Awareness of occupational health hazards among street sweepers and garbage collectors at Beni-Suef city, Egypt; a cross-sectional study

Street sweepers and garbage collectors play an important role in maintaining health and hygiene in the communities. However, they usually work at risky environments that expose them to various morbid conditions. In this study, we aimed at evaluating awareness and attitudes of Egyptian street sweepers and garbage collectors regarding the occupational risks they are exposed to and its preventive measures. Therefore, in a descriptive study, 70 randomly-selected street sweepers and garbage collectors from Beni-Suef city, Egypt were randomly selected and approached through direct interviews with a semi-tailored questionnaire. Our results indicated that street sweepers and garbage collectors were aware of occupational health hazards and diseases, to which they are exposed and may encounter at work. Nevertheless, during the past 12 months, 41.4% of them experienced a job-related health problem. They sweep streets and collect garbage directly unprotected hands and without using any personal protective equipment. Additionally, their attitudes towards taking preventive measures while working did not match their knowledge about their job-related health hazards. We conclude that street sweepers and garbage collectors should be treated as a vulnerable group that requires pre-placement and in-service orientations, health education, vaccinations, medical check-ups, with close monitoring of their attitudes and practice

role of aflatoxin-contaminated food materials and HCV in developing hepatocellular carcinoma in Al-Sharkia Governorate, Egypt

In this study, the role of aflatoxin contamination in the onset of liver cancer in HCV-infected patients was studied. The quantitative identification of the possible aflatoxins contamination in six urban and eleven rural areas using high performance liquid chromatography technique revealed that corn, wheat, peanut, lupine "tennis", white rice, cowpea "lobiya", fava bean and brown rice showed a prevalence of AFB1 [64.7%, 53%, 53%, 47%, 47%, 41%, 29.4% and 29.4%, respectively]. A positive correlation was found between aflatoxin and positive HCV- PCR together with liver disease progression to G3S3, the indicative of hepatocellular carcinoma. Such correlation was not fully understood, but the oncogene amplification caused by HCV- infection may be aggravated by the consumption of aflatoxin contaminated raw food materials or their products

Carbohydrate, lipid, protein, and amino acid conitnts of chenopodium murale, cyperus alopecuroides, desmosta chya bipinnata, and tamarix nilotica as allergic plants

Rhamnose, xylose, arabinose, glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose, and rhafinose as well as traces of cellobiose and galacturonic acid were identified [TLC] in 90% ethanol extract of Chenopodium murale, Cyperus alopecuroides, Desmostachya bipinnata and Tamarix nilotica. Water soluble polysaccharides were prepared by hot extraction of the 4 plants, the total extractable pectins were determined, and component sugars detected [TLC] after hydrolysis were found to be identical in the 4 plants and similar to those of the corresponding free sugar extractives except for the absence of sucrose, rhafinose, cellobiose and fructose. Crude protein percentage were determined in the 4 plants. Amino acids contents of the 4 plants were almost similar, and glutamic acid was found to be the major component. Lipoidal composition of the 4 plants was studied, fatty acids identified by GLC of the methylated saponifiable fractions revealed qualitative and quantitative variations between the 4 plants, but palmitic acid was the major component in all of the investigated plants. Alpha-amyrin and beta-sitosterol were isolated from the unsaponifiable fraction of C. alopecuroids

Phytochemical and biological studies on alkaloidal content of some allergy producing plants growing in Egypt

The over-ground parts of Chenopodium murale, Cyperus alopecuroids, Desmostachya bipinnata and Tamarix nilotica were phytochemically screened and successively extracted with organic solvents, they revealed the presence of sterols and /or triterpenes, carbohydrates and /or glycosides, proteins and /or amino acids, alkaloids and /or nitrogenous bases, coumarin, tannins, flavonoids, traces of saponins and volatile oils. The alkaloidal content of the over-ground parts of the 4 plants were estimated by 3 methods viz. gravimetric, non-aqueous and acid-based titration. Acid-base extraction allowed the isolation of pipirene for the first time from Chenopodium murale, nicotine and anabasine which are the first reported isolation from Tamarix nilotica and from family Tamaricaceae in addition to isolation of choline as hydrochloride and betaine. Allergic study and microbiological screening of the total extracts and alkaloidal components were determined and showed various activity

Comparative pharmacognostical study of certain terminalia species. part I: bark, stem and leaf

Preliminary phytochemical screening of the barks, stems, fruits, flowers and leaves of Terminalia bellirica Roxb., T. arjuna W. and A., T. muelleri Benth. and T. myriocarpa Heurck and Muell. [Family Combretaceae] was carried out. The comparative macro - and micromorphological characters of their barks, stems and leaves of the 4 species were studied in order to establish their diagnostic characters, aiming to determine and differentiate the plants, in both the entire and powdered forms

Comparative pharmacognostical study of certain terminalia species. Part II: flower and fruit

A comparative macro- and micromorphological study of the flowers and fruits of 4 Terminalia species, viz., T. bellirica Roxb., T. arjuna W. and A., T. muelleri Benth. and T. myriocarpa Heurck and Muell. was carried out with the aim of identification and differentiation of the 4 species both in the entire and powdered forms

Phytochemical and biological study of certain Terminalia species growing in Egypt

A comparative study of the lipid, fatty acids, protein and amino acid content of the fruits of four Terminalia species, viz., T.bellerica Roxb., T.arjuna W. and A., T.muelleri Benth. and T.myriocarpa Heurck and Muell. is carried out. Determination of the tannin content of the different organs; bark, stem, leaf and fruit, isolation and identification of ethyl gallate and gallic acid from the fruits of T. bellerica as well as apigenin-7 -O-glucoside and quercetin-3-O-glucoside from the leaves of the same plant is achieved. A toxicological study, pharmacological and antimicrobial screening of the alcohol and aqueous extracts of the fruits and bark of T. bellerica is also carried out

Pharmacognostical and microchemical investigations of lygos raetem Forssk

Lygos raetam Forssk., a leafless erect plant, is one of the poisonous shrubs growing wild in Saudi Arabia. The present article deals with the study of the macro- and microscopical characters of its stem [young and old] and microcrystal formation as a tool for the detection of microamounts of its alkaloids [the main poisonous agents of the plant]. This will aid in the rapid forensic identification of the plant or its contents whether in biological tissues, fluids or in food formulations. The extractive values, fluourescence analysis and elemental analysis of the powdered plant are also included