The formula of the skin cream containing the extracts of Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. and Curcuma longa L. - the two medicinal plants available in Vietnam – was established by means of experimental design and computer – aided optimization. At first, the formulae were designed by varying the amounts of their ingredients such as Polawax, cetostearyl alcohol, Tween 80 and Span. Then, the Oil-in-Water emulsion – type creams were manufactured by using the PUC VIKOSATOR emulsor. Next, the resulted products were evaluated for their physics – chemical parameters including the melting point, the extrudability and the number of the Oil particles. After that, the multiple – objective optimization was performed by the CAD/Chem artificial intelligence software, which is the unification of neural networks, fuzzy logic and genetic algorithms. At the end, the optimized formula was strictly evaluated by both hypothetical tests and experimental trials. In drug quality control, the investigation of skin cream was proven to meet its ointment requirements.
Cookery ; Chemistry ; Pharmaceutical ; Plants, Medicinal

No Abstract available.
Toxocariasis/*diagnosis ; *Toxocara canis ; Lung/parasitology ; Liver/parasitology ; Korea/epidemiology ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Humans ; Cookery ; Animals

Ingestion of raw animal liver has been suggested as a possible mode of infection of human toxocariasis. We evaluated the relationship between toxocariasis and the ingestion of raw meat in patients with eosinophilia of unknown etiology. The study population consisted of 120 patients presenting with peripheral blood eosinophilia (> 500 cells/microliter or > 10% of the white blood cell count). They were divided into 2 groups: 104 seropositive patients based on a Toxocara excretory-secretory IgG ELISA and 16 seronegative patients. While 25.0% of seronegative patients had a recent history of eating raw cow liver, 87.5% of seropositive patients had this history. Multivariate statistical analysis showed that a recent history of eating raw cow liver was related to an increased risk of toxocariasis. Collectively, it is proposed that raw cow liver is a significant infection source of toxocariasis in the patients with eosinophilia of unknown etiology.
Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Cattle ; Cookery ; Data Collection ; Eosinophilia/*complications ; Female ; *Food Parasitology ; Humans ; Liver/*parasitology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Toxocariasis/*complications

Raw white rice has not been considered a good carrierfor oral vaccination, probably because of its antiviralactivity. Methods are required to overcome antiviralactivity in raw white rice. This study was carried out todetermine the effects of various treatments of raw whiterice on the survival of strain I-2 of Newcastle diseasevirus. These included cooking and baking the rice ormixing the rice with vegetable oil prior to coating withvaccine virus. The vaccine-coated rice was then stored for30min and 24h, followed by quantitative recovery of thevirus. Thirty min after mixing, uncooked, cooked, andbaked rice, and rice mixed with vegetable oil showed titersof 10(6.2), 10(7.2), 10(6.6), and 10(7.0) EID50/0.1ml, respectively.After storage for 24h at 22-25oC, the titers dropped to10(5.0), 10(6.5), 10(5.0), and 10(6.0) EID50/0.1ml for uncooked,cooked, baked, and oiled rice, respectively.
Animals ; Chick Embryo ; Chickens ; Cookery ; Newcastle Disease/*virology ; Newcastle disease virus/growth & development/*physiology ; Oryza sativa/chemistry/*virology ; Viral Vaccines/chemistry

No abstract available.
Animals ; Chickens ; Cookery ; Dermatitis, Toxicodendron ; Food Poisoning/*etiology ; Gastrointestinal Diseases/chemically induced ; Hepatitis, Toxic/*etiology ; Human ; Korea ; Meat ; Phytotherapy/adverse effects ; Rhus/*adverse effects

No abstract available.
Cooking*

In Korea, common whelk (Buccinum undatum) is a popular edible shellfish. The aim of this study was to observe the sensitization rate to common whelk and to characterize its allergens. We carried out skin prick test (SPT) in 1,700 patients with various allergic diseases. Specific IgE were detected by ELISA in the patient sera and ELISA inhibition tests were conducted. IgE-binding components were identified by means of SDS-PAGE and IgE-immunoblotting. The effects of diges-tive enzymes were evaluated in both raw and thermally treated extracts. SPT to common whelk was positive (> or =2+) in 83 (4.9%) patients studied. Twenty-four (38.7%) out of 62 SPT positive patients had high serum specific IgE to common whelk. ELISA inhibition test showed significant inhibitions by abalone as well as by common whelk. IgE-immunoblotting demonstrated three IgE-binding components (40, 71, 82 kDa), which were digested by simulated intestinal fluid and moderately digested by simulated gastric fluid, and the digestibility of allergens remained unchanged after thermal treatment. In conclusion, IgE-sensitization rate to com-mon whelk was 4.9% in allergy patients. IgE-immunoblotting demonstrated three IgE-binding components, which were degraded by digestive enzymes. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical significance of the sensitized patients to common whelk.
Allergens/immunology ; Animals ; Comparative Study ; Cookery ; Digestion/*physiology ; Food Handling/methods ; Food Hypersensitivity/diagnosis/*epidemiology/*immunology/metabolism ; Heat ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E/*immunology/metabolism ; Intestines/enzymology ; Korea/epidemiology ; *Mollusca ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Shellfish/*adverse effects ; Skin Tests ; Stomach/enzymology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of Kangquan Recipe (KQR) on sex steroids and cell proliferation in an experimental benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) model in rats.

METHODSSeventy-two SD rats were randomly divided into six groups: the normal group, the model group, the finasteride group, and the low-, middle-, and high-dose KQR groups, 12 in each group. Except those in the normal group, the rats were injected with testosterone after castration for the establishment of BPH model and then given respectively with normal saline, finasteride, and low-, middle-, and high-dose of KQR for 30 days. The levels of plasma testosterone (T) and estradiol (E(2)) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the mRNA expression ) of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in prostate tissue was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) after administration.

RESULTSCompared with the model group, the prostate weight, the plasma T, and the mRNA expression of PCNA were significantly lower, and the plasma E(2) and the ratio of E(2)/T were higher in the three KQR groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the prostate weight, plasma T and E(2), and ratio of E(2)/T among the finasteride group and the three KQR groups (P>0.05). The mRNA expressions of PCNA were significantly higher in the middle- and low-dose of KQR groups than those in the finasteride group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONKQR shows multitarget effects on experimental BPH rats, and the mechanism might be related with regulating the balance of plasma T and E(2) and decreasing the PCNAmRNA expression in prostate tissue to restrain cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner.

Animals ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cookbooks as Topic ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; blood ; metabolism ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; genetics ; metabolism ; Prostate ; drug effects ; pathology ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; blood ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo assess the effect and adverse reaction of Qufeng Zhidong Recipe (QZR) in treating children's tic disorder (TD).

METHODSWith multicenter randomized parallel open-controlled method adopted, the patients enrolled were assigned to two groups, 41 cases in the Chinese medicine (CM) group and 40 in the Western medicine (WM) group. They were treated by QZR and haloperidol plus trihexyphenidyl respectively for 12 weeks as one course. In total, two courses of treatment were given. The curative effect and adverse reactions were evaluated by scoring with Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Scale (TCMSS), and Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS), as well as results of laboratory examinations.

RESULTSAfter one course of treatment, the markedly effective rate in the CM and the WM group was 14.6% and 17.5%, respectively, and the total effective rate 43.9% and 47.5%, respectively, which showed insignificant difference between groups (P>0.05). However, after two courses of treatment, markedly effective rate in them was 73.2% and 7.5%, and the total effective rate was 100.0% and 57.5%, both showing significant differences between groups (P<0.05). Besides, the adverse reactions occurred in the CM group was less than that in the WM group obviously.

CONCLUSIONQZR has definite curative effect with no apparent adverse reaction in treating TD, and it can obviously improve the symptoms and signs and upgrade the quality of life and learning capacities in such patients.

Antiparkinson Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Antipsychotic Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cookbooks as Topic ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Haloperidol ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Male ; Tic Disorders ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Trihexyphenidyl ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Western World

The purpose of this study was to identity the probability of cross-contamination from the environment. For this, we examined foodservices at 20 universities/colleges for microbiological analysis of their working facilities and environment as well as their preventive equipment against cross-contamination. Seventy percent of the 20 foodservices were found to maintain one unified working area, which suggests high probability of contamination of food/utensils/equipment in the cooking area by pre-preparation or dish washing. According to the microbiological analysis, the hygiene acceptance ratio of working facilities in the clean zone was 70%, which was higher than the average 45% hygiene acceptance ratio of working facilities in the contamination operating zone. There was a significant difference in the total plate count (P<0.001) and coliform count (P <0.01), which demonstrates that work tables in the clean zone were in a good state compared to those in the contamination operating zone. In the contamination operating zone, refrigerator shelves had a high probability of cross-contamination. Regarding the floor surface and airborne microbes, cooking areas which should be maintained as clean zones had higher cross-contamination probability than those in the contamination operating zone. So corrective actions such as cleaning and sanitizing, keeping dry floors, lowered temperature and humidity, shoe disinfecting facilities, and checking concentrations, are necessary to manage floor surfaces and airborne microbes in the cooking area.
Cooking ; Humidity ; Hygiene ; Shoes