Comparison of the effectiveness of fennel and mefenamic acid on pain intensity in dysmenorrhoea

A study in Kerman, Islamic Republic of Iran in 2002 compared the effectiveness of fennel and mefenamic acid on pain relief in primary dysmenorrhoea. Two groups of high-school girls [mean age 13 years] suffering dysmenorrhoea were randomized to receive fennel extract [n = 55] or mefenamic acid [n = 55] for 2 months. In the fennel group, 80% of girls and in the mefenamic acid group, 73% of girls showed complete pain relief or pain decrease, while 80% in the fennel group and 62% in the mefenamic acid group no longer needed to rest. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the level of pain relief

Toxic oil syndrome: ten years of progress

This report provides an update on research on the toxic oil syndrome (TOS) since the last WHO review was published in 1992. Although it has been known since the late 1980s that the disease was caused by the consumption of illicitly refined rapeseed oil, it has been obvious for many years that a concerted scientific effort was needed to precisely identify the agent(s) responsible for the outbreak and to assess the pathogenesis and clinical evolution of the condition. Although many questions remain to be answered and no animal model for TOS has been identified, much knowledge has now been gained on the biological properties of chemicals found in the adulterated oil, on the pathogenesis of the disease and on the conditions by which the illegal refining might have produced toxic compounds. These investigations are relevant not only to protecting the health of TOS victims but also to preparedness for similar circumstances in the future.

[Pollution by wastewater for olive oil mills and drinking-water production. Case study of River Sebou in Morocco]

The National Office for Drinking Water [ONEP], responsible for the drinking-water supply in Morocco, faces serious difficulties in producing water of good quality at a reasonable price from the River Sebou waters. The ONEP's three water treatment plants have been disrupted or even stopped due to the poor quality of waters received. The main source of pollution is the urban and industrial waste of the town of Fes, compounded by episodic pollution caused by the olive oil mills of Fes and its surrounding area. The ONEP study shows that the additional production costs incurred as a result of the pollution by wastewater from olive oil mills far exceeds the drinking-water rates charged in the study area

Toxic oil syndrome: current knowledge and future perspectives

A collection of six state-of-the-art reviews summarizing current research on the epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, and clinical pathology of the toxic oil syndrome. Over 700 investigations, including numerous unpublished reports, were critically assessed. The explosive outbreak of the toxic oil syndrome, which occurred in Spain a decade ago, affected more than 20,000 persons, claimed more than 800 lives, and left many thousands more with permanent disability. Although contaminated rapeseed oil has been identified as the vehicle of the causative agent, the agent itself has not yet been identified and the mechanisms of pathogenicity remain unknown. Continuing research also responds to the need to find effective treatment for surviving victims and to monitor carcinogenic and other potential long-term effects on health. The first chapter reviews epidemiological findings from studies designed to determine the causal agent, the factors that influenced individual susceptibility, and the long-term evolution of disease manifestations. The second chapter presents the results of a systematic 31-month follow-up of the clinical status of patients. Problems discussed include the failure of all currently available treatments and the need to explain why disability is progressive in some patients, while others gradually improve. Other chapters summarize what has been learned, from autopsy studies and surgical specimens, about the pathology of the disease, present the results of various efforts to replicate the disease in experimental models, and summarize available data on the chemical composition of contaminated oils. The final chapter explores the involvement of immunological mechanisms in the disease, drawing direction from the similarity of symptoms to those seen in graft-versus host disease and in hydantoin-induced autoimmunity. In view of the many unresolved issues and gaps in understanding, the book concludes with an outline of further research needed, supported by guidelines for specific types of investigation.