A method for the analysis of aflatoxins in food samples was developed. The preliminary work focused on optimizing sample pretreatment conditions such as the extraction solvent; the type and amount of drying agents; the extraction time; and the solvent-sample ratio. A 60:40 methanol/acetonitrile (%, v/v) extraction mixture provided recoveries in the range of 71.8–107.7% at spike levels of 1.5–50.0 µg/kg with relative standard deviations (RSDs) lower than 15%. The separation of the four aflatoxin compounds with high selectivity and sensitivity, and within reasonable retention times, was performed by a C18 250 mm × 4.6 mm × 5 µm column (Nucleodur 250-5) at 45°C. The developed QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) procedure, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was then compared with the fluorometric determination method. It was found that the fluorometric determination method had a poor precision and positive bias as compared to QuEChERS-HPLC method. A total of 669 domestic and imported food samples in Jordan were analyzed for their aflatoxins content. Peanut and peanut butter samples showed the highest incidence of contamination (10 contaminations) followed by pistachio nut samples (6 contaminations) and sesame seed samples (2 contaminations).

The purpose of the study is to develop and assess mucoadhesive in situ nasal gel formulations of loratadine and chlorpheniramine maleate to advance the bioavailability of the drug as compared to its conventional dosage forms. The influence of various permeation enhancers, such as EDTA (0.2% w/v), sodium taurocholate (0.5% w/v), oleic acid (5% w/v), and Pluronic F 127 (10% w/v), on the nasal absorption of loratadine and chlorpheniramine from in situ nasal gels containing different polymeric combinations, such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, Carbopol 934, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and chitosan, is studied. Among these permeation enhancers, sodium taurocholate, Pluronic F127 and oleic acid produced a noticeable increase in the loratadine in situ nasal gel flux compared with in situ nasal gels without permeation enhancer. However, EDTA increased the flux slightly, and in most cases, the increase was insignificant. However, in the case of chlorpheniramine maleate in situ nasal gels, the permeation enhancer oleic acid only showed a noticeable increase in flux. Sodium taurocholate and oleic acid seems to be a better and efficient enhancer, enhancing the flux > 5-fold compared with in situ nasal gels without permeation enhancer in loratadine in situ nasal gels. Pluronic F127 also showed a better permeation, increasing the effect by >2-fold in loratadine in situ nasal gels. In chlorpheniramine maleate in situ nasal gels with EDTA, sodium taurocholate and Pluronic F127 were equally effective, enhancing chlorpheniramine maleate permeation. Oleic acid has a better effect as permeation enhancer in chlorpheniramine maleate in situ nasal gels and showed a maximum permeation enhancement of >2-fold.

This study addressed the challenge of accurately detecting mycotoxins in herbs and spices, which have gained popularity as alternative medicines but pose

The aim of this research is to investigate the prevalence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) contamination in milk samples collected from the Jordanian market through the application of the competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method and principal component analysis (PCA). In 2024, we randomly collected a total of one hundred and forty-seven milk samples from a local market in Amman, Jordan. This collection included 33 samples of powdered milk, 40 samples of UHT milk, 34 samples of infant milk formulas, and 40 samples of farm milk. The results of the analysis were then further analyzed using PCA to classify the concentration levels of AFM1 based on various factors, such as the type, country of origin, and season of collection the sample which showed that the type of milk is the most significant source of variability, accounting for 57.7% of the variability. Despite the detection of aflatoxin in only 5.444% of the total fresh milk, its occurrence in this specific category is concerning. The contamination levels of 144 ng/L clearly exceed the European Commission's limit of 50 ng/L by nearly threefold. The risk of contamination is contingent upon the characteristics of raw milk, and the concentrations of AFM1 in fresh milk exhibit significant variability. Included are feed quality and processing limitations. Given the variability of fresh milk, forthcoming safety regulations should focus on it.

The present study examines the concentration levels of lead, mercury and cadmium in different fish samples to determine their level of safety and effects of bioaccumulation. The health risks posed by bioaccumulation of heavy metals in human body through the consumption of contamination fish calls for the accurate determination of the metals in fish samples. The fish samples were digested using microwave oven digestion technique, folowd by AAS analysis. It was observed that frozen tuna had the highest levels of mercury at 157.07 ± 23.04 µg/kg, which is consistent with bioaccumulation pattern in predatory fish. Significantly lower Hg levels were found in non-predatory fish samples, such as bata with hg concentration of 0.88 ± 0.00 µg/kg and chapil with concentration of 0.05 ± 0.00 µg/kg. The concentration of Pb were lower compared to the concentration of Hg in all samples with the highest concentration of Pb found in Merluccius pacifica (27.08 ± 0.00 µg/kg), while the lowest values were found in salmon (1.32 ± 0.21 µg/kg) and basa fillets (1,51 ± 0.72 µg/kg). Cadmium was not detected in all the fish samples analyzed. The findings concluded that the bioaccumulation of heavy metals is influenced by the exposure to the environment and proximity to industrial effluents. This study observed that heavy metal contamination can be reduced by using proper handling and preparation methods, this include removal of organs that are capable of bioaccumulation. The concentration of Hg and Pb were found to be below the EU permissible levels, while Cd was not detected in the samples of fish analyzed. Health risk assessment showed that Tuna showed the highest THQ for Hg (84.82), while Merluccius pacifica had the highest Pb THQ (1.46). Over 10 species exceeded THQ > 1 for Hg, indicating health risk. Most Pb levels were low, except in select species.