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  Background & Objectives : Excessive amounts of nitrate and nitrite in food causes to increasing the risk of gut and intestinal cancer in adults and met-hemoglobinemia disease in infants. Human body intake about 80% of nitrate from fruits and vegetables. This research carried out with the aim of determining the nitrate concentration of fruits and vegetables consumed by Ardabil citizens and to compare with acceptable levels.

  Methods : Samples of fruits and vegetables were collected from 10 markets around Ardabil city in September and October of 2009. The samples were washed two times with tap and distilled water, dried at 55 ºC and their moisture content were measured. Samples were ground with regular and ball mills and 0.025 molar aluminum sulfate solution was used to extraction. Nitrate concentration of extracts was measured with anion selective apparatus with nitrate electrode. To investigate the possibility of nitrate intake reduction by peeling, the skin and meat of some fruits and vegetables samples were measured, separately. SPSS software was used for determining of mean and standard deviation of sample's nitrate concentration. Duncan multiple range test was used for grouping of fruits and vegetables in the respect of their nitrate concentration.

  Results : The concentration of nitrate in leafy vegetables was higher than those of root and glandy vegetables. Fruits had lower nitrate concentration than vegetables. The highest nitrate concentrations were observed in spring onion, purple headed cabbage, and spinach with the amounts of 1555.8, 1394.8, and 1021 mg/kg of wet weight and lowest belonged to red and golden apples with the amounts of 29.7 and 29.9 mg/kg, respectively. Most of fruits and vegetables samples had lower nitrate than acceptable levels.

  Conclusion: With regards to high consumption rate of some fruits and vegetables and great variation of nitrate concentration, additional investigation and permanent control of their nitrate concentration is necessary.

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  Background & objectives: Nitrate is one of the major contaminants in food and water. Excess intake of this substance can increase the risk of stomach cancer and also cause other health problems. The objectives of this study were estimation of dietary nitrate consumption in the Varzaghan with high and Parsabad with low stomach cancer incidence in country, and also the comparison dietary nitrate consumption with World Health Organization standards.

  Methods: In this comparative study performed during autumn and spring of 2011 about 216 food samples (including all food groups) and drinking water collected and their nitrate concentration was determined by colorimetric method. Then daily dietary consumption of nitrate calculated based on daily diet of each person (according to national study on food consumption pattern in Iran) and nitrate concentration in each group of food and drinking water.

  Results: Daily consumption of nitrate in Varzaghan and Parsabad was 8.53 ± 0.35 and 8.17 ± 0.54 mg per kg of body weight (of adults), respectively, which is much greater than the amount recommended by FAO/WHO (0-3.7 mg per kg of body weight). Significant difference was not observed in the dietary consumption of nitrate in two cities at studied period (P> 0.05).

  Conclusion: Despite of no significant difference in dietary consumption of nitrate in two cities, the daily consumption of nitrate in both of studied cities was significantly greater than the recommended level. Therefore monitoring sources of contamination and reduction of environmental pollution for decreasing food nitrate concentration are recommended.

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Background & objectives: The relationship between dietary patterns and esophageal cancer has not been documented yet. However, recent studies have shown that the Western dietary pattern is associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer. The current study was performed a comparative evaluation of the food habits and serum nitrate level in patients with esophageal cancer and healthy individuals in Gorgan city.
Methods: In a case-control study, 44 patients with esophageal cancer (the case group) and 44 healthy subjects (control group) were selected for one year in Gorgan city. Anthropometric factors were measured, and then demographic and dietary data were recorded using general and food frequency questionnaires (FFQs), respectively. Fasting blood samples from both groups were collected to measure serum nitrate levels. Data were analyzed by independent t-test, Chi-square, Fisher, and Monte Carlo tests.
Results: the mean weight, body mass index (BMI) and serum nitrate levels were statistically lower in the case group than in control group (p<0.05). Salt intake, smoking cigarette or hookah was higher in patients than in control group (p<0.05). Based on nutritional habits , consumption of bread , rice, saturated fats, hot tea, sausages and industrial soft drinks was statistically higher in the patient group than control group, but intake of vegetables, fruits, unsaturated fats, honey and grilled meat was lower in patients  than control group (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Consumption of fast foods, hot tea and saturated fats may be associated with esophageal cancer. Serum nitrate levels were lower in patients than control group, probably indicating the need for further research in this field.

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Background & objectives: Treatment of dysmenorrhea in women is aimed to bring them to their normal condition. In the present study, the effect of mefenamic acid, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, was compared with that of transdermal glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) as a tocolytic drug in the management of primary dysmenorrhea.
Methods: A total of 160 nulliparous women aged 18-30 years with primary dysmenorrhea were included in this single blind, clinical trial, which was carried out from 2014 to 2015. The patients were randomly divided into two equal groups. At the beginning of menstruation cycle, the patients in group A received 500 mg oral mefenamic acid, followed by 250 mg mefenamic acid every 6 hours. The patients in group B initially were administered 2.5 mg transdermal glyceryl trinitrate 0.2% every 12 hours to the abdominal skin under the umbilical cord. Treatment was continued for up to 48 hours and repeated for three cycles. Pain scores were assessed by Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) every 4 hours. Adverse effects such as headache and gastrointestinal disorders were recorded. The decrease of pain scale was the primary outcome and adverse effects were the secondary outcome.
Results: The mean pain severity score in in the first 24-hours in mefenamic acid group was lower than that of the glyceryl trinitrate group (p=0.01). On the second day, the mean pain severity scores were not significantly different between the two groups. The mean pain severity scores in the second day of second cycle (p<0.001) and in the first day of third cycle (p=0.001) were significantly lower in mefenamic acid group than in glyceryl trinitrate group. The side effects were also higher in the glyceryl trisitrate group than in the mefenamic acid group, but this difference was not statistically significant. The most common complication was headache in the group receiving glyceryl trinitrate (18.75%) and nausea in the group receiving mefenamic acid (26.25%). The satisfaction rate was 42.2% in the patients receiving transdermal glyceryl trinitrate, while it was 78.5% in patients receiving mefenamic acid; therefore, the patients in the mefenamic acid group were more satisfied (p=0.004).
Conclusion: The analgesic effects of oral mefenamic acid were better than transdermal glyceryl trinitrate in the management of primary dysmenorrhea. The adverse effects of these two drugs were not significantly different, but the type of complications was different in both groups.