Parasitic Contamination in Five Leafy Vegetables Collected from Open Marketplaces in Giza, Egypt
Journal Title: Journal of Food Quality and Hazards Control - Year 2023, Vol 10, Issue 1
Abstract
Background: Leafy vegetables could be contaminated with parasitic infective stages, making them possible sources of human parasitic infections. This study aimed to assess parasites contamination level among five different leafy vegetables collected from open marketplaces in Giza, Egypt. Methods: Hundred vegetable samples were collected from dill, parsley, coriander, rocca, and mint (20 of each). Samples were processed using sedimentation and concentration methods and the sediments were examined as wet smears either unstained or stained with Lugol's iodine. Also, modified trichrome and Ziehl-Neelsen stains were used to detect Microsporidia spores and coccidian oocysts. Statistical software SPSS version 20 was used for data analysis. Results: A total of 86% of the examined samples were found contaminated with parasite's eggs, cysts, oocysts, and larvae. Coriander was the most contaminated vegetable with contamination rate of 95% while dill was the least contaminated (80%). Also, protozoan parasites contamination rate (77.1%) was higher than helminths parasites contamination rate (22.9%). Entamoeba histolytica/dispar was the most prevalent parasite (40.6%) followed by Blastocystis hominis (39.5%), Ascaris lumbricoides (18.6%), Cyclospora spp. (15.11%), Giardia lamblia (11.6%), E. coli (9.3%); while Cryptosporidium spp., Iodamoeba bütschlii, Trichuris trichiura, Enterobius vermicularis, Fasciola, and hookworms’ eggs were the least prevalent parasites (1.1%). Conclusion: Leafy vegetables in Giza, Egypt had an extremely high parasite contamination rate. So, consuming such vegetables without proper washing facilitates transmission of parasitic infections which could pose a major health risk to Egyptians. DOI: 10.18502/jfqhc.10.1.11984
Authors and Affiliations
N. M. El-Sayed,S. S. Gawdat,H. S. El-Kholy,A. Elmosalamy,
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP714097
- DOI -
- Views 48
- Downloads 1
Traditional Fermented Indian Foods: A Treasure Hunt for Rare Lactic Acid Bacteria
This article has no abstract.
Qualitative Assessment of Cooking Oils Used by Street Food Vendors of Lahore, Pakistan
Background: Street foods have gained popularity around the world in the past few decades. The current study was carried out in order to quantitative analysis of used cooking oils by Street Food Vendors (SFVs) of Lahore,...
The Occurrence of Serotypes and Virulence Genes of Listeria monocytogenes in Various Food Products
Background: Given that controlling Listeria contamination is very important in food chain system, the knowledge of their prevalence in food is very important. Therefore, this study aims to examine the prevalence of impor...
Physical, Mechanical, and Antimicrobial Properties of Carboxymethyl Cellulose Edible Films Activated with Artemisia sieberi Essential Oil
Background: Edible films and coatings are biodegradable that can preserve the quality and extend the shelf life of foods. The aim of this study was to investigate the physical and mechanical properties, and antimicrobial...
Comparison of ELISA and PCR Assays for Detection of Pork Adulteration in Halal-Labelled Beef Products
Background: Food adulteration with pork in processed beef products is one of the most serious issues in a food sector in a Muslim-majority country since it is related to religious food ethics regarding the halal products...