A simple, sensitive, rapid and eco friendly micellar liquid chromatographic method was developed for the detection of banned color methyl orange in counterfeit saffron and prepared foodstuffs. Methyl orange (p-[[p-(dimethylamino) phenyl] azo] benzenesulfonic acid sodium salt) is a hazardous dye used in titration and is known to be used as common adulterant in counterfeit saffron and cooked foodstuffs like Jalebi (Indian sweet), mango shake, Namkeen (salted snacks), tomato ketchup and ice candy etc., due to its pleasant orange color. In the present work, methyl orange was detected in various food samples using direct injection micellar liquid chromatography without any pretreatment step. A C18 column with an optimum micellar mobile phase containing 0.05-M sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 2 % pentanol buffered to pH 7 was used. Detection was carried out at 458 nm. The retention time was 3.7 min without showing any matrix effect. Linearity (r > 0.9999), intraday and interday precision RSD (%) was less than 1.00 in micellar media. Limit of detection and quantification was found to be 0.05 mg/kg and 0.10 mg/ kg, respectively. Robustness study was also included as a part of method validation. The developed method proved to be reliable and sensitive for determination of methyl orange in real food samples.

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This study measured activities of serum enzymes alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), markers of liver function in albino rats after continuous ingestion of arsenic trioxide (As 2 0 3 ). For the study, treated animals were given AS 2 O 3 (0.2 mg/100 g/day) orally for 180 days. After the completion of treatment, the blood was collected for the estimation of serum biochemical markers. The results obtained were compared with control group. Data showed a significant increase in SGOT and SGPT activity after 60 days of As 2 0 3 administration. The level of alkaline phosphatase and acid phosphatase increased significantly after 90 and 120 days, respectively. Since the elevation of these serum enzymes is an indicator of hepatic damage, data indicate that As 2 O 3 produces hepatotoxicity. When taken continuously, arsenic was also deposited in liver and blood and affected the enzymatic pathways. Total accumulated arsenic was determined by HG-AAS at 193.7 nm. IntroductionArsenic (As) is ubiquitous in the environment, and humans are thus exposed to inorganic and organic As through medicinal, criminal, environmental, and occupational sources (Orloff, Mistry, and Metcalf 2009). More than 80% of As compounds are used to manufacture products with agricultural applications, such as insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, algaecides, sheep dips, wood preservatives, dyestuffs, and medicines for the eradication of tapeworms in sheep and cattle. However, for the general population, the main exposure to inorganic As is through ingestion of high metal-contaminated drinking water. Arsenic has been found in ground water in West Bengal and Bangladesh, and individuals using such water are suffering with arsenicosis (Mazumder et al. 1998;Rahman et al. 2002). The safety level of As in drinking water set by the WHO is 0.05 mg/L. Arsenic trioxide (As 2 O 3 ) is the most commonly used poison among As compounds, and known as sankhya or sankhia in Hindi and Sanskrit language. Arsenic trioxide is usually used as homicidal and suicidal poisoning. Moreover, its use as a chronic poison is common, because chronic As 2 O 3 poisoning resembles symptoms of death found in some wasting disease.

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