Seasonal variability of the vitamin C content of fresh fruits and vegetables in a local retail market.

Background: Seasonal variation of vitamin C in fresh fruits and vegetables is not reflected in food composition database average values, yet many factors influence content and retention.

Results: Fresh fruits and vegetables were sampled on three occasions in each season, from the same local retail outlets, for 1 or 2 years. Vitamin C was significantly higher in winter-sampled spinach (436 mg kg ) compared with spring (298 mg kg ) and summer/fall (180 mg kg ); in potatoes in summer/fall (156 mg kg ) versus winter/spring (106 mg kg ); and in oranges in winter (616 mg kg ), spring (592 mg kg ), and summer (506 mg kg ).

Alternate routes for drug delivery to the cell interior: pathways to the Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum.

The targeted delivery of drugs to the cell interior can be accomplished by taking advantage of the various receptor-mediated endocytic pathways operating in a particular cell. Among these pathways, the retrograde trafficking pathway from endosomes to the Golgi apparatus, and endoplasmic reticulum is of special importance since it provides a route to deliver drugs bypassing the acid pH, hydrolytic environment of the lysosome. The existence of pathways for drug or antigen delivery to the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus has been to a large extent an outcome of research on the trafficking of A/B type-bacterial or plant toxins such as Shiga toxin within the cell.

New and existing oils and fats used in products with reduced trans-fatty acid content.

The US Food and Drug Administration's final ruling on trans-fatty acid labeling issued in 2003 has caused a rapid transformation in the fat and oil industries. Novel ingredients and improved technologies are emerging to replace partially hydrogenated fats in foods. We present an overview of the structure and formation of trans fatty acids in foods, and a comprehensive review of the newly formulated products and current procedures practiced by the edible oil industry to reduce or eliminate trans fatty acids in response to the Food and Drug Administration's regulations mandating trans fat labeling of foods.

Shiga-like toxin subunit B (SLTB)-enhanced delivery of chlorin e6 (Ce6) improves cell killing.

We used Shiga-like toxin B subunit (SLTB) to deliver the photosensitizer, chlorin e6 (Ce6), to Vero cells expressing the Gb3 receptor. Our aim was to provide an example of carrier-enhanced photodynamic cell killing with which to start a systematic consideration of photosensitizer delivery at the subcellular level. SLTB, in contrast to many other potential protein carriers, is delivered intracellularly to the Golgi apparatus and endoplasmic reticulum (ER).

A method for the purification of Shiga-like toxin 1 subunit B using a commercially available galabiose-agarose resin.

We describe a procedure for the affinity purification of Shiga toxin 1 subunit B (SLTB) using a commercial galabiose-agarose resin. Recombinant SLTB was purified to 99% homogeneity in a single-step protocol, from the periplasmic extracts of Vibrio cholerae 0395 N1/pSBC54. SDS-PAGE of the affinity purified SLTB showed one band of 8 kDa MW.