics at T0 and T1).

Development and Validation of an HPLC-ELSD Method for the Quantification of 1-Triacontanol in Solid and Liquid Samples.

1-Triacontanol (TRIA) is gaining a lot of interest in agricultural practice due to its use as bio-stimulant and different types of TRIA-containing products have been presented on the market. Up to date, TRIA determination is performed by GC analysis after chemical derivatization, but in aqueous samples containing low amounts of TRIA determination can be problematic and the derivatization step can be troublesome. Hence, there is the need for an analysis method without derivatization.

Preliminary evaluation of quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) fruit as extraction source of antioxidant phytoconstituents for nutraceutical and functional food applications.

Background: Quince (Cydonia oblonga) fruits can be considered as starting material for the extraction of health-promoting phytochemicals, to be exploited in food and nutraceuticals. In the present work, liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and tandem mass spectrometry analysis allowed the study of the phytochemical composition of quince fruits and to compare it with those of six commercial apple varieties.

Results: The distribution and quantification of secondary metabolites in peel and pulp were studied and compared with six commercial apple varieties.

Fragmentation of the main triterpene acids of apple by LC-APCI-MS.

In this paper, we investigated the fragmentation of the main triterpene acids of apple using an liquid chromatography atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (LC-APCI-MS ) approach and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS) (Q-TOF). Triterpenes were isolated using semipreparative high-performance liquid chromatography, and chemical structures were elucidated by HR-MS and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Finally, compounds were used to study MS behavior in ion trap.

Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES) to Enhance Berberine Absorption: An In Vivo Pharmacokinetic Study.

In the present study results related to the in vivo administration of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES)-solubilized berberine are reported for the first time. NADES are mixtures of small natural compounds having a melting point significantly lower than that of any individual component. Such solvents have gained much attention of the scientific community in the green chemistry area, being considered useful alternatives to common organic solvents.