The objectives of this study were to determine the extent of organic food consumption in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), examine the consumers' perceptions of the effects of organic foods on human health and the environment, and investigate the factors that limit the consumption of organic foods. Five hundred questionnaires were randomly distributed to communities in the UAE from October to December 2013, and 266 questionnaires were completed and returned giving us a response rate of 53%. Our findings indicated that organic food is more recognized among the youth. Furthermore, organic fish, fruits, and chocolates are consumed more than other types of organic foods. Health and environmental awareness are the main reasons that people consume organic foods. Moreover, the development of society, an individual's social level and peers, and advertisements encourage people to buy organic foods by presenting the consumption of organic foods as a new trendy lifestyle that generates a type of prestige. Conversely, cost, availability, shelf life, taste, and a lack of knowledge are the main factors that limit the consumption of organic foods. We recommend that organic foods should be highlighted more through research, media, lectures, and health campaigns to enhance the public's knowledge of organic foods. Moreover, we believe that the cost of organic foods could be reduced by increasing the number of standard local organic food farms throughout the UAE.

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Background: Most of previous studies have used Immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) for quantitative determination of Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in the sera of gastric cancer patients, but no works were recorded the analysis of AFP in gastric cancer tissues by IRMA.The purposes of the present study were to measure AFP concentrations in cytosolic and nuclear fractions of gastric adenocarcinoma and gastric lymphoma tissues by binding to an 125 I-anti AFP antibody and to find out the optimum conditions for forming the 125 I-anti AFP antibody/AFP complex. Methods: Tumor tissue samples were taken from 14 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and 13 patients with gastric lymphoma. Preliminary tests of AFP binding to an 125 I-anti AFP antibody were performed. The optimum conditions, including the AFP concentration, 125 I-anti AFP antibody concentration, pH, temperature and time of binding the 125 I-anti AFP antibody with AFP in cytosolic and nuclear fractions of gastric cancer tissue homogenates were investigated. The stability of the 125 I-anti AFP antibody/AFP complex and the AFP recovery were also examined. Results: Comparison of biochemical studies for AFP in cytosolic and nuclear fractions of gastric adenocarcinoma and gastric lymphoma tissue homogenates showed that there were differences in AFP concentrations and the optimum conditions of binding with an 125 I-anti AFP antibody. Conclusion:The results revealed that the determination of AFP concentrations in gastric cancer tissues could be carried out by biochemical binding with an 125 I-anti AFP antibody. The binding percent values of the 125 I-anti AFP antibody/AFP complexes were increased at the optimum conditions.

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