Monitoring of aflatoxins in Egyptian hot chili prepared for export using GPC as a new cleanup technique and reversed phase-HPLC

New method was developed for determination of aflatoxins BI, B2,G1 and G2 in hot chili using gel permeation chromatography [GPC as a new clean up technique. High performance liquid chromatography [HPLC] connected with fluorescence detector was used for determination of the four types of aflatoxin. The method was tested on different levels of fortified samples of hot chili [6 sample for each level] and the limit of detection [LOD] was [0.5 ph]. The average recoveries of aflatoxins from different levels [2,4,10 and 50 ppb] varied between 87 and 107%. The reproducibility expressed as relative standard deviation was less than 20%. The method showed to be linear from the limit of quantitation [2 ug/kg] up to 50 ug/kg level. The four types of aflatoxins were determined in fortified samples by extraction with acetonitrile and purified by GPC, [[Bio bead - SX 3 gerl] was used as stationary phase and hexane: ethyl acetate [1:1] as mobile phase]. Drivatiztion of B1 and G1 were obtained by reaction with trifluoroacetic acid [TEA] in a pre-column step. Quantitation of aflatoxins is carried out using reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography with isocratic mobile phase water/methanol/acetonitrile [65:25:15%]. The detection was done at excitation and emission wavelengths of 360 and 440 nm respectively. This method wss used for monitoring of aflatoxins in 87 hot chili samples prepared for export. Only aflatoxins B1 and B2 were detected and all samples were free from any traces of G1 and G2. Sixty samples were contaminated with aflatoxin B1 and only 20 samples were contaminated with aflatoxin B2. The minimum amount of B1 and B2 was 0.5 ppb LOD], while the maximum amounts were 78.95 and 5.21 ppb respectively. The means were 18.57 and 1.80 ppb for B1 and B2 respectively. Forty six samples were violated with aflatoxin B1 depending on EU MRL limits [2 ppb] when 27 samples were violated depending on CODEX-MIRL limits [5 ppb]

Prevalence of fascioliasis among children with hepatomegaly in Qualupia governorate

The present study was performed in Pediatrics department, Benha, Faculty of Medicine on 200 children [132 males and 68 females]. The selected cases were below 14 years and showed hepatomegaly on preliminary examination. All the cases were subjected to complete clinical examination, stool analysis, blood analysis and their sera were isolated for immunological test [I.H.A.]. It was found that, by stool examination and I.H.A. among all the studied cases with hepatomegaly 13 cases were infected with Fasciola [6.5%] 12 cases were males and one case female. The mean age of infected cases was 7.3 years [ +/- 2.1]. Fasciola infection was prevalent in the age group 4-8 years [30.8%] and over 8 years [69.2%] and all the cases had rural residency. Clinically, all cases had pallor and tender hepatomegaly [100%] and 12 cases, out of 13 had fever [92.3%] vomiting occur in [38.5%] and jaundice in [30.8%] of infected cases. Heamatologically infected cases had a mean hemoglobin value 5.8 gm dL [ +/- 1.2] and eosinophilic count 7.7% [ +/- 1.5]. For the validity of stool examination techniques in detecting Fasciola eggs compared to [I.H.A.] it was found that formal-ether sedimentation and merthiolate iodine formaldehyde concentration technique is the most valid one [sensitivity 100%] followed by 3 successive stool examination [sensitivity 38.5%] and the least valid one, is the flotation [zinc sulphate] technique [sensetivity 7.7%] and the 3 techniques are of a nearer specificity. In conclusion, human fascioliasis becomes a new parasitic health problem among Egyptian children and should be suspected in any child having tender hepatomegaly, pallor and fever particularly when the blood picture reveals anaemia and marked eosinophilia

Evaluation of lead level in breast milk and fresh milk and its effect on blood lead level in infants

[III] infants attending Benha Teaching Hospital aged less than 6 months were subjected to this study. They were classified into 51 infants exclusively fed and 60 infants fed on animal fresh milk. All infants were subjected to good history taking, complete clinical examination and blood lead determination. Also we evaluated the blood lead level for the mothers breast fed infants. Infants of the two groups were matched thoroughly for age, sex and residence either rural of urban.Lead levels in maternal blood, breast milk and infants blood in rural areas were 21.13, 2.18, 14.21 ug/dl respectively in comparison to 25.63, 2.73, 18.86 ug/dl respectively in urban population with very highly significant difference. Lead level of fresh cow's milk was 3.03 ug/dl and that of buffalo's milk was 3.02 ug/dl and this difference was not significant and both values were higher than lead level of breast milk of rural [2.18 ug/dl] and urban [2.73 ug/dl] mothers. Blood lead level of urban artificially fed infants [19.13 ug/dl] was higher than that of the rural artificially fed infants [16.95 ug/dl] with significant difference and both were higher than lead level of breast fed babies [14.21 ug/dl rural and 18.86 ug/dl urban]. Blood lead level was significantly increasing with pollution and urbanization