Heavy metals in vegetables sold in the local market in Jordan.

Heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in various vegetables (cabbage, green onion, lettuce, parsley, rocket, spinach, carrot, onion, potato and cauliflower) from the market in Jordan were measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn ranged from 0.009-0.275 mg kg(-1) wet weight, 0.004-0.060 mg kg(-1), 0.003-0.401 mg kg(-1), 0.105-3.51 mg kg(-1), 0.15-1.15 mg kg(-1), 0.93-14.39 mg kg(-1), 0.044-0.702 mg kg(-1), 0.072-0.289 mg kg(-1) and 2.23-6.65 mg kg(-1), respectively. Parsley, followed by spinach, contained the highest concentration of heavy metals. Onion contained high levels of toxic heavy metals. The content of Cu in parsley and spinach and Pb in onion exceeded the Codex limits. However, the daily intake of heavy metals from the tested vegetables was lower than the maximum limits for allowable intake.

New food from a potato somatic hybrid: nutritional equivalence and safety assessment by a feeding study on rats.

BACKGROUND: Potato tubers from the STBd somatic hybrid line that exhibited improved tolerance to salinity and resistance to fungal and PVY infections were characterised. They were compared for their chemical composition to the Spunta variety produced by conventional agronomic practices. This study aimed to compare nutritional value and safety by feeding rats with STBd or commercial tubers added to the standard diet (20/80 w/w). RESULTS: The analysis of soluble sugar, fat, fibre and ash content of tubers did not reveal any significant differences between the hybrid line and the control Spunta variety. Small differences were observed in dry matter, starch and protein content of hybrid potatoes in comparison to controls. However, all values were within normal ranges reported in the literature. The feeding study on rats showed that overall health, weight gain, food consumption, morphological aspects and weights of organs were comparable between rat groups fed the STBd hybrid and the Spunta variety. CONCLUSION: Taken together, 28 days of consumption of STBd hybrid potato did not exert any adverse effect on rats compared with commercial Spunta potato. The STBd potato line was therefore considered to be as safe for food utilisation as the commercial variety.

Neurotoxic effect of linamarin in rats associated with cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) consumption.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a plant widely used for food consumption in different processed products in rural areas of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Cassava is a good source of carbohydrates and micronutrients. However, if it is not adequately processed or the consumer has nutritional deficiencies, then its cyanogenic glycoside (i.e., linamarin and lotaustralin) content makes it potentially neurotoxic. In the present study, the neurotoxic effects of different concentrations of linamarin (0.075, 0.15, 0.22, and 0.30 mg/kg) contained in cassava juice were evaluated in the open field and swim tests to identify locomotor alterations in adult male Wistar rats. The linamarin concentration in cassava juice was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, and the juice was administered intraesophageally for 28 days. The results suggested that the consumption of linamarin in cassava juice increased the number of crossings and rearings in the open field test and caused behavioral deficiency, reflected by lateral swimming, in the swim test on days 21 and 28 of treatment. These alterations are possibly related to neuronal damage caused by linamarin in cassava juice in structures of the central nervous system involved in motor processing.

Associations of dietary glycaemic index and glycaemic load with food and nutrient intake and general and central obesity in British adults.

Inconsistent associations between dietary glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) and body fatness may be partly due to differences in the underlying dietary patterns or energy under-reporting. In the present study, we examined the cross-sectional associations of dietary GI and GL with food and nutrient intake and general and central obesity, accounting for energy under-reporting. The subjects were 1487 British adults aged 19-64 years. Dietary intake was assessed using a 7 d weighed dietary record. Breads and potatoes were the positive predictive foods for dietary GI, while fruit, other cereals and dairy products were the negative predictors. These foods were similarly identified in the analysis of only acceptable reporters (AR; ratio of reported energy intake:estimated energy requirement within 0·665-1·335) and under-reporters (UR; ratio < 0·665). Dietary GL was closely correlated with carbohydrate intake. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that dietary GI was independently associated with a higher risk of general obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) and central obesity (waist circumference ≥ 102 cm in men and ≥ 88 cm in women). Dietary GL was also associated with general (only women) and central obesity. Similarly, in the analysis of AR, the GI showed positive associations with general and central obesity, and, only in women, the GL showed positive associations with general and central obesity. Conversely, in the analysis of UR, the associations were generally weaker and many of them failed to reach statistical significance. In conclusion, we found independent positive associations of dietary GI and GL with general and central obesity in British adults.

Androgen disruption and toxicity tests of Butea superba Roxb., a traditional herb used for treatment of erectile dysfunction, in male rats.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of the tuberous powder of Butea superba Roxb. (Leguminosae) on blood testosterone and luteinizing hormone (LH), and toxicity in male rats. METHODS: Adult male Wistar rats were orally treated with 0, 10, 100, 150 or 200 mg/kg BW/day of B. superba powder suspension in 0.7 ml distilled water for 90 consecutive days. Blood samples were collected every 30 days and submitted to testosterone and LH analysis. On the 90th day of treatment, blood and the main organs were collected for haematological and histopathological analysis, respectively. RESULTS: The adverse effects found included an increase in spleen relative weight, and increased serum level of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in rats treated with 150 mg/kg BW/day B. superba powder. At 200 mg/kg BW/day treatment, rats showed significant decreased and increased blood levels of neutrophil and eosinophil, respectively, and a decrease in serum creatinine levels. Serum hormonal analysis revealed a dose-dependent decrease in testosterone, but not LH, in rats treated with 150 and 200 mg/kg BW/day B. superba powder. CONCLUSION: Subchronic treatment of B. superba tuberous powder suspension at high doses in male rats exhibited adverse effects to blood chemistry, haematology, and blood testosterone level. The results of the study should initiate awareness of the possible adverse risk of over-dose consumption of B. superba products for treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in mature males.

Liver injury induced by a Japanese herbal medicine, sairei-to (TJ-114, Bupleurum and Hoelen Combination, Chai-Ling-Tang) R1.

The case is reported of a man who showed acute hepatitis with jaundice after he was given a Japanese herbal medicine, sairei-to (TJ-114, Bupleurum and Hoelen Combination, Chai-Ling-Tang). Unusually, the component thought to be responsible for the observed drug-induced liver injury was able to be identified. Lymphocyte migration inhibition testing indicated that the tuber of the perennial herbage Pinellia ternate was the causative agent.

Atherogenic potentials of some Nigerian meals.

The atherogenic potentials of peeled grated cocoyam (Xanthosoma maffafa scot) "ekpang nkukwo", pounded yam (Discorea spp) with plain soup "afia efere", and plantain porridge (Musa paradisiaca) "iwuk ukom" meals were investigated. The three meals were fed to three different groups of albino rats of Wistar strain for a period of twenty eight days. A fourth group which served as control was feed with normal rat pellet. The mean total plasma cholesterol level in the pounded yam with plain soup fed group was significantly lower [P < 0.05] when compared to the control and peeled grated cocoyam fed groups. The mean total plasma triglyceride (MTPTG) level in the pounded yam with plain soup fed group was significantly lower [P < 0.05] when compared to the control group. However the MTPTG level in the peeled grated cocoyam and plantain porridge fed groups were comparable to control. The mean HDL-cholesterol level in the peeled grated cocoyam and plantain fed groups were comparable control. The mean LDL-cholesterol level in the peeled grated cocoyam and plantain porridge fed groups was significantly lower [P < 0.05] than the control group. The LDL-cholesterol and VLDL-cholesterol in the pounded yam with plain soup fed group was significantly lower [P < 0.05] when compared to control. These findings suggest low atherogenic potentials of the pounded yam with plain soup meal compared to the peeled grated cocoyam and plantain porridge meals.