Aluminium is not known to have any essential function in humans, but is known to build up in the body and is controlled by weekly tolerable intakes. Ten commercial cheese brands (i.e., Processed, Cheddar, Edam, White, Kasar, Tulum, Lor, Feta, Kareish and Ras) were purchased from supermarkets in Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan and their aluminium concentrations were analyzed through ICP-OES. Results were expressed as mean ± SD, ranged between 2.09 ± 0.34 mg/kg for Kareish to 2.29 ± 0.41 mg/kg for Tulum, with a mean concentration of 2.20 mg/kg, and showed no any significant difference among the brands (p = 0.997). For estimated daily intake of aluminium, it was assumed that if an adult of 70 kg body weight consumes 30 g of cheese per day, then the weekly consumption of aluminium remains 0.63 to 0.69% of the EFSA tolerable weekly intake and 0.31 to 0.34% of the JECFA provisional tolerable weekly intake, and the target hazard quotient is close to 0.001. In conclusion, aluminium concentrations were found low within commercial cheeses and there is no significant health concern with consumption at typical levels, but cheese is just one food source.
Selenium (Se) deficiency is a major nutritional problem in human and animal nutrition in many parts of the world. In this study, Se content of different cheeses: mozzarella, feta, Parmesan, white, Teleme, Kasseri, cottage, Kasar, Lor and Tulum was determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The mean concentrations of Se in cheeses with a 95% confidence interval ranged from 75.9 μg/kg (74.7 – 77.2) in Teleme cheese to 212.7 μg/kg (211.8 – 214.1) in Parmesan cheese. The one-way ANOVA revealed that there was a significant difference be-tween the concentrations of Se in the different cheese brands (p < 0.05). Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) and % of Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) was estimated for each brand and all values were below 3% RDA and therefore do not pose a health risk as a result of Se intake through cheese con-sumption. In conclusion, Se content among cheese brands was significantly different but within the safe limits, hence the products can be considered a valuable dietary source of Se.
Mutation is a major technique to improve stress resistance in plants. This study was conducted to induce mutation in four tomato cultivars and to explore the variation in the mutants. The seeds of four tomato cultivars, Riogrande, Roma, Nagina, and T4 were treated with a 4 millimole (mM) Ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) dose, and the seeds were sown in germination trays along with untreated seeds. Morphological and Physiological parameters of treated and control cultivars, such as number of leaves, leaf area, plant height, fruit weight, average fruit diameter and fruit length, relative water contents, and cell membrane stability, were recorded. Parameters considered were analyzed statistically by using Analysis of Variances (ANOVA) methods, and means were compared by using the Least Significant Difference (LSD) test at 5% level of significance. Plants were selected on growth bases as the indicator characteristics of the Ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) mutagen. Tomato cultivar Riogrande mutants showed improvement in leaf area (34.8 cm2), maximum number of fruits per plant (21.33), maximum fruit weight (35.86g), maximum fruit weight per plant (750.87g), and for the Roma cultivar, maximum average fruit length (6.71cm), and maximum cell membrane stability (50.15%). Results showed improvements of some traits in mutants as compared to the control, and concluded that chemical mutagen Ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) is suitable to create improved mutants in the tomato plant.
The fatty acid profile of seed extracts of two medicinal plants used in traditional medicine, Syzygiumcumini (Myrtaceae) and Linum usitatissimum (Linaceae), was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Seventeen fatty acids (6 saturated and 11 unsaturated) were detected in Linum usitatissimum and 26 fatty acids (9 saturated and 17 unsaturated) in Syzygiumcumini. Most of the fatty acids in both plants were unsaturated. The results of the phytochemical analysis indicate the presence of bioactive fatty acids and the potential of these plants as natural sources of health-promoting lipids, which supports their continued use in traditional and alternative medicine as well as their use in nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical formulations.
Carthamus oxyacantha is a member of Asteraceae family. It contains more than 1000 genera and above 10,000 species across the globe. The present research work was carried to determine volatile compounds and biological potential of medicinal plant Carthamus oxyacantha. The plant was collected from the Zarghun, Chiltan, Hazar Ganji, and Dasht Balochistan. The n-hexane fraction of the plant was evaluated for the determination of volatile compounds by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to identify the functional group of the compounds. The plant extract was evaluated for biological activities including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal activities by using chemiluminescence protocol, DPPH radical scavenging assay protocol, agar well diffusion method and agar tube dilution protocol method respectively. The GC-MS analysis showed the presence of 35 volatile compounds. The FTIR spectra of n-hexane, ethyl acetate and methanolic extract showed the presence of functional groups such as alcohol, alkane, carbonyl compound, alkene, amide group, aromatic ring, nitro group, alkyl group and ester. The anti-inflammatory activity showed moderate activity IC50 =46.57± 3.92 μg/ml against reactive oxygen species (ROS) production against standard Ibuprofen. The antioxidant activity exhibited weak activity IC50713.7±7.50 against standard drug Gallic acid. The antibacterial activity exhibited 16 mm zone of inhibition against gram positive bacteria staphylococcus aureus showed 26mm. The plant has showed promising results against the different biological activities and showed the presence of significant volatile constituents. It is suggested that the plant may further be studied for the isolation of natural compounds and their derivatives.
