Papers by Paul Nisianakis
Frontiers in Chemistry, 2021
The accumulation of hazardous contaminants in Cannabis sativa L. raises warning signs regarding p... more The accumulation of hazardous contaminants in Cannabis sativa L. raises warning signs regarding possible adverse effects on human health due to the consumption of herbal medicines and/or other herbal edible products made from cannabis. Thus, there is an urge to investigate the levels of hazardous contaminants, such as heavy metals, in cannabis plant. In the present study, 29 macro and trace elements, including both beneficial and toxic elements (heavy metals and metalloids), were investigated in 90 samples of Cannabis sativa L. collected from Greece. According to the results, the detected concentrations of macro elements in the leaves/flowers of cannabis ranged between 28 and 138,378 ppm, and of trace elements between 0.002 and 1352.904 ppm. Although the concentrations of elements varied among the samples, their accumulation pattern was found to be similar, with the contribution of toxic elements to the total concentration of trace elements being below 1%. The detected levels of the...
Biological Trace Element Research, 2008
Despite substantial interest in the trace element content of eggs by poultry breeders, nutritioni... more Despite substantial interest in the trace element content of eggs by poultry breeders, nutritionists, and environmental scientists, available data about trace elements levels in eggs are scarce. Trace element contents in yolk and albumen of chicken, turkey, duck, goose, and pigeon eggs were analyzed to establish a baseline dataset and assess differences among trace element content in avian species. We measured the selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and thallium (Tl) contents in both yolk and albumen by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. One hundred twenty eggs deriving from 24 birds of each species, reared in the same poultry farm in northern Greece, were used; bird feed was common and based on cereals and legumes and contained no added vitamins or microminerals. Trace element contents in yolks were far higher than those in albumen, except for V and Ni. In yolks, the highest content for Se, Mo, and Tl were in pigeon eggs, for Zn, Mn, Cu, and Cr in turkey eggs, and for Co and Ni in goose eggs. In albumen, Se was highest in duck eggs, while Zn, Mn, and Co in pigeon ones. It is concluded that there is a substantial, up to threefold, variation for trace element contents in eggs among different domestic avian species offered the same feed.
International journal of clinical practice, 2012
Aims: To test whether selenium administration affects autoantibodies to thyroid peroxidase (anti... more Aims: To test whether selenium administration affects autoantibodies to thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and thyroglobulin (anti-TG) titres in chronic autoimmune (Hashimoto's - HT) thyroiditis. Methods: A prospective, open-label, quasi-randomised study in 86 HT patients (n = 86) assigned to either selenomethionine (Seme) 200 μg daily for 3 months (Se3, n = 15) or 6 months (Se6, n = 46) or placebo (Control, n = 25). Serum Se, anti-TPO, anti-TG and thyroid hormones were measured in all patients at baseline, 3 and 6 months. A subgroup of 18 patients (twelve on Se6 and six controls) were subjected in thyroid fine-needle biopsy at baseline and 6 months to detect changes in lymphocyte infiltration. Results: No significant difference in anti-TPO levels was recorded after 3 (p = 0.88) or 6 months (p = 0.62) on Seme. Anti-TG levels decreased both at 3 months (p = 0.001) and 6 months (p = 0.001). No significant changes in thyroid stimulating hormone, free thyroxine and free triiodothyron...
Biological trace element research, 2013
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the association between lithium levels in the pu... more The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the association between lithium levels in the public water supply and prefecture-based suicide rates in Greece. Analyses were conducted with respect to lithium levels in 149 samples from 34 prefectures of Greece. The average lithium level was 11.10 μg/l (range 0.1 to 121 μg/l). The results indicate that there is a tendency for lower suicide rates in the prefectures with high levels of lithium in drinking water. Ecological studies explained by researchers Schrauzer and Shrestha have revealed the existence of statistically significant inverse associations between the lithium levels in drinking water and the incidence of suicides, homicides, rapes, possession of narcotic drugs, and in juveniles, the rates of runaway from home. Such a result of inverse relationship was not proven by Kabacs et al., most likely because the differences of the lithium levels in the selection of their case-control samples were not large enough. In addition, pr...
Biological Trace Element Research, 2015
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the association between lithium levels in the pu... more The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the association between lithium levels in the public water supply and incidences of homicide in Greece. A total of 149 samples of drinking water were collected from 34 out of 52 prefectures, and data for homicides were taken from National Statistic Service of Greece (Hellenic Statistical Authority-EL.STAT). The average lithium level was 11.10 μg/l (SD = 21.16). The results indicate that there is a tendency for lower mean number of homicides in the prefectures with high levels of lithium in drinking water (R 2 =0.054, β=−0.38, p=.004). Considering the results of our previous study, which showed an inverse association between the lithium levels in drinking water and the incidence of suicide, homicide, rape, and drug abuse, we suggest that natural lithium level intake may influence impulsiveness, a factor that mediate to the manifestation of both suicidality and aggressiveness.
Food Chemistry, 2009
... The trace elements selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), molybd... more ... The trace elements selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), molybdenum ... Coffin (1975) is a unique exception, since they have measured the concentration of conventional ... were higher, whilst Cr and Cd values were similar to the values reported by ...
Child Care Health and Development
Childhood lead poisoning remains a critical environmental health concern because even low blood l... more Childhood lead poisoning remains a critical environmental health concern because even low blood lead levels (BLLs) can result in permanent adverse health effects. Social factors and living conditions have been correlated with BLLs. There is no recent survey about the prevalence of elevated BLLs among children in Greece. The purpose of this study was to assess BLLs among children aged 6-36 months born and living in Greece and to evaluate their association with demographic, socio-economic and housing conditions. In a cross-sectional hospital-based study including 814 randomly selected children aged 6-36 months, BLLs and haematological parameters were evaluated. A questionnaire investigating demographic and socio-economic conditions was completed in all children. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA for Windows v.8.5, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The mean BLLs of the population were 2.78 (SD = 2.34) µg/dl, and the median was 2.02 µg/dl; 11.7% had ...
We investigated the contents in yolk and albumen of the trace minerals Se, Zn, Mn, Co, Cu, Mo, V,... more We investigated the contents in yolk and albumen of the trace minerals Se, Zn, Mn, Co, Cu, Mo, V, Cr, Ni, Tl, As and Cd in eggs from hens from three husbandry systems by ICP-MS. Conventional hens were given a commercial feed with added minerals, organic hens were given a feed based on organic feedstuffs also with added minerals, and courtyard hens were fed on cereals, legumes, grass and swill. Dietary Se, Zn, Mn, Co and Cu concentrations were lower in courtyard compared to conventional and organic diets; Cr concentration was highest in courtyard compared to organic diet. Trace element contents in yolks were higher than those in albumen. The highest content of Se in yolks was in organic, followed by conventional eggs. Zn contents were highest in courtyard yolk, followed by conventional, which in turn was higher than organic. Mn yolk contents were lowest in courtyard eggs; Cr contents were highest in courtyard eggs. The differences in albumen were in Zn and Cr values, which were highest in courtyard eggs. Nhe results provide baseline measurements of trace mineral contents of eggs and suggest measurable differences amongst eggs from hens in different husbandry systems; the physiological significance of these differences are discussed.
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Papers by Paul Nisianakis