Adulteration of mustard cooking oil with argemone oil: do Indian food regulatory policies and antioxidant therapy both need revisitation?

A paper-based chromogenic strip and electrochemical sensor for the detection of 4-(dimethylamino)azobenzene

Natural and synthetic dyes are added to different food commodities to enhance their appearance and acceptance by consumers. Acute and chronic exposure owing to the consumption of non-permitted dyes may lead to health concerns such as allergic reactions, eczema, and asthma. 4-(Dimethylamino)azobenzene (4-DMAAB) is a non-permitted dye that has been reported in adulterated mustard oil. Consumption of 4-DMAAB poses severe risks due to its mutagenic and carcinogenic properties. Several sensitive methods such as FT-NIR, FT-MIR and SERS are available for the detection of 4-DMAAB. Here, a spectrophotometric method was developed for the detection of 4-DMAAB. The developed method was translated to a point-of-test paper-based, chromogenic strip which showed a detection limit of 0.025 mM for 4-DMAAB. Also, an electrochemical sensor was developed by electro-depositing the test solution on a screen-printed electrode. The electrochemical sensor showed an LOD of 0.027 ± 0.008 mM with recovery in the range of 91-107% of 4-DMAAB. Oil samples collected from the market were processed by liquid-liquid extraction and the content of 4-DMAAB was assessed. The developed point-of-use sensors for the detection of 4-DMAAB have potential for use by the consumers, food industry and regulatory agencies for on-site analysis and assuring the quality of edible oils.

Evaluation of different regression models for detection of adulteration of mustard and canola oil with argemone oil using fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics

Mustard and canola oils are commonly used cooking oils in Asian countries such as India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, making them prone to adulteration. Argemone is a well-known adulterant of mustard oil, and its alkaloid sanguinarine has been linked with health conditions such as glaucoma and dropsy. Utilising a non-destructive spectroscopic method coupled with a chemometric approach can serve better for the detection of adulterants. This work aimed to evaluate the performance of various regression algorithms for the detection of argemone in mustard and canola oils. The spectral dataset was acquired from fluorescence spectrometer analysis of pure as well as adulterated mustard and canola oils with some local and commercial samples also. The prediction performance of the eight regression algorithms for the detection of adulterants was evaluated. Extreme gradient boosting regressor (XGBR), Category gradient boosting regressor (CBR), and Random Forest (RF) demonstrate potential for predicting adulteration levels in both oils with high R2 values.

Exploring the influence of food labels and advertisements on eating habits of children: a cross-sectional study from Punjab, India

BACKGROUND

Maintaining healthy eating habits among children is challenging due to industrial tactics. There is little research on the effect of nutritional labels and tv ads on the eating habits of children. So the primary aim of the study was to explore the noticeability of the food packaging labels by the children, the information retrieved from the food nutrition labels, and their role in increased frequency of eating out in addition to the perceptions of their parents about the television ads.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted at schools in Punjab, India. Using multi-stage stratified random sampling, we included 722 school-going children aged 14-18 and their parents. A structured predefined questionnaire collected data using a four-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used to draw our inferences.

RESULTS

About 46% of children were eating out > 3 times a week. Nearly 49% said they never looked at the expiry dates on the food packet, and 40% have yet to notice the quality certification. Nearly half do not understand the components of the food label, and 59% said they never changed their buying behavior because of the label. Only 37% of parents expressed their concerns about the timing of the ads when children watch television, while only 25.5% were concerned about the accuracy of the information. Concerns of the parents regarding the timing of the ads, and celebrity endorsements, were potential predictors for the increased frequency of eating out by the children.

CONCLUSIONS

Low awareness regarding the utility of nutrition labels and minimal concerns of the parents increase the frequency of eating out. Unification of our existing policies regarding food labels and tv advertisements to develop family-centric interventions will bring us one step closer to improving the enabling environment to curb the growing menace of childhood obesity.

Mustard oil and cardiovascular health: Why the controversy?

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States (US) and worldwide. Among South Asians living in the US, ASCVD risk is four-fold higher than the local population. Cardioprotective dietary patterns necessitate replacement of dietary saturated fats with healthier oils such as canola, corn, olive, soybean, safflower, and sunflower oil. Mustard oil is a liquid oil that is low in saturated fat and is popular in South Asia.It contains a large proportion of erucic acid, a fatty acid associated with myocardial lipidosis in rodents. This evidence prompted the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban the use of mustard oil for cooking. However, Australia, New Zealand and the European Union (27 countries) have established upper limits for tolerable intake of mustard oil. In contrast mustard oil is one of the most popular cooking oils in Asia, particularly in India where it is recommended as a heart-healthy oil by the Lipid Association of India (LAI). The conflict between various guidelines warrants clarification, particularly because use of mustard oil in cooking is increasing among both Americans and Indian immigrants in the US, despite the FDA ban on human consumption of mustard oil. Hence, we endeavored to: (1) Review current evidence regarding potentially harmful versus beneficial effects of cooking with mustard oil, (2) Clarify the basis for disparities between the FDA ban on human consumption of mustard oil and dietary recommendations from the LAI and other groups, and (3) Provide practical suggestions for Indians and other South Asians who are accustomed to consuming mustard oil on ways to incorporate alternate heart-healthy oils (E.g. Canola, Olive, Sunflower, Soybean oil) in the diet while enhancing flavor and texture of food. A new FDA review is recommended on the safety limits of erucic acid because 29 countries have allow limited amounts of mustard oil (erucic acid) for human consumption and also because there are some health benefits that have been reported for mustard oil in humans.

A chemical genetic approach using genetically encoded reporters to detect and assess the toxicity of plant secondary metabolites against bacterial pathogens

Plant secondary metabolites are emerging as attractive alternatives in the development of therapeutics against infectious and chronic diseases. Due to the present pandemic, therapeutics showing toxicity against bacterial pathogens and viruses are gaining interest. Plant metabolites of terpenoid and phenylpropanoid categories have known antibacterial and antiviral properties. These metabolites have also been associated with toxicity to eukaryotic cells in terms of carcinogenicity, hepatotoxicity, and neurotoxicity. Sensing methods that can report the exact antibacterial dosage, formation, and accumulation of these antibacterial compounds are needed. The whole-cell reporters for such antibacterial metabolites are cost-effective and easy to maintain. In the present study, battery of toxicity sensors containing fluorescent transcriptional bioreporters was constructed, followed by fine-tuning the response using gene-debilitated E. coli mutants. This study shows that by combining regulatory switches with chemical genetics strategy, it may be possible to detect and elucidate the mode of action of effective antibacterial plant secondary metabolites - thymol, cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, and carvacrol in both pure and complex formats. Apart from the detection of adulteration of pure compounds present in complex mixture of essential oils, this approach will be useful to detect authenticity of essential oils and thus reduce unintended harmful effects on human and animal health.

Mustard oil consumption, cooking method, diet and gallbladder cancer risk in high- and low-risk regions of India

The current study aimed to investigate the role of cooking with mustard oil and other dietary factors in relation to gallbladder cancer (GBC) in high- and low-incidence regions of India. A case-control study was conducted including 1,170 histologically confirmed cases and 2,525 group-matched visitor controls from the largest cancer hospital in India. Dietary data were collected through a food frequency questionnaire. For oil consumption, we enquired about monthly consumption of 11 different types of cooking oil per family and the number of individuals usually sharing the meal to estimate per-individual consumption of oil. Information about method of cooking was also requested. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) quantifying the association of GBC risk consumption of different types of oil, method of cooking, and dietary food items, were estimated using logistic regression models, after adjusting for potential confounders. High consumption of mustard oil was associated with GBC risk in both high- and low-risk regions (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 0.99-1.78; OR = 3.01, 95% CI = 1.66-5.45), respectively. An increased risk of GBC was observed with deep frying of fresh fish in mustard oil (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 0.99-2.47, p-value = 0.052). A protective association was observed with consumption of leafy vegetables, fruits, onion and garlic. No association was observed between consumption of meat, spicy food, turmeric, pulses or with any other oil as a cooking medium. The effect of high consumption of mustard oil on GBC risk, if confirmed, has implications for the primary prevention of GBC, via a reduced consumption.

Argemone oil, an edible oil adulterant, induces systemic immunosuppression in Balb/c mice in an oral 28 days repeated dose toxicity study

Consumption of edible oils contaminated with Argemone oil (AO) leads to a clinical condition called "Epidemic dropsy". Earlier studies have reported that metabolism and oxidative stress primarily contributes to AO toxicity, however, the involvement of immune system has not been assessed so far. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to systematically assess the effect of AO exposure on the function of immune system in Balb/c mice. The repeated exposure of AO for 28 days caused prominent regression of spleen and thymus; severe inflammatory changes in spleen depicted by the loss of distinct follicles, increased megakaryocyte infiltration, and enhanced expression levels of inflammatory markers (iNOS & COX-2). At the functional level, AO exposure significantly abrogated the mixed lymphocyte reaction and mitogen-stimulated lymphoproliferative activity of T and B cells, which is reflective of profound lymphocyte dysfunction upon antigen exposure. In concordance with the loss in functional activity of lymphocytes in AO exposed animals, it was found the AO altered the relative percentage of CD3⁺, CD4⁺, and CD28 ⁺ T cells. Further, there was a marked decrease in the relative distribution of cells with prominent MHC I and CD1d expression in AO exposed splenocytes. Moreover, reduced levels of immune stimulatory cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, and IL-6), and increased levels of immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 were detected in the serum of AO treated mice. Along with T and B cells, AO exposure also affected the phenotype and activation status of macrophages suggesting the inclination towards "alternative activation of macrophages". Altogether, these functional changes in the immune cells are contributing factors in AO induced immunosuppression.

Molecular targets and anticancer potential of sanguinarine-a benzophenanthridine alkaloid

BACKGROUND

Cancer is an enormous global health burden, and should be effectively addressed with better therapeutic strategies. Currently, over 60% of the clinically approved anticancer agents are either directly isolated from natural sources or are modified from natural lead molecules. Sanguinarine (SNG), a quaternary benzophenanthridine alkaloid has gained increasing attention in recent years as a potential anticancer agent.

PURPOSE

There is a large untapped source of phytochemical-based anticancer agents remaining to be explored. This review article aims to recapitulate different anticancer properties of SNG, and describes some of the molecular targets involved in exerting its effect. It also depicts the pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties of SNG, two parameters important in determining the druggability of a molecule.

METHODS

Numerous in vivo and in vitro published studies have signified the anticancer properties of SNG. In order to collate and decipher these properties, an extensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus using keywords followed by the evaluation of the relevant articles where the relevant reports are integrated and analyzed.

RESULTS

Apart from inducing cell death, SNG inhibits pro-tumorigenic processes such as invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis in different cancers. Moreover, SNG has been shown to synergistically enhance the sensitivity of several chemotherapeutic agents and is effective against a variety of multi-drug resistant cancers.

Carcinogenic potential of sanguinarine, a phytochemical used in 'therapeutic' black salve and mouthwash

Black salves are escharotic skin cancer therapies in clinical use since the mid 19th century. Sanguinaria canadensis, a major ingredient of black salve formulations, contains a number of bioactive phytochemicals including the alkaloid sanguinarine. Despite its prolonged history of clinical use, conflicting experimental results have prevented the carcinogenic potential of sanguinarine from being definitively determined. Sanguinarine has a molecular structure similar to known polyaromatic hydrocarbon carcinogens and is a DNA intercalator. Sanguinarine also generates oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress resulting in the unfolded protein response and the formation of 8-hydroxyguanine genetic lesions. Sanguinarine has been the subject of contradictory in vitro and in vivo genotoxicity and murine carcinogenesis test results that have delayed its carcinogenic classification. Despite this, epidemiological studies have linked mouthwash that contains sanguinarine with the development of oral leukoplakia. Sanguinarine is also proposed as an aetiological agent in gallbladder carcinoma. This literature review investigates the carcinogenic potential of sanguinarine. Reasons for contradictory genotoxicity and carcinogenesis results are explored, knowledge gaps identified and a strategy for determining the carcinogenic potential of sanguinarine especialy relating to black salve are discussed. As patients continue to apply black salve, especially to skin regions suffering from field cancerization and skin malignancies, an understanding of the genotoxic and carcinogenic potential of sanguinarine is of urgent clinical relevance.

Sanguinarine and Its Role in Chronic Diseases

The use of natural products derived from plants as medicines precedes even the recorded human history. In the past few years there were renewed interests in developing natural compounds and understanding their target specificity for drug development for many devastating human diseases. This has been possible due to remarkable advancements in the development of sensitive chemistry and biology tools. Sanguinarine is a benzophenanthridine alkaloid derived from rhizomes of the plant species Sanguinaria canadensis. The alkaloid can exist in the cationic iminium and neutral alkanolamine forms. Sanguinarine is an excellent DNA and RNA intercalator where only the iminium ion binds. Both forms of the alkaloid, however, shows binding to functional proteins like serum albumins, lysozyme and hemoglobin. The molecule is endowed with remarkable biological activities and large number of studies on its various activities has been published potentiating its development as a therapeutic agent particularly for chronic human diseases like cancer, asthma, etc. In this article, we review the properties of this natural alkaloid, and its diverse medicinal applications in relation to how it modulates cell death signaling pathways and induce apoptosis through different ways, its utility as a therapeutic agent for chronic diseases and its biological effects in animal and human models. These data may be useful to understand the therapeutic potential of this important and highly abundant alkaloid that may aid in the development of sanguinarine-based therapeutic agents with high efficacy and specificity.

Poisonous or non-poisonous plants? DNA-based tools and applications for accurate identification

Plant exposures are among the most frequently reported cases to poison control centres worldwide. This is a growing condition due to recent societal trends oriented towards the consumption of wild plants as food, cosmetics, or medicine. At least three general causes of plant poisoning can be identified: plant misidentification, introduction of new plant-based supplements and medicines with no controls about their safety, and the lack of regulation for the trading of herbal and phytochemical products. Moreover, an efficient screening for the occurrence of plants poisonous to humans is also desirable at the different stages of the food supply chain: from the raw material to the final transformed product. A rapid diagnosis of intoxication cases is necessary in order to provide the most reliable treatment. However, a precise taxonomic characterization of the ingested species is often challenging. In this review, we provide an overview of the emerging DNA-based tools and technologies to address the issue of poisonous plant identification. Specifically, classic DNA barcoding and its applications using High Resolution Melting (Bar-HRM) ensure high universality and rapid response respectively, whereas High Throughput Sequencing techniques (HTS) provide a complete characterization of plant residues in complex matrices. The pros and cons of each approach have been evaluated with the final aim of proposing a general user's guide to molecular identification directed to different stakeholder categories interested in the diagnostics of poisonous plants.

Protective effect of topical application of α-tocopherol and/or N-acetyl cysteine on argemone oil/alkaloid-induced skin tumorigenesis in mice

Since bioantioxidants in plasma of Epidemic Dropsy patients [a condition caused by consumption of adulterated mustard oil with argemone oil (AO)] were found to be significantly decreased, the beneficial effect of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) and α-tocopherol (TOCO) against AO- or sanguinarine (SANG)-induced tumorigenicity was undertaken in mice. Topical application of TOCO and NAC either alone or in combination showed significant protection against AO/TPA- and SANG/TPA-induced skin tumorigenicity. Histopathological findings suggest that papillomatous growth in AO/TPA- and SANG/TPA-treated animals were substantially protected following topical application of TOCO or NAC. Further, treatment of TOCO and NAC either alone or in combination to AO/TPA- or SANG/TPA-induced mice significantly decreased lipid peroxidation, along with significant revival in glutathione (GSH) content and activities of tyrosinase, histidase, catalase, SOD, GSH peroxidase, and GSH reductase in skin. In vitro studies showed that TOCO and/or NAC significantly decreased the AO and SANG induced cell proliferation and activation of ERK, p38, JNK MAPKs and NF-κB signaling in HaCaT cells. In summary, TOCO and NAC may be useful in preventing the tumorigenic response of AO and SANG probably by acting as scavenger of free radicals and inhibiting MAPKs and NF-κB signaling.