The analysis of plant-based raw materials of unknown origin.

Chosen aspects of the safety of use of several herbs received from National Medicines Institute, which came from smuggling, have been examined. The analysis has been conducted in three different aspects: (1) Possibilities of contamination of plant-based raw materials by metals of heavy elements (As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb). (2) Conscious smuggling of intoxicating preparation or narcotics in plant-based raw materials.

Contribution of ALDH1A1 isozyme to detoxification of aldehydes present in food products.

Even though food awareness is so developed and more and more people pay attention to what their diet is composed of, it is not possible to exclude all potentially dangerous substances present in our diet. One group of such compounds may be aldehydes as several studies indicate that they can be mutagenic, carcinogenic, genotoxic and cytotoxic. These relatively reactive organic molecules are natural constituents of food.