Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A in dried fruits from Morocco: Monitoring, regulatory aspects, and exposure assessment

The present study aims to investigate the presence of Aflatoxins (AF) in 180 samples dried fruits and Ochratoxin A (OTA) in 210 samples dried fruits and grape juices collected in Morocco. Mycotoxins were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to fluorescence detection and immunoaffinity columns (IAC) cleanup. Contamination levels were compared with the maximum regulatory limits (MRL) recently adopted in the country, and mycotoxin exposure of adult consumers was assessed. Results showed that 13.8% of samples were contaminated with AF, with incidences of 23.3, 23.3, 20, 13.8, and 3.3%, in raisins, figs, nuts, peanuts and pistachio, respectively. There were 12 samples (6.6%) that exceeded the MRL of 2-12 ng/g set for aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). While OTA was detected in 17.1% of samples, with incidences of 3.3, 3.3, 30, 30, and 53.3% in walnuts, pistachios, peanuts, raisins and figs, respectively, and a maximum value of 99.1 in dried raisins, that exceeded the MRL (10 ng/g) set for OTA. The co-occurrence of OTA and AF was observed in 4.7% of total samples. Dietary intake showed that the OTA exposure level was lower than safety guidelines set by The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) at 100 ng/kg b.w./week.

Trace Elements in Breakfast Cereals and Exposure Assessment in Moroccan Population: Case of Lead and Cadmium

The role of breakfast cereals in a balanced diet has been recognized for many years. Such foods should be safe and not contain toxic substances, especially trace elements. Among these elements, lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) are two important inorganic food contaminants. In this study, we assessed the contamination levels of breakfast cereal samples available in Morocco with Pb and Cd. For this, a total of sixty-two (n = 62) samples of breakfast cereals purchased in different markets in the country were surveyed for their Pb and Cd contents by using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (GF-AAS) after total mineralization of samples. Results showed that out of 62 total samples, 47 samples (75.8%) were contaminated with Pb concentrations in the range of 0.016-1.057 μg/g. The remaining samples (24.2%) were under the detection limit (LOD) of Pb. In the case of Cd, 41 samples (66.1%) were contaminated with Cd levels that ranged between 0.011 and 0.123 μg/g. In the present study, four samples (6.45%) of breakfast cereals are above the maximum limit (0.2 μg/g) set by the European Commission Regulation No 1881/2006 for Pb in cereals. However, for the Cd, only one sample exceeded the maximum limit set for this element (0.1 μg/g). The levels compare well with those reported worldwide for similar foodstuffs. The estimation of the provisional weekly intakes of the two elements (Pb and Cd) showed that the risks of development of toxicological effects through breakfast cereals are very low. However, it is important that the long-term exposure to these elements be kept to minimum. This is the first study on the co-occurrence of the two trace elements (Pb and Cd) in breakfast cereal samples commercialized in Morocco.

Monitoring and Health Risk Assessment of Lead and Cadmium in Date Palm Fruit Cultivars Growing in Morocco

The present study aimed to investigate the levels of two toxic trace elements (lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd)) in 84 date fruit samples of four varieties (Mejhoul, Bouittob, Aziza and Boufegouss) produced in four Moroccan areas, using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry, and to assess their risk to the consumer health. Results showed that out of the total samples, Pb was detected in 39 date fruit samples (46.43%) in the range of 0.0001-0.118 mg/kg, with an average level of 0.016 ± 0.0005 mg/kg. For Cd levels, a total of 40 samples (47.62%) were found to be contaminated with Cd levels ranging from 0.0004 to 0.752 mg/kg, with a mean value of 0.079 ± 0.003 mg/kg. Cadmium levels exceeded the European maximum regulatory limit (MRL) of 0.020 mg/kg in 17 date samples, which represents 20.24%. However, only one sample (1.19%) was above the MRL for Pb (0.10 mg/kg) set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). The hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) values were found to be below 1. Furthermore, cancer risk (CR) levels exceeded the acceptable ranges. As a result, the non-carcinogenic risk assessments have concluded that consuming date fruits is safe and unlikely to harm harmful effects to the consumers. However, the date consumption may pose a significant lifetime carcinogenic risk to consumers from date-growing regions.

Blending cold-pressed peanut oil with omega-3 fatty acids from walnut oil: Analytical profiling and prediction of nutritive attributes and oxidative stability

This study aimed to explore the possibility of enriching cold-pressed Virginia (VIO) and Valencia (VAO) peanut oils with omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) from walnut oil (WO) to produce blended oils with improved nutritional value. The oxidative stability of pure and blended oils was examined under accelerated conditions (60 °C) for 28 days. The FA and tocopherol profiles, as well as nutritional quality indices, were determined. As the proportion of WO increased in the blends, the levels of linoleic and α-linolenic essential FAs increased, while oleic acid content decreased. Furthermore, γ- and δ-tocopherol levels rose, whereas α-tocopherol declined. Among the studied blends, VIO:WO blends, especially at a (70:30) ratio, were nutritionally favorable with a balanced FA profile. During storage, notable changes were observed in tocopherol levels, along with subtle alterations in the FA profile of the blended oils. Hence, the oxidative stability of pure VIO and VAO decreased with WO incorporation.

Trace elements in Foodstuffs from the Mediterranean Basin-Occurrence, Risk Assessment, Regulations, and Prevention strategies: A review

Trace elements (TEs) are chemical compounds that naturally occur in the earth's crust and in living organisms at low concentrations. Anthropogenic activities can significantly increase the level of TEs in the environment and finally enter the food chain. Toxic TEs like cadmium, lead, arsenic, and mercury have no positive role in a biological system and can cause harmful effects on human health. Ingestion of contaminated food is a typical route of TEs intake by humans. Recent data about the occurrence of TEs in food available in the Mediterranean countries are considered in this review. Analytical methods are also discussed. Furthermore, a discussion of existing international agency regulations will be given. The risk associated with the dietary intake of TEs was estimated by considering consumer exposure and threshold values such as Benchmark dose lower confidence limit and provisional tolerable weekly intake established by the European Food Safety Authority and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, respectively. Finally, several remediation approaches to minimize TE contamination in foodstuffs were discussed including chemical, biological, biotechnological, and nanotechnological methods. The results of this study proved the occurrence of TEs contamination at high levels in vegetables and fish from some Mediterranean countries. Lead and cadmium are more abundant in foodstuffs than other toxic trace elements. Geographical variations in TE contamination of food crops clearly appear, with a greater risk in developing countries. There is still a need for the regular monitoring of these toxic element levels in food items to ensure consumer protection.

Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities, Minerals Element Profiling, and Identification of Bioactive Compounds by UPLC-HRMS Orbitrap in Four Aromatic and Medicinal Plants

Four aromatic and therapeutic plants, Thymus vulgaris, Rosmarinus officinalis, Pimpinella anisum, and Foeniculum vulgare, were examined in this comparative study. The objectives were to assess its phytochemical composition; polyphenol, flavonoid, and tannin content; antioxidant and antibacterial activity; bioactive molecule identification; and critical trace element quantification. Its aqueous and organic extracts were examined, focusing on ethanolic extracts. The ethanolic extract's ability to neutralize free radicals was validated by phytochemical studies and antioxidant tests, underscoring their role in preventing oxidative stress. An Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Orbitrap Exploris 120 (UPLC-HRMS Orbitrap) was used to identify the bioactive chemicals, and the results showed a variety of compounds having antibacterial and antioxidant properties. The important trace elements found in these plants were also measured using a Graphite Furnace-Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (GF-AAS). These components are essential to the biological characteristics of the plants, especially their antioxidant and antibacterial capacities. Among the aqueous extracts, it was observed that Rosmarinus officinalis and Foeniculum vulgare exhibited a MIC of 3.91 µg/mL against Staphylococcus. Additionally, R. officinalis also demonstrated a MIC of 3.91 µg/mL against Escherichia coli. All of the data were interpreted and shown using principal component analysis. The results were grouped and explained using this statistical method, which revealed a strong association between the abundance of antibacterial and antioxidant chemicals in the four plants under investigation.