EVALUATION OF THE INTAKE OF NITRATE, NITRITE, NITROSODIETHYLAMINE AND NITROSODIMETHYLAMINE BY FOOD CONSUMPTION

The aim of the present study was the evaluation of nitrate, nitrite, nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) and nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) intake by food consumption. We determined concentrations of nitrates, nitrites in 102 food samples (40 meat products, 15 fermented cheese, 25 vegetables, 22 fruits) and the concentration NDEA, NDMA in 40 meat products. Nitrates and nitrites were determined using Peter-Griess method; nitrosamines were quantified by HPLC with UV detection.  We designed vegetalian, vegetarian and conventional diets of about 2500 kcal/day.  Based of the values found, we calculated the intake of nitrates, nitrites and nitrosamines. The obtained values fits to WHO’s recommendations, except for vegetalian and conventional diet, in which the nitrate content was 3,46 respectively 1,64 times higher than the acceptable daily intake (157 mg NO3-/day)

The Effects of Honey Sulfonamides on Immunological and Hematological Parameters in Wistar Rats

Sulfonamides are among the most used drugs in beekeeping due to their effectiveness, despite their long-term persistence in tissues. Bee honey containing such residues poses numerous risks to human health. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects on immunological and hematological parameters of Wistar rats produced by sulfonamide residues in bee honey, through the evaluation of various blood parameters such as triiodothyronine and thyroxine levels, hematocrit, hemoglobin, red blood cell count and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration in a given volume of erythrocytes following administration of sulfonamide-containing honey. The hematological and immunological parameters showed significant variations in the group of rats that had been fed with honey spiked with sulfonamides compared to the control group. Changes in hematological indices were demonstrated in terms of a significant reduction in the number of erythrocytes, the amount of hemoglobin, and the value of hematocrit, thus confirming the induction of anemia in the tested group. Investigation of thyroid function through the analysis of triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) and their ratio showed a very significant decrease in plasma thyroxine levels in laboratory rats that were fed sulfonamide-spiked honey compared to the control group. The mean T3 concentration decreased from 0.70 ± 0.14 ng/dL to 0.34 ± 0.03 ng/dL, while the mean T4 concentration was reduced from 4.50 ± 0.30 μg/dL to 3.32 ± 0.21 μg/dL, thus demonstrating toxic effects on thyroid function. In sum, the presence of sulfonamides induced significant changes in the evaluated parameters indicating that the consumption of contaminated honey samples represents a high risk factor for thyroid dysfunction with potentially serious health impacts