Origin, dietary exposure, and toxicity of endocrine-disrupting food chemical contaminants: A comprehensive review.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a growing public health concern worldwide. Consumption of foodstuffs is currently thought to be one of the principal exposure routes to EDCs. However, alternative ways of human exposure are through inhalation of chemicals and dermal contact. These compounds in food products such as canned food, bottled water, dairy products, fish, meat, egg, and vegetables are a ubiquitous concern to the general population. Therefore, understanding EDCs' properties, such as origin, exposure, toxicological impact, and legal aspects are vital to control their release to the environment and food. The present paper provides an overview of the EDCs and their possible disrupting impact on the endocrine system and other organs.

Toxicity, metabolism, and mitigation strategies of acrylamide: a comprehensive review.

Acrylamide, a food-borne chemical toxicant, has raised global concern in recent decades. It mainly originated from reducing sugar and free amino acid interactions in the carbohydrate-rich foodstuffs heated at high temperatures. Due to the neurotoxicity and carcinogenicity of AA, the mechanism of formation, toxic effects on health, and mitigation strategies, including conventional approaches and innovative technologies, have been of great interest since its discovery in food. Potato products (especially French fries and crisps), coffee, and cereals(bread and biscuit) are renowned contributors to AA's daily intake. The best preventive methods discussed in the literature include time/temperature optimization, blanching, enzymatic treatment, yeast treatment, additives, pulsed electric fields, ultrasound, vacuum roasting, air frying, and irradiation, exhibiting a high efficacy in AA elimination in food products.

Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk assessment induced by pesticide residues in commercially available ready-to-eat raisins of Iran based on Monte Carlo Simulation.

Pesticide residues in fruits lead to serious public health and environmental problems. This study was undertaken to analyze 57 pesticides residues in 60 commercially available ready-to-eat packed raisins samples from Iran's markets using Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) approach along with acetonitrile for the extraction, surface adsorbents for clean-up procedure, following with an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Moreover, the probabilistic health risk assessment includes non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk were estimated by hazard quotient (HQ), Hazard Index (HI) and cancer risk (CR) using the Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) method. The respective numbers attributed to LOD and LOQ were 0.001-0.03 mg kg-1 and 0.005-0.05 mg kg-1. Results showed that 23% of samples were contaminated by at least one pesticide according to national MRLs. The rank order of pesticides based on HQ was carbendazim > acetamiprid > thiodicarb > iprodione for raisins with percentile 95% benchmark. The HI amount in the adult's age group was 0.001, and in the children's age group was obtained to be 0.006. According to the risk assessment results (HQ and HI < 1 in both age groups), it can be acknowledged that consumption of raisins may not pose remarkable health hazards in short term exposures. The rank order of pesticides based on CR was thiodicarb > iprodion. But total CR (TCR) was lower than 1E-6 value (7.6E-8), so consumers were not at considerable carcinogenic risk in this commodity. Acetamiprid and carbendazim does not pose a cancer risk to humans. Therefore, a dietary exposure assessment for the purpose of assessing cancer risk is unnecessary.

Evaluation of pesticide residues and risk assessment in apple and grape from western Azerbaijan Province of Iran.

West Azerbaijan, especially the city of Urmia, is the center of Iranian apple and grape production hence the importance of this, residues of 85 pesticides in these products were investigated using modified QuEChERS extraction followed by UHPLC-MS/MS technique. Residues of 17 different pesticides detected in some apple samples. In grape sample only 7 pesticides detected. The levels of the residues found in all apple and grape samples were below the maximum residue levels (MRLs) of Iran, except for iprodione. Health risk assessment associated with pesticide residues in apples and grapes were estimated by hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI), which indicated that the HI value was lower than 1 in adults and children due to apple and consumption. HI in adults and children were 0.012 and 0.054 in apple; 0.001 and 0.003 in grape samples, respectively. Although the health risk assessment showed that the consumers are not at considerable risk but due to pesticide residue, implement control plans to manage the proper application of this pesticide, or replace it with safer alternatives in apple and grape is required.

Pesticide residues in green-house cucumber, cantaloupe, and melon samples from Iran: A risk assessment by Monte Carlo Simulation.

This research aims to analyze 56 pesticide residues in 100 green-house cucumber and 150 cantaloupe and melon samples collected from markets in Iran by Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) extraction method based on analysis with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). In addition, non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic probabilistic health risk assessments were evaluated by Hazard Quotient (HQ), Hazard Index (HI), and Carcinogenic Risk (CR) based on the Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS) method. According to Iranian regulation, 18% of cucumber and 22% of cantaloupe and melon samples were contaminated by at least one pesticide. Arrange pesticides based on HQ ranking was diazinon > thiacloprid > imidacloprid tebuconazole for cucumbers and chlorpyrifos > thiacloprid > imidacloprid > metalaxyl for cantaloupes and melons. In addition, HI for adults was 0.067 in cucumber and 0.24 in cantaloupe and melon; and for children, 0.30 in cucumber and 0.60 in cantaloupe and melon. Arrange pesticides based on CR ranking was thiacloprid > imidacloprid > metalaxyl > chlorpyrifos > tebuconazole > diazinon. However, CR was more than 1.0E-6 value due to thiacloprid, so consumers were at considerable carcinogenic risk in these commodities.

Microbial and Chemical Characteristics of Doogh (Iranian Fermented Milk Drink).

BACKGROUND: Regarding the increasing public health concerns about the safety of foodstuffs, the current survey was designed to argue the presence of preservatives (e.g., sodium benzoate (SB), potassium sorbate (PS), and natamycin) and also the level of salt and fungi in 148 samples of yoghurt drink "Doogh." METHODS: The enumeration of fungi and determination of salt content of samples were performed according to the standard procedures. Preservative determination was performed by reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (RV-HPLC-UV). RESULTS: 0.1% of the total analyzed samples was above the permitted level of Iranian standard for SB (0%), while PS was not detected in any of them. Furthermore, natamycin in 0.11% of the analyzed samples had more than the permissible level of Iranian standard. Additionally, about 15% of the tested samples was higher than the Iranian standard level for fungi (<102 CFU/mL). The average amount of salt in the tested Doogh samples and also in the examined Kefir samples was significantly (P < 0.001) lower than the standard amount of salt (<0.8 g/100). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the quality of Doogh and Kefir samples were acceptable in terms of salt content. Kefir had a significantly (P ≤ 0.001) lower amount of salt in comparison with Doogh. Taken together, underlining the results of the present study, no significant public health concern would exist respecting the mentioned additives.

A Comparative Survey on Antioxidant Activity of Iranian Shrimp Waste (Penaeus semisulcatus) and Synthetic Antioxidants.

BACKGROUND: Shrimp waste, as an important source of natural carotenoids, is produced in large quantities in the seafood processing industry. One of the important characteristics of carotenoids is their ability to act as antioxidants, thus protecting cells and tissues from the damaging effects of free radicals and singlet oxygen. AIMS: The aim of this study was to find an effective method for carotenoid extraction (Enzymatic and alkaline treatment) from shrimp waste and compare their antioxidant potential with synthetic antioxidants butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) using sunflower oil. METHODS: The sunflower oil was exposed to three concentrations of extracted carotenoid (470, 235, and 118 mg/kg) and synthetic antioxidants. The inhibition of lipid peroxidation was evaluated for Malondialdehyde and peroxide value. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The mean values of carotenoid extract were 243 and 170 mg/kg for enzymatic and alkaline treatment, respectively. Therefore, the highest efficacy of carotenoid extraction was obtained from enzymatic extraction. The oil samples containing 470 ppm carotenoid, which were extracted by alcalase as the default treatment, exhibited a less peroxide value and higher antioxidant potential than the oil samples containing synthetic antioxidants. CONCLUSION: According to the results, the synthetic antioxidants can be replaced by extracted carotenoids from shrimp waste as a natural antioxidant to inhibit oxidation.

Impact of Curcumin on Traumatic Brain Injury and Involved Molecular Signaling Pathways.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is one of the main causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide with no suitable treatment. The present study was designed to review the present literature about the protective effects of curcumin and the underlying mechanism against TBI. All published English language papers from beginning to 2019 were selected in this study. The findings indicate that curcumin may be effective against TBI outcomes by modulating the molecular signaling pathways involved in oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and autophagy. However, more experimental studies should be done to identify all mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of TBI. Patents for Curcumin and chronic inflammation and traumatic brain injury management (WO2017097805A1 and US9101580B2) were published. In conclusion, the present study confirmed the potential therapeutic impact of curcumin for treating TBI.

Occurrence of Histamine in Canned Fish Samples (Tuna, Sardine, Kilka, and Mackerel) from Markets in Tehran.

Food poisoning is one of the most addressed health issues and has raised notable concerns. Histamine is the biogenic amine responsible for scombroid poisoning, which is due to the histidine decarboxylation by bacterial decarboxylases in various types of fish and fish products. The present investigation was conducted to measure the concentration of histamine in canned fish samples of tuna in oil (n = 18), tuna in oil with vegetables (n = 15), tuna in brine (n = 9), kilka in oil (n = 9), sardine in oil (n = 3), and mackerel in oil (n = 6) collected from markets in Tehran, Iran. Histamine concentrations were determined with a high-performance liquid chromatography device equipped with a UV detector. For method validation, the correlation coefficient (R2), recovery percentage, relative standard deviation for repeatability, limit of detection, and limit of quantification were 0.99, 82%, 1.3%, 1.5 mg/kg, and 5 mg/kg, respectively. Histamine was detected in 46.6% of the samples, and 18.3% of samples exceeded the histamine limit stipulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (50 mg/kg). The overall mean histamine concentration was 17.36 ± 15.44 mg/kg, with a range of 0 to 88 mg/kg. A significant difference in histamine concentration was found between canned tuna in oil and canned tuna in brine (P < 0.05). However, no significant difference in histamine concentration was found among samples of canned tuna in brine, canned sardine in oil, canned kilka in oil, and canned mackerel in oil. Because of the high histamine concentrations detected in some brands of Iranian canned tuna, precise control programs, hazard analysis critical control point systems, and good hygiene practices should be implemented.

The Effect of Borage (Echium amoenum) on the Mouse Heart and Hematology Parameters.

BACKGROUND: There has been considerable interest in the potential health benefits of borage. Little information is available regarding the safety of this plant. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of borage on the mouse heart. METHODS: Different amounts of borage extract were injected in mice. The mice were randomly divided into 4 groups including group1 (Control group without injection), group2, 3 and 4 that received 12.5 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg respectively for 28 days. Oxidative stress parameters (lipid peroxidation, total glutathione groups assay and cupric assay) and biochemical (Creatine kinase activity and total cholesterol) and hematology parameters were evaluated. Furthermore, histopathology study was carried out on heart tissues. RESULTS: We found that there was no significant difference in oxidative stress parameters and biochemical parameters between the control group and the groups that received different amounts of borage extract. There were also no changes in histopathology study. In blood parameters, the level of erythrocytes, hematocrit and hemoglobin decreased to 50mg/kg, whereas the level of MCH and MCV decreased in high doses. CONCLUSION: This article suggested that borage did not cause significant damage to the heart tissue in mice model. In hematology factors, significant changes were observed in erythrocytes and related parameters. Therefore, hematotoxicity of consumption this plant should be considered at high doses.

The concentration of heavy metals in noodle samples from Iran's market: probabilistic health risk assessment.

In the current study, the concentration of heavy metals including lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), and aluminum (Al) in commonly instant noodles consumed in Iran (either imported from other countries or produced in Iran) was investigated by acid digestion method followed by an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry system (ICP-OES). Also, the associated non-carcinogenic risk due to ingestion of heavy metals for adults and children was estimated by calculating percentile 95% target hazard quotient (THQ) in the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method. The average concentrations of Pb, Cr, Cd, and Al in Iranian instant noodle samples were measured as 1.21 ± 0.81, 0.08 ± 0.10, 0.03 ± 0.06, and 9.15 ± 4.82 (mg/kg) and in imported instant noodle samples were 1.00 ± 0.61, 0.07 ± 0.07, 0.04 ± 0.03, and 15.90 ± 0.93 (mg/kg), respectively. A significant difference (p value < 0.05) in the mean concentration of Pb, Cr, Cd, and Al of Iranian instant noodle and imported instant noodle samples was observed. Also, the concentration of Pb, Cr, Cd, and Al in all brands of instant noodle (0.025 mg/kg, 0.050 mg/kg, 0.003 mg/kg, and 0.237 mg/kg, respectively) surpassed the WHO-permitted limits for Pb, Cr, Cd, and Al. Percentile 95% of THQ of Pb, Cr, Cd, and Al for the adult consumers was calculated as 0.012, 0.000007, 0.010, and 1.789; while in the case of children, percentile 95% of THQ of Pb, Cr, Cd, and Al was defined as 0.044, 0.00023, 0.035, and 6.167, respectively. Health risk assessment indicated that both adults and children are at considerable non-carcinogenic health risk for Al (THQ > 1). Therefore, approaching the required strategies in order to reduce the concentration of heavy metals particularly Al in the instant noodle is recommended.