Search

Rats (11 groups) were treated with malathion (MAL) and probiotic bacteria for 6 weeks. The results obtained in kidney showed a significant increase in the malondialdehyde (≈92%), superoxide dismutase (≈41%), catalase (≈56%), IL-1β (≈45), and TNF-α (≈25%) in MAL-treated group. In contrast, testicular catalase, superoxide dismutase, and TNF-α levels decreased ≈ 33, 30, and 21%, respectively, in the MAL-treated groups. In kidney, treatment with the probiotics reduced malondialdehyde and catalase activity compared with the MAL-treated group. As well as, treatment with the L. rhamnosus, L. casei, L. plantarum, and L. acidophilus enhanced testicular catalase activity (≈21, 49, 52, and 26%, respectively) compared with the MAL-treated group. Unlike superoxide dismutase, in groups treated with L. plantarum, L. rhamnosus, inflammatory factor levels decreased in kidney compare with MAL-group. In testis, probiotic bacteria blocked MAL effect on malondialdehyde, catalase and TNF-α. Micrographs of kidney sections of the MAL revealed mild to moderate proximal and distal tubular cell necrosis. Histopathological evaluation of the L. acidophilus sample revealed less tissue toxicity in comparison to MAL group. Micrographs of testis sections of the showed no histological changes. Probiotics could effectively protect against malathion-induced damage in kidneys and testes, offering a potential solution for pesticide-related toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being one of the most frequently consumed beverages worldwide, there are concerns that excessive consumption of coffee can have adverse effects, especially concerning the addictive and stimulating effects of the alkaloid caffeine, which contributes to coffee's popularity. It is known to increase the risk of hypertension and heart rate among predisposed individuals, adversely affecting the nervous system. Even though they differ in nature from those found in coffee, coffee substitutes can be considered economically and health‐wise as a favorable alternative to natural coffee brews. This review summarizes the state‐of‐the‐art varieties of plants used as coffee substitutes and discusses their production technology, chemical composition, nutritional properties, health benefits, economic challenges, and rationale for choosing the plant as a substitute for coffee. Various instant products and coffee substitute blends are also available on the market especially based on different kinds of plants and herbs like ginger, rye, date pits, quinoa, lupine, chicory, barley, rye, oak, and so on. These coffee substitutes have several advantages especially having no caffeine and containing different beneficial phytochemicals, although the results of the difference between the levels of harmful compounds in coffee and coffee substitutes were contradictory. Therefore, it is no wonder that the development of coffee substitutes, which are beverages that are able to mimic the taste and aroma of coffee, is on the rise at present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the turn of the century, innovative food processing techniques have quickly risen to the top of the commercial and economic prominence food industry's priority list due to their many benefits over more conventional approaches. Compared to traditional food processing techniques, these innovative procedures retain better the distinctive aspects of food, including its organoleptic and nutritional attributes. Concurrently, there has been a discernible increase in the number of people, particularly infants and young children, who are allergic to certain foods. Although this is widely associated with shifting economic conditions in industrialized and developing countries, the rise of urbanization, the introduction of new eating patterns, and developments in food processing, it still needs to be determined how exactly these factors play a part. Under this circumstance, given the widespread presence of allergens that cause IgE-mediated reactions, it is critical to understand how the structural changes in protein as food is processed to determine whether the specific processing technique (conventional and novel) will be appropriate. This article discusses the impact of processing on protein structure and allergenicity and the implications of current research and methodologies for developing a platform to study future pathways to decrease or eliminate allergenicity in the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversification of gluten‐free (GF) bakery products is considerably important, as those who suffer from gluten intolerance should follow a GF diet their whole life. Regarding this study, it was aimed at optimizing the formulation of a quinoa‐based GF traditional bakery product, i.e. Nan‐e‐Fasaee using inulin as a bifunctional agent (both a prebiotic compound and a structure‐forming agent). Otherwise, its potential role as a fat and sugar replacer was also assessed. For this purpose, short (S)‐ and long (L)‐chain inulin were used as sugar and fat replacers, respectively, at 0%–50% w/w in quinoa flour (QF)‐based GF Nan‐e‐Fasaee and optimization was done based on rheological, textural, and sensory analysis. Results indicated that QF diet provided the batter with the dominance of elastic modulus and increased hardness (i.e. 5170.0 ± 22.50 g in the presence of QF compared to 1477.0 ± 20.81 g in wheat‐based ones). Inulin inclusion reduced the hardness, as the lowest was observed at S‐inulin substitution levels of 40% and 50% w/w, with values equal to 2422.0 ± 20.81 and 2431.0 ± 35.57 g, respectively (the most similar ones to control sample). The interference of S‐inulin with the non‐gelatinized starch structure is supposed to decrease the hardness. The highest score in texture was also perceived at F6 and F13, with values equal to 8.00 ± 0.10 and 7.97 ± 0.05, respectively. Using S‐ and L‐inulin in combination is found to improve the textural characteristics due to preventing the competitive role of sugar in water absorption in formulations containing L‐inulin. Regarding optimization of quinoa‐based GF Nan‐e‐Fasaee with reduced sugar and fat levels using inulin, it is found to be feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coffee is one of the most popular non-alcoholic beverages, consumed as a raw material in different food sectors. The popularity of coffee is induced by its pleasant flavor, taste, and highly nutritious nature. However, the absorption of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) through preharvest, harvesting, and post-harvest stages makes it a potentially rich source. Essential elements are potentially toxic at a higher concentration than required for the human body to work. PTEs intake through food systems may lead to health risks, including mutagenicity, teratogenicity, carcinogenicity, and embryotoxic effects. Different analytical techniques such as spectroscopy, electromigration, and electrochemical. are used for PTEs content determination of coffee. Considering the importance of PTEs in human health and the worldwide popularity of coffee, their monitoring of coffee is crucial. Therefore, this study is aimed to investigate the classification, prevalence, and determination techniques of PTEs in different coffee types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical contamination of seafood has become a global health concern. Carp fish is one of the most widely consumed globally, and several studies have been conducted on the contamination of carp fish with radioisotopes. In the current study, a meta-analysis and probabilistic exposure assessment regarding the Potassium-40 (40K), Polonium-210 (210Po), Radium-226 (226Ra), and Thorium-230 (230Th) in the fillet tissue of carp fish were performed. In this regard, Scopus and PubMed were screened to retrieve the associated citations with on the concentration of radioisotopes in the fillet tissue of carp fish until October 2021. The rank order of radioisotopes in fillet tissue carp fish was 40K (103.49 Bq kg−1) > 210Po (9.39 Bq kg−1) > 226Ra (0.62 Bq kg−1) > 230Th (0.39 Bq kg−1). The highest effective dose due to 210Po ingestion was observed in Spain (male; 4.44E–05 Sv y−1, female; 2.67E–06 Sv y−1); 40K (female, 5.07E–07 Sv y−1); 226Ra (male, 9.93E–09 Sv y−1). The mean of effective dose (ED) in the male and females in India due to ingestion of 230Th as result of carp fish consumption was (1.70E–06 Sv y−1) and (7.01E–08 Sv y−1), respectively. The probabilistic exposure assessment by the Monte Carlo simulation method revealed that consumers of fillet tissue carp fish content of radioisotopes are at a safe range (0.001 Sv y−1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the average level of aflatoxin M1 in various types of milk from 107 articles (297 studies with 16,274 milk samples) were meta-analyzed using random-effect model based on the milk varieties (animal species and heating processes), geographical regions, seasons, detection techniques and dairy farming subgroups. Studies on milk contamination with aflatoxin M1 in Iran were collected using universal and Persian databanks from January 1974 to the end of November 2021. The overall aflatoxin M1 mean concentration and prevalence in milk samples of Iran were 39.65 ng/l (95% CI: 36.00–43.30) and 80% (95% CI: 76–85%), respectively. The rank order of importance of various variables in mean levels of aflatoxin M1 in milk samples included milk type (animal species) > geographical regions > detection techniques > dairy farming types > milk types (heating processes) > seasons. Findings revealed that the overall content of aflatoxin M1 in milk samples of Iran was lower than that allowed by the European Union, Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran, and the USA, possibly due to the milk monitoring by the Iranian regulatory systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Malathion (MAL), a kind of organophosphate pesticide (OPs), is one of the oldest phosphoric pesticides used for both domestic and commercial agricultural purposes. However, it possesses adverse effects and organ-specific toxicity for the heart, kidney, and other vertebrate organs. The exact effects of the short-term toxicity of MAL on lipid peroxidation, antioxidant activity, and pro-inflammatory cytokines have not been sufficiently elucidated yet. Methods: We evaluated lipid peroxidation (MDA level), antioxidant activity [superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT)], tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) in different tissues of MAL-treated Wistar rats, at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg. Results: After 14 days of exposure, CAT and SOD activities and MDA level increased in most tissues. Based on the histopathological results, the liver, kidney, and heart were the most affected, while the testes and lungs showed no damage. Also, increased TNF-α was measured as an inflammatory cytokine compared to untreated rats. IL-1β levels showed a dual response to the toxic effects of MAL, such as an increase in testis, kidney, and lung tissues and reduced in liver, heart, and blood tissues. Conclusion: The present findings reinforce the concept that MAL can cause tissue-specific damage while enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes and reducing cytokine levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]