Zearalenone (ZEN) is a Fusarium-derived mycotoxin, exerting xenoestrogenic effects in animals and humans. ZEN and its derivatives commonly occur in cereals and cereal-based products. During the biotransformation of ZEN, its reduced metabolites, α-zearalenol (α-ZEL) and β-zearalenol (β-ZEL), are formed; α-ZEL is even more toxic than the parent compound ZEN. Since previous studies demonstrated that ZEN and ZELs form stable complexes with β-cyclodextrins, it is reasonable to hypothesize that cyclodextrin polymers may be suitable for mycotoxin removal from aqueous solutions. In this study, the extraction of ZEN and ZELs from water, buffers, and corn beer was investigated, employing insoluble β-cyclodextrin bead polymer (BBP) as a mycotoxin-binder. Our results demonstrate that even relatively small amounts of BBP can strongly decrease the mycotoxin content of aqueous solutions (including beer). After the first application of BBP for mycotoxin binding, BBP could be completely reactivated through the elimination of ZEN from the cyclodextrin cavities by washing with a 50 v/v% ethanol-water mixture. Therefore, our study suggests that insoluble cyclodextrin polymers may be suitable tools in the future to deplete mycotoxins from contaminated drinks.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium fungi. ZEN primarily contaminates different cereals, and exerts a strong xenoestrogenic effect in animals and humans. ZEN is a fluorescent mycotoxin, although molecular interactions and microenvironmental changes significantly modify its spectral properties. During biotransformation, ZEN is converted into α-zearalenol (α-ZOL) and β-zearalenol (β-ZOL), the toxic metabolites of ZEN, which mimick the effect of estrogen. Cyclodextrins (CDs) are host molecules, and have been studied extensively; they can form stable complexes with several mycotoxins, including ZEN. However, information is limited regarding the interactions of CDs with ZOLs. Therefore, we studied the interactions of α- and β-ZOLs with native and six chemically modified β-CDs by fluorescence spectroscopy. Fluorescence enhancement during complex formation, as well as binding constants, were determined. To understand ZOL-CD interactions better, molecular modeling studies were also carried out. Both mycotoxin derivatives formed the most stable complexes with methylated and sulfobutylated CD-derivatives; however, the CD complexes of α-ZOL were significantly stronger than those of β-ZOL. The data presented here indicate which of the chemically modified β-CDs appear more suitable as fluorescence enhancers or as potential mycotoxin binders.

Aim: This study aimed to assess nurses' awareness of infection control (IC) measures in Baranya County, Hungary. Design:A cross-sectional survey. Methods:The study used the infection control standardized questionnaire to assess nurses' awareness in standard precautions (SP), healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and hand hygiene (HH). Data collection was done from two hospitals in February and March 2020. SPSS was used for statistical analysis. Results:The study included 121 nurses. The mean scores were 16.55 ± 2.69 for IC overall awareness, 10.10 ± 1.58 for SP, 2.07 ± 0.71 for HAIs and 4.38 ± 1.47 for HH.Acceptable scores were reached in overall awareness and SP. The overall and HAIs' scores significantly differed across educational degrees. The difference in SP mean ranks was statistically significant across hospital types. The low HAIs and HH scores highlight the need to enhance IC trainings in Hungarian hospitals and improve nurses' knowledge on IC.

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Recently, the field of epigenetics has been intensively studied in relation to nutrition. In our study, the gene expression patterns of histone deacetylases (HDACs), which regulate the stability of histone proteins, and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), which regulate DNA methylation, were determined in mice. The animals were fed a human-equivalent dose of the aqueous extract of fruit seeds and peels, which is rich in flavonoids and polyphenols, for 28 days and then exposed to the carcinogen 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA). The concentrations of trans-resveratrol and trans-piceid were determined in the consumed extract by HPLC and were 1.74 mg/L (SD 0.13 mg/L) and 2.37 mg/L (SD 0.32 mg/L), respectively, which corresponds to the consumption of 0.2–1 L of red wine, the main dietary source of resveratrol, in humans daily. Subsequently, 24 h after DMBA exposure, the expression patterns of the HDAC and DNMT genes in the liver and kidneys were determined by qRT-PCR. The DMBA-induced expression of the tested genes HDAC1, HDAC2, DNMT1, DNMT3A and DNMT3B was reduced in most cases by the extract. It has already been shown that inhibition of the DNMT and HDAC genes may delay cancer development and tumour progression. We hypothesise that the extract studied may exert chemopreventive effects.