PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The Lactobacillus strains tested in this study could be considered good potential probiotic candidates for food/feed industry because of their beneficial functional bioactivities such as good cholesterol-reducing ability, high antioxidant activity, and good and selective cytotoxic effect against cancer cells.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of the current study is to investigate and examine the oxidation status of dietary supplements containing fish oils and to identify important factors related to the oxidation status of such supplements available in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
METHODS: A total of 44 fish oil supplements were analysed in this study. For each product, the oxidative parameters peroxide value (PV), anisidine value (AV), and total oxidation (TOTOX) were calculated, and comparisons were made with the guidelines supplied by the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED). Median values for each of the above oxidative parameters were tested using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. P values < 0.05 were chosen as the statistically significant boundary.
RESULTS: The estimate for the average PV value was 6.4 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) [4.2-8.7] compared to the maximum allowable limit of 5 meq/kg. The estimate for the average P-AV was 11 with a 95% CI [7.8-14.2] compared to the maximum allowable limit of 20. The estimate for the average TOTOX value was 23.8 meq/kg with a 95% CI [17.4-30.3] compared to the maximum allowable limit of 26 according to the GOED standards.
CONCLUSION: This research shows that most, although not all, of the fish oil supplements tested are compliant with the GOED oxidative quality standards. Nevertheless, it is clear that there should be a high level of inspection and control regarding authenticity, purity, quality, and safety in the processes of production and supply of dietary supplements containing fish oils.
METHODS: We designed a comprehensive assessment system to evaluate the safety, authenticity according to label claim, and pharmaceutical quality of slimming nutraceuticals. Six different popular products were evaluated (Zotreem Plus®, Zotreem Extra®, Malaysian Super Slim®, AB Slim®, Chinese Super Slim®, and Metabolites®). The pharmaceutical evaluation included analyzing the samples via high-performance liquid chromatography to determine any possible adulterants. Additionally, the products' physical properties were assessed via pharmacopeial tests. Finally, a microbial evaluation and a cross-sectional observational retrospective prevalence study were conducted to assess the products' safety and efficacy. -Results: The tested products were found to be adulterated with unreported active pharmaceutical ingredients such as sibutramine, sildenafil, phenolphthalein, and orlistat. Furthermore, they contained heterogeneous amounts of adulterants and exhibited an unsatisfactory pharmaceutical and microbial quality. Finally, the observational survey conducted on users showed that high percentages of participants suffered from common side effects such as depression, diarrhea, and hypertension.
CONCLUSIONS: These products threaten the health of consumers. There is a need to raise awareness of the lethal consequences of illegal nutraceuticals.