Abstract
Herbal drinks are one of the most important and widely used pharmaceutical forms of medicinal herbs. Methanol, a neurotoxic agent, occurs naturally at different levels during the production of herbal drinks. The aim of this study was to evaluate contamination and dietary intake of methanol by herbal drinks consumption in Hamadan, Iran. In current study, sixty samples from five types of herbal drinks were analyzed for methanol and ethanol by gas chromatography. The results showed that thirty-three samples were positive for methanol at levels that ranged from 8.35 to 31.90 mg/dl. Additionally, in the positive samples, the ratio of methanol/ ethanol was greater than the European Union acceptable limit. Although methanol intake was estimated within acceptable limits, some of the Iranian consumers might need to moderate their herbal drinks consumption.
Highlights
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that about 80% of the people in developing countries depend on traditional medicine for their health needs (Nili-Ahmadabadi et al, 2011)
In the present study we aimed to evaluate the intake of methanol by herbal drinks consumption in Hamadan, Iran during the period of October 2014 to March 2015
Apparatus and reagents Methanol and ethanol in the herbal drinks samples were quantitatively analyzed with a gas chromatograph (GC) (Agilent 6850, USA) equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID), a splitless injector, a matrix 80/100 Porapak Q column [0.91 m (L) x 1.8 mm (O.D) x 2 mm (I.D), stainless steel]
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that about 80% of the people in developing countries depend on traditional medicine for their health needs (Nili-Ahmadabadi et al, 2011). A neurotoxic agent (Reddy et al, 2010; Jahan et al, 2015), occurs naturally at different levels during the production of herbal drinks (Mousavi et al, 2010) and alcoholic beverages (Lachenmeier et al, 2008; Croitoru et al, 2013). Formate is metabolized through combination with tetrahydrofolate to produce 10-formyl tetrahydrofolate. This product undergoes conversion to water and carbon dioxide (Rachelle and Watterson, 2008). The methanol contamination in herbal drinks is a result of demethylation of cell wall pectins by pectin methylesterase, which improves tissue firmness (Mousavi et al, 2010). Previous studies have shown that immersion of thin pieces of vegetable tissue and heating to activate pectin methylesterase results in a rapid increase in methanol in the bathing solution (Anthon and Barrett, 2006)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
