title: Urinary melamine: proposed parameter of melamine adulteration of food.
abstract: Melamine is widely being reported as a food adulterant. Although its toxicity is currently recognized, melamine adulterations of food items are ongoing for falsely inflating the protein content of the food. Melamine alone or in combination with cyanuric acid or uric acid causes nephrotoxicity, and melamine-induced nephrotoxicity is now a global concern. It has been proven that when consumed, melamine is metabolized at a slower rate and excreted unchanged in urine. There is every possibility that when individuals consume melamine-adulterated food items, the melamine may be excreted unchanged in the urine. Therefore, melamine estimation in urine may be a yardstick to check for melamine adulteration of food items. In the present review, recent literature on this subject is analyzed justifying.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine and Biotechnology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Nitish
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine and Biotechnology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. Electronic address: dibyajyoti5200@yahoo.co.in.
authors.forename: Dibyajyoti
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Mullana, Ambala, India.
authors.forename: Rajasri
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bhattacharyya
mesh_terms: D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D014227:Triazines / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D014227:Triazines; C011907:melamine
keywords: Cyanuric acid; Food adulteration; Melamine; Nephropathy; Uric acid