The feasibility of discriminating BRONJ lesion bone with Raman spectroscopy

Background

With the frequent use of Bisphosphonates (BPs), the morbidity of BP-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is also increasing. However, the prevention and treatment of BRONJ is faced with enormous challenges. This study aimed to illuminate the influence of BP administration in the rat mandible and explore the feasibility of discriminating BRONJ lesion bone with Raman spectroscopy.

Materials and methods

First, we explored the time- and mode-dependent effects of BP administration on the rat mandible with Raman spectroscopy. Second, the BRONJ rat model was constructed, and the lesion and healthy bone components were analyzed using Raman spectroscopy.

Results

When only BPs were administered, no rats showed BRONJ symptoms, and no difference could be found in the Raman spectra. However, when combined with local surgery, six (6/8) rats showed BRONJ symptoms. The Raman spectra also showed a significant difference between the lesion and healthy bone.

Conclusion

In the progression of BRONJ, BPs and local stimulation play an essential role. Both BPs administration and local stimulation need to be controlled to prevent BRONJ. Moreover, BRONJ lesion bone in rats could be discriminated with Raman spectroscopy. This novel method would become a complement in the treatment of BRONJ in the future.

Predicting aged pork quality using a portable Raman device

The utility of Raman spectroscopic signatures of fresh pork loin (1 d & 15 d postmortem) in predicting fresh pork tenderness and slice shear force (SSF) was determined. Partial least square models showed that sensory tenderness and SSF are weakly correlated (R² = 0.2). Raman spectral data were collected in 6 s using a portable Raman spectrometer (RS). A PLS regression model was developed to predict quantitatively the tenderness scores and SSF values from Raman spectral data, with very limited success. It was discovered that the prediction accuracies for day 15 post mortem samples are significantly greater than that for day 1 postmortem samples. Classification models were developed to predict tenderness at two ends of sensory quality as "poor" vs. "good". The accuracies of classification into different quality categories (1st to 4th percentile) are also greater for the day 15 postmortem samples for sensory tenderness (93.5% vs 76.3%) and SSF (92.8% vs 76.1%). RS has the potential to become a rapid on-line screening tool for the pork producers to quickly select meats with superior quality and/or cull poor quality to meet market demand/expectations.