Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is reportedly the causative agent of several animal mycotoxicoses and has etiologically been linked to human oesophageal and liver cancer in certain areas of South Africa and China. To study a possible relationship between exposure to FB1 and human cancer risk, the current status of FB1 contamination in food samples in Huaian and Fusui, where incidences of oesophageal and liver cancer are amongst the highest in China, was investigated. A total of 259 corn samples were collected from individual households in five villages of different townships in Huaian during December 2001 and December 2002, and in four villages of different townships in Fusui during May 2001 and May 2002. Corn samples were also collected from individual households in two villages in Huantai, an area with low incidences of both cancers. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and immunoaffinity-HPLC methods were used for FB1 analysis. In corn samples from Huaian, FB1 was detectable in 95.7% (112/117) of the samples, with an average of 2.84 mg kg-1 (range 0.1-25.5 mg kg-1). FB1 was detected in 83.0% (78/94) of the Fusui samples, with an average of 1.27 mg kg-1 (range 0.1-14.9 mg kg-1), and in 83.3% (40/48) of Huantai samples, with an average of 0.65 mg kg-1 ranging from 0.1 to 5.7 mg kg-1. The level of FB1 in corn samples from Huaian was significantly higher than from Huantai (P < 0.001). In addition, 47 of 112 (42.0%) positive Huaian samples had FB1 level greater than 2.0 mg kg-1, which was significantly higher than 10.0% (4/40) of Huantai samples (P < 0.001). Furthermore, variations were found between samples collected in different years and different villages. The high contamination rates of FB1 found in food from these areas, along with previous reports, suggest a possible contributing role of FB1 in human esophageal- and hepato-carcinogenesis.

Aflatoxins and fumonisins are ubiquitous foodborne toxicants and the co-occurrence of these mycotoxins in human foods represents a significant public health concern, which has been strongly associated with human aflatoxicosis, neural tube defects, as well as many types of primary cancers. In this study the co-contamination of aflatoxin B(1) (AFB(1)) and fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)) in food and human dietary exposure was investigated in residents of three different areas of China. A total of 209 food samples were measured for AFB(1) and FB(1). The median AFB(1) levels were 13.5, 2.3 and 1.3 µg kg(-1) and the median FB(1) levels were 2.6, 0.4 and 0.3 mg kg(-1) in corn samples collected from Huaian (a high-risk area for oesophageal cancer), Fusui (a high-risk area for liver cancer) and Huantai (a low-risk area for both oesophageal and liver cancers), respectively. The median level of AFB(1) in plant oil of Fusui was the highest (52.3 µg kg(-1)) among all food samples analysed. Co-contamination of these two mycotoxins was found in corn, rice and wheat flour. Based on measured food consumption data, the averaged daily dietary intake of AFB(1) was 0.397 µg (range = 0.269-1.218 µg) in residents of Huantai, 1.723 µg (0.224-49.772 µg) in Huaian, and 2.685 µg (1.006-14.534 µg) in Fusui. The averaged FB(1) daily dietary intake was 92.4 µg (range = 55.0-362.1 µg) for residents of Huantai, 460.0 µg (83.2-2894.5 µg) in Huaian, and 138.6 µg (30.0-10,541.6 µg) in Fusui. These data suggest that the co-exposure to AFB(1) and FB(1) in residents of rural China may contribute to the aetiology of human chronic diseases in high-risk areas.

Background: Continuous exposure to various environmental carcinogens and genetic polymorphisms of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes (XME) are associated with many types of human cancers, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Huaian, China, is one of the endemic regions of ESCC, but fewer studies have been done in characterizing the risk factors of ESCC in this area. The aims of this study is to evaluate the etiological roles of demographic parameters, environmental and food-borne carcinogens exposure, and XME polymorphisms in formation of ESCC, and to investigate possible gene-gene and gene-environment interactions associated with ESCC in Huaian, China.

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BackgroundUntil now, little research concerning the lipid-lowering and anti-obesity functions of garlic oil and onion oil has been performed. The objective of this study was to explore the effects of garlic oil and onion oil on serum lipid levels in hyperlipidemia model rats, to provide a scientific basis for the prevention of hyperlipidemia through a dietary approach, and to explore the potential health benefits of garlic and onion.MethodNinety-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into eight groups based on their body weight and serum levels of triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC). The rats received repeated oral administration of volatile oils extracted from garlic and onion for 60 days. Serum lipids and parameters of obesity were examined.ResultsThe volatile oils suppressed the HFD-induced body weight gain and tended to decrease adipose tissue weight. The oils decreased the levels of TG, TC and LDL-C and increased the serum level of HDL-C compared with the rats in the hyperlipidemia model groups (P < 0.05). The oils were also effective at improving the lipid profile and alleviating hepatic steatosis.ConclusionOur results implied that garlic oil and onion oil have anti-obesity properties that can counteract the effects of an HFD on body weight, adipose tissue weight, and serum lipid profiles.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12986-018-0275-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

To assess the associations between maternal body mass index (BMI) as well as gestational weight gain (GWG) and pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This is a retrospective analysis involving 832 nulliparous women complicated with GDM. Multivariate logistic and restricted cubic logistic regression were used to investigate the association of interest. Overall, 178 (21.4%) women were overweight or obese, and 298 (35.2%) exhibited excessive GWG. Compared with women of normal weight, high pre-pregnancy BMI resulted in a higher risk of cesarean section with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.95 (95% confidence interval being 1.29–2.96) for overweight group and 3.26 (1.57–6.76) for obese group. Similarly, the respective aORs were 4.10 (1.56–10.81) and 9.78 (2.91–32.85) for gestational hypertension, 2.02 (1.05–3.88) and 8.04 (3.46–18.66) for macrosomia, 2.14 (1.40–3.26) and 3.34 (1.69–6.60) for large for gestational age (LGA). Compared with adequate GWG, excessive GWG increased the incidence of cesarean section (1.60, 1.15–2.23) and macrosomia (1.94, 1.11–3.38), while inadequate GWG reduced the incidence of LGA (0.29, 0.17–0.51). High pre-pregnancy BMI and excessive GWG were associated with higher incidence of LGA, as well as other adverse outcomes in women with GDM. Narrower guidelines on GWG might offer extra safety benefit in gestational diabetic population.

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Better understanding of esophageal precancerous lesions (EPL) can inform prevention strategies for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Here, a cross-sectional epidemiologic study based on the Early Diagnosis and Early Treatment Project of Esophageal Cancer database from 2011 to 2017 was performed to fully investigate and characterize the epidemiology of EPL in rural Huai'an District. Data of 11,518 participants ages 35-75 years were collected through face-to-face interviews by questionnaire. Participants underwent a routine endoscopy examination, tissues were biopsied, and diagnosed according to the histologic criteria of dysplasia. Unconditional univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to obtain crude and adjusted odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals, respectively. A total of 667 subjects were diagnosed with EPL. Factors associated with an increased risk of EPL included: drinking shallow well water and surface water, irregular diet, excessive smoking, exposure to secondhand smoke, consumption of corn, corn flour, pickled food, fried food, and hot food, and having a history of digestive system diseases. In addition, liquor use, but not other alcohol types, contributed to risk of EPL. Consumption of deep well water and vegetables, fruits, and animal livers were associated with lower EPL risk. This study suggested a completely distinct pattern that alcohol use plays only a minor role in EPL and excessive tobacco use shows a significant association in rural Huai'an District, while eating habits and environmental exposure may be the dominant factors. This work may be promising to provide scientific evidence to support primary prevention of ESCC in this region.