Radiation processing to ensure safety of minimally processed carrot (Daucus carota) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus): optimization of dose for the elimination of Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes

Minimally processed vegetables are in demand, because they offer convenience to consumers. However, these products are often unsafe because of possible contamination with pathogens, such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Shigella species. Therefore, this study was carried out to optimize the radiation dose necessary to ensure the safety of precut carrot and cucumber. Decimal reduction doses (D-values) of Salmonella Typhimurium MTCC 98 were ca. 0.164 kGy in carrot samples and 0.178 kGy in cucumber samples. D-values of Listeria monocytogenes were determined to be 0.312 and 0.345 kGy in carrot and cucumber samples, respectively. Studies of inoculated, packaged, minimally processed carrot and cucumber samples showed that treatment with a 1-kGy dose of gamma radiation eliminated up to 4 log CFU/g of Salmonella Typhimurium and 3 log CFU/g of L. monocytogenes. However, treatment with a 2-kGy dose was necessary to eliminate these pathogens by 5 log CFU/g. Storage studies showed that both Salmonella Typhimurium and L. monocytogenes were able to grow at 10 degrees C in inoculated control samples. Neither of these pathogens could be recovered from radiation-processed samples after storage for up to 8 days.

Development of a radioimmunoassay procedure for aflatoxin B1 measurement

A radioimmunoassaay (RIA) procedure to measure aflatoxin B(1) (AfB(1)) in agricultural commodities was developed. AfB(1) oxime derivative was synthesized, characterized, and used for preparation of (125)I-labeled AfB(1). Antiaflatoxin B(1) serum was raised in-house using AfB(1)-bovine serum albumin conjugate as immunogen. The assay system was optimized in the range of 0.2-5 ng/mL, using a liquid phase (PEG) as well as a solid phase (coated polystyrene beads) separation system. Inter-assay and intra-assay variations, recovery, and parallelism studies validated the assay. AfB(1) analysis was carried out in nearly 130 samples of different agricultural commodities. The correlation coefficient was determined using commercial ELISA and in-house-developed RIA methods.

Incidence of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)/Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) in the Female Population of North Karnataka: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

India is currently facing an epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity which are high-risk factors for the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). A non-invasive tool, the vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE; FibroScan, Echosens, Paris, France) is used to diagnose NAFLD.

AIM

To identify the prevalence, spectrum, and metabolic determinants of NAFLD in Indian adult women using liver function tests (LFT) and non-invasive FibroScan (liver stiffness measure, i.e., LSM score) of the liver through a cross-sectional population-based study in the city of Belagavi.

METHODS

The subjects were screened for the presence of liver disease with a detailed history, anthropometric measurements, LFTs, blood sugars, and FibroScan of the liver to assess liver steatosis and liver fibrosis.

RESULTS

The study included 2448 women with 860 (35.13%) having NAFLD (controlled attenuation parameter {CAP}≥275 dB/m) as detected by FibroScan. Nearly, 58.8% of the participants with T2DM had NAFLD. Participants with NAFLD had higher BMI and waist circumference. When univariate logistic regression was applied, those with T2DM were 14.5 times (95% CI, 4.55, 6.52) likely to have CAP≥275 dB/m. Similarly, those with higher BMI>23 mg/m2 were 1.34 (95% CI, 1.68, 2.37) times more likely to have CAP ≥275 dB/m. The risk of NAFLD increases by ~1% for every one-year increase in age.

CONCLUSION

NAFLD in women is the most common non‑communicable disease in India; a prevalence of 35.13% was observed in the present study in women. Higher BMI, presence of metabolic risk factors, and incremental age were associated with a high risk of developing NAFLD in women.