Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) food supplements and hepatotoxicity: an integrated evaluation approach.

INTRODUCTION: Turmeric is the common name for the rhizome of Curcuma longa L. In the recent years, food supplements containing turmeric have been marketed and widely used by an increasing number of consumers. Spontaneous reports of suspected adverse reactions to food supplements are collected within the Phytovigilance system. METHODS: An ad hoc multidisciplinary group investigated the suspected cases of hepatotoxicity reported to the Italian Phytovigilance system associated with the assumption of turmeric food supplements with the methodology specific to pharmacovigilance as well as for the evaluation of the quality and safety of food supplements. RESULTS: A cluster of 28 spontaneous reports of acute hepatitis, mostly with cholestasis, associated with turmeric products were sent to the Italian Phytovigilance system in the first six months of 2019. In all cases, except one, the causality assessment was at least possible. The suspected products were collected and analysed for the presence of drugs, heavy metals, aflatoxins, pesticides, synthetic dyes and pyrrolizidine alkaloids. CONCLUSION: On the basis of the results of all the activities performed by multidisciplinary group, regulatory intervention was taken. This study highlights the importance of developing an integrated evaluation approach for the evaluation of the adverse effects associated with the use of food supplements.

External and internal dose in subjects occupationally exposed to ochratoxin A.

OBJECTIVES: Ochratoxin A (OA) is a ubiquitous mycotoxin that can contaminate foods, drinks, and animal feeds worldwide. Humans and animals can therefore absorb this toxin via the gastrointestinal tract after ingestion of contaminated products. OA is known to exert toxic effects, particularly on the renal system, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified it as a "possible human carcinogen" (Group 2B). The measurement of OA serum levels is an effective method of evaluating internal doses. Inhalation of airborne OA can represent a source of additional exposure. We determined the levels of serum OA in workers exposed to airborne dust originating from the handling or processing of contaminated foods. METHODS: We carried out area and personal sampling for airborne OA determination in three industries where coffee, cocoa beans, and spices, foods highly susceptible to contamination, were being processed. OA levels in the serum of six healthy workers employed in these factories were measured in samples collected at the end of the work shift. RESULTS: Airborne OA measured in the three industries, both by personal and area sampling, ranged from < 0.003 to 8.15 ng/m(3), while the levels measured in the breathing zone of the six workers who agreed to biological monitoring varied from 0.006 to 0.087 ng/m(3). OA serum levels ranged from 0.94 to 3.28 ng/ml, the latter values rather largely exceeding those of the control group (0.03 to 0.95 ng/ml). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that occupational exposure to this mycotoxin may represent a health risk for workers, especially if preventive and protection measures are not adopted in the workplaces. Airborne exposure levels can result in an increase of OA levels in serum, and this finding suggest that environmental and biological monitoring should be undertaken in workplaces where OA-contaminated products are handled or processed.