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Tomatoes provide an optimal mix of dietary antioxidants that may be responsible for the reported health benefits of tomato consumption. However, technological processing, packaging materials, and storage conditions have an impact on the nutritional quality of tomato products by affecting the stability of antioxidant nutrients to different extents. In this study, we evaluated the stability of the antioxidant compounds (lycopene, ascorbic acid, total phenols, and total flavonoids) present in commercially available tomato juices during storage extended for 12 months at three different temperatures (8, 22, and 37 degrees C). To further characterize the impact of storage conditions, two commonly used packaging materials (Tetra pack and glass bottles) were used to determine whether packaging materials affect antioxidant stability. Overall, the total lycopene, total phenolic compounds, and total flavonoids remained almost stable during storage for 12 months, regardless of the packaging material used, indicating that tomato juices maintain their nutritional value in terms of antioxidant composition during their shelf life. However, ascorbic acid was the most labile antioxidant and was markedly affected by storage conditions. The hydrophilic total antioxidant activity (TAA) paralleled the losses in ascorbic acid content, whereas the lipophilic TAA remained substantially stable throughout the storage trial.

Background Long-term studies on the evolution of serum biochemical indicators in anorexia nervosa (AN) patients during treatment are lacking in the literature. Thus, a 1-year follow-up of serum biochemical parameters in a homogeneous group of AN patients was performed.

Objective: To ®nd out the modi®cations and the interrelationships between the energy and macronutrient intakes and anthropometric measurements of a group of anorexia nervosa patients (ANP), with homogenous diagnosis, age and treatment, during a 1 y follow-up. Design: Longitudinal study design. Subjects: Fourteen restricting-type ANP in the adolescent age (11 ± 21 y) were recruited for the study and evaluated at four time intervals during 1 y of multidisciplinary treatment: (a) on admission (AN0); (b) after 1 month (AN1); (c) after 6 months (AN6); (d) after 1 y (AN12). Measures: Energy and macronutrient composition of the diet (48 h recall) and anthropometric measurements including skinfold thickness. Results: Mean weight and BMI were under the 3rd percentile in AN0. All anthropometrical parameters increased signi®cantly in AN1 compared to AN0 and did not change in AN6 and AN12. Energy and macronutrient intakes increased signi®cantly in AN1. The dietary changes were not maintained in the subsequent time intervals and there was an overall tendency to turn back to AN0 results. Energy intake adequacy to Spanish Recommended Intakes (RI) showed only an acceptable ratio in AN1 (94% RI); however, a preserved protein intake was found throughout the study (mean intakes between 128.5% and 230.0% RI). Negative correlations were found at AN12 between size of arm's subcutaneous fat stores and energy and macronutrient intakes. Conclusion: In this 1 y follow-up study the decrease in the intake of energy and macronutrients after discharge seems to be related to anthropometric evolution, so that a return to restrictive eating behaviour had occurred in those subjects who had reached the highest values in their subcutaneous fat stores, probably related to dissatisfaction with self-body image.

Nutritional status and immunocompetence were evaluated in 15 patients suffering from anorexia nervosa in comparison with a control group (n = 15). After 1 y, data from six phases of the study were evaluated: immediately after admittance to the hospital (AN1), after 1 mo (AN2), after 2 mo (AN3), after 3 mo (AN4), after 6 mo (AN5), and after 1 y, (AN6). Patients recovered weight from AN4 until AN6 although, according to body mass index values, all patients had low weights during the 1-y follow-up. Likewise, leukocyte and lymphocyte values were borderline and lower in patients in all phases tested than in control subjects. All lymphocyte subpopulations were lower in AN1 and AN2 patients (inpatients) than in control subjects, except for CD19 cells, which remained unmodified. There seemed to be a recovery of lymphocyte subsets after hospitalization in AN3 and AN4 patients (outpatients), except for CD57, which remained below control values. However, there was a global decrease of the lymphocyte subsets in AN5 and AN6. Ratios of CD4 to CD8 cells were not altered but the ratio of CD2 to CD19 cells was lower in all phases except AN6. Moreover, cell-mediated immune function was impaired and none of the patients showed normal responses. Thus, despite the slight weight increase found in AN4, AN5, and AN6 and the apparent cell subset recovery after hospitalization, these results suggest a greatly depleted nutritional status that remained during the whole year in all patients.

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This work explores the effectiveness of high-pressure CO2 on inactivation of Bacillus thuringiensis spores as a surrogate of B. anthracis spores (anthrax). The investigation was done in combatant equipment and several electronic devices. It was possible to sterilize this sensitive material by the environmentally friendly mixture formed by high-pressure CO2 and water. The presence of water in mass proportions ranging from 20 to 30% relative to the material was essential. However, it was continuously introduced in small amounts (<4% in relation to CO2), entrained by the CO2, so as not to have an adverse impact on materials. A low external pH enhanced the inactivation. Therefore, by using CO2 mixed with water acidified with citric acid to 3.3, the spores were killed at only 45 °C. The much less aggressive conditions of the treatment allowed preservation of the quality of the technical fabrics and the functionality of the electronic devices.