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The aim of this study was to determine the degree of mold contamination and mycotoxin levels in commercially available green coffee products and dietary supplements with green coffee extract. The study included 34 samples from green coffee products: raw beans (n = 16), ground coffee (n = 15) and instant coffee (n = 3), as well as 22 samples from dietary supplements in form of capsules (n = 19), tablets (n = 2) and sachets (n = 1). Total mold count was determined with spread-plate method. Anamorphic mold were identified based on their microscopic morphology and the type of sporulation. Concentrations of mycotoxins, ochratoxin A and citrinin, were quantified by means of HPLC-fluorescence detection. Molds, typically Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp., were found in 94% of green coffee beans, 100% of ground and instant coffee samples, and 55% of dietary supplement samples. None of the samples contained detectable levels of citrinin. Ochratoxin A (0.4 ng/g) was detected in only one sample of raw green coffee beans, but in up to 40% and 67% of ground and instant coffee samples, respectively. Mean concentrations of ochratoxin A in ground and instant coffee samples were 3.28 ng/g and 4.09 ng/g, respectively, and maximum concentrations amounted to 6.65 ng/g and 7.44 ng/g, respectively. Ochratoxin A (mean concentration 9.60 ng/g, maximum level 31.4 ng/g) was also detected in up to 58% of the supplement capsules, but in none of tablets and sachets., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Contamination of food with mycotoxins can pose harmful effects on the health of consumers in the long term. Coffee contamination with mycotoxins has become a global concern. This study attempted to meta-analyze the concentration and prevalence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in coffee products and estimate consumers' health risks. The search was conducted among international databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science, for 1 January 2010 to 1 May 2022. The concentration and prevalence of OTA in coffee products were meta-analyzed according to country subgroups. Health risk assessment was conducted based on Margin of Exposures (MOEs) using the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) technique. The three countries that had the highest Pooled concentration of OTA in coffee were observed in Chile (100.00%), Kuwait (100.00%), and France (100.00%). The overall prevalence of OTA in coffee products was 58.01%, 95% CI (48.37–67.39). The three countries that had the highest concentration of OTA were Philippines (39.55 μg/kg) > Turkey (39.32 μg/kg) > and Panama (21.33 μg/kg). The mean of MOEs in the adult consumers in Panama (9,526) and the Philippines (8,873) was lower than 10,000, while the mean of MOEs in other countries was higher than 10,000. Therefore, monitoring and control plans should be carried out in different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estrogen is primarily an endocrine hormone produced by the ovaries and, to a lesser degree, glands of the adrenal cortex's zona reticularis layer. However, it can be synthesized from other tissues and can possess both autocrine and paracrine activities of the target tissue or organ. Its activities, only possible through ligand(estrogen)-receptor interaction, range from reproduction health to skeletal development. These activities can, however, be modulated by using an antagonist. An antagonist is anything that binds to the receptors to prevent the action of a particular hormone, neurotransmitter, or enzyme.The antagonist can specifically bind to the pituitary GnRH receptor, thus blocking the effect of GnRH on the pituitary and reducing the secretion of pituitary GN.Notwithstanding its numerous physiological activities, estrogen is also implicated in some cancers' pathophysiology, specifically estrogen (E2)-induced growth factor-related breast cancers. Androgen receptor, a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is encoded by a full-length 90 kb gene from the long arm of X chromosome 11.2–12, which contains 7 introns and 7 exons. There are two isomers of messenger RNA encoding 920 and 388 amino acid residues, respectively.This is because estrogen acts as a mediator for mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK/ERk) activation, facilitating cell proliferation, which can progress autonomously. This research investigates the effects of boletus poisoning on estrogen receptors and neurotransmitters in rats based on the ERk 1/2 pathway. A prospective study was conducted for which two sets of experimental studies were performed using albino rats. The first experiment was to determine the toxic dose. This is the dosage for which the saturation point will be reached and the existing estrogen on the receptors displaced. The second set of the experiment was to determine the pathophysiology of this poisoning on the albino rats. A 200 mg/100 kg b.wt oral administration of boletus spp juice and 250 mg/100 kg b.wt of alcohol extracts were administered using an oral gavage to the test specimens. The toxic effects were then recorded for the next 24 h of administration. The results indicated low levels of breast cancer markers in test specimens than those of control specimens. This is because the BoletusBoletus acted as an antagonist blocking the action of E2 on estrogen receptors (ERs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench) is a plant in the family Asteraceae, mainly grown in North America. Echinacea purpurea has been used in conventional medicine. The plant has immuno-stimulating and antibacterial properties, but neither mold contamination nor a mycotoxin presence have been evaluated. Our goal is to determine the degree to which molds and mycotoxins contaminate dietary supplements based on purple coneflower distributed on the Polish market. We analyzed 21 samples divided into four groups: sachets (n = 5), dry raw material (n = 3), capsules (n = 9), and tablets (n = 4). The mycological analysis of dietary supplements shows that the average number of molds is 1012 cfu/g, and the most common molds are Aspergillus spp., Phoma spp. and Eurotium spp. The mycotoxins most common in the samples are ZEN (18/21), DON (5/21) and T-2 toxin (3/21). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continue to hypothesize that honey is a storehouse of beneficial bacteria, and the majority of these isolates are levansucrase producers. Accordingly, ten bacterial strains were isolated from different honey sources. Four honey isolates that had the highest levansucrase production and levan yield were identified by the partial sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene as Achromobacter sp. (10A), Bacillus paralicheniformis (2M), Bacillus subtilis (9A), and Bacillus paranthracis (13M). The cytotoxicity of the selected isolates showed negative blood hemolysis. Also, they are sensitive to the tested antibiotics (Amoxicillin + Flucloxacillin, Ampicillin, Gentamicin, Benzathine benzylpenicillin, Epicephin, Vancomycin, Amikacin, and Zinol). The isolates had strong alkaline stability (pHs 9, 11) and were resistant to severe acidic conditions (29–100 percent). The tested isolates recorded complete tolerance to both H2O2 and the bile salt (0.3% Oxgall powder) after 24 h incubation. The cell-free supernatant of the examined strains had antifungal activities against C. Albicans with varying degrees. Also, isolates 2M and 13M showed strong activities against S. aureus. The isolates showed strong adhesion and auto-aggregation capacity. Isolate 10A showed the highest antioxidant activity (91.45%) followed by 2M (47.37%). The isolates recorded different catalase and protease activity. All isolates produced cholesterol oxidase and lipase with different levels. Besides, the four isolates reduced LDL (low-density lipoprotein) to different significant values. The cholesterol-reducing ability varied not only for strains but also for the time of incubation. The previous results recommended these isolates be used safely in solving the LDL problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A UPLC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the determination of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), aflatoxin B2 (AFB2), aflatoxin G1 (AFG1), aflatoxin G2 (AFG2) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in raw coffee samples. Mycotoxins were extracted using a modified QuEChERS method with little sample preparation excluding clean-up and enrichment procedures. Linearity was demonstrated for the five mycotoxins in the range 0.125–20 µg/kg. This method shows negligible matrix effect for individual concentrations, thus allowing the use of an external standard procedure. Limits of quantification (LOQ) ranged from 0.45 to 1 μg/kg. Recoveries between 63% and 89% were achieved. The intra- and inter-day precisions were lower than 15%. The applicability of the method was demonstrated, taking into account fitness for purpose, with simplicity, reliability, low costs and environmental friendliness. The results show that 3 out of 4 samples were contaminated with OTA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contamination of food with mycotoxins can pose harmful effects on the health of consumers in the long term. Coffee contamination with mycotoxins has become a global concern. This study attempted to meta-analyze the concentration and prevalence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in coffee products and estimate consumers' health risks. The search was conducted among international databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science, for 1 January 2010 to 1 May 2022. The concentration and prevalence of OTA in coffee products were meta-analyzed according to country subgroups. Health risk assessment was conducted based on Margin of Exposures (MOEs) using the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) technique. The three countries that had the highest Pooled concentration of OTA in coffee were observed in Chile (100.00%), Kuwait (100.00%), and France (100.00%). The overall prevalence of OTA in coffee products was 58.01%, 95% CI (48.37-67.39). The three countries that had the highest concentration of OTA were Philippines (39.55 μg/kg) > Turkey (39.32 μg/kg) > and Panama (21.33 μg/kg). The mean of MOEs in the adult consumers in Panama (9,526) and the Philippines (8,873) was lower than 10,000, while the mean of MOEs in other countries was higher than 10,000. Therefore, monitoring and control plans should be carried out in different countries., (© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

Citrinin (CIT) is a mycotoxin produced by different species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Monascus. CIT can contaminate a wide range of foods and feeds at any time during the pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest stages. CIT can be usually found in beans, fruits, fruit and vegetable juices, herbs and spices, and dairy products, as well as red mold rice. CIT exerts nephrotoxic and genotoxic effects in both humans and animals, thereby raising concerns regarding the consumption of CIT-contaminated food and feed. Hence, to minimize the risk of CIT contamination in food and feed, understanding the incidence of CIT occurrence, its sources, and biosynthetic pathways could assist in the effective implementation of detection and mitigation measures. Therefore, this review aims to shed light on sources of CIT, its prevalence in food and feed, biosynthetic pathways, and genes involved, with a major focus on detection and management strategies to ensure the safety and security of food and feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]