Rice (Oryza sativa Linn) is one of the basic diets in the north of Iran. The aim of present study was to detect total aflatoxin (AFT) in domestic and imported rice in Amol (in the north of Iran) and to evaluate the effect of different cooking methods on the levels of the toxin. For this purpose, 42 rice samples were collected from retail stores. The raw samples were analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique for toxin assessment and then submitted to two different cooking methods including traditional local method and in rice cooker. After treatment, AFT was determined. Results show that the average concentration of AFT in domestic and imported samples was 1.08 ± 0.02 and 1.89 ± 0.87 ppb, respectively, which is lower than national and European Union standards. The highest AFT reduction (24.8%) was observed when rice samples were cooked by rice cooker but the difference with local method was not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

Various 4 -acetyl sydnones (2) can be prepared by reaction of the corresponding 3-aryl sydnones (1) with acetic anhydride at ~110 o C promoted by N-Bromosuccinimide (NBS) as an effective reagent for acylation of sydnones under neutral conditions in satisfactory yields. Sydnones (1) are archetypal members of the class of compounds known as mesoionic which were first prepared by Earl and his co-workers in 1935. 1They undergo a variety of transformations including electrophilic aromatic substitution (at the 4-position), 2 cleavage with HCl to form hydrazines, 3 or heterocycles 4 and 1,3 -dipolar cycloadditions to form pyrazoles or related species. 5 Perhaps the biological activity: inter alia sydnone; have been used efficaciously as antibacterial, 6 antitumor, 7 antimalarial, 8 anti-inflammatory, 9 and antihyhypertensive agents. 10 Their activity as MAO (monoamine oxidase) inhibitors has also been reported. 11 Acylation occurs, with various acylation mixtures and with a large variety of 3-aryl substituents, exclusively at the sydnone 4-position. 12-16 It had been reported 17 that it was not possible to acetyl-3-arylsydnone with either acetic anhydride or benzoyl chloride in the presence of a lewis acid catalyst and Friedel-Craftes conditions to obtain the 4-acetylsydnone because the difficulties stem from the fact that using the standard Friedel-Craftes conditions (acid chloride/aluminum chloride) the sydnones do not react, presumably due to coordination of the lewis acid with the exocyclic oxygen atom in the sydnone. 18 Successful acylation has relied on the use of alkyl anhydrides and acids such as perchloric, 19 phosphoric 20 or boron trifluoride or alkyl carboxylicacids and phosphorus pentoxide. 21 More recently, Montmorillonite K-10 22 and HClO 4 under high powered ultrasonic bath 23 have been reported as efficient catalysts for acylation of 3-substituted sydnones in the presence acetic anhydride.

In this study, raw cow milk samples were collected from milk churns at 40 traditional and semi-industrial cattle farms located in Babol (Northern Iran) in winter 2006. In total, 120 raw milk samples were tested for Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) contamination by competitive ELISA. In 68 out of 120 samples (56.7%) the presence of AFM1 was detected by concentration ranging from 50 to 352.3 ng L(-1). Fifty two samples (43.3%) contained AFM1 at levels of 4-50 ng L(-1) (The AFM1 contamination levels were between 4-352.3 ng L(-1) by the average of 102.73 ng L(-1)). In general, 56.7% of samples were beyond the limit of European community regulations (50 ng L(-1)). In other words, the AFM1 contamination levels in raw milk were more than twice over standard levels. The AFM1 contamination levels, (> 50 ng L(-1)), in January, February and March were 40, 65 and 65%, respectively. Estimation of contamination of AFB1 using AFM1 in feed stuff showed that it was about 0.25 to 22 microg kg(-1) holding the average of 46.7%, being higher than European community limit (5 microg kg(-1)).

Fumonisins are the mycotoxin that is produced by Fusarium species which are found in cereals and cereal-based foods products. This toxin causes esophageal cancer in humans, leucoencephalomalasia in horses and pulmonary edema in swine, other hosts include cattle, chicken and other pets. In this study, 42 samples of wheat flour at bakeries and confectioneries were collected in Qaemshahr during spring in 2011. Data were analyzed by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for total fumonisin. Out of 21 wheat bakery samples, 2 (9.5%) (Mean: 0.30) were contaminated with total fumonisin. Among 21 samples of wheat flour at confectioneries, 1 (4.8%) (Mean: 0.29) was contaminated with total fumonisin. There was a significant relationship between total fumonisin contamination level and the type of wheat flour, and the months applying statistical test.

Background: With respect to the emergence of susceptibility of some fungi to antifungal agents, making use of medicinal plants is progressing. Objectives: The aim of this study was to verify the anti-fungal characteristics of mature and immature Cucumis melo fruit on Candida albicans. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, antifungal activity of aqueous, ethnolic and methanolic extracts of C. melo fruits were tested on C. albicans; also results were obtained by disc and well diffusion methods. Results: Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of mature C. melo fruit methanolic extract were 25 × 10 3 and 5 × 10 4 μg/mL, respectively. MIC and MFC of immature fruit methanolic extract was 25 × 10 3 . For mature fruit ethanolic extract, MIC and MFC was 25 × 10 3 μg/mL and for immature C. melo fruit ethanolic extract MIC was 25 × 10 3 and MFC was 5 × 10 4 μg/mL. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) results showed that hexadecanoic acid was present in all of the extracts. The maximum size of inhibition zone for mature and immature methanolic extact in the disc method was 12 mm and in well method were 15 and 17 mm, respectively. In the disc method, for mature and immature ethanolic extracts maximum size of inhibition zones were 35 and 36 mm and in the well method, maximum size of inhibition zones for mature and immature ethanolic extracts were 28 and 15 mm, respectively. Conclusions: These results indicated that C. melo extracts contain compounds with therapeutic potential and anti-fungal characteristics against C. albicans.

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PurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate the presence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in chickpea samples in northern Iran and to study the effect of thermal treatment on ochratoxin content of the samples.Design/methodology/approachFor this purpose, 32 chickpea samples were collected from retail stores of four cities in Mazandaran province in the north of Iran. Samples were soaked in potable water and cooked, respectively, for 3.5 and 4 h. Then the raw and cooked samples and the soaking water were analyzed for OTA determination by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique.FindingsResults showed that six raw samples (18.75 per cent) contained detectable amounts of OTA by average concentration of 5.9±3.7 which is lower than national standards. The highest and lowest concentration of OTA in raw samples was 2.1 and 12.5 ppb, so chickpea is not a source for OTA poisoning. Increasing the time of cooking led to slight degradation of OTA but according to statistical analysis and LSD test, only after five hours, thermal treatment caused OTA to degrade significantly (p<0.05). During soaking and thermal processing, leakage of OTA to the water partly occurred so that the OTA content of soaking water is detectable.Originality/valueFew research studies have been done on OTA detection in legumes and specially chickpea samples in the world and no research has been done to evaluate the effect of cooking process on OTA in chickpea.

Background: T-2 toxin is a mycotoxin that is produced by the Fusarium fungi. Consumption of food and feed contaminated with T-2 toxin causes diseases in humans and animals. Objectives: In this study T-2 toxin was analyzed in poultry and cattle feedstuff in cities of Mazandaran province (Babol, Sari, Chalus), Northern Iran. Materials and Methods: In this study, 90 samples were analyzed for T-2 toxin contamination by the ELISA method. Results: Out of 60 concentrate and bagasse samples collected from various cities of Mazandaran province, 11.7% and 3.3% were contaminated with T-2 toxin at concentrations > 25 and 50 µg/kg, respectively. For mixed poultry diets, while 10% of the 30 analyzed samples were contaminated with > 25 µg/kg, none of the tested samples contained T-2 toxin at levels > 50 µg/kg. Conclusions:The results obtained from this study show that poultry and cattle feedstuff can be contaminated with different amounts of T-2 toxin in different conditions and locations. Feedstuff that are contaminated by this toxin cause different diseases in animals; thus, potential transfer of mycotoxins to edible by-products from animals fed mycotoxin-contaminated feeds drives the need to routinely monitor mycotoxins in animal feeds and their components. This is the basis on which effective management of mycotoxins and their effects can be implemented.