Background and Aim: The use of food dyes can cause certain diseases, such as anemia and indigestion, along with other disorders, tumors, and even cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the chemical nature and toxicity of some commercial dyes locally used in processed foods compared with standard food dyes. Materials and Methods: Three types of standard and commercial food color additives (Sunset Yellow, Tartrazine, and Carmoisine) were extensively examined. The chemical structures and functional groups of the dyes were evaluated by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The melting temperatures of the dyes were also determined by chemical thermal analysis. The acute toxicity test to evaluate the standard and commercial food color safety was estimated by a range-finding study using 150 Wistar albino rats. Sub-groups were administered one of the three colors under study at doses of 2, 3, 4, and 5 g/kg body weight (BW) orally for 7 days. When no mortality was observed, an additional 15 g/kg BW was administered. Concerning the median lethal dose 50 (LD50), 38 rats were exploited using the up-and-down method. Results: Commercial dyes had lower melting points than standard colors. Regarding the range-finding study, rats receiving different doses of the dyes exhibited no signs of toxicity, no deaths, and no clinical or gross pathological signs throughout the 7 days of the experiment. However, the animals that were dosed with 15 g/kg BW of each dye showed signs of loss of appetite, tachycardia, drowsiness, and eventual death. The LD50 values of the commercial food dyes, particularly Sunset Yellow and Carmoisine, were lower than those of the standard dyes. Conclusion: Commercial food colors were more toxic to rats than standard food colors. Differences were observed between the purity of the standard and commercial dyes, and the latter ones contained different percentages of salt, indicating the occurrence of fraud in commercial markets. Keywords: acute toxicity, food colors, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, lethal dose 50, range-finding study.
The impact of exposure to different sizes of particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, PM7, and PM10) was evaluated in Babylon concrete plant workers who had been exposed to concrete dust for at least 10 years. The effects of these particles on the hematological parameters, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and antioxidant enzymes (catalase and glutathione peroxidase ) were examined. The results exhibited that the levels of PM2.5 and PM10 were higher than the acceptable limits approved by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The blood parameters, namely white blood cells (WBC), red blood cell (RBC) and platelets counts, demonstrated non-significant differences between workers exposed to the PM as compared to the control gro
... Show MoreThe current study introduces a novel method for calculating the stability time by a new approach based on the conversion of degradation from the conductivity curve results obtained by the conventional method. The stability time calculated by the novel method is shorter than the time measured by the conventional method. The stability time in the novel method can be calculated by the endpoint of the tangency of the conversion curve with the tangent line. This point of tangency represents the stability time, as will be explained in detail. Still, it gives a clear and accurate envisage of the dehydrochlorination behavior and can be generalized to all types of polyvinyl chloride compared to the stability time measured by conventional ones based
... Show MoreAluminum oxide (ALO) was grafted by acrylic acid monomer (AlO-AM) and then, it was polymerized to produce alumina grafted poly(acrylic acid) (AlO-AP). The prepared AlO-AM and AlO-AP were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared, differential scanning calorimetry , thermogravemetric analyzer and particle size distribution. Adsorption equilibrium isotherms, adsorption kinetics and thermodynamic studies of the batch adsorption process were used to examine the fundamental adsorption properties of phenol (P) and p-chlorophenol (PCP). The experimental equilibrium adsorption data were analyzed by three widely used two-parameters Langmuir, Freundlich and DubininRadushkevich isotherms. The maximum P and PCP adsorption capacities based on t
... Show MoreThe diverse urban spaces of the streets is an important part of the city's physicist configuration and a link between architectural and civilizational communication through time starting from the historic towns down to the contemporary cities, within the proposals of the future cities. From general observations and literature review a research problem is crystallized as some directions not arbitrary rational when expansion and the growth of cities, and other measures wrong or the existence of some incorrect actions and processes related to the cities planning as a categorizing the goals and priorities in city plan.The streets were constitute a high proportion of the total area of cities, where up to over 30% in major cities. These
... Show MoreDiacerein (DCN) is a semi-synthetic anthraquinone derivative of Rhein that is indicated for the management of osteoarthritis. Diacerein exhibits poor dissolution in the GIT fluids and suffers from low bioavailability upon oral administration in addition to the laxative effect of Rhein metabolites. The aim of the present study was to develop novasomal vesicles with optimized entrapment efficiency and size to serve as a carrier for transdermal delivery of diacerein. Novasomal vesicles were prepared by thin film hydration method thin film hydration. The prepared vesicles were optimized utilizing different surfactant to cholesterol molar ration, sonication type, different sonication times and varying fatty acid level. The prepared vesicles were
... Show MoreThe current study aims to examine the level of problems faced by university students in distance learning, in addition to identify the differences in these problems in terms of the availability of internet services, gender, college, GPA, interactions, academic cohort, and family economic status. The study sample consisted of (3172) students (57.3% females). The researchers developed a questionnaire with (32) items to measure distance learning problems in four areas: Psychological (9 items), academic (10 items), technological (7 items), and study environment (6 items). The responses are scored on a (5) point Likert Scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Means, standard deviations, and Multivariate Analysis of Vari
... Show MoreThe article provides a comparative analysis of comparisons in Russian and Arabic, aimed at identifying their structural, typological, and functional-pragmatic features. The study is based on a systematic approach to the analysis of linguistic means of expressing comparisons in two differ- ent linguistic cultures. The article analyzes the main structural components of comparisons, their classification, and their cognitive and aesthetic functions. The results of the study demonstrate the deep cultural conditioning of comparative constructions and their important role in representing the specific features of the respective linguistic cultures.
Although G6PD deficiency is the most common genetically determined blood disorder among Iraqis, its molecular basis has only recently been studied among the Kurds in North Iraq, while studies focusing on Arabs in other parts of Iraq are still absent.
A total of 1810 apparently healthy adult male blood donors were randomly recruited from the national blood transfusion center in Baghdad. They were classified into G6PD deficient and non-deficient individuals based on the results of methemoglobin reduction test (MHRT), with confirmation of deficiency by subsequent enzyme assays. DNA from defi
The CenomanianÐEarly Turonian reservoirs of the Mishrif Formation of the Mesopotamian Basin hold more than one-third of the proven Iraqi oil reserves. Difficulty in predicting the presence of these mostly rudistic reservoir units is mainly due to the complex paleogeography of the Mishrif depositional basin, which has not been helped by numerous previous studies using differing facies schemes over local areas. Here we present a regional microfacies-based study that incorporates earlier data into a comprehensive facies model. This shows that extensive accumulation of rudist banks usually occurred along an exterior shelf margin of the basin along an axis that runs from Hamrin to Badra a
The study aimed to evaluate the benefits of transferrin saturation percentage (TSAT) and serum ferritin in assessing body iron status, which can influence erythropoietin treatment in patients with ESRD. Forty end-stage renal disease patients on regular hemodialysis participated in this study. Clinical data were obtained. Serum iron, total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation, ferritin, albumin, creatinine, and C-reactive protein were investigated. Thirty healthy people were enrolled as a control group. ESRD patients had a mean age of 45.1±13.9 years, with 60% being males. They exhibited significantly lower hematocrit (25.3±6.5%), and higher platelet (285.7±148.1x10^9/L) and WBC (9.4±3.1x10^9/L) counts compared to healthy contro
... Show More