Occurrence, harmful effects and analytical determination of Ochratoxin A in coffee.

Coffee is an important stimulant and a good source of bioactive constituents with beneficial health effects. Coffee beans are readily attacked by the growth and proliferation of several fungal species from the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium. Ochratoxin A, an important toxin produced by these fungal entities, is commonly found in coffee products, from farm to cup-thus challenging the popularity of this world-acclaimed beverage. The toxin has been shown to be nephrotoxic and hepatotoxic, among other deleterious effects. This has prompted the European Commission to set limits for ochratoxin A in coffee products. In order to abide by these regulatory codes, various analytical methods have been developed and deployed in the analysis of the toxin in green coffee beans, roasted coffee and instant coffee. This review will discuss the occurrence of ochratoxin A, its harmful effects and various analytical methods that have been applied in its detection and quantification in coffee products.

Ginkgo biloba: A ‘living fossil’ with modern day phytomedicinal applications.

Ginkgo biloba has survived for over 200 million years now. With other members of this gymnosperm extinct, it is considered as a ‘living fossil’. Yinxing, as it is called in Chinese, is very popular in East Asia as a remedy for lung congestion, ischemia and asthma. In modern day medical practice, growing consideration is given to the extract from this tree as a line of treatment in many cancer conditions partly due to the side effects of conventional drugs of therapy. The extract has also anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and cardio- and hepatoprotective roles. These and other numerous recent applications of this important botanical drug are discussed in this review.

Recent analytical approaches to counterfeit drug detection.

Counterfeiting of drugs has now become a lucrative multi-billion dollar business that threatens the effective delivery of health care services. Apart from Africa and other marginally developed parts of the world, the developed economies are equally not spared from the bane of this trade. To combat this menace, concerted efforts are needed from various facets of the community. In addition to visual inspections, sophisticated analytical tools are usually required in order to successfully distinguish counterfeits from the real stuffs. Attempt is made in this review to summarize the recent applications of these tools in keeping track with counterfeit drug flow. These are discussed under the headings of different approaches, including Near Infrared Spectroscopy, Raman Spectroscopy, Fluorescence and Phosphorescence measurements, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging, X-ray and radio frequency analysis. In the quest to maintain their profit margin, the perpetrators of counterfeit pharmaceuticals will continue to develop ingenious ways to circumvent regulatory systems. Therefore, relentless efforts should continue to be deployed toward research and development in low cost, fast and efficient ways of detecting counterfeit drug at different stages of its existence.