BACKGROUND: Onychodystrophy refers to the various abnormalities in nail morphology due to changes in the attachment of the nail plate, changes in nail surface or color. The treatment principle of onychodystrophy largely relies on the discovery and verification of the cause. However, preventive treatment methods offer little help to the patient due to poor compliance, and the effect of corticosteroid is only temporary. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of carotene-rich food intake in chronic idiopathic onychodystrophy. METHODS: Ten patients with chronic idiopathic onychodystrophy were recommended to drink one or two cups of carrot juice daily. RESULTS: Patients showed improvement of onychodystrophy after drinking carrot juice twice a day for at least 4 weeks. No specific adverse effects were noted. CONCLUSION: Since there are no reliable treatment methods for chronic idiopathic onychodystrophy, we suggest a simple and compliant treatment method consisting of taking carotene-rich food, such as carrot juice, for patients with chronic idiopathic onychodystrophy.
Compliance ; Daucus carota ; Drinking ; Eating ; Humans ; Nails

This study evaluated the quality characteristics of jelly prepared with different levels (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%) of wild carrot (WC, Daucus carota L.) juice as a care food for the elderly. The lightness, redness, yellowness, and delta (Δ) values of the jelly (Control, WCJ5, WCJ10, WCJ15, WCJ20, and WCJ25) decreased with increasing amounts of wild carrot juice added. The mechanical properties, such as hardness, springiness, chewiness, and gumminess, of the jelly were decreased with increasing amounts of wild carrot juice added. The total polyphenol and total flavonoid contents of the jelly increased with increasing amounts of wild carrot juice added. The DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50) also increased with increasing amounts of wild carrot juice added. The α-glucosidase inhibitory effects of wild carrot (WC) and WCJ25 were 71% and 54.4%, respectively, compared to the positive control (acarbose). The lipase inhibitory effects of WC and WCJ25 were 44.2% and 14.4%, respectively, compared to the positive control group (orlistat). On the other hand, the sensory evaluation score was the best at WCJ20, which contained 20% wild carrot juice. In conclusion, WCJ20 or WCJ25 is expected to be a care food for the elderly with respect to texture as well as the antioxidant and enzymatic activity (α-glucosidase inhibitory and lipase inhibitory activities).
Aged ; Daucus carota* ; Hand ; Hardness ; Humans ; Lipase

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to evaluate the staining resistance of CAD/CAM resin-ceramics polished with different techniques and to determine the effectiveness of the polishing techniques on resin-ceramics, comparing it with that of a glazed glass-ceramic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four different CAD/CAM ceramics (feldspathic ceramic: C-CEREC Blocs, (SIRONA) and three resin-ceramics: L-Lava Ultimate, (3M ESPE), E-Enamic, (VITA) and CS-CeraSmart, (GC)) and one light cure composite resin: ME-Clearfil Majesty Esthetic (Kuraray) were used. Only C samples were glazed (gl). Other restorations were divided into four groups according to the polishing technique: nonpolished control group (c), a group polished with light cure liquid polish (Biscover LV BISCO) (bb), a group polished with ceramic polishing kit (Diapol, EVE) (cd), and a group polished with composite polishing kit (Clearfil Twist Dia, Kuraray) (kc). Glazed C samples and the polished samples were further divided into four subgroups and immersed into different solutions: distilled water, tea, coffee, and fermented black carrot juice. Eight samples (8 × 8 × 1 mm) were prepared for each subgroup. According to CIELab system, four color measurements were made: before immersion, immersion after 1 day, after 1 week, and after 1 month. Data were analyzed with repeated measures of ANOVA (α=.05). RESULTS: The highest staining resistance was found in gl samples. There was no difference among gl, kc and cd (P>.05). Staining resistance of gl was significantly higher than that of bb (P<.05). Staining resistances of E and CS were significantly higher than those of L and ME (P<.05). CONCLUSION: Ceramic and composite polishing kits can be used for resin ceramics as a counterpart of glazing procedure used for full ceramic materials. Liquid polish has limited indications for resin ceramics.
Ceramics ; Coffee ; Daucus carota ; Immersion ; Tea ; Water

To produce an artificial fruiting body of Armillaria mellea on the oak sawdust medium, seven strains of A. mellea were used. The top surface of oak sawdust medium covered with ground raw carrot was inoculated with each of 7 strains and cultured for 30 days at 25degrees C in the dark condition until the mycelia of A. mellea completely colonized the medium from top to bottom. Then, the mycelia which were fully covered on the top surface of the medium were scratched slightly with a spatula and filled with tap water for 3 hours. To induce the primordial formation, the 7 strains of A. mellea were transferred to the growth chamber under the illumination (350 lux) of 12 hours and relative humidity of 85 +/- 5% in a day and then cultured at 16 +/- 1degrees C. Only A. mellea IUM 949 could form primordia on the sawdust medium, but the other strains did not make primordia at the same condition. The primordia of A. mellea IUM 949 were formed 10 days after complete colonization of the medium and the fruiting bodies were produced 7 days after a primordial formation. The experimental results suggested that IUM 949 strain might be a good candidate for mass production of fruiting bodies of A. mellea.
Armillaria* ; Colon ; Daucus carota* ; Fruit* ; Humidity ; Lighting ; Water

High consumption of fruits and vegetables has been suggested to provide some protection to smokers who are exposed to an increased risk of numerous cancers and other degenerative diseases. Carrot is the most important source of dietary beta-carotene. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate whether carrot juice supplementation to smokers can protect against lymphocyte DNA damage and to compare the effect of supplementation of capsules containing purified beta-carotene or a placebo (simple lactose). The study was conducted in a randomized and placebo-controlled design. After a depletion period of 14 days, 48 smokers were supplemented with either carrot juice (n = 18), purified beta-carotene (n = 16) or placebo (n = 14). Each group was supplemented for 8 weeks with approximately 20.49 mg of beta-carotene/day and 1.2 mg of vitamin C/day, as carrot juice (300 ml/day) or purified beta-carotene (20.49 mg of beta-carotene, 1 capsule/day). Lymphocyte DNA damage was determined using the COMET assay under alkaline conditions and damage was quantified by measuring tail moment (TM), tail length (TL), and% DNA in the tail. Lymphocyte DNA damage was significantly decreased in the carrot juice group in all three measurements. The group that received purified beta-carotene also showed a significant decrease in lymphocyte DNA damage in all three measurements. However, no significant changes in DNA damage was observed for the placebo group except TM (P = 0.016). Erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme was not significantly changed after supplementation. Similarly plasma lipid profiles were not different after carrot juice, beta-carotene and placebo supplementation. These results suggest that while the placebo group failed to show any protective effect, carrot juice containing beta-carotene or purified beta-carotene itself had great antioxidative potential in preventing damage to lymphocyte DNA in smokers.
beta Carotene ; Capsules ; Comet Assay ; Daucus carota ; DNA ; DNA Damage ; Erythrocytes ; Fruit ; Lymphocytes ; Plasma ; Vegetables ; Vitamins

The incidence of rectal foreign bodies is increasing by the day, though not as common as that of upper gastrointestinal foreign bodies. Various methods for removal of foreign bodies have been reported. Removal during endoscopy using endoscopic devices is simple and safe, but if the foreign body is too large to be removed by this method, other methods are required. We report two cases of rectal foreign body removal by a relatively simple and inexpensive technique. A 42-year-old man with a vibrator in the rectum was admitted due to inability to remove it by himself and various endoscopic methods failed. Finally, the vibrator was removed successfully by using tenaculum forceps under endoscopic assistance. Similarly, a 59-year-old man with a carrot in the rectum was admitted. The carrot was removed easily by using the same method as that in the previous case. The use of tenaculum forceps under endoscopic guidance may be a useful method for removal of rectal foreign bodies.
Adult ; Daucus carota ; Endoscopy ; Foreign Bodies* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Rectum ; Surgical Instruments*

PURPOSE: Gastric cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality, with the incidence and mortality being higher in men than in women. Various studies have shown that eating carrots may play a major role in the prevention of gastric cancer. We conducted a meta-analysis to determine the relationship between carrot consumption and gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched multiple databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Persian databases like Scientific Information Database (SID) and IranMedx. The following search terms were used: stomach or gastric, neoplasm or cancer, carcinoma or tumor, and carrot. Statistical analyses were performed using Comprehensive Meta Analysis/2.0 software. RESULTS: We retrieved 81 articles by searching the databases. After considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 5 articles were included in this study. The odds ratio (OR) obtained by fixed effects model showed that a 26% reduction in the risk of gastric cancer has been associated with the consumption of carrots) OR=0.74; 95% confidence interval=0.68~0.81; P<0.0001). According to funnel graph, the results showed that the possibility of a publication bias does not exist in this study. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study showed an inverse relationship between the consumption of carrots and the risk of gastric cancer.
Daucus carota* ; Eating ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Mortality ; Odds Ratio ; Publication Bias ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms*

Human ; Female ; Adult ; Prevalence ; Daucus Carota ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Streptococcal Infections ; Sensitivity And Specificity ; Streptococcus

We investigated the effects on various crops of inoculation with species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in soils from different sources and selected AMF species suitable for domestic environment-friendly farming. Effects on plants varied with the AMF species used. In carrot, Scutellospora heterogama, Acaulospora longula, and Funneliformis mosseae had a positive effect on growth of the host, whereas AMF had only weak effects on the growth of red pepper and leek. AMF inoculation had positive effects on the growth of carrot and sorghum. The results of this study indicate the nature of the relationship between soil, plants, and AMF; this study therefore has important implications for the future use of AMF in environment-friendly agriculture.
Agriculture ; Capsicum ; Daucus carota ; Fungi* ; Onions ; Organic Agriculture ; Plants* ; Soil* ; Sorghum

β-carotene is present in carrots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. It suppresses many types of cancers by regulating cellular proliferation and apoptosis through a variety of mechanisms. However, the effects of β -carotene on oral cancer cells have not been clearly established. The main goal of this study was to investigate the effects of β-carotene on cell growth and apoptosis in oral cancer cells. Our results demonstrate that treatment with β-carotene induced inhibition of cell growth, and that the effect was dependent on β-carotene treatment time and concentration in KB cells. Furthermore, treatment with β-carotene induced nuclear condensation and fragmentation in KB cells. β-carotene promoted proteolytic cleavage of procaspase-3, -7, -8 and -9 with associated increases in the concentration of cleaved caspase-3, -7, -8 and -9. In addition, the level of cleaved PARP was increased by β-carotene treatment in KB cells. These results suggest that β-carotene can suppress cell growth and induce apoptosis in KB human oral cancer cells, and that it may have potential usefulness in anti-cancer drug discovery efforts.
Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Death ; Cell Proliferation ; Cucurbita ; Daucus carota ; Drug Discovery ; Humans* ; Ipomoea batatas ; KB Cells ; Mouth Neoplasms*