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Although sushi is considered as a healthy food, it can also be a route of exposure to chemical contaminants such as potentially toxic trace elements. In this study, we analysed the concentration of Cd, I, Ni, Pb and total Hg, as well as iAs and MeHg in sushi samples. Iodine levels were higher in samples containing seaweed, while iAs concentrations were greater in rice-containing sushi. In turn, total Hg and MeHg were significantly higher in sushi samples with tuna. Health risks of sushi consumption were assessed for three population groups: children, adolescents and adults. Considering an average intake of 8 sushi pieces for adults and adolescents, and 3 sushi pieces for children, the estimated exposure to MeHg by adolescents exceeded the tolerable daily intake set by EFSA, while MeHg intake by children and adults was below, but close to that threshold. A relatively high daily exposure of Ni and Pb was also found, especially for adolescents. Since this study focused only on the consumption of sushi, the contribution of other food groups to the overall dietary exposure should not be disregarded. It might lead to an exposure to MeHg and other trace elements above the health-based guideline values.

In the latter half of the 1950s, a large amount of methylmercury (MeHg) was discharged directly into Minamata Bay, Japan by a chemical factory, resulting in the contamination of the fish and shellfish. Ultimately, an outbreak of MeHg intoxication, called Minamata disease, occurred. From 1977 to 1988, the Kumamoto Prefectural Government dredged and transferred sediments exceeding 25 mu g/g of total mercury (THg, dry basis) into a strictly segregated area of the bay near the wastewater outlet, then this area was landfilled. We conducted analyses of the mercury speciation in preserved Minamata Bay sludge samples (collected from inside of the bay prior to the termination of the remediation project; n = 4) and recent Minamata Bay sediments (collected outside the dredging area of the bay; n = 5) to evaluate the potential risk of the sludge/sediment leakage from the reclaimed land to the Minamata Bay. Median THg (dry basis) concentrations were 241 mu g/g for the preserved sludge, 6.1 mu g/g for the recent Minamata Bay sediments, and 0.18 mu g/g for a single control sample; median MeHg concentrations (percentage of MeHg in THg) were 108 ng/g (0.031%), 3.7 ng/g (0.12%), and 0.71 ng/g (0.41%), respectively. In all the samples, the MeHg% decreased exponentially with increasing THg concentration. The extractability of THg from each sample into seawater was shown to be much lower than that of MeHg. The extracted MeHg was 0.86% for the preserved sludge, 4.57% for the recent Minamata Bay sediments, and 7.89% for the control. The predominant chemical form of mercury in the preserved sludge containing the highest THg concentration was found to be stable beta-mercury sulfide (HgS) based on transmission electron microscopy linked with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (TEM-EDX) and X-r

Generally, dietary intake assessment and risk characterization are evaluated using contaminant concentration in raw fish while it is usually ingested cooked, which can cause an overestimation because one of the essential issues for risk-benefit analysis is to determine the maximum amount of a contaminant that can be released from the food matrix and be absorbed by the human body, called bioaccessibility. Moreover, despite most seafood products are cooked before consumption, risk assessment is still evaluated in raw products, strongly affecting public health guidelines. In the present study, an in vitro bioaccessibility assay was performed for Galaxolide (HHCB) in fish samples. Raw spiked hake samples were in vitro digested and aliquots of each fraction of the digestion process were analysed. HHCB was quantitatively present in the bioaccessibility fraction. The effect of fish cooking on HHCB was also evaluated in cod and mackerel samples. Results demonstrate that steaming and grilling processes lead to a loss of 50-70% HHCB in fish.

To evaluate whether increases in the consumption of cardioprotective food groups (virgin olive oil, nuts, fruits/vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish, and wine) are associated with improvements in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) functions in high cardiovascular risk subjects.The association between 1-year changes in food group consumption and HDL functionality traits in 296 high cardiovascular risk subjects is assessed. Increases in virgin olive oil (10 g d-1 ) and whole grain consumption (25 g d-1 ) are associated with increments in cholesterol efflux capacity (+0.7%, P = 0.026, and +0.6%, P = 0.017, respectively). Increases in nut (30 g d-1 ) and legume intake (25 g d-1 ) are linked to increments in paraoxonase-1 activity (+12.2%, P = 0.049, and +11.7%, P = 0.043, respectively). Legume intake increases are also related to decreases in cholesteryl ester transfer protein activity (-4.8%, P = 0.028). Fish consumption increments (25 g d-1 ) are associated with increases in paraoxonase-1 activity (+3.9%, P = 0.030) and declines in cholesteryl ester transfer protein activity (-1.6%, P = 0.021), HDL cholesterol concentrations (-1.1%, P = 0.039), and functions related to HDL levels (cholesterol efflux capacity, -1.1%, P = 0.010).Increases in the consumption of virgin olive oil, nuts, legumes, whole grains, and fish (achievable through a regular diet) were associated with improvements in HDL functions in high cardiovascular risk subjects.© 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The activity of stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1), the central enzyme in the synthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), has been associated with de novo lipogenesis. In experimental models SCD1 is down-regulated by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), but clinical studies are scarce. The effect of long-chain n-3 PUFA (LCn-3PUFA) supplied by the regular diet, in the absence of fatty fish or fish oil supplementation, remains to be explored.We related 1-y changes in plasma SCD1 index, as assessed by the C16:1n-7/C16:0 ratio, to both adiposity traits and nutrient intake changes in a sub-cohort (n = 243) of non-hypertriglyceridemic subjects of the PREDIMED (PREvención con DIeta MEDiterranea) trial.After adjustment for confounders, including changes in fasting triglycerides, plasma SCD1 index increased in parallel with body weight (0.221 [95% confidence interval, 0.021 to 0.422], P = 0.031) and BMI (0.115 [0.027 to 0.202], P = 0.011). Additionally, dietary LCn-3PUFA (but not MUFA or plant-derived PUFA) were associated with decreased plasma SCD1 index (-0.544 [-1.044 to -0.043], P = 0.033, for each 1 g/d-increase in LCn-3PUFA). No associations were found for other food groups, but there was a trend for fatty fish intake (-0.083 [-0.177 to 0.012], P = 0.085, for each 10 g/d-increase).Our data add clinical evidence on the down-regulation of plasma SCD1 index by LCn-3PUFA in the context of realistic changes in fish consumption in the customary, non-supplemented diet.http://www.Controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN35739639.Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.