Assessment of Heavy Metals Concentration and Health Risks of Selected Vegetables Sold In Jos Metropolis

Research article | DOI: https://doi.org/10.31579/2694-0248/072

Assessment of Heavy Metals Concentration and Health Risks of Selected Vegetables Sold In Jos Metropolis

  • Olufunso Adeniyi 1*
  • David Bayo 1
  • Adebayo Adeniyi 2
  • Kingsley Okeke-Agulu 1

1Montane Forest Research Station, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, P.M.B. 2019, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.
2Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jos, P.M.B. 2084, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding Author: Olufunso Adeniyi, Montane Forest Research Station, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, P.M.B. 2019, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria;

Citation: Olufunso Adeniyi, David Bayo, Adebayo Adeniyi, Kingsley Okeke-Agulu(2021) Assessment of Heavy Metals Concentration and Health Risks of Selected Vegetables Sold In Jos Metropolis. Archives of Medical Case Reports and Case Study. 4(5); DOI:10.31579/2694-0248/072

Copyright: © 2021 Olufunso Adeniyi, This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Received: 26 July 2021 | Accepted: 23 August 2021 | Published: 30 August 2021

Keywords: daily intake; environmental pollution; hazard quotient; health risk; heavy metals concentration; vegetables

Abstract

This study revolved around environmental pollution caused by heavy metals and the health risks posed to humans by the consumption of contaminated vegetables commonly sold in Jos, Nigeria. Vegetables studied  (Apium graveolens - Celery, Hibiscus cannabinus - kenaf, Hibiscus sabdariffa - Sorrel or Roselle, Allium fistulosum - Spring Onions leaves and bulbs, Sesamum radiatum - Sesamum leaves) were obtained from major markets within Jos metropolis. They were washed, air-dried, homogenized, and stored in air-tight bottles. Their concentrations of heavy metals (Zn, Fe, Mn, As, Cd, Pb, Cr, and Cu), were determined using a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer, and their health risks were evaluated through daily intake and hazard quotient. The vegetables analyzed gave different concentrations of heavy metals with their values falling within the FAO/WHO permissible limits. The highest concentration of Iron (0.515±0.003 mg/kg) and Cadmium (0.095±0.006 mg/kg) were found in Celery, while Kenaf had the highest copper (0.030±0.008 mg/kg) concentration. Zinc was higher in all the vegetables when compared to the other metals. The daily intake values of all the metals examined exceeded the maximum tolerable daily intake (MTDI) except for copper.  Hazard quotient values of all the metals were less than 1 except As, Cd, and Zn which were found to be greater, thereby signifying health risk potentials of these metals. The study, therefore, revealed that consumption of these vegetables could constitute potential health hazards to the well-being of the consumers.

Abbreviations

WHO – World Health Organization 

FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization

MTDI -Maximum Tolerable Daily Intake 

NIMET – Nigerian Meteorological Agency 

AOAC – Association of Official Chemists 

DIM – Daily intake of metals 

US EPA – United States Environmental Protection Agency 

HQ – Hazard quotient 

DIV – Daily intake of vegetables

Cmetal – Concentration of metal in the vegetable

Bo – Human body weight

RfD – Oral reference dose for metals 

ASTDR – Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

Fe – Iron

Cu – Copper 

As – Arsenic 

Cd – Cadmium 

Zn – Zinc 

Pb – Lead 

Mn – Manganese

Cr – Chromium

1.0 Introduction

Vegetables are the fresh and consumable parts of herbaceous plants (Mafuyai et al., 2019). They are known to play an important role in human nutrition as they are sources of minerals, vitamins, dietary fibers, and phytochemicals to name a few. They are used to improve soup quality, also used as preventive and curative measures against diseases by acting as antioxidants, phytoestrogens, and anti-inflammatory agents (Slavin and Lloyd, 2012; Egharevba et al., 2017). Adults and children are advised to consume vegetables regularly because they add variety and flavor to food and are also required for a healthy diet (Skerrett and Willett, 2010; Njoku et al., 2017).

Heavy metals are trace metals that can be poisonous at low concentrations. They are deleterious to human health (Jaishankar et al., 2014) and usually have a density that is about five times the density of water (Bedassa et al., 2017). They are naturally present in the earth crust (Jaishankar et al., 2014) and can be released through natural weathering processes and anthropogenic activities such as mining, smelting of metal scraps, use of agrochemicals, sludge dumping, exhaust from vehicles among others (Tchounwou et al., 2012; Ogundiran and Osibanjo, 2008). They have become a crucial environmental issue as they are one of the major contaminants of food supply among a vast array of environmental pollutants. They are persistent, non-biodegradable (Singh et al., 2011), and toxic as they have the potential to bio-accumulate in different organs of the body thereby causing side effects which are grossly injurious. Though heavy metals are useful industrially, the consumption of food plants (such as vegetables) grown in metal contaminated soil is a source of exposure to these toxic metals (Bedassa et al., 2017). Other sources include drinking contaminated water, dust inhalation, direct ingestion of polluted soil (Dafaelseed et al., 2007), use of contaminated irrigation water, pesticide application (Onakpa et al., 2018), and vehicle emission. Some cases of poisoning through exposure to heavy metals have been reported in Nigeria, they include the Zamfara lead poisoning and increase in cancer prevalence among the populace (Bayo et al., 2021).   

Jos is the administrative capital city of Plateau State in central Nigeria; it has a climate that is more temperate than other parts of the country (Lenka et al., 2018), this has enabled the growth of exotic fruits and vegetables. Most of the farmers depend heavily on agrochemicals (Lenka et al., 2018) and convey their vegetables to markets within Jos and neighboring cities for sale. Jos was also known for large-scale tin mining during the pre-colonial era; this has left a lot of abandoned mining ponds in various settlements within the city (Joseph et al., 2016; Lar et al., 2014).

Heavy metals contaminate vegetables when their concentrations are greater than the permissible limits. They may be deposited on surfaces of vegetables and then absorbed into the tissues (Singh et al., 2011) thereby bio-accumulating. This can cause clinical problems in men and animals (Lenka et al., 2018) that consume such vegetables. As a result of the dearth of scientific information, this research aimed to evaluate the concentration of some heavy metals in the vegetables commonly consumed in Jos Nigeria, not undermining their comparison to WHO/FAO limits and health risks. 

2.0 Materials and Methods

2.1 Study Area

This study was carried out within the city of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Jos is found within 9o561N and 8 o531E; it lies on the Delimi River, it is about 1280 m above sea level with an average monthly temperature of 21oC – 25oC and annual rainfall of about 1400mm (NIMET, 2017; Lenka et al., 2018; Bayo et al., 2021). A lot of mining activities by foreign companies and other small-scale artisans started in Jos (and Plateau State as a whole) around the colonial era, these have left a lot of waste dumps and ponds that are no longer in use. Most of these ponds now serve as irrigation channels for watering crops planted by the farmers. The mining activities also led to the contamination of the environment by metals that were released unto the surface (Joseph et al., 2016; Lenka et al., 2018). Wastewater from other industries within the metropolis is also channeled into streams which some farmers use for irrigation (Dabak et al., 2013; Bayo et al., 2021). Farmers around Jos are also known to collect manure, inorganic fertilizers, town refuse ash, and farm waste ash. They combine all these and use them as manure to improve soil fertility; these eventually raise the concentration of heavy metals in the soils on which vegetables are grown (Egharevba et al., 2017).

2.2 Sample Collection and Preparation: 

Fresh samples of five (5) vegetables were purchased from five (5) major markets located in Jos. The markets include the Building materials (Express) market, Farin gada market, Bukuru (Kugia) market, Terminus market, and Fobur market. Each of the vegetables was randomly purchased from three (3) traders in each of the markets; they were placed in labeled polythene bags and taken to the laboratory (Adedokun et al., 2016; Alliea, 2014; Bayo et al., 2021).

These vegetables are majorly consumed in some parts of northern Nigeria but they are lesser-known and underutilized in other parts of the country. They were washed with tap and distilled water on reaching the laboratory to remove unwanted adhered particles. Each of the vegetables was made into a composite sample; edible parts (leaves and stalks) were cut into smaller pieces with a stainless knife and air-dried for about two weeks. They were later homogenized using a grinder, stored in air-tight bottles, and labeled. Representative samples were subsequently analyzed.

2.3 Digestion of Samples:

0.2 g of the homogenized vegetable samples were weighed separately into dried Kjeldhal flasks; 1 mL perchloric acid and 5 mL nitric acid were added to each of the flasks, the mixtures were stirred and boiled on a Kjeldhal heater in a fume cupboard. They were later cooled; the content of each flask was filtered into a 100 mL volumetric flask and diluted to mark with deionized water. 

2.4 Heavy Metals Analyses: 

Each solution was separated into triplicates in sample bottles for metal analyses. The concentrations of the following heavy metals (copper, arsenic, zinc, lead, iron, manganese, chromium, and cadmium) were determined using a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer - PG500, PG Instruments Ltd., Leicestersire, England (AOAC, 1975; Bayo et al., 2021). 

2.5 Determination of Oral Intake of Metals: 

This was calculated using the method of Cui et al. (2004) as described by Jolly et al. (2013) and Lar et al. (2014). 

Daily intake of metals (DIM) = daily vegetable consumption x mean vegetable metal concentration (mg/day, fresh weight)                [i]

The recommended amount of vegetables in man’s daily diet is 300 – 350g per person (WHO, 2001). Lar et al. (2014) however estimated a value of 61.5 g/day as the vegetable consumed by Nigerians because Africans consume fewer amounts of vegetables. 

2.6 Determination of health risk index of metal contamination of vegetables: 

The risk posed on human health as a result of consuming metal-contaminated vegetables was calculated using the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA, 1989) Hazard Quotient (HQ) as described by Jolly et al. (2013) and Lar et al. (2014). If the hazard quotient is lower than one (1), no risks would be observed. Hazard quotient is calculated using the following equation: 

HQ =       

.

                             [ii]

Where Div = daily intake of vegetables or DIM - the daily intake of metal through the vegetables (mg/day); Cmetal = concentration of metal in the vegetable (mg/kg); Bo = human body weight (kg); an average human weight of 65 kg for an average adult has been assumed (Jolly et al., 2013; Lar et al, 2014). RfD = oral reference dose for metals (mg/kg of body weight/day), Arsenic - 0.0003, Cadmium - 0.0010, Chromium - 0.0030, Copper - 0.0400, Iron - 0.7000, Lead - 0.0040, Manganese- 0.1400 and Zinc - 0.3000 mg/kg/day (US EPA, 1997; Cui et al., 2004; Wilbur et al., 2008; Sharma et al., 2016; US EPA, 2015; RSL, 2020; Bayo et al., 2021). 

2.7 Statistical Analysis:

Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (measurement of central tendency and dispersion). 

3.0 Results and Discussion

3.1 The concentration of Heavy Metals in the Vegetable Samples: 

Figure 1 shows that the mean concentration of heavy metals varied among the different vegetables analyzed, while Table 3 shows the FAO/WHO permissible limits to which they were compared. Most of the metals fell within the limits; Celery had the highest concentration of iron (0.515±0.003 mg/kg) and cadmium (0.095±0.006 mg/kg); Kenaf had the highest copper concentration of (0.030±0.008 mg/kg). The concentration of zinc in all the vegetables was higher when compared to the other metals (but still fell within the permissible limit); this could be due to the high absorption capabilities of the vegetables to zinc. Lar et al. (2014) who analyzed heavy metals in urban soils and vegetables in Jos metropolis also reported a high absorption capacity of lettuce and spinach for zinc. Zinc is quite essential for human health, its low concentration in humans could cause birth defects, loss of appetite, slow wound healing, and skin sores while its high concentration can also pose danger to unborn and newborn children (Lar et al., 2014). The lowest concentration of lead (0.025±0.004 mg/kg) was observed in Sesamum leaves, the highest manganese level of 0.335±0.015 mg/kg was present in spring onion leaves, while spring onion bulbs had the lowest concentration of chromium - 0.020±0.003 mg/kg. Celery and Kenaf were found to contain high levels of arsenic (0.185±0.005 mg/kg and 0.160±0.017 mg/kg respectively) which are quite close to the permissible limit of 0.2 mg/kg. Though arsenic is important for growth and reproduction, long-term oral exposure to inorganic arsenic causes dark patches on the skin and cancer (ASTDR, 2007; Bayo et al., 2021). These high levels could be due to the presence of pollutants in the soil on which the vegetables were grown, the use of contaminated irrigation water, or in the agrochemicals administered (Elbagermi et al., 2012). 

3.2 Daily Intake of Metals: 

The result of the Daily Intake of Metals (DIM) from each of the vegetables sampled is shown in Figure 2 while their Maximum tolerable daily intake is shown in Table 4.  Comparing the values for the daily intake of metals analyzed in this present study to the maximum tolerable daily intake (MTDI) values reported by Shaheen et al. (2016) (who determined the health risk implications of heavy metals present in fruits and vegetables studied in Bangladesh); only the values for copper in all the vegetables fell below the limit of 30 mg/day. The daily intake values for zinc exceeded the 60 mg/day limit ranging from 64.268 -81.180 mg/day. Arsenic and cadmium also exceeded their limits ranging from 5.535-11.378 mg/day and 1.784-5.843 mg/day respectively. The other metals (Mn, Pb, and Cr) followed a similar trend. Shaheen et al. (2016) reported mean estimated daily intake values of the sequence Mn˃Cu˃Zn˃Ni˃Cr˃Pb˃Cd˃As; while the sequence exhibited in this study is Zn˃Fe˃Mn˃As˃Cd˃Pb˃Cr˃Cu.

3.3 Health Risk Index of metal contamination of vegetables: 

The health risk to which humans are exposed from the consumption of these vegetables was determined using the hazard quotient (HQ) and the results are presented in Table 5. The sequence of health risk for the metals analyzed followed the decreasing order As˃Cd˃Zn˃Pb˃Mn˃Cr˃Fe˃Cu. Adedokun et al. (2016) who determined the health risk assessment of heavy metals intake through consumption of some leafy vegetables in Lagos metropolis (Nigeria), reported the health risk sequence of Pb˃Cu˃Cd˃Zn˃Cr. The HQ values for all the metals analyzed in this study except As, Cd and Zn were less than one (1), which indicates that the vegetables are safe from health risks that could be posed by those specific metals (Fe, Cu, Pb, Mn, and Cr). As, Cd and Zn had HQ values were greater than 1 in all the analyzed vegetables, they could therefore be considered as potential hazards for the consumers. 

4.0 Conclusion

This study gives recent information on the heavy metal contents of vegetables commonly sold in Jos Metropolis, Nigeria, and their health implications on consumers. The heavy metals examined were present in all the samples studied, with most of them falling within the FAO/WHO permissible limits. Generally, Zinc concentration was higher in all the vegetables analyzed, when compared to other metals. From the point of view of daily consumption of the vegetables, only copper was below the MTDI level while Zinc exceeded the limit with the highest values and the least was Chromium in the sequence Zn˃Fe˃Mn˃As˃Cd˃Pb˃Cr˃Cu. From the perspective of health risk to humans, the hazard quotient of the individual metals was determined. The HQ of all the metals analyzed was below 1 except As, Cd, and Zn which were greater. This implies that consumption of vegetables could pose health risks to the consumers through bio-accumulation of these metals in their system.  From the outcome of this study, it is recommended that farmers should be sensitized on the detrimental effects of heavy metal pollution and best farm practices should be embraced in vegetable cultivation. The use of persistent agrochemicals, wastewater irrigation, among others should not be encouraged, as these could be the avenues through which heavy metals accumulate in vegetables. 

Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to the staff of the Biochemistry Division of the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Jos, Nigeria for the assistance rendered in the course of this research. 

Conflicts of Interest

None

References

Clearly Auctoresonline and particularly Psychology and Mental Health Care Journal is dedicated to improving health care services for individuals and populations. The editorial boards' ability to efficiently recognize and share the global importance of health literacy with a variety of stakeholders. Auctoresonline publishing platform can be used to facilitate of optimal client-based services and should be added to health care professionals' repertoire of evidence-based health care resources.

img

Virginia E. Koenig

Journal of Clinical Cardiology and Cardiovascular Intervention The submission and review process was adequate. However I think that the publication total value should have been enlightened in early fases. Thank you for all.

img

Delcio G Silva Junior

Journal of Women Health Care and Issues By the present mail, I want to say thank to you and tour colleagues for facilitating my published article. Specially thank you for the peer review process, support from the editorial office. I appreciate positively the quality of your journal.

img

Ziemlé Clément Méda

Journal of Clinical Research and Reports I would be very delighted to submit my testimonial regarding the reviewer board and the editorial office. The reviewer board were accurate and helpful regarding any modifications for my manuscript. And the editorial office were very helpful and supportive in contacting and monitoring with any update and offering help. It was my pleasure to contribute with your promising Journal and I am looking forward for more collaboration.

img

Mina Sherif Soliman Georgy

We would like to thank the Journal of Thoracic Disease and Cardiothoracic Surgery because of the services they provided us for our articles. The peer-review process was done in a very excellent time manner, and the opinions of the reviewers helped us to improve our manuscript further. The editorial office had an outstanding correspondence with us and guided us in many ways. During a hard time of the pandemic that is affecting every one of us tremendously, the editorial office helped us make everything easier for publishing scientific work. Hope for a more scientific relationship with your Journal.

img

Layla Shojaie

The peer-review process which consisted high quality queries on the paper. I did answer six reviewers’ questions and comments before the paper was accepted. The support from the editorial office is excellent.

img

Sing-yung Wu

Journal of Neuroscience and Neurological Surgery. I had the experience of publishing a research article recently. The whole process was simple from submission to publication. The reviewers made specific and valuable recommendations and corrections that improved the quality of my publication. I strongly recommend this Journal.

img

Orlando Villarreal

Dr. Katarzyna Byczkowska My testimonial covering: "The peer review process is quick and effective. The support from the editorial office is very professional and friendly. Quality of the Clinical Cardiology and Cardiovascular Interventions is scientific and publishes ground-breaking research on cardiology that is useful for other professionals in the field.

img

Katarzyna Byczkowska

Thank you most sincerely, with regard to the support you have given in relation to the reviewing process and the processing of my article entitled "Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of The Prostate Gland: A Review and Update" for publication in your esteemed Journal, Journal of Cancer Research and Cellular Therapeutics". The editorial team has been very supportive.

img

Anthony Kodzo-Grey Venyo

Testimony of Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology: work with your Reviews has been a educational and constructive experience. The editorial office were very helpful and supportive. It was a pleasure to contribute to your Journal.

img

Pedro Marques Gomes

Dr. Bernard Terkimbi Utoo, I am happy to publish my scientific work in Journal of Women Health Care and Issues (JWHCI). The manuscript submission was seamless and peer review process was top notch. I was amazed that 4 reviewers worked on the manuscript which made it a highly technical, standard and excellent quality paper. I appreciate the format and consideration for the APC as well as the speed of publication. It is my pleasure to continue with this scientific relationship with the esteem JWHCI.

img

Bernard Terkimbi Utoo

This is an acknowledgment for peer reviewers, editorial board of Journal of Clinical Research and Reports. They show a lot of consideration for us as publishers for our research article “Evaluation of the different factors associated with side effects of COVID-19 vaccination on medical students, Mutah university, Al-Karak, Jordan”, in a very professional and easy way. This journal is one of outstanding medical journal.

img

Prof Sherif W Mansour

Dear Hao Jiang, to Journal of Nutrition and Food Processing We greatly appreciate the efficient, professional and rapid processing of our paper by your team. If there is anything else we should do, please do not hesitate to let us know. On behalf of my co-authors, we would like to express our great appreciation to editor and reviewers.

img

Hao Jiang

As an author who has recently published in the journal "Brain and Neurological Disorders". I am delighted to provide a testimonial on the peer review process, editorial office support, and the overall quality of the journal. The peer review process at Brain and Neurological Disorders is rigorous and meticulous, ensuring that only high-quality, evidence-based research is published. The reviewers are experts in their fields, and their comments and suggestions were constructive and helped improve the quality of my manuscript. The review process was timely and efficient, with clear communication from the editorial office at each stage. The support from the editorial office was exceptional throughout the entire process. The editorial staff was responsive, professional, and always willing to help. They provided valuable guidance on formatting, structure, and ethical considerations, making the submission process seamless. Moreover, they kept me informed about the status of my manuscript and provided timely updates, which made the process less stressful. The journal Brain and Neurological Disorders is of the highest quality, with a strong focus on publishing cutting-edge research in the field of neurology. The articles published in this journal are well-researched, rigorously peer-reviewed, and written by experts in the field. The journal maintains high standards, ensuring that readers are provided with the most up-to-date and reliable information on brain and neurological disorders. In conclusion, I had a wonderful experience publishing in Brain and Neurological Disorders. The peer review process was thorough, the editorial office provided exceptional support, and the journal's quality is second to none. I would highly recommend this journal to any researcher working in the field of neurology and brain disorders.

img

Dr Shiming Tang

Dear Agrippa Hilda, Journal of Neuroscience and Neurological Surgery, Editorial Coordinator, I trust this message finds you well. I want to extend my appreciation for considering my article for publication in your esteemed journal. I am pleased to provide a testimonial regarding the peer review process and the support received from your editorial office. The peer review process for my paper was carried out in a highly professional and thorough manner. The feedback and comments provided by the authors were constructive and very useful in improving the quality of the manuscript. This rigorous assessment process undoubtedly contributes to the high standards maintained by your journal.

img

Raed Mualem

International Journal of Clinical Case Reports and Reviews. I strongly recommend to consider submitting your work to this high-quality journal. The support and availability of the Editorial staff is outstanding and the review process was both efficient and rigorous.

img

Andreas Filippaios

Thank you very much for publishing my Research Article titled “Comparing Treatment Outcome Of Allergic Rhinitis Patients After Using Fluticasone Nasal Spray And Nasal Douching" in the Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology. As Medical Professionals we are immensely benefited from study of various informative Articles and Papers published in this high quality Journal. I look forward to enriching my knowledge by regular study of the Journal and contribute my future work in the field of ENT through the Journal for use by the medical fraternity. The support from the Editorial office was excellent and very prompt. I also welcome the comments received from the readers of my Research Article.

img

Dr Suramya Dhamija

Dear Erica Kelsey, Editorial Coordinator of Cancer Research and Cellular Therapeutics Our team is very satisfied with the processing of our paper by your journal. That was fast, efficient, rigorous, but without unnecessary complications. We appreciated the very short time between the submission of the paper and its publication on line on your site.

img

Bruno Chauffert

I am very glad to say that the peer review process is very successful and fast and support from the Editorial Office. Therefore, I would like to continue our scientific relationship for a long time. And I especially thank you for your kindly attention towards my article. Have a good day!

img

Baheci Selen

"We recently published an article entitled “Influence of beta-Cyclodextrins upon the Degradation of Carbofuran Derivatives under Alkaline Conditions" in the Journal of “Pesticides and Biofertilizers” to show that the cyclodextrins protect the carbamates increasing their half-life time in the presence of basic conditions This will be very helpful to understand carbofuran behaviour in the analytical, agro-environmental and food areas. We greatly appreciated the interaction with the editor and the editorial team; we were particularly well accompanied during the course of the revision process, since all various steps towards publication were short and without delay".

img

Jesus Simal-Gandara

I would like to express my gratitude towards you process of article review and submission. I found this to be very fair and expedient. Your follow up has been excellent. I have many publications in national and international journal and your process has been one of the best so far. Keep up the great work.

img

Douglas Miyazaki

We are grateful for this opportunity to provide a glowing recommendation to the Journal of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. We found that the editorial team were very supportive, helpful, kept us abreast of timelines and over all very professional in nature. The peer review process was rigorous, efficient and constructive that really enhanced our article submission. The experience with this journal remains one of our best ever and we look forward to providing future submissions in the near future.

img

Dr Griffith

I am very pleased to serve as EBM of the journal, I hope many years of my experience in stem cells can help the journal from one way or another. As we know, stem cells hold great potential for regenerative medicine, which are mostly used to promote the repair response of diseased, dysfunctional or injured tissue using stem cells or their derivatives. I think Stem Cell Research and Therapeutics International is a great platform to publish and share the understanding towards the biology and translational or clinical application of stem cells.

img

Dr Tong Ming Liu

I would like to give my testimony in the support I have got by the peer review process and to support the editorial office where they were of asset to support young author like me to be encouraged to publish their work in your respected journal and globalize and share knowledge across the globe. I really give my great gratitude to your journal and the peer review including the editorial office.

img

Husain Taha Radhi

I am delighted to publish our manuscript entitled "A Perspective on Cocaine Induced Stroke - Its Mechanisms and Management" in the Journal of Neuroscience and Neurological Surgery. The peer review process, support from the editorial office, and quality of the journal are excellent. The manuscripts published are of high quality and of excellent scientific value. I recommend this journal very much to colleagues.

img

S Munshi

Dr.Tania Muñoz, My experience as researcher and author of a review article in The Journal Clinical Cardiology and Interventions has been very enriching and stimulating. The editorial team is excellent, performs its work with absolute responsibility and delivery. They are proactive, dynamic and receptive to all proposals. Supporting at all times the vast universe of authors who choose them as an option for publication. The team of review specialists, members of the editorial board, are brilliant professionals, with remarkable performance in medical research and scientific methodology. Together they form a frontline team that consolidates the JCCI as a magnificent option for the publication and review of high-level medical articles and broad collective interest. I am honored to be able to share my review article and open to receive all your comments.

img

Tania Munoz

“The peer review process of JPMHC is quick and effective. Authors are benefited by good and professional reviewers with huge experience in the field of psychology and mental health. The support from the editorial office is very professional. People to contact to are friendly and happy to help and assist any query authors might have. Quality of the Journal is scientific and publishes ground-breaking research on mental health that is useful for other professionals in the field”.

img

George Varvatsoulias

Dear editorial department: On behalf of our team, I hereby certify the reliability and superiority of the International Journal of Clinical Case Reports and Reviews in the peer review process, editorial support, and journal quality. Firstly, the peer review process of the International Journal of Clinical Case Reports and Reviews is rigorous, fair, transparent, fast, and of high quality. The editorial department invites experts from relevant fields as anonymous reviewers to review all submitted manuscripts. These experts have rich academic backgrounds and experience, and can accurately evaluate the academic quality, originality, and suitability of manuscripts. The editorial department is committed to ensuring the rigor of the peer review process, while also making every effort to ensure a fast review cycle to meet the needs of authors and the academic community. Secondly, the editorial team of the International Journal of Clinical Case Reports and Reviews is composed of a group of senior scholars and professionals with rich experience and professional knowledge in related fields. The editorial department is committed to assisting authors in improving their manuscripts, ensuring their academic accuracy, clarity, and completeness. Editors actively collaborate with authors, providing useful suggestions and feedback to promote the improvement and development of the manuscript. We believe that the support of the editorial department is one of the key factors in ensuring the quality of the journal. Finally, the International Journal of Clinical Case Reports and Reviews is renowned for its high- quality articles and strict academic standards. The editorial department is committed to publishing innovative and academically valuable research results to promote the development and progress of related fields. The International Journal of Clinical Case Reports and Reviews is reasonably priced and ensures excellent service and quality ratio, allowing authors to obtain high-level academic publishing opportunities in an affordable manner. I hereby solemnly declare that the International Journal of Clinical Case Reports and Reviews has a high level of credibility and superiority in terms of peer review process, editorial support, reasonable fees, and journal quality. Sincerely, Rui Tao.

img

Rui Tao

Clinical Cardiology and Cardiovascular Interventions I testity the covering of the peer review process, support from the editorial office, and quality of the journal.

img

Khurram Arshad