Antioxidant, antidiabetic effects and polyphenolic contents of propolis from Siirt, Turkey.

Propolis, a natural product collected by honeybees from various plant sources, has gained significant attention due to its diverse bioactive compounds and potential therapeutic properties. To further explore its contents and biological activities, this study aimed to analyze the phenolic compounds in Siirt propolis extracts obtained using different solvents, namely ethanol, water, and ethanol-water mixtures. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the phenolic profile, as well as the antidiabetic and antioxidant activities of the propolis extracts. Chemical profiling of extracts was performed using LC-MS/MS. The antioxidant potential of the propolis extracts was evaluated through free radical scavenging methods, including DPPH and ABTS assays. As a result of these analyses, propolis extracts showed moderate radical scavenging potential with 13.86%-35.72% for DPPH and 33.62%-62.50% for ABTS at a concentration of 30 µg mL-1, respectively. This radical scavenging potential of the extracts sheds light on its ability to combat oxidative stress, which is implicated in the development of diabetes, and its potential effects on cellular health. Additionally, the study assessed the antidiabetic properties of the propolis extracts by examining their inhibition effects on α-amylase and α-glycosidase enzymes. Extracts with high phenolic content showed a high inhibitory effect against α-glucosidase with an IC50 of 5.72 ± 0.83 µg mL-1. This research provided significant findings regarding the potential use of propolis in the treatment of diabetes and related metabolic disorders.

Risk assessment of bisphenol related compounds in canned convenience foods, olives, olive oil, and canned soft drinks in Turkey.

The presence of Bisphenol A (BPA), Bisphenol A Diglycidyl Ether (BADGE), and their derivatives in seventy-nine samples of food products available in Turkish stores was determined using ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Among Bisphenol A and its analogues, BPA was the most detected migrant with 56.97%. Fish products had the highest level of BPA with 0.102 mg/kg although only three fish samples exceeded the Specific Migration Limit (SML) for BPA of 0.05 mg/kg of food. The BPF, BPS, and BPB in all analyzed foods ranged between 0-0.021, 0-0.036, and 0.072 mg/kg, respectively. BADGE derivates, BADGE·2H2O and cyclo-di-BADGE (CdB) were present in 57 and 52 samples with concentrations ranging between 0-0.354, and 0-1.056 mg/kg, respectively. All the analyzed traditional Turkish ready-to-eat meals and fish products were contaminated with BADGE·2H2O and CdB. The overall levels of BADGE and the derivates were below the specific migration limit. CdB was found at higher concentrations in traditional Turkish ready-to-eat meals, up to 1.056 mg/kg. The CdB concentration in most of the samples was above the highest figure with 0.05 mg/kg authorized by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. The predominant chlorinated derivative was BADGE·H2O·HCl which was found in thirty-seven samples in the range of 0.007-0.061 mg/kg.

Effect of Light on the Oxidative Stability and Phthalate Levels of Black Cumin Oil-Corn Oil Blends in Plastic and Glass Bottling.

Black cumin oil (BC) contains certain phytochemicals, including phenolics, tocopherols, and sterols, which show strong oxidation stability. In this study, BC was blended with refined corn oil (CO) at two concentrations (5% and 10%, w/w) and stored in plastic and glass bottles under light and dark conditions. Under light-storage conditions, blended oils in plastic bottles showed lower peroxide value (PV) and conjugated diene value (CD) compared to the control sample than dark-storage. It was also aimed to examine the phthalate levels in oil samples and evaluate the products' safety. Five main phthalates, namely di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butyl-benzylphthalate (BBP), diisononyl phthalate (DiNP), and diisodecyl phthalate (DiDP), were evaluated. In dark and light storage conditions, the phthalate level was determined below the LOQ value in CO without added BCO in the plastic and glass bottles. In the plastic-packaged blended samples, DEHP was determined above the LOQ value in dark storage, while BBP was detected in addition to DEHP in the samples stored under the light. On the other hand, phthalate values were determined below the LOQ value in all samples stored in glass packages under the light. DEHP was the most abundant phthalate in plastic-packaged blended oils under light storage, ranging from below the LOQ (0.23 mg/kg) to 0.83 mg/kg. Based on the present findings, BC improved the stability of CO under light storage, and the phthalate levels of blended oils did not exceed the specific migration limits (SMLs) for each phthalate.

Monitoring of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) and some derivatives in fish products in the Turkey market.

The exposure to bisphenols and their derivatives was assessed in 33 fish products sold in Turkey using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). BADGE was determined in only four samples at concentrations ranging between 0.06 and 0.22 mg/kg. As the most abundant bisphenol groups, BADGE-hydrolyzed products such as BADGE·H2O and BADGE·2H2O were present in nine and fourteen samples in the range between 0.06-0.16 and 0.06-0.72 mg/kg, respectively. The total concentration of BADGE and hydrolyzed products was below the specific migration limit (SML) value of 9 mg/kg food, which in the European Union stated as tolerable. Chlorinated derivatives of BADGE were detected in fewer samples compared with hydrolyzed ones. BADGE·H2O·HCl was the predominant migrant among chlorinated derivatives and was present in seven samples in a range between 0.02 and 0.06 mg/kg. All other samples contained less than or equal to 0.03 mg/kg of BADGE·HCl and BADGE·2HCl. The sum of these derivatives was lower than the SML value (1 mg/kg) of BADGE chlorohydrins legislated by the European Union. Besides these migrants, the analyzed samples did not contain any BFDGE and 3R-NOGE, which are prohibited in manufacturing food contact materials.

Assessment of the migration of perfluorinated compounds and primary aromatic amines from PTFE-coated non-stick cookware marketed in Turkey.

Two perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) and 17 different primary aromatic amines (PAAs) were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in migrants from 35 cookware samples marketed in Turkey. Among PFCs, only PFOA was identified in 6 samples. Only two components among PAAs, namely aniline (ANL) and 4,4'-methylenedianiline (4,4'-MDA), were detected in analyzed samples. Although aniline was detected in all samples, 4,4'-MDA was detected in only 4 samples. The effects of simulant volume, temperature, and repeated use on the release of these migrants from non-stick cookware were investigated. Three simulant volumes (200, 500, and 1000 mL) were used in migration tests. PFCs and PAAs were identified in simulants at 200 and 500 mL. The increase in the amount of simulant caused a decrease in the concentration of these migrants. The lowest migration values were observed in the samples at consecutive usage cycles. PFCs and PAAs exhibited the highest migration ability with increasing temperature.

Levels of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables in the Turkish domestic markets.

In this work, pesticide residues in 493 fruit and vegetable samples obtained from markets in Turkey were detected after QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) extraction followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with electron spray ionization (LC-ESI/MS/MS) and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS). Validation of the method was tested based on the European Union SANTE/12682/2019 guidelines. The samples were analyzed to determine the concentrations of 500 pesticide residues. The results indicated that 254 samples of 493 samples contaminated with pesticides, only 22% contained pesticide residues at or below maximum residue limits (MRLs), and 30% contained pesticide residues above MRLs. Chlorpyrifos was the most common pesticide (105 samples) from the detected pesticides; 49 samples were found above to MRLs with concentrations of 0.011-2.001 mg/kg. Among samples, peach (88%), dill (84%), mushroom (83%), arugula (73%), and spinach (72%) were the crops with the higher percentages of pesticide residues.

Phthalates levels in olive oils and olive pomace oils marketed in Turkey.

Phthalates are used as additives and plasticisers in packaging for personal care and food products. Several investigations reported the harmful impact of phthalates on human health. In this study, different types of olive oils (12 olive oil; 20 extra virgin oil; 4 refined pomace oil) in different packaging materials [polyethylene terephthalate (PET), glass and metal] obtained from local markets in Turkey in 2019, were analysed using GC-MS for the presence of benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP). The average recoveries of the 5 phthalates in olive oils were 87%-100%, with limits of quantification (LOQs) of 0.09-2.28 mg/kg. DEHP was the abundant phthalate in all olive oil samples ranging from below the LOQ (0.23 mg/kg) to 602 mg/kg. In all analysed samples, the levels of DINP and DIDP were less than their LOQ, thus these phthalates were not detected. The highest DEHP content was found in an olive oil sample containing 602 mg/kg, whilst 5 samples did not contain detectable phthalate esters.

Phthalates levels in cold-pressed oils marketed in Turkey.

Cold-pressed oils are valuable vegetable oils. Phthalates are used as plasticizers and additives in foodstuffs and personal care products. Studies have shown that phthalates have harmful effects on human health. In this study, five phthalates di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butyl-benzylphthalate (BBP), diisononyl phthalate (DiNP), and diisodecyl phthalate (DiDP) were evaluated in 30 different cold-pressed oils marketed in Turkey. DEHP was widespread in oils and detected in 18 of the 30 samples, ranging from 0.56 to 92.12 mg/kg. DBP was the second determined phthalate and detected in six of 30 oil samples at concentrations from 0.10 to 51.63 mg/kg. The other phthalates, BBP, DiNP, and DiDP were found in 4, 5, and 2 from a total of 30 samples, respectively. BBP and DiNP ranged between 3.88-6.04 and 4.26-80.74, respectively. DiDP was found in 2 samples with 85.02 and 2.69 mg/kg.