Although fish are good sources of selenium (Se), an essential trace element for the human body, very limited data exist on Se content in commonly consumed fish in Thailand. Consequently, this study investigated selenium content and the effect of cooking among 10 fish species (5 freshwater and 5 marine) most-commonly consumed by the Thai people. The fish were purchased from three representative wholesale markets within or nearby to Bangkok. All fish species were prepared to determine their edible portions (EP) and moisture contents. Total Se in fresh, boiled, and fried fish were analysed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Triple Quadrupole-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-QQQ-MS). In general, higher levels of Se were found in marine fish (37.1–198.5 µg/100 g EP in fresh fish, 48.0–154.4 µg/100 g EP in boiled fish, and 52.9–262.4 µg/100 g EP in fried fish) compared to freshwater fish (6.9–29.4 µg/100 g EP in fresh fish, 10.1–26.5 µg/100 g EP in boiled fish, and 13.7–43.8 µg/100 g EP in fried fish). While Longtail tuna showed significantly higher Se content than other fish (p < 0.05), boiled Longtail tuna had significantly lower true retention of Se than the other fish (p < 0.05). Most fish species retained a high level of selenium (ranged 64.1–100.0% true retention in boiling and frying). Longtail tuna, Short-bodied mackerel, Indo-pacific Spanish mackerel, Nile tilapia, and red Nile tilapia–cooked by boiling and frying–are recommended for consumption as excellent sources of selenium.
This study identified the levels of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead in 15 species of commonly consumed fish in Thailand (7 freshwater species, 8 marine species), as well as the risk of these toxic elements for consumers. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS-MS) was used to identify toxic elements, while an exposure assessment was conducted by applying consumption amounts from the national food consumption survey to the toxic element contents in the fish samples. The results showed that the fish contained arsenic ranging from less than the limit of detection (LOD) to 8.51 mg/kg fresh weight (FW), cadmium ranging from the LOD to 0.04 mg/kg FW, and mercury ranging from the limit of quantitation (LOQ) to 0.38 mg/kg FW. Lead was found in small amounts (<LOQ) when compared to the Codex and Thailand’s standards. Only grouper had a higher mercury content (0.55 mg/kg FW) than that of the Codex standard, but it was lower than the notification requirement of Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health. Based on the estimated daily intake scenario, the consumption of most fish species posed a low risk of concern in terms of cadmium and lead. A high risk of concern was found for arsenic exposure, with the exception of long, non-scaly fish (catfish and dory). Marine fish, with the exception of Indo-Pacific mackerel, also posed a high risk of mercury exposure, but only in the case of a high mercury content, high consumption, or both. For a high arsenic content with high consumption or both, children aged 0–5.9 years were at a high risk of concern. Food safety authorities should regularly monitor the levels of toxic element contamination in high-risk food products.
Background: People who are at risk of either cow milk allergies or lactose intolerance may need to avoid consuming milk and milk products, which are well-known abundant sources of calcium (Ca). This limitation in calcium intake could affect bone health. Currently, there is limited knowledge on the impact of avoiding the consumption of milk and milk products on the daily Ca intake and bone mineral density (BMD) of people at risk of cow milk allergies. This study aimed to investigate the differences between the amount of Ca intake and BMD values between people who are at risk of cow milk allergies and those who are not.Methods: A total of 80 participants were recruited, and further divided into two groups, the at-risk cow milk allergies (AR) group (n = 40) and the normal (NOR) group, using the cow milk allergies and lactose intolerance screening questionnaire. The anthropometric assessment, body composition analyses, 3-day dietary record, and bone mass density (wrist and ankle bones) measurement of all participants were collected using the dual x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) technique to compare the differences of variables between the two groups.Results: The participants in the AR group presented a significantly lower amount of Ca intake (317 mg/day) than those in the NOR group (623 mg/day) (p < 0.05). The bone mineral density (BMD) parameters indicated that the NOR group presented significantly higher T-scores and BMD values of the wrist (T-score = −0.27 and BMD = 0.57 g/cm2) and ankle (T-score = −0.01 and BMD = 0.59 g/cm2) bones when compared with the AR group (T-score = −1.96 and BMD = 0.48 g/cm2 for the wrist bone, and T-score = −1.18 and BMD = 0.47 g/cm2 for the ankle bone) (p < 0.05). In addition, the results indicated significantly positive correlations between the amount of Ca intake and the T-scores and BMD values of both the wrist and ankle bones among all participants (p < 0.05).Conclusion: In this responding sample, participants at risk of cow milk allergies experienced a significantly negative impact on the amount of Ca intake and BMD values. Professionals in nutrition and dietetics should provide nutrition education and strategies that can enhance the Ca intake among this population to help them meet the daily Ca intake recommendation, ultimately leading to better bone health.
This study evaluates the risk of toxic heavy metal exposure in 20 commonly consumed seafood species from Thailand, focusing on arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb). Seafood is nutritionally valuable but may accumulate harmful metals due to environmental contamination from industrial, agricultural, and medical sources. Samples were collected from markets in Chonburi, prepared through boiling, frying, and grilling, and analyzed using ICP-MS/MS. Most toxic metal levels were within Thai regulatory limits; however, Wedge shell and Musk crab showed arsenic concentrations exceeding permissible levels. Risk assessment employed hazard quotient and margin of exposure calculations using consumption data stratified by age and cooking methods. Results demonstrated that arsenic presents the highest risk, particularly for children aged 0–5.9 years, with Wedge shell and Musk crab posing significant concerns. Cadmium and mercury generally posed low or no risk across samples, except for isolated high-level cadmium exposure in Wedge shell and occasional mercury concerns. Lead, based on the margin of exposure assessment, showed significant health risk for eater only group. The study concludes that although arsenic contamination in certain seafood species requires careful monitoring and public awareness, other toxic metals—particularly cadmium, mercury, and lead—currently present minimal health risks. Routine surveillance of seafood contaminants is essential to safeguard consumer health, particularly among vulnerable groups.
Selenium (Se), abundantly obtained in fish, is a crucial trace element for human health. Since there are no data on Se bioaccessibility from commonly consumed fish in Thailand, this study assessed the in vitro bioaccessibility of Se using the equilibrium dialyzability method. The five fish species most commonly consumed in Thailand were selected to determine total Se content using several preparation methods (fresh, boiling, and frying). Equilibrium dialyzability was used to perform in vitro bioaccessibility using enzymatic treatment to simulate gastrointestinal digestion for all boiled and fried fish as well as measuring Se using inductively coupled plasma triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-QQQ-MS). Two-way ANOVA with interaction followed by Tukey’s honestly significant difference (HSD) post hoc test revealed that boiled Indo-Pacific Spanish mackerel, longtail tuna, and short-bodied mackerel were significantly higher in Se content than striped snakehead and giant sea perch (p < 0.05). For fried fish, longtail tuna showed the highest Se content (262.4 µg/100 g of product) and was significantly different compared to the other fish (p < 0.05, estimated marginal means was 43.8–115.6 µg/100 g of product). Se bioaccessibilities from striped snakehead (70.0%) and Indo-Pacific Spanish mackerel (64.6%) were significantly higher than for longtail tuna (p < 0.05). No significant difference in bioaccessibility was found in terms of preparation method (i.e., boiling and frying). In conclusion, the fish included in this study, either boiled or fried, have high Se content and are good sources of Se due to high bioaccessibility.
Selenium (Se) is an important trace element in our body; however, food composition data remain limited due to analytical challenges and interferences. Seafood, abundant in Thailand, is recognized as a rich source of Se. This study aimed to expand knowledge on Se content in seafood prepared using traditional Thai cooking methods. Twenty seafood species were selected and prepared by boiling, frying, and grilling. Inductively Coupled Plasma–Triple Quadrupole–Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS/MS) was used to analyze total Se contents in selected seafood species. Results revealed significant variation in Se content across species and cooking methods. The Indo-Pacific horseshoe crab showed the highest Se concentration, with fried samples reaching 193.9 μg/100 g. Se concentrations were in the range of 8.6–155.5 μg/100 g (fresh), 14.3–106.6 μg/100 g (boiled), 17.3–193.9 μg/100 g (fried), and 7.3–160.1 μg/100 g (grilled). Results found significant effects of species and cooking method on Se content (p < 0.05). Fried seafood exhibited the highest estimated marginal mean Se concentration (a 78.8 μg/100 g edible portion), significantly higher than other methods. True retention (%TR) of Se ranged from 40.4% to 100%, depending on species and method. Bigfin reef squid, wedge shell, and silver pomfret showed the highest %TR (100%), while splendid squid exhibited the lowest (52.5%). Significant interaction effects on %TR were also observed (p < 0.05). Fried seafood had the highest mean %TR (88.8%), followed by grilled (82.1%) and boiled (79.7%). These findings highlight the effects of both species and cooking method on Se retention, emphasizing the nutritional value of selected seafood in preserving bioavailable Se after cooking.