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Rie Nakajima, Nana Morita, Fumiyuki Watanabe, Yasuhiro Kosuge School of Pharmacy, Nihon University, Chiba, 274-8555, JapanCorrespondence: Rie Nakajima, School of Pharmacy, Nihon University, Tel +81 47 465 7389, Fax +81 47 465 7389, Email nakajima.rie@nihon-u.ac.jpPurpose: Antihistamine over-the-counter (OTC) drugs for allergic rhinitis are widely used and cause central nervous system side effects. Most available data on anti-allergic drugs are on controlled usage. It is necessary to investigate the occurrence of side effects in the context of self-medication to avoid inappropriate use. We aimed to clarify the association between the usage of OTC anti-allergic drugs and central nervous system side effects.Patients and Methods: An online, anonymous, cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire. People who had used OTC anti-allergic drugs in the year prior to the study were recruited. To assess the association between inappropriate drug use and the occurrence of side effects, a binary logistics regression analysis was performed according to three dosage forms (oral only, nasal only, and oral and nasal combined use).Results: Somnolence was experienced by 59.1% of the participants using the OTC drug for allergic rhinitis. Using logistic regression analysis, “drug use exceeding the upper limit” was seen to be associated with side effects in only oral (Somnolence: OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.17– 1.70; Dull head: OR=1.41, 95% CI = 1.16– 1.70; Loss of concentration: OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.04– 1.49) and oral and nasal combined use groups (Somnolence: OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.04– 1.71; Dull head: OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.15– 1.89; Loss of concentration: OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.19– 1.91). Furthermore, “expired drug use” was associated with side effects in the nasal spray-only group (Somnolence: OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.07– 1.60; Dull head: OR =1.25, 95% CI = 1.02– 1.53; Loss of concentration: OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.00– 1.54).Conclusion: Inappropriate use was common among users of OTC allergic rhinitis drugs. Differences in side effects depending on the dosage form used were observed.Keywords: antihistamines, adherence, oral medicine, nasal spray, somnolence

In this study, a method is presented to decrease halogen compounds in the product oil from thermolysis of polystyrene and polypropylene mixed plastic spiked with tetrabromobisphenol A. A mixture of hydrotalcite and plastic was pyrolyzed in a glass reactor at 400 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere. Bromine compounds in the residual substances were measured. The yield of product oil increased using hydrotalcite as an additive. The bromine compounds that were the major ingredients in the oil after thermolysis at 400 °C from the mixed plastic, which also included toluene, ethyl benzene, styrene, and 1-methylethyl benzene, were 2-bromohexane, 3-bromo-1-propenyl benzene, 4,5-dibromodecane, 1-bromomethylbenzene, 3-bromophenol, and 4-bromo-2,6-dimethylbenzaniline. However, bromine compounds were not detected in the product oil, residue, or gas when hydrotalcite was added. After the thermolysis of the plastic, bromine compounds in the product oil may decrease because bromine was captured by the added hydrotalcite.

Canola meals from six varieties cultivated in Egypt (Seru4 and Pactol) and Japan (Kirariboshi, Tohoku95, Oominantane and Kizakinonatane) were investigated regarding anti-nutritive compounds, namely glucosinolates, phytic acid, sinapine and total phenols. All varieties except Kirariboshi contained a high level of total glucosinolates. A profile of 12 glucosinolates in all varieties was identified; aliphatic glucosinolates, progoitrin, epiprogoitrin, gluconapin, glucobrassicanapin and glucoberin were the most abundant. Other aliphatic glucosinolates, including sinigrin and gluconapoliferin, were of low level. Indolic and aromatic glucosinolates (4-Hydroxybrassicin, Glucotropeolin, Glucobrassicin, Gluconasturtin and 4-Methoxybrassicin) were low and showed few differences among varieties. The anti-nutritional effects are associated, to a large degree, with the content of aliphatic glucosinolates rather than indole glucosinolates, and the total aliphatic glucosinolates are present at a higher level in all varieties than total aromatic glucosinolate (including indole glucosinolate). Therefore, canola meal from all varieties could cause many anti-nutritive effects. Also it was found that Seru4, Pactol, Tohoku95, Oominantane and Kizakinonatane are high glucosinolates varieties because they contained more than 30 µmol [g.sup.-1] however, only Kirariboshi was a low glucosinolate variety. The differences in the content of individual and total glucosinolates among the varieties may be attributed to genetic and environmental factors. Phytic acid was at a high level in all varieties with few differences. Oominatane contained the lowest level and Pactol contained the highest one. No remarkable differences were observed among Kirariboshi, Kizakinonatane and Tohoku. For total phenols, Tohoku contained the lowest level of total phenols while Pactol and Seru4 contained the highest level. Also, insignificant differences were observed among Kirariboshi, Oominatane and Kizakinonatane in total phenols. Sinapine was found in all varieties with significant differences among varieties. Tohoku and Oominatane contained the lowest levels of sinapine, while Seru4 contained the highest one. Insignificant differences were observed among Kirariboshi, Kizakinonatane and Pactol. Thus canola meals from all varieties must be treated to remove or reduce the aliphatic glucosinolates and other anti-nutritive compounds. Key words: Canola, glucosinolates, phytate, sinapine, phenols, INTRODUCTION The presence of some anti-nutrients in rapeseed meal is the most important limitation to its potential as a protein supplement. Among these compounds, glucosinolates, commonly referred to as goitrogens, [...]