Health risk assessments of heavy metals and trace elements exposure in the breast milk of lactating mothers in the Northeastern Iran.

Mother's breast milk is a natural and complete food for infants but can be a main source of exposure to toxic pollutants. These pollutants can negatively affect the health of the infant. Therefore, conducting biomonitoring surveys is essential to evaluate such health effects in toxicological research. This study aimed to estimate the probable health risks for infants exposed to essential and non-essential trace elements through breast milk ingestion. This descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional study was performed on 90 breastfeeding mothers referred to the health centers in Mashhad, Iran in January 2021. The health risk assessments (carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk) were estimated using chronic daily intake (CDI), hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), and lifetime carcinogenic risk (CR), which were recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). The results of the HQ values of trace elements through ingestion exposure for arsenic (90%), copper (90%), zinc (40%), and iron (10%) exceeded the threshold of HQ, and arsenic (66.59%), copper (16.91%), and zinc (9.68%) and iron (4.57%) had the highest contribution to increasing the HI index. The average value of CR was 5. 08 × 10-3. Chromium and iron showed significant relationships (P<0.05) with education level and disease background in this study, and the concentration of chromium, iron, and zinc in the breast milk samples significantly changed during lactation stages (P<0.05). Overall, the risk of carcinogenicity through exposure to breast milk for infants was higher than the safety level of US EPA risk. Therefore, there could be a potential health risk of trace elements, particularly arsenic, copper, and zinc for infants in Mashhad, Iran through the consumption of mothers' breast milk. More efforts are required to control and reduce routes of receiving trace elements in breastfeeding mothers by the competent authorities.

Phenolic compounds of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.): Separation method, chemical characterization, and biological properties.

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is a good source of bioactive compounds. However, information on the biological properties of sugar beet root is limited and its beneficial effects have not been completely understood. In this work, 10 phenolic compounds have been separated and identified in various parts of sugar beet for the first time, including the most abundant epicatechin (31.16 ± 1.89 mg/100 g), gallic acid (30.57 ± 2.69 mg/100 g), and quercetin-3-O-rutinoside (30.14 ± 3.63 mg/100 g). The biological activity tests indicated that sugar beet peel potently scavenged the nitric oxide and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radicals with IC50 values of 88.17 ± 05.14 and 28.77 ± 0.62 µg/ml, respectively. In addition, sugar beet peel exhibited the highest reducing power, IC50 values of 11.98 ± 1.20 µg/ml, and the highest ion-chelating activity, IC50 values of 48.52% and 55.21% for cupric and ferrous ions at 250 µg/ml, respectively. Compared to synthetic antioxidants, sugar beet showed promising biological activities, which could be considered further in future studies.

Advances in plant gum polysaccharides; Sources, techno-functional properties, and applications in the food industry - A review.

Gums are biopolymers with many functional and innovative properties in the food industry. They are complex carbohydrate biomolecules capable of bonding with water, generating gel and mucilage structures. Among different gums, plant-based gums (PBGs) are one of the most important groups as they possess key characteristics such as stabilizing potential, viscosity enhancement, emulsifying and surface-active property, extensive adaptability, and affordability leading to their application in the formulation of food products. PBGs are extensively used in the confectionery, encapsulation of flavors and colors, emulsions, carrier agents, as dietary fiber, thickening/foaming agent, formulation of functional foods, and stabilizers in beverages and other food products. More importantly, researchers and food industries have been engrossed to reveal the undisclosed potential of PBGs and the impact of chemical composition and molecular structure on their techno-functional characteristics Therefore, this review study aims to explore the structure and physiochemical/functional properties of PBGs and their application as techno-functional materials in different food industries.