Safrole was determined using gas-liquid chromatography in some common spices as star anise, cumin, black pepper and ginger. Safrole concentration in these spices was 9,325, 3,432, 955 and 500 mg.kg-1, respectively. Black pepper was chosen to use in the following experiments. Using Ames-test with Salmonella TA 98 and TA 100 proved high cytotoxic effects due to pure safrole and black pepper volatile oil in both of them. The degradation of safrole was obvious after drying of the washed seeds of black pepper especially at 70 degrees C for 30 min or with sun-drying. Also, high irradiation doses (20 and 30 kGy) caused high degradation of more than 90% of the initial toxic concentration in black pepper. Whereas, microwave caused same effects at 75 s, but unfortunately, the powder was burned due to moisture absence. Boiling whole seeds or powder of black pepper during cooking for few minutes (1-5 min) were more efficient in decreasing safrole content. Finally, these results proved that the mutagenicity of some spices due to presence of safrole can be destructed during drying of the washed seeds or during cooking either with or without any additional treatment as irradiation. But irradiation of these species became more necessary for using in some food industries as milk products to get more safe for human consumption.

To detect those fruits which have been subjected to low-dose irradiation (0.5-3 kGy), two methods of chromatography (GC-MS and LC-LC-GC-FID) were used to determine the radiolytic compounds of lipids formed after irradiation, such as alkanes and alkenes. Extraction of volatile hydrocarbon compounds from some parts of irradiated fruits, e.g. the flesh (avocado), seeds (papaya) and kernels (mango and apricot) was carried out. The analysis of hydrocarbons by GC-MS proved the suitability of using C17:1, C16:2, C15:0 and C14:1 as markers for avocados irradiated with a low dose (0.75 kGy). The same indicators appeared following the analysis of papayas and mangoes irradiated with 1.5, and 3.0 kGy. Also, C15:0, C14:1 and C16:3 can be used to identify apricots irradiated with a low dose (0.5 kGy). The detection of alkenes was only improved by a more selective isolation, e.g. of dienes or trienes by LC-LC-GC-FID. Within a few minutes, apricots and avocados irradiated at low doses (0.5 and 0.75 kGy) can be recognized by the indicators C16:2, C17:2 and C16:3, without interfering peaks. In all cases, C16:1, C16:2, C16:3 as well as significant amounts of C17:2 can be used as markers for fruit irradiation.

The possibility of reducing toxic substances in olive by-products subjected as animal feed stuffs after oil extraction was investigated.Total phenols in fresh olive fruits were 0.6%(fruit), 0.7%(woody pit) and 0.31%in cakes after extraction. Irradiation of the olive cake powder at different doses(0, 10,50 and 100 kGy) was done as a trial to remove the toxic substances. The results proved that irradiation decreases total phenols of olive cake from 0.31% (control) to 0.21,0.16 and 0.08%at the doses used, respectively.Subcutaneously injected ethanolic extract of unirradiated or irradiated (with 10 kGy) olive cake was lethal to the rats, while at 50 and 100 kGy all rats survived.Liver and heart functions were measured in terms of activities of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), total protein and lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH). In addition, plasma total lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and blood heamoglobin were measured.Results obtained showed that the toxic substances in olive cake induced toxicosis symptoms with the experimental rats treated with the irradiated (50 kGy) samples. The toxic compounds could be destroyed at an irradiation dose level of 100 kGy without harmful effects on liver and heart functions as well as heamoglobin, carbohydrate and lipid metabolisms. After further investigations, irradiation with 100 kGy shall be recommended to be used for detoxication of olive by-products for animal feeding without deleterious side effects.