Human, Health and halal Metrics
Volume:4 Issue: 1, Winter-Spring 2023

The development of health indexes in recent years drag more attention to everyday life style and the impacts of socioeconomic status (SES) on individual’s health state. In this regard, we aimed to investigate the socioeconomic status (SES) among the PERSIAN Guilan cohort population by considering the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in these participants.

This cross-sectional study was conducted based on the PERSIAN cohort study from October 2014 to January 2017 on 10520 individuals. Data including age, gender, body mass index (BMI), educational level, habitat, and SES of patients were collected from all individuals and analyzed using SPSS.16 with a significant level <0.05.

The results illustrated that out of 10520 participants, 1385 patients had GERD that its distribution was 34.9%, 33.6%, and 31.6% in low, moderate, and high levels of SES, respectively. Due to results, age, gender, educational status, and habitat significantly associated with GERD according to three levels of SES (P<0.05). GERD was more frequent in patients with low, moderate, and high levels of SES, respectively. Age, gender, educational status, and habitat, represented a significant association with different levels of SES among patients with GERD (P<0.05). This large population-based study indicated the increased risk of GERD in the low SES group compare to middle and high-SES groups, which highlighted the role of SES in the health status of individuals.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a digestive complication that is common in adults and defined by heartburn and regurgitation. Due to the increasing frequency and problems of the disease, epidemiological features of GERD have been considered in recent years. Therefore, we examined the factors related to GERD in different body mass index (BMI) categories.

We did a cross-sectional analysis of the primary information from a population-based cohort study of 10520 people in Guilan Province, Iran. Demographic characteristics such as age, gender, smoking history, and alcohol consumption were collected using a self-administered questionnaire; also, anthropometric and clinical information were surveyed. Data analyzed with SPSS version 21.0.

A total of 10520 participants were aged 35 to 70 years and included 5633 (53.55%) females and 4887 (46.45%) males. The frequency of GERD was 13.2% in the present study and was more prevalent in people with high BMI levels. According to analysis, GERD was significantly associated with female gender and low physical activity. Alcohol and smoke use was inversely associated with GERD. This large population-based study indicated risk factors in people with high BMI increased occurrence of GERD that altering these variables may reduce or prevent GERD indications must be elucidated in controlled trials.

Tuberculosis is a chronic granulomatous infection and has become a global concern. This disease is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but other types of Mycobacterium can also cause the disease. Tuberculosis usually affects the respiratory system, but other organs, called extrapulmonary tuberculosis, can be involved. Lymph node tuberculosis is one of the manifestations of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, especially in regions where tuberculosis is endemic. The involvement of salivary glands with tuberculosis is an uncommon condition. Here we present three cases (two adults and one child) with tuberculosis salivary gland lymphadenitis.

In all the cases, tuberculosis diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy. Although, the diagnosis of tuberculosis was easier in the child due to symptoms like night sweating and fever and positive purified protein derivative test, in adults, there were no abnormalities in the initial laboratory tests, and purified protein derivative tests were negative, which made the diagnosis of tuberculosis more complicated. Although, salivary gland involvement with tuberculosis is not common, it should be considered a differential diagnosis in patients with swelling of salivary glands. In addition, the diagnosis confirmation should be based on biopsy, and normal laboratory tests and negative purified protein derivative tests should not confuse us. An early diagnosis is essential, and early initiation of an anti-tuberculosis regimen can prevent the following complications.

Understanding how polyprotic acids behave is critical in various fields, including chemistry, biology, and medicine. Elucidation of the behavior of polyprotic acids through utilization of alpha functions, which provide insightful graphical representations of species distribution with varying pH levels, has been considered. The current paper offers an in-depth exploration of alpha functions and their significance in portraying the proportions of ionized and non-ionized species, a crucial aspect in predicting acid behavior, buffering capacity, and identifying optimal pH conditions.

The Microsoft Excel and its Solver tool to explore polyprotic acid equilibria have been utilized. Synthetic datasets were generated using Excel spreadsheets, while Solver facilitated non-linear curve fitting for parameter optimization.

A novel contribution of this paper lies in introducing Excel-based tools that facilitate the generation of alpha function plots. These tools simplify the process of visualizing species distribution and pave the way for more advanced analyses. Additionally, the paper showcases the utilization of Excel Solver for robust nonlinear curve fitting of dissociation constants. This advanced computational technique enhances the accuracy of dissociation constant determination, ensuring more reliable predictions. An intriguing aspect of the proposed method is its ability to exhibit robustness even when the total acid concentration is unknown. This characteristic sets the approach apart, overcoming a common challenge in acid-base studies and analytical chemistry. The ability to accurately determine dissociation constants in such circumstances further underscores the practicality and relevance of the method. The implications of this research extend beyond the realm of theoretical understanding. The practical applications of the findings are particularly noteworthy, with a significant impact on pharmaceutical industries. The insights gained from alpha function analysis can be instrumental in drug formulation processes and in optimizing the solubility of pharmaceutical compounds. These applications can potentially enhance drug efficacy, patient experience, and overall healthcare outcomes.

Garlic (Allium sativum) and ginger (Zingiber officinale), as cooking spices, are popular medicinal plants for treating various ailments and physiological disorders. These plants contain a lot of polyunsaturated fatty acids and other bioactive metabolites. This study aims to evaluate physicochemical properties, fatty acid profile, and quality parameters of the oil extracted from Allium sativum and Zingiber officinale.

Fresh Allium sativum and Zingiber officinale were purchased from a local market in Lafia local government, Nasarawa state, Nigeria. The samples were cleaned to remove foreign particles, sun-dried, and the oil was extracted by steam distillation. Physicochemical parameters of the extracted oil including peroxide value (PV), iodine value (IV), acid value (AV), saponification value (SV), unsaponifiable matter (USM), specific gravity (SG), and refractive index (RI) were determined using standard analytical methods, and fatty acid profile was determined by using gas chromatograph.

Physical properties of the extracted oil from Allium sativum and Zingiber officinale were in the range of 0.90-0.97 at 15 oC for SG, and 1.49-1.50 at 40 oC for RI. The chemical parameters ranged from 2.42 to 2.61 meq/kg for PV, 105.64 to 116.20 mg I2/g for IV, 2.60 to 4.52 mg KOH/g for AV, 182.15 to 191.22 mg KOH/g for SV, and 1.02 to 1.11 mg KOH/g for USM. In gas chromatography, 13 and 16 fatty acids were identified in Allium sativum oil and Zingiber officinale oil, respectively. Linoleic acid (25.81-52.20%), oleic acid (20.77-24.06%), and palmitic acid (19.75-20.52%) were the main fatty acids in both samples. The quality parameters including ratio of polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids (0.64-2.43), ratio of hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic fatty acids (2.03-3.87), atherogenicity index (0.27-0.91), and thrombogenicity index (0.50-0.80) were within the acceptable range. The fatty acid profile and the quality parameters of the oil samples imply their medicinal and flavoring strength, and candidate them for extended use in food, drug, and cosmetics industries.

 Lard is commonly used in food industry due to its availability, low cost, and ability to enhance food quality. However, certain religious groups such as Muslims do not eat it and consider lard as non-halal food. In the present study, for the first time, we conducted chemical and molecular analysis to detect different percentages of lard simultaneously.

 To determine origin of a sample containing lard, various percentages of lard including 100, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10, 5, 3, 1 and 0% w/w were prepared in triplicate and tested for Fourier transform infrared, differential scanning calorimetry, and polymerase chain reaction analysis. Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis was carried out in the mid-infrared range (2-25 µm). Differential scanning calorimetry analysis was done from -60 to 60 ºC at scan rate of 10 ºC/min. The reactions in polymerase chain reaction analysis were amplified by specific primers which designed from cow and pig.

 Our results demonstrated that all three methods could detect various quantities of lard, but Fourier transform infrared and differential scanning calorimetry had some exceptions in their results. In comparison, polymerase chain reaction could amplify the pig-specific band (212 bp) in all samples containing lard. Therefore, our results showed that polymerase chain reaction approach is more reliable and accurate than two other methods.

Increasing metal contamination in the environment, foods, and drinking water due to industrial activities is one of the most concerns all over the world. Among all chemical, physical, and biological techniques used for reducing these contamination, bio-removal approach has attracted interest as a green ecofriendly, inexpensive, and simple method for decontamination of metals from soil, foodstuffs, and water. As a matter of interest, biological decontamination of heavy metals in food is discussed in the current review paper.

After an introduction about importance and concerns about heavy metal pollutions, main reported microorganisms for bio-removal of Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, and Arsenic are addressed. Then, the main influencing variables on biosorption efficiency including pH, bacterial concentration, temperature, and contact time have been reviewed. Finally, maximum permitted levels of the pollutants in foods and feeds, and their effect on human health are reported. Choosing a suitable microorganism under appropriate condition is important in heavy metals bio-removal. In addition, matrix of the media (food, drinking or waste water, and soil) is another important issue. Other than providing optimum external variables for the microorganisms, having lipids, carbohydrate, and other necessary nutrients in the matrix would increase the biosorption effectiveness.

Iron deficiency is a global health concern. Fortification of foods with iron is a common strategy to solve the nutritional issue. However, traditional iron fortification methods lead to some challenges with regard to stability and bioavailability of the element. Therefore, finding alternative approaches have been developed. One approach is use of iron-chelating peptides derived from milk proteins. They have attracted a lot of interests in the scientific community due to their potential to enhance iron absorption and bioavailability. This article provides a review on iron-chelating peptides and hydrolysates derived from halal milks, shedding light on their underlying principles in iron complexation and the key binding sites involved.

The significance of iron-chelating peptides lies in their ability to address the critical issue of dietary iron deficiency. Halal milks’ protein-iron complex offer several advantages such as superior bioavailability, minimal impact on taste, and excellent solubility. These characteristics introduce them as promising strategy in iron fortification of halal foods. These complexes are formed through specific chemical interactions between iron and the breakdown products of milk proteins, including hydrolysates or peptides, derived from both whey protein and casein. Several factors affect the efficacy of iron binding including pH, ionic strength, concentration of peptides to reach ideal ratio, temperature and time, appropriate enzyme (which impacts on the peptide characteristic), and potential interaction with other molecules. This multifaceted approach to enhance the iron fortification effectiveness underscores the importance of a deeper understanding of the intricate interplay between these factors in development of iron-fortified foods.