Human, Health and halal Metrics
Volume:2 Issue: 2, Summer-Autumn 2021

Graphene oxide has been extensively used in theranostics due to its drastic properties, biocompatibility, and chemical stability. Graphene has a large surface area and provides enough space for loading of anticancer drugs. In our study, a novel thermo-and pH-responsive graphene-containing nanocomposite was synthesized for methotrexate (MTX) delivery into cancer cells.

Triblock copolymer of poly[(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate)-b-(N-isopropylacrylamide)-b-(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)] abbreviated as poly(HEMA-b-NIPAM-b-DMAEMA) was prepared by reversible addition fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The triblock copolymer was attached onto the surface of graphene oxide nanoparticles via carboxylic groups of graphene oxide. Structure of poly(HEMA-b-NIPAM-b-DMAEMA) was studied by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1HNMR). Morphology of the nanocomposite was studied by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and its thermo-responsive behavior was investigated by lower critical solution temperature (LCST), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Polydispersity index (PDI) was evaluated by gel permeation chromatography. pH-responsive behavior of the nanocomposite was also studied by evaluation of MTX release from the structure at pH 5.4 and 7.4 in the laboratory.

Graphene oxide/poly(HEMA-b-NIPAM-b-DMAEMA) has a sheet-like structure with average  thickness of 55.6 nm. The triblock chains successfully covered graphene oxide. Characterization of poly(HEMA-b-NIPAM-b-DMAEMA) resulted in Mn = 26875 g,  MW = 33862 g, and PDI = 1.26. Encapsulation efficiency of the structure was 91% for MTX. Release rate of MTX from the graphene nanocomposite was pH-dependent. In a buffer solution, release rate of 31.2% was achieved at pH 7.4 and temperature of 37 °C after 150 h. In comparison, release rate of 52.4% was calculated for pH 5.4 after 150 h at the same temperature. Therefore, the synthesized graphene nanocomposite is an appropriate candidate as a carrier of anticancer drugs in treatment of cancer cells.

Contamination of foods with heavy metals has been a controversial issue in health agencies. It is a great concern in seafood due to contamination of seawater with industrial pollutants. The current study aimed to measure concentration of heavy metals in fresh fish and canned fish distributed in Tehran, capital city of Iran. In addition, evaluation of their arisen risk was also done based on national and international determined levels.

Total number of 46 samples including 34 fresh fish and 12 canned fish in three replicates were randomly collected from Tehran. Concentration of heavy metals in the samples was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Assessment of heavy metals’ risk caused by consumption of canned fish was done by calculation of estimated daily intake of heavy metals in the consumers, which further compared to reference dose determined by health agencies (known as hazard quotient formula).

Concentration of Cd, Hg, and Pb were less than the maximum permissible levels determined by national standard of Iran and FAO/WHO in all fresh fish samples. In comparison, heavy metals concentration in 4% of canned fish samples was higher than the maximum permissible levels. Hazard quotients of 1.9 × 10-1, 2.2 × 10-2, 6 × 10-3, and 6.09 × 10−4 were respectively achieved for Hg, Pb, Cd, and As by consumption of canned fish in the consumers. Therefore, our evaluation confirmed safety of the samples so that no concern was seen with respect to concentration of heavy metals in fresh fish and canned fish samples distributed in local markets of Tehran.

Intake of nitrate and nitrite through food products may lead to toxicity and carcinogenicity in human. Agricultural crops which have a great share in daily basket of people are prone to nitrate accumulation. Therefore, we aimed to determine the concentration of nitrate and nitrite in some agricultural crops distributed in Mashhad city (northeast of Iran).

Green vegetables, lettuce, tomato, potato, onion, carrot, watermelon, melon, rice, and wheat were analyzed in our study. Green vegetables were included to parsley, leek, and basil. The samples were collected from April 2017 to March 2020 from local market of Mashhad. Molecular absorption spectrophotometric method was used for determination of nitrite and nitrate concentration in the samples.

Due to the low concentration of nitrite in the products, total nitrite (sum of nitrite and nitrate concentration) is reported in the results. The highest concentration of total nitrite was detected in lettuce (1078 ±360.97 mg/kg) and green vegetables (860.53 ±323.43 mg/kg), respectively. Carrot (171.60 ±98.44 mg/kg) and potato (160.66 ±73.74 mg/kg) were moderately contaminated by the pollutants. The lowest contamination was observed in melon (72.40 ±56.41 mg/kg), wheat (24.65 ±28.39 mg/kg), watermelon (22.22 ±25.60 mg/kg), rice (20.81 ±19.98 mg/kg), tomato (11.75 ±10.79 mg/kg), and onion (9.29 ±11.90 mg/kg), respectively. Compared to the maximum permitted level of total nitrite determined by the Iranian regulation, approximately 34% of green vegetables and 8% of lettuce were rejected. In addition, 48% of potato samples were out of range of total nitrite. As a conclusion, strict control and monitoring of the agricultural crops is required to ensure safety of the products delivered to the consumers.

Obesity is considered a source of psychological distress. Aim of this study is investigating anxiety, depression, and the quality of life in people with obesity and overweight living in Rasht, North of Iran.

This analytical cross-sectional research was carried out on 134 subjects between 18 and 45 years old who had referred, for the first time, to the Nutrition Ward of Subspecialty Clinic Beesat in Rasht in 2017-18 with overweight or obesity. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and a questionnaire of health-related quality of life known as the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used to identify the subjects’ level of depression, anxiety, and quality of life. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS 23.

Totally, 49 overweight (36.6%) and 85 obese patients (63.4%) were investigated. 46 (34.4%) suffered from moderate to severe anxiety and 38 (28.4%) had moderate to severe depression. Furthermore, the average score of quality of life was 65.54 ± 17.37. There was a significant difference in terms of anxiety and quality of life between overweight and obese people. Also, out of the 8 dimensions of quality of life, physical function and general health had a significant negative correlation with BMI. No significant relationship was found between obesity and depression. An increase in BMI leads to a rise in anxiety and a decrease in the quality of life. By considering the role of psychological factors in obesity, mental health interventions can prevent and control this condition and improve people’s quality of life.

Osteoarthritis is a disease in which the joints are damaged and the patients experience pain and reduced mobility. However, supplementation with hydrolyzed collagen may be effective in reducing the symptoms. Therefore, we studied the impact of hydrolyzed collagen consumption on pain and mobility in patients with osteoarthritis attended the Military Hospital of Paraguay in 2018. In addition, nutritional status of the patients was evaluated for better comparison.

Intragroup clinical trial was done in 40 patients with osteoarthritis. Nutritional status (by BMI), pain (by the Visual Analogue Scale), and mobility (by the Tinetti Scale) were evaluated in the patients before and after 90-days supplementation (400 mg hydrolyzed collagen by intake of three capsules per day). Physical function was also evaluated by the WOMAC scale. All the patients filled the consent form and the bioethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki were taken into account. Chi-square and student’s tests were used for data analysis at p ≤0.05.

Average age of the population was 63 ±1.6 years and 67% of the patients were female. Nutritional status was included to 55% overweight, 17.5% obesity I, and 7.5% obesity II. With regard to pain intensity, 95% of the patients had slight pain and the remained 5% had moderate pain after intervention, so that significant difference was observed before and after supplementation (p<0.016). Moreover, a significant improvement was observed in functional capacity (p<0.001) and risk of fall decreased after intervention (p<0.001). We conclude that hydrolyzed collagen supplementation is a beneficial adjunct treatment in pain relief and mobility improvement in patients with osteoarthritis.

Rice is of main dishes in different parts of the world. In rice processing plants, there is a lot of broken rice which is considered as waste and cannot be sold to the consumers. These broken particles can be used in the other parts as raw material and converted to value-added products. Accordingly, it helps waste management strategies intended by food industries in developed countries. This review article aimed to investigate processing and also nutritional characteristics of analog rice prepared by broken rice particles.

Broken grains of rice are enriched by additives and changed to analog rice. It is expected that analog rice has similar nutritional value with paddy rice. Researchers have developed analog rice products with improved nutritional and functional characters providing health benefits such as anti-diabetic, antioxidant, antihypertensive, and anticancer activity. In recent decades, several surveys have been done on processing of these products and have tried to enrich them with proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Extrusion is one of the most common methods in production of analog rice. Main features such as color, shape, size, texture, and cooking characteristics are adjusted by extrusion parameters. Our review revealed that analog rice can be used as a rice substitute rich in fiber and other nutritious ingredients especially by people seeking for variable food basket.

Gelatin is mostly produced from porcine and bovine collagens (skin/hide and bone) and less from poultry and fish. Acceptance of gelatin resource is based on religious and cultural beliefs, health and dietary aspects. In fact, high sensitivities to the resource of gelatin are reported in various societies. Therefore, conformity of gelatin with customer needs should essentially be ensured. In this review, summarized information on gelatin extraction and identification methods, structure, uses and possible substitutes from 1960 to recent years are presented.

Several methods have been used for identification of halal gelatin origins. These methods are majorly based on sedimentation, high performance liquid chromatography, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, DNA identification using polymerase chain reaction, and electrophoresis. Efficiency of these methods should be assessed based on the method ability to accurate and sensitive distinguish gelatin sources in mixtures. In recent years, high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy has been used frequently with high sensitivity and accuracy to detect gelatin origins. In comparison, DNA identification include several advantages such as use of small quantities of target materials, high sensitivity and accuracy, low dependency on destructive process factors, and good functional capability. Although, if long times and high temperatures are used during gelatin extraction, DNA may be degraded. Other than identification methods, study of diverse gelatin substitutes is recommended for further studies due to the current concerns about source of gelatin.