Lead and cadmium are common heavy metals in oils. This study assessed their levels in commercial and traditional olive and corn oils from Gonbad-Kavus City using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after microwave digestion. Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Hazard Index (HI) were calculated. The results from 60 oil samples showed quantifiable levels of lead and cadmium in all samples. Lead concentrations in commercial olive oil, traditional olive oil, commercial corn oil, and traditional corn oil were 13.27 ± 3.37, 17.48 ± 4.82, 19.27 ± 8.12, and 32.40 ± 6.13 μg/kg, respectively. Cadmium concentrations were 4.14 ± 0.53, 3.50 ± 0.72, 4.48 ± 1.80, and 5.77 ± 1.34 µg/kg, respectively. All lead levels were below the 80 µg/kg limit set by the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran (ISIRI). For a 70 kg person consuming 0.147 g of corn oil and 0.328 g of olive oil daily, the metals pose no risk to health over a lifetime. No health concerns were found for oils except traditional olive oil. Corn oil showed significant lead contamination. HI values for lead and cadmium in oils were below 1, indicating no non-carcinogenic health risk. MOE values for lead in traditional olive oil were below 10,000, while other oils were above, indicating no significant risk to consumers. These findings call for a review of national standards and increased monitoring of heavy metals in vegetable oils in the region.
Nandini Takkalaki, Pooja M. Maidargi, Meenal Agarwal
et al.
Aim: The Advanced diagnostic studies often employ sophisticated technology and techniques to provide detailed information about the patient’s health, which might not be obtained through conventional diagnostic methods. The need for new-generation diagnostics in the current era is essential for rapid analysis and faster treatment plans, as it provides highly detailed data allowing for more precise diagnosis and related conditions. These techniques allow a comprehensive detailing of the illness that helps in the management of chronic illnesses more effectively. These are particularly helpful in monitoring disease progression and the possible effectiveness of treatment to be made in real-time to improve patient outcomes. Material and Methods: 50 volunteers are selected, and blood samples are collected and processed on advanced auto and semi-auto analysers for biochemistry and hematology and 25 samples for microbiology parameters. Results: Both analyzers demonstrated a substantial portion of the population was classified as healthy. However, the increased percentages of individuals identified as healthy and diseased, underscore the importance of ongoing monitoring and early detection strategies in managing various diseases and related complications. Elevated levels of certain parameters in both analysers indicate potential health issues, particularly in older adults, highlighting the necessity for targeted interventions. Conclusion: Laboratory medicine has undergone a dramatic change, and medical laboratories must now adapt to meet new, customer-supplier needs springing from shifts in the patterns of disease prevalence, medical practice, and demographics. More recently, the resource shortages in health care and results of cost/effectiveness analysis have demonstrated that the value of a laboratory test must be ascertained not only based on its chemical or clinical performance characteristics but also by its impact on patient management. The only true assessment of the quality of testing is the quality of patient outcomes.
BackgroundGrassroots medical and health personnel are an important component of China's public health system, and guaranteeing their physical and mental health will have a profound impact on the development of China's health service. ObjectiveTo identify potential influencing factors of occupational stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia as well as their interactions. MethodsIn August 2021, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among all the staff (2675 medical and health personnel) at 7 secondary public hospitals and 8 health institutions in Xiong’an New Area of Hebei Province by cluster sampling. Occupational stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia were evaluated by the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERI), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). The bnlearn and gmodels packages of R4.2.1 software were used to construct Bayesian networks on work and personal factors-occupational stress- health effects. The Bayesian network model was visualized by Netica32.0. ResultsAmong the 3018 questionnaires distributed, a total of 2675 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 88.63%. The positive rates of occupational stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia were 51.48%, 62.13%, 62.50%, and 56.37%, respectively in the grassroots medical and health personnel. The positive rate of occupational stress among the medical and health workers varied by age, educational level, and organization type (P<0.05); the positive rate of anxiety varied by age, marital status, and daily working hours (P<0.05); and the positive rates of depression and insomnia varied by gender, educational level, and overcommitment (P<0.05). The final Bayesian network contained 14 nodes and 18 directed edges, and its prediction accuracy was 85.4%. .Job title, daily working hours, overcommitment and exercise directly associated with occupational stress, and other work and personal factors associated with occupational stress indirectly. Occupational stress associated with insomnia directly or indirectly via anxiety. Anxiety and insomnia associated with reporting depression. ConclusionGrassroots medical and health personnel of Xiong'an New Area, Hebei Province report high levels of occupational stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Occupational stress directly or indirectly associates with anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Work and personal factors associate with occupational stress, and associate with anxiety, depression, and insomnia via occupational stress. Occupational stress may be an early warning factor of general work and personal factors affecting anxiety, depression, insomnia, and other mental health problems. Attention should be paid to the assessment and intervention of occupational stress in medical and health personnel to prevent mental health problems.
Pooja Chauhan, Nitin Bhardwaj, Sumit Rajaura
et al.
This study was designed to investigate the toxic effects of benzo (a) pyrene (BaP) in the lungs. Mice were repeatedly treated orally with BaP (50 mg/kg body weight, twice a week for four weeks) to induce a tumour. After 4 months of BaP administration, tumours were visible beneath the skin. The histopathological section of the lungs shows congestion of pulmonary blood vessels, alveolar hyperplasia, and concurrent epithelial hyperplasia with infiltrates of inflammatory cells also seen. Thereafter, a single-cell suspension of lung tissues was stained with fluorescently conjugated antibodies for the demarcation of alveolar epithelial (anti-mouse CD74 and podoplanin) and macrophage (F4/80 and CD11b) cells and measured by flow cytometry. The expression of antioxidant genes was assessed by qRT–PCR. The number of alveolar epithelial cells 1 (AEC1) increased, but the number of alveolar epithelial cells 2 (AEC2) and transitional alveolar epithelial cells (TAEC) was significantly decreased in tumour-bearing mice. The proportion of CD11b+ alveolar macrophages (AM) and interstitial macrophages (IM) was increased, but the proportion of F4/80+ AM cells was reduced. The BaP administration significantly increased the ROS production in alveolar cells. The relative expression levels of antioxidant genes (SOD1, catalase, GPX1, and HIF-1α) were increased, but NRF2 expression was decreased in BaP-treated alveolar cells. The expression of anti-inflammatory (NF-κB) was also significantly increased. In conclusion, BaP exposure induced an inflammatory response, altered alveolar epithelial cell and macrophage diversity, and increased antioxidant responses in the lungs.
Shamim Al Mamun, Mohammad A. Islam, Shamshad B. Quraishi
et al.
Chicken (Gallus domesticus) is a significant source of animal protein for the people of Bangladesh. However, anthropogenic activity may contaminate chicken meat with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) despite the nutritional benefits. Current work aims to determine the accumulated content of PTEs (Pb, Cd, Cr, As, and Hg) in chickens and poultry feeds commercially sold in Bangladesh markets and compare with WHO, FAO, EU, EC, FSANZ standards. Three different chicken varieties, native (local variety, freehand raised), poultry (raised for meat only), and layer chicken (commercially raised for eggs and later used for meat), were investigated, and commercial poultry feeds were used to raise the latter two varieties. The Pb, Cd, Cr, As, and Hg contents (mg kg–1 fresh weight (f.w.) were 0.481–1.067, 0.025–0.118, 0.069–0.319, 0.007–0.071, 0.002–0.019, respectively. In addition, associated health risks due to the PTEs in different varieties of chicken organs, e.g., meat, liver, and kidney, were evaluated. The study suggests that the poultry feeds should be carefully monitored regarding PTEs content to avoid potential human health risks due to chicken consumption in Bangladesh.
Anastasia Tarassova, Atallah El Zein, Nathan Goldsmith
et al.
Introduction
The use of electronic cigarettes (ECs) is
rapidly evolving as an alternative to traditional tobacco
cigarettes. While ECs are likely less harmful than tobacco
use, they are not considered completely harmless to human
health. However, there is increasing evidence supporting
their efficacy in smoking cessation. In our study, we
investigated the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
(PAH) biomarkers and their oxygenated and nitrated
derivatives in the urine of tobacco smokers who switched to
exclusive EC use for 28 days.
Methods
We employed the solid-phase microextraction
(SPME) method to efficiently extract the targeted analytes
and quantified them using gas chromatography mass
spectrometry (GC-MS). High extraction efficiency and
sensitivity was achieved by directly immersing the SPME
PDMS/DVB fiber into diluted urine samples, incubated at
70°C for 30 min. A total of 100 urine samples were analyzed
from 20 participants aged 20–68 years.
Results
In 80% of the analyzed samples, the concentrations
of PAH biomarkers and their derivatives in participants'
urine decreased by up to 90% after switching to EC.
Two PAH biomarkers, 2-naphthol and 1-OH-pyrene,
were quantified in 88 urine samples. Two oxygenated
PAHs (1,4-naphthoquinone and 9-fluorenone) were
quantified in 19 urine samples, while two nitrated PAHs
(1-nitronaphthalene and 2-nitrofluorene) were quantified
in 15 urine samples. The concentration of PAH biomarkers
before and after switching to EC ranged 0.04–174.8 ng/mg
creatinine and 0.1–115.8 ng/mg creatinine, respectively. PAH
derivative concentrations in smokers ranged 0.1–26.4 ng/
mg creatinine, while after switching to EC, PAH derivative
concentrations were mostly below the limit of detection and
quantification.
Conclusions
EC consumers must be aware that using EC
alone is not harmless. The presence of PAH derivatives in
urine needs more assessment studies to understand both
their mechanism of formation in the human body and risk
to health.
Zahra Tofighi, Razieh Mohammad Jafari, Masoud Besati
et al.
Background: Ferula assa-foetida is an herbaceous plant from Apiaceae family. Several pharmacological effects of oleo-gum resin of this plant were introduced in modern and traditional medicines such as digestive, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, appetizing, insecticidal, and etc. Objectives: This study aimed to acute and sub-chronic toxicity of chloroform fraction of oleo-gum extract of Ferula in Wistar rats. The safety of this can guarantee its use in treatment and various industries. Methods: Rats in six groups including male and female (kept separately) at different doses (50 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg, and 2000 mg/kg) and two control groups (control and DMSO( were selected to evaluate the acute toxicity of chloroform fraction of Ferula. For 30 days, 50 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg of sample was administrated to male and female rats. Mortality, appearance and behavioral changes, food intake, the weight of rats, and hematological, biochemical variables and histopathological changes were examined. Results: Physical and behavioral changes were not observed in acute and sub-chronic toxicity conditions. Food intake significantly differed between male and female DMSO control and other groups. In biochemical variables study, only SGOT (AST) showed a significant difference from the control group (DMSO) in acute toxicity and BUN, ALP and SGOT (AST) in sub-chronic toxicity. Also, any histopathological change was observed in spleen, liver, and kidney organs. Conclusion: Oleo-gum resin of F. assa-foetida has not toxic effects, so it should be used with caution in the long term.
Mohamed Moharram Badawy, Mohsen M. Elsherbiny, Gehad Elsaid Elshopakey
et al.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmental toxin utilized for the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Due to BPA’s extensive production and environmental contamination, human exposure is unavoidable. The effects of low-dose of BPA on various body tissues and organs remain controversial. Our study investigated the potential of BPA to induce biochemical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical changes in the coronary artery and myocardium and the potential protective role of L-carnitine (LC). 24 adult Wistar albino male rats were divided equally into a control group, a BPA-treated group (40 mg/kg/d, by gavage for 4 weeks), and a BPA plus LC-treated group (received 40 mg/kg/d of BPA and 300 mg/kg/d of LC, by gavage for 4 weeks). BPA-exposed rats demonstrated structural anomalies in the coronary artery tissue including vacuolation of cells in the media and detachment of the endothelium of the intima. Congestion of blood vessels and infiltration by polynuclear cells were observed in the myocardium. There was an enhanced collagen deposition in both tissues indicating fibrosis. Immunohistochemical changes included enhanced eNOS and caspase-3 expression in the coronary artery and myocardium indicating vascular disease and apoptosis, respectively. Oxidative damage was evident in the coronary artery and the myocardium of BPA-treated rats, which was indicated by the reduced level of glutathione (GSH) and elevated malondydehyde (MDA) levels. The coadministration of LC significantly improved BPA-induced structural alterations and oxidative stress. In conclusion, BPA could potentially cause pathologic changes and oxidative damage in the coronary artery and myocardium, which could be improved by LC coadministration.
Background China is facing enormous challenges of occupational disease prevention and control and high incidences of occupational diseases. Occupational disease diagnosis is an important part of occupational disease prevention and control. However, the current situation of occupational disease diagnosis service system in China is not optimistic. Relevant national laws, regulations, policies, and plans require to improve the current technical support system of occupational disease diagnosis and treatment, and to establish a sound occupational disease diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation network on the foundation of existing medical and health institutions.Objective To analyze the development status and existing problems of occupational disease diagnosis institutions in China, and propose countermeasures and suggestions.Methods All occupational disease diagnosis institutions in China were surveyed by questionnaire using comprehensive census. The Occupational Health Center of the National Health Commission organized the preparation of the questionnaire and the participation of all relevant institutions in the survey. All data collected in the survey were for the year 2020 and available as of December 31, 2020. The questionnaire covered the overall situation, service provided, staffing of certified physicians for providing occupational disease diagnosis, and instruments in selected categories of occupational disease diagnosis institutions.Results As of December 2020, there were 587 occupational disease diagnosis institutions in China; the highest average number of enterprises served by an occupational disease diagnosis institution was 39000, and that of employees served by an occupational disease diagnosis institution was 2.15 million in Chongqing. There were a total of 5809 physicians certified to diagnose occupational diseases in China, with 20.4 doctors per specified occupational disease prevention and treatment hospital, 9.5 doctors per general hospital, and 8.3 doctors per disease control and prevention center. Only 87.7% of the institutions were equipped with digital radiography (DR), 58.1% with computed tomography (CT), and 96.4% with pulmonary function meters; the equipment rate of computed radiography (CR) was only 6.5%, and that of CT was only 14.6% in all-level disease control and prevention centers; 45 disease control and prevention centers were not equipped with any common x-ray machine, CR, DR, or CT.Conclusion In the face of the still serious situation of prevention and treatment of occupational diseases, the overall distribution of institutions is uneven around China, the number of institutions in some regions is relatively insufficient, and the comprehensive capacity of centers for disease control and prevention at all levels needs to be improved. Strengthening comprehensive capacity building of occupational disease diagnosis institutions and training of relevant physicians would be helpful to ensure the accuracy and scientificity of diagnosis. At the national level, further increasing policy guidance and financial input would help occupational disease diagnosis institutions upgrade their techniques and service capacity, and protect workers' occupational health rights.
Mariaelena D'Ambrosio, Íris Ramos, Carla Martins
et al.
The present study investigated the potential toxicity of venomous secretions of two polychaetes, Hediste diversicolor and Glycera alba (Annelida: Phyllodocida). Toxic activity of putative toxins, measured on mussel gills through the Comet assay, revealed higher effects caused by extracts from H. diversicolor skin and G. alba specialised, jawed proboscis, when compared to control. The results suggest that H. diversicolor secretes toxins via skin for protection against predators, contrarily to G. alba, who secretes toxins for predation.
Miho Nakamura, Junya Nakade, Tadashi Toyama
et al.
Abstract Background Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors inhibit SGLT2, which is expressed in the proximal renal tubule, and thus reduce blood glucose levels by enabling the urinary excretion of excess glucose. SGLT2 inhibitors have been reported to suppress the complications of diabetes and reduce overall mortality. However, little is known about the types of symptoms that may occur in response to an overdose of an SGLT2 inhibitor. Here, we describe a case of intoxication caused by an overdose of an SGLT2 inhibitor. Case presentation An otherwise physically healthy adult woman ingested an overdose of ipragliflozin, an SGLT2 inhibitor, and a polypill of olmesartan medoxomil, and azelnidipine in a suicide attempt. Although her blood ipragliflozin concentration was very high (9516.3 ng/mL) upon hospital arrival, her initial blood glucose level was normal, and she did not exhibit symptoms such as hypoglycemia or polyuria. Moderate renal dysfunction associated with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of 42.3 mL/min/1.73 m2 was observed. Thirty-six hours after ingestion, her blood ipragliflozin concentration decreased to a level equivalent to that observed after a therapeutic dose and her renal function improved almost simultaneously. After improvement in her renal function, the osmotic diuretic effect of the drug progressed. Her blood glucose level declined slightly but was in the normal range due to glucose administration. During the clinical course, fatal hypoglycemia was not observed. Conclusions Our case showed that an overdose of an SGLT2 inhibitor caused toxic effects on renal function, but severe hypoglycemia was not observed. Additional cases of intoxication from SGLT2 inhibitors alone would be helpful to clarify the mechanism of intoxication.
Abstract Background As a new generation antihistamine, fexofenadine has been widely used in allergic diseases. However, there is still a lack of collective evidence regarding the antihistamine effects and safety profiles of fexofenadine relative to other antihistamine drugs and placebo. Therefore, we aimed to systematically evaluate the antihistamine effects and safety of fexofenadine. Methods An electronic literature search of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed using Embase, Cochrane and PubMed from establishment to January 1st, 2018. RCTs comparing the antihistamine effects or safety (adverse events, sedative effects, and cognitive/psychomotor function) of fexofenadine with either other antihistamines or placebo for healthy subjects and patients with allergy were selected. Results Fifty-one studies of 14,551 participants met the inclusion criteria. When compared with the first-generation antihistamines, fexofenadine produced significantly lower adverse events frequency (OR = 0.446; 95% CI: 0.214 to 0.929, P = 0.031), significantly lower sedative effects frequency (OR = 0.265; 95% CI: 0.072 to 0.976, P = 0.046) and significantly less change of all cognitive/psychomotor function. When compared with the second-generation antihistamines, fexofenadine produced significantly marginal sedative effects (OR = 0.59; 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.93; P = 0.02) and significantly less change of most of the cognitive/psychomotor function. When compared with placebo, fexofenadine produced more significant antihistamine effects. Conclusions Fexofenadine has a positive antihistamine effect, which is probably no worse than the second-generation antihistamines. Fexofenadine probably has a favorable safety profile, which is more likely better than that of the first-generation antihistamines. There is lack of data to support that fexofenadine has a better overall safety profile compared to the second-generation antihistamines, however, some presently available evidence on sedative effects and certain aspects of cognitive/psychomotor function favors fexofenadine. Therefore, fexofenadine may be worthy of recommendation for safety related workers.
Hillary L. Shane, Ewa Lukomska, Aleksandr B. Stefaniak
et al.
Didecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) is a fourth generation dialkyl-quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) that is used in numerous products for its antimicrobial properties. While many QACs have been associated with allergic disease, the toxicity and sensitization of DDAB have not been thoroughly investigated. The purpose of these studies was to evaluate the irritancy and sensitization potential of DDAB following dermal application in a murine model. DDAB induced significant irritancy (0.0625–2%), evaluated by ear swelling in female BALB/c mice. Initial evaluation of the sensitization potential was conducted using the local lymph node assay (LLNA) at concentrations ranging from 0.0625% to 2%. A concentration-dependent increase in lymphocyte proliferation was observed with a calculated EC3 value of 0.057%. Immune cell phenotyping along with local and systemic IgE levels were evaluated following 4 and 14 days of dermal application. Phenotypic analyses revealed significant and dose-responsive increases in the absolute number of B-cells, CD4+ T-cells, CD8+ T-cells, and dendritic cells in the draining lymph nodes (DLNs) following 4 and 14 days of dermal exposure with significant increases in the number of activated B-cells and dendritic cells. However, increased activation of CD4+ T-cell and CD8+ T-cells was only observed following four days of DDAB exposure. Exposure to DDAB also induced increased production of IgE as evaluated by phenotypic analysis of DLN B-cells (IgE+ B-cells) and measurement of total serum IgE levels following 14 days but not four days of dermal application. Significant increases in gene expression were observed in the DLN (Il-4, Il-10, and ox40l) and ear (tslp) following 4 and 14 days of DDAB exposure. These results demonstrate the potential for development of irritation and hypersensitivity responses to DDAB following dermal exposure and raise concerns about the effects of exposure duration on hypersensitivity responses.
Vanessa Alves-Conceição, Daniel Tenório da Silva, Vanessa Lima de Santana
et al.
Abstract Background Polypharmacy is a reality in long-term care facilities. However, number of medications used by the patient should not be the only predictor of a complex pharmacotherapy. Although the level of complexity of pharmacotherapy is considered an important factor that may lead to side effects, there are few studies in this field. The aim of this study was to evaluate the complexity of pharmacotherapy in residents of three long-term care facilities. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate the complexity of pharmacotherapy using the protocols laid out in the Medication Regimen Complexity Index instrument in three long-term care facilities in northeastern Brazil. As a secondary result, potential drug interactions, potentially inappropriate medications, medication duplication, and polypharmacy were evaluated. After the assessment, the association among these variables and the Medication Regimen Complexity Index was performed. Results In this study, there was a higher prevalence of women (64.4%) with a high mean age among the study population of 81.8 (±9.7) years. The complexity of pharmacotherapy obtained a mean of 15.1 points (±9.8), with a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 59. The highest levels of complexity were associated with dose frequency, with a mean of 5.5 (±3.6), followed by additional instructions of use averaging 4.9 (±3.7) and by the dosage forms averaging 4.6 (±3.0). Conclusions The present study evaluated some factors that complicate the pharmacotherapy of geriatric patients. Although polypharmacy was implicated as a factor directly related to complexity, other indicators such as drug interactions, potentially inappropriate medications, and therapeutic duplication can also make the use of pharmacotherapy in such patients more difficult.
Chihiro Sugiyama, Yaichiro Kotake, Masafumi Yamaguchi
et al.
In vitro estimating strategies for potential neurotoxicity are required to screen multiple substances. In a previous study, we showed that exposure to low-concentrations of some chemicals, such as organotin, decreased the expression of GluR2 protein, which is a subunit of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA)-type glutamate receptors, and led to neuronal vulnerability. This result suggested that GluR2 decreases as an index of neuronal cell sensitivity and vulnerability to various toxic insults. Accordingly, we developed a versatile method that is a large scale determination of GluR2 protein expression in the presence of environmental chemicals by means of AlphaLISA technology. Various analytical conditions were optimized, and then GluR2 protein amount was measured by the method using AlphaLISA. The GluR2 amounts were strongly correlated with that of measured by western blotting, which is currently used to determine GluR2 expression. An ideal standard curve could be written with the authentic GluR2 protein from 0 ng to 100 ng. Subsequently, twenty environmental chemicals were screened and nitenpyram was identified as a chemical which lead to decrease in GluR2 protein expression. This assay may provide a tool for detecting neurotoxic chemicals according to decreases in GluR2 protein expression.
Seyed Jalal Hosseinimehr, Seyed Amir Hossein Hosseini
Background. In this study, the radiosensitizing effect of resveratrol as a natural product was investigated on cell toxicity induced by 131I in thyroid cancer cell. Methods. Human thyroid cancer cell and human nonmalignant fibroblast cell (HFFF2) were treated with 131I and/or resveratrol at different concentrations for 48 h. The cell proliferation was measured by determination of the percent of the survival cells using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Results. Findings of this study show that resveratrol enhanced the cell death induced by 131I on thyroid cancer cell. Also, resveratrol exhibited a protective effect on normal cells against 131I toxicity. Conclusion. This result indicates a promising effect of resveratrol on improvement of cellular toxicity during iodine therapy.
Background: Sri Lanka became a signatory to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in September 2003 and ratified in November 2003. Aiming to reduce tobacco burden in Sri Lanka, National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act [NATA] No. 27 was authorized in 2006. The objective of this study was to assess the behavioral changes related to tobacco use among adolescents and young adults following the exposure to tobacco control measures implemented by NATA. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from October 2011 to November 2011 among adolescent (13-19 years) and young adult (20-39 years) males in Anuradhapura divisional secretary area in Sri Lanka. A self-administered questionnaire and focus group discussions were used for data collection. Confounding factors were controlled by stratification and randomization. Results: A total of 456 male respondents including 168 (37%) adolescents and 288 (63%) young adults participated in the study. Among the ever smokers 66 (14 %) had already quitted smoking while 151 (33%) were current smokers. The majority of the respondents (95.4% of quitters and 88.0% of current smokers) were acquainted with the dangers of smoking through the mass media. Among the current smokers and quitters, the knowledge on health risks of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke was quite satisfactory. The current smokers as well as the quitters were well aware of the tobacco control measures. Smokers as well as the non-smokers and quitters supported these measures. Conclusion: Tobacco control measures implemented by NATA had a favorable influence on reducing tobacco burden among adolescents and young adults in Sri Lanka
Background: The genus Teucrium (Lamiaceae) is comprised 340 species in widespread over the world. Remarkably, In the Flora Iranica this genus is represented by twelve species, three of which are endemic. The genus Teucrium are known for medicinal value, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflamatory, antiseptic and antipyretic properties. Objective: Isolation of β-Stigmasterol from Teucrium hyrcanicum L. Methods: The aerial parts of Teucrium hyrcanicum were collected during the flowering stage from Rostamabad, Gilan Province, in July 2006 and then were extracted by chloroform and acetone (2:1) for 36 h. Crude extract was separated by adsorption chromatography over silica gel with elution by petroleum and ethylacetate. Final purification was performed by smaller chromatography. Results: A steroid named β - Stigmasterol were isolated and the structur of them were proved using spectral data consist of FTIR, UV, HRMS, also 1-DNMR (1HNMR, 13CNMR), 2-DNMR (HMQC, HMBC) and DEPT (90°,135°). Conclusion: β-Stigmasterol was characterized for the first time in Teucrium hyrcanicum.