Furthermore, when the dosage of ginseng extract was increased 10-fold, the AUC of ginsenoside Rd did not significantly increase. These results suggest

that when ginsenoside Rb1 was administered orally, the absorption of the metabolite ginsenoside Rd would depend on the metabolic conversion of ginsenoside Rb1 to ginsenoside Rd by intestinal microbiota. Therefore, to increase the rate of absorption of ginsenoside Rd into the blood, intestinal bacterial metabolic activation of ginsenoside Rb1 to ginsenoside Rd may be induced. In the present study, we investigated the effect of a prebiotic, NUTRIOSE, on intestinal bacterial metabolic activity. When the intestinal microbiota of rats were cultured in NUTRIOSE-containing GAM, NUTRIOSE induced the metabolic conversion of Bortezomib solubility dmso ginsenoside Rb1 to ginsenoside Rd. These results suggest that the prebiotic NUTRIOSE may promote the

ginsenoside-metabolizing enzyme activity of gastrointestinal microbiota, and that NUTRIOSE-induced microbiota are capable of further potentiating the metabolic conversion of ginsenosides to ginsenoside Rd. We also performed a pharmacokinetic selleck study of ginseng extract in rats fed with NUTRIOSE for 2 wk. Supplementation of NUTRIOSE in the diet significantly increased the AUC and Cmax of ginsenoside Rd in a NUTRIOSE content dependent manner and accelerated this process. Supplementation of 10% NUTRIOSE in the diet caused AUC and Cmax of ginsenoside Rd to increase 1.34-fold. Furthermore, Tmax was shorter in NUTRIOSE-fed rats than in normal diet-treated ones. In conclusion, the absorption of bioactive metabolite ginsenoside Rd in rats orally administered with ginsenoside Rb1 or ginseng extract was dependent on the metabolic activity of gastrointestinal microflora. Furthermore, oral administration of a prebiotic NUTRIOSE can stimulate the intestinal bacterial metabolic conversion of ginsenoside Rb1 to ginsenoside ID-8 Rd to improve the absorption of ginsenoside Rd. All authors declare no conflicts of interest. “
“Welding is a process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing

coalescence. This is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint, with pressure sometimes used in conjunction with heat, or by itself, to produce the weld. Although many pulmonary and non-pulmonary health hazards of welding have been described in the literature,1 this is the first case report of alveolar hemorrhage due to welding fumes. A 40 years-old welder presented with sudden episode of massive hemoptysis without hemodynamic failure. Hemoptysis, in an amount of 4 cups, occurred suddenly after 8 h of welding in time of a few hours. The patient described the amount of bleeding as 1 L. He denied dyspnea, sputum production, fever, chest pain and any contact with tuberculous patients.