Determination of urinary trans, trans-muconic acid reference values in general Tunisian population.

We wish to determine the urinary trans,trans-muconic acid reference values in the Tunisian general population, and evaluate the impact of several factors (age, gender, tobacco...) on these reference values. Urine samples were collected from 182 healthy Tunisian subjects who had not been occupationally exposed to benzene. This determination was performed by solid phase extraction sampling technique together with high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detector. Trans,trans-muconic values ranged from 0.003 to 0.618 mg/g creatinine, the 95% reference interval was: 0.004-0.36, and the 90% confidence interval of the upper reference limit was: 0.24-0.62 mg/g creatinine. Urinary trans,trans-muconic levels were significantly higher among smokers. Significant differences were also observed for the < 20 and the > or = 40 age groups. As a result urinary trans,trans-muconic background levels allow the biomonitoring of workers occupationally exposed to benzene at levels as low as 0.5 ppm. Age and tobacco, but not gender may affect the trans,trans-muconic reference values.

Lead and cadmium concentrations in seawater and algae of the Tunisian coast.

Both lead and cadmium are toxic trace metals, even in very weak concentrations. The aim of this study was to estimate lead and cadmium pollution in various sites of the Tunisian coast and to verify the possibility of modification of the algae bioconcentration power according to water physico-chemical conditions. Our study concerned 99 samples of algae and 99 samples of seawater, taken in different sites of the Tunisian littoral. The analysis was realized by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (oven graphite). In algae, Sfax site presented the highest concentrations of lead when Sousse site showed the lowest ones. In seawater, the most amounts of lead were observed in Bizerte, Mahdia and Sfax sites, and those of cadmium in Bizerte and Medenine coasts. Bizerte's coast seems to be the most exposed zone to pollution. Indeed, the intensification of sea traffic may take place on this pollution because hydrocarbons derived from petroleum contain some tetraethylic lead characterised by its great toxicity. Sousse's region is the least polluted zone; it might be due to the development of tourism and a strict regulation of pollution in this district.

Comparative effects of the addition of meat from beef, chicken, mullet and hake to a bean seed ragout on iron metabolism and iron status in growing rats.

AIMS: The objective was to study the comparative effects of the addition of meat from beef, chicken, mullet and hake to a bean seed ragout (BSR) on iron metabolism and iron status in growing rats. METHODS: The iron metabolism and the iron status were investigated through the exploration of the total iron in the blood and the reserve of iron stored in the liver, spleen, intestine, heart and tibia. RESULTS: Our findings showed that the iron concentration in total blood significantly increased only in the BSR + beef group by 23% (p < 0.006) as compared to the control group (BSR). However, it significantly decreased in the BSR + chicken group by 19.3% (p < 0.002). The reserve of iron stored in the liver significantly increased in the BSR + beef and the BSR + hake groups by 69.5% (p < 0.003) and 160% (p < 2.5.10(-7)) respectively, as compared to the control group. The effect of hake was more pronounced than beef. However, in the BSR + chicken and the BSR + mullet groups, the reserve of iron stored in the liver did not significantly differ from the control group. The reserve of iron stored in the spleen increased significantly in all groups. The increase has reached 370% in the BSR + hake group (p < 1.10(-7)). In the intestine, the reserve of iron was significantly enhanced only in the group fed BSR + beef by 120% (p < 0.01). In contrast, this reserve was lower in the rats fed BSR + mullet than in the other groups, a reduction of 64% (p < 1.10(-5)) as compared to the control group. In the heart, iron concentration significantly increased between 36.5 and 50%, as compared to the control group. The iron stored in the tibia significantly increased only in the beef and the hake groups by 88% (p < 0.05) and 57.4% (p < 0.02) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated that beef, chicken, mullet and hake did not have the same effect on iron metabolism and iron status in growing rats fed BSR diets. The rats fed BSR + beef have a better iron status than those fed BSR + hake, BSR + chicken or BSR + mullet in descending order.

Acute iron poisoning.

Intoxications with ferrous compounds are uncommon but ferrous sulphate is most frequently involved. Ferrous fumarate is less toxic than ferrous sulphate. Two cases of ferrous fumarate poisoning that resulted in digestive mucosal lesions are reported.

Datura stramonium poisonings in humans.

Datura stramonium is a hallucinogenic plant which causes serious poisoning. Clinical symptoms are those of atropinic intoxication with psychiatric manifestations of dryness of mouth, mydriasis, tachycardia and hallucinations. Diagnosis is essentially clinical. Treatment is symptomatic and suppurative; prognosis is usually favorable.

Effect of tea decoction given to rats ad libitum for a relatively long time on body weight gains and iron, copper, zinc, magnesium concentrations in blood, liver, duodenum and spleen.

The aim of our study was to examine the influence of tea decoction given ad libitum for 15 days on body weight gains and on nonheme iron, copper, zinc and magnesium concentrations in the blood from a semisynthetic diet provided to healthy rats. We have also evaluated the reserves of these essential minerals in the liver, duodenum and spleen. Our findings indicate that the tea decoction significantly reduced the total body weight growth in the tea group as compared to the control group (p < 0.0001). The total body weight gains for the control and tea groups were 13.2 and 2.4%, respectively. On the other hand, our data show that the tea decoction significantly reduced nonheme iron concentration in the total blood by 31.8% (p < 0.001). Similarly, the reserve of iron stored in the liver and the duodenum declined more significantly by 57% (p < 1.10(-7) and 50.5% (p < 1.10(-6)). respectively. In contrast to the inhibitory effect on iron concentration and its stored reserve, tea decoction significantly increased zinc, copper and magnesium concentrations in the total blood. Zinc, copper and magnesium concentrations increased by 29.4 (p < 0.05), 69.0 (p < 0.001) and 48.7% (p < 0.001), respectively. Moreover, tea decoction treatment did not raise the reserve of zinc or copper significantly but it increased the reserve of magnesium stored in the liver (p < 0.05).

Effect of tea on iron absorption from the typical Tunisian meal 'couscous' fed to healthy rats.

Black and green tea decoctions are popular beverages in Tunisia, especially after eating. Our study was performed to examine the effect of graded amounts of black and green tea decoction prepared under realistic Tunisian conditions on nonheme iron absorption from a typical Tunisian meal, 'couscous', by extrinsic radioiron labeling in rats. Concentrations of 300, 200 and 100 micrograms/ml of black tea decreased dramatically nonheme iron bioavailability from couscous, but 50 micrograms/ml did not influence iron absorption. The inhibition of nonheme iron from couscous varied from 36 to 61% with black tea and 30.5% with green tea. Taken together, our findings show that the tea decoction in Tunisia has a great inhibitory power and may constitute an important factor for the development of iron deficiency anemia throughout Tunisia.