Background: Silver has been used from ancient times by humans, and recently nanoparticles of silver have been used in many aspects of human life including as a potent antibacterial agent. Objectives: In the current study a completely green method to prepare silver nanoparticles is reported. Two types of starches (potato and corn starches) were used to produce and stabilize silver nanoparticles. Antimicrobial activities of prepared nanofoods were investigated. Materials and Methods: Nanosilver particles have been produced using high temperature water containing bulk silver nitrate and starch sources. Presence of nanosilver containing particles and formation of the nanoparticles were confirmed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, respectively. The anti-bacterial activity of emulsions made from nanoparticles containing starches was evaluated by assessing minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against the studied standard, and pathogenic bacteria. Results: Findings of the current study indicated that the size and shape of silver nanoparticles depended on the type of starch. For example for a special type of potato starch the cubic silver nanoparticles were obtained whereas for other types of potato starch and corn starch spherical silver nanoparticles were produced. Nanoparticle sizes were mainly about 20 nm, but ranging from 2-30 nm in different situations. Due to the biocompatibility of starch synthesized silver nanoparticles, this method can be used for medicinal purposes. Both kinds of nanosilver containing starch sources have excellent antibacterial activity.Conclusions: The current study indicated that silver nanoparticles produced using different starches had strong antibacterial activities on the studied standard and pathogenic bacteria including gram positive and gram negative.

Background: foods go through many changes from production to table and continuous control is necessary to maintain food safety and supply foods with good quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of some foods with high consumption in Zanjan city within 5 years from 2009 to 2013.Methods: In a case-control descriptive study with an annually- controlled program within 5 years from 2009 to 2014, some food samples including pasteurized milk, vegetable oils, flour, kebab, salt, confectionary products and a special cookie called nan-chay were collected and analyzed in food control laboratory of Zanjan university of medical sciences.Results: According to national standard of Iran, of Nan-chay, salt, vegetable oils, kebab, confectionary products, and pasteurized milk samples 68.4%, 46%, 24.3%, 10.4%, 9.3%, 5% were out of national standard limits and unacceptable, respectively.All flour samples had good standard quality. Mean ± sd values of pH in Nan-chay samples were 7.5 and 1.19, respectively. Mean ± sd values of the degree of purity in salt samples were 98.21 and 1.75, respectively.Conclusion: Results showed that among the 7 types of collected foods in Zanjan city, the most nonstandard cases were of Nan-chay samples and the best quality was seen in flour samples.

Numerous studies have shown growing information indicating the contribution of food to the dietary exposure of arsenic (As) through consumption of different food items in many different regions over the world. However, few review papers with regard to As in Sri Lankan foods are available in databases. Thus, a critical review and assessment of a number of local studies on total As concentrations has been made in rice, fish and fisheries products, vegetables, and other food products from Sri Lanka. From a limited comparison of freshwater fish with two marine species, the tuna and rays have substantially higher total As concentrations than all the freshwater species analyzed. One of the more important findings is that rice, the staple food of the country, is a major contributor to total As exposure of the population. Hence, based on the assessment of available data for total As levels in the various foods analyzed, it is suggested that a shift in a staple food diet of rice to one of maize and multi-cereal grains could lead to a reduction in total As exposure to the general population. Furthermore, important information gaps were identified such as a total lack of corresponding data for total As in Sri Lankan fruit crops, and a major one being the present lack of any information on the various inorganic and organic As species in local foods. Finally, some suggestions are made for giving guidance in agricultural practices which will lead to a reduction in As inputs to the local farmlands. This data compilation and assessment serves as an initial baseline for comparison with As results from future monitoring and research studies in Sri Lanka.