RESUMO
The present study was aimed at measuring the concentration of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in the milk of Holstein Friesian cows, its effect on the milk quality and seasonal trends, as well as to investigate the efficacy of a commercial clay-based toxin binder. For this purpose, milk samples from dairy cows (n = 72) were collected and assayed for AFM1 before employing a clay-based toxin binder. The milk samples (n = 72) were collected from selected animals, revealing that 69.4% of the milk samples had AFM1 levels above the United States permissible limit (0.5 µg/kg). The incidence of AFM1 in milk during the winter and summer was 82.5% and 53.1%, respectively. Owing to the presence of AFM1, the level of milk fat, solids-not-fat, and protein were found to be low. Subsequently, the affected animals were divided into two groups, i.e., AFM1 positive control (n = 10) and the experimental group (n = 40). The experimental group of animals were fed the clay-based toxin binder at 25 g/animal/day. A progressive decrease of 19.8% in the AFM1 levels was observed on day 4 and on day 7 (53.6%) in the treatment group. Furthermore, the fat, solids-non-fat and protein increased significantly in the milk. In conclusion, a high level of AFM1 contamination occurs in the milk in Pakistan, affecting the quality of the milk production. Clay-based toxin binders may be used to ensure the milk quality and to protect the animal and consumer health.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: In the recent era, musculoskeletal disorders have affected millions of people worldwide. Chefs and other workers of the catering industry are at high risk of physical stresses, which makes them susceptible to develop various musculoskeletal pains and disorders. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to examine the frequency of musculoskeletal symptoms among chefs working in restaurants of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 307 chef participants from the restaurants of the twin cities. The participants were included via convenient sampling and data was collected through Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS) and Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) from February to July 2021. RESULTS: Out of 307 participants, 285 were males and 22 were females with a mean age of 32.87±7.03 years. The working duration of 192 chefs were 9-12 hours while 106 and 9 chefs worked only for 4-8 and more than 12 hours, respectively. A total of 101 chefs reported lower back and knee pain. The chefs presented with pain in the shoulders, upper back and ankle as well as feet areas were 98, 93 and 26 respectively. CONCLUSION: Chefs can develop musculoskeletal symptoms including pain as a result of increased physical stress on their bodies during their work, specifically in the lower back and knee area.