Nadia Smadi 1,†, Adla Jammoul 2,† and Nada El Darra 1,*
1
Faculty of Heath Sciences, Beirut Arab University, Tarik El Jedidah–Beirut, P.O.Box: 115020, Riad EL Solh, Beirut 1107 2809, Lebanon
2
Food Department, Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Fanar P.O. Box 2611, Beirut 1107 2809, Lebanon
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally.
Toxics 2019, 7(3), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics7030039 (registering DOI)
Received: 24 June 2019 / Revised: 19 July 2019 / Accepted: 24 July 2019 / Published: 31 July 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Analysis of Chemical Contaminants in Food)
PDF [520 KB, uploaded 31 July 2019]
Abstract
Occupational exposures and current diet are both sources of environmental contaminants that can be transferred in the mother’s body. These chemicals can definitely penetrate to the developing foetus and the nursing infant from contaminated breast milk during the lactation period. Nowadays, one of the special interests is the exposure of new-borns to toxic chemicals such as pesticides and antibiotics reported in human milk due to their potential harms, especially developmental deficits in early childhood. The aim of our current study was to assess the occurrence of pesticide residues and antibiotic residues contamination in breast milk collected from Syrian refugee lactating mothers residing in North Lebanon Camps. A total of 120 breast milk samples (40 in triplicate) were collected from camps in Akkar, North Lebanon using an electrical pump. A survey was administrated to determine socio-demographic characteristics, dietary and smoking habits and medical history of participating lactating mothers. The milk samples were analysed for the presence of antibiotic residues and pesticide residues using liquid and gas chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS) and Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). This study reported the absence of antibiotic residues in 96.66% of our samples (n = 120) and the presence of pesticides residues in only 5% of our total breast milk sample. Our results considered the breast milk collected from Syrian refugee lactating mothers as safe from chemical contamination. It is worth conducting more studies on other Syrian refugee camps to test the effect of camp living conditions on breast milk safety.
Keywords: breast milk; antibiotic residues; pesticide residues; LC-MS/MS; GC-MS/MS the developing foetus and the nursing infant from contaminated breast milk during the lactation period....
Toxics, Vol. 7, Pages 38: Roundup®, but Not Roundup-Ready® Corn, Increases Mortality of Drosophila melanogaster Toxics doi: 10.3390/toxics7030038 Authors: Becky Talyn Rachael Lemon Maryam Badoella Darwin Melchiorre Maryori Villalobos Raquel Elias Kelly Muller Maggie Santos Erik Melchiorre Genetically modified foods have become pervasive in diets of people living in the US. By far the most common genetically modified foods either tolerate herbicide application...
Nadia Smadi 1,†, Adla Jammoul 2,† and Nada El Darra 1,*
1
Faculty of Heath Sciences, Beirut Arab University, Tarik El Jedidah–Beirut, P.O.Box: 115020, Riad EL Solh, Beirut 1107 2809, Lebanon
2
Food Department, Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute, Fanar P.O. Box 2611, Beirut 1107 2809, Lebanon
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally.
Toxics 2019, 7(3), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics7030039 (registering DOI)
Received: 24 June 2019 / Revised: 19 July 2019 / Accepted: 24 July 2019 / Published: 31 July 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Analysis of Chemical Contaminants in Food)
PDF [520 KB, uploaded 31 July 2019]
Abstract
Occupational exposures and current diet are both sources of environmental contaminants that can be transferred in the mother’s body. These chemicals can definitely penetrate to the developing foetus and the nursing infant from contaminated breast milk during the lactation period. Nowadays, one of the special interests is the exposure of new-borns to toxic chemicals such as pesticides and antibiotics reported in human milk due to their potential harms, especially developmental deficits in early childhood. The aim of our current study was to assess the occurrence of pesticide residues and antibiotic residues contamination in breast milk collected from Syrian refugee lactating mothers residing in North Lebanon Camps. A total of 120 breast milk samples (40 in triplicate) were collected from camps in Akkar, North Lebanon using an electrical pump. A survey was administrated to determine socio-demographic characteristics, dietary and smoking habits and medical history of participating lactating mothers. The milk samples were analysed for the presence of antibiotic residues and pesticide residues using liquid and gas chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS) and Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). This study reported the absence of antibiotic residues in 96.66% of our samples (n = 120) and the presence of pesticides residues in only 5% of our total breast milk sample. Our results considered the breast milk collected from Syrian refugee lactating mothers as safe from chemical contamination. It is worth conducting more studies on other Syrian refugee camps to test the effect of camp living conditions on breast milk safety.
Keywords: breast milk; antibiotic residues; pesticide residues; LC-MS/MS; GC-MS/MS
Toxins, Vol. 11, Pages 449: Marine Toxins and Nociception: Potential Therapeutic Use in the Treatment of Visceral Pain Associated with Gastrointestinal Disorders
Authors: Andreina Baj Michela Bistoletti Annalisa Bosi Elisabetta Moro Cristina Giaroni Francesca Crema
Visceral pain, of which the pathogenic basis is currently largely unknown, is a hallmark symptom of both functional disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease. Intrinsic sensory neurons in the enteric nervous system and afferent sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia, connecting with the central nervous system, represent the primary neuronal pathways transducing gut visceral pain. Current pharmacological therapies have several limitations, owing to their partial efficacy and the generation of severe adverse effects. Numerous cellular targets of visceral nociception have been recognized, including, among others, channels (i.e., voltage-gated sodium channels, VGSCs, voltage-gated calcium channels, VGCCs, Transient Receptor Potential, TRP, and Acid-sensing ion channels, ASICs) and neurotransmitter pathways (i.e., GABAergic pathways), which represent attractive targets for the discovery of novel drugs. Natural biologically active compounds, such as marine toxins, able to bind with high affinity and selectivity to different visceral pain molecular mediators, may represent a useful tool (1) to improve our knowledge of the physiological and pathological relevance of each nociceptive target, and (2) to discover therapeutically valuable molecules. In this review we report the most recent literature describing the effects of marine toxin on gastrointestinal visceral pain pathways and the possible clinical implications in the treatment of chronic pain associated with gut diseases.
