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Total and inorganic arsenic contents in ten commonly consumed Thai herbs, namely, bird’s eye chili, cayenne pepper, celery, garlic, holy basil, kitchen mint, lemongrass, pepper, shallot, and sweet basil, were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry coupled with a hydride generation system (HG-AAS). Total arsenic contents in fresh herbs and lyophilized herbs ranged from 3.39 to 119 ng/g wet weight (wet wt) and from 41.0 to 156 ng/g dry weight (dry wt), respectively. Inorganic arsenic contents in fresh herbs and lyophilized herbs ranged from 2.09 to 26.9 ng/g (wet wt) and from 23.5 to 55.5 ng/g (dry wt), respectively. Percentages of inorganic arsenic to total arsenic in herbs ranged from 22.7 to 62.0%. High percentages of inorganic arsenic to total arsenic were found in celery, lemongrass and sweet basil. Total arsenic contents in the studied herbs were lower than the maximum limits of Thai and Chinese regulatory standards, set at 2,000 ng/g in foods (excluding aquatic animals and seafood) and 500 ng/g in fresh vegetables, respectively. Total and inorganic arsenic contents in the studied herbs were comparable to or lower than the levels found in other studies in the EU and China. Lifetime average daily dose (LADD) and cancer risk (CR) of inorganic arsenic exposure to commonly consumed herbs were evaluated using probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) by @RISK software version 6.0 of Palisade cooperation. All calculated LADD and CR values from all herbs did not exceed the acceptable levels. It can be concluded that there were very low cancer risks of inorganic arsenic exposure from the consumption of the studied herbs.

A simple, rapid, and cost-effective thin-layer chromatography (TLC) image analysis was developed and validated to quantify rhein content in Cassia fistula pod pulp extract. ImageJ software was used in the proposed method, and its data were compared to TLC-densitometric data. The TLC image analysis method promoted acceptable validation parameters, showing linear relationship with r2 = 0.9988 in the concentration range of 400–1200 ng spot−1. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 84.60 and 256.36 ng spot−1, respectively. The paired t-test showed no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05) between the mean content of rhein performed by these two methods. TLC image analysis is reliable and can be used as an alternative analytical method for rhein content in C. fistula pod pulp extract and its finished products.

Total and inorganic arsenic were determined in 108 samples of four freshwater fish species collected from natural water sources and aquaculture systems in the central region of Thailand between March and May 2010. Concentrations of total and inorganic arsenic (dry wt) and percentages of inorganic arsenic in four aquacultural fish species were not significantly different from those found in natural fish. Inorganic arsenic levels found in the four fish species from both sources in this study were much lower than the Thai regulatory standard of 2 μg/g, and hence are considered safe for human consumption.

Total and inorganic arsenic levels were determined in 120 samples of eight freshwater animal species collected from five distribution centers in the central region of Thailand between January and March 2011. Eight species with the highest annual catch, consisting of seven fish species and one prawn species, were analyzed. Concentrations of inorganic arsenic (on a wet weight basis) ranged from 0.010 μg/g in giant prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) to 0.230 μg/g in striped snakehead (Channa striata). Climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) exhibited the highest mean concentrations of total arsenic (0.459 ± 0.137 μg/g), inorganic arsenic (0.121 ± 0.044 μg/g), and percentage of inorganic arsenic (26.2%). Inorganic arsenic levels found in freshwater animals in this study were much lower than the Thai regulatory standard of 2 μg/g.

Concentrations of total and inorganic arsenic were determined in 180 samples of polished and brown rice of three rice types, namely white, jasmine, and sticky, and 44 samples of rice bran from these three rice types purchased in Thailand. Concentrations (expressed in nanograms per gram) of inorganic arsenic in polished white, jasmine, and sticky rice were 68.3 ± 17.6 (with a range of 45.0 to 106), 68.4 ± 15.6 (41.7 to 101), and 75.9 ± 24.8 (43.5 to 156), respectively, while those in the three brown rice samples were 124 ± 34.4 (74.5 to 193), 120 ± 31.6 (73.1 to 174), and 131 ± 35.6 (78.0 to 188), respectively. Inorganic arsenic concentrations (expressed in nanograms per gram) in rice bran produced from the three rice types were 633 ± 182 (375 to 919), 599 ± 112 (447 to 824), and 673 ± 195 (436 to 1,071), respectively. Rice bran contained concentrations of total and inorganic arsenic approximately seven and nine times higher, respectively, than those found in the corresponding polished rice. The levels of inorganic arsenic in the three rice types of both polished and brown rice were within the only published regulatory limit of 200 ng/g.

This study illustrated the genetic algorithms (GA) is useful tool in wavelength selection for the spectrophotometric determination of vitamin B12 in pharmaceutical tablets by partial least-squares calibration procedure (PLS). Because of interference in the spectra, a training set of the mixtures of vitamin B12 and tablet excipients was built to be used as calibration set for modeling. The absorption spectra of all solutions were recorded each 1 nm in the range 354-600 nm, using 0.1N hydrochloric acid as solvent. A validation set was employed to verify the models and a commercial sample was analysed. GA-PLS model leads to 86% improvement of predictive ability for vitamin B12, when comparing with full spectrum PLS model. It is concluded that only some variables in GA-PLS modeling are relevant for prediction and removing the non-relevant variables can improve the predictive capability.

Aflatoxin M(1) (AFM(1)) was found in all of the 240 raw milk samples collected from milk tanks of 80 dairy farms at a collecting center in the central region of Thailand. Milk samples from individual farms were collected in three seasons. The average concentration of AFM(1) in milk samples collected in winter (0.089 +/- 0.034 microg/L) was significantly higher than those in rainy season (0.071 +/- 0.028 microg/L) and summer (0.050 +/- 0.021 microg/L). The present study suggests that regulatory limits for AFM(1) are needed to regulate and ensure the quality of raw milk and milk products in Thailand.

Rice is a staple food for people in many countries in all parts of the world. Arsenic in food, including rice, is present in several forms that have different toxicities. Inorganic arsenic species (AsIII and AsV) are the most toxic forms of arsenic present in food. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified inorganic arsenic, but not organic arsenic, in Group 1, as carcinogenic to humans. There has been increasing concern about the health implications regarding exposure to inorganic arsenic through rice consumption. An extensive review of published reports has shown that no epidemiological studies have been conducted indicating the health effects associated with the ingestion of inorganic arsenic through consumption of rice. Several studies suggested that drinking water containing high levels of inorganic arsenic plays a major role in the health risk of cancers among people residing in arsenic-contaminated areas. Two leading research groups in this field have concluded that “At present, it is impossible to fully assess the health risk of arsenic in rice,” and “Even if epidemiological studies were to be initiated, it would take decades to understand how elevated arsenic in rice affects lifetime health outcomes”.

Concentrations of seven heavy metals were determined in green mussels (Perna viridis) collected between April and June 1995 from eight locations along the costal area of the Gulf of Thailand. The average concentrations (n = 96) of the heavy metals detected in mussel samples, on the basis of dry weight, were 1.20 mg kg-1 cadmium, 0.78 mg kg-1 for chromium, 9.85 mg kg-1 for copper, 1.09 mg kg-1 for lead 2.78 mg kg-1 for manganese, 1.54 mg kg-1 for nickel, and 94,48 mg kg-1 for zinc. The levels of cadmium, chromium, nickel, and lead found in green mussels from four locations in the Upper Gulf were significantly (P0.05) higher than those detected in mussels from four locations in the Lower Gulf, while the levels of copper, manganese, and zinc did not differ significantly (P0.05) between the Upper and Lower Gulf. Comparison with earlier studies revealed that the concentrations of some metals in the mussels collected from the Upper Gulf are increasing. The concentrations of heavy metals in green mussels from the Gulf of Thailand were within acceptable levels for human consumption.

Aflatoxins are a group of structurally related mycotoxins produced by certain species of the genus Aspergillus, particularly A. flavus, A. parasiticus and A. nomius, which can grow on a variety of food and feed commodities [1]. Aflatoxin production is influenced by several fac‐ tors: for example, temperature and humidity [2]. It has been shown that aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most potent hepatocarcinogen of this group of mycotoxins. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a hydroxylated metabolite of AFB1 produced by the hepatic microsomal cytochrome P450, and is secreted in the milk of mammals that have consumed AFB1-contaminated foods. AFM1 is also a hepatocarcinogen and is classified in Group 1 as carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer [3]. In terms of food safety and public health concerns, exposure to AFM1 through milk products is considered to be a serious problem.

The arsenic accumulation in rhizomes of Zingiberaceous plants was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry interfaced with hydride generation system (HG-AAS). The raw herbal materials, rhizomes, were collected from different regions of Thailand between December 2011 and January 2012. Six well-known Zingiberaceous plants, 16 samples from each and a total of 96 samples, were analyzedAlpinia galanga(Khaa),Boesenbergia rotunda(Kra-chaai),Curcuma longa(Khamin-chan),Curcuma zedoaria(Khamin-oi),Zingiber cassumunar(Plai) andZingiber officinale(Ginger). Concentrations of total arsenic based on dry weight were92.4±9.2,103.5±20.8,61.7±12.5,89.8±17.5,106.7±19.5and69.3±11.8 ng/g, respectively and inorganic arsenic were48.8±7.0,66.3±12.7,25.5±5.0,38.7±4.7,71.2±11.6, and38.5±5.5 ng/g, respectively. Among these, Plai and Kra-chaai exhibited the highest levels of total arsenic and inorganic arsenic accumulation that remind consumers to be aware of excess consuming of these rhizomes. On the contrary, the lowest value found in Khamin-chan indicating natural dietary supplements and herbal medicines comprising Kamin-chan are safe from arsenic poison. All investigated amounts of total and inorganic arsenic were much lower than limits recommended by Thai Food and Drug Administration.

Parts of plants can accumulate arsenic at different concentrations. Several concerns have been raised regarding the arsenic levels since inorganic arsenic is found in almost food and known as a human carcinogen. Arsenic is present in several forms with different toxicities. Inorganic arsenic species [As(III) and As(V)] are the most toxic form found in food. In this study, total and inorganic arsenic contents were determined in the rhizomes of three spices in the family Zingiberaceae cultivated in Thailand; Alpinia galanga, Curcuma zedoaria and Zingiber cassumunar which were collected from different parts of Thailand between January 2011 and March 2012. Total arsenic (expressed in ng/g, dry wt) in the three spices were 92.4±9.19 (ranged from 74.7 to 107), 89.8±17.5 (55 to 127), and 107±19.5 (73.6 to 145), respectively, while inorganic arsenic were 48.8±6.99 (39.3 to 65.1), 38.7±4.71 (24.4 to 44.6), and 71.2±11.6 (52.7 to 92.1), respectively. Percentages of inorganic arsenic relative to total arsenic were found to be 53.2±8.18 (38.9 to 69.6), 44.5±9.95 (28.5 to72.8), and 67.4±7.46 (54.6 to 83.1), respectively. This study will be used for risk assessment of Thai people from dietary exposure of inorganic arsenic.

Concentrations of BHCs (α, β, γ, and δ isomers), HCB, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, and DDT compounds ( o , p ′- and p , p ′-isomers of DDT, DDD, and DDE) were determined in green mussels ( Perna viridis ) collected from nine locations along the coastal area of the Gulf of Thailand in May 1991. Residues of aldrin, dieldrin, and DDT compounds were detected in all samples. The other pesticides were found either at very low concentrations in a few samples or below detection limits. Non-DDT pesticide levels found in the present study showed a decrease, whereas DDT compounds seemed to remain unchanged in the average values in comparison to the data of the previous study conducted 2 years earlier.

Aflatoxins are a group of mycotoxins produced by certain species of Aspergillus. These molds grow on a variety of food and feed commodities and produce aflatoxins under appropriate temperature and humidity (Jay et al., 2005). Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most potent hepatocarcinogen of this group of mycotoxins. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a hydroxylated metabolite of AFB1 and is secreted in the milk of mammals that have eaten contaminated foods. AFM1 is also a hepatocarcinogen and is classified in Group 1 (carcinogenic to humans) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC, 2002). Exposure to AFM1 through milk products is considered to be a serious public health problem. Several countries have established regulatory limits for AFM1 in raw milk and milk products, which vary from country to country. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), there are 60 countries that have established regulatory limits for AFM1; the values vary from ND (not detectable) to 15 μg/L (FAO, 2004). The two most prevalent limits are 0.05 μg/L (34 countries) and 0.5 μg/L (22 countries). The European Community has set the maximum permitted level for AFM1 in infant formulae and follow-on formulae, including infant milk and follow-on milk, at 0.025 μg/kg, and in raw milk and heat-treated milk at 0.05 μg/kg (European Commission, 2006). The U.S. regulatory limit for AFM1 is 0.5 μg/L (FAO, 2004). However, several countries, including Thailand, have not yet established regulatory limits for AFM1. The Notification of the Ministry of Public Health No. 265 – the law that regulates the quality of milk products in Thailand – only states that ‘‘...milk products may be contaminated with aflatoxins at a level that is not harmful to human health’’ (Ministry of Public Health, 2003). A national food consumption survey was conducted in Thailand during the years 2002–2004; 18,746 participants were divided into five age groups (Groups 1–5): 0–3, >3–9, >9–19, >19–65, and >65 yr (National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards, 2006). The survey showed that the consumption amounts of four types of milk products – milk powder, school milk, commercial pasteurized milk, and UHT (ultra-high-temperature) milk – comprised approximately 93% of all milk products consumed by the Thai population

Concentrations of total and inorganic arsenic were determined in 120 samples of eight marine animals collected from the Gulf of Thailand between March and May 2008. Two species with the highest annual catch from each of four marine animal groups were analyzed: fish (Indo-Pacific mackerel and goldstripe sardine), bivalves (green mussel and blood cockle), cephalopods (pharaoh cuttlefish and Indian squid), and crustaceans (banana prawn and swimming crab). Concentrations of inorganic arsenic based on wet weight ranged from 0.012 μg/g in Indian squids to 0.603 μg/g in blood cockles. Average percentages of inorganic arsenic with respect to total arsenic ranged from 1.2% in banana prawns to 7.3% in blood cockles. Blood cockles also exhibited the highest levels of total arsenic (5.26 ± 2.01 μg/g) and inorganic arsenic (0.352 ± 0.148 μg/g). The levels of inorganic arsenic in the study samples were much lower than the Thai regulatory limit of 2 μg/g (wet wt) and hence are safe for human consumption.

The heartwood of Caesalpinia sappan L. or sappan wood has long been used in folk medicines to treat tuberculosis, diarrhea, dysentery, skin infections and anemia.To study the acute and subacute toxicities of sappan wood extract in rats.For studying acute toxicity, a single oral dose of 5000 mg/kg of sappan wood was administered to rats. Subacute toxicity was studied by the daily oral administration of the extract at the doses of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight for consecutive 30 days.The extract of sappan wood (5000 mg/kg) showed no toxicity in terms of general behavior change, mortality, or change in gross appearance of internal organs. Subacute toxicity study showed no abnormalities in treatment groups as compared to the controls. Body and organ weights, hematological, blood chemical, necropsy, and histopathological parameter of all groups were similar.Sappan wood extract did not produce any acute or subacute toxicity in both female and male rats.

Dan Chang district, approximately 100 km west of Bangkok, was a site of tin mines operated almost 40 years ago. Mining operations caused arsenic contamination in soil, surface water, and groundwater within the district. The specific aim of this study was to estimate the dietary intakes of total and inorganic arsenic in 60 adults (30 males and 30 females) residing in Dan Chang district, using a duplicate food approach. The daily intake rates of inorganic arsenic ranged from 0.496 to 1.817 μg/kg BW for males and 0.342 to 1.778 μg/kg BW for females.

In this study the leaves of the Thai noni/Yor, (Morinda citrifolia Linn.) were extracted by several methods and evaluated against human cancer cell lines: KB (human epidermoid carcinoma), HeLa (human cervical carcinoma), MCF-7 (human breast carcinoma) and HepG2 (human hepatocellular carcinoma) cell lines as well as a Vero (African green monkey kidney) cell line, employing the MTT colorimetric method, comparing it to damnacanthal, rutin, and scopoletin. The dichloromethane extract of the fresh leaf showed a better inhibitory effect against KB and HeLa cells with IC50 values of 21.67 and 68.50 microg/ml, respectively. The dichloromethane extract of dried leaves revealed cytotoxicity against the KB cell line with an IC50 value of 39.00 microg/ml. Other extracts, as well as rutin and scopoletin, showed reduced anti-proliferative effects on all cancer cell lines (IC50 103 to over 600 microg/ml). Interestingly, the damnacanthal had potent cytotoxicity against all cancer cell lines and Vero cell lines. These results suggest Thai noni extracts may be safer than the pure compounds, due to their higher safety ratios, which is a good indicator for possible cancer treatment. Several non-aqueous extracts from the leaves showed antioxidant properties, giving IC50 values of 0.20-0.35 mg/ml. It can be concluded the leaves of M. citrifolia may have benefit as a food supplement for chemoprevention against epidermoid and cervical cancers.

Concentrations of aflatoxin M 1 (AFM 1 ) were determined in 150 pasteurized milk samples from the School Milk Project in Thailand. Milk samples were collected from 50 schools in the Central region of Thailand in three seasons: summer (May to June 2006), the rainy season (August to September 2006), and winter (December 2006 to January 2007). AFM 1 was isolated by using an immunoaffinity column and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. All of the 150 pasteurized milk samples were contaminated with AFM 1 , and the concentrations were within the U.S. regulatory limit of 0.5 μg/liter. The highest concentration of AFM 1 found in school milk samples was 0.114 μg/liter. The mean concentration of AFM 1 in milk samples collected in winter was significantly higher than the mean concentrations found in the rainy season and summer. Further monitoring of school milk to evaluate the status of contamination of AFM 1 is necessary, with a special emphasis on samples collected in the rainy season and winter. Thailand is one of several countries that have no regulatory limits for AFM 1 in milk and milk products. The results of this study suggest that safety limits for AFM 1 are needed for regulating and ensuring the quality of milk and milk products in Thailand.

The estimation of paracetamol and orphenadrine citrate in a multicomponent pharmaceutical dosage form by spectrophotometric method has been reported. Because of highly interference in the spectra and the presence of non-linearity caused by the analyte concentrations which deviate from Beer and Lambert's law, partial least-squares (PLS) and artificial neural networks (ANN) techniques were used for the calibration. A validation set of spiked samples was employed for testing the accuracy and precision of the methods. Reasonably good recoveries were obtained with PLS for paracetamol and the use of an ANN allowed the estimation of orphenadrine citrate, a minor component which could not be adequately modeled by PLS. Three production batches of a commercial sample were analysed, and there was statistically no significant difference (P

Summary. Mitotane is an important adrenalytic drug for the treatment of adrenal cancer whose use is limited by toxicity. Reports from another laboratory indicated that a methylated homolog of Mitotane (Mitometh) tested in guinea pigs possessed comparable adrenalytic activity but was less toxic than Mitotane. This observation prompted us to undertake a comparative study of these two drugs on the basis that Mitometh may be a superior agent for the treatment of adrenal cancer. Preliminary studies in guinea pigs failed to show a significant adrenalytic effect for either Mitotane or Mitometh. Thus, we extended the study to 13 mongrel dogs weighing 12-15 kg that were treated daily with Mitometh or Mitotane (50-100 mg/kg) for 6 or 12 days. Cortisol decreased to undetectable levels and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) rose to 10 times the baseline levels within 72 h in Mitotane-treated animals. Despite the achievement of similar drug levels, Mitometh treatment in dogs failed to suppress cortisol or increase ACTH. To determine whether these differences were due to differences in bioavailability, we measured the relative concentration of Mitotane and Mitometh in homogenates of adrenal cortex obtained from Mitotane- and Mitomethtreated dogs. The adrenal concentration of Mitometh determined in Mitometh--treated dogs was 5 times higher than the concentration of Mitotane measured in Mitotanetreated animals. Whereas the adrenal glands of Mitotanetreated dogs showed hemorrhage and necrosis, the Mitometh-treated animals showed no adrenal damage. Despite the lack of adrenalytic activity, Mitometh maintained its toxicity as demonstrated by microscopic evidence of hepatic necrosis and an increase in hepatic enzymes. The adrenalytic effects of both agents was also studied in vitro using a human functioning adrenal cortical carcinoma cell line, NCI-H295. Whereas Mitotane strongly suppressed cell growth, Mitometh had a weaker effect. We conclude that Mitometh is not likely to be effective in the therapy of adrenal cancer. Moreover, the results of this study are supportive of the view that metabolic transformation of Mitotane is in some way linked to its adrenalytic action.