Salicylic acid and its derivatives (including acetylsalicylic acid/aspirin) are popular in medicine. They also occur naturally in many food products. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of the personalized low salicylate diet (PLSD) on the reduction of asthma, rhinosinusitis and urticaria symptoms in patients with hypersensitivity to aspirin (ASA) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). To achieve the research goal, a prospective, nonrandomized, baseline-controlled intervention study was conducted. Thirty patients diagnosed with NSAIDs hypersensitivity, who despite pharmacotherapy had symptoms of hypersensitivity, were included in the study. The PLSD was recommended for all participants for a period of two to four weeks. The intensity of subjectively declared symptoms of asthma, rhinosinusitis and urticaria were measured before and after dietary intervention, using, respectively, the asthma control test (ACT), the sino-nasal outcome test (SNOT-22) and the four-item itch questionnaire (FIIQ). Diet adherence and salicylate intake were measured by a 3-day food record. The severity of symptoms improved significantly after the intervention. The median of the ACT score was 24 scores before and 25 after the dietary intervention (p < 0.002), the median of the SNOT-22 score was 25 before and 13 after a dietary intervention (p < 0.0002) and the median of the FIIQ score was 5 before and 0 after a dietary intervention (p < 0.0002). The intake of salicylates decreased from 0.79 mg/day (before intervention) to 0.15 mg/day (p < 0.001) (during intervention). Although the usefulness of a low salicylate diet in the treatment of salicylate hypersensitivity is controversial, the results of our study indicate that the PLSD may have a positive effect in reducing symptoms of salicylate hypersensitivity and could be an additional tool supporting the therapy of these patients.

In this methodological report, we present a simple, versatile, and reliable procedure for quantitative determination of free and conjugated forms of salicylic acid (SA) in various food products using reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) with fluorescence detection. The presented sample preparation protocol is considerably simplified in comparison to procedures applied previously and is based on three simple and fast extraction steps providing a supreme tool for large-scale routine assays. The limits of detection were approximately 0.021 μg g⁻¹ of dried weight for spices, lyophilized fruits, or vegetables, and 0.001 μg ml⁻¹ for beverages. The recoveries of the spiked SA were in the range of 87.6 to 96.6 % for all studied products. Applicability of the method was verified by the analysis of salicylate content in a wide range of products including spices (curry, oregano, red pepper), beverages (beer, brewed tea, milk, wine), lyophilized fruits (apricot, strawberry, watermelon), and vegetables (cucumber, tomato).

Background/Objectives: Legume seeds, such as chickpeas, are a rich source of resistant starch (RS) and have a low glycemic index (GI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cooking and cooling chickpea pasta on the RS content, glycemic response, and GI in healthy subjects. Methods: Twelve healthy subjects of both sexes, aged 18–65 years, participated in this study. Each person consumed two standardized portions of chickpea pasta: (i) freshly cooked (FCP) and (ii) cooked chickpea pasta which was cooled for 24 h at 4 °C and reheated before consumption (CCP). Glucose solution was provided as a reference food. Participants consumed chickpea pasta in a random order. GI measurements were completed using the standard methodology and calculated according to the ISO 2010 standard. Results: The cooling and reheating process significantly increased the RS content of boiled chickpea pasta (from 1.83 g/100 g to 3.65 g/100 g) and had a beneficial effect on postprandial glycemia in healthy individuals. The CCP pasta had a significantly lower GI value than the FCP pasta (33 vs. 39, p = 0.0022). A significant difference in the glucose, as identified by the incremental area under the curve (IAUC), was observed between the CCP and FCP (1327.9 ± 414.8 mg/dL/min vs. 1556.1 ± 456.9 mg/dL/min, p = 0.0022). The cooling–reheating process did not affect the sensory attributes of the chickpea pasta. In general, the overall acceptability of the CCP pasta was similar to that of the FCP pasta. Conclusions: The results of our study support the hypothesis that a reduced glycemic response after simple changes in technological intervention leads to a decrease in postprandial blood glucose and GI. This can be helpful for people who need to control postprandial glycemia.

There is a growing body of evidence that a diet rich in bioactive compounds from herbs and spices has the ability to reduce the risk of chronic diseases. The consumption of herbs and spices is often overlooked in the studies on food intake. However, measurement of dietary intake of these products, as a source of bioactive compounds, including salicylates, has recently gained much significance. The aims of the study were (i) to assess the intake of herbs and spices at the individual level and (ii) to calculate the dietary salicylates intake from herbs and spices among adult omnivores and vegans. The study group consisted of 270 adults aged 19 to 67 years, including 205 women and 65 men. Among all, 208 individuals were following an omnivorous diet while 62 were vegans. A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was designed to assess the habitual intake of 61 fresh and dried herbs and spices during the preceding three months. The five most frequently eaten herbs among omnivores were parsley, garlic, dill, marjoram and basil, while among vegans they were garlic, parsley, ginger, basil and dill. An average intake of all condiments included in the study was 22.4 ± 18.4 g/day and 25.8 ± 25.9 g/day for both omnivores and vegans, respectively (p = 0.007). Estimated medial salicylates intake was significantly higher among vegans (p = 0.000) and reached 5.82 mg/week vs. 3.13 mg/week for omnivores. Our study confirmed that herbs and spices are important sources of salicylates; however, the type of diet influenced their level in the diet. Vegans consume significantly more total salicylates than omnivores.

The aim of this study was to determine dietary salicylate content in selected culinary herbs and spices, using the RP-HPLC method with fluorescence detection.