Favipiravir does not appear to be a major teratogen: Case series from Türkiye.

INTRODUCTION: Favipiravir has gained attention during the Coronavirus Disease-2019 pandemic due to its potential antiviral effect against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2. Favipiravir has been identified as a teratogen in animal studies, but there is limited human data. We aimed to evaluate the pregnancy outcomes of women exposed to favipiravir during the pandemic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Pregnant women who were exposed to favipiravir and applied to Marmara University School of Medicine Medical Pharmacology Outpatient Clinic Teratology Information Service between December 2020-September 2021 are included in the study. The demographic information, medical and obstetric histories of patients were acquired during admission, the outcomes of the pregnancies and the characteristics of the infants were gathered by regular phone calls. The infants whose parents consented were evaluated by a pediatrician for general well-being and congenital anomalies. RESULTS: 22 pregnant women were included in this study. 81.8 % received the recommended favipiravir dose (8000 mg in 5 days), in the first trimester. Two patients were lost to follow-up, there was one elective termination and 19 live births. Congenital anomalies were found in 2 infants, one of whom had 9q34 duplication syndrome. Except for these, all newborns examined by the pediatrician were healthy. DISCUSSION: Within a limited case series, a subset of the infants exposed to favipiravir prenatally were followed up to 1 year of age. Two infants exhibited congenital malformations that cannot be directly linked to favipiravir due to confounding variables. Considering the limited data published, favipiravir does not appear to be a major teratogen.

Effect of plant extracts on lipid and protein oxidation of mackerel (Scomber scombrus) mince during frozen storage.

The effects of different plant extracts [green tea extract (GTE), grape seed extract (GSE), and pomegranate rind extract (PRE)] at a level of 100 ppm equivalent phenolics and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) on the changes in quality of fish (Scomber scombrus) mince during 6 months frozen storage at -18 ± 1 °C were investigated. During storage, significant oxidative reactions in both the lipids and proteins were observed with the increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and carbonyls and decrease in sulphydryl groups and protein solubility. BHT and PRE effectively inhibited lipid oxidation as lower peroxide and TBARS values were observed. Moreover, antioxidants added to minced fish significantly reduced protein oxidation compared to control without any antioxidant. The minced fish containing PRE had lower carbonyl and higher sulphydryl contents, but no significant differences for carbonyl and sulphydry contents were observed among antioxidant sources. Protein solubility decreased with increase in storage period. The loss of protein solubility was higher in control samples than in antioxidant treated ones. Among antioxidant sources, PRE was an excellent antioxidant toward both lipid and protein oxidations. Therefore, it could be a potential source of natural antioxidants in minced fish during frozen storage.