Respiratory symptoms and sensitization in bread and cake bakers

This purpose of this study was to examine the relationship betweenexposure to wheat flour, soya flour and fungal amylase and thedevelopment of work-related symptoms and sensitization in breadand cake bakery employees who have regular exposure to thesesubstances. The study populations consisted of 394 bread bakeryworkers and 77 cake bakery workers whose normal jobs involvedthe sieving, weighing and mixing of ingredients. The groupswere interviewed with the aim of identifying the prevalence,nature and pattern of any work-related respiratory symptoms.They were also skin-prick tested against the common bakery sensitizingagents, i.e., wheat flour, soya flour, rice flour and fungalamylase. The results of personal sampling for sieving, weighingand mixing operations at the bakeries from which the study groupswere taken were collated in order to determine typical exposuresto total inhalable dust from the ingredients, expressed as 8hour time-weighted average exposures. Data from the health surveillanceand collated dust measurements were compared with the aim ofestablishing an exposure-response relationship for sensitization.The prevalence of work-related symptoms in bread bakery andcake bakery ingredient handlers was 20.4% and 10.4% respectively.However, in a large proportion of those reporting symptoms inconnection with work, the symptoms were intermittent and ofshort duration. It is considered that the aetiology of suchsymptoms is likely to be due to a non-specific irritant effectof high total dust levels, rather than allergy. None of thecake bakers and only 3.1% of the bread bakers had symptoms whichwere thought to be due to allergy to baking ingredients. Usingskin-prick testing as a marker of sensitization, the prevalenceof positive tests to wheat flour was 6% for the bread bakersand 3% for the cake bakers. Comparable prevalences for soyaflour were 7% and 1 % respectively. However, the prevalenceof positive skin-prick tests to fungal amylase was 16% amongstthe bread baking group with only a single employee (1 %) inthe cake baking group having a positive test. Furthermore, thisemployee had previously worked in a bread bakery. The differencein rates of sensitization to wheat flour between the bread andcake bakers is not statistically significant, whereas the differencefor soya flour is at the borderline of statistical significance(p=0.045). In contrast, the difference in fungal amylase sensitizationis significant at the 0.1% level. For both bread and cake bakers,the 8 hour time-weighted average exposures for each of the activitiesshowed a wide variation with mixing having the lowest averageexposure and sieving the highest. Out of the allergens studiedin this investigation, fungal amylase is the principal sensitizerin large scale bread bakeries, with the main source of exposurebeing the handling of bread improvers. In contrast, the riskof sensitization to wheat flour is low in both bread and cakebakeries. The absence of positive skin-prick tests in the subgroupof cake bakery employees who regularly handle fungal-amylase-containingflour suggests that their levels of exposure are below the thresholdfor sensitization to amylase.     

魔芋精粉对大鼠消化道铅吸收和慢性铅中毒的影响

本研究以添加魔芋精粉的含铅饲料喂饲ＳＤ大鼠８周，观察其对大鼠消化道铅吸收和体内铅储留的影响。结果表明，摄入魔芋精粉可致粪铅排出量增加；血铅、肝铅、脑铅和股骨铅含量降低，即魔芋精粉具有减少消化道铅吸收和体内铅储留的作用，可将其试用作铅接触人群的预防性保健食品和临床铅中毒病人的辅助治疗手段。     

Effect of spontaneous fermentation and amylase-rich flour on the nutritive value,functional and viscoelastic properties of cowpea-fortified nixtamalized maize

Abstract

Studies were conducted to evaluate the combined effects of spontaneous fermentation and amylase-rich flours (ARF) on some nutritive value, functional and viscoelastic properties of cowpea-fortified nixtamalized maize. A 2 × 3 × 3 factorial design, with fermentation medium, fermentation time and ARF level, was performed. The blends were fermented for the specific times and analysed for their titratable acidity, pH, water absorption capacity, viscoelastic properties, texture, protein and mineral content. Fermentation and ARF addition influenced titratable acidity, pH, water absorption, viscoelastic properties and texture of the cowpea-fortified nixtamalized maize. Addition of ARF decreased the viscoelastic properties, texture and pH of all the blends with a corresponding increase in acidity. Slight increases in protein and ash contents were noted with products fermented in coconut water, but ARF addition had only a marginal effect. Thus, fermentation and ARF addition could be applied to cowpea-fortified nixtamalized maize to enhance the functionalities with reduced viscosity and texture suitable for weaning food formulations.     

魔芋精粉对锌、铁、钙吸收率的影响

本实验分动物和人体试验两部分,观察摄入达到保健效果用量的魔芋精粉(RKM)是否影响Zn、Fe、Ca的吸收率。动物实验结果表明,喂饲剂量为0.5％,1％,5％,10％RKM,喂饲时间为6周。除两周末5％及10％RKM组锌的吸收率下降外,其余各组在两周末、四周末、六周末均未见RKM对锌,铁、钙的表观吸收率有影响。人体试验也表明正常进食普通混合膳食的健康成年人,摄入达到保健效果用量的魔芋精粉未见对锌、铁、钙吸收的影响。可认为RKM是一种较安全可靠的膳食纤维来源。     

魔芋精粉与几种常用膳食纤维降血脂效果比较及机理探讨

用含胆固醇1％、胆盐0.25％、猪油5％的高脂饲料喂饲健康雄性大鼠,诱发高脂血症的同时分别加入5％的魔芋精粉、果胶、褐藻胶及琼脂,观察此四种膳食纤维对大鼠生长、血清脂质含量、肝脏脂质含量及肝脏组织病理的不同影响,并通过测定粪中酸性固醇的排泄量来观察它们对胆汁酸代谢的影响。结果表明:1)四种膳食纤维均能有效地降低进食高脂膳食大鼠的空腹血清总胆固醇含量,对空腹血甘油三酯水平无影响;2)魔芋精粉能较其余三种膳食纤维更有效地降低肝脏组织脂质含量,包括胆固醇及甘油三酯。肝组织病理学检查亦显示魔芋精粉减轻肝脂变效果最佳;3)四种膳食纤维均能增加粪中胆汁酸尤其是鹅脱氧胆酸的排泄量,推测这可能是它们降低机体脂质的机理之一;4)四种膳食纤维在5％摄入水平对大鼠摄食及生长无不良影响。     

Some compositional properties and mineral contents of carob (Ceratonia siliqua) fruit,flour and syrup

The approximate composition and mineral contents of carob fruit (Ceratonia siliqua), and the traditional foods produced from this fruit, carob flour and carob syrup, were studied. Protein, crude fiber and ash content and energy values of carob syrup were lower than the values of both carob fruit and carob flour. According to the results, the total sugar content, the most important constituents of carob products, were 48.35%, 41.55% and 63.88% for fruit, flour and syrup, respectively. These products contained high amounts of calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium and phosphorus, which were the most abundant elements in carob fruits (P<0.05). Among the samples, potassium, phosphorus and calcium had the highest values in carob syrup, respectively. Carob flour also contained these elements in high amounts, with the addition of sodium. We extended the notion that carob fruit, flour and syrup were rich sources of carbohydrates, proteins and minerals.     

Abstracts on Methods

Objective: Patients with hyperthyroidism occasionally need rapid restoration to the euthyroid state. In wiew of the increased enterohepatic circulation of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) in thyrotoxicosis, and metabolic effects of konjac glucomannan in gastrointestinal system, we aimed to determine the activity of glucomannan in treatment of hyperthyroidism.

Methods: A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, one-blind study design was used with newly diagnosed 48 hyperthyroid patients (30 patients with Graves’ disease and 12 with multinodulary goitre). They were assigned to one of the following treatment groups: I) methimazole 2×10mg, propranolol 2×20mg, and glucomannan (Propol) 2×1.3gr daily for two months; II) methimazole 2×10mg, propranolol 2×20mg, and placebo powder daily for two months.

Results: No differences were detected from the point of view of the baseline thyroid hormone levels between groups (p > 0.05). Further analyses revealed that the patients receiving glucomannan at the end of the second, fourth and sixth weeks of the study had significantly lower serum T3, T4, FT3 and FT4 levels than the patients who received placebo (p < 0.05). TSH was not different between the two groups at any specific time (p > 0.05). At week 8, thyroid hormone levels were not shown any differences. The glucomannan-treated group had a more rapid decline in all four serum thyroid hormone levels than the placebo-treated group.

Conclusions: We believe our preliminary results indicate that glucomannan may be a safe and easily tolerated adjunctive therapeutic agent in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis. This combination therapy seems most effect during first weeks of treatment of a hyperthyroid patient.     

结肠定位盐酸小檗碱羧甲基魔芋胶小丸释药机制的研究

目的:研究结肠定位盐酸小檗碱羧甲基魔芋胶小丸的释药机制。方法:采用离子胶凝法制备羧甲基魔芋胶小丸,对小丸在不同释放介质条件下的药物释放度和溶蚀度进行研究。结果:与在不含酶介质中的情况相比,小丸在含酶(大鼠盲、结肠内容物或β-甘露聚糖酶)介质中的药物释放和丸粒溶蚀明显加快,酶对小丸载体材料的降解作用是造成丸粒骨架溶蚀的主要因素;随介质中β-甘露聚糖酶浓度增加,小丸的药物释放和溶蚀均有所增加,药物释放量与丸粒溶蚀量呈近似1∶1的线性相关;药物释放符合Peppas方程,其中释药指数n>1。结论:盐酸小檗碱羧甲基魔芋胶小丸的释药机制为酶降解溶蚀释药,具有结肠定位释药的可能性。     

魔芋精粉对大鼠脑、肝、心血管细胞老化的影响

本文用含１％魔芋精粉的饲料喂饲大鼠１８个月，观察魔芋精粉对大鼠细胞老化的影响。结果表明，长期食用魔芋精粉可延缓脑神经胶质细胞、心肌细胞和大、中动脉内膜内皮细胞的老化进程，预防动脉粥样硬化，改善心、脑和血管的功能。     

The usefulness of elemental iron for cereal flour fortification: a SUSTAIN Task Force report. Sharing United States Technology to Aid in the Improvement of Nutrition

Fortification of cereal flours may be a useful public health strategy to combat iron deficiency. Cereal flours that are used shortly after production (e.g., baking flour) can be fortified with soluble iron compounds, such as ferrous sulfate, whereas the majority of flours stored for longer periods is usually fortified with elemental iron powders to avoid unacceptable sensory changes. Elemental iron powders are less well absorbed than soluble iron compounds and they vary widely in their absorption depending on manufacturing method and physicochemical characteristics. Costs vary with powder type, but elemental iron powders are generally less expensive than ferrous sulfate. This review evaluates the usefulness of the different elemental iron powders based on results from in vitro studies, rat assays, human bioavailability studies, and efficacy studies monitoring iron status in human subjects. It concludes that, at the present time, only electrolytic iron powder can be recommended as an iron fortificant. Because it is only approximately half as well absorbed as ferrous sulfate, it should be added to provide double the amount of iron.