Microbial and Health Evaluation for Energy Drinks in the Iraqi Markets

Abstract

The present study was conducted in the laboratory of food science Department-College of Agriculture- University of Tikrit. It involved microbial and health evaluation of energy drinks in Iraqi markets. The aim of the study was to estimate the concentrations of some heavy elements in the types of the studied beverages, to determine the overall numbers of the microbial pollutants, and to indicate the influence of the estimated of heavy metals in the beverages upon physiological and biochemical properties on the rabbits as laboratory animals. Beside the appreciation of the bacterial isolates in the intestine of animals to the extent its balance.Four samples for the most prevalent and desired beverages by the consumers from different origins were collected by ten cans for each type.The results showed that the pH values of the energy drinks Redbull, Bison, Power and TNT, were 3.9, 3.6, 4.0 and 3.8, respectively, also the results showed that the concentration of the heavy elements in the energy drinks are within the permitted limits according to GSO for energy drinks. Four types of anaerobic and optional anaerobic bacteria were sacked from the studied beverages as Clostridium difficile, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus , Lactobacillus sakeii.There was no significant difference in the relative weight for the heart, spleen, kidney and liver in the groups that was given energy drinks for different concentrations. The blood criteria cleared that the oral dosage of drinks had caused a decline moral in the WBCs, RBCs, Hb, PCV and MCHC. While there was a rise in the rate of legal size of MCV and MCH pellet compared with the value in animal control group. The impact of oral dosing of drinks was cleared in rising the value of the concentration each of total protein, albumin, urea and Glucose and decreasing the Globulin concentration value.The effectiveness values of the enzymes Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartames aminotransferase (AST) and Alkaline phosphatase (AP) had a moral decreasing with increasing the given concentration of energy drinks. Also the results showed the existence of two types of intestinal bacteria Shigella sonnei , E.coli, and Citrobacter freundii.