Quantitative Determination of Heavy Metals in Chicken and Quail Eggs and Their Association with Oxidative Stress Biomarkers and Food Safety Parameters

Allergy to quail's egg without allergy to chicken's egg. Case report

The study was carried out in three Local Government Areas: Jos North, Jos South and Jos East. For each egg type, twelve (12) samples each were collected from five (5) farms. A total of 360 samples were randomly collected consisting of equal number of quail and chicken eggs (180 each). A well-structured questionnaire was used to help analyze the results.  Samples were examined for the presence of Salmonella isolates using standard microbiological practices. Isolates were confirmed using biochemical tests, and molecular characterization (using specific primers). Isolates were also tested for antimicrobial susceptibility by disc diffusion method. Results showed that 3(1.7%) chicken eggs were positive for Salmonella infection whereas no positive result was recorded from quail eggs. This resulted in a total prevalence of 0.9%. Bukuru and Zawan (Jos South) were the only farm locations with Salmonella positive cases with 1(8.3%) and 2(16.7%) respectively. Although the present finding has found low prevalence of salmonellosis in chicken and quail egg in the study area, there is need for constant monitoring on regular basis to avert health risks associated with consuming Salmonellae infected poultry products in endemic areas. The three (3) isolates were Salmonella Gallinarum and gave agglutination reaction with polyvalent O antisera and no reaction with polyvalent H antisera. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) results confirmed all the three (3) isolates that were successfully amplified using specific primers, thus supporting phenotypic outcome. The information provided in this report is crucial to all stakeholders including the poultry farmers, consumers and regulators of chicken products. Key Words: Salmonella; Quail and Chicken eggs; Jos; Nigeria &nbsp

BackgroundQuail eggs as a food item have recently been introduced into the diet of some Cameroonians. These eggs are being sold in local markets, but with many unfounded health claims. One claim is that quail eggs can reduce blood glucose levels in diabetics. It was therefore necessary to evaluate the effect of consuming quail eggs on blood glucose levels, lipid profiles, and oxidative stress parameters in diabetes-induced rats.MethodsTwenty Wistar rats weighing, on average, 250 g were divided into four groups of five rats each. Group 1 consisted of rats with normal blood glucose, and the other three groups (2, 3, and 4) consisted of diabetes-induced rats achieved by intravenous injection of streptozotocin. During 16 days, rats in groups 1 and 2 received distilled water; and rats in groups 3 and 4 received quail and chicken eggs, respectively, with gastroesophageal probe at a dose of 1 mL/200 g body weight. Fasting blood glucose levels were determined in all the groups on the 1st, 7th, 14th, and 17th days after induction of diabetes. On the 17th day, the fasting rats were sacrificed, and blood and liver samples were collected for biochemical analyses.ResultsIn 17 days, the consumption of quail and chicken eggs had no effect on blood glucose levels of diabetic rats. Total cholesterol levels were higher in groups 3 (75.59 mg/dL) and 4 (59.41 mg/dL) compared to group 2 (55.67 mg/dl), although these differences were not significant (all p>0.05). Triglyceride levels were significantly higher (p <0.05) in groups 3 (106.52 mg/dL) and 4 (109.65 mg/dL) compared to group 2 (65.82 mg/dL). Quail eggs had no effect on oxidative stress parameters (malondialdehyde, hydroperoxides, and catalase).ConclusionsThe consumption of quail eggs by diabetic rats at the tested dose had no effect on blood glucose level and oxidative stress parameters and may have a negative effect on lipid profile.

We aimed to identify the characteristic functional components of pigeon eggs and the differences among pigeon, chicken, and quail eggs. We analyzed the metabolite profiles of three kinds of eggs using an untargeted metabolomics-based approach to better understand the differences in metabolites among pigeon, chicken, and quail eggs. Then, we quantitatively validated the differences in abundance of partial metabolites through a targeted metabolomics-based approach. A total of 692 metabolites were identified in the three types of eggs. A total of 263 significantly differentially abundant metabolites were found between pigeon eggs and chicken eggs, and 263 significantly differentially abundant metabolites were found between pigeon eggs and quail eggs. The metabolites that were significantly more abundant in pigeon eggs than in other eggs were mainly lipids, lipid-like molecules, nucleosides, nucleotides, and their analogues. We identified the eight metabolites that were significantly greater in abundance in pigeon eggs than in chicken eggs and quail eggs and quantitatively validated the differences in abundance of these metabolites. Our study demonstrates that there are more functional components in pigeon eggs than chicken eggs and quail eggs, especially for the prevention and treatment of various disordered glucose and lipid metabolism-related diseases. The discovery of these differentially abundant metabolites paves the way for further research on the unique nutritional functions of pigeon eggs and the further utilization of pigeon egg products.

Quail eggs have been found useful in folk medicine in treatment of some diseases, but its consumption is not as common as chicken eggs amongst humans. This study was aimed at determining the dietary effects of quail eggs on blood sugar and lipid profile of alloxan induced diabetic rats. Quail egg samples were analysed for its various nutritional compositions using the Association of Official Analytic Chemistry (AOAC) methods. Quail eggs were administered to thirty six (36) alloxan induced diabetic rats, which were divided into nine (9) different groups of four (4) rats each per group at varied doses for a duration of seven (7), fourteen (14) and twenty one (21) days. Their blood sugar and lipid profile were determined using standard methods. Proximate analysis showed that quail egg could be a good source of protein, lipid and has high moisture content while it has minimal ash and carbohydrate contents. Rats treated with two (2) raw quail eggs showed the highest blood glucose lowering capacity and weight gain when compared with the insulin treated rats. Evaluation of the blood glucose at intervals (d 7, d 14, and d 21) showed that quail eggs could serve for mid-term and long term treatment of diabetes, but did not have any significant effects on the serum lipid profile of diabetic rats. It could be concluded that intake of quail egg diets either alone or as part of a therapeutic regime, could have beneficial effect in the prevention and management of diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate cross-reactivity among hen, duck, and quail eggs in children with suspected egg allergy.METHODS: A cross-sectional study enrolled 20 children with a history consistent with egg allergy. Specific immunoglobulin E levels to hen’s egg white and egg yolk, skin prick test (SPT) to fresh raw hen, duck, and quail eggs, and oral food challenges in selected cases were performed for egg allergy evaluation. Thirty children with a clear history of egg tolerance were recruited as a control group. SPT were performed according to standardized protocols by trained personnel. Mean wheal diameter from SPT measured cross-reactivity and Spearman’s correlation examined the cross-reactivity pattern.RESULTS: The median age of participants with suspected egg allergy was 1.1 years and 3.6 years for the control group. Reported allergic reactions when entering the study were primarily to hen eggs, mainly urticaria/angioedema (70%). Anaphylaxis occurred in 20%. Participants with suspected hen’s egg allergy were sensitized to at least one of the avian eggs, while controls showed a negative response. Among these participants, SPT positivity rate for quail eggs was high (60% for whites and 55% for yolks), followed by duck eggs (50% for whites and 30% for yolks). Moderate correlations were found between egg whites and egg yolks within each egg type. A negative correlation was found between henegg whites and duck egg yolks (r = -0.127), and hen and duck eggs showed a weak correlation (r = 0.169–0.259). Patients with multiple egg sensitizations had a higher prevalence of earlier age of first reaction (p = 0.049) and a maternal history of atopy (p = 0.03).CONCLUSION: This study suggests lower sensitization rates to duck eggs. Evaluating duck egg reactivity could benefit children with suspected hen’s egg allergy.

The humor immune response is mediated by antibodies synthesized as specific response against antigens. Our investigation aimed to emphasize the presence of the natural IgY antibodies from hen, quail, and duck eggs, and their molecular and morphological characterization. After the electrophoresis of the IgY antibody, three bands of samples from the hen, quail, and duck eggs were obtained. They correspond to heavy (H) and light (L) chains and trunk forms (? Fc), respectively. In ducks, the high frequency of the heavy trunk chains was recorded. The presence of the intermediary bands can be also observed, indicating the presence of the impurities in the immunoglobulin isolated from duck eggs in higher quantities compared to those recorded in hen and quail eggs. In the electron microscopy study of immunoglobulin, and from the images analyzed we can identify singular forms witch were morphological characterized. First, we observed the ”Y” antibodies forms but also the morphological aspects. From a detailed view of the images from this three species, we can observe particular aspects in the duck case. Electron microscopy images relieve great form similarity between quail and hen antibodies, and particular aspects in the duck case, where we can observe antibodies without terminal domains.

The effect of probiotic and synbiotic supplementation on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in diabetic patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Individual and joint effects of phthalate metabolites on biomarkers of oxidative stress among pregnant women in Puerto Rico

Introduction: Few studies have reported on the association between a systematic consumption of organic diet and human health effects. Pesticides, commonly used in conventional, but not in organic agriculture, could lead to generation of reactive oxygen species, indicative of oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. We aimed to evaluate the literature on the association between organic diet and biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity. Methods: Using PubMed, we searched for peer-reviewed articles that examined the influence of organic diet interventions in altering key biomarkers of oxidative stress, inflammation and antioxidant capacity in human studies; in-vitro and animal studies were excluded. Results: Only 9 relevant human studies were identified. Some of the biomarkers assessed in these articles were vitamins, cytokines, malondialdehyde and C-reactive protein. For most biomarkers, no statistically (p>0.05) significant differences were observed between conventional and organic diet interventions. In three crossover studies, organic diet resulted in significant (p<0.05) changes for markers of antioxidant capacity (vitamin B12, carotenoids, flavonols, total plasma antioxidant capacity), inflammatory biomarkers (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6 and -1) and for biomarkers of oxidative stress (protein oxidation). Conclusions: The small number of existing studies and their heterogeneity did not provide us with solid evidence on the association of organic diet with biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation. Randomized controlled human trials with sufficient power and long enough windows of monitoring exposures and biomarkers of effect should be implemented.

Oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers in normal and preeclamptic pregnancies

Amiodarone (AMD) is one of the highly effective antiarrhythmic agents used for treating refractory arrhythmias. It is well known to have long-term administration side effects such as nephrotoxicity. The possible ameliorative effects of antioxidant grape seed extract; on the extent of tissue damage in AMD-induced nephrotoxicity has not been investigated before. Twenty-four albino rats were used in this study and divided into four groups (n = 6). The 1st group served as an untreated control group, under the same laboratory conditions, the 2nd group received (100 mg/kg/day) of grape seed extract (GSE), the 3rd group, AMD-treated group, received AMD (40 mg/kg/day) and the 4th group received both AMD and GSE in the same doses as the previous groups. AMD-treated group showed abnormal glomerular capillaries with wrinkling basement membranes damaged mesangial cells and distorted proximal tubules with plenty of lysosomes. Ultrastructural alterations were also observed in this group. This was also associated with a significant increase in biomarkers of kidney injury (creatinine), oxidative stress ((Decreased SOD and increased MDA) and biomarkers of inflammation IL-6) in comparison to the control group. Supplementation of GSE to AMD group for eight weeks counteracted these effects. It caused an improvement in histological and t ultrastructure changes of the renal tissues associated with decreased creatinine and biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation in comparison to AMD-treated group. We conclude that GSE protects against AMD-induced kidney injuries in rats, which is associated with the inhibition of biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress.

In recent times, the consumption of quail egg has become a food fad, with little knowledgeable input, owing to the claim that it is lower in cholesterol than chicken egg, hence, there is need for more scientific basis to certify the preferred consumption of quail egg over chicken egg as a food fad which should be encouraged or a food fallacy that needs to be corrected. This study was therefore designed to determine the storage quality and cholesterol content of chicken and quail eggs during the two commonly used storage methods. Eggs of 53 weeks old chicken (ISA-Brown) and 9 weeks old quail (Japanese Breed) were analyzed for pH, microbial count and cholesterol content on the day of lay and weekly during cold (4°C) and room temperature (27°C) storage for 5 weeks using appropriate analytical kits. Data were analyzed using means, standard deviation and ANOVA. The pH of chicken egg albumin (CA) and chicken egg yolk (CY) at the day of lay (R0) were 7.48 and 5.65 respectively and these significantly increased to 12.31(CA); 9.56 (CY) and 8.94 (CA); 6.85(CY) at 5 weeks’ room temperature (R5) and cold (C5) storage respectively. The pH of quail egg albumin (QA) significantly increased from 8.67 at R0 to 12.99 at R5 and 9.83 at C5 while that of quail egg yolk (QY) increased from 5.92 at R0 to 10.00(R5) and 6.86(C5). Both eggs were sterile throughout the experimentation period. At R0, cholesterol content (mg/g) of CA, CY, QA and QY were 22.67, 33.67, 34.33 and 46.83 respectively; at R5 these significantly increased to 62.67(CA), 96.00(CY), 49.33(QA), 68.67(QY) and at C5 the values were 54.17(CA), 78.17(CY), 51.17(QA) and 68.00(QY). The reduced quality of the eggs with storage was not as a result of microbial invasion but of deteriorative reactions within the eggs. Though the cholesterol content of chicken egg was lower than that of quail egg at the day of lay it was significantly higher in chicken egg by the end of the 5 weeks storage period. However, fractionation of the cholesterol into the different types is recommended for a better understanding of the nutritional significance.

Astaxanthin supplementation mildly reduced oxidative stress and inflammation biomarkers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

This study was conducted to determine the effects of calcium plus vitamin D supplementation on inflammatory factors and biomarkers of oxidative stress among overweight vitamin D-deficient women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed among 104 overweight vitamin D-deficient women diagnosed with PCOS aged 18-40 years. Participants were randomly divided into four groups. Group A received 1000 mg calcium daily and vitamin D placebo weekly (N = 26), group B 50000 IU vitamin D weekly and calcium placebo daily (N = 26), group C 1000 mg calcium daily plus 50000 IU vitamin D weekly (N = 26) and group D calcium placebo daily plus vitamin D placebo weekly (N = 26) for 8 weeks. Fasting blood samples were taken at baseline and 8 weeks after intervention to measure inflammatory factors and biomarkers of oxidative stress. After 8 weeks, individuals taking calcium plus vitamin D supplements had greater decreases in homoeostatic model assessment beta-cell function (HOMA-B) score (-11·1 vs -8·6, -3·4 and 13·7, respectively, P = 0·03), serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (-948·3 vs 802·3, -383·8 and 618·2 ng/ml, respectively, P = 0·04) and plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations (-0·6 vs -0·5, -0·1 and 0·6 μmol/l, respectively, P = 0·009), and significant increases in plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (35·2 vs 21·1, 22·5 and -153·8 mmol/l, respectively, P = 0·006) and glutathione (GSH) levels (216·0 vs 3·9, -47·5 and -160·8 μmol/l, respectively, P = 0·001) compared with calcium alone, vitamin D alone and placebo groups. Calcium plus vitamin D cosupplementation did not influence plasma NO and catalase levels. We found that calcium plus vitamin D cosupplementation for 8 weeks among overweight and vitamin D-deficient women with PCOS had beneficial effects on inflammatory factor and biomarkers of oxidative stress.